Like Night and Day.

Just a small update this evening as to Mellow's condition.

As the title of this blog suggests, he's practically fully recuperated. He was running, jumping and generally being his goofy old self today. The swelling in his leg has nearly completely dispersed and he's walking just fine. After the ordeal that we went through last week, I'm certain of a few things.

1. Based upon the symptoms, Mellow was probably bitten by a Wolf spider, which is what caused the swelling and limp.

2. My veterinarian completely dropped the ball and failed to examine Mellow completely.

Family Lycosidae - the Wolf Spider

When I took Mellow to the vet, I related that I had no explanation as to how he was injured. Basically, the vet performed x-rays, prescribed an anti-inflammatory and sent Mellow on his merry way. Had they of done a simple body examination and looked at the blister I soon after discovered on his body, they would have known that the cause of Mellow's issue was not orthopedic in nature. It's frustrating to say the least. To be honest, I'm seriously considering finding a new vet.

The worst of Mellow's condition was over the weekend. The blister I discovered on his shoulder opened up and all of the fluid trapped underneath his skin soon poured out. The whole process was quite disgusting. For the benefit of those with weak stomachs, I won't describe it any further than that. The wound was packed for a few days with some thick gauze to prevent an infection and to absorb the remnant fluid still leaking out of him. All in all, it was messy and awkward, but Mellow is almost back to normal.

That being said... despite the money wasted on a vet trip, I'm happy Mellow is back to normal. No matter how difficult Mellow can be, I'd feel real terrible if something happened to him.

Hanging In There.

Just a small update before I turn in for the night. Mellow is hanging in there, but he's in quite a bit of pain. He has spent most of his time resting on a fluffy bed with ice packs to alleviate the swelling. He's in good spirits, but I can tell he's feeling pretty down and depressed at times. Mellow is not one to spend a lot of time laying down. Seeing the poor man hobble to use the bathroom is upsetting to say the least. Either way, Mellow is getting all the support he can. Even Echo has shown some concern over his condition. Let's hope tomorrow brings more improvement.

Man's Best Friend.

Mellow saw the vet today. Thankfully, he doesn't have any broken bones. From what we can gather, he must have severely twisted or jammed his leg. This is good news, but he's going to be out of commission for a few weeks. Looks like Mellow's age is finally catching up with him.

I must be frank, though. This reminder of my fluffy friend's mortality is not pleasant. The thought of Mellow not being with me for a lifetime is unsettling at best. Canine he may be, Mellow is family. I hold him in the same regard as a child. For those of us that welcome dogs into our lives... this is the weight we must bear. Our dogs can't stay with us forever. We must contend with the burden of burying our friends; we must shoulder the grief that comes with losing a member of the family. With my other dog Echo pulling through mammary cancer earlier in the year, it's been a wild ride of emotions when it comes to my dogs.

Mellow (left) and Echo (right)

All dogs descend from the gray wolf. Their evolution from wolf to dog dates as late as nearly 38,000 years ago. Skeletal dog remains have been discovered with humans at nearly all major archaeological dig sites of ancient civiliations around the globe - Siberia, China, Persia and so on. The dog has been with us for as long as we've been human. When folks state that the dog is man's best friend, it's quite literally a true statement. Without the dog by our side, mankind surely wouldn't have flourished quite as proficiently. Whether in the role of guardian, hunter or friend, dogs have walked the same path out the prehistoric caves of antiquity as humanity has. We collectively owe a great deal to the dog.

And to think... all dogs want in return is a little bit of love.*

*Maybe some table scraps every once in a while wouldn't hurt, either.

Poor Old Mr. Mellow.

Poor Mr. Mellow...

He's nursing an injury at the moment. The pitiful fellow... he can barely walk without limping his front right leg. It's believed that he may have landed wrong on a fence while jumping over it, or perhaps even tripped over a log. I'm just not sure. He did it Wednesday night, that's for certain. He was stiff yesterday, but has shown a slight bit more movement today. His leg isn't broken and he can put weight on his foot. He's got full range of motion, but I can feel a small lump on his ribs behind his shoulder. There's a skin abrasion there, but no puncture wound or cut. I suspect he bruised himself quite badly, or even cracked a rib. There's not much that can be done for that, short of a good diet and plenty of rest.

He's been quite calm these past few days. Those of you that know Mellow understand how excitable he can normally be, so calmness is a break from the norm. Either way, I suspect his pride could be hurt more than his body. As it stands, Mellow sure does love the extra special attention he's been getting.

I love the big, fluffy Old Man, as he's come to be known. Mellow will turn eight years old on April 26, so he's getting on up there in age. I hope I get many more years with the nervous fluff-ball, but either way... he's the best friend I've ever had. As much as Mellow drives me bananas sometimes, I love him with all my heart.

Please excuse the poor quality of the selfie pictures. Mellow isn't one to hold still for very long.