Had a minor dog emergency this afternoon while taking Harry for his afternoon walk. He usually walks on my left, and sometimes when the leash goes slack his right foreleg will step over it, making it necessary to untangle him. I must have pulled on the leash while it was like this, and somehow the clip that holds the choke chain got attached to his paw. It's the kind of clip that you push in at an angle to release, rather than the vertical kind, which meant that any attempt to remove it made it worse. I tried, but the pain made Harry resist.

I wound up having to carry him to the car (he's only 45 pounds, but it's harder than you think to carry a dog that weight, especially when he whines and writhes when he gets jostled) and off to the vet we went. They had to give him a sedative/painkiller to remove the clip. He's walking without a limp, but has been less active than usual (a hangover from the sedative) and whining more than usual. He's even refused a Milk-Bone, which is like Tom DeLay turning down soft money. He must really be out of sorts.

Poor Harry. I guess today wouldn't be a good day to trade places with him.