Outside = DANGER!

Why does it seem like everytime I take the dogs outside to play, they always manage to get an owie or two...or ten?!

About a half an hour ago, I took them outside to go to the bathroom.  They did their business, ran around a bit, then seemed really interested in this giant, menacing, super poky plant not far from the front door.  Earlier today when we were playing with their prized glow-in-the-dark ball, I threw it with assistance from the ever powerful Chuckit! and managed to get it lodged in said poky plant only two feet away from me.  (There are some things I should never be allowed to do, and throwing a ball - or ANYTHING for that matter, is one of them!)  While being poked in places a woman should never poked, I pulled at the long "leaves" (or whatever you want to call them...swords are more like it) to get a better look, but I couldn't see the ball anywhere.  Shortly after I gave up, figuring we would get it back eventually.

So here was sweet (but not always so smart or brave) Dexter, sniffing all around the plant trying to find his favorite toy.  When he seemed to focus on one general area, I got the brilliant idea to have the dogs show me where the ball was.  I pulled apart the sword-like leaves where Dexter seemed to think it was hiding and looked around with my flashlight, but still couldn't find it.  I don't know why, but suddenly I was determined!  I was on a mission to find their stupid glowy toy and I was going to find it now!  I kept searching, Dexter kept sniffing, I kept getting jabbed all over, when all of a sudden Kira prances over and sticks her nose in the plant as if to say, "Duh, it's right here!"  I pulled back another deadly leaf, shined my flashlight, and there it was!  I should have known I could count on Miss Smartyfluffpants to find it!

Of course now I am holding their most favorite toy EVER, so the dogs are all hyped up and ready to P-L-A-Y!  Dexter even let out a little "roo roo" to let the whole neighborhood know how enthusiastic he was!  So I decide to play ball with them for a few minutes, rather than bring them back inside in their crazed, "OMG BALL" state.  Things were going well until I threw the ball, sans Chuckit!, and the ball rolls into a horse's outdoor stall.  Just super.  Am I allowed to enter a boarder's stall?  I'm not sure....guess I'll wait until tomorrow to get it.  Wait, what if the horse eats it and gets sick...or DIES?  Well crap, I have to get it out now!  I don't know this horse, will it kick me?  You used to have horses stupid, just go in and GET IT!

I rescued the ball (again) and threw it a few more times (You'd think I'd learn not to do that by now!).  I noticed Kira seemed to be irritated by something on her foot, so I brought the dogs inside to check it out.  She had a bunch of stickery things in her fur.  I combed them all out and noticed some blood when I was double-checking her feet.  She has a small cut on her front, left pad.  I cleaned it up, put on some antibiotic ointment, and wrapped it up in Vetrap to keep her from licking it.  She is such a good little patient and happens to look great in teal!

The moral of this story?  Well, there are two.  1. Shoes.  For dogs.  They would prevent 99% of Kira and (mostly) Dexter's injuries.  I should buy them immediately, although I know my dogs would despise wearing them.  Or maybe doggie-sized suits of armor?  2.  I should never, ever throw anything again!  I'm so not my minor league baseball playing father's daughter!