*Sigh*

Well we are out of agility (again) for the foreseeable future.

Having driven for 8.5 hours on Friday - the first day of my holiday - in order to spend two days at Weardale and another day walking in Yorkshire (we had planned two days but Iain had a work meeting he had to go to) we had to drive back on the Sunday instead.

Why? Because somehow Nellie has cut a pad really badly.

I had taken them along the river next to the site on Friday evening. We couldn't believe our luck the dogs and I - such a beautiful limestone river valley with plenty of places to have a wallow for them. I took them along on Saturday morning for a few minutes and then again on Saturday night we all went for a walk for 1.5 hours along there almost to the next village with lots of stops for the dogs to wallow and for Iain and I to hone our stone skimming skills....

Very happy dogs.

I was happy too. Nellie and I had done some good work on Saturday together. We were 7th in the Champ Jumping and 6th in the Champ Agility. And I didn't push, just worked the courses. So we qualified 16th to run in the Final where I did go for it (God that felt great! I love Finals - always did with Henry and with Pop) but I made her drop a pole. She was lovely.

Sunday morning I had walked one course and took the dogs for ten minutes along the river path again before going back to the rings to walk another one. As Nellie jumped up into the caravan when we got back suddenly we could see blood everywhere...

Having tried and failed several times to get through on the emergency vet number Weardale had given out I was told there was a vet on site. She pronounced it to be deep (it quite turned my stomach when I looked at it) but also sideways so that it could not be stitched or stapled (though my own vets told me pads should never be stapled anyway!) and should just be left to heal by itself well wrapped, kept clean and being re-dressed every couple of days. She prescribed antibiotics and told me that I should go to my own vets in a couple of days to check the anti-biotics were keeping it all clean.

Well, you'll know by now how I am about my dogs so first thing on Monday (we drove home Sunday night to avoid heavy traffic) I ring my own vets and take her in for a second opinion and get a different prognosis. Here I'm told it needs stitching under a general and the stitches will need to stay in for 3 weeks and after that it really depends on the way in which the flap heals. She's admitted there and then and by the afternoon we can collect her.

She ate her small evening meal of rice and scrambly egg (no butter or milk added just two lovely fresh eggs!) with gusto.

So there you have it. I admit I was surprised the vet at Weardale said no stitches as were one or two others, but at least she was there and could start the process of antibiotics. I do wonder though how things would be if I had simply accepted that and left going to my own vet a couple more days.....

Nellie is having three ten minute walks on lead and harness a day. When she can be completely supervised her bonnet is removed and she is allowed to hang out with us in the house. She's allowed in the garden supervised and if wet - a plastic bag is put over her paw. When she cannot be fully supervised in the house and at night she is put in 'cratey' - the big estate car crate we bought from Barjo in our pre-van era that she has been put in since she was a pup for naps and time when I was at work or at night (for her safety and well being). This will stop her over using her paw and along with a 'bonnet' her snazzy pink camouflage vet wrap covered dressing remains un-nibbled too....

At the moment she is conducting essential 'housekeeping' tasks on her coat and three other paws lying next to me on the floor while I write this :) Something she cannot do when wearing the bonnet and which must stress them out if they are never allowed to be bonnet free. She is being carried up and down stairs. She is having even more cuddles and close leans than usual (so a lot then :) )to make up for the psychological issues of the bonnet.

In times like this, as I had to do for Pop and Henry before, I just shut everything down. Yes, she'd like to trot and run about on her dressing but she stays on lead and harness. Yes she is going to be more than a little bored at times and Yes she would like not to wear the bonnet. But I'm the human and I know the potential consequences so this is the way it is going to be. Back to the vets on Friday.