Day 4: Big Dog Down.

Today started on a bit of a downer. About two weeks ago, Mason hurt his leg. The vet assessed it as a small tear in his cruciate ligament. They prescribed medication and 30 days of leash walks. No running off leash with his pack of friends at Whetstone. The medication started to work immediately, and his slight limp was hardly noticeable. He started to limp a little bit at the campsite, but that's because we were taking a few extra walks.

This morning, as I was having my first cup of coffee and not really paying attention, Mason saw a cat in the woods, jumped up, and ran full speed after it. He only went about 30 yards, but he came back on three legs. I'm kicking myself for not having him tied up, but he's been so mellow and hasn't wandered away from the campsite at all. And everyone around here really likes him.

He doesn't seem to be in any more pain that he was: he'll let me touch and move his leg, but he won't put any pressure on it. And let me tell you, this boy is not very graceful on three legs. This may cut my trip short. I won't be able to see a vet until next week regardless. I'll just wait to see how comfortable he is here at the campground.