[dryoasis88]

Today I went to pick up a beautiful harness and leash set with a matching treat and baggies holder at a new store I found near my apartment. I had to special order the harness to fit him, but I was so excited to go pick it up. I rode my bike there and I got off the bike in front of the store with Hepburn still in his basket in the back. There was a chocolate lab standing in the store doorway with the owner of the store (and the dog) standing nearby talking to a customer. I walked up to the store and the chocolate grabbed my baby and shook him like a doll. I was totally horrified. I grabbed Hepburn really quick from the other dog, and my baby was screaming loudly. I tried to console him, but he would not stop. Eventually he calmed down and he could walk around but he wouldn't move his head, he kept screeching whenever he moved his neck or head. So I told the owner that he needed to be seen by a vet right away and what did they want to do. They drove me to their vet and he was seen after a long wait. It turns out that under his lovely coat there was a 4 inch long lateral cut around the back of his neck, only a skin wound but quite large, and inside the skin wound there was a deeper puncture wound. He didn't bleed however at all. The owner of the store stayed with me the whole time while his wife watched the store and after three hours of waiting while they xrayed and examined my baby boy, we came out with heavy pain meds, an antibiotic shot, and a bandage, with an appointment at 10am tomorrow to have the wound closed under full anesthesia, as it is too large to close under local.

The owner of the store gave me my harness set for free, drove me home, paid all the vet bills, and will pick me up in the morning to take me and Hepburn back for his surgery, as well as pick me and Hepburn up after the surgery tomorrow evening (I will go do other things during the day, otherwise I will drive myself crazy waiting at the vet all day for Hepburn).

I am still in shock, as is Hepburn, but the situation is not life threatening right now. The only reason surgery was not done tonight is because he had a full belly and heavy breathing and the vet wanted to make sure he was in the best shape possible before putting him under.

I want to ask all of you to pray for my baby boy tomorrow because he has never been under injected anesthesia (and I am not thrilled about the fact that he needs to at all), only gas when he was fixed in Feb. I cried so much today when they found that huge cut, I thought I might lose him and I figure the more people that pray for him tomorrow, the better the chance that God will see it fit to let him stay here with me for a long while longer and get him safely through his surgery so we can move on to recovery.

Also, if anyone has tips about how to help him not be afraid of dogs when he gets feeling better. I am so worried that I am going to be too afraid of letting him play with other dogs now and he will never get back to his friendly other-dog-loving self again. We went out tonight quick for a peepee run and he wouldn't leave the apartment, I had to pick him up. He was so scared to go outside, I don't want to be scared forever.

Lastly, I am so glad that there is a forum like this where I can write about this type of problem, which I hope I never have to write about again, and there are people who understand how hard it is to go through something like this, even if the outcome is good in comparison to what could of been. I keep trying to think positively, that it could have been so much worse, I could have really lost him and I should be lucky that it is not life threatening, but I am sure you all understand that it doesn't make it any easier to watch him hurting or upset or scared. Thank you all for your support.