‘Accident prone’, that is.
Yes, our foster dog (you know, the one who has only been here a month) is in the wars again. This time Ranger chose to argue with a brick wall, and the brick wall won – as brick walls tend to do. The brick wall hasn’t moved, and I think a month to get used to its position is probably enough, don’t you? And yet he managed to hit it. Twice. Or three times, if you count the damage to his tail.
In the wee small hours of Friday morning, we let the dogs out for a pee. They went, and they began coming back, and then the 2am peace was split asunder by the Greyhound Scream of Death. Now, those of you with greyhounds will know that the GSOD can (and usually does) mean that they’ve broken a nail, or stepped on a particularly knobbly twig, or it can mean that they are actually injured. This time, we knew by the fact that the GSOD continued unabated without the reappearance of the black dog, that he was, in fact injured, and probably injured severely enough to need an emergency call-out, and me in my nightshirt and all.
This is the brick wall – the one opposite the end of the garage.
It’s been there minding its own business for years. We know it was the brick wall, because having gone out and examined everything we could think of, and noted that the plant pots, chairs, etc, were still carefully positioned well away from the dogs’ route in and out as usual, I spotted the tell-tale tufts of fur on the grass just this side of said wall. And, by the way, we have automatic lighting in the garden so it wasn’t even dark!
This dog had already cost us well over £350 for his broken metatarsal plus the ongoing problem with his mouth. On Friday he added another £430 to the upwardly-mobile tally, and already painfully thin, he came back from the vet looking like a refugee from a war zone.
Today we had to take him back, because they’d missed the injury on his tail, which, when I saw it last night after bringing him home, was an inch long, gaping nicely and showing a tantalising glimpse of ligament. That cost us another £90-odd, although we are negotiating with the vet on that one, since they should have found it and dealt with it yesterday.
New Dog is now doing a good impression of a Space(d) Ranger, and depending on his point of view is either enjoying the experience or wondering what the hell happened. Again.
And as you see, he looks like someone who decided that that Sweeney Todd* chappie probably gave a jolly good haircut, but sensibly began to run away, just in time.
So. We’ve decided that since he’ll have to stay with us until he’s healed, we’ll have completely lost our hearts to him by then (not that we haven’t already), and since he keeps injuring himself before the previous injury has had a chance to heal, he’s probably doing it on purpose in order to stay with us two suckers friendly ‘monkeys’, so we might as well bow to the inevitable and damn well adopt him.
I mean, who’s going to want him? He’s iffy with other dogs, would probably not get along awfully well with a cat, won’t let you brush his teeth, trim his nails, or give him a pill (whether by stealth or assertiveness), and he’s over nine years old, with an impressive collection of scars and very few teeth. On the other hand, he’s a lunatic when he feels like running or playing and has the energy of a three year old without the co-ordination that should go along with it**. And he’s going stir crazy with his restricted level of exercise.
I’ve already ordered him a smart new collar, and bought him a raincoat, since he doesn’t fit the ones we have … I guess I might as well order him a winter jacket and be done with it, mightn’t I?
* Pity it wasn’t the Johnny Depp version, that’s what I say. It would have been worth the vet’s bill!
** Hmm. His previous fosterer explained the presence of a few small scars and many thorns in his coat by telling us he’d ‘run into a shrub’. We should have been warned.
Oh, poor little…uh…big guy. But I bet he’s a smart cookie – he knows where he wants to live, and he’s just making sure you agree. And now I’ve got a song stuck in my head – ? I fought the wall and the wall won…?
At least the wall came out unscathed!
How in the world could a medical professional miss such an injury??!!
Still chuckling over Sweeney Todd…I love the similarity between the names: Sweeney Todd and Johnny Depp. Scary. And I bet Johhny Depp would also lose his heart to Ranger, prone and all.
ethelmaepotter´s last [type] ..Twelve Hours
Ethel Mael – Yes, I think you’re right. He’s made his decision! I just gave him a talking to, though. I told him ‘OK, you can stay. Would you please stop injuring yourself now?’
LOL!
