owwww!

Something hurts really really bad, mom.  My foot hurts so much I can't even walk on it, just let it dangle beside me as I tripod down the stairs to greet you after work.

Needless to say, I freaked out when I saw what greeted me after work tonight.  Conor normally runs down the stairs and barks up a storm until I come through the door from the garage.  Tonight I saw him leave the upstairs window and head down...but no barking.  I thought that was odd then when I came in the house, he was holding his back right leg straight out.  I thought he was stretching, but then he tried to walk towards me and the leg was just dangling there, swaying as he stumbled then fell.

I immediately checked him, then picked him up and checked the leg.  No blood, no evidence of a cut or gash, and the leg wasn't broken but when I touched the pads he flipped out.  I ran upstairs, called the Vet and was able to bring him in right away (30 minute drive, though).  Now, Dr. Borgmann wasn't able to find out what exactly it was, but when she shaved his feet and spread his pads, the blood started flowing.  I'm pretty sure it's a sliver of some kind.  The other night when on our walk there was a pile of glass on the road, like a car window had been broken into.  We gave the glass shards a wide berth but I suspect he got a sliver of glass in his foot anyway.  Dr. Borgmann thinks if that's what it is, quite likely he's been licking his foot and made it worse.

So, $113.17 later and Conor is wearing a cone collar and I have fancy medicine gel to jam into his foot 2-3 times a day.  A good chat with Vanja helped calm me down.  The Vet said insofar as emergencies go, this one was pretty minor - But I said how would I know that?  So far as I was concerned for all I knew he had a stroke and was partially paralyzed, or a sprained leg, or whatever...not a sliver that may work it's way out on it's own in a few days.

Oh, one thing that did come out of it is the Vet checked his teeth and two of the front ones on the bottom are loose and he has tartar build up.  I have to brush his teeth every day now.  I had to with Kira so I already have the doggy toothpaste and a spare compact head soft bristle brush.

Screw you mom!  I have a freakin' cone on my head!

So apparently I can't be trusted to keep my foot clean and dry to let the medicine work - I have to wear a plastic bag on my foot when I go outside to pee.  Mom takes it off when we're inside, though.

So screw you mom, I have a freakin' bag on my leg!

Screw you mom!  I have a freakin' cone on my head!

And a freakin' bag on my leg!

The paw in question.

The pads are swollen and there is still some residual bleeding when I put the gel between the pads so there is certainly something in there.  I hope whatever it is works it's way out on its own.

Now, onto something completely different:

Today, January 7, is Willy's 17 year adopt-i-versary!  17 years ago today I adopted him from the Edmonton SPCA.  The card said he was 5-6 months old so he's 17 1/2 now.  He is certainly aging and is fading.  I kind of figured this past Christmas was our last one together, but I take comfort in the fact he's had a very long and healthy life, longer than I ever thought when I adopted him!  I remember thinking, well, 13-14 years tops, maybe...never thought I would have him for 17 years!  He's been a constant comfort and no matter where I've lived or what I've been doing, he's always been there.  I remember when he was 8 my friend (Jamie) described him as a 'geriatric' cat.  I thought, WTF?  He's only 8!  But apparently that makes him a senior citizen...wonder what she would say, now that he's more than twice that today!!!!