On the way home from MN Jory had a sensitive foot, making him a bit wobbly in the car. I chalked it up to being too picky/fed up to eat much, and especially that time I was stupid and didn't notice we were walking in spiky grass stocks until the poor baby had been jabbed in his paws several times two weeks earlier. Or maybe it was his nails being so long... So today we cut them! Wow, what a load off my shoulders there. His stability Seemed about the same in the car, but a little better.
Jory did fantastic work at herding practice. He stayed focused in the heat for over 5 minutes, and didn't lose his head trying to grip the strays. I should know, because I personally was responsible for several blow outs, and barely got the flag in his face before prevention was impossible. He Still got at a couple, but let off right away. Shauna came in and held the stick & my arm to guide-teach me, and that went much better. (We get two turns, the first was all Shauna, and the second time I tried.)
All was well, Jory even laid down in the water trough like all the cooool herding dogs.
But on the way out he was openly limping, which is serious stuff with this stoic guy. I assumed it was a nail I saw might be compromised earlier ( but herding is on soft dirt! Curse my ambition!), got him in the car with AC, and decided to deal with the paw at home, with my first aid kit.
Jory started licking at the joint area, a clue: just burrs, or stung, perhaps? Then, half way home, he turned around to let the AC blast his back, and there it was, burr and a lump of fur on the seat. But when I picked it up--- it wasn't a burr at all!!!! It was a flat section of his PAW PAD!!!
Thoroughly horrified, I tried calling bae, but no signal. Jory wasn't bleeding all over my seat, so I surmised it wasn't serious, and to stick with plan A, since all of the vets just closed. When he put paw to mouth again i snapped at him, and there were no incidents the rest of the way home.
Ah, home. I carried my scrawny boy to the door, and once inside he retreated to the living room wall. Damaged paw folded under him: nothing to see here. I washed my hands and collected the implements of Dr Sad: vetericyn spray, petroleum jelly, vet tape, gauze, and a boot! He knew he was in for it then, but was a very polite, if hesitant, patient. The spray tickles!
I went from gauze to sock, decided the boot would never fit, and remembered the vet tape. He can walk around okay. This will get us through to Monday. There is more pad below what he took off, maybe its like a lizard shedding skin?
I wonder if he got a blister? I don't know what caused this. :( its upsetting on two levels, he's jacked up somehow, and now we probably can't go to practice next week.
Blogger on the LG can't post with photos.
