Poor Jack

Poor Jack, he's our 9 year-old Border Collie that came with our farm when we bought it six years ago. This morning I asked my husband and sons when they last saw him, none of us remembered seeing him since last Friday, not even to eat. Jack doesn't like to be watched when he eats, he'll wait until he's alone. My sons went out looking for Jack to no avail. We went back to working on putting away Christmas (see post below) when my husband went outside to get rid of some tree remnants. There was Jack! He came out from under the house where Emerson had looked, but Jack must have been in further than usual and out of sight. Jack looked awful, like death warmed over. I called the boys and both went to say hello and to see what was wrong with him. Spencer, who worked part-time for a Vet last summer, was the first to notice that Jack had a gash on upper leg near his chest. We all noticed that something was wrong with his head; his fur was sticking up and matted and his right ear didn't look good. Scott called the Vet and they said to bring him in right away. My husband and sons took Jack to the Vet, driving on questionable roads on this Ice Day.

Jack spent the day at the Vet's office. Sharon, the Vet, surmised that Jack had been in a fight with gashes on his head and his right ear shredded. That was also why he had disappeared, when dogs are hurt they keep to themselves. She stitched the gashes and stapled and stitched his ear. They called mid-afternoon to say we could come and pick him up. They put a collar around his head so that he can't bite or lick his wounds. He looks pitiful. I tried to take his picture of his current status but he looked away every time. Poor dog, he didn't want his picture taken when he looks and feels miserable. I don't blame him. Jack is on antibiotics for the next 10 days and pain pills the size of a quarter. The Vet said the big pills taste good and he'll chew them.

This was a memorable Snow Day. Hope the next one is uneventful.

[Emerson took the photo last summer when Jack had a better day.]