Not a happy camper

On the evening of July 30th, 2007, the air was rent by shrieking. Tierce had been running around the yard on his last run of the night. We didn't see exactly what happened, as he was at the other end of the yard and it was dark out, but he came limping towards us, favouring his right front leg. Examination proved that he had no cuts or abrasions, no painful areas and that he had a full range of motion. We put him to bed immediately in his crate.

In the morning, he was still lame and in pain, so I called the vet and received the instruction to watch him for the next day or so and to bring him in if he was not improving. He improved rapidly, which leads us to believe that he wrenched his shoulder and pulled a muscle. We are keeping him quiet.

However, on a sedate visit to the yard to perform his ablutions, the air was once again filled with shrieks and screams. A wailing puppy with a bump on his nose and a couple angry wasps trying to burrow into his fur to sting him lay crying on the ground. I ran to him and killed the insects, but his nose is puffy. He is going to spend another quiet day, even a quiet week, inside his ex-pen.

Oh, and his latest trick - learned during his injury - is jumping to the top of the ex-pen and levering himself over. Now I have to roof it with a tarp. Yay.

I feel more sympathy with mothers of toddlers now than I ever have before.