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We’ve had a whole lot of healing going on around here. Diesel had some surgery, and we had a turkey hen attacked by a predator. I’m going to warn you that the last couple of pictures of the turkey hen may be a little graphic. I’ll give you another warning before they appear so you can click off this post if you want.

As you may remember, Diesel has had hip and knee issues for a good long while. Actually, probably since he was born. Certainly since he came here at six weeks of age.

We’ve known for a good long while that Diesel has hip dysplasia. And we also knew he had knee issues. What we didn’t know is that he has Medial Pateller Luxation (MPL). Which is a great long word that means his knee cap doesn’t fit inside the grove it’s supposed to sit inside. It would slide out to the inside, and Bernie and I would have to manipulate the knee cap and put it back in place so he could walk on that leg. He has MPL in both knees, but the right knee was especially bothersome.

He’s been having this issue for a while, but a couple of months ago it became very painful for him, especially in his right knee. And he got to the point where he was limping badly, and couldn’t even walk down to the mailbox.

We took him to his vet to see Dr. Vick, at Seven Bends Vet Clinic. Diesel and Dolly love Dr. Vick. She took some x-rays, and quickly informed us that he needed to see a specialist. She recommended the Veterinary Surgical Center. And we met with Dr. Anke Langenbach and were very impressed.

Diesel basically needs to have both knees reconstructed, and the first one was done on November the 7th.

We picked him up on November the 8th.

He had an e-collar on his neck, to keep him from licking the incision. He really hated the e-collar, but he sure seemed happy to be going home.

And he seemed very happy to get on his own bed when he got home.

This is a picture of his incision. Please forgive the spots on his bed. The icepack I put on his leg sprung a leak.

Diesel really dislike that e-collar, so to keep him from licking we had a slumber party in the living room each night for a week.

Some nights Dolly slept in the bed with Bernie, but most nights Diesel, Dolly, and I slept in the living room.

And who doesn’t like a nice slumber party?

Diesel has his stitches out now and he’s really doing quite well.

Dr. Langenbach is quite impressed with is progress. In a couple of months he will get his left knee operated on.

Bernie says he’ll be the Six Million Dollar Dog.

***************Graphic pictures follow********************

When I went to put up the turkeys this evening I noticed that Sarah, the turkey hen, had a horrible injury.

We have about 1.5 acres of our property enclosed in fencing, and the turkeys don’t go outside of it.

Apparently something got inside the fencing today and attacked sweet little Sarah. We have been sick about it. Because we were home. And we heard nothing.

But when I went to tuck the turkeys in, I found Sarah with a lot of skin ripped away from her side.

And feathers missing around a puncture wound on the top of her wing.

There wasn’t enough skin to sew back together, so we cleaned it up and applied some Blue Kote. The wound is too raw and too wet to hold much else.

We are so shocked that this occurred with us both at home. We heard and saw nothing unusual today.

We’ve seen so many predators this fall. It may have been a fox. Or perhaps a dog. Or who knows what?

But the thought that something like that happened while we were here and didn’t notice it is very upsetting.

We hope she’ll make it. She’s in a cage and we’ll doctor her each day.

For all my friends with poultry in this area, be on the look out. The predators are thick this year.