pauvre chiene

Our poor little Ally has done quite a job injuring herself. Monday afternoon I ran out to the store for some groceries, as usual I left Ally sprawling on the couch, the door shut, the living room window I left open. I don't seriously think we'll have any criminals climbing through our window to steal anything. We have nothing to steal and besides Ally can sound pretty vicious if you don't know her. A potential thief would never know all she'd do is lick them or hide under a table depending on her mood. So, yeah, I often leave the window open with no dire consequences. When I returned from the store Ally had miraculously transported her lazy self from the couch to under the rose bush (her new favorite place to sleep) oh and it's not much a bush...more like a rose stem...branch? anyways, I found this puzzling. Our neighbors weren't home so they couldn't have let her out, then I realized she'd jumped through the window! Quel surprise! I had no idea she was so agile and what possibly could have motivated her to attempt such a physical feat? She was happy to be outside and she seemed fine so I didn't really care. It was actually pretty funny to think of her leaping out the window. we went for our evening walk all seemed normal.

the next morning we get up and she's limping. Hmmm...what could she have done to herself? Dh takes her on an abbreviated morning walk due to her limp, we leave her sacked out on the couch per usual. I only had to work a half day on Tuesday when I got home she's still in the exact same spot. She wags her tail aggressively to greet me, bu t doesn't get up. Two hours later she still hasn't moved from the couch. Not to get some water, to go outside, no movement. I decide to check out her leg/paw and see what's the matter. I thought maybe she has a thorn or something in her paw. She lets me look at her paw and gently feel up her leg. No reaction. So I, ever so gently move her paw up and down. With almighty squeal she gets of the couch and hobbles outside on three legs giving me a reproachful stare. Now I feel terrible, like I'm the one whose injured her. After a little coaxing she let's me come near her and pet her but she won't put any weight on her paw.

I call the vet to see if I can get her that afternoon. "non, madame." is the reply, "demain." Tomorrow, OK. I make an appointment for first thing in the morning. DH, who can be a little over protective of his puppy has a small fit but soon gets over it when I tell him he can call the vets and explain to them in French why they must see our dog today. We decide it's only her leg she's not going to keel over on us in the night because she hasn't seen a vet.

The next morning she won't eat, she has trouble getting off the bed. DH carries her to the car, but is forced to let her get in on her own because she's too big and our car is too small for him to put her in without injuring her more. The vet takes x-rays shakes his head over how much pain she must be in. We did the right thing giving her aspirin the night before, he approves. After a traumatic few minutes with the x-ray machine we look at the pictures of her bones. Nothing seems to be broken. The vet, a balding Frenchmen with a gold chain with whatooks like a large piece of tooth or small bone fragment on it, which you can see clearly bouncing against his bared chest - his shirt was left unbuttoned down to his round belly, wraps her leg up and gives her a shot for the pain and swelling. A pulled muscle or torn tendon was the verdict. Honestly, I'm not too sure which because everything was in half English half French. She goes back tomorrow for a check up.

I don't think it's too serious as she perked right up and even wanted to go for a walk later that day. She's been trucking along on her bandaged leg with only a slight limp now and again. We've been careful not to let her over do it. but I think she is, thankfully, on the mend. I can't wait to see what Monsieur Veterinaire will be wearing tomorrow!

look at her walking along. What a faker. We were so worried about her and now she's just hunky dory. OK, OK you're right it's the pain killers and wrapped leg support, but still. she seems awfully normal for having us so worried! Les chiens, heh!