knitmeister

Saving Lucky

...on my way to Michael's tonight to get beads to finish a neck warmer(for the edging) I started at Jimmi's birthday party Saturday night.  I got stopped at the light heading west at 95th and Roe.  It's a pretty busy intersection in the 'burbs.  There was a guy jogger waiting to cross the street on one corner and before the light turned green a beautiful red/white spaniel runs across the street....I though he was with the jogger but no, he turned right and the dog went left and plopped himself in the front yard of the house on the opposite corner.  It only took me about no seconds to decide to turn right so I could whip a u-ey and go back to try to collect the dog.  By the time I got back to his location another car had stopped.  It was a man and woman and their two daughters.  We discovered the dog had a tag with name(Lucky!) phone number AND address, which was a huge relief.  They made the call, the owners didn't answer but they left a message.  We all decided I would take Lucky since they had a dog in the car.  I gave them my phone number in case the owners tried to call them back.   Long story long, I heard from Lucky's owners and was able to reunite him with them shortly after I left.  I was able to make it to Michael's and found some nice beads to complete my project.  It makes me happy to know that that nice man and his family and his two sweet little girls stopped to help a lost dog.  I was feeling a little peeved after having just been at the grocery store and a man rushed to the line next to me that just opened when there were several people nearby him that had been waiting longer.  He also had two little girls with him.  Think of the two different lessons being taught by these two fathers to their two little girls.... There are many elderly people in our neighborhood and they were amongst the people waiting nearby to check out at the grocery store.  What a jerk!

Anyway, tonight I received a call from the little girls who were with the nice man who stopped to help Lucky.  They wanted to know if he made it home ok, and I was able to tell them "yes!", and that I thought it was very nice of them to stop and help.  I have a good warm feeling in my heart tonight thanks to them. 

Sammy's Famous Baroo

What the?

Is this supposed to happen in October in Kansas?

Willy 1989 - 10/01/08

An Alternative To Declawing Your Cat

 

I never really considered declawing Petey.  This summer he took a keen interest in our rattan type dining room chairs.  I trimmed his nails and he'd have them sharp again in about 24 hours.  I'd find little piles of "stuff" under the chairs where he had been shredding at them.  I read about these nail caps for cats somewhere on the internet awhile back and decided to give them a try. (Maybe it was Cute Overload?)  I've always rubbed his feet so he's used to me touching them so getting them "installed" wasn't too bad.  Now that they are applied he seems to be quite comfortable with them and isn't chewing at them or anything.  What remains to be seen is if they will stay on for any length of time....

SoftPaws

Sam the asshole.

Sammy attacked Barkley tonight.  Barkley has a pretty good puncture wound in his lower right jaw.  I packed it with antibiotic ointment and a bandage.  I think he'll be ok, but I don't know what to do about Sammy's behavior.  He's always been aggressive to the other dogs but these violent outbursts have been few and far in between.  Barkley is a passive sweet dog and I'm angry with Sammy for what he's done to him.  How can I be mad at him when his heart is failing him though?  It's a shitty tug of war at my heart. 

Thank You

...for all the kind words.  Sammy is doing well.  He is healing from his surgery.  Right now he is trying to hump Hobo,  so, I suppose he's feeling just fine.  :o)  The doc called a couple days after surgery to say the growth they removed from his side was benign.  He's fussing with the stitches a little bit, but I'm trying to discourage it. 

I went by the animal hospital today to talk to the doctor about his blood test results.  His thyroid is fine, so the heart rate problem is not caused by that.  It's probably hereditary, no way to really know.  Oral medication would most likely not be effective.  Anyway, I had a frank discussion with doc about what to expect should Sammy collapse and I am prepared now.  He will not be suffering.  His physical symptoms will be involuntary.  The first day or so I was wishing I hadn't found out about this because I will constantly be worrying about it, but now I am glad I know because I can make extra effort to make the rest of his life awesome and will be prepared(as prepared as I can be) when his heart stops.

Not Good Stuff

I took Sammy to the vet today for his annual check-up and shots.  He had a cyst on his right ribcage that had been there for a long time but had recently been getting larger.  In the middle of the routine exam my vet became very concerned when he listened to Sammy's heart.  I have been taking all my pets to this doctor for years and have never seen this look on my doctor's face before, ever.  He thinks there is something wrong.  He keeps Sammy for the afternoon and I find out this afternoon that Sammy has a very serious heart condition.  His heart rate is very very low at 48 bpm, and he has a murmur.  His heart rate is half of what it should be.  At 60 bpm he should be passing out, but he has not had any symptoms, therefore we didn't even know until this exam that he had this problem.  Doc says he could die anytime.  He can have a seizure from the low heart rate and not wake up.  Evidently this condition is quite rare.  Doc says he has not encountered it other than once before in 35 years.  It is not treatable except for to install a pacemaker.  Sammy is 11 yrs. old in January.  I don't think we will put him through that at his age, so we will cherish whatever time God decides to gift us with with The Pig.

Third Degree(Complete)Heart Block

   

Chi in a dress

I sold this little dress to the owner of this adorable and rotund little chi at the shop today. She also purchased one that was embroidered "I love my Daddy". It was super busy today and I'm sooo tired. For the most part I'm having alot of fun. I enjoy interacting with the customers and their pets. Christmas is coming...I've been warned.

Spinses