Well, we’ve been in San Felipe at our place in El Dorado Ranch for a little over a week. All was going really well. We had the casita cleaned up and out. Things were beginning to shape up on the patio. Most of the solar lights were charged and working. George had stopped by to check on L’Arena (our sand rail)–she had started right up without any problems. On Monday, we were beginning to break into a routine, when we got a call from Lynda and Sharron to say that things weren’t good with their little poodle, Niko: vomiting, diarrhea, lethargic. They needed to run him up to the vet in El Centro, California. We agreed to take Kaiah, their border collie, while they took care of things. It’s about a three hour drive into El Centro, so, we assumed that we’d have her for at least one night, perhaps two.
Later that afternoon, we got a call from them saying that Niko was severely dehydrated and had been taken in for observation. They would stay the night and check in with him and us in the morning. We continued to unpack things and set up. Kaiah, no stranger to our pack, joined us in our daily routine of walks, runs with L’Arena, and play time on the road.
On Tuesday, things had not improved with Niko. He would be staying another day while the vet ran more tests. Lynda and Sharron would pass the time shopping, reading, and hanging out at the only semi-decent motel in town, The Vacation Inn. We continued to set-up at our place and entertain the dogs.
Wednesday came and Niko’s condition remained stable, however, the vet was not comfortable sending him home, knowing that home was a 3 hour trip across the border. They arranged for Niko to remain at the clinic until such time when his condition improved.
In the meantime, back in San Felipe, Mexico, I had just given the dogs a morning treat after their run in the desert. Fly let out a yelp as she tried to gobble her treat down. Thinking she done something to a tooth, I lifted her lips to begin an examination. I thought I saw what appeared to be a crack in her left canine. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a piece of grass. But, it got me to try to do a more thorough check of her mouth. Every time I tried to open her mouth, she yelped and jerked away in pain. Something was definitely wrong. Maybe an abscessed molar? Maybe a spine from a cholla cactus? Whatever it was, she was not going to let us have a look. She needed a vet.
Based on Lynda, Sharron, and Patricia’s recommendation, we called El Centro Veterinary Clinic to schedule an appointment. They said they did their procedures on Thursdays, and, recommended that we bring her in by 9 a.m..
Meanwhile, Lynda and Sharron had made it back down from El Centro and came to pick up Kaiah. We arranged for them to take care of the boys, Tristan and Finn, at our place over the next couple of days while we ran up to El Centro with Fly and the two girls, Liddy and Gabi. We then rushed around putting things together for a possible over night stay in a motel. After living in an RV for as long as we have, we really struggle with staying in motels. But, we had no choice.
Sunrise over the Sea of Cortez and the San Felipe Hills
Thursday morning, we were up before the crack of dawn. Those of you who know Lisbeth know what a major feat THAT was! But, she handled it like a trooper and was actually quite cheery when she got to participate in one of the spectacular sunrises we have down here. we were waved through the military check. No surprise there, given how early it was. Then, smooth sailing through to the “new” border crossing. We had about a 1/2 hour wait to get through. There were 7 lanes open. Sharron had advised us to keep to the left and go through the “document” lane next to the “sentri” lane. We did, and believe that it really did cut down on the time we would have had to wait. We got a couple of questions: “Where are you coming from?” What were you doing there?” Followed by a wave through. We zipped over on Fourth Avenue to Main Street where the Clinic is located.
Amber, the receptionist/vet technician was very pleasant and helpful. After some discussion, it was agreed that we would leave Fly so they could prep her for whatever procedure the vet deemed necessary. Then, we would return when the vet, Dr. “Abigal,” arrived. At that point, she would examine Fly and determine next steps. We were told to return later that afternoon.
It was close to lunch time when we left Fly. We decided to go ahead and check in to the motel and grab a bite to eat at Burger’s and Beer. Just as we were headed to B&B, we received a call from El Centro Animal Clinic. They wanted us to come over as quickly as we could. We rushed over. Fly was “under” and on the operating table.
Fly
Her mouth was propped open to get a clearer view of what might be happening. Dr. Abigal invited us over to peer into her mouth. She said that she could find nothing wrong with any of her teeth. In fact, she said they were in great shape for a dog her age. However, what she had found was a growth on her jaw and soft palette. She suspected a tumor. It was pink and not dark colored. Apparently, that’s not good. Anyway, she took two samples to be sent in to be biopsied. There is a 5 to 6 business day wait for the results. This would put it around Thanksgiving.
We waited for Fly to recover from the anesthesia and then we all drove over to the motel. I sat with Fly and crushed her dog food into tiny pieces so that she would be able to eat that evening and the next day. Gabi and Liddy crashed on one of the queen beds. Lisbeth took off to pick up some grocery essentials and bring us dinner. We were exhausted. What a day!
Friday came and we went over to Denny’s to grab some breakfast before picking up Niko at nine from the vet and heading back to San Felipe. At that point, Niko had been given the go ahead to go home. After a quick run through PetCo, we headed south. We crossed the border around 10:30. We got a green light and were on our way. We listened to “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest.” It’s such a good novel. Glad we had some entertainment. The time whizzed by and before we knew it, we were pulling to a stop at the military check point that’s situated about 20 miles north of SF. We couldn’t believe the traffic! Cars were stacked up 20 deep going both ways into San Felipe, as well as onto the entrance to Highway 3 that goes across the Baja into Ensenada. We had about a 15 minute wait while they inspected cars ahead of us. I had to get out of the car to allow for an inspection of the back seat and the truck bed. Then, we were on our way home. We dropped off a happy Niko with his happy moms and arrived back at Tortuga Bay II. Exhausted!
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