Poor, poor Taz the shy blue heeler...
She had a very close call last Sunday and nearly became a meal for the coyotes!
I opened the front door to find her curled up on the porch. She was bloody, bruised and shaking. Our red heeler "Rubi Anne" was watching over her waiting for me to discover her there and help.
I sprang into action!
Although it was a Sunday, I knew that her injuries were much more than I could tend to without professional assistance from a veterinarian.
I made a phone call to the emergency service and explained that her injuries were to her belly -- all those organs and no way to know if they had been affected by the trauma.
At the emergency entrance we were greeted by the vet on duty. She quickly rushed Taz into a room and wasted no time prepping her for surgery. All we could do was leave Taz there and hope for the best...but not before we paid for the services in advance.
Let me tell ya' -- highland cattle are much less expensive to care for than working farm dogs!
The low estimate amount was $300 up to $500...YIKES!
The vet called later to report that Taz was bruised around the neck, down one leg (it was basically hamburger) and she had so many bites on her body that the vet only shaved the hair over the worst ones. The vet put in two stitches between Taz's legs that will need to be removed after 14 days.
I was very proud of my little farmhands (at just 5 and 3 years of age), and how grown up they reacted to what could have been a frightening experience for some much older children. Erin and Preston sat with Taz that first night as she whimpered and shivered from the pain, speaking to her in soft hushed tones. They each took turns petting her and soothing as best they could until Taz was able to doze off. I took over after they went to bed, sitting on the floor in the kitchen with Taz's head on my lap.
It has been a week since then. Taz has been a real trooper. Each day I put on clean bandages after cleaning her wounds. It's a very yucky task for me, but painful for HER! She also requires medication twice a day. (It's a good thing she likes hotdogs, so I can sneak the pills into them!)
She is not out of the woods yet. Today I considered taking her back in when her wound with the stitches filled with fluid and had not drained. I was relieved when it did later, but will be concerned until I see positive signs of healing.
Farmhand Erin watches over her patient