I don’t know how many people read this blog, or how many aren’t on Facebook. But I have some news.
Henry managed to escape the yard on Wednesday evening. We (me, Paul, Paul’s brother Dave, our neighbour Rebecca and her two adorable sons, my now-Calgarian friend Jason on his last night in Edmonton, Amber and Alex and their dog Eva) searched for him for three hours. People kept telling us, “Oh yeah, I saw the guy running around about 15 minutes ago,” so we knew he wasn’t too far away. And that he was not dognapped, or dead. Aside from that, I was completely sick with worry.
I called the Humane Society and registered him with Animal Control at the City of Edmonton. Then I remembered to call the Emergency Vet. He was there, alive but injured. He has a wound on the top of his head that goes down to the bone, a swollen eye, and a deep wound on his front leg. He looks terrible. Paul and I had a good cry about it. There is nothing worse than not being able to keep your loved ones safe when they are so dependent on you. I keep thinking back: I was so sure that the gate was closed. But it obviously wasn’t.
They have been keeping him at the clinic since then. We had no idea what other kinds of injuries he had, but a CT scan and X-rays confirm that his skull is intact, no bones are broken, and there are no internal injuries. A miracle. So now it’s just a matter of helping those wounds heal and hoping we can save that eye. He has a little wet-to-dry dressing stitched onto his head like a little beret, and his leg bandaged up front toe to elbow. He needs lube and antibiotics for his eyes every few hours, and he’s been on IV fluids and painkillers.
On Monday, we’ll reassess: will he need skin grafts, or will skin grow over on their own? Is his eye still viable, and if so, will he need surgery? Or, if not, do we need to buy him a pirate costume? In any case, he is (and has been since he was brought in) conscious and responsive. He even started eating a little last night, and when I visited him this morning he had a little yogurt as a treat.
Henry’s attitude through all this has been nothing short of heroic. He has been delighted to see us when we visit, he has let all the doctors and vet techs do their job without any fuss, and he is in good spirits. He can even stand and walk a little! Today, he is being weaned off his IV fluids and painkillers, and no longer needs his urinary catheter. That’s a big deal, considering how much he enjoys peeing outside. He may even come home tonight if he continues to improve, which is three days earlier than they expected. We’ll have to bring him in every day over the weekend to change his bandages, but other than that he’ll just need some rest and love.
The wonderful staff at the clinic have really taken a shine to him– who can blame them? And they have all been so compassionate and wise. Shauna, the one I first talked to, let me have the phone number of the woman who brought him in. Deedee is her name, and she found him wandering and hurt at around 6:30 on Wednesday, just a little ways away from the Chicago Joe’s pizza where he had been spotted. We were so close. But I am so grateful that someone knew what to do. She saved his life. And Henry’s friends have been calling and sending messages of encouragement, which has obviously cheered him (OK, me) up quite a bit!
He’s going to be OK. His doctor estimates that in three or four weeks he’ll be up and running around. With or without his left eye, and a crumpled right ear, but still the same wonderful, happy pup.
But the weird thing is, on his way home from the search, Jason got hit by a minivan! He’s OK too.