I just got home from lunch out with a friend and picking Josie up from the vet's office. She had a minor procedure done this morning - Josie, that is, not my friend. There's an area on the right side of her head in front of her ear that has been oozing and scabbing over for quite some time. At first we chalked it up to an overactive scent gland and tried some ointments on it. It cleared up quite a bit, but never went completely away. We've tried antibiotics, steroids, pills, creams, you name it. It just won't clear up. The doctor is getting as fed up with it as we are. Since a slide swab didn't show anything, we decided to go ahead and have it biopsied just to be safe. She had three plugs taken this morning and is now the proud bearer of three stitches and an Elizabethan collar. (You know I will be taking photos. Stay tuned for those.) Fortunately, they were able to do the biopsies with just a local anesthetic, which is a big relief. At her age and given that her kidneys aren't doing all that great these days, putting her out is risky business. I was hoping they wouldn't have to do that. So, we're home now. She's attempting to sleep on the blanket in front of the space heater, but is having a hard time getting comfortable with the lampshade on her head. It's soft fabric, not hard plastic, so it's folding over her face when she lies down and she is not liking that.

The doctor just called, too. He said we should have results in about a week. There is a tiny chance that it's melanoma, but that's very, very unlikely. He said it's probably some sort of viral infection, which we can treat with meds. The important thing is to find out exactly what we're dealing with first, then sort a treatment. In the meantime, she needs to wear the collar for at least 24 hours, longer if she tries to scratch at her head. The wounds should be healed in about five days, the sutures will dissolve on their own and he'll call when the results come in.