upside down
Monday, June 20, 2005
we're cool like that
Well, we did it we actually sold our house. It was on the market for 1 week and 3 days and it was shown almost every day. The dogs have loved it! It gave us a great excuse to go to the park. But now it is officially panic time. We have 3 days to pack the entire house before we leave for a 3 week trip to Colorado, Idaho and Montana. We planned this trip a long time before Lucky was a part of our life so Georgia, our other dog will be staying with my m.'s mom in Colorado and Lucky will be staying at the vet's here in town. I wish they both could come with us but it's not possible. I'll miss her terribly but I keep reminding myself that she is in good hands and will be showered in love. I hope she still remembers me when I get back. I know she will, we're cool like that.
Friday, June 17, 2005
you're not so bad
Yesterday was Lucky's 2 week check up. I found a lump on her broken leg about the size of a key lime and I was pretty worried about it, the words 'malignant tumor' kept popping into my head. But thankfully the vet explained that it is just the result of some serious bruising that we couldn't see before because her leg was so swollen. Whew!
In other news she has lost 3 lbs and is now a svelte 85 lbs. he he he. Other than that things are wonderful. She is such a sweetheart, I love having her around. She snores when she's falling asleep and grumbles when she's trying to get comfy and when she gets really excited she's all wiggles.
In other news she has lost 3 lbs and is now a svelte 85 lbs. he he he. Other than that things are wonderful. She is such a sweetheart, I love having her around. She snores when she's falling asleep and grumbles when she's trying to get comfy and when she gets really excited she's all wiggles.
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
please stop peeing in the house
Lucky has now been a part of our lives for 12 days.
At first I thought she was perfectly house trained, of course that was before her leg was fixed and before she was comfortable here, while she was still very sleepy and probably in pain, but I kept thinking "What a good dog!" then she peed on the rug one night after we went to bed and it soaked through the rug to the hardwood floor and sat there all night, bowing the narrow floor boards. Then I realized I forgot to let her out before bed. My fault. The second time was in the same spot, only I caught that one right away. The third time was in the kitchen and I caught that one too. The fourth time was in the sunroom while she was home alone, which ruined two of the grass floor squares, luckily I had more. The fifth time was in the dining room while I was in the basement I think she tried to tell me about that one but I misread her signs and the sixth time was today in a different part of the dining room while we were out to lunch. (If anyone affiliated with the company that makes Nature's Miracle is reading this, "Thank You" This product is amazing and a life saver.)
Did I mention we are trying to sell our house?
So I bought a baby gate today. She already sleeps and hangs out in her room, which is the tiled entryway, only now she won't be able to get out when we can't watch her. I really hope she doesn't try to get out and accidentally hurt her leg. I'm sure I am being a weenie about it, she has 6 pins and they are all the way through the bones at contrary angles and she's still pretty timid when it comes to trying new things. Anyway, she's giving it a test run right now while we're here in the room watching tv and after a brief "What is this?" moment she is now happily snoozing. Wish me luck.
At first I thought she was perfectly house trained, of course that was before her leg was fixed and before she was comfortable here, while she was still very sleepy and probably in pain, but I kept thinking "What a good dog!" then she peed on the rug one night after we went to bed and it soaked through the rug to the hardwood floor and sat there all night, bowing the narrow floor boards. Then I realized I forgot to let her out before bed. My fault. The second time was in the same spot, only I caught that one right away. The third time was in the kitchen and I caught that one too. The fourth time was in the sunroom while she was home alone, which ruined two of the grass floor squares, luckily I had more. The fifth time was in the dining room while I was in the basement I think she tried to tell me about that one but I misread her signs and the sixth time was today in a different part of the dining room while we were out to lunch. (If anyone affiliated with the company that makes Nature's Miracle is reading this, "Thank You" This product is amazing and a life saver.)
Did I mention we are trying to sell our house?
So I bought a baby gate today. She already sleeps and hangs out in her room, which is the tiled entryway, only now she won't be able to get out when we can't watch her. I really hope she doesn't try to get out and accidentally hurt her leg. I'm sure I am being a weenie about it, she has 6 pins and they are all the way through the bones at contrary angles and she's still pretty timid when it comes to trying new things. Anyway, she's giving it a test run right now while we're here in the room watching tv and after a brief "What is this?" moment she is now happily snoozing. Wish me luck.
