When you have dogs you expect accident’s to happen but when my youngest dog Twinkle had her accident it reinforced what I already knew regarding dogs getting your attention when a serious problem arrives.
Twinkle and I had been out enjoying each others company on a walk, when I decided to take her to a river that we hadn’t been to before and do some retrieving work with our training dummies. The river was reasonably deep and I choose my spot carefully, as it turns out not carefully enough!
We did half an hour of some really good work and then with a happy and very soggy dog returned home. Twinkle was towel dried and put into her kennel and I carried on with the rest of the day.
After the afternoon walk and feed time, she came into the kitchen with her mother Emma where we settled down for the night. A couple of hours later I went back into the kitchen and Twinkle was laying stretched out, I said hello to them both, tail wags from Emma nothing from Twinkle I went out again and then returned later ready to let them out before bed time. Emma got up and went to the door while Twinkle lay there on the floor not moving. I knew something was very wrong, I gave her a biscuit but she refused it – a Labrador refusing a biscuit?? I knew then that she must be ill.
I checked her all over and couldn’t see anything so I called our vet (it was 11.30 pm by this time) and we agreed to meet at the surgery. I had to carry her to the car as she refused to get onto her feet. I thought by now she must be dying as she didn’t open her eyes, She was a dead weight.
We arrived at the vets and we both had to carry her in, Helen, the vet, was really worried. Twinkle lay on the floor not moving. Helen took her temperature which was really high and she examined her thoroughly. Eventually she found a tiny puncture wound on her side that had become infected which had given her the temperature .
As soon as Helen had cut the hair away from the wound and cleaned it up and given her a jab of antibiotics Twinkle jumped up and ran around the surgery bouncing as if she was a puppy again! We couldn’t believe that two minutes ago after the drama of the dying dog she had recovered so quickly.
Helen was very impressed and was highly amused as well, thank goodness. I must say I felt a little embarrassed, but as Helen said how clever Twinkle was to create this drama even though it was a bit over the top. It was the only way she could tell me that she didn’t feel well and would I PLEASE take notice of her. She recovered really well after a week of the antibiotics.
I learnt another lesson as well: If you are working with your dog in a new place, particularly a river, check it out first at least once or twice before you let your dog in as you just don’t know what’s hidden dangers may harm your dog.
We are once again drama free, but I am ready for next one!
A happy and healthy October to you all. Ingrid.
