It turns out it wasn't the heat. Later that afternoon, Piper was lying on her back on a gel mat and when tried to get up, she cried out. And Piper NEVER CRIES--EVER! Needless to say, an hour later I was at the nearest emergency vet. Turns out Piper had strained back muscles from a fall she'd taken the day before...Normally I slow her down slowly when she's chasing a rabbit (30') leash, but I screwed up and when she reached the end of leash, she flipped on her back. Because she was up and running without missing a beat, I wasn't overly concerned until emergency vet said the reason Piper was hunched over (looking to me like she was gonna be sick) was because her back muscles were so tight. I instantly saw mental replay of that backflip and told vet. So after thorough exam and x-rays, I brought Piper home with painkillers and had my bright-eyed girl back the next morning. Yet another lesson learned that poor little Pipe had to take brunt of...Leashes and rabbits will always be carefully monitored without fail. I know Piper counts on me to keep her safe and I let her down--some of the worst pain we can feel, yes? This morning Piper was very ginger about chasing a rabbit; I'm going to do everything I can to convince her it's ok--and she can count on me to make sure it is... Thank you guys so very much for responding to my post as you all always make me feel better...just love my YT best friends. |