Healing, not Heeling

We are usually working with Monte on Heeling. Well this week he has been healing.

After the picnic last weekend, we noticed Monte had a blood-stained paw. I didn't think much of it and just cleaned it up, did a cursory check to identify any foreign objects, cuts, or scrapes. It looked like he may have tweaked one of his toenails. Other than keeping the area clean, nothing to be concerned about.

Two days later he was still licking his paw, so something was amiss; it was localized so we ruled out an allergy. Further inspection didn't uncover anything substantial, but topical treatment were not impacting Monte's discomfort. Having avoided the veterinarian for eight months after weekly visits during the dew claw ordeal, another visit to the veterinarian was imminent.

The veterinarian's diagnosis confirmed our findings of a small cut between his pads. One steroid injection and one hundred dollars later, Monte is on the road to recovery with an antibiotic regimen, with probiotics to follow. The vet noted that Monte seemed much calmer - progress/maturity.

This did not deter Monte from accompanying us to a Mallards game (Wed), babysitting a two year old niece (Thur), or traveling to visit his step-brother, Banjo (Fri).