Oh, what a weekend we have had!  My dog came down with a minor injury.  She insisted on bugging it, so I had to put her in the hood of shame.

Limping Around The House

It all started Thursday afternoon.  I took her for her walk and didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary.

In the afternoon, she developed a slight limp.  No biggee.  She’d limp a little when she jumped off the couch or getting up after a nap.

I checked her paw and didn’t find anything wrong with it.  She’s 8 1/2 years old.  Maybe it’s a little arthritis.

A Little Bit of Paw Swelling

The next day she seemed fine.  She would limp here and there, but she didn’t seem like she was in pain.   She was running around, jumping up and down to take her walk.  Normal Jack Russell behavior.

By evening, she seemed to be hobbling a bit more.  When I looked at her paw, she had one big swollen toe.  Do they call them toes on dogs?

I kept an eye on it until bed time.  She played her bedtime games and went to sleep as if nothing was the matter.  She had to be okay, right?

Saturday was Miserable for All of Us

It was clear the next morning that it was bothering her.  She was favoring her paw.  She kept lifting it in the air to avoid touching the ground.

Then, she started in with the licking.  She wouldn’t leave the foot alone.  She wouldn’t let me touch it.  She was agitated when I tried to stop her from licking it.

It was either lose a few fingers or the hood of shame.  I went with the hood of shame.  I need my fingers.

If she wasn’t miserable before, she was with the hood on.  Bedtime was awful for both of us.  She loves to sleep under a blanket, but couldn’t get the hood under hers.

I set up her heat reflective blanket at the end of the bed thinking she’d be warm and toasty there.  Nope, the only place she would settle down was right next to my side.  I risked being smacked in the head with the hood each time she searched for a new position.

Things are Looking Up

We’ve made it through the weekend.  Phew!  Her paw looks a lot better.  Most of the swelling is down.  She’s lost interest in it, so it must feel better.

She wanted to go for a walk, so I took her.  It was more like a race than a walk.  You’d think she’d been injured for weeks instead of a weekend!

So, What was Wrong with My Dog’s Toe?

I have no clue.  I didn’t see any sores on her paw.   There was pinkness, but I think that was from her licking it.

Three times last week we came upon smashed liquor bottles on the sidewalk.  It tried not to walk her through the shards.  Was there a small piece of glass in her toe?  I tested her toe multiple times and didn’t feel anything.  She’s pretty much a drama queen when injured.  If something was stuck in her paw, she’d have let me know!

It May Have Been an Allergic Reaction

Misha has a propensity to swell up when bitten by spiders or insects.  I’ve had to rush her to the emergency vet hospital and to the regular veterinary clinic for treatment twice.

Normally, I have Benadryl on hand for this reason.  I couldn’t find any in the house this weekend. Guess I need to put that on the grocery list!

Luckily, it was only a toe.  She on the mend, thank goodness!  I’d hate to inflict a Jack Russell in the hood of shame on our family for Thanksgiving.