Maud the kelpie loses fight with a barbed wire fence

[Neal 1,787]

Everything was going so well. After catching her first squirrel during the Easter break she's followed it up with three more during the following fortnight.

However, less than two hours after her most recent catch she decided to pop into a field that she's never bothered to go in before (there's nothing of interest in it, whereas the wood on the other side has pheasant and squirrel so she's always more interested in that side).

Anyway, the field is surrounded by three barbed wire fences at this point. The first has collapsed and is mere inches from the ground, the second she cleared with ease but the final one had a slightly wider gap between the top two wires so she decided to go through it rather than over it. She was left hanging upside down, unable to reach the ground, screaming her head off and trying to bite the tine which was holding her thigh in place. I managed to extricate her with some difficulty, carried her back to the path and checked her over. All I found was some grazing to her inner thigh and two small tears/punctures. There was very little blood lost, though I did have some on my hands which I later discovered was mainly mine as I'd received more scratches and tears than her. She otherwise seemed fine in herself and there was no evidence of a limp.

By the time we got home there was a slight limp so I rested her, fed her and rested her again and decided to see how she was after collecting my daughter from school. By this time her inner thigh had swollen and her limp was more pronounced so we decided to take her to the vet. She's now on five days of anti-inflammatories and pain killers and has two staples in a tear on her flank which I'd not initially spotted.

She seems completely fine and raring to go this morning (once I'd taken off the "t-shirt of shame" which the vet recommended instead of a cone) but she'll be staying on lead walks only until the staples come out on Friday week. 

Bloody barbed wire! My wife pointed out that, during the twenty odd years that I've worked kelpies, with the exception of two r.t.a.'s, one allergic reaction a to a bee sting, one unexplained foot injury and one possible adder bite, the only injuries they've ever had have been barbed wire. Hate the stuff. 

 

[terryd 8,045]

Yes barb is a menace for sure. Just lethal. Doing well on the squirrels mind. Not easy to catch at all. My pup is obsessed with them though yet to catch. She stalks around like ninja trying. Glad she is happy this morning soon be back at them 

[Neal 1,787]

Don't worry Terry, I'm sure it'll click for her soon.

Maudy was the same for ages. She caught one last year but, as it was the first thing she'd caught, she wasn't expecting it to wriggle and fight back so she dropped it. She then realised what she'd done and ploughed back into the hedgerow but it was too late. I think that initial catch and loss possibly affected her more than an easy catch as she's been obsessed with them ever since. She's since learnt to shake them like mad and then crunch while they're nonplussed.

One very odd thing though: she's a compulsive retriever (plastic bottles or sticks when she's out and a kong or buffalo horn in the house) but she never retrieves any of the squirrels. As soon as they're dead she drops them and goes straight off looking for the next one like a ratting terrier.

[terryd 8,045]

Funny you mention the retrieval my pup is constantly carrying stuff and most part will bring it in. Every walk on way back to van she will drag the most awkward branch going and lug it home. But I all ready sort of know when it comes to fresh game she won't be bringing it in until maybe the novelty has worn off 

 

Edited April 20, 2023 by terryd