Thanks Nikki, just be careful without that muzzle on, I'm sure Ben is more than capable of eating a vet, just like Zena is! I was so disappointed when she started that barking coz I honestly thought I'd cured her of it, but being in pain, all that commotion going on around us, I suppose it's hardly surprising being such a highly strung little moo It pleased me no end, to see that Maryanne wasn't scared of her and offered her hand and stroked her, and she stopped, which is a good thing, and then when she reappared with the injection, she didn't even bark at her, so it's progress I suppose.

That's just how she was yesterday when it happened, and my money is definitely on that toe too! Sorry to hear poor Inka had the same injury though. I can't feel the bump at the top of that particular toe either, whereas on the other foot, she has a bump on each of them, so that'll have to be thoroughly checked out by the vet tomorrow, coz of course, I don't know what I'm feeling. Give me a horse and I'd know straight away, but dogs, nah! Thanks!xxx

Thanks Jackie. I'm beginning to think it's an omen of some kind, so if something dire happens the next time, I'll be taking it off the market!

Lol, definitely not Heather, it's never boring around here, there's always some drama going on around me, and I wonder why my friends call me the drama queen!!! I could write a book about what happened with me and my horses too, but now it's the dog's turn!!! Thanks Heather, I'm sure she's gonna be just fine now, phew!

Well, she's full of beans, but has accepted we're not going out (VERY surprisingly!). I've taken her out in the car with me, here and there, getting bits and bobs, been to the tip as well, that was a first for her all that crashing and banging but she doesn't flinch as long as I'm there.

Bathed old Georgieboy coz that was long overdue, Zena stood and watched and occassionaly gave him a sniff to see if I'd done it all properly. Then we've spent half an hour playing search the dried spratt out in the garden and boy this dog is wasted here, she's got the nose of a mole has Zena! I know they're smelly, but they're also tiny, and to see her go straight out there to each one was quite incredible, so she got lots of praise and came back in, sat down for me to wait whilst I went and hid some more lol! She's a smart little cookie this one, and sooooo much fun, even with a poorly foot, but that seems to have been forgotten for now!

Thanks guys, I'll carry on with the monitoring and see what the vets says tomorrow, but there's no way she's having her foot and leg bandaged for weeks on end as I've already Googled all about that one thanks!!!

Well that is good news, I think all of those things (Your ice pack, the pain killer, rest, and time) have worked but as you say better to have the vet check her over.

I liked your description of that other dog, is there anyway you can see when he's comming down the path and divert Zena onto something else I know that would be almost impossible but just thinking aloud as it were.

When farmer Ivan comes down our road in his old tractor both Bara and Rianna go berserk and chase him along the fence but its just meadow, he's got a new tractor now, much quieter but for some reason he still goes out in the old, noisy one, spewing fumes everywhere our two hate him in that one

Do you think you could hire out her services to the Customs & Excise people They are always looking for illegal imports of stuff at the border, I like watching 'Nothing to declare' mainly because you sometimes see their dogs working on all the parcels arriving at Sydney mail centre, recently one found something inside a sealed tin can, amazing.

Oh H, I've been working on that one for weeks, and so has the owner of said dog! I see her from upstairs going past the back gates, and if it doesn't bark, it gets a treat! We've chatted and laughed about it, she said her dog starts as soon as it leaves home and wonders just how she knows that Zena will be out there for her to start yapping at her!

I've got great control over Zena now, I just call her, get her ball, she sits in the middle of the lawn itching to start zooming up and down the fenceline behind the big red robin bushes and that gate, but I always have her full attention with that squeaky ball, she is told to "leave it" she's told she's a "good girl" and it's fine, BUT yesterday was different, because I just couldn't get out there in time, I had the hallway rugs in front of the stable door to the garden, and in my rush to get out there when I heard the initial barking, I got in a right old state with those rugs and that door lol!

Dave has decided to get some of that picket fencing like we've put around the van, fix it to the sleepers along the front of all those big red robin bushes down the bottom, that'll stop her whizzing along the fencline behind those (and probably taking her eye out on one of the branches if we don't stop her if I'm not quick enough again!) and then we'll do something to stop her getting anywhere near that gate! See why I want to move!!! I want a proper back garden, with just people's gardens the other side not a public thoroughfare the other side of all our fencing, everywhere I let my dogs out on our land - nightmare it is! Thanks H I'm on the case as usual!

I know how you feel Helena...Flynn has just recovered from stitches in his chest because of a barbwire injury where he was on restricted exercise and then the first 'big' walk I take him on he came back lame on his back leg! It's 10 days later and he's still very lame on it but it appears to be his hip or his thigh muscle. But he's the kind of dog who never takes things steady and trying to stop him weakening it over and over is near impossible. So, he's still on restricted exercise and I think we're both getting very fed up of it now!

Hope Zena is on the mend and back to normal soon. After reading so much about cruciates, it's a bit of a dread of mine now!

Hmmmm, now there's a thought - the only problem being, are spratts illegal???!!! She'd fine that ball in the longest of grass, and funnilly enough, last week, when I was climbing that great big hill we do each morning, the ball rolled down the side, in thick brambles and undergrowth, and although I did try to retrieve it for her, it was far too steep, too overgrown, too many trees and I would have broken my neck, BUT, every single time we pass that spot, she stands there, looks at me, she KNOWS that ball is down there!

You and me both Leanne, and I cannot believe how she hasn't managed to damage hers already the way she's such a loonatic at time, especially with that ball! So, so sorry to hear about Flynn, it must be a nightmare trying to keep a dog so quiet for so long! The mere thought of 6 weeks' cage rest is scarey, but have to say, just this one day, Zena has been quite incredible, it's surprised me how quiet she CAN be. We had a little blip this afternoon out in the garden when I was tidying up, she insisted on giving me that ball, so I just kicked it a little way and she was happy each time. She has just scratched her ear with that bad leg, so I'm really not worried at all now, because last night, she had an itch but just couldn't use that leg, so I had to scratch it for her (as yer do lol!).

Good luck with Flynn, I hope he gets better on his own, but I think I'll go to the vets tomorrow just to get that foot checked out and be given the ok for normal walks, or even a swim might do her more good (if it stops raining that is!).

To top it all, I've had Dave come home tonight, white as a ghost, shaking like a leaf, telling me to cancel dinner, and he's gone to bed with the winter duvet on! I sure don't do things by halves here do I!!! What's next I wonder

Oh heck that's all you need - a poorly man! If he feebly calls down for water/food/a book/a cuddle, etc. etc. etc. then you know that he is absolutely fine and you can go back to keeping an eye on Zena

Thank goodness she seems to be okay, and I hope that the vet tomorrow confirms your thoughts that there is nothing seriously wrong.

A day or two without any worrying would be good wouldn't it?

Thanx Helena for your word of caution ... we have made some huge advances with Ben. I can take his ball, his toy, a bone away from him now if I need to with no fear of even a growl, let alone a bite, but then I'm his owner. With the vet, it could be totally different - better safe than sorry, I think we will keep the muzzle on next time we take him to the vet just to be on the safe side. I would be devastated if he went for our vet, even though it would probably be me not the vet who would take the bite as I would be the one holding him.

Ignore him and concentrate on Zena!! He's just a man and nowhere near as important as your dogs!!