Poison

I came home from the fair early my back was hurting and I just wanted to be home.  Darling Husband brought me home and I checked all the animals I had not seen for 8 days then went to take a nap and stretch my back.  The week on the coast had not prepared me for the hot temperatures inland at 5: it was early to feed the animals BUT the fodder room is air conditioned so I decided to go up and hang out in the air conditioned fodder room. 

The last picture I took of Tessa was of her guarding a turtle laying eggs in our driveway.  The turtle was very unhappy with all the attention she received.  

 I stepped over Tessa as I walked up to the fodder room.  A few minutes later she came up to the fodder room with some blood on her mouth but I didn’t think much of it because she is such a hunter.  She leaned against me and I petted her for a few minutes then got back to work getting ready to feed the cattle. Tessa curled up by my feet.   I looked down a few minutes later and blood was flowing out of her mouth and as I called my daughter to bring the car so we could get her to the vet she died. 

Luca home from the hospital.  I am not sure if the cat is guarding me or Luca.

Two days later Luca stopped moving very much.  He wouldn’t come when called or eat so I called the vet we have been using who didn’t have any appointments for a few hours and gave us the number to the emergency vet after I explained what had happened to Tessa.  I called our old vet and when I explained what had happened to Tessa they just said to take Luca to an emergency vet the dr was in surgery. 

Luca happily jumped into the truck, and enjoyed the ride to the emergency office but on the way bruises started to form under his skin.  He jumped out of the truck and happily walked into the emergency vets charming everyone along the way.  I joked with the vet teck that he was faking being sick at home and just wanted attention.  I told them our other dog had died so they took him to be tested.  Luca’s blood had stopped clotting.  The dogs had gotten into poison or eaten animals that were poisoned.  We left Luca with hope that we would be able to pick him up the next day but they made it clear he might need to stay 2 nights to make sure he was safe. 

Luca decided his crate was a comfortable place.  The noise of his wagging tail banging against the side and the cats hissing at him made me go check.

We all kept thinking of Luca all day and finally late in the afternoon I called to see how Luca was doing and they told us to pick him up.  He was doing well enough to come home.  It has been a month.  Today hopefully, was Luca’s last blood test to make sure he is clotting propperly.  He has associated the cow’s pasture with his being hurt and is afraid to go into it but is jumping the fence to visit my neighbor who feeds him hamburger and other treats and back to being his playful self.  

Feeling good enough to play in the water and tease Dakota with a stick.