Julie, my beagle-hound mix, is on the mend. She exhibits many signs of recovery, including boisterous barking to protest her confinement. She turns up her nose at dry dog food and holds out for table scraps. She has devised two ways (so far) to remove her "comfy cone" safety collar. And she begs to go out for walks.
In short, our smart, stubborn beagle is milking the situation to every canine advantage.
Who could blame her?
I have been debating whether or not to show you a photo of Julie's injuries. It looks a bit gruesome for a "minor laceration." That said, I'm guessing that now you want to see for yourself, eh?
The poor thing! The indignity of having your backside shaved is bad enough. But the drainage tube just looks so drippy and nasty. Plus, the bite is close to her dirty areas. Not good.
The neighbors who own Sophie the Saint Bernard, (or "the BIG dog who bites," as The Sprout tells it) have given us a check for $663 to cover the initial surgery. They say they will cover any follow-up expenses. We are holding onto receipts so we only have to hit them up for one more payment.
A further sign that Julie is feeling better — yesterday she yanked out her drainage tube three hours before the scheduled appointment to extract it. That prompted an early trip to the animal hospital when it started seeping bloody fluid. (Ouch!) And today she nosed the boxes and blanket-barricades off the couch so she could jump up and get comfortable. Beagles are nothing if not resourceful. *sigh*
All is well, except for a bit of swelling which we are treating with cold and warm compresses. In a week her sutures will be removed and she will be free to climb stairs again.
