The Trials and Tribulations of Pet Ownership...

I am up very early today for a change. I wearily went to bed around 10pm last night and that must be why. I was sitting here at this computer listening to music in my computer room when Maggie came limping up beside me which instantly alarmed me. She was checking out the Chinese noodles in a soy sauce I was eating for breakfast. She had been licking that paw for several days I had noticed.

Well, I must be a terrible dog owner. It seems something is always wrong with Maggie I know. Maggie is so skittish after being abused as a puppy in my defense. The closest we ever get is when we are in the bed and she is snuggled up against me. She tends to stay in the room I am in, but she is a touch me not.

I quickly closed the door to the room so Maggie couldn't escape. She immediately smelled a rat. I had to hold her down with my body weight as I looked at her paw and her dew claw had curved around and grown so long that it was growing back into her foot -- an ingrown dew claw. That must've been terribly painful. I got out the clippers and clipped it and Maggie instantly started to act like she felt better. She did a runner, though, when I opened the door and has been sitting out on the back deck where I can't grab her or do anything else to her. I guess that is what you call tough love, but it is terribly tough on the pet owner as well. She yelped something fierce when I clipped the nail.