When we first brought Bruschi home, Brian and i knew nothing about what to do with a puppy (save what people told us and what we read in books), but nearly everything about what Bruschi had experienced during his first 8 weeks of life. We asked a record number of questions from farm where he came, all in effort to learn more about what he couldn't say. He was the nutty puppy (shocker), who would try to explore, then whine and cry when he couldn't get what he wanted. Some might say we were maniacal in the questions we asked, and the records we kept about his puppyhood. But, we are analysts, and it's our nature to want to be "in the know" and make connections from oh, say, between the time it took him to finish his dinner to the time he passed out for the night.
Thankfully, our overzealous desire for details has subsided somewhat, and we are more level-headed when caring for the foster pups--which we know nearly nothing about when they are placed with us. And, we've learned that dogs tell us what they've been through, and what we need to know -- you just have to 'listen' in a different way.
In the past two weeks, Kodi was telling us a variety of things without speaking a word (unless it's a relative of Mr. Ed, dogs don't talk in English). She was saying "look how simply adorable I am" as she trotted around the house with toy-in-mouth. She was saying "what were you thinking not staying home with me" in her bark/scolding when we came through the door. Last Sunday she showed us just how athletic and graceful she can be running around the dog park, keeping up with the larger ones (such a beautiful site). Most importantly, she started to tell us that something else was going on with her face, separate from her eye injury. And, of course-- who knows better than her?
Earlier this week, our vet told us that he strongly suspects Kodi was attacked by a big dog and shaken around a bit at one point in her life. She has a mouth-shaped scar on the left side of her face, drools a lot when nervous, and is not producing an adequate amount of tears in her left eye. She also has nervous shakes that have been lessening, but are still present. And, she behaves differently when around bigger dogs. The vet believes this attack left her tramatized, and with some nerve damage. The nerve damage is responsible for her not being able to control the drool on one side, and probably the damaged tear duct. The nerve damage is probably also why she got a stick stuck in her mouth-- she couldn't feel it while chewing.
We don't need explicit details on the exact series of events between the time of the attack and the stick, but knowing what we now do know, we can better care for her, watching out for other complications that may result from nerve damage, and work hard at getting her comfortable and relaxed so she isn't as stressed. Nerves do not regenerate, but her quality of life will not suffer. She's told us what we needed to learn.
As I type this, Kodi is nudging my hand as if to say 'stop typing, start petting me.' So, I will!
That's a 'wuff' for now!
