Been wondering where we’ve been? The Food Lady has been working – that’s right, I said working! I’ve talked my way into a part time gig at a municipal animal shelter, so I’ve been doing this hellish commute every morning and every evening. I basically wake up, go to work, come home and go to bed, with a little itty bitty time in between to exercise the dogs and eat some food. No time for blogging.
But today is my “weekend” and so to reward my patient dogs, we visited the beach for a couple of hours. We are a family divided.
Some of us played ball.
And some of us just wandered away.
But we all agreed that after four 11 or 12 hour days in a row, the beach was a great way to blow off some steam. And I need the free time, because I am so behind on my editing for other projects! I’ve got three sessions I’m still editing, and you’ll see them soon on my Big Air Blog. I wasn’t even going to download today’s beach photos until I had finished my other editing … instead, I’m sitting here going through them looking for EVIDENCE, whilst anxiously waiting for the veterinarian to call. For my sweet Piper is there right now having surgery on her ear :(
Somehow, at some point today, one of the other dogs filleted my princess’ big beautiful uppy ear. It is not torn, and it is not punctured – the dorsal side of her ear where all the hair is has been neatly sliced in half, so you can see all the cartilage and whatever-else-is-under-there. It literally looks like someone took a sharp knife and tried to peel off the hair and skin from the rest of the ear. le sigh. Guess where my first paycheque is going?
Since sand and water tend to be pretty innocuous on the whole, I can only assume one of the furry bastards in my household got ahold of her with the razor blades in their mouths. I didn’t see it happen, and only saw it later when we had gotten home and were playing a half assed game of Flying Squirrel in the yard whilst I was watering the garden. I noticed her uppy was kinda droopy and she was tilting her bean to the left. When I discovered the damage I did a little frantic hand-wringing dance that was mostly ineffectual, then I trundled her off to the vet. She was very unhappy to be left in the care of a large strange man, and I was very unhappy with WHATEVER TURDMONKEY DID THIS TO HER! Alas, without proof I had no one to beat to death with my bank book, so I’ve been going through today’s photos to see if I can pinpoint the culprit.
Who do you think it is?
The devil with the horns on his head trying to pass as ears?
Or the one who artfully hides his horns in his eyebrows?
Dexter suggests that a lot of the evidence is pointing toward Mr. Grabby-of-left-ears.
Are you watching this??
But one cannot rule out the cobra which strikes like lightning.
Have you considered just killing both of them and being done with it? That’s my suggestion.
Killing puppies?! I’ll kill the puppies! Here I come, don’t kill the puppies without The TWoo!
It’s very possible that it *was* Race, although he does have a pretty healthy respect for the pressure of Piper’s jaws.
It was a hard lesson for him to learn of course, but Tweed schooled him pretty well – as you can see by the scar down his muzzle, and the skeptical face he makes whenever he’s around Tweed.
And we can’t totally discount a random flyby executed by the ever tenacious Mr. Woo.
My money (if it weren’t all at the vet’s, of course) though, is on Dexter. While Race likes to run down a dog with a ball and hang onto their scruff or tail (unless I can catch him first and scare the living daylights out of him), Dex is more likely to lose his shit when Piper does those devil spins; sometimes when she starts spinning, he flies in to snap at her. It just started very recently, and I admit I have not been on the ball about it. Believe me, this behaviour stops now (are you listening Dexter?).
*pout*
But the truth is, I still have no idea what happened. I can’t find any photos from today that show a painful looking ear. It could very well be that Piper did it to herself retrieving the Flying Squirrel from wherever it is she had stashed it in the yard. She could just have easily have sliced it open on a piece of wood or metal, which would explain why the head tilting and bleeding didn’t start until we were home and out in the yard.
Either way, she’s none too happy about the whole thing.
Harumph (doesn’t she look miserable though!)
Almost as miserable as TWooie’s sad little hairless wiener. Look at that pathetic wee thing!
The come-and-go rash on his belly has extended to his armpits and all inside his thighs. I still think it’s something he’s coming into contact with, but we are going to embark on an elimination diet to make sure it’s not one of this food stuffs. Poor little TWoo.
Despite the crappy finish to what started out as a glorious day, we did manage to have some fun.
Even though there were no bunnies, even Wootie had a good time.
Dexter always has a good time!
Now it’s time to quietly sit here and think good thoughts about my poor wee Piper and her surgery. It would be a real shame of that beautiful ear was ruined :(
Please join me in thinking good thoughts / juju/ etc for Piper. And while you’re summoning all those positive energies, take a moment to send some more positive energy in the form of a simple click to help SAINTS win $25,000.00.
I’ll let you all know how she fares!
