Echo REALLY knows her cows, no kidding.

As you know by now the neighbor's cows roam our property, everywhere except for the fenced in yard. Some are brown, some are black, some are very young. What I didn't realize is that Echo seems to know the cows individually. You see, Katy and her young calf live next door and don't roam our property.
This afternoon Echo was outside cow-watching, a normal afternoon activity for her. Then she came to the back sliding glass door and tapped on the glass with her toenails, it appeared to be rather urgent, by the look of the perk in her ears and tail. Before I could get to the back door she had gone around the house and popped in the front door (it is never shut really hard, so she can pop it open with her nose). She came to get me, she was whimpering and it was apparent that she wanted me to follow her outside, there was something she needed to show me. So I found my shoes and followed her outside. Then I saw it--Katy and her calf were on our side of the fence, not where they belonged. I couldn't believe it! But Echo knew that of all the cows that roam our property, that these two cows don't and they belong on the other side of the fence. I patted her and told her "good girl" beaming with pride because she is so smart, as I left the yard and went to put the "lost" cows back on their own side of the fence.
When I got to their gate, Howard my neighbor was there. He had just put the cows on our side of the fence because he wants his cow to be bred by one of the bulls in the herd. But he hadn't told Echo that. She was just doing her job and let me know that something was wrong.
I assured her that all was ok, that now Katy and her calf (whose name is Flower, I have learned) are allowed to be over here. All is well.
Echo settled down.
And, yes, she is dong fine, no more problems from the sticker scratches. I called her vet to let him know. She will still get canned food for a couple more days.
I swear that dog can tell time. It's now five o'clock, time for her dinner, she has come to tell me. Gotta go for now.

Echo goes to the vet

We couldn't get an appointment until 3 o'clock this afternoon. In the mean time, Echo seemed to be doing fine except maybe a little quiet.
I explained to Dr. Whitworth about the stickers. He looked in her throat. They took her temp (normal). He said she should be ok, dogs can even eat glass, and be alright as long as it stays between the mouth and the stomach. The problem happens when it gets past the stomach into the intestines that stuff like that causes a real problem. (so it's a good thing that it is vomited back up) But he was concerned that the mucus was pink this morning meaning that she probably does have scratches in her throat and even maybe in the lining of her stomach.
He gave her an antibiotic called metronidazole to take twice a day for 10 days. He says that the scratches in her throat and stomach may make her susceptible to a bacteria called clostridium which is common in the soil and even in the gut of some animals. If they become infected, it can cause a serious gastroenteritis.
Since she normally eats dry food ("crunchers", my friend used to say) I asked him if I should put her on canned food for a few days. He said "I would" it's not really required and the food is pretty moist by the time it is swallowed, but if it was his dog he would put it on canned food for a few days. So, I will too.
We just need to watch for any vomiting or diarrhea and call if that happens, otherwise to call on Monday to let them know how she is doing.
Here's my promise: I'll watch her and I'll call, and I won't ever let her go in the sticker patch alone again--ever!

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.

Echo goes to Home Depot

Currently, Home Depot is Echo's favorite store. She loves to go there with us. She rides the flat carts and greets the customers. Today it became official. She wore her new "Home Depot Suit" to the store. She got lots of attention and "how cute"s. One worker was so impressed with Echo that she asked to take her to the other end of the store to see the manager. I do believe the manager got a big kick out of the sight. Stay tuned, it may become a fad. If other dogs start showing up at Home Depot or the other stores like it wearing their new suits, just remember Echo did it first.

where's that gopher?

Foiled again!

the real dirt

I look outside to check on Echo. I cannot find her. I look all around the house, and now I have to check the new space. No sign of Echo. So I call her, and wait--sometimes I call again and she appears, all black and white on one side and brown on the other and I know instantly where she's been and what she's been up to---she has been sleeping under the house--- again in the dirt. Ok, stay tuned for the picture.

new space

My people worked really hard this past weekend to create my new "space". They call it another fenced in area, but I'm running free when I'm out there. They open the gate for me, show me where the squirrel was and I chase it--until it goes outside the fence, then I bark at it. My people think I will just go out there and stay all day, but they don't understand. The inner sanctum is my real home space and I haven't taken real ownership of this new space yet. Besides, there are STICKERS out there. And they won't let me go out there at night, something about coyotes.

Border Collies need a job

Echo has a new one.
Job title: Keeper of Cows off the Fence Line
Duties: Run the fence, bark, dart, lunge,creep, sneak. Let them know you mean business. Whatever it takes, keep the cows away from the fence!