Oh Monty

On Tuesday night I was cutting up pieces for a new picnic blankie when I decided to take a break and have some snuggle time with Monty. So I laid down and started giving him a good scratching when I noticed this huge, throbbing mass on his face. None of the vets are open late in Olympia (and I didn't even think about calling the emergency pet hospital because I was in a blind panic). I called Jessie to see what vet she took her pet rat Choxie to, and then Dharyll and then my parents. By the time I was off with Dharyll and on with my parents I was in a full blown panic. After all, it was HUGE and scary and it was late at night.

So the next morning I woke up at 6 so that I could call around and find an open vet and decided to take him to that place down the road. They opened at eight, so I took the picture above, packed him up and hustled down there. Turns out he had a massive abscess that went all along his jaw. He had to spend the night, have surgery and then be picked up the next morning. I ordered his antibiotics from a pharmacy in town and then waited... and waited and waited. There was much crying and headaches for the 48 hours since I noticed that nasty surprise and he was at the vet's. The next morning (this morning) I went in and picked him up. His abscess has to be kept open and draining for at least a week because it was so bad. That means I have to clean it out with a Q-tip twice a day, soaked with a solution, and I have to syringe antibiotics into his mouth twice a day as well.
Poor poor Monty. I'm glad that he seems normal except for the fact that he's now pretty tolerant about letting me put him on his back. He's still trying to groom me, eating, drinking and sleeping. Oh Monty...