Mustang Saga

I did it!  I put a drain in Pedro's neck.  Grossness ahead, I warn you.

This morning I was halfway through taking care of my hospitalized animals when the other tech walked through the door.  Turns out I didn't have to work today!  

Woo-hoo!  

So I drove to Spokane with John to get rid of some file cabinets that have been taking up space in my barn.  We had a nice lunch at Chaps.

On the way home I stopped by the vet clinic to pick up some cordless clippers and the other tools I'd need for Pedro.  I love those cordless clippers!

Then I came home and got right to work. 

My pockets were full of the world's best treats.

I am filling up space to spare those of you who are grossed out easily, so the pictures don't show on your screen without scrolling down.

Really it was so awesome I can't believe anyone would be grossed out by it.  But it did involve a lot of icky fluid.

I tied him up and let him listen to the clippers.  He gave them a slightly concerned sideways ear, so I gave him a treat.  After that we were golden.  I just clipped away.

Here it is post-clipping:

 

He'd been rubbing at it again and rubbed the scab off.

 I scrubbed it really well with surgical scrub & solution.  Then I poked a needle in the bottom and drew out some fluid.  Mostly I just wanted to see how he'd react to the poke.  No biggie.  It started draining right away, even with just a tiny needle hole in the skin.  There must have been a lot of pressure there.

Then I cut a chunk out of the lowest point.  It really started dripping.  I clamped a hemostat onto my drain tube and poked it up inside as far as it would go.  I could have used a longer one.  Then I cut a hole over where I could see the hemostat poking on the inside.  Now that air could get in from the top it started going glug-glug and really draining.  Wow.  Then I pushed my drain through, unclamped, pulled out the hemostat and tied off the drain.  That's when I realized I have no idea what knot to use.  I think the one I put in it will stay.

 Contrary to what I used to think, the fluid doesn't drain through the drain.  The drain is just there to keep the wound from closing up, so that it can keep draining.

Can you believe Pedro just stood there for all of that?  What a guy.  I think in some ways it was a relief.

He didn't seem to hold it against me.  I gave him lots and lots of treats, and even let him eat a little grass afterward.

I can't wait to see how it heals.  The skin is pretty thickened there.  It could get infected.  I'm a worrywart.