Don't wake a sleeping dog :-(

Hopefully I am officially back to blogging, after my two week hiatus, or more I guess.

We have had a rough few weeks here.  Two weeks ago...Brayden was running into the kitchen and tripped and fell.  The fall would have been fine had he not landed either on, or very close to our 13 year old labs tail {who I think was sleeping at the moment of the fall}.  Just as I went to react to the fall...our beloved dog reacted much faster than I...and bit Brayden right in the face.  Bacca has never bit anyone, he is a loving a caring dog...doesnt growl, nip or otherwise.  I'm sure it was that he hates his tail being touched, and I think Brayden landed on it.  Don't wake a sleeping dog huh?  Not only that, but the fall was loud, and Brayden was right in front of the dog dishes as well.  NOT a good combination. 

Bacca immediately backed off realizing he had just bit Brayden, but I experienced that Mommy adrenaline.  Osteo and all...I lifted our 40 some lb lab off of his feet and relocated him across the kitchen to grab Brayden off of the floor.  At first I glanced at Bray and thought "oh thank God it did not break the skin".  Just as I picked him up...I realized it in fact had broken the skin...and pretty badly.  I carried him into the livingroom and just sat with him for a moment on the couch trying to grasp my thoughts and what had just happened without panicking.  Ron was at work.  Bacca came over and tried to lick me, lick Brayden.  I just held Braydens precious little bleeding face into my chest as I searched around the livingroom for something to put on his face to soak up the blood.  I grabbed the wipes hoping it would not burn, but it was all I had that was clean enough to use on his wounds right away...my mind was racing thinking of infections, scarring, stopping the blood, calming him down...keeping my eye on the dogs....it was an insane moment I would NEVER want to re-live again.

I carried Brayden and the cordless upstairs to the bathroom.  I called Ron and told him to not to panic, but what had happened, and he hung up saying "I'm on my way".  I only had some antiseptic wash in the cabinets, so I gently started washing his face with that and some gauze we had on hand.  I put neosporin on it, and we pretty much flew out the door within seconds of Ron getting home.  I was calm surprisingly, but terrified at the same time.  Brayden kept saying "Mommy...help me, help me help me".  It broke my heart...I kept telling him that I was helping him, and that he would be okay.  I was praying I was right in my words.  Ron commented that I was so calm...he was surprised.  I was surprised at myself.

Brayden had two wounds on the left of his face that warranted being looked at.  They wanted to immediately do stitches.  This made us very nervous.  We asked to see a plastic surgeon to consult with so we could minimize scarring for obvious reasons.  A surgeon came in and recommended that we allow it to heal as is, for that would help the scars be minimal.  He actually did say that the antiseptic wash was the best thing for us to use immediately because it allows wounds as such to stay moist rather than drying them out like peroxide.  Good to know.  If I had peroxide I probably would have used it.  He said that would have inhibited the immediate healing needed to make sure a bite like this heals well.  Anyways, they gave him antibiotics, and sent us home.

Two days later...he was infected and very swollen.  Poor peanut could not even open his left eye, it was swollen shut from the cut he got on his eyelid from the bite.  The K9 tooth punctured his left cheek and also got an infection in it.  We took him to the pediatrician for four appointments to monitor and give antibiotic shots so he could get better.  What a nightmare all of this has been. 

To make a long story short...he had to be on the antibiotics for 12 days...which resulted in diarrhea for 12 days, motrin, benedryl, and Rx diaper rash ointment from all of the diarrhea.  We have had to consult with the Environmental Health Department about Chewbacca and his demeanor.  We had to observe him for ten days, and report back to them...provide health records for the dogs, etc.  After numerous conversations with them I finally broke down and asked them if they were going to make us put the dog to sleep.  I had heard horror stories about this sort of thing.  They reassured me they would not if his behavior is normal.  Thankfully it has been.

As for the dogs...dogs are dogs...and I am upset with myself for letting my guard down and forgetting that with a loud and silly crazy toddler running around the house these days with two VERY old dogs that would probably much rather go back to life sans baby if they had their choice. They both love Brayden...are very protective of him...but again...dogs are dogs.

We have endured some criticism about keeping the dog.  We are keeping him/them.  If this had been a situation where Bacca seeked out Brayden to viciously attack him....he would be gone.  This was not the case.  It was completely a reactive result of the situation.  I am not happy with the dog at all...but it is what it is.  Now we just have to be pragmatic about it...wishing we had been all along.

We have watched our poor peanut go through pain everyday because of his wounds, tummy, bruising, and brief frights about dogs in general.  We have beat ourselves up because we got comfortable with the fact that our dogs were nice dogs and we never thought honestly that one of them would bite Brayden.  We had actually noticed a few days prior that the dogs were in fact acting more nervous in his presence, but dismissed it like idiots. We should have been more proactive. 

The dogs now spend the day in our entrance hallway which is seperated by a glass french door.  They are comfy and happy in there, and Brayden can run the rest of the house without worrying about running into them.  They also spend time in the fenced in back yard when the weather permits.  They are happy, I feel better, and Brayden is oblivious to it all now.

He is healing very very well, and is feeling so much better.  After 12 days on antibiotics...we took him off finally.  He then ended up get the stomach flu, and threw up for two days, stopped urinating for 12 hours and we visited the ER with him for a second time in two weeks...argh!  After some Zofran for nausea they gave him...he started drinking fluids again, urniating and is back to our normal happy little guy....thankfully.

Short of Ron eating glass in his ice cream out to dinner two nights ago...all is getting better in our household.  No joke....more about that story another time. 

Braydens wounds are healing very well, and we are hoping the scarring will be very very small.  We are so glad this ordeal is almost over.  We shall be back to blogging as normal, hopefully very soon ;-)