You're not going to believe this ...

No.   It's not another porcupine encounter story.

But ... it is another "ouch" story.

Today I took Wendy and Trey to the parkette at the end of the street.  They just love going there to chase the ball.  I have one of those curved ball throwy thingys.  I hurl the ball.  Trey runs like heck.  Wendy lopes behind.  They bring it back.  I throw it again.  It's a pretty simple system.  Throw, fetch, wag, bark, throw, fetch.  Pant.  Pant.  Fun.  Fun.

Until .. the time I threw the ball high.

Both dogs ran for it and like two outfielders in a baseball game . "I've got it !" Wendy called.  "I'VE GOT IT!" Trey called back.  They both leaped high.  There was a nasty smacking sound and they both tumbled back to earth.  They'd hit each other head on.  I checked Wendy first as she was opening and closing her mouth like someone in the movies who's just been socked in the jaw.  All her teeth were present and accounted for.  She was OK.

Trey meanwhile had the ball and was romping around happily. 

"Okay" I thought, "that was lucky.  They're both fine".

I threw the ball again and when Trey brought it back I saw his tongue had some blood on it.  "Aaahhhh", I thought to myself , "he's bitten his tongue badly".  But that was about it. 

We kept playing.  He kept bringing back the bloody ball.

After playing for another half hour, I  took them home.

In the kitchen I checked his mouth again.  It wasn't his tongue bleeding.  He seemed to have bitten his lip. But boy, it sure kept bleeding.

I called Kait to come look.

The more we looked the more alarmed we became.  His lip wasn't bitten.  It was torn.  And something looked very wrong with his gums.

We called the vet to say we thought we had a pretty urgent problem. 

"Bring him in right away" they responded.

Kait drove him.

Anesthesia.  Artery tear.  Bone exposed.  Gum repair.  Stitches.  Lip repair.  Many stitcthes.  Tooth pulled.

Three hours and $360 later, Kait brought him back home again.  Poor dear Trey was tired, very sore and cranky toward the other pets.   He lay on my bed with his head on his paws.  If a dog or cat approached he curled his lips back and rumbled a deep meaningful growl.  They all gave him the space he needed.  I gently stroked his head.

It's now the next day.  He's feeling more like his old self and searching high and low for toys, balls, chew toys, anything to bite, chew or carry in his mouth.

The vet has ordered that he not play with any toys for two weeks !

Sigh.  It's going to be a long two weeks.