Sunday, June 12, 2005
hot to trot
I woke up this morning and Lucky had pulled out the cotton and gauze around her pins. I thought this might be bad and called the vet. While waiting for the vet to call me back she started making a funny sound. She sounded like a pig grunting and like she was trying to clear her throat. I didn't think anything of it because she would quit as soon as she was no longer excited. By the time we went to the vet she was doing it almost constantly so the vet took her temperature and it was 104.5 degrees! (a dog's normal body temp is more like 101 degrees) The crazy thing is that it wasn't a really hot day or anything!
The vet put alcohol on her pads but that wasn't cooling her down, her temperature was actually going up, so they had to give her an IV. The vet said her temperature peaked at 106 degrees. I got to go back and see her on the table with the IV and I felt so bad! I had no idea, like I said it wasn't even that hot out. Now the poor pup has a shaved back leg from the surgery, a shaved stripe down her back where they started to shave for the surgery but changed their minds and a shaved fore-paw where the IV was. M. said she looked like a punk dog. he he he.
The vet wanted to keep her over night to be sure she was ok. She explained that because Lucky is overweight (she weighs 88 pounds and should weigh 60-ish, we'll work on that as soon as her leg is healed) It is already hard for her body to properly cool off. I learned that the most productive way dogs can cool down is by panting, pulling in cool air cools the body, but because she's fat her body needs a lot of cool air to stay cool. So when she couldn't get enough cold air she started to panic and her throat went into spasms, like a kid with asthma, which scared her even more and her body temperature rose as her stress level did. I also learned that at 107 degrees the cells start to die and emit toxic compounds into the body. Yikes! It makes living in the hot and humid Midwest seem stupid.
In the end we went to the vet to check her bandage (which was perfectly fine) and she had an IV with 2 bags of fluid, medicine to keep her kidneys from shutting down, a tranquilizer, antibiotics, and a night in the hospital. I have broke the $1,000 mark. Now she gets to sleep directly in front of a fan, the fan that was in our bedroom...
The vet put alcohol on her pads but that wasn't cooling her down, her temperature was actually going up, so they had to give her an IV. The vet said her temperature peaked at 106 degrees. I got to go back and see her on the table with the IV and I felt so bad! I had no idea, like I said it wasn't even that hot out. Now the poor pup has a shaved back leg from the surgery, a shaved stripe down her back where they started to shave for the surgery but changed their minds and a shaved fore-paw where the IV was. M. said she looked like a punk dog. he he he.
The vet wanted to keep her over night to be sure she was ok. She explained that because Lucky is overweight (she weighs 88 pounds and should weigh 60-ish, we'll work on that as soon as her leg is healed) It is already hard for her body to properly cool off. I learned that the most productive way dogs can cool down is by panting, pulling in cool air cools the body, but because she's fat her body needs a lot of cool air to stay cool. So when she couldn't get enough cold air she started to panic and her throat went into spasms, like a kid with asthma, which scared her even more and her body temperature rose as her stress level did. I also learned that at 107 degrees the cells start to die and emit toxic compounds into the body. Yikes! It makes living in the hot and humid Midwest seem stupid.
In the end we went to the vet to check her bandage (which was perfectly fine) and she had an IV with 2 bags of fluid, medicine to keep her kidneys from shutting down, a tranquilizer, antibiotics, and a night in the hospital. I have broke the $1,000 mark. Now she gets to sleep directly in front of a fan, the fan that was in our bedroom...
One week
Check up number one.
All's well on the puppy front. She got the big bandage off and now has a small one that just covers the pins and the rod thing. They used yellow this time and it looks exactly like she has a banana on her leg! I'll try to figure out how to post a picture (can anyone help me?) We thought of a name for our rotund pal. Lucky! I think it's appropriate, besides we don't want to give her some sort of complex calling her Tubby.
