Sedona collects foxtails

A couple days ago, I was rubbing Sedona's face and when I rubbed her ear she whined.  The next day she yelped.  Then she stopped eating.  She would take a piece of food from my hand with a look that clearly said "just to make you happy, mom", then she'd turn the other way and drop it out of her mouth onto the ground.  Last night she was very grumpy with Kersey and followed me around like a shadow.  This morning I called our vet and left a "what should I do" message.  He called me back at around 2:00 and said it was most likely a foxtail in her ear and to bring her in.  I drove home from work and loaded her in the car.  Our dog and cat vet is a mobile vet - he works out of his truck - but he also has an office at his Friesian ranch.  I took Sedona to him.  Sure enough there was a foxtail in her right ear ...and another one in her left.  They were deep, almost touching the eardrum and her ears were inflamed.  He ended up giving her light sedation because it was just too painful for her to have him digging around in there otherwise.  The cool thing was that I got to assist - cool since I wanted to be a vet when I was a kid.  He pulled out a total of three foxtails.  He's a great big guy and when he was done, he gave her some morphine for pain and then carried her out to the car where he deposited her in the back seat.  She is 80 lbs, and was starting to squirm so I was thankful he was able to carry her.  She snuggled into her bed and happily rode home.  When I pulled into the garage, she wouldn't get out.  I decided to leave the car door open with the door to the dog area open as well so she could get out at her leisure (it had been 1 1/2 hrs since the procedure so the sedation had well worn off).

Kersey and I went off to look at the goat area.  Brett finished up today and he wanted me to see the playground he made:

and the finished interior of the goat shed:

Tomorrow afternoon I will bring home the first two goats: Little Bear and Bella.  We're ready!

After mucking and feeding, I headed back to the house.  Sedona was waiting for me:

Right.  She hadn't moved.  I finally coaxed her out and she headed straight for her dog house where she is currently resting.  Poor thing.  At least I won't have nightmares about her dying tonight.  Last night I didn't sleep.  I knew she didn't have some terminal disease but she is getting older (9 and she's a big dog) so when I turn off the lights to sleep I toss and turn and worry instead.

Foxtails: the price you pay for squirrel hunting when you are a ranch dog.