Tuesday 24th – Thursday 26th April
We are still here at Watford although we are a mile and 2 locks further along the canal near Cassio Bridge which carries one of the main roads in to Watford over the canal. We had to move on Tuesday to get near the road so George could go to the vets. It had become apparent that his claw would have to be taken off, hanging as it was sideways on his foot and causing him pain if he caught it on anything. I had done a bit of research into the vets in the vicinity and found one not too far away in Croxley Green as well as a couple in Watford. Ken and I walked up to see the one in Croxley Green to arrange an appointment and transportation for George.
From where we were moored in Cassiobury Park it was about 2 miles to the vets but, as I said, we were not near a road bridge so when we got back we moved. In the mean time Barbara had gone off to catch her train to King’s Cross because she was going to Leicester for her hospital appointment. Barry moved down the canal with us and we both stopped for water on the way. We were lucky to find 2 spaces here, there are a lot of boats moored up and the bloke behind Barry has been here since Christmas apparently, his gear box has gone.
We had to take George up on to the bridge, to the entrance to Cassio Wharf, to be picked up by the vet in the Medivet Ambulance, so it could get off the road. We had a consultation in the layby (the first time the vet had ever done that she said) and she and her nurse took George away, bless.
About 3 hours later the vet brought him back to the same layby and we went to collect him. He was ok she said, she had taken his claw off and bandaged his foot. He had been given pain killers and antibiotics and would have to go back on Thursday to have the dressing changed. As we were about to get him out of the ambulance the vet noticed that unfortunately a catheter had been left in his front leg. He went berserk when she tried to remove it, Ken had to hold him down and George bit him! Eventually the catheter was removed and we took George home. He then spent several hours pacing up and down panting. We think it was a combination of the drug used to bring him round from the sedation and stress. Finally, about 4-30 am I took him out for a wee and thankfully he settled down.
Wednesday he was a lot better in himself and didn’t seem to be in any pain (I still gave him the pain killer just in case) getting up and down the steps and walking normally. But we had the spectre of the bandage change on Thursday hanging over us. We thought it was going to be a disaster with him not wanting to have it done, trying to bite everyone in sight and needing another sedation! By the time his appointment came round we were both a bit wound up. We had arranged for a pet taxi to take him instead of the Medivet ambulance this time (£40 cheaper!) and that meant one of us could go with him. I decided Ken should go because he would be able to hold him down better than me if he needed it.
We needn’t have worried though he was perfectly alright. Ken didn’t even have to go in to the consulting room and although they did put a muzzle on him (George not Ken) apparently he didn’t seem to mind having his bandage changed. He is now almost back to normal, well as normal as he can be. He did have a little chew of his bandage earlier but mostly he doesn’t bother about it. They said to take it off on Sunday but we will see how it goes. We don’t know if his claw will grow back again or not.
Barbara is back and tomorrow we are off on our travels again.
