What Next?

Monday - Grand Jury duty
Tuesday - close down classroom (take Dodger but he doesn't like the experience so bring him home at noon).
Wednesday - finish closing down classroom. Let summer begin!

Thursday AM - take Dodger for walk. Start redecorating project in my room.

Thursday PM - 4:30 I have a few minutes before I have to get ready for the Board of Trustees meeting. What shall I do? I will use the carpet shampooer to clean this area of carpet where someone was sleeping when Dodger had to go out and use the toilet facilities. As I start the machine, he comes over to investigate. As I start moving the machine, Dodger gets excited and runs outside. It takes less than 60 seconds to complete the small section of cleaning and turn off the machine.

I hear a sound outside and go out to see what the puppy has gotten into. He is standing chest deep in the pond. I go back into the house to grab a leash, towels and shampoo. As I get back to him he is climbing out of the pond. I grab his collar and snap on the leash, turn on the hose and take them all to the wash tub where he gets the gunk shampooed off. Then I put him into the dog run. I get myself cleaned up for the meeting, then take a bowl of water out to Dodger. As I open the run door to put the water in, he runs out. He comes back when I call him. I grab his collar again and put him back in the run. I leave for my meeting.

Thursday, 8:30 PM. Home from my meeting. Husband greets me with, "There's something wrong with Dodger." It appears his hind legs are paralyzed.

Thursday night spent at the Pet Emergency Clinic. Vet suspects spinal damage, although his tail still wags and he can raise himself to pee. Dodger is settled into clinic for the night, we return home.

Friday morning, 7:00 AM. Pick Dodger up from emergency clinic, take him to personal vet. She observes him for several hours, also suggests possible spinal trauma and refers him to a large emergency clinic in Ventura.

Friday afternoon. Dodger is admitted into the Taj Mahal of vet clinics (kaching!) Beautiful facility, wonderful people. Preliminary discussion with Dr. Robles (looks like she's about 16 - how are they getting younger when I'm getting older? Oh, yeah.) She is also leaning toward the spine trauma theory, maybe some disc injury. Dodger stays, we leave.

Saturday AM. Dr. Deppe calls. He has been observing Dodger all night and disagrees with spinal injury theory. Thinks perhaps Dodger has suffered some ligament damage. Recommends ortho vet specialists, who do not come in on weekends. Dodger will stay the weekend so they can continue to watch him.

Saturday PM. Dr. Deppe calls again, more convinced this is not a paralysis, but that Dodger does not want to stand because he is in pain.

Sunday, AM. I go to Simi for Father's Day breakfast. When I get back, three of us go to visit Dodger. Son gets in cage with much happier dog. We leave feeling hopeful.

Monday, AM. I have jury duty just a couple of miles from clinic. Call and get permission to visit at lunch. Change into puppy cuddling clothes and head to clinic, only to learn that there is too much commotion in the wards so I cannot visit, and although he has finally had an ortho specialist take x-rays, there has been no evaluation as yet so they still don't know what's going on.

Monday, PM. DH texts my phone that the evaluation reveals Dodger has a partially dislodged tibial growth plate and a fractured fibula. After jury duty I return to the clinic to sign the $$$ papers authorizing the surgery. They let me visit him and I crawl into his cage with him. He has just had his pain medication. His leg is splinted and wrapped. He has double cones to keep him from chewing on all the tubes and tape. I get him to settle down next to me. I can't see his face but can pet him and talk to him and get him calmed down. He snuggles close and sleeps until the noise of the other dogs and the humans wakes him. Surgery tomorrow.

Today was my 58th birthday. It gets the trophy for the worst ever.

I hope.