Dodgeball

Not being a mom, rather a 'dog mom', I cannot claim the maternal bond with my dogs that parents have with their children. However, when something happens to threaten their safety or well being I can turn into Worried Momma with the best of them. Today I experienced just such a event when all else ceases to exist and nothing in the world is more important than kissing a boo-boo better or worst case: driving to the vet like a crazy person.

I arrived at our normal dog walking area and let the dogs go, they ran around like mad hatters for a few minutes and we approached the school yard where I was meant to meet my neighbour so she could let her dog off lead and socialize in relative safety. My dogs ran amuk for a few moments around the basketball court where there are also a couple of dodgeball poles set into the ground about 30 feet apart. They are simple non-descript poles, metal, gray, and smooth. I had a moment of concern when Raimi ran toward one while looking back at Archer who was chasing him. Raimi ran past the pole and missed it by about a foot or so and I breathed a sigh of relief just as Leeloo followed the boys at high speed and hit her stifle on the unyielding pole. CLANG. YIPE! And a dead lame, totally distraught Leeloo hobbled away yelping and whining and looking at me clearly in pain. I dropped my back pack and ran to her to stop her moving around, assess the damage, tot up the vet bills and figure out how to get her to said vet.

I was *sure* her leg was broken. She hit so hard, was going so fast and now her leg was dangling uselessly. There was a little cut on her stifle that gave me pause but as I felt up and down her leg I could feel no break, no looseness in the joint, no flinch of pain as I manipulated the limb. I put her on lead while we re-grouped with the other dogs (who had been amusing themselves with no concern at all for broken Leeloo) and I checked the pole for what might have been cut her... which was nothing. The pole is just that, a smooth regular everyday pole. Shrug. She limped a little to start but by the time we entered the school field she was totally sound and wanting to go off and run with the other dogs. I gave her a few more minutes of rest before letting her go and watching carefully for any sign of lameness. Not a stitch. She's one tough cookie that bitch. 

Once we got home I cleaned off her leg and had a look. Apparently, if you hit skin hard enough, it simply splits which is what hers did. It's almost like the skin was simply parted, so I cleaned it out really well, pressed the flap down and slathered it with liquid bandage. So far it seems to be holding quite well and once healed should show no scar at all. It doesn't look that impressive but let me just say, when you see your dog injure itself to such a degree that you think their leg has snapped ... this little cut being the only result is an impressive demonstration of how lucky a gal can get. Her and me both.