Gracie Doodle Has Another Mishap!

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

Well, this week started out really great.  We went for Gracie's almost 4 year old check up and boosters and she got a clean bill of health.  The vet loved her weight and figure...said she has an athletic body with the heart beat of an athlete!  I came home with MY tail wagging.  So then off to get a refresher course for Rattle Snake Avoidance (3rd year) and she remembered even before they took her through the paces and she was not a happy girl...actually foaming at the mouth!  I think she remembers!  Also, there were fox tails everywhere in the back country and of course they took her into the fields for the training.  We then took her to a local lake to swim and give dock diving a try.  She would hang way over the edge of the dock wanting her tennis ball we threw in but wouldn't quite make that jump!  My DH gave her a nudge for three jumps.  The boat ramp that she had to walk up was horrible.  It was jagged pyramid shaped grating and very hard to walk.  So we are walking back to the car (off leash) and she sights a bunny rabbit...the game was afoot!  Into the bushes, out of the bushes, back into the bushes.  And while this was going on we saw the bunny rabbit come out in another direction and was long gone.  We finally found out that something wins out over the tennis ball...a bunny.  We had a bit of trouble getting her to come back to us.  She just wanted to hang out in the bush!  So, a tired girl sleeps all the way home.  I clean her up and decide to groom her and take her really short to get her ready for her visit to the Dog Ranch next week for 8 days.  I guess I should say the Fox Tail Ranch!  So you all saw the blog I did on her new skinny mini hair cut. So on Thursday the vet calls and says she has bacteria in her urine and has to send it to the lab to be cultured.  He needs to know specifically what bacteria so he knows which antibiotic to prescribe.  If we don't get an answer by Monday morning then she goes on a broad spectrum antibiotic until we get back.   Okay, so last night while eating she has 8 huge blowing sneezes and again this morning when eating.  Nothing all night but we are nervous because we are going out of town and don't want her to have a problem.  Meanwhile I see some watered down blood spots on our bed cover use for her to sleep on.  Can't find anything bleeding.  The vet says I should bring her in because she could have a fox tail in her nose and it is irritated and bleeding.  So off we go to the vet.  He can't find anything and of course she isn't sneezing.  But, we found the source of the bleeding.  Her front paw pad in front under one of the nails has a piece missing and it is bright red!  Right where the fur and pad meet.  Our guess is maybe the boat ramp on Tuesday, cut her pad in the bushes chasing the bunny or else chasing her ball yesterday and she possibly scuffed her foot on a wall (she jumps walls chasing her ball...sort of like steeple chasing...ha ha).  So, because we are leaving her for 8 days the vet says the only way to know for sure if something is in her nose is to put her out and go up and check.  So I go home Gracie-less.  The vet calls later and said that there was a plant matter up her nose but not a fox tail.  He is describing it to us and instantly I knew what it was...Mexican Feather Grass!  We planted $300 worth in our back yard last summer to replace a hedge that went around the grass.  If her ball or monster goes in there she dives in to get it sometimes coming out with a mouthful of feather grass.  So my DH says now what?  He says that is $300 worth of plants and I told him that today was $400 plus of vet bills ($500 deductible for insurance).  So, when we get back from our trip we may be pulling them out and starting over.  Now we need to come up with something to replace it that is attractive.  So a goofy stumbling Doodle came home tonight at 6:00.  Poor baby fell out of the car.  The front legs came out OK but the back ones collapsed.   And she has that darn shaved front leg where the IV went.  Right down to the skin too!   She ate her dinner and went to bed.  I thought this would be a good time to Dremel her toe nails...NOT.  She managed to rally enough to jump off the bed and leave!!!  Well, tomorrow is another day but for this Doodle there is no running other than on grass this weekend so when I send her to the ranch on Monday her pad might be healed a bit.  Why is it always down to the wire just when you are getting ready to travel?  I have just got to find someone who will come into our home or a home she can go stay in when we travel.  It is only a few times a year!  So SPRING HAS SPRUNG for sure here in sunny San Diego!!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Nancie, I'm so glad you posted this.  I was thinking about Gracie a lot last night (after Yappy Hour), and worried about how she was doing.  What a tough day for your girl.  You're right....these things always seem to happen when we're about to go away.  Here's hoping you get good results from the urine culture and that her paw heals quickly.  It sounds like she had a pretty good night...she must have been exhausted.  Keep us posted.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Nancie, Glad it was nothing serious and Gracie is feeling better! Have fun on your trip!