Monday, April 21, 2008

Agony, and more flowers

It's been a harried few days around here, mainly thanks to a canine crisis. Pearl, our little Aussie Shepherd mix, was obviously feeling miserable Thursday afternoon. I figured I'd just keep an eye on her and take her to the vet Friday afternoon if she didn't perk up. About 2:30 Friday morning I woke to the sound of blood-curdling doggy screams. I ran in the kitchen and there was Pearl, hunkered in the doorway, yelping in agony. Kobi was separated from Pearl by a baby gate, which didn't stop her from trying to attack--Kobi's standard response to any show of weakness in the other dogs. I booted Kobi outside and tried in vain to figure out what the hell was wrong with Pearl.

There was nothing I could do except wait the 6 hours for the vet to open. Pearl eventually settled down a little, although she let out a piercing scream about once every 15 minutes. I felt sorry for her, but I also felt like doing a little screaming of my own. When we finally got to the vet he was almost as mystified as I was, but finally decided that Pearl had a pinched nerve in her neck. Nothing serious. He gave me drugs for her, and by Sunday morning she was in pretty good shape. Unfortunately, I have a highly offended Kobi to cope with now, since loss of kitchen privileges constitutes a profound insult in her universe--and it's clearly Pearl's fault. It's been a constant job of dog wrangling to keep the two of them separated, and everybody semi-satisfied. Sigh.

On a happier note, spring continues to bloom in the most glorious way here.


















Our apple tree is always loaded with blossoms, but it's unusually fragrant this year. I've been going out in the warmth of the afternoon just to stand under it, enjoying the perfume and the noisy bees.


















Our dogwoods have been late to bloom, but they've made up for it by being especially pretty. We're not expecting any rough weather, so I'm hoping we'll get to enjoy the flowers instead of seeing them blown away, which often happens. This pink dogwood is a favorite with the birds--and other things. A snake once fell out of it onto the pest control guy.


















I though the lilac bush had been hopelessly damaged by the drought last summer, but it's blooming very prettily. Oddly, though, it has almost no scent.

6 comments:

Mary said...

Wow, what a scare! I'm glad Pearl is better.
Lovely pics, isn't Spring the most glorious season? The dogwoods here have peaked and the azaleas are now popping. The oak pollen is still flying and coating everything with a dusting of green, but that will be gone soon.

anyasgarden said...

Poor pooch, poor you and poor Alpha dog. We have a few 24 hour emergency vets in the area, and the last time I had to take a cat it was a midnight right on a Saturday night on I-95. What we do for those furballs and how we worry over them. Glad it was minor!

Weather/flower report unnecessary from Miami. Everything is in bloom ;-)

Anonymous said...

You poor girls! I'm glad Pearl is better. Who knew that dogs got pinched nerves?!

And oh the blue of that sky, wow. And those are your trees? They're very beautiful.

BitterGrace said...

Those are my trees, Renee. I should quit complaining about how much I hate owning a house, huh? ;-)

Pearl is just about back to normal. The pinched nerve thing was news to me, too. Miss P is a big one for getting human complaints. She used to get vaginal yeast infections, believe it or not.

The nearest emergency vet to us is an hour away in Nashville. I always debate with myself about whether it's a good idea to load them up and try to get there. In this case, I knew Pearl was suffering, but I figured there was no way she'd be making that much noise if she was in imminent danger, so it seemed better to wait.

Anya, I wish I was on the beach in Miami right now. Absent the hurricanes, it sounds like paradise.

Mary, my azaleas just came out today. And we've got irises coming out, which I love. The pollen not so bad for us, though something's making me sneeze. Maybe it's the Carnal Flower ...

chayaruchama said...

DAng !
Doggy distress.
Poor Pearlie, she'a such an angelfur.

I had one evil bitch [ literally] of a dachshund who used to slip discs with alarming regularity- NOT a pretty thing, poor dear.
Hildegarde Sylvia- named after two favorite aunties.

Poor you.
Kiss those hundsies for me.
And Lee, of course.

What glorious foliage and bloom !
Gladdens my old heart.

BitterGrace said...

Oh, Chaya, please don't tell me that. I hate to think of this happeining on a regular basis.