All's well on the puppy front. She got the big bandage off and now has a small one that just covers the pins and the rod thing. They used yellow this time and it looks exactly like she has a banana on her leg! I'll try to figure out how to post a picture (can anyone help me?) We thought of a name for our rotund pal. Lucky! I think it's appropriate, besides we don't want to give her some sort of complex calling her Tubby.
Friday, June 10, 2005
the vet
I called the vet first thing in the morning and they said we could come in that afternoon. They did a quick exam, said "yep, it's broken" and then semi-tranquilized her so the vet could feel her leg without hurting her and they took two x-rays.
The vet showed me the x-rays and explained that her tibia and fibula were broken and unfortunately they had punctured the skin on the inside of her leg, so giving her a cast was not an option. He recommended surgery, where pins would be put in each of the bones and then realigned. He guessed that she had been hit by a car and that her leg had already been broken for a couple of days. He suggested I do a heartworm test on her before I decided to spend any more money. I was nervous, it hadn't crossed my mind that she may already be dying or have some terrible sickness. But they did the test and she came back negative. whew!
So the low estimate for the surgery was around $350 the high estimate was over $700. It was such a huge difference and it all hinged on whether the surgery would be difficult, something no one could answer until she was on the table and her leg was cut open. I went home to talk to m. about it. In my heart I knew I had to help her, but it was tough to commit to the responsibility. It wasn't our intention to keep her but I knew that if I spent all this money and time and energy on nursing this dog back to health I was going to get attached and the idea that I may at some point have to give her to a new family was already heartbreaking. I thought about it long and hard and decided that I could only cross one bridge at a time, and I really didn't even know her yet, I may not like her at all! I decided to trust fate and go for it.
She went in at 9:00 am on thursday 6-2-05. I called to check on her that afternoon and they said that it had been a long hard surgery but that she was doing extremely well. I thought "great! long and hard, there goes any hope for the low estimate" but I was glad she did well. I was able to pick her up the next morning and she was like a brand new dog! Her eyes were wide open and alert and she was full of energy. I knew I did the right thing. They sent us home with some free food and a trial of frontline and heartgard which was very nice. For the bill they have a policy that even if a surgery runs over the high estimate amount you will only be charged what they estimated. That was great. They also agreed to let me make payments on her balance. We finally headed home.
The next day we went back in for a quick check and I got to see the pins in her leg and her x-rays from the surgery. I'm really not the type of person who likes blood, I can't watch plastic surgery shows but for some reason the details of injuries always excite me. Her x-rays were so cool. The bone had actually been crushed at the point of impact so there were lots of little pieces floating around. The vet said her leg was very swollen and that's what made the surgery hard. They put 3 pins in the top piece of bone and 3 pins in the bottom piece of bone then realigned them and connected the pins with a long rod of sorts. It's hard to explain, but it reminds me of the movie Predator or Alien. Actually seeing the pins in her leg and thinking about how they are in her bone still gives me the heebie jeebies but it wasn't at all gross like I thought it might be. He said the bones will heal well and all the little pieces will get re-absorbed into her body. (I was familiar with this idea because I broke my wrist last summer and the same thing happened) She got a new purple bandage and we went home.
The vet showed me the x-rays and explained that her tibia and fibula were broken and unfortunately they had punctured the skin on the inside of her leg, so giving her a cast was not an option. He recommended surgery, where pins would be put in each of the bones and then realigned. He guessed that she had been hit by a car and that her leg had already been broken for a couple of days. He suggested I do a heartworm test on her before I decided to spend any more money. I was nervous, it hadn't crossed my mind that she may already be dying or have some terrible sickness. But they did the test and she came back negative. whew!
So the low estimate for the surgery was around $350 the high estimate was over $700. It was such a huge difference and it all hinged on whether the surgery would be difficult, something no one could answer until she was on the table and her leg was cut open. I went home to talk to m. about it. In my heart I knew I had to help her, but it was tough to commit to the responsibility. It wasn't our intention to keep her but I knew that if I spent all this money and time and energy on nursing this dog back to health I was going to get attached and the idea that I may at some point have to give her to a new family was already heartbreaking. I thought about it long and hard and decided that I could only cross one bridge at a time, and I really didn't even know her yet, I may not like her at all! I decided to trust fate and go for it.
