At the Vets

We are bad dog owners.
I know that because the vet left me in no doubt today that we are bad dog owners.
The day before yesterday I felt a lump on Archie's throat that I'd never noticed before. He didn't mind me touching it so I thought it must be a burr which had got matted in his fur, or his Adam's apple (I googled it and dogs do have such a thing!!) I planned to call the vet yesterday just to check but never got round to it.
Story of my life.
Last night at about 11pm he came in with blood all over his chest which was pretty horrifying. He seemed OK but was all gunky with blood and his white chest was pink. Awful.
I rang the vet who said it sounded like a burst abcess and that we should wash it out with salty water and bring him in in the morning.
We cleaned him up as best we could and put an old towel on the bed. He seemed surprisingly fine and slept soundly all night as usual.
I called the vet first thing and got an appointment to take him in.
I had been hoping for a lie in today while Mr K took the Little Misses to the dentist. Sigh!!
It started off OK when the receptionist greeted Archie by name and told us to take a seat.
Then it all went a bit downhill.
I lifted Archie up onto the table and told the vet about the lump and the blood.
His eyebrows practically disappeared off his head when I said I'd noticed the lump the day before yesterday but hadn't done anything about it.  
I meant to call but didn't get round to it I lamely mumbled.
Despite having Archie's notes open on the computer and clearly having read them before we got there he made a show of looking at them and asking where we've been going for veterinary care. 
Er, here. 
But you haven't bothered with his boosters. Or replying to multiple emails about boosters.
Um. No. I've been meaning to get in touch about that.
Silence.
The kind of silence that screams well you're an owner who cares about your dog aren't you?????????
He snapped that we'd have to start again now with the initial vaccinations and then the boosters.
He looked at Archie neck, had a quick poke and disapprovingly told me it was a massive ruptured abscess.
When I said he hadn't seemed in any pain, the vet seemed to delight in telling that he'd have been in a great deal of pain.
It hardly seemed worth telling him that I'd been squeezing the lump to see if it bothered him and it hadn't at all.
He had to shave Archie's neck and then clean it all out. It was pretty horrific - Archie was fighting against it and the vet seemed pissed off that I couldn't hold him still enough so went off to get a nurse. It was done eventually and cleaned out. Then he had an antibiotic injection and then we could leave.
I made a show of myself bawling at the receptionist, telling her how awful I felt and how I wished I'd called as soon as I felt the lump. 
She was very sweet, saying Archie had been treated now and these things happen.
They always happen to me because I'm always meaning to get to things and never getting to things.
£100 worse off and armed with painkillers, antibiotics and instructions for cleaning the wound it was time to head home.
I could only hope that the vet wasn't watching as Archie hopped into the front seat for the journey!!