Rascal is my dog. She's soft like a rabbit. Her fur is white with a ginger saddle on her back and a ginger colored "hat" on her head. She is part Pomeranian and part chihuahua. Both parts bark a lot. There are other breeds in there, too, but who knows what they are. She carries her tail over her back. Rascal is healthy, sturdy, bright and alert. She weighs about 20 pounds. She is loving and tries hard to please...when it pleases her to do so. She catches on changes of routine quickly.
The other day, Rascal was jumping to get into my truck. Her leash caught on the door and pulled her back. She looked surprised, but jumped up again and sat on her seat. Rascal loves to ride in the truck. She watches out the window and barks at anyone who comes too close to the truck. She barks at dogs and cats on the street. She has a wonderful time riding around. If I've been out for breakfast, she gets part of my breakfast. There are times when I didn't want to go out for breakfast, but there is Rascal at the door, waiting for her share. Of course We went out.
The day she was pulled back by her lease, I noticed she was limping. She held her back left leg up. Oh well...just a bump. She'll be all right in a day or two. Muscle heals by itself. By day three, she wouldn't walk at all. She sat on her haunches, looking forlorn. She went all day without eating or drinking or relieving herself. Perhaps I had misjudged her injury. Could she have had a spinal injury? Rascal lay on her bed all day. I put a blanket over her and called the vet. The next morning, my neighbor helped me to move Rascal...bed and all. into the truck. If she had a spinal injury, I didn't want to make it worse. We were careful to not move her spine.
The vet nurse met us at the door and helped me bring Rascal into the examination room. Every one was so careful of her....because of her back.
Then Rascal looked around. She knew this place. It is the animal hospital. Rascal doesn't like it at the animal hospital because every time she comes here, they do something to her. She gets shots. Rascal got up from her bed/stretcher and hobbled to the front door on three legs. Oh Ho! My little dog can walk after all. She didn't walk before, because it hurt her to move the injured leg...not because of a spinal injury.
The good doctor x-rayed her and saw no fractures or compression. Manipulated the leg and found she had injured her back left hock (heel). The little faker got pain pills and antibiotics to take home. Her days of being babied are over...She is correctly named. She is a little rascal.