The Patient

Poor baby!  We brought him home for the night.  We were hoping he'd be feeling a bit more perky, but he's still pretty pitiful.  Being less than 2 years old, he's usually the life of the house. But now he wants to be held constantly and he whimpers in your arms.  So sad.

This picture was taken last night, the swelling very apparent.

But look at the difference this morning!  The swelling has gone down dramatically!

We took him back to the vet this morning to get another day of IV fluids.  He has a way to go until he's feeling well again, but we feel sure he'll get there.

Some of you have asked about the snake, did we kill it, did we see it, do we live in a rural area. We live in a very populated suburb.  Our yard is divided by fencing into an area for the dogs, and a grassy, landscaped area that has areas of big azaleas, hydrangeas, etc. along the back. Hubby was in the backyard when the incident happened.  Ironically, he had put the dogs on the landscaped side for an hour or so while he used the weed eater on the dogs' side.  He was trimming back undergrowth with the sole purpose of eliminating hiding places for snakes.  He had killed a copperhead in our backyard about two weeks ago, and we've been concerned since then.

He was aware of the dogs barking, but that was not uncommon.  When he turned off the weed eater and walked toward the house, he found Mickey lying in the grass, motionless and whimpering.  He never saw the snake, but we're pretty certain it was a copperhead since he killed one so recently.  The vet seems to agree.

So the snake is still there, probably along with some friends and relatives.  For now, Prince and Oliver only go out there for a few minutes to take care of business.  We are researching ways to get rid of the snakes, but it won't be easy.

Thanks so much for all your thoughts, wishes, prayers, and comments!  You will never know how touched we have been by your concerns!