We only have to open our door and we get to walk through nature at its finest. But sometimes nature comes at a price. Thank goodness for wonderful neighbors and wonderful friends like Miss Yellow Dog herself, Patty.
With Sophie finally healed I decided to take them for a walk. She is still my wild child, so I keep her on a leash and let Syrus walk off lead. He is low energy and generally lumbers along.
Today we traveled to the end of semi-pavement, down fire access road, and finally off onto a deer trail. It is very hilly and steep in some areas covered with thick deer brush.
For some reason Syrus thinks he sees something and dives off the trail down the embankment and disappears into the brush. I hear a loud yelp, then nothing. I keep calling him and nothing. No movement in the brush, no sound, nothing. Just as I'm getting ready to tie up Sophie and head down to find him, his head emerges and he takes a few steps. He is limping on front left leg and holding up his right rear leg not putting any weight on it at all. Then he just plops down on the trail. He won't get up.
I'm thinking, what am I going to do? I'm a mile away from home in the brush on a deer trail with 150lb bubby who can't get up.
I always carry my cell phone, but Jack is in Iceland so who would I call? Thank goodness I had my neighbor's (one of only four) number on my phone. And double thank goodness he was home. He had to drive his pickup around the road, up the fire road and then walk down the deer trail to find me. Syrus still won't get up after all this time. The two of us carried him down the trail and into his pickup. Sophie was just kind of, "this is different. What are we doing?" But she got in the back as well with a little help.
Sorry this is so long, but the upshot is he drove me all the way to the vet. We dropped off Syrus and Mike took me home. I didn't want him to have to hang around at the vets until they were able to see Sy.
At home I fell apart and was really upset over the whole scenario which is where Patty comes in. I called her and, triple thank goodness, she was able to talk to me. She has such a wonderful calming voice and yet did not make me feel like I was overreacting.
So, my Vet feels Syrus aggravated his elbow dysplasia on his front leg and thinks he has a bad sprain on his rear. No broken bones and appears to have not blown his ACL, however she is not as certain that he may not have torn it some. Anti-inflammatories and bedrest for the boy for a few days and then re-exam.
As I mentioned to Patty - How in the world did Lewis and Clark make it clear across the U.S. with the famous Newfoundland, Seamus? I can't even get out my back door!
