Coyotes Eye

I keep meaning to write about this. It’s been difficult. Not only because of the subject. Also I’ve been fighting Christmas, between everyone being home and trying to get ready there’s not much time to write, and I could not get the pictures to load to my computer from the phone. Yes I took pictures!
I guess I should mention just what I took pictures of.
Yes, the whole thing was incredibly difficult for me. I sat down that afternoon and wrote a deep sentimental sappy post about it. Not sure exactly what I’m going to do with that one. This one I am going to keep light and factual.
My husband stayed home to feed cows and watch kids. I loaded Coyote, Harvey, and our cat up. Might as well take a full load if we’re going. I wanted to get Harvey’s teeth checked out, make sure there wasn’t anything going on in there. The cat has a sore on her hind end that hasn’t healed. Wanted that looked at too.
I put Coyote in the back thinking they’d start on him first. They didn’t. They did let me keep them both together the whole time. He kept a very nervous Harvey calm while the vet decided his teeth looked great. Then they both went to a pen to wait while they looked at the cat. A quick look and it was decided it needed an antibiotic. Then it was time for Coyote.
The vet tech was great. She was calm and easy with him. The vet was also great. She kept trying to get me to go home and leave Coyote there. It’s a gruesome operation. They didn’t think I could take it. There’s no way I was leaving him though. He’s not an easy horse. Although I’ve really liked this vet every time we’ve seen her I wasn’t going to chance rough handling. I told them I was staying.
They gave him a strong dose to nearly knock him out. He would stay standing while she worked. As his head nodded lower and lower she gave him shots in and behind the eyeball of pain killer. I stood arms crossed in front of me, his head resting in my hand.
We talked as she worked. Womanly things, c-sections, in people and cattle, children, husbands. She was competent and gentle. Soon my hands felt wet. I looked down and realized they were covered in blood that dripped down his face as she cut. I moved my treat bag and phone around behind me to keep them clean.
Of course I brought my treat bag! One of the things I like about this vet is that she has been patient with and never mocked my treat bag and clicking.
Soon enough she had the eye out. I asked her to wait and let me get a picture, leaving blood smears across my phone but documenting the moment. The loss. She says she often sends things like that home for children to take to school to study and dissect. Gotta love small town schools. I thought hard about whether of not to share the picture here. In the end I decided it was too much.
She sewed the skin tightly shut over the hole before I was willing to look. I would stay for the surgery that doesn’t mean I had to look. The change was startling and hard to look at. He will feel so much better though, without the pain of the growth bothering him.
He went back out with Harvey, who had woken enough to start calling for his buddy, to finish waking up. I had an errand to run and was given permission to take him home as soon as I was done. He had come through even better than usual and she didn’t see the need to watch him for the usual length of time.
Coyote is adjusting well to the complete loss of sight on that side. Loosing sight slowly must have helped a little. He is taking his pain med well, after a few hiccups on my end. I am looking forward to writing about our cure for the Bute problem.

• ← Sortin’ Cattle
• Just the Facts →