So you want to help me out?

Recently I have been getting alot of offers from people to help me out with work.  These are actually people that I know and that I do trust and I DO take this into consideration, however I always come to the same conclusion.  There is no way that just "helping out" is possible.  Maybe it's because I am a control freak.  Maybe it's because I am a good business owner.  Maybe it is because I know how people are.  Could be all of the above.....

If someone wants to help me out, it is really committing to working for me.  Here is the scenario.  I have regular dogs that are walked daily, weekly, etc.  I have relationships with these dogs and their owners.  I know their habits, I know their schedule, I know their personalities, and they trust me.  So do their parents.  When you throw a random new person in to walk a dog it throws the whole balance off.  Strangers are coming in to the house, and it can be daunting for the owner as well as the animal.

The cats that I watch are the same way.  Aside from the medical visits, the instructions are so specific in most places that it would take me longer to write it out for someone than it would be to just do it myself.  The cats get used to a certain person as well, we become like a second family member.

If I had said yes to the people willing to help in the past week, that would mean that I could possibly take on 5-10+ extra dogs per day.  Then what happens when these people help for a few weeks and decide that their lives or other jobs get in the way of helping? Then I am stuck with a schedule that I can't handle and will have to let clients go.  It's a double edged sword really.  The work is out there if the commitment level is high.  This is not for everyone though.  We are like mailmen - out in all weather all day long.  We work holidays, weekends, mornings, evenings... it's tough to juggle.  So while I could use a break and would welcome the help, I know my clients would not want someone new in their house and I fear the temporary enthusiasm :)
If I needed coverage or backup (If I ever take a vacation) that would be another story, but I have had some clients for 15 years! They are used to me and my neurotic ways.

So apologies to all those people that have offered....I am simply not ready to try to figure this out yet, but it will always be in the back of my mind.

Maggot Monday! (Warning, it's a bit gross)

One of the worst Mondays ever. Seriously. And I have had a lot of crappy Mondays.  My day started off just fine, I even had one less morning dog to walk!  I fed a neighbor cat and then headed to my first dog over on 11th st.  I had seen him the night before.  He is an older dog with some hind end mobility issues, but he is just the sweetest boy! Loose poo has been his ailment this week so I knew to be prepared for a good bum cleaning (It's all part of the job)

He was sound asleep when I arrived so I prepared his pill and his food and his butt wipes before waking him up.  I go over to him and lift his tail and I see a maggot. (Ugh!!)  I start wiping and I see more.  And more. And more.....This was not an isolated maggot.  They were big too! About 1/2 inch long.  I started freaking out because maggots are really the ONE THING that I cannot deal with.  I start to see them drop off the dog and wriggle on the floor towards me. NOOOOOO  I was armed with paper towels and lysol, but honestly nothing kills them except squishing them.

Let me take a moment to preface this by saying that I had a traumatic experience with maggots when I was 16.  I was working in a pet store, my first job, and they told me to clean out the hermit crab tank.  I picked up the 10 gallon tank full of hermit crabs (dead and alive) and took it to the big back sink. I started by putting the live ones in another container and soon realized that the dead ones (and the water surrounding them) were filled with tiny maggots!  I lost my shit, threw everything in the sink and ran to the bathroom to wash my arms and hands!  My boss saw how freaked out I was and told someone else to finish.  I finally regained my composure and went back on the floor to help customers.  Someone came up asking for a dozen crickets. I grabbed a bag and on my finger was one tiny crawling maggot.  Again, freaked out!!! To this day they are the one thing that I cannot deal with.  Give me puddles of blood, protruding bones and organs, abscess, anything!  Not maggots!

So here we are, over 16 years later and I am in a house by myself with a dog that is covered in maggots that are mobile.  I'll admit, I cried a little and got a bit lightheaded.  This was at 8am. I had to get a level head and figure out the most logical thing to do.  If I were still working in a vets office, what would we do?  (well, the first thing I would do is pass it off to someone else and buy them lunch) I knew that I had to shave him down to see what I was working with because there had to be a wound under all that hair that was attracting the maggots.  I called my husband in a panic to see if he could drop off my clippers and rubber gloves before he went to work.  He agreed and was there in about 10 minutes, I was on the verge of breakdown.  He told me to put on my clinical face and do what I had to do.  I agreed, walked back into the house and cried for a couple minutes, and gathered my strength. I couldn't walk him through the house or put him in a car or take him to a vet until these little fuckers were all gone!!

I got down on the floor armed with rubber gloves, electric clippers, Lysol, and paper towels.  I started shaving, uncovering more and more creepy little maggots.  They just decided to jump ship at the same time! I kept shaving, they kept appearing.  They were falling to the ground and I was killing them one by one.  Stepping on them, squishing them with my paper towel.... and it got to a point where the fear just left and I was on a mission!!  Bug! Squish!  Bug Squish!  It really is true what they say about immersion therapy!  It was gross, but I stopped shaking and just did it.  It took about 30 min to clean up and do a butt shave on this large dog and he was a trooper!  I then saw that there was a large hot spot and a bed sore type hole near his anus.  Sigh...

Long story short, I took him to the emergency vet just before 11 am so that they could fix him up and get him antibiotics. It was super busy and I sat there forever because his case was not critical (totally understandable).  I removed all maggots before he got to the vet (they were appreciative) and we all came up with a plan. They are keeping him overnight to monitor him and keep him happy and clean. Poor buddy - this was about 3 hours out of my day.  I faced my fear for a dog that I love.  I wish that I never have to encounter maggots like that ever again... but in my field I know that I probably will.  If you could all jut say a little prayer though... just in case.