Echo gets into the stickers

We recently fenced in and opened up a new "space" for Echo.
YesterdayI hadn't seen her for a while, so I went outside to check on her. I found her...

in the area near the fruit trees. She was near the fence chewing on stickers (sand burs to be exact) that she found embedded in her feet and fur. I could tell she was miserable. I got her back to the house and spent 30 minutes using her brush -- wire on one side and bristles on the other-- to get out the stickers. My fingers are still sore this morning from the little spines left embedded in me.

Before daylight today, I could hear sounds like she was getting sick, so I got up and ran to the door to let her out. She didn't make it out and threw up on the floor. It happened again, this time a large bolus containing grass and stickers was expelled along with a lot of mucus, some of it pink-streaked. Poor puppy, she had eaten them while trying to get them out of her fur. Ok, never again will she be allowed in the "new space" unless we are standing over her.

She has now eaten her breakfast and seems to feel ok, but still...

I plan to take her to the vet this morning to be checked. Maybe he can give her something that will be soothing and healing to the scratches she may have in her esophagus.

Stay tuned, I'll let you know what he says.