Lucky Dog…

Our early morning walk turned into a really bad scene in the heartbeat it took for Max to slip his collar and start racing around on the grass.

First off, let me say the he is fine.  Keep calm and read on.

We’re staying at a La Quinta on a quiet Mall access road near St. Augustine.  (Advantage #1)  So, Max and I were out walking around 8AM when he got goofy, started running in circles (still on-leash) and jumping at me.

Then, he slipped his collar and continued racing around in big circles.  He ran toward me and I thought he was going to come to a screeching halt and let me leash him up.  Instead he kept right on going – out into the road…

As my daughter likes to jokingly say, “It’s all fun and games until somebody gets hurt.”  This time was no joking matter.

He was hit by a small pickup truck, and I was sure he was dead.  I ran screaming over, and he was pinned on the ground in front of the left front tire, whining.  The guy backed up, and I got down with Max to comfort him.

While the driver called 9-1-1, I sat on the ground and Max laid his head on my leg.  I petted him, and checked him as much as I could – all the while afraid that something was broken, or that he would die on me at any moment.

After about 5 minutes, he lifted his head and raised himself to a partial upright – still lying on the ground.

When the police arrived, the officer said she could drive me to my car, but not to the vet.  OK – what then??? I’m thinking.

The driver of the pickup used his cellphone to locate an emergency vet and gave us the address.  I asked Max if he could get up and he did!  All four feet on the ground, no broken legs.  A little shaky, but he walked to the police car and climbed into the back seat.

When we got to the hotel, I had to go up and get my purse and car keys.  He didn’t want to get down out of the police car, so I picked him up and carried him to Tumbleweed and laid him on his bed in the back.

It was a 20 minute drive to the emergency vet, but I had called ahead and they were ready and waiting for us when we arrived.  Again, I had to lift him out of the car, but he walked in under his own power (slow, but on his own).

Dr. Jones checked him over, and much to my relief said she’d like to take a chest X-ray since that was where he was hit.  She came back about 15 minute later and showed me the pictures – NO INTERNAL BLEEDING, NO BROKEN RIBS, HEART OKAY.

He has a couple of cuts on his head – one needed stitches – and some road rash, so they kept him to clean those and stitch him up. I really believe that his size and his youth were two important advantages for him today.

I had a call from Dr. Jones about 2:30 saying he was doing fine, but “sleeping off the anesthesia,” and to call later to see if he was awake enough to walk out on his own. She had to stitch two wounds on his head, and she says he has “a funny haircut,” to which I replied, “That’s OKAY!  He’s alive, and that’s all that matters today!”  (I’ll post a photo later after I pick him up…)

All in all, one helluva Lucky Dog.  We may have to change his name…

Advertisements