This post contains what I would call a true Slice of Life!  Our dog has hives!
Saturday night my husband was working on his old truck, a 1962 Ford Unibody, in our yard. He let the dog roam around while he worked. We have a large yard, about 3 acres, and the entire perimeter has an underground electric dog fence. It works well, but Molly – the dog – rarely gets close to the edge. Inside the yard is a large swath of grass (too large, but that is another post) and numerous perennial gardens, as well as our 30 tree home fruit orchard.
At some point, my husband noted a prominent area of swelling, probably the size of a dime on Molly’s side. She’s a very light, almost white, yellow lab and her coat is sleek and smooth, free of blemishes. The darkened, raised spot was noticeable. It didn’t seem to bother her, so we just figured that she got stung by one of the many bees that visit my gardens.
But, Sunday morning, it was obvious that Molly had hives! Her coat hid numerous areas of swelling that changed the appearance from sleek to lumpy! She also seemed to be scratching more frequently. But, through all this, she wasn’t irritable – taking whatever it was, in stride.
Immediately, we started to wonder what could have caused it. Of course, if she had been stung the night before, it could be an allergic reaction to the sting. But, we realized we had given her a new chew bone (but the initial spot was there before this treat) and had started her on new dental bones. Just like with humans, one is never sure what causes a rash or hives. We considered everything.
To make a long story short, (since I promised myself to write less today since yesterday’s post was quite lengthy), Molly still had quite a case of hives last night. Over Sunday and Monday, they both waxed and waned. Mostly gone, my husband gave her a dental stick and they seemed to return shortly afterward. Might we have the cause of the hives? Maybe. The dental sticks (a brand new to us and the dog) will be withheld for now.
Through all this, she still is not bothered too much. It was odd to see her coat and skin appear lumpy. This morning, however, it is almost completely back to its normal “sleekness.” She’s in good spirits, and thus, so are we! Hopefully, are dog hives are done!
Today is Slice of Life Tuesday. Thanks to TwoWritingTeachers.org for hosting this supportive weekly forum to enable us to share our writing!
The Apples in My Orchard 
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