On Saturday as we returned from shopping Dougal came bounding up to greet us as he usually does. We noticed he was hobbling as he ran and then we noticed the blood dripping from his paw. He left a trail along our driveway before settling down on the patio where we tried to spray him with antibiotic - not that he was very co-operative.On Sunday he was still hobbling along and I managed to get a look at his paw. He had a very deep and, by that stage, dirty wound. What to do? Let him look after it himself as best he could? Or get him some help?
We decided to take him to the vet. On Monday we loaded him into the back of our car for his first ever drive. I was worried that he might get too excited and bark, jump around, throw up or pee all over the car. In the event the poor dog was terrified. He lay in the back whimpering and trembling.
At the vets, I held him down while this strange man stuck needles in him. Eventually the anaesthetic took hold and his eyes glazed over. Thirty minutes worth of cleaning, stitching and bandaging later we were on our way out the door with a semi-conscious dog.
Of course, we could hardly abandon our dazed and bandaged Dougal on the street so we spent the rest of the evening sitting with him on our patio as the anaesthetic gradually wore off and he came to his senses (such as they are).
For the last two nights Dougal has slept on a blanket on our patio. And, since Dougal's best friend Bella is his constant companion and since Dougal was in a bit of a state after his adventures, Bella has been sleeping there too.
Tomorrow we are back to the vet to get his bandages removed and his injury checked. I expect it might be another day or two before he goes back out to the real world, where I hope he manages to avoid sharp objects for another little while.
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