Biggles in an adventure with suture removal

Biggles went back to the vet last Thursday, five days after his escapade with the cat flap, and our fears were realised when the vet told me that the repairs to his injury had ‘broken down’. Basically, although he had - at first - been healing nicely, as well as knocking off the scabs, the stitches had given way and the wound was open again. It was decided to leave him until today to see what would be the next course of action. There were, perhaps, two choices: if by today the wound was healing nicely they would leave it and he would just have the slightly lop-sided look for life, or they would try and stitch him up again (with the added surgery of having his future prospects snipped at the same time while he was under the anaesthetic). So we were dispatched off home with a further supply of anti-biotics to last until his appointment today.

We saw a different vet today, and after consultation with one of his colleagues, it was decided that nothing can really be done. Re-stitching is not in reality an option as the wound is too wide to sew up again and, of course, there was a small chunk of flesh missing in the first place so there is a small dip. He has been given some more anti-biotics and we are treating it as an open wound. It is hoped that it will granulate, and he has another appointment next week to see how it is getting along. The vet then removed the remains of the last two stitches that were hanging in an ungainly fashion and off home we went.

It will be interesting to see how many different ways I can think of to get the tablet down him as he has realised that it does not taste particularly nice! I had been giving it to him crushed between a couple of pieces of bread and butter, but he has cottoned on to that one. Yesterday, I went back to basics and mixed it in with his biscuits, but did that fool him? Oh no! All his supper disappeared apart from one solitary pink tablet at the bottom of his bowl, carefully spat out and eaten around. I can see that it will be a test of wills between us both, but I can assure you - and him - that I shall be the resounding winner at the end of the week. He can dodge it as much as he likes, but that tablet will find its way into his innards whether he wants it or not. I guess saying it is no skin off my nose is a bit under-the -belt, but ........