It’s a reference to The Clash, yes? ‘I fought the law, and the law won’ .. but yes, ‘I fought the wall’ works just as well.
Ha ha! I’m sorry for laughing but if he were a TV sitcom character he would have ‘em rolling in the isles! You knew there was no way you was going to send him back, didn’t you?
Babs´s last [type] ..Colours of the Rainbow
Awwww, poor Ranger! But good job Ranger, you couldn’t have played a better hand (… er, paw). Your extended family says welcome most sincerely! <3
Oh dear, poor you and poor Ranger. He sure is going to extreme lengths to make sure he stays with you! Hopefully he’ll soon realise that you’d prefer he was in one piece and then stop hurting himself so you have to nurse him. He sounds like a funny, lovely chap:)
Greyhounds CAN Sit´s last [type] ..Just A Dog
Perhaps what he needs is a full body padded all-weather jacket. That covers from head to toe. Padded heavily enough that when he runs into something, he bounces harmlessly off. You think?
Carol´s last [type] ..Refreshing the Heart, Mind and Soul
Babs – I fear you are right, Babsie. There was indeed a small voice deep inside my mind saying ‘who do you think you are kidding?’
Sandy – Cunning little tyke, isn’t he? LOL!
Greyhounds CAN Sit – Yes, I hope so. Ranger, my dear, we really WOULD prefer you stay in one piece! Really!
He is sweet and funny. He’ll be a lovely dog, when he’s got over his one or two bad habits (including body-slamming poor Sid). It’s just going to be more work than I hoped.
Carol – Many greyhound owners have speculated on the value of buying up a stock of bubble-wrap and using that as full body armour for their hounds. It’s an idea, for sure! LOL!
Poor Ranger. I’m sure he sustained more damage than he need have done because he’s so bony. Hopefully we can do something about that, in time.
You can’t fault his “get myself adopted” plan. After all those vets bills, you’re hardly going to point your investment towards the exit door are you?!
Shooting Parrots´s last [type] ..Stupid Arguments
Shooting Parrots – Yeah, that was another thought that we had, believe it or not. There’s nearly a grand riding on that dog now, we might has well keep him!
I guess we’d better not let him near a bicycle. With or without a helmet.
Very cute – - but that’s the trouble with greyhounds, they seem to like running. Clearly this one doesn’t look before he runs! Tell him if he does it again you’ll trade him in for a nine-year-old Labrador that just sits all day.
Daphne – Actually, most greyhounds just sit all day, and nine year old greyhounds can be the laziest dogs on earth. Ranger doesn’t seem to have read the greyhound manual!
And they don’t moult as much as labs, either!
Awwww, he’s a keeper, poor thing. I fall down all the time and stub my toes and throw my back out and for all I know, leave tufts of fur on brick walls. I’m glad nobody threw me back. You’re an old softie, Jay. Make his winter jacket red, ‘k?
Jenny the Pirate´s last [type] ..And now for a tug on the old heartstrings
“What is that?”
“It’s Greyhound. Have a little Greyhound.”
“Is it any good?”
“Sir it’s too good, at least.”
“Though again they know when to run when it’s time, so the vet bill’s pretty fine…”
Thank heaven he got away from that mean old Sweeney wall! I love your thought about him finding ways to NEED you and to STAY. What a gorgeous boy. You have such a great heart!
Katherine´s last [type] ..San Diego and Sandwiches
I think that this dog wants to be back where he belong. I think he is not used to be in his new family. I guess, that dogs also have feelings. He is just homesick. He needs so much attention and he is full of energy.
Ron´s last [type] ..Gynecomastia 101 – Stories, Information, and Suggestions
Jenny the Pirate – Haha! That made me laugh – the vision of you leaving chunks of fur on brick walls!
I am an old softie, aren’t I? I’m going to try to make the winter jacket red … last time I ordered one (last minute) from Chilly Dogs, they sent me my second choice of a turquoise one instead. I have a feeling turquoise might suit Ranger better than Sid, so maybe if I get a red one this time they can share!
