Now it’s Twinkle’s turn

Ten days ago Twinkle managed to leap awkwardly out of the car and although I didn’t know it at the time, injure herself. It wasn’t until the next day that I noticed she was walking gingerly and having trouble with her front left limb. So, rather than rushing to the vet straight away – I always have to balance up additional stresses for Twinkle against what is in her best interests as she doesn’t respond to things like your average dog – I decided to rest her and see if it settled. As we were headed to France for a week or so, it seemed safe enough, as she could rest peacefully.

All week we have kept her within the confines of the house and garden here, not allowed her to run up and down the garden steps, blocking her exits to keep her on the level as far as possible. It’s not the easiest of places to avoid stairs though as we have them to get up and down to the gardens and patio and in and out of the buildings. With Susie-Belle – who has now been on limited activity since November as her cruciate injury continues to be conservatively managed – it’s far easier than for Twinkle as she is a more sedentary and predictable character. Susie-Belle will happily snooze on her bed, or let herself be picked up and carried as needed; in fact these days she positively enjoys being carried round.

But no such easy handling with Twinkle, for whom putting on her lead and harness is still, 15 months after joining our family, a regular ritual whereby she needs to be in her “safe” place and approached calmly and without urgency. The slightest sense that she detects that there is any hurry, or, dare I say it, impatience, and that’s it, Scared Twinkle resurfaces and we end up aborting till she has calmed herself again.

Neither Twinkle, nor Susie-Belle like being left at home if Renae is taken out for a walk, for both of them, they have always enjoyed their regular walks and for dogs that have previously existed in severe confinement, it is hardly surprising they like being out and free. Twinkle in particular has always been happiest on her walks; we’ve witnessed her most normal behaviour when she is left to be a dog with other dogs on walks. So, it isn’t easy not taking her out, even though of course we know that this is for her own good. It’s hard to say that she could grasp we have her best interests in mind when she is not at her usual place beside Renae.

This morning we visited our vet here in France to do the usual paperwork for our return to the UK and asked him to take a look at her as she is still clearly not right. He has diagnosed muscle and tendon injury in her shoulder, and advised strict – giving particular emphasis to this, so much so, even with my rudimentary French I understood him clearly – rest for a further 2 weeks and he has increased the painkillers. I was glad we’ve been doing the right thing but sad for Twinkle that she is not going to be out and about again just yet.

I never want any of my pets to suffer, no normal person does, but it’s always a teeny bit more painful to bear when Twinkle or Susie-Belle are suffering, having experienced so much suffering in their past existences. For Twinkle, being out on walks and being “normal” with other dogs and walking with her family group, is such a central part of her long-term healing from her life in the puppy farm. But, it’s a little set-back (I hope, short-lived) and in ways she can accept, we will continue to show her that love, rest and antiinflammatories will get her back and outdoors savouring life once again. Just a bit of a shame a cuddle for Twinkle is out of the question.