Kingcreek
Member
Yesterday I took my 2 Labs out for some bird hunting on some ground I've never hunted before. started about 8:30am and we were just getting guns out and loaded. My 11 year old female is still doing great for an old girl and my 4 y/o male is 98 pounds of high-voltage muscle, way too much energy but he's a good dog if I can control all that. We started walking and I was letting him run a little energy off, he was charging through some tall grass and suddenly he just disappears, I hear a yelp and a metalic bonk. I said "what the.." and I see him climbing out of a nasty sinkhole 15 feet across and 10-12 ft deep and lined with broken concrete and an old stock tank. We had no idea it was there and couldn't see it unless near it. I called him over to me and he was a little lame at first but then he seemed alright and he wanted to hunt. we walked out and I kept an eye on him.
We busted a couple pheasants and both dogs worked real good but it was getting warm. we went back to water them and cool them off. He seemed a little unsteady sometimes and then fine again. we tried going back out and he started to fall back and was getting slower. I left the other guys and headed back to the truck with him. we went slow but he kept slowing down. I parked my shotgun against a tree and carried him about 100 yrds but I knew I was tearing my back up so I set him down in the shade and ran to get my truck. The other guys had heard my truck start up and headed back. When I came up over the hill my buddy was pointing into this big grassy draw between us. I shut the truck off to try to hear him or figure out what was going on and sure enough, the big yellow dog was plodding up the hill to me.
We got him cooled down and watered some and he seemed pretty good but not with the energy he usually has. He seemed good and ate good last night but there was bloody stool in the kennel this morning. I brought him to work with me and he seems OK, limps some after he has been laying down but moves better after a bit. normal food and water this am.
I think I'm dealing with 2 issues. injury (possibly internal?) and shock or heat exhaustion. I've put in a call to our vet but no reply yet, its still early.
Does anybody know if bloody stool is ever assoc with heat exhaustion? or do I have a vet emergency. observing the dog he seems pretty good but he's part bulldozer and I can't always be sure he feels much pain.
We busted a couple pheasants and both dogs worked real good but it was getting warm. we went back to water them and cool them off. He seemed a little unsteady sometimes and then fine again. we tried going back out and he started to fall back and was getting slower. I left the other guys and headed back to the truck with him. we went slow but he kept slowing down. I parked my shotgun against a tree and carried him about 100 yrds but I knew I was tearing my back up so I set him down in the shade and ran to get my truck. The other guys had heard my truck start up and headed back. When I came up over the hill my buddy was pointing into this big grassy draw between us. I shut the truck off to try to hear him or figure out what was going on and sure enough, the big yellow dog was plodding up the hill to me.
We got him cooled down and watered some and he seemed pretty good but not with the energy he usually has. He seemed good and ate good last night but there was bloody stool in the kennel this morning. I brought him to work with me and he seems OK, limps some after he has been laying down but moves better after a bit. normal food and water this am.
I think I'm dealing with 2 issues. injury (possibly internal?) and shock or heat exhaustion. I've put in a call to our vet but no reply yet, its still early.
Does anybody know if bloody stool is ever assoc with heat exhaustion? or do I have a vet emergency. observing the dog he seems pretty good but he's part bulldozer and I can't always be sure he feels much pain.
