FrankenShiloh of the Nine Lives

Last night we had an unexpected scare.  Or really, I guess there wasn't anything scary until the aftermath of the incident became clear.  DH and the kids were cutting up some yard debris and hauling it from the back yard to the trash pile out front that the city has failed to come pick up for two days... Go figure, my tax dollars at work, eh?

Unbeknownst to us, Monkey2 forgot to tie the gate shut.  Somebody, whose name rhymes with Shiloh, is a "runner" at heart, and failed to resist the temptation of said open gate, and off she ran, unseen and unnnoticed by us.

A bit later, as I was cooking dinner, frantic Monkeys ran into the kitchen telling me Shi was hurt, "real bad", and that there must've been a dog fight.  Funny, we had not heard any dogsquabbles...

I went to assess the damage and injuries, only to discover, there she was in fact hurt.  She had a nickle-sized hunk of skin torn on the side of her head (see below), and what appeared to be a much larger one on her inside back leg.  I knew she needed a vet visit, as I couldn't safely close the injury to her head, and she wouldn't let me get a good look at her back leg.

She was clearly in pain, but walking fine, though sitting was done gingerly.  While waiting there at the vet office, I discovered an ear injury, by seeing the dripping blood.  Joy, always messy, those ear injuries.  But something just didn't seem right about it being a dog fight.  DH said the other two were uninjured.

The vet got a good look at the leg with the help of my flashlight, and abruptly informed me that it wasn't a fight, but that it looked distinctly like road rash.  Looking at it myself, and having had and treated human road rash, I had to agree.   Then I saw the black 'dirt' marks on her front leg.  Ever wipe your hand along a car tire, and have it come away all filthy?  Yep.  Somehow, Shiloh tangled with a moving car, and managed to survive with only minor injuries.

The vet stapled her head injury closed, hence the Frankenstine reference, and superglued the ear tear shut.  The leg abrasion gets a gentamicin spray 3x daily.  There are some oral pain meds, and an oral antibiotic so the head wound doesn't get infected.  And, poor thing, she must wear the dreaded Cone of Shame!

Provided she can get it off of Monkey2.  Yes, dear Monkey2 donned the Cone of Shame briefly, as he was the guilty party who failed to shut the gate.  Shiloh says it looks much better on him, than it does on her!

Shiloh is going to be fine.  She is sore, bruised, and  little skittish about being handled, but there appear to be NO orthopedic or internal injuries.  She ate well last night, and is moving fine.  She is much better about being in the Cone, that dear old Cody was--she at least hasn't knocked anything over yet!

I'm not sure how many lives she burned last night, tangling with the car, but I am so relieved that she survived, and is going to be OK.