He is okay (thank the gods) except he may lose a few teeth (whimper).
Oh my. Finally able to write about it. Shame fear worry confusion gratitude anxiety tears fear .... emotions can get very big and can be very painful.
Having never had a small breed dog before it is a learning experience. I am paying attention the best that I can but with so many differing attitudes, beliefs and experiences - and everyone having a valid position - it is tricky navigating the waters to know how to be with my Monty. I am now on the hunt to find my authority - someone who can be my mentor right here right now as I continue to learn. I have spent hours and hours scouring the internet, reading so many posts on this forum. I truly am a brand new parent.
I am such an experiencer of life - love inviting all the senses out to play and forever giving animals and small children my undivided attention to the beautiful world of smells and colours and the wonders of a moment.
Monty is so social. So happy. And then there are dog parks.
There is a dog park close-ish to me that I love. It is fully enclosed and off leash and the dog owners are pretty responsible with their animals. It has a 1/4 mile track through a field with lots of bushes and a few trees. Well maintained.
When I take Monty there he is almost always on-leash close to me. Partly because he doesn't not come when called all the time and partly because I don't trust the dogs and like to choose who and how he plays. There have been a few times where I have let him off leash when there are only a few dogs in the park and those dogs are "happy" dogs. Floppy dogs. The ones that just want to love kind of dogs.
Last Monday I went there with my friend and her dog. It was a drizzly day. I got there first. There were 3 dogs in the park. 2 left and then there was 1. A 4 year old german pincher - little cutie pie. Happy. Monty and him played with Monty on leash for about 10 minutes. He was very gentle and so I decided Monty could go off. My friend came and her dog did his own thing while Monty and this little guy ran and ran!
It was amazing. Until the end.
Buddy left first and when we were at the gate, I was bending over to put the leash on Monty when his dog attacked Monty. If Monty wasn't wearing his coat he would have been killed I am almost certain. There wasn't enough room for both of us so I moved aside while the guy came in and grabbed his dog. I immediately bent toward Monty to pick him up but he was sidling away, scared. Awwww....
Then the guy let his dog go! What?? The dog went after Monty again and this is when he got hurt. The I tried to get to Monty but the guy was trying to get his dog off of Monty and there wasn't room. Finally he did and I told him to hold on to his dog so I could get mine.
It took a few minutes of me coaxing him while crouched to get close enough to grab him. Awww crap. He was bleeding out of his right nostril and the side of his mouth. He was so scared. He finally let me pick him up. I did a very quick overall assessment, no broken bones, no other lacerations, no abdominal tenderness or obvious head trauma.
The guy came over and had I been more experienced with dog parks and rules, I would have got his name and number and reported him. I have since learned that when he let his dog go and it attached a second time, he could be in big trouble.
But I wasn't thinking of him, I was thinking of Monty. I wanted him away from that dog. By the time we got home the bleeding had stopped. I actually gave him a shower with me so I could thoroughly check him over for any tenderness and/or lacerations.
The next day - Tuesday - he was snuffly and licky. Even though I couldn't see anything, I took him to the vet. The dog had bitten into his nostril and the side of his mouth. The vet said the punctures were small enough he didn't think he would have to suture them but keep an eye on them.
I was devastated. Devastated! My poor Monty who looks to me to take care of him and keep him safe. This week I have done a lot of work with my own self around guilt and shame and have done a lot of adjusting to what I have previously known about dogs to what it means to have a Yorkie.
He does not need to be in a dog park with dogs, he can have play dates with specific dogs. He does not need to be mentally stimulated through pack play, he can go and visit the ducks and kiss toddlers at the urban forest park. He does not need to run and tumble with dogs for exercise - I have a 26ft retractable leash that is also anchored to my wrist for safety. His little legs go like stink as he runs back and forth here and there. A 1 hour walk is plenty of exercise!!
I cried all day Wednesday and Thursday and half of Friday. I cried more in those 2.5 days than I have in the past 10 years. I think it is a culmination of many things. I had just gone with my daughter to the lawyers to write her will. I am her representative so if at anytime pre- during - or post transplant she is deemed incapable, I am the one who makes decisions for her medically. That's a big responsibility holding her life. And it's my daughter. Yep.
And then there's Monty. I got a dog because with everything going on with Natalie, I wanted something to comfort me. Uncomplicated. Just love. Monty is complicated. So complicated. But only because it is so much brand new learning. And he is not a lap dog. Doesn't sleep on my lap. He is a lover but on his terms. And I like that. But...
Never had a dog who wasn't food motivated so I am learning how to train him different. Never had a dog who wouldn't come to me so I am learning how to speak his language. Never had a dog who was such a fussy eater and has to be encouraged to drink enough water. Brand new learning. Never had such a tiny wee thing ... how much to feed and what kind etc etc. Never dealt with delicacy when it comes to auto immune and hypoglycemia etc etc. Never dealt with a parasite. Never had a dog who spent pretty much the first 8 months of his life in a pet store and therefore didn't get to learn what it is to be a full fledged member of a family. All so brand new.
And I love him. And I am so very very happy that I have him. I am happy that I didn't know how involved it would be because I may not have gone down this path and I am so very glad that I have. It is one of the most amazing journeys I have been on.
Overwhelmed? Yes. Defeated? Absolutely not. Scared? Terrified lol. Hahaha.... how can something 7.4 lbs give me such anxiety? He is laying here on the couch beside me which is kind of new.
I am noticing that the more I have truly fawned and fondled him this last week (partially because he didn't have the energy to reject my advances lol) he has been more affectionate to me in return. Perhaps I simply needed to teach him how to be in a pack?
On Thursday I couldn't stand it. He was still sniffling wetly and even though he was eating (his normal "havetocoaxhimtoeat") amount and drinking (the normal warm up the water with the wee bits of boiled chicken and sweet potato chunks) he was sleeping so much. He was chewing his bully stick comfortably as well. Wasn't running a fever. Had normal poops and appropriate pee's. But he was sleeping so much and still sniffing wet. I was crazy with anxiety and couldn't stand it and thought snap...
The vet is amazingly understanding with me and I think he feels for Monty too - that he wasn't wanted for so long. He sure is firm with him, not shy at all about pinning him down and checking out inside his mouth. Very efficient and I like that he knows what he is doing and does it well and quickly. I love that he only stays in for a little bit and then spends 3x as long soothing him with rubs and strokes while he talks to me. Monty likes him.
I had Monty's body pinned and the Dr had his mouth open and the bridge of his nose sealed so Monty basically had to breathe through his mouth. All his top teeth were exposed. Snot was just boiling out of his nose in ferocious snot bubbles! It was exhilarating because there was no blood! It was clear! I was so relieved.
However, at least 1 possibly 3 adult teeth are loose as a result of that dog biting him in his face. Dr is hoping that because he is young, the teeth will re-ground. Monty is going to get a dental xray to see if the teeth have been damaged at the root because if they have then they will have to be pulled. He is going to be neutered at the same time. Also tattoo'd (already has a chip) and have his teeth scraped. He already has some tartar buildup.
All this happens to my baby on Tuesday. My wee one. Awww.....
And so I balance my feelings with appreciation that I have been able to learn a very very valuable lesson without losing the life of my dog. That I need to be at the beginning of learning about EVERYTHING in owning Monty. Smile.
Today is is about 90%. He can shake his toys but not with the same ferocity as he did before. And he's back to humpin stuff so I know he is definitely feeling better! Smile.
And did I mention that I love him?