Gimli went to work with me a couple of weeks ago. Since he seems to enjoy chasing and fighting with racoons and skunks (or really just whatever he can find) Nick and I figure we need to be certain all his shots are always up to date.
It's hard for us to go to Valentine during business hours this time of year, so I decided to take Gimli with me to work in Rushville. I could leave him at the vet while I went to work then could pick him up afterward. Unfortunately, the vet I'd taken him to in Rushville previously (that has a nice outdoor area to keeps dogs in) was on vacation, so I went to the other vet in town. They only had kennels. Picture a huge, eighty-something pound lab locking his legs and and whining pitifully as we pushed him into the tiny kennel for the day.
I felt so bad all day that I left work around 3:00 so I could take the poor thing home. When we got home, I thought it'd be nice for the two us to go for a walk since we'd both been couped up all day - me, in my office and Gimli in the kennel. So off we went. Gimli of course took off exploring the hills as I walked. He disappeared over the top of hill as I turned to go home. I walked for awhile, but he wasn't catching up, so I decided to go see what he'd found. Just as I was walking up to the hill he'd disappeared over, Gimli came flying up over the ridge.....with a face full of porcupine quills, and I do mean FULL of quills!
The poor dog was whining, pawing at his face, and trying to roll in sand, ponds, tall weeds, and basically whatever we could find as we ran for home - just to get the quills out. Nick, of course was not home when we arrived since it is haying season. I knew I'd never be able to pull all the quills out (as he let me pull one, and then wouldn't really let me near him again!) So we loaded back in the car and headed to our usual vet in Valentine. About an hour and a half later Dr. Butler carried a very groggy, huge mass of a dog to my car. After getting him settled, Dr. Butler grinned at me and said "He'll be all right, just, you know, don't let him drive." I laughed, Gimli wimpered and fell off the car seat onto the floor, and we drove for home. One day, two trips to veterinarians over 120 miles apart, and a week later, we were still finding porqupine quills surfacing!
