Change Of Plans

After weeks of rain, the weather forecast for this weekend was different. We were told to plan for snow and this morning when I took the dogs out, snow was falling. It didn't amount to much, only a slight covering on the ground, not enough to even excite the dogs, but Rob and I were both looking forward to a quiet weekend at home.

Anyone with kids or dogs knows that plans can change in a second and ours did. After breakfast Rob and Mac were dozing on one couch and I was on the other couch watching TV and sipping my second cup of coffee. Fudge was beside me and all was peaceful.

Then Mac jumped off the couch and I yelled. Mac was lying on the floor flopping around. Her legs were twitching, her head was thrown back and her eyes were rolling around. She didn't make a sound but was obviously terrified.  I gave her a Rimadyl and Rob ran to get the car.  I held Mac and called the vet at the same time. He said to bring her right in.

By the time we got there the Rimadyl was working and she could walk and wasn't exhibiting any pain. The exam didn't tell us much but because of her long back, we know she could be susceptible to back injury. Dr B seemed to think that it might be her head, not her back. He said it could have been trauma or she could have had a small seizure.

She came home and is confined to a small space in the living room and is not allowed to run or jump. She's tethered to a chair leg to keep her from doing any more damage. She's taking pain medication and a muscle relaxant and has been a very good patient so far. I'm to check her eyes several times a day to be sure they're tracking correctly and watch for any strange behavior, such as becoming completely still for a few moments or any outward sign of pain or confusion.

If she does show any of those signs, we'll do further testing. We're hoping this was just a one time incident and we can go back to normal in a few days, but something tells me this isn't over yet. We can use some paw power for the short dog.