I'm a terrible dog-mom

[meeciegeezer]

This past week, I'd been noticing that Jodah was moving a little funny. I KNOW he banged up his bad knee (the one missing all the hair and some soft tissue from being hit by a car when he was a puppy - before I had him) blasting out of the X-pen. He knows how to wait and leave politely, I swear, but yeah, impulse control, he struggles. But then it was clear it wasn't his knee. He was bunny-running in the yard, no split-leg running at all, and when he peed, he was hunching up his back all oddly. I had conflicting reactions:

1) CRAP, I don't have time to rehab a dog injury right now

2) I am a terrible person for even thinking that, and of course I'd figure something out

3) I wonder how much this will cost...

And Friday afternoon, I sat on the floor and pulled him into my lap (he loves this, actually, it's how we do brushing and just hanging out), and I was trying to feel along his back and his belly for sore spots...and I find:

Little tangled mats on either side of his sheath. Probably each about the size of a dime, but pulling hair from all over his groin. He doesn't have a lot of fur "down there," but he has long fine guard hairs, and yeah, just enough to make a mat that pulls on the super-tender skin of his belly and groin. So yeah, I cut those out, and lameness and weird movement solved.

So I guess I'm adding that to the list of "places to check Jodah for mats" when I brush him. Poor guy!!

And beyond that, nothing much changing. School is getting intense, finals are in 2 weeks, and yeah. I am SO VERY MUCH looking forward to semester break. Oy.

This photo is from last year, but I think it is a pretty good indication of how Jodah feels about tangled fur around his junk:

Comments

[agilejack.livejournal.com]

Bender had something like this as we were heading into the agility ring this weekend. I had to rub his butt to make it better so he could stand up straight!

I know I would hate to have tangles in that area!

Poor guy...

[nosemovie.livejournal.com]

Razor has those types of mats too. But he HATES for me to mess around down there, so they stay... mostly. Sux.

Sorry pal, that sort of pulling = yikes!

[matildasmom.livejournal.com]

My dogs get groin mats too, both Joey and Matilda. Why do they get groin mats? Maybe they just don't often get brushed there often enough.

[meecie.livejournal.com]

I don't know about doodles, seems like they might be different, but for Jodah, he has very long fine hair there, and with the friction of legs moving, I guess? None of my other dogs have gotten these, Jodah is my first rough-coat dog in eons. And yeah, I don't feel like I brush enough either, but hey. If I get his "pants" untangled, it's a good week.

[meecie.livejournal.com]

Jodah doesn't mind most brushing, but he was understandably very concerned about me wielding a scissors around his groin!

[meecie.livejournal.com]

Many butt-rubs were required, but he's feeling better now, yay!

[stickywickey.livejournal.com]

This is the best happy ending story I've heard in a while! I was all ready for a doom and gloom diagnosis complete with taking out a second mortgage to pay for rehab, and...

JUNK MATS!

HAHA! Congrats on the "nothing". That doesn't happen often enough.

[agilejack.livejournal.com]

A new game addition: rock, paper, scissors, groin!

EVERYTHING beats groin!

[moodypdx.livejournal.com]

Glad it was an easy fix, relief I'm sure. And I am pretty certain we have all been in the boat of, "oh man, I don't have time or resources for this"....

And Junk Mats, the best;)

[penichops.livejournal.com]

I am so glad you wrote this post, for reasons I will probably discuss in another blog post. You rock. Best dog mum ever

[talesofmyboys.livejournal.com]

Those are the best kind of "injuries." :-) Slider gets those mats so I just keep all the hair down there trimmed short. Poor boys!

[meecie.livejournal.com]

Hahaha, no doubt. No doubt.

[meecie.livejournal.com]

I'm thinking it will be part of the normal grooming from now on. Poor guy!

[meecie.livejournal.com]

Haha, I look forward to your blog post, then. Jodah would like me to correct you, he thinks I need to play with him more.

[meecie.livejournal.com]

Best and easiest solution, that's for sure. Jodah is not careful with his body, so I'm sure there will be other injuries in the future, but for now, well, I'm glad I could make him feel better so easily.

[meecie.livejournal.com]

Haha, yes. I completely agree.

[sarahmichigan.livejournal.com]

Poor guy, but glad it was an easy fix!

[sarahmichigan.livejournal.com]

This comment wins the internet for today.