Chapter 5 - New blood

We had a nice little routine. I took Mummy or Daddy for a walk twice a day, and in return they fed me sausages!  Everybody happy.
I'm a shaggy-haired terrier, and one of my  'things' is that I shake myself .. . . alot.  When someone comes into the house, I shake myself. After food, I shake myself. When I first wake up . . ..  well you get the picture.
One day, I just wasn't feeling quite right. . you know when nothing's really wrong, but . . . .. Anyway, Mummy came home on a Friday evening, and I rushed to say Hello. But when I went to shake, it hurt and made my head all woozy. Mummy noticed, and asked me what was wrong. I couldn't tell her.. . .. .cos I'm a dog remember !
I spent the evening curled up, just resting.
Well, the next morning, I tried again to shake Good Morning to Mummy, but just couldn't do it. So Mummy rolled me over onto my back and took a look at my belly. Good job she did. . . there were loads of purple-black bruises all over my belly.
Straight into the car and off to the vets with me. No messing with my Mummy when she is worried about me .. off we went. The lovely lady vet had a look into my ears and told Mummy there was a lot of blood, then she looked in my mouth and said my gums were pale. And then she looked at my belly, and told Mummy I needed to stay in overnight, as I appeared to have developed a serious problem with my 'platelets'. Now I now the word 'plate' (cos Mummy and Daddy let me eat whats left on theirs sometimes!!), but 'platelet' was a new one on me. Apparently the problem was with my blood, and nothing was clotting, which is why my ears were bleeding and the bruises on my belly were blood bruises. Mummy had to leave me with the vet, who said I needed a blood transfusion, and she would ring Mummy later.
Mummy looked very sad as she left, bless her, big softy. I was fine ! The nice lady vet took me to a room with a blanket in it, and told me she would be back a bit later.
The bit I didn't like, was later! Lady vet(no longer 'nice') shaved my leg and my neck which was awful, cos there was a horrid cat in one of the other rooms who laughed at me. Spiteful thing. Anyway, they poked something sharp into my leg, which made me a bit uncomfortable for a moment, and then I just went to sleep for a bit. When I woke up I felt sooooooooooo much better ! All pepped up and full of energy. I woofed at them to let them know, and they took the nasty spikey thing out of my leg. Then they said Mummy was on her way to get me. Yipppeeee I was going home.
When Mummy got there she cried (softy)and took me straight home and gave me a couple of sausages ! She coo'ed over me all evening. The nice lady vet said it could happen to me again, but then again maybe not. So Mummy has to roll me over now and again to check my belly . She says its to check for bruising, but its fine by me cos I get a big ol' fuss and my belly tickled ! hee hee hee.