Home Boz & Gracie Bed-Rest for Boz, Relief for Tom

Bed-Rest for Boz, Relief for Tom

Tom
-
35
Bed-Rest for Boz, Relief for Tom

Bulldog on the Mends

bulldogs in bed
On the mends, Boz reclaims his bed. Gracie is not budging

My bulldog buddy Boz was feeling puny last week, so much in fact that I was a bit of a mess worrying about his sudden withdrawal and lethargy. He began to yelp, the kind of yelp that Stephen King would parlay to summon the dead and a few anxious Kraken, a yelp that pierced my ears as a cry for help, an alarm for unrelenting pain. His eyes were vacant, his loving nature diminished, his playful personality all but gone.  I called the vet, immediately.

bulldog Boz
When I’m sick (seen here on the sofa), Boz is quick to lay down on my stomach and verify breathing. Once confirmed, he remains there, just in case.

Aside from the steady handouts of treats and the chance to annoy some cats, there’s not much Boz likes about the vet, but this time he was stoic and acquiesced to the probes, prods and rubdowns.  Temperature normal. Digestion normal. Extreme sensitivity to touch around the muzzle. Prognosis: It appeared that Boz had injured his neck, and likely pinched a nerve.  Dr. “Alan” prescribed bed-rest and minimal activity, a protocol perfectly tailored for an English bulldog and his supportive human. (Take three naps per day and call me in the morning.) Boz was a fine patient and for days he laid low, drank some water, and ate a few bites of soft dog food. Ignoring the dog door, he would quietly wait for me to play doorman to let him out. Three slow steps later, Boz would remind the gate post and Strawberry pot who was still boss.

Gracie the bulldog napping
Exchange of power: Gracie assures us, she has everything under control. Now, step away from the sofa.

A week later and Boz is back to normal, begging regularly, whining for treats, chasing deer, barking from the front porch, hogging the sofa, and working to re-establish his canine kingdom. Gracie on the other hand, is not so sure she is ready to relinquish the throne. Ah the balance of power has shifted, at least for this week. So long live King Boz and Queen Gracie; may you reign here for a very, very long time, no matter who’s the boss (and I know it’s not me).

35 COMMENTS

  2. Tommy, I think it was Einstein that did that once and it sure was a sad week or so. You’re right about that yelp, it could summon the dead. Glad Boz is back in charge.

    • So true Susan, the more I wanted to hug and pet Boz, the more he avoided me. I asked plenty of questions but he was not at liberty to say what was ailing him.

    • Thanks Eileen. Boz and Gracie send their best regards to Pipi (despite being on the French side of the family tree). Hope things are warming up a bit in your neck of the woods.

    • Thanks for the well wishes Kim. We’re lucky, there’s a great team of Vets here on the island, helping tiny dogs to big horses. The clinic is called Fair Isle.

  7. My older dogs see a chiropractor for their aches and pains. Their “adjustments” really help! The doctor had to take additional training in addition to chiropractic school in order to treat animals. I know he treats dogs, cats, and horses, the latter NOT in his office. My veterinarian endorses the treatments. My now departed Aussie was having difficulty going up and down the stairs until he had several treatments, after which it was much easier and I assume less painful for him.
    Not, you understand, that I am even implying that Boz is “old”.

    • Hi Betty, Boz is very glad you clarified that he’s not old, though he did looked up at me pondering the supposition with another member of the house.

  10. Glad your dogs are feeling better. :o) Two of my four are sick right now, too, but are on the mend. The vet bill, however, was big enough to even make me queasy! But I don’t have to put them through college or teach them to drive so it’s all good. :o)

  13. Oh Tom – such a worry. So glad Boz is feeling better. I’m sure the pecking order will return to normal once Gracie’s certain Boz is 100 percent. Good for her! Females rule – uh well at least we like (need, want) to think so.

  14. Tom, I’m just now reading about Boz and am glad he’s on the mend. Tucker, my 12 yr. old Sheltie had a problem around Thanksgiving and Christmas while I was in the hospital having a knee replacement. It was a real medical mystery until I learned that my adult sons were feeding Tucker twice the amount he was used to. Once I got home and took over the feeding, he bounced right back.

  18. Sorry to hear about his neck, but glad he’s doing better. My couch potato dog is living in a cone in pen confinement recovering from surgery, my athlete pup needs a tooth pulled. I feel your pain of worry.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

© Newspaper WordPress Theme by TagDiv