Though it was already windy and snow was falling, it was lovely and calm deep in the snow-covered woods.
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It was very overcast so I had brought my compass. "How are those two things connected?", you ask.
In the winter the sun low in the sky passes behind my house, so by heading toward it, I can find my way out. Without the sun as my guide, I could get lost, or as I like to say "get temporarily mislaid".
Once in the woods, Wendy and Trey love chasing and looking for the ball. Doesn't matter where it goes, I can always count on Trey's terrific nose to sniff it out.
Sooki has no interest in balls. She revels in tearing around in an apparent random fashion her nose to the ground, the bell on her collar tinkling gently, always letting me know where she is.
We'd been walking and ball-tossing, and tying ribbons on trees for a while, before I realized I could no longer hear that tinkling bell.
I stopped and called her.
Sooki is a good girl and always comes when called, and when she didn't, and I still could not hear her bell I got worried. When I stopped I heard a small "squeak" that seemed to emanate from the rubbing tree trunks above me. Then I heard it faintly again. I looked up and saw nothing that might have created the noise.
After five minutes of pacing and calling, something caught my eye. Not far away. Maybe 50 feet off one side of the trail in the brush, the snow looked odd.
"Why would the snow be pink ?" I wondered vaguely.
Suddenly every fiber in my being reacted with a JOLT ! Beside the "pink" snow stood Sooki. But Sooki wasn't pink. She was RED and her face looked so BIG ! WTF ??
In a flash I realized what had happened: reached for Trey, and clipped on his leash.
Sooki was walking timidly toward me. She hadn't been lost. She hadn't been far away. She had been nearby, quietly killing a porcupine !!!
The tiny squeak I had heard, must have been Sooki's coup de grace.
She hadn't even cried out in pain as hundreds of quills pierced her tongue, mouth, nose and chest as the poor unfortunate porcupine tried to defend itself.
Trey could not figure out why I was hanging onto him, and then as I leashed Sooki too, I hurriedly started heading out of the woods. After I felt safe that Trey wasn't going to go after the carcass, I let him off his leash and concentrated on getting poor Sooki home. Blood was foaming from her mouth and covering her legs and dripping onto my boots. I was grateful that I didn't take too many wrong turns on our way out. Sooki was now clearly in agony, and trying to rub her face along the snowy ground which turned pink in our wake.
Dear Wendy let me hold her collar, and she pulled me up the hill that leads out of the park as I gently tugged Sooki behind me.
Once finally home, I YELLED to Kait, "CALL THE VET -- WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY !".
Before you scroll down, let me tell you that Sooki is back home now and will be fine.
Are you ready ?
You sure ?
OK, you were warned.
Poor baby!!
ReplyDeleteShe is feeling rather morose this morning. Her face if puffy and a couple of her paws are sore. She'll probably spend the entire day sleeping if off.
Deleteomg!!! poor doggie!!! what courage.
ReplyDeleteSo how long did it take at the vet and did Sooki get any freezing first and is she on any medication? 'Cause you forgot to tell the end of the story.;)
And poor you….what a shock!
Hugs to the whole pack.
We have a vet right here in the Passage, which is lucky because driving conditions were appalling at the time. They knocked her right out with anesthetic as there were "hundreds" of quills. Some were fully under the skin and had to be cut out. She's on pain pills and antibiotics.
DeleteEven as she stood drooling foamy blood onto the vets entry floor, if someone stroked her she still would wag her tail.
Oh dear! You always have such fun walks - maybe those trails aren't for you after all! Poor Sooki - but do you think it will teach her what a porcupine is?
ReplyDeleteI suspect I won't be walking Sooki back there Jackie. Wendy and Trey are so focused on the ball that I am not too worried about them. And sadly, no, I don't think it will teach her a thing. Apparently the dogs don't assume that they'll always get quilled. If just makes 'em angrier and hate "porkies" more ... so I am SURE if given the chance she'd do it again.
DeleteOh, Sybil, oh Sooki, my heart does go out to you! We had a black lab who did the same thing many years ago. We didn't call the vet--we pulled every last quill out, even those on his tongue. (In retrospect, we probably should have called the vet but we were young & ignorant.) I hope poor Sooki (and Mom) is feeling better today. What a sight!
ReplyDeleteWow that lab was a patient, understanding dog. Sooki had quills embedded UNDER her skin, in the roof of her mouth, tongue, around her eyes, etc.etc. "Hundreds" according to the vet. It took them 2 hours with Sooki under anesthetic to remove them all. Kait was really upset when it happened -- it did look AWFUL ! But both mom (Kait), dog (Sooki) and gramma (Me) are doing better, though Sooki is clearly sore.
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ReplyDeleteooooh. Pictures made me cringe. So awful for Sooki, and it must have been terrible for you. I'm glad Sooki is ok and getting better. Hope that you are too.
ReplyDeleteBonnie, I have posted an update so you can see how she is progressing. It was quite the adventure ...
Deletewow! Lucky you found her! She had so many quills. ouch.
ReplyDeleteHi Michelle, She was in the process of coming on her own when I found her. Sorry to say that we're heading back to the vet's this morning. Her face and eye are swelling so some quills must be still under there.
DeleteOh my god, poor Sooki!!! What an ordeal for her, what an ordeal for you! I had no idea that a cute little porcupine could be so destructive! Give Sooki a great big hug for me. ~ Joanne.
ReplyDeleteWell in fairness to the "porkie" Joanne, Sooki did attack it. The quills are loose and the porkie just swings his tail and when you get smacked the quills stick in you. This is spozed to act as a deterrent to attackers. ie I bet Coyotes would never do this as it would be a death sentence to have a mouth filled with quills.
DeletePoor Sooki! I'm glad her eyes seem to be all right. Poor porcupine, too... Mother Nature is as brutal as she is beautiful - good that you were all safely home before the blizzard arrived. What a day! Hugs for Sooki and best wishes for a speedy recovery!
ReplyDeleteYes, poor "porkie". We entered his world and killed him for no good reason other than a dog's silly prey-drive. Sooki is much better after a second visit to the vet to remove quills they'd missed the first time -- from the back of her tongue !
DeleteOh my goodness, poor baby. I am glad to know she is better. What an ordeal. I am glad we do not have those creatures in my part of the world, and will take a skunk-dog encounter any day compared to this.
ReplyDeleteI hear ya Les. But don't you have venomous snakes down your way ?
DeleteSome how I missed this post. I'm so glad the vet got all those dang things out in what I'd call record time. So fortunate that you have a vet where you are. I'm glad she is mending just fine. You are right about her not learning a lesson. Some dogs are like that and nothing deters them for repeating the same behavior.
ReplyDeleteYep. No more off-leash walks in the woods. It's a pity coz she's so sad when I take Wendy and Trey. She sits on the stairs beside them hoping to go too.
DeleteOh non… pauvre, pauvre Sooki ! Our doggies cannot go against their instincts (my Beagle had a rather painful encounter with a hedgehock once, but nothing compared with all Sooki had to endure). Must have been terrible for you too. Very glad to read your next post and knowing she is recovering slowly.
ReplyDeleteMerci beaucoup. She is much better now, but has NOT learned her lesson and would do it again, given the chance. Does you Beagle now avoid Hedgehogs ? or still go after them ?
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