Poor Boy!

Jackson, our Australian Shepherd/Rottweiler cross, has had quite the day! (And by day, I mean twenty four hours.) After going on a six mile hike with his pals (and me) yesterday, Jackson finished up the romp pawing at his right ear. Back at home, the situation didn't get any better. The poor boy shook his head every few minutes, favoring that right ear, and definitely looked unhappy.

This morning he was the same, so I called the vet up. This afternoon I checked into the clinic, and the vet told me that he probably had some sort of grass in his ear, which was easily removable -- from an unmoving dog. Jackson is anything but unmoving, and of course any dog would be while getting tweezers stuck in his ear. So Jackson had to be sedated. I left him with the vet, the pup looking a little confused but not distressed, outside of the ear situation.

When I picked Jackson up two hours later, he was a different dog. This is a dog that loves to move, but this afternoon it was all he could do to stay upright on the car ride home. Even once we got into the house the poor guy swayed when he stood, and he was more than happy to be locked in his crate while the drugs wore off.

As I write this, all three dogs are lounging around my desk. Jackson has revived somewhat, going so far as to wrangle with Lio, our chihuahua, and to try to steal Cody's alligator toy (Jackson won that tug of war, by the way). I have no doubt that Jackson will be fully himself tomorrow, but it's been both funny and a little troubling to see him so dazed. It makes me wonder what he'll be like when he gets old. My guess is that no matter how stiff and crotchety he may get, Jackson will still be the one with the alligator toy.