She went in at 9:00 am on thursday 6-2-05. I called to check on her that afternoon and they said that it had been a long hard surgery but that she was doing extremely well. I thought "great! long and hard, there goes any hope for the low estimate" but I was glad she did well. I was able to pick her up the next morning and she was like a brand new dog! Her eyes were wide open and alert and she was full of energy. I knew I did the right thing. They sent us home with some free food and a trial of frontline and heartgard which was very nice. For the bill they have a policy that even if a surgery runs over the high estimate amount you will only be charged what they estimated. That was great. They also agreed to let me make payments on her balance. We finally headed home.
The next day we went back in for a quick check and I got to see the pins in her leg and her x-rays from the surgery. I'm really not the type of person who likes blood, I can't watch plastic surgery shows but for some reason the details of injuries always excite me. Her x-rays were so cool. The bone had actually been crushed at the point of impact so there were lots of little pieces floating around. The vet said her leg was very swollen and that's what made the surgery hard. They put 3 pins in the top piece of bone and 3 pins in the bottom piece of bone then realigned them and connected the pins with a long rod of sorts. It's hard to explain, but it reminds me of the movie Predator or Alien. Actually seeing the pins in her leg and thinking about how they are in her bone still gives me the heebie jeebies but it wasn't at all gross like I thought it might be. He said the bones will heal well and all the little pieces will get re-absorbed into her body. (I was familiar with this idea because I broke my wrist last summer and the same thing happened) She got a new purple bandage and we went home.
Monday, June 06, 2005
beautiful things come in big packages
Day Two
Ok so to finish telling the story... I was ready to go get her the next morning when m. called and said that everyone thought she'd be fine and she didn't need to go to the vet. I was a wreck, I still don't know exactly why I took it so hard. I was pissed that I lived in an area where people didn't care, I mean she had a broken leg that was literally just dangling there! I was upset that I was questioning my own instincts just because a group of farmers thought it was dumb. I was sad because I felt like such an outsider for caring.
I spent the morning bawling and in my mind I was going over all of the horrible things that could happen to her if I didn't help her. What if she got hit by a car again? What if the tractor hit her? What if the other dog picked on her and hurt her more? I decided, whether false or not, that if I didn't help her her leg would never heal properly and it would always hurt her and then she'd get hit by a car or drink antifreeze and die, like every other dog that had found it's way to the farm. That sounds harsh but it's true. In between fits of sobbing m. called me back and told me to do whatever I wanted to do, who cares if no one else thinks it's a good idea. I called my dad who always gives good advice and he told me I had to do what was in my heart. I decided I had to help her.
I called m. and asked him if he could bring her home. He said maybe it would be a good idea to call the vet the next morning and go from there. Honestly, I was crushed, I felt like the only person who I thought would agree with me didn't. I was seriously bummed but sometimes he does know what he's talking about. Five o'clock rolled around and I heard m. pull into the driveway. My heart jumped a little when I imagined him walking through the gate with her by his side. Then my heart seriously skipped a beat, she WAS with him!! He brought her home to me. I hugged him and he said she looked happier already...
Ok so to finish telling the story... I was ready to go get her the next morning when m. called and said that everyone thought she'd be fine and she didn't need to go to the vet. I was a wreck, I still don't know exactly why I took it so hard. I was pissed that I lived in an area where people didn't care, I mean she had a broken leg that was literally just dangling there! I was upset that I was questioning my own instincts just because a group of farmers thought it was dumb. I was sad because I felt like such an outsider for caring.
I spent the morning bawling and in my mind I was going over all of the horrible things that could happen to her if I didn't help her. What if she got hit by a car again? What if the tractor hit her? What if the other dog picked on her and hurt her more? I decided, whether false or not, that if I didn't help her her leg would never heal properly and it would always hurt her and then she'd get hit by a car or drink antifreeze and die, like every other dog that had found it's way to the farm. That sounds harsh but it's true. In between fits of sobbing m. called me back and told me to do whatever I wanted to do, who cares if no one else thinks it's a good idea. I called my dad who always gives good advice and he told me I had to do what was in my heart. I decided I had to help her.
