Lilly’s Mystery Injuries

Sunday night while snuggling with Lilly, I found a big scab on her forehead, near the temple. Monday after our walk and again later in the day, Lilly reached up to kiss me, and when I hugged her back, she squealed in pain. Lilly never cries unless it really hurts. So, I worried.

BUT, for the life of me, I cannot figure out where it hurts.

Trust me, I re-checked the boo-boo on her head to make sure it wasn’t another rattlesnake bite. There is only one puncture hole, no swelling, so I think we’re OK.

Either Ginko nipped her in an attempt to curb her bossiness, or she got poked by a stick while bush-whacking in the fields.

On Sunday, Lilly also bled all over the house, including soaking my jeans in blood. I trimmed her toenails before our walk (bad idea!), and one of them must have been too short. After a brief dip in the pond, she must have broken it open again and drip, drip, dripped her way around the house and on my lap. (Thank goodness for tile floors.)

So, of course, I checked her toes to see if there was any redness. Nothing.

It’s really hard to figure out where Lilly might hurt because she gets VERY sheepish if you show her any intense interest:

  • Her tail tucks.
  • Her head gets really round.
  • She worms around on the floor.

I hardly think that 6 is old for a dog like Lilly. But, I do sometimes worry that she might be getting sore from her long walking days, her wild-fetching days, her agility jumping days.

So, I’ve started giving her some of that GLC1000 we’re trying for Ginko’s knees. I figure better to head off any joint pain early. Of course, Lilly also gets extra fish oil with every meal.

I’m going to give her a break from fetch for a while. We have snow this week, anyway. And, I’m going to try and massage her a bit each night before bed.

I got a little offended when someone recently said Lilly seemed “spry,” as if she was getting older but was still active.

Even at 10 1/2, Ginko still seems very puppy like to me, so maybe I just have a warped sense of their aging. (or I’m in denial)

How do you know your dog hurts or isn’t feeling well?