So, We Have This Dog.....

...and he's not the smartest dog in the world. Cocker Spaniels aren't known for their mental capacity, are they? Last night it became very evident that there was something wrong with him. I sent him outside to go to the bathroom and he squatted and yelped - wandered around helplessly - unable to "take care of business". When I brought him inside, he could barely climb the steps. He laid by my bed and whined. I had memories of staying up at night with a sick child - but this one couldn't tell me where it hurt. He just kept panting and his nose was warm and dry instead of cold and wet. When I feed him in the morning, he ususally beats me to his food bowl - today, he just laid and looked at it. So, at 8:00 I called the veterinary clinic and gave them the information. Katie dropped him off at 8:30 and I waited. Thankfully, our vet's daughter and Kelli are on the same high school softball team. About 11:00 Jeff called me and said, "Patty, what's wrong with this dog???" I went back and told him everything from the past 48 hours and we were finally able to narrow it down. On Sunday evening, I took Rigby with me to Carrie and Joe's house. They have a huge, fenced in back yard and I thought it would be fun for him to run and play with Nolan and Grace. That is - until he got out through a broken gate. Kelli stayed with the kids and I took off after him. He smelled "freedom" and took off. He ran next door where there is a new house under construction. He's wandering through the house sniffing around the corners, etc. I walk through the rooms and at the back of the house is a large opening for patio doors. I look out the opening and there he is - 8' below, playing in the dirt. I remember thinking, "are you so dumb that you JUMPED?" It was definitely too high for me, so I went out, walked around and picked him up and took him back to Carrie's. He never cried or yelped. He seemed fine yesterday morning and even yesterday after work. Last night, the symptoms started. Jeff thinks that he has a slipped disc in his back. He said this would explain him yelping when he squatted to poop, his inability to climb the steps, and that the pain and stress can cause his nose to be warm and dry and bring on the panting. He says his temperature is normal, but that he favors his back when Jeff rubs his hands over it. So, I picked him up on my lunch hour - complete with pain medication and an anti-inflammatory drug and we're to keep him quiet for the rest of the week. When we walked in the house, he went straight to his bed. I stuck the pills down his throat, gave him a kiss and went back to work. Wish I could have taken a couple of aspirin and gone to bed!!