My Paw is Injured

I think injured paws are going around because another one of my doggy blogger friends had an injured paw, I saw two doggies at the vet with injured paws, and now I have one. I started to limp last night for no apparent reason. Mommy and daddy inspected my paw and didn't see any stickers or cuts so they were confused. I wouldn't even walk on the grass to go potty so I had to be carried to the yard.

This morning my limping was gone and it turned into a full fledged hop - on three legs. Mommy took me to the vet where we wound up waiting for an hour. I've never seen the vet's office so crowded. Finally it was our turn and mommy warned the vet assistant that I might bite if my injured paw was touched so they muzzled me just in case. I didn't like that at all. I looked like a racehorse.

The vet and his assistant tried to flip me so they could see my paw better and I liked that even less. I cried but the vet continued to touch my paw. Didn't he know that I was in pain? It turns out that my injured paw has a swollen digit. I don't know what a digit is but I wish it wasn't swollen.

Mommy doesn't know how it happened since I was perfectly fine yesterday but the vet said I probably jumped wrong or something like that. Mommy said it must have been caused by chasing squirrels because that's when I'm most active. I can't help it, it's in my nature.

The vet wanted to take X-rays but the machine is in the same room as the surgical room and a doggy was having an operation in there so we couldn't go in. The vet told mommy to come back later for my X-rays. So we went home, mommy took me on a walk - yes, I can walk, well run actually on three legs. Then I got some awesome treats: eggs and carrots. Finally it was time to return to the vet. We wound up waiting and waiting once again only to be told that there was another doggy in the X-ray room. Ugh!

The doctor apologized and suggested I take some special medication and see how I do over the next week. He told mommy to come back for that X-ray if my paw doesn't get better in a week, but he said I'd most likely heal on my own. Doggies are cool like that.

The good news is that I lucked out because I was supposed to be groomed tomorrow but mommy had to cancel because of my paw. So I guess I have to look a bit scruffy for another week or so but don't worry, mommy is still brushing me at home. I might look a bit "fluffy" but I'm still under 30 pounds so I'm actually perfect. Well, that's what mommy says anyway.

You can see a short video of me trying to hop along. This was before I became comfortable walking on just three legs. Don't worry, I'm much faster now although I think it still breaks mommy's heart to see me hop. Shh! Don't tell her I know.

Heartworm

I went to the vet yesterday so they could test me for heartworm. Mommy makes sure I take a special pill every month so I don't get it, but unfortunately I still have to be poked once a year to make sure the medicine is working. Mommy says it's medicine but it tastes just like a yummy treat to me.

The vet tech tried two times to get my blood to come out but it didn't work. Maybe I'm too furry? He was awfully nice so I didn't mind. Then a different vet tech had to draw my blood and I was a very good boy. I didn't moan, whince, move or anything. I really like the staff there. They are always so nice to me. When it was all over, I got a special bone-shaped treat. And I when I was in the waiting room, one nice man said cockers are great. He told mommy that cocker spaniels are like children, only better. Mommy is always getting compliments about me. I must be one special dog. Well, when I'm not trying to eat poop that is.

I hope all of you doggies out there are on heartworm preventative medicine. If you're not, make sure you tell your owners to get you tested. If your test comes back negative, that's a good thing. Just take your medication - which tastes like a yummy treat - once a month and you're good to go.

Heartworm isn't a good thing so you want to make sure you never get it. It is a yucky worm that you can get from a mosquito bite. Mosquitoes like to bite my mommy. She has big red marks all over her legs. We can't wait until the winter when there won't be as many mosquitoes out.

Guest Blogger, Turbo the Poodle from Texas

This entry comes from Turbo, our guest blogger whose mom is Joy Lee, co-owner of Rover Oaks in Katy, TX, and author of Rover's Rescues. Read her interview with the Houston Dogs Examiner by clicking here.


My name is Turbo because that's what I used to be like when I first showed up at Mom's work...some guys brought me into her pet resort and said I was a stray and they couldn't keep me. Thankfully, Mom did!

I am only about three years old now, but I'm not really a Turbo any more. I've had lots of health problems for a young dog, and I think I've been to the emergency clinic you were talking about one time when I took some medicine for my aching joints but it ended up making me throw up blood. And, I was in the hospital part of that clinic for three different knee surgeries and a bunch of tests. They say I have something called "lupus"...I'm not really sure what that is but I do know that the medicine they usually give for that is the same medicine that sent me to the emergency clinic. So I am on a different medicine, plus I get acupuncture and herbal medicines. And, I'm doing a little better now and am kind of getting back to my old self.

I still keep finding new and different reasons for Mom to need to take me to the vet though. Like, the other night, I was exploring in the back yard and came across a walking stick insect. Did you know those things spray a really nasty stuff and they are really good at getting it right in your eyes? I came running back inside, shaking my head and rubbing my eyes, and Mom took me and flushed my eye out, but the next morning it was still really swollen. The vet says I got an ulcer on my cornea from the bug and now I need ointment in my eyes four times a day so it will get better. Anyway, the picture Mom is sending of me isn't my best, but it's the best one she can find right now.

Hope we can be blog friends, but right now I want Mom to stop typing on the computer so she can give me my nightly massage! Bye for now, Turbo

I Had My First Visit to the Emergency Vet Last Weekend

Last Saturday my parents went to the gym - I'm not sure why my mommy goes when she runs with me twice a day - and when they were gone, I did something very mischievous which led to a trip to the emergency veterinary hospital.

My parents always give me a Kong filled with kibble and treats before they leave so I won't be bored, but last Saturday night I discovered that daddy did something naughty and I got the blame. He not only left the pantry door open, but he forgot to put the lid back on my food container. So what's a dog to do?

After I finished rolling my Kong around, I headed towards the pantry and well....I jumped up onto the food container, stuck my head in the opening, and ate and ate and ate until I couldn't eat anymore. I was very careful not to knock the container over so mommy and daddy wouldn't find out, but unfortunately my big belly gave it away.

I was so full that I had to poo, and even though I've never gone in the house before, I had no choice. At least I was considerate enough to go on the tile floor where it would be easy to clean up.

When my parents got home my dad said something disparaging. "Hi fat boy!" I was a bit insulted but I guess the cat was out of the bag - he could see my bloat. Mommy yelled at daddy for being mean to me because she never even noticed how bloated I was. But moments later when she took a few steps, she saw the poo and knew something was wrong.

Daddy thought I might have been spiteful but I have never been spiteful. I'm a good boy; well, most of the time. But mommy noticed that I was acting funny and she started to get worried. She saw that I was swelling up like a balloon so she started researching bloat on the Internet. She knew it was dangerous and dogs could die, but she wasn't sure if I had the dangerous kind or not. So daddy called the emergency hospital and they said to bring me in to play it safe.

So my parents ran around the house getting ready for our road trip. Oh I love road trips! They're my favorite...next to eating to my heart's content.

Stay tuned for Part II of my emergency vet hospital saga.