Every now and then, Flossie and I experience a potential medical emergency while we’re out on a walk.
The reason I use that word is because Flossie is quite a melodramatic dog and, what I think could be an emergency, usually turns out to not be one after all.
There was the time when we’d driven to a nice walking destination. We’d enjoyed our walk, but when we returned to the car, I noticed that Flossie had blood on her nose and mouth.
Feeling rather alarmed, I inspected her closely and saw that she’d cut her tongue, presumably on some broken glass or something sharp she’d attempted to eat. The cut was making a lot of itself. Flossie was licking furiously as the blood dripped.
I drove back at speed, thinking I would be exchanging muddy wellies for clean shoes and calling the vet.
But when we got home, there was no sign of the cut at all.
It was as if it had never happened.
This morning, we were not far from the house when Flossie stopped abruptly and started snuffling and snorting dramatically. She does this from time to time. It’s like she’s swallowed something the wrong way and then tries to correct it.
I bent down to massage her throat as she heaved and honked like a donkey. A man passing by gave us a puzzled look.
I wasn’t too worried as both Flossie and my previous dog do this. It usually passes in a few seconds. But, this episode was going on for quite some time.
I didn’t really know what to do to help her. I offered words of comfort and decided that we should turn back, although she wasn’t really in a fit state for walking.
Just as I was envisaging an emergency call to the vet from the curbside, she gave a little gulp, looked at me as if to ask why I had stopped, and started trotting forwards as if I was causing the delay.
Normal business had resumed.
As published in the Bath Chronicle, 29 May 2025
Suzy Pope is a certified copywriter and newspaper columnist specialising in pets, business and lifestyle. If you would like help with a writing project, please get in touch.
