Among Friends

You may have noticed I haven't been around much lately. I have been reading your blog posts, but often not commenting. There's a reason but I was embarrassed to tell you about it. This morning I decided that I'm among friends and you won't judge or if you do you'll at least not reprimand me to my face.

On Labor Day I had an accident and injured my ankle. I've been getting around on crutches or hobbling in slow motion and since my computer is in the basement I didn't want to do the stairs. I can read blogs on my Kindle but commenting isn't easy.

So why am I embarrassed about hurting my ankle? Because it's a dog bite. No one wants to think that their sweet little fur pup that cuddles on their lap might actually bite them, but if you've lived with dogs for over sixty years, it becomes an occupational hazard. I've had bites before but they amounted to scratches or bruises, not deep punctures.

Let me tell you what happened. All morning Sydney and Noah had been snappy with each other. I don't know exactly what set them off, but they both have shorter fuses than the rest of the pack. After their dinner Rob and I had them all outside to play. When we got inside the garage the whole pack was close together and I was in the middle of the group. Noah was just behind me and Syd was at my side. I turned to see what Mac was doing and just then I felt a sharp pain in my ankle. I don't think I was the target and I don't know which one actually bit, though I suspect Syd. I don't think Noah would have used so much force.

Rob got the bleeding stopped and wrapped it up. The next morning I saw the doctor for a tetanus shot and some antibiotics. There was a lot of swelling, a lot of bruising and a lot of pain. All week I've been keeping it elevated.

This morning I saw the doctor again. He says it's looking better, but has a little infection. I'll be taking antibiotics for another ten days and keeping it bandaged. I can use hot compresses on it now to help it drain and heal. Most of the pain, strangely, isn't from the punctures themselves but from the bruising to the Achilles tendon. It will probably be a slow healing process, but it is healing.

So there you are, my dogs aren't perfect. That's a hard statement to put in print, but as much as we love them and consider them family members, they're still dogs who sometimes respond with their teeth. Sydney is on a tether again at all times. House training is progressing well and manners are also being addressed. She has to learn to respect the other dogs and that I am not her sole possession. Noah is also a jealous boy, so this is a learning opportunity for both of them.

I have some better news to report today, too. Sebastian is out of his cone and is doing really well. Here is the before  picture taken the day of his surgery.

And here is the after picture. Isn't that new pink skin pretty? It's smooth, too.

We're hoping the foreign matter came out and it's smooth sailing from here on.

He's much happier now.