Paxil is home recovering from her surgery. She's very whiny! It's a little disconcerting to hear whining from a dog who never, ever whines! Paxil woos, barks, howls and carries on long conversations, usually about how mean I am to make her go outside or how slow I am getting her dinner ready. But she never whines. I gave her a dose of Metacam and she seems more comfortable now. She's quiet and resting on her little bed beside the woodstove.
Two lumps were removed today. She's got good size wounds in each spot. I sure hope that means Dr. Candance got all the cancer cells this time. I realize that with Mast Cell the odds of another reoccurance are pretty high anyway, but they are lower if both tumors were removed with clean margins.
I didn't get a chance to talk to the vet tonight--the clinic was insanely busy! I do know her home phone number, but I am not going to use that information! I'll call on Monday and go over the results with her. I'm a little concerned that Paxil used a bag of saline solution. I'm assuming that means she needed some help waking up, but maybe that was just a safety precaution! Muskwa had an IV inserted when he got neutered last month, but he didn't get any saline--or maybe it just didn't appear on my bill. That happens sometimes!
I'll be calling on Monday to get a full report on what the blood panel showed and Dr. Candace's impression of the surgery, Paxil's prognosis, all that stuff!
When we walked into the clinic this morning, there was a rottie on the waiting room floor in a full blown grand-mal seizure. That dog didn't get to come home tonight. Her owner was back at the clinic to visit when I picked Paxil up. Having been the crying owner sitting in a kennel with a sick animal, I have great sympathy for that lady and hope her pupper pulls through. Also puts things in perspective for me--Paxil is home, happy and there's a good chance she'll be here for a long while yet. Isn't that the most important thing?
Friday, December 16, 2005
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Pingo's Gotcha Day!
Our second anniversary this week. It was three years ago today that little Pingo joined our family. Pingo came to me from a musher who simply wasn't using her anymore. She had been bumped from his A team and was sitting in his yard doing nothing while he trained his distance racing team. Pingo was only 5 1/2 and no where near ready to retire, but racing is not her thing. Pingo's conformation is a little off and she crabs when she runs. Somedays she sprints along and other days she likes to watch the scenery a bit. Makes her a bad dog for a serious racer, makes her a perfect fit for a team like mine.
Plus she is a reliable leader, something I really needed at the time she arrived. Pingo doesn't always take commands. She is a trail dog at heart and somedays likes to pick her own trail. So I taught her a new command, if she's been listening well, her reward is "PINGO PICK A TRAIL". She decides which fork in the trail we take. She loves that! She occasionally ignores a gee or haw the first time, but she never misses an On-by. Sometimes on a busy trail, that's even more important than which direction we go.
Pingo also has great trail sense. She always knows the easiest and safest way through overflow. Somedays she even has better sense than I do! Once last winter, about 5km into a truly distasterous run, Pingo came to her senses and without a word from me turned an 8 dog team around, without a single tangle or problem among the dogs and headed for home. I had already been dragged twice, had a major tangle, a run in with a loose dog and was stopped as three stuck snowmobiles