Cut my arm badly while stripping puppy Sky’s coat with a grooming knife!!!
WARNING: Graphic details ahead! DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME OR ANYWHERE ELSE!!!!
I’ve been spending a lot of time lately stripping Lunar, Sora and baby Sky in the bathroom.
On Thursday, Sky had been playing The Great Escape tunneling under the outdoor kennel to avoid the heat and got a bit muddy.
He’d already had a bath and some stripping the day before but as he loves having a wash I thought it was a good opportunity to finish stripping his neck/mane.
I’ve been using a new knife that is meant for ears and face; very short rounded blade.
It almost disappears under my thumb. I have other knives but I’d never used this one before and just wanted to see how it would feel.
I was frantically pulling out his fur holding the left side scruff of his neck with my left hand and plucking with the right while standing over him with his hips between my calves. (I’m left handed but most of my blades are right handed). Let me point out that I’ve been stripping for six years now and never had I imagined what could happen to one’s self while grooming a dog. I will never strip on the floor again but will get out the stripping table.
Sky was finally starting to look like an Airedale and not a miniature Burmese Mountain Dog.
Then all of a sudden I realized I’ve pulled back too close to my left arm and opened up a 15cm long cut that has also nipped my ulnar artery.
Blood spurting out like you see in a horror movie as I wrap a towel around it screaming to my sons to call an ambulance and to apply a tourniquet.
After my kids realized I wasn’t joking I had them under control with a belt tied around my bicep, towel wrapped around the laceration and laid down to relax before I was going to pass out.
Within 3 minutes I could hear the ambulance, I was getting dizzy and cold sweating.
Heart rate was down to 42 which is my normal resting rate. I really stayed calm and tried to keep my heart rate as low as possible.
The ambulance guys quickly summed up the situation and I told them I felt like I was about to pass out. They got the stretcher and was in the ambulance in no time.
Normally people in shock have a racing heart. My blood pressure on the other hand normally high at 138/90 was down to 105/50.
Within 20 minutes I was in ER getting it fixed.
Pure agony until the anesthetic kicked in especially when the Doc said clamp and I guess they clamped the artery.
17 stitches and 90 minutes later I was sealed back together.
I estimate I lost close to a litre of blood.
The surgeon had inspected the cut and tested blood flow and movement to my little and ring finger and just told the other Doc to stitch me up and I should be OK.
I wanted to stay over night as I thought I was going to have a heart attack over it all but as it was all stitched up safely and my vitals were normal I could go home. (had to come back the next morning)
Anti-biotics, pain killers and now a long boring summer vacation to look forward too.
It was a real freak accident that almost had me winning an Airedale Darwin Award.
If my kids were not home I’m sure I would have passed out and bled to death. I pass out at the Red Cross sometimes… Even trying to wrap the towel around my arm was near impossible.
Anyway, sorry for the gory details but I guess somebody has to be a guinea pig and point out how dangerous grooming our dogs can be.
I’m sure you’re all more careful than me….
Pictures to be added here tomorrow! Be Warned!!!
