Kody is definitely doing better than he was yesterday. First, he’s not drugged and second the swelling in his cheeks has gone away. But he’s still pretty tender. He’ll give me kisses but I can tell it kind of hurts him to use his mouth still.
I’m not really cut out for parenthood. I’m a good parent to Kody, that’s not the problem, it’s just that I’m so sensitive and it really kills me to see him hurting and not be able to do anything about it. I’m just hoping he heals up soon.
For every medical event we’ve had, I’ve done the right thing for Kody. But it’s so stressful for me. Today I had to ask myself, do I care too much? I don’t think I do, but at the same time I need to figure out a way to care without making it painful for myself. I have a simple but high standard: treat Kody with respect and care for him the way I would care for myself, nothing more, nothing less. Kody is a being, not an object.
But the truth is, no doctor is ever going to be good enough, smart enough, or gentle enough for me. The process is always going to be scary for Kody at the time he needs comfort the most. I hate this, but it’s a fact.
I have a friend, David, and we have a similar logical way of looking at the world. When we need to buy something we just want all the facts we can get. God help the poor car salesman who has David as a customer. He will ask every question, all of which will be reasonable, but none of which the salesman will be able to answer. “Does this bluetooth transfer music from my phone to the car stereo and from which phones? You don’t know? That’s reasonable, but do you have the specs? No? Well, how am I supposed to make a decision?” That would only be one of David’s 100 questions for the salesman. He doesn’t necessarily expect them to know everything, but he does expect them to know where to look and to be able to get to the answer eventually. But the salesman knows that he doesn’t really have to answer all the questions to sell the car, especially if he knows David wants it.
I don’t care so much about cars, but I want a reasonable yet comprehensive understanding of the medical procedures that my dog will undergo. I want to know how he will be processed before, during, and after the procedure. How do you keep his mouth open? What drugs do you give him? What if he barks in his holding cage, how will you handle that? What’s your overall theory with regard to handling the fear of your dog patients? (They probably don’t have one, but I would if I were a veterinarian.) I know better than to ask these questions, especially when there are only two dog dentists in my area and I don’t want to tick them off. But that leaves me feeling very vulnerable. I don’t know what they’re doing to Kody or how they treat their patients. In many ways I don’t want to know because I don’t have a choice but to use them. At the same time when Kody comes home and is not feeling well and his cheeks are swollen, I have to wonder, is this normal or the result of an accident or negligence?
It’s not that I think Kody’s doctor has made mistakes, it’s just that Kody’s in pain, and I don’t know if he has or not. That’s the issue that keeps me up at night, at least until Kody is feeling better. But what I have to accept, for my own sake, is that although it is reasonable to question Kody’s treatment, I’m never going to get an answer. Ugh… that’s the fun process of coming to terms with things that aren’t in our control.
Having said that, if you have a dog that has had root canal surgery, please post a comment with your dog’s results and details about his recovery. This will give anyone dealing with this a place to see what they might be able to expect.