"Madison's Mystery Adventure"

As most of you know, I had to take Madison to the 24 hour Veterinary ER Saturday night. She is doing well now. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers.

Madison why lying down by me before 10 pm, and I noticed some clear fluid on her lower belly area, when I wiped it off with a tissue, there was some blood. Madison & Maverick had been playing earlier so I wasn't alarmed, figured the cat might have scratched her though they usually play face to face and he has never scratched any of us, just swats at her from time to time. I went to get cotton balls and the cleaning solution the vet gave me for her abrasions on her chest, and then I saw it: a 1-1/4 inch gash on the inner part of her back right leg, I guess we can call it the pelvic area. Odd that such a big cut would not be bleeding but I knew it needed stitches, so a couple of phone calls later and off to the 24 hour vet we went.

Madison doesn't hate the vet, she loves seeing all the people and animals, but late at night, only the staff was there, two black and white tuxedo-like cats, and a female Rottweiler, a big pup also; all these animals are the staff's.

(Madison weighed in at 78.5 pounds, she has lost a few from running around chasing Maverick and she and me playing more with the nice weather.)

Madison really liked the lady vet and lady vet technician, gave kisses to both of them, she wasn't too sure about the guy who weighed her but he didn't flirt with her and solicit kisses like the girls did (he doesn't know what he is missing, maybe he's a cat person). Local anesthesia and antibiotic injections, stitches, and the "Elizabethan" collar, maybe 20 minutes later, I heard her toenails tapping on the tile floor towards me and through the door, it was over.

The vet called it a "stab" wound and said, well she's a Lab, as far as Madison getting into things (ain't THAT the truth!). Since we live in a quiet neighborhood and there were not barkfests that evening, she must have stabbed herself. The following morning she and I walked around the yard to see if we could figure out what caused the injury but found no evidence. I did come up with a few possibilities, (1) maybe she slipped on the puppy ramp, no evidence: no blood, no noise, and it had not moved; (2) a stick under the picnic table, Madison likes to run and dive under it, its her open air dog house, again no evidence: wound was clean, no debris around or inside it, leaves look like she has not been under the table lately.

There is a possible third choice, something around the shed, but there is a lot of overgrowth of weeds so I could not check behind there but again, when she runs through there I can her her bang against the shed, so no evidence for that so far.

So this may remain "Madison's Mystery Adventure" to all except for her. I am sure she had to feel something, right?

Anyway, she is healing well, taking her meds and dealing with the collar. She has found some pluses: only she can eat or drink out of her dish, Maverick can not sneak in, I can't lock her in the crate when I leave or overnight so she gets to sleep around the house, extra head scratches especially since she can't scratch for herself, Maverick has been giving her lots of nose kisses, if I toss her a treat if she misses the collar catches it, placing collar on mom's sneakers keeps it at good sleeping level. Minuses: she keeps hitting collar against walls, stairs. I tried to bring her up to my room to sleep but going up a flight of stairs even with me trying to hold up her collar doesn't give her the confidence she needs to believe she can go up the stairs.

We are hoping and praying for her speedy recovery and for health and safety for all of us from now on