It'll Be Better
Ah.
Scheherazade was right! 
It was much too late and I was much too tired to finish yesterday's story... but let us pick up where the tale had ended.
Elsa was helping Vernon and Daniel trail cattle down the road. A unique activity because I was driving the pickup, and rarely will Elsa leave my side. They are nicknamed English SHADOWS for a reason.
But there she was... jogging along behind.
Lucas and Dally in the back of the pickup would whine... or I would rev the engine to move forward... and Elsa would look back.
But she's doing a good job as cowdog... even following Daniel into the deep snow... thinking there may be an errant cow.
She would come back to work...
Then follow Daniel again.
A bit more work and we'd reached our destination. I let Lucas and Dally out of the pickup and they were OFF chasing bunnies. Elsa joined in, and I never gave it a second thought. They always chase bunnies (but rarely, if ever, catch one) and I occupied myself with photographing *whatever*.
Shortly I noticed Elsa wasn't chasing with the other two... she was sitting... licking and licking at her paw. "Hmmm. Must have a lot of ice or snowballs on her hairy little hobbit feet." Click. Click. Zoom. Click.
She finally walked towards me... in a snow rut where I could actually *see* her front feet.
They were bloody.
I hustled to her and took inventory. A nasty gash had opened up the top of her right paw, peeling the skin back and looking fairly gory. No tendons seemed to be cut, but it was difficult to see through the blood and her licking. She was walking fine... barely a limp.
But blood was everywhere and she continued her cleaning. I had no dog first aid with me... bandaids and "people stuff" were in a first aid kit in the truck... but honestly, her licking was probably the best idea.
I had to find how she she did this...
I backtracked her. Very easy to do in the deep snow. My CSI skills quickly figured out the scenario.
Three dogs ran under the porch on the old house, and they flushed a rabbit. The rabbit took off around the house and the dogs were in hot pursuit. Unfortunately, an old storm window had fallen off of the house, and was leaning up against it. Elsa's second step had broken through the glass, a shard slicing her hide. Only a fleck or two of blood had appeared at first, but as she continued the chase, more and more blood leaked out. By the time she stopped by the shop, she was leaving a pretty good trail.
It looked gross...
but every bit of blood was cleaned up and the wound had stopped bleeding by the time we made it back to the house.
A little penicillin.
A little medication for pain.
Forced inactivity and help loading into my Durango this afternoon... and she'll make it!
Had it been somewhere else... I might have gone for stitches... but the top of her foot would have been tricky to keep stitches in. I imagine it will look much worse before it looks better, but I have great faith in the healing power of dog saliva... and I'll check it for heat and redness...
She's sore...
and has ripped into Dally and Boomer for bumping into her on occasion!
Yesterday wasn't good... but tomorrow will be better!
****
January 22, 2010 No entry.
January 22, 2009 Unromantic
January 22, 2008 brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Posted by Carol at 1/22/2011 8:32 PM 
Categories: Ranchlife, Dogs, Cattle
Tags: ranch Wyoming English Shepherds
Categories: Ranchlife, Dogs, Cattle
Tags: ranch Wyoming English Shepherds
Geez! You gave some of us a scare! Glad to know she will be okay. Your photos are amazing (as always)! We survived a bit of a blizzard here in Buffalo today. Hope you and yours are all tucked in warm and safe tonight!
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Poor little girl,but you are probably right her saliva will be the best healer. My German grandfather was a very poor farmer and when he would get hurt he always had the dogs take care if his cuts also. Always healed,never became infected!
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Vaquera sends love to her mom and says "speedy recovery". Same from me also.
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:::SIGH:::: I am so relieved that Elsa is going to be ok... good tracking on your part too!!!
SHe and Lucas can now have matching bandages... if needed that is!!
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I am also glad that you found out what happened, and that Elsa will be OK after a time to mend. Sending a hello
from Taffy! And yes, I remember being told by a Doctor who was from Holland, that dog saliva is sanitary!! Another little wonder about our wonderful natural world.
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I am also relieved to learn that your detective work solved the mystery, and am very glad that Elsa will be ok after a time to mend. Taffy sends a hello!
I, too, heard that dog saliva is sanitary! An old Doctor from Holland sent my sister home from his office one day when we were kids, and said to let our dog lick a little rash on her arm! It worked.
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Aw, sweet thing. Hope she is better now!
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Poor baby!
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