We had one of those dog scares, this time out in the woods. Fate suddenly keeled over, struggling to reach her hind quarters or legs, circling and falling down, she looked both disoriented and bewildered, we had seen nothing like it before. We saw some bees or hornets circling her legs and underbelly and brushed them away (foolishly, maybe) and got her away from there.

Maria went to her to try to calm her and see what could be seen – I was thinking she stepped on a hornet or bee’s nest in the ground or possibly on a snake – she kept dangling her leg, turning to us and falling over. I called the Cambridge Valley Vet and (of course took a photo) they said to bring her in, they would see her as an emergency.

We got her up and walking, she was halting and confused, almost as if she had absorbed a toxin and her left leg seemed useless and unable to withstand any pressure. Over the next ten minutes she began to move more freely and naturally – we had a mile-long walk back to the path and the car and I thought we might have to carry her.

Neither one of us could see any signs of a wound or bite or stinger.

She slowly regained her footing and by the end of the path, she was beginning to chase Red, even though she didn’t go far and move fast. But she was improving, we think she got stung a few times. I cancelled the vet appointment, we brought her home. She is moving freely and resting, she is fine. She ate  heartily and there seems to be no pain in her leg.

Unnerving to see  her like that, but she is an adventurous dog, she gets into everything, it was bound to happen that she would explore a bee’s nest, and we are very fortunate a horde of hornets or bees didn’t come out after all of us. It was good to move quickly away.