On top of the rock

On top of the rock
Our Cliff

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Many more than 9 lives...I hope

We have the best dog! Retro is so playful, sweet and such a smart animal. He understands every word we say to him...whether he chooses to listen and accommodate our requests is still really up to him. I guess that is just the puppy in him...time will tell. You would think for an animal that is so smart that he would not be so dumb!!

Since we have had him, which is 14 months now, he has seriously hurt himself 6 times.

Remember this little guy (O.K. maybe not so little...he weighs 70 pounds and stands over 3 feet tall) was rescued from the streets so I am sure his first two or three months gave him a resilience that most animals and even some people do not have. The first injury he experienced with us was a large cut/bite on his back leg. We did not see it happen, but we think he got into a fight with another dog. Well you can imagine how I reacted. AHHHH....poor Retro. I rubbed peroxide on it...I kept awwwing and oohing while I rubbed his poor little tummy. He eventually healed of course, but a nice scar mars his lovely leg.

Next he took after a rabbit that he saw running by our place. Did he exit through a gate? Of course not, he took off through the newly installed barbed wire fence (Barbed wire to keep cows and burrows from eating our plants) I happened to see it happen. He screamed and dropped down on the ground...rabbit be gone....and when I ran over, yelling for Maurice, I saw blood. His underbelly and chest was cut open and on the fence were remnants of his fur and skin. IT WAS HORRIBLE. More peroxide, more petting, and a trip to the vet. There was nothing he could do, really. We were told to keep him clean. Thank heavens he could not lick it or it may not have healed, but heal it did. He now had more scares to add to his leg bite.

Often he would come around with cactus spines stuck in his feet. He would try to get them out with his mouth and on occasion the spike would get stuck in his tongue. Now that is interesting. Every try to get a cactus spike out of a dog’s tongue? You cannot use your fingers…THEY HURT. Often it is a two man job…Jesus and Maurice. Jesus to hold him, and Maurice, using a rag, to pull them out. I would just cringe yelling DON’T HURT HIM!!! Of course they are not going to hurt him!! He also often comes with new cuts and scrapes. Whether they were from the fence, or cactus, we do not really know. Slowly we have watched more scars on his lovely body. One of the scariest for us was when he cut his eye. Again...a trip to the vet. I was not here so Maurice took him. Luckily it did not "take out" his eye but whatever it was it cut his eyelid and under his eye. The effect is kind of like permanent tear drops. The vet gave him drops to stop infection in the eye, and this too has healed.

Next there is his broken toe. How do we know it was broken? Because when he was running after an unknown animal I heard him scream and fall down. His third toe on his back left foot was perpendicular to his others; clearly broken to us. The vet is now supporting his cousins and brothers children with our visits, but off to the vet we go. Again...there is really nothing he can do. He can cast it; if we wish, and take X-Rays, but he does not suggest it. It is broken and will heal. He gave him a shot for pain and home we head.

Now we have a problem. Retro runs all the time. His favorite thing to do is chase our Kawasaki Mule up and down the cliff. Of course you cannot have him doing this while limping on three legs so Maurice taught him to ride on the seat, like a passenger. He loved to leap up there, sit down, and watch as he was driven up and down the cliff....the King of his domain. After about a month his toe got better and then we had to BREAK him of the habit of riding in the Mule. Guests would be shoved aside so he could have his seat. He is a big guy so he can shove pretty well when he wants to.

Just a couple of weeks ago he showed up with fresh slices all down the back of his front right leg and under his neck and the top of his chest. O.K.....no peroxide...no oohs and awwws...just a quick look, a quick pat, and a "ARE YOU STUPID OR WHAT!!!" comment. I told Maurice that we may not have this guy long the way he keeps hurting himself, but he will sure have a good life while we do.

Then yesterday he gets his back left leg...the one of broken toe fame...ran over by the Kawasaki Mule. GEES!!! Back to OOHHHING AND AWWWING!!!! He chases that stupid Mule all the time and somehow he got his leg under it. It is cut and bleeding but we can hardly believe it....it appears it is not broken! He is limping around here on three legs..again! He is not eating. His nose is dry. He looks at us with sad eyes. But...we do not think it is broken. We may take him to the vet tomorrow but he is back riding on the Mule. Today we took him down, and up. I think this is the best part for him. He is back being the King of the hill....now this King has a swollen leg/foot, but Maurice thinks the accident re-set his broken toe as it does not stick up quite so much!!

Talk about 9 lives!!! This is really a lucky pup....or unlucky and stupid...either way, we love the guy!! He is a real gift to us...and to our vet!!!

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