Some behind-the-scenes drama going on in my home...
I'm dealing with a very anxiety-filled, overly needy Mr. Balboa Button. It all started on Tuesday, after we returned from the vet. Perhaps I should disclose what happened at the vet.
I took Balboa to the vet on Tuesday because he woke up with a bloody paw and was limbing when he went for his morning walk. I know his tolerance for pain so he didn't whimper but when we were at the vet the vet popped the cyst then cleaned it but he cried. But before that, before that painful meeting with the vet, we had a run in with another dog there. A sausage dog no higher than my ankle walked up to me while I was holding Balboa. His tail was waging and Balboa's was too. I looked up at the owner and he nodding, implying that it was okay for me to approach. So I approached. I knelt down with Balboa still in my arms and reached out to pet this little guy. That's when this dog suddenly lunged up at me. I don't know if he was trying to bit me or Balboa but I quickly stuck my hand out and SMACK went the dog right into the middle of my palm with his mouth wide open. I was so shocked. The owner of the dog didn't try to scold his dog or anything. Instead he giggled and said "He's not usually like that" to which I responded "ya and if it happens again I'm going to kick him and kick you!"
Side note, that was super harsh of me to say, I know, and I honestly wouldn't have kicked the dog. Kick the guy, hell yes, but not the dog.
After that crazy incident it was then Balboa's turn to see the vet.
I returned home with Balboa, did what the vet told me to do regarding cleaning his paw, putting medication on it and then putting him in his cage with that silly cone around his head. I then raced off for sparring. I returned home a couple of hours later to then take Balboa out of his cage and out for a walk. Nothing seemed off with his manner or behaviour but by Wednesday evening I had noted that he still had a full bowl of food from Tuesday.
It's Thursday evening and he hasn't eaten since Tuesday. He's always trying to lick my arms and ankles, something that he only used to do a bit before, and he's become super vocal now, whining all the time.
I've consulted a friend in Toronto whose business revolves around dogs so I'm taking her advice. Balboa's paw is healing very nicely so I took him for a long walk tonight to exhaust him and try to rid him a bit of his anxiety. The interesting thing she said that got me though was how Balboa is like a mirror of me, he's mirror the feelings that perhaps I don't know I'm really experiencing. I know my conversation with Snickers on Sunday really hit a sensitive spot and I wore that conversation like a heavy burden on my shoulders well into Monday. I didn't even spar on Monday because of it, I was so distracted by it. Perhaps that's what triggered it. The visit to the vet and that little devil-dog only helped to propel it more.
I don't know. What I do know is I miss my little Balboa. He's having issues these past few days and it's confusing me and breaking my heart to see just how completely anxious he is. When we walk, he continually looks up at me, as if to make sure I didn't leave him or something. He can't even walk up more than three stairs before he completely stops to look back at me.
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