Ellie's Bite Wounds

Today I learned how hysterical of a dog mom I could be.

I work in a dog-friendly office and we have so many dogs here that our CEO has graciously hired dog walkers to give our four-leggers breaks throughout the day. Today, Ellie went out on a walk with her friends like usual, but the dog walker was training a new dog walker who had a group of dogs containing one whose personality apparently clashes with Ellie's.

Ellie is very reactive and will often mirror another dog's sentiments, so if it growls and shows aggression, she will growl back. I imagine this is what happened. Fortunately(?) I wasn't there to see it happen, but Ellie and another dog got into a scuffle while out on their walk, leaving the other dog with some scratches on its face (not sure the severity, I haven't seen the dog) and multiple puncture wounds on Ellie's arms, belly, and back legs. One wound on her arm was very deep and probably about the size of a dime.

She is a tough girl and is fine, even willing to bear a little weight on the leg which the vet says is a good sign. She will be there until I hear more from the vet in about 2-3 hours when they can get her wounds shaved and cleaned.

As for me, that's another story. I know that she is fine and they are just little wounds that will heal but for some reason, I couldn't help but get seriously emotional. I had to excuse myself to the restroom so that I could cry. And even then, I had a hard time calming myself down.

My coworker was kind enough to drive us to the vet since I don't have my car here (I carpooled) and thank goodness, because I don't think I could have driven with my nerves all out of whack. So at least I have a few hours to calm down and get myself together before I hear more about Ellie's state.

In the meantime, please wish for shallow wounds and no infections!

(Rather than posting a picture of her wounds here, I'll post the link so you can choose whether or not you want to look at it. It's a bit bloody. http://imgur.com/5hMVF)

Cut Paw

Last Thursday, Ellie got a little cut on her paw pad (I have no idea how). It bled a little, but it was so tiny that I figured it would heal up overnight and we would take it easy.

I noticed more blood on Sunday after we ran the Furry 5K and checked out her paw which was now inflamed with a bigger wound. Bad mom for taking her on such a long run! :(

We took her to the vet and she got antibiotics and a little bandage which makes her walk funny. She should be better soon hopefully!

To Crate or Not to Crate...

So Ellie is what I like to call a frequent vomiter. I suppose she has a sensitive or highly acidic stomach because she throws up at least once per week, and sometimes more.

I have been to the vet multiple times about this. The first time, I got some expensive prescription pills, the second time, they told me to feed her a bland diet of rice and cottage cheese, now they are telling me that it's fine to give her famotidine (Pepcid) daily to reduce the acid activity.

Despite her nightly dosage of meds, she continues to throw up once in a while, including 4 separate piles last night, some of which got on my curtains!

So now I'm thinking of changing two things: her food, and getting a crate.

I'm looking on Craigslist for a crate and they seem to range from $30-$60, but I found a store online where I can get the one I want for about $62. What do you think I should do?

Lastly, anyone got any good resources for first-time crate training? Anything is appreciated, thanks!