Katherine – Hahahahah! I love it!! So you like the Johnny Depp version of Sweeney Todd, too, huh? I thought it was great fun, and Johnny did pretty well with the singing (and almost dancing!).
Thanks for that – made me laugh out loud, too!
Ohhh – poor Ranger!! (And poor you too!)
Does this mean NO Dewey this fall??? I’ll be sad if you can’t come.
Oh my goodness…. yes familiar with the Scream of Death…ugh hate that!
Have you had his eyes checked? Could be he is losing his vision. We had a blind gh here once and I tell you what, if you didn’t know she was blind when you met her, you’d never had guessed. Soon as she learned where the stairs were and how they worked she followed the other hounds in everything else. Her eyes followed you eventhough it was her nose doing the seeing. She was just amazing.
I sure hope he heals up soon, poor guy. Of course he can’t be all THAT poor if he is getting to stay with you!
Hugs and scritches all appropiately placed.
Sistertex at Spacial Peepol´s last [type] ..Moved *AGAIN*!!
Oh dear, oh dear. Poor guy. I feel guilty for laughing and giggling all the way through your post. Your fault! The vet will no doubt start building an extension/swimming pool/conservatory with this guy in his practice. I’m so glad you’ve decided to adopt him. Yippee! Suckers
Carolina´s last [type] ..Joepie de Poepie!!!
Jeannine – Yeah, poor Ranger!
I’m afraid it’s very unlikely we’ll be coming over for Dewey.
We’d made the decision to come over earlier this year but of course that was scuppered when Mum had her stroke .. and the plan is to go to Italy in the autumn.
Sistertex – One of the first things I noticed about Ranger was that his eyes are pretty much constantly dilated and have a very green reflection. They’re also cloudy. He doesn’t see well. He does see, though, because he spots movement in the distance and follows it, and fixes on white things like carrier bags. But one of the reasons we put in the automatic lighting was that our old Jack didn’t see very well, and often wouldn’t go out without one of us accompanying him with a torch. Once the lighting was installed, we had a very happy and once-more independent Jack! But it certainly comes in handy now – especially since Ranger is black and WE can’t see HIM!
Hopefully we can make his life easier for him .. once he learns the ropes and where everything is.
But in fact it isn’t really funny, poor guy (and poor bank balance) … Oh well. Perhaps they’ll stick a name plate on the conservatory in his honour?
Carolina – Well, yeah, I wrote it for comedic effect.
Poor doggie! I guess that is what happened when anyone competes with the wall. Hopefully, he has learned his lesson well.
Beyond Zephyr´s last [type] ..Yellow Mustard Flower and a Bee
Beyond Zephyr – One can only hope! I do – I hope that he now knows exactly where that wall is, and that he won’t do it again!
Oh poor pooch, poor you I can only imagine the cost of all this.
Baino´s last [type] ..I’m MIL . .
Baino -Yes, indeed. You know what they say: the bigger the dog, the more it costs!’ And add to that the fact that if it had been a labrador (for instance), he’d have just bounced off the wall and we’d never had known he’d hit it! Ah well.
Except for the fractures in the bricks…
Sistertex at Spacial Peepol´s last [type] ..Moved *AGAIN*!!
Sistertex – Hahahaha! Yeah, right. I forgot that. LOL!
Oh my word isn’t he a beauty? Bless him – he has come to the right place – even if it does take a while to get his bearings – the dreaded scream eh? I have heard it so many times from Hippie and the vets bills keep on mounting!!! Thank goodness for insurance.
I am so glad you are keeping him – but then how could you ever have let him go?
kate´s last [type] ..Messing about on the river……..
Kate – He is, Kate, and a sweetheart, which is just as well for him!
Unfortunately, he is not yet insured … however, nothing he has done to himself so far is a cause for an exclusion, unless they decide he is indeed accident prone! Also, sadly, at nine years old, the premiums might be too high to be practical. We’ll definitely be getting quotes, though.
glad for your expertise. Pharoah has a pulled shoulder muscle I’ve tried so much do not know what to do next nor does vet..any ideas
sandy´s last [type] ..Camera Critters 174