On Monday, our dog got a foxtail stuck under his left eyelid. We didn't know it at the time; all we knew is that by bedtime his eye was swollen shut. For most of yesterday, he was licking his paw and then using it to rub his eye, making things worse. So by dinner time, I had to fashion a makeshift cone to keep him from his bad habit, after not finding such a thing for sale at Dollar General.

So, finally, this morning, we got him to the vet up in Diamond Springs, and they pulled it out. Now he's on gabapentin and eye drops for a week. Supposedly it should heal up just fine, but you wouldn't believe it looking at him right now.

There were at least two other dogs at the vet, both with foxtails stuck in some place or another. It's just that time of year, according to the vet. Be it big dog or little dog, mowed yard or not. Last year Oliver had a foxtail stuck in his ear at about the same time of year. It's not easy being a dog.