Well, this has been quite a week already! Yesterday I had to take one of my Border Collies to the vet, and she is very skittish about having anyone touch her, but especially on the head.
The reason I had to take her was that one of her ear flaps was heavy with fluid - I mean so heavy that her ear was weighted down, and wouldn't move when she ran. It was painful for her, because that's how I found it... I was petting her head and moved the ear. She yelped...
When I called the vet, she said she thought that Tess had ruptured a small blood vessel in her outer ear, which usually happens from shaking the head a lot and too hard. The reason for shaking her head? I think she might have been stung by a wasp on her ear. The wasps are SO BAD this year that it is hard to NOT get stung! If so, and she was shaking and scratching her ear, then it would explain the blood pooling there.
Anyway, it took a local anesthetic, 2 times draining the fluid with a needle/syringe, and an exam into her ear canal to complete the vet visit - and Tess was AMAZING!!! She didn't yelp once, and for the most part, didn't squirm or twist away from the work being done on her! I was so impressed and relieved! We are hoping that the ear flap won't fill up again, and of course, I have cream to put on it as well as another cream to put into her inner ear. I am sure that at home, she will be much more "vocal", protesting anyone trying to put anything in her ear.
This is just one of the many animal tales from the last 2 weeks in my life here in the country. Wasps. skunks, giant porcupine, ring-necked pheasant, deer, moose and coyotes have all been a part of our lives in ways both pleasant and otherwise. But I guess I will have to save those tales for another time. I must get back to my new painting. :-)
If you would like a pet portrait done of your special friend, I would love to painting one for you. Just contact me: jogiesbrecht@gmail.com
