Monday, August 11, 2008

may this never happen to you

I'd been planning to post with photos from my big weekend adventures; I was so busy...but this morning's experience trumps all.

The professor and the dogs were doing their normal morning routines. Sally was chasing something from window to window inside. She runs from one window to the next, barking at bunnies, white pick up trucks, cats, and other dogs who get walked earlier than she does every morning. As it was 6:45, I was still in bed, just about to get up when:

The most ear-piercing, horrible screaming...The professor yells for me. He's on the floor with Sally, her hind leg pinched into one of our large square metal antique heating registers. What's worse is that the entire heavy register has been pulled out of the floor and she's completely attached. She'd jumped on it the wrong way somehow, and her foot is stuck inside of the metal. (note, it's hard to imagine how this could happen, the register is usually safe for barefeet, babies, etc.)

Sally is so scared that she's had every kind of accident on the professor and in the front hall. Harry the dog is desperate to help her. I try to help--but have to get a muzzle because she is so panicked that she's nipping. The screams she makes are agonizing. We try to imagine getting her to the vet while attached to a huge heating register. I get vaseline, and put it around her foot...and somehow, finally, she changes her position...and springs free.

The humans spent a lot of time cleaning up. Sally hides in her crate. Harry hides in my bed--and his paws are covered with, ummm, accident...all over the sheets. Dead silence and nervous exhaustion rule. The vet suggests we coax everyone out on a short walk to make sure the dogs are ok. Sally prances her way through the walk--and doesn't favor her pinched foot, but is hysterically afraid of the area of the house where this happened. The professor says, after a mile, "I think I'm hungry now. Maybe I could actually consider breakfast."

We are now quiet here. No barking. Everyone tries to recuperate and it's only nine in the morning. I will offer more weekend details sometime soon. Please (and this is my prayer for the day), keep every paw (and foot) safe.

9 Comments:

Blogger Mary in VA said...

Oh my goodness, poor baby. I can imagine why she'd be terrified! Glad you got her free, as I can't imagine trying to get her to the vet's either.

August 11, 2008 at 2:11 PM  
Blogger Romi said...

Holy carp! I'm so glad everyone is ok!

August 11, 2008 at 3:09 PM  
Blogger vanessa said...

oh my god!
so glad you had a happy ending!

August 12, 2008 at 5:33 AM  
Blogger cyndy said...

Yikes!

Poor Sally! What a chaotic event for her!

Hope all is returning to normal now...(sheeze... i'd have been tempted to go back to bed and pull the covers over my head!

August 12, 2008 at 8:17 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh Joanne, what an awful awakening, but what a relief that she's OK! I hope the humans have recovered as well.

August 12, 2008 at 8:30 AM  
Blogger weebug said...

Poor Sally! I am glad to hear that everyone is okay in the end, but whew!

the tomato sauce is impressive, i haven't the patience for canning these days.

August 12, 2008 at 9:27 PM  
Blogger Where fibers meet mud said...

YIKES! We have an uncovered vent by the door! YIKES!

You have been tagged for a meme and nominated for the Brilliante Weblog Award 2008.

August 12, 2008 at 9:57 PM  
Blogger annmarie said...

okay, then. I'm really glad I'm behind in my blog reading and am just seeing this a week plus after it happened when, by now, things have probably settled down a mite. cripes, what an experience!

August 19, 2008 at 8:52 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm way behind, too, and am glad things have settled.

By the way, I never use or would consider using those short garden-fencing things made of wire. We had a trauma many years ago involving a dog's lower eyelid and one of the d*mn things. It all worked out okay, which is a total miracle. The vet made a vet-never-makes-emergency-house-calls emergency house call.

Yikes.

So glad all is good now, and yes, calming training is a really, really good idea for S.

August 22, 2008 at 4:22 AM  

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