The Best Part

Friday wasn’t a good day for Tucker. It was just after his dental surgery; he was in great discomfort, and it was of course affecting his ability or, rather, desire to eat. He ate but in very small quantities. I was quite worried about him.

Fortunately, today saw an improvement in the roly poly’s condition. Part of it was, I think, due to the pain-killers and other medicines. But the healing process was progressing naturally, and I could see it at work in a number of ways.

I woke in the morning to find Tucker on the bed with Renn and Josie. The last few nights, he had lie elsewhere, not sleeping much. The fact that he had joined us was a good sign. He drooled less, and there was not the amount of pink in his saliva that there had been. He ate much more than the day previous, and his behaviour is now closer to the way it should be.

Perhaps more than anything, his attention to his hygiene is encouraging. When I initially took him to the doctor because of his mouth, the doctor pointed out that his fur was not being groomed well. Saturday, Tucker cleaned all the pink stains from his hair; indeed, he spent twenty minutes straight, seeing to his appearance. This showed not only an interest in his well-being, but less pain in using his mouth.

Of course, he has some way to go. But when a pet has had such a traumatic event as the removal of all his teeth, his human looks for the clues that demonstrate that he is on the rebound, that his body and spirit are heading upward again. I am prepared for a dip when his medication is finished; he will have to carry his fight alone thereafter, and might suffer a slight relapse. Nevertheless, I am heartened.

Tucker even played a little. We have a game, he and I: when he is sitting at the dining table, I will stride toward him, my hands out-stretched as if I am about to seize him; he will give a little scream as I grab his head. He played along, but I felt so sorry for the little guy: all I could see in his mouth were gums.

Those gums will repair themselves, however. Tucker is already adapting to his new condition, and the teeth, all bad or on their way there, will be forgotten. He is a veteran of surgeries that remove bits and pieces of him. This was a tough one but, as before, the best part of him remains.