ETA: Piper is home and stitched up and be-bandaged and miserable. The vet says that no tooth did this – he says it looks like barbed wire. Apparently she ripped out a bunch of cartilage in her ear too :( Poor darling. She is resting in her crate looking sad with a blue bandage wrapped around her head and her good ear sticking out. My poor baby!
jackie says
Oh Sheena, I’m sorry about poor Piper. And poor Twooie’s weiner. And your commute every day.
I’m sending positive vibes to all of you and voting for SAINTS.
LMP says
I and my boy Pofi send Piper copious, magical ear healing thoughts. About 6 weeks ago, I had to travel for business and on the first full day I was gone the OH called in a panic saying Pofi’s ear had a “scratch” on it and he thought it might have been a cat. Said he didn’t think it needed stitches and getting to the vet would be hard. I said a cat scratch shouldn’t need stitches and asked, “It’s not torn right? Not punctured right through?” The answer was no, so imagine my surprise when I came home at the end of the week to find a HUGE thick scab on inside AND outside of his lovely uppy ear. Still, I thought, scab, good. Healing underneath. 5 days later scab was gone and ear torn a solid inch in. I was devastated – way too late for stitches, some suggested gluing a butterfly bandage. I was too overwhelmed with sorrow and guilt (and rage at the knuckle-dragging, mouth breathing CANINE that did this – there’s only one candidate), but applied some antibiotic and noted the edges looked a little abraded and hoped it would knit. Well, I think the boy is part starfish because it has very nearly completely knit itself together – there’s the tiniest hint of a notch left. I wish Piper super healing powers, too!
Susan Bassett says
paws crossed for you Piper!!!
Olga says
Sorry to hear about Piper and I hope everything goes well at the vet. :( Best of luck with it and lots of hugs and kisses for her, she will need them tomorrow after the anaesthesia. :(
On a brightest subject, congratulations on the new job, it might not be the best fit right now but hopefully after things start improving you will be able to get something better. :)
I hope Pipper is better and hope to hear about her doing well soon. :)
Lots of hugs and kisses for Pipper and congratulations. :)
SweetCeana says
Poor Piper, they could have at least given her pink bandages to go with all of her pink accessories. I hope she heals quickly, keeping her down is going to be tough. Do you have any idea where the barbed wire came from? Be careful if you go out looking.
Congrats on the new job. It is always an asset to have a rescue person working at the shelter. Maybe the shelter can hire you to make them a calendar to raise them some money…and make you more money.
Stephanie says
Condolences to Piper’s ear (which will hopefully heal up fine) and to your bankbook (lets hope it magically refills). Figures you get some work and they get some vet bills. Seems to always work out that way!
Adrienne says
Bummer! Sending warm thoughts to the Piper-baby. And a big smooch on the top of her pretty head.
Ruth Hansell says
Poor Piper! I always think headwounds hurt more than anywhere else. Hooray for income, and booooo to long work days.
Thanks for the update, I was beginning to worry about you. Glad most of you are safe and sound, and that the injured one is healing.
Ruth
cinnamondog says
Oh, waaaaaahhh for Piper! Poor darling, I hope it heals alright. ‘Tis the season for vet bills, you have my sympathy on that — my Lapphund appears to be having a flare of his ehrlichia and I’m funneling funds over to my vet also for blood tests and doxycycline. Money or dogs, can’t have both!
RuthB says
Re: bare belly rash
A couple yrs ago, in Aug./Sept. when we were doing lots of hiking here in Portland, OR, one of my bc’s got the world’s most crazy-making itch rash on his belly. Shaving the whole area helped to keep mats from forming from all the licking, sedating him and using a cone collar was necessary. The best I could assume is that it was some plant on one of our hikes. He was miserable, miserably itchy, nothing applied externally worked, anti-histamines weren’t enough, and I had to end up getting him a cortisone shot, which was furtunately inexpensive and did the trick. My brother’s dog got it. A neighbor told me his BC gets it in the fall unless they stick to well-mown parks. The vet said she’d never heard of it before, which I found strange. Basically, I keep a close eye in late summer, early fall and I have the BC’s stick to groomed parks and beaches. If it isn’t driving Twoo insane and making him cry, I consider you guys lucky.
Sage says
OH, NO. Not the ear. I hope it goes well and we’ll be thinking about you and Piper.
But the beach looks great. I think Mom and Dad should take me back again real soon. It looks like you all had a wonderful time!
rosali(ta) says
whoa, piper. Glad that the ear is on the mend. In what will seem like no time at all, she’ll be as good as new. Now you just have to find the barbed wire…
And hey, congrats on the job — even though it comes with a commute.
andrea says
I’m glad it wasn’t teeth – but so sad for you and her – hope she heals well and easily … hang in there
Robin says
Oh Piper! Heal up quick girl. The boys need you to keep them in line.
bc_lover says
Get well soon Piper! We’re thinking good thoughts and healing vibes out to you!
RachelB says
I’m wishing you swift and complete healing, Piper.
Paula says
Poor Piper! Feel better soon, sweetie.