Well, what a traumatic week :o

Willis has had a cyst/warty thing on his shoulder now for about 3 years. Vets have kept an eye on it and he's had some steriod cream in the past, but decided to leave it alone due to his, um, neurotic disposition, size and inherent dislike and tolerance of vets. However, Little Willis (as the cyst became affectionately known) decided to stand up and be counted over the last two weeks and grew and got itself a nice, stinky infection.

Called the vet out (yes, its actually cheaper in ££ than the stress and health and costs for therapy after to call the vet for a home visit than take him in) and he very matter of factly said "oh yes, thats got to come off" having pinned a growling Willis against the kitchen cupboards for a swift examination (horse vet - takes no ****).

So, operation (literally) Willis began at 9am last tuesday with the secret administation of 3 x ACP (piece of cake - no, not that it was easy, thats what we hid them in) in preparation for getting him to the vets for the pre med. Did they have any effect? No. Did we get to the vets where Willis applied the brakes to go through the door, refused to get on the scales and wiped his cyst all over me? Yes. Finally his deputy dawg look kicked in and when we felt his eyelids could droop no lower, in went the pre med. Course, then Mollie and I had to carry the great lummox straight into the operating room, where they knocked him out and consigned Little Willis to the bin.

When we fetched him he wouldn't get up. Floor too slippy apparently. Luckily he was just sat on his bed in the room with the nurses - no kennel big enough, so we had to drag the big blue pillock out the door on his bed, where a nice vet and I lifted him in the back of the car. He perked up when he got home and saw the chickens though.

Since then he was been back to his old puppy self (oh please no), and has been a, um, handful, putting on weight, demanding attention and doing houdini attempts for the door every 5 mins. Today he made it and the great blue git actually caught my new cockerel, keith. Thus ensued a major panic with one Great Dane sitting down looking delighted with one husband clinging on for his life (and that of the other hens), one Keith feigning death in his jaws, one hysterical Carla and Mollie and could we get the b*ggers jaws open?! No! I had to prise them open with a mop handle - but thankfully, not a flipping mark on the cockerel who ran off clucking in fury.

I need a drink

Aw, I've missed Willis! :-D :-D *passes the open bottle of Ribena*

Thanks - I need it. He's reverted to being 1 again, I am actually scared to go in the kitchen, he's in there now... waiting....

*chuckles* Oh I remember so well! A bouncy Willis isn't something that can easily be ignored, is it? He must be feeling better - which is good, honestly!

*Brings in the back up Ribena*
Look at you two! you've nearly got the bottom of JG's already!
*ø¤º°*¨`*:»(((Willis is Back!!)))«:*¨`*°º¤ø*
                           :-D
Hoorah for Willis!! Don't trust them chickens Lad! (They want to take over the world you know...They are plotting a coup (coop!! geddit!!... I'll get me coat ;) )
Good to *see* you Carla :) Glad all went well with 'Little Willis' x

Poor Willis,   live would be boring without him :-) 

Glad he is OK though Carla most importantly..  Maybe he won't try to be the fairy onto of the tree this year.

Nice to see and hear from you.

Hope you are ready for Christmas with your ( rather large)  Brood :-D :-D

Oh, I've missed hearing about Willis ;-) Glad to hear he is *back to normal * :-D

Honestly, though, you wouldn't be without him, would you? Would you??????

You did make me laugh with your big blue pillock story :-)

Was it a sebacious cyst he had? One of our girls has one on her back and it's growing. Suspect it will have to come off eventually.

thanks everyone :)

Well, Keith has survived his ordeal without a scratch - can't believe it really - do Danes have soft mouths? I thought they were bred to hunt wild boar!

Willis is still full of himself - I am not looking forward to the vet removing his stitches.

I am not sure what it was... It was a lumpy thing on a thread - but he ended up with a 4 inch wound down his shoulder, I thought they'd just tie it off after cutting it!

I have had these sort of things removed in the past.  Although they don't look much on the surface they can have a wide spread under the skin that must also be removed otherwise it grows back again in short order, hence the wound can be rather large.