I called m. and asked him if he could bring her home. He said maybe it would be a good idea to call the vet the next morning and go from there. Honestly, I was crushed, I felt like the only person who I thought would agree with me didn't. I was seriously bummed but sometimes he does know what he's talking about. Five o'clock rolled around and I heard m. pull into the driveway. My heart jumped a little when I imagined him walking through the gate with her by his side. Then my heart seriously skipped a beat, she WAS with him!! He brought her home to me. I hugged him and he said she looked happier already...
Saturday, June 04, 2005
lets start at the beginning
Day One
Tubby was her name. She showed up at my in-law's farm weeks ago. My husband would come home from work and tell me about her everyday. "She's so fat she looks like a bear" he said, "She even has fat on her head!" (I should warn you I have an admittedly enormous soft spot for dogs). This one was a black lab, and from the stories I was hearing an extremely cute one. M. told me that she had a mark around her neck like she had worn a collar but she didn't have it on anymore. (Unfortunately, it is very common out here for people to dump their dogs or leave them behind when they don't want them anymore) At first the in-laws wanted to keep her, and then they didn't, and then they did, meanwhile we offered to take her and find her a good home (the farm is not the safest place for domestic animals, or any animals for that matter, but that's another story) But then one morning she was gone! Everyone was sure she had just been passing through.
A few days later I went out to the farm for lunch. I was inside when m. came to the door and told me to look outside. There she was sitting in the driveway. Tubby was a beautiful, big, black lab. She was so overweight she did look like a bear. I walked outside and she limped towards me with an obviously broken leg. I felt terrible. Her right hind leg was hanging limp and swinging side to side. "Looks like she's got a broken leg" someone said. She was covered in ticks and not looking too good. "I bet she got hit by a car and has been laying in a ditch", m. said. Then the most bizarre thing happened, everyone turned around and walked back inside. Everyone except for my wonderful m. He helped pick all of the ticks off of her and I stomped on them (gross). She was the sweetest thing, even with a broken leg she was all wiggles. I knew I had to do something to help her. We left her outside and told her to stick around while we ate lunch. I couldn't stop thinking about how I could help her. Unfortunately I stink at saving money and I didn't have much extra. At one point during lunch I looked out the window and met eyes with her and I knew I had to help her no matter what. We couldn't bring her back to our house that night so I promised to come and get her the next morning...
Tubby was her name. She showed up at my in-law's farm weeks ago. My husband would come home from work and tell me about her everyday. "She's so fat she looks like a bear" he said, "She even has fat on her head!" (I should warn you I have an admittedly enormous soft spot for dogs). This one was a black lab, and from the stories I was hearing an extremely cute one. M. told me that she had a mark around her neck like she had worn a collar but she didn't have it on anymore. (Unfortunately, it is very common out here for people to dump their dogs or leave them behind when they don't want them anymore) At first the in-laws wanted to keep her, and then they didn't, and then they did, meanwhile we offered to take her and find her a good home (the farm is not the safest place for domestic animals, or any animals for that matter, but that's another story) But then one morning she was gone! Everyone was sure she had just been passing through.
A few days later I went out to the farm for lunch. I was inside when m. came to the door and told me to look outside. There she was sitting in the driveway. Tubby was a beautiful, big, black lab. She was so overweight she did look like a bear. I walked outside and she limped towards me with an obviously broken leg. I felt terrible. Her right hind leg was hanging limp and swinging side to side. "Looks like she's got a broken leg" someone said. She was covered in ticks and not looking too good. "I bet she got hit by a car and has been laying in a ditch", m. said. Then the most bizarre thing happened, everyone turned around and walked back inside. Everyone except for my wonderful m. He helped pick all of the ticks off of her and I stomped on them (gross). She was the sweetest thing, even with a broken leg she was all wiggles. I knew I had to do something to help her. We left her outside and told her to stick around while we ate lunch. I couldn't stop thinking about how I could help her. Unfortunately I stink at saving money and I didn't have much extra. At one point during lunch I looked out the window and met eyes with her and I knew I had to help her no matter what. We couldn't bring her back to our house that night so I promised to come and get her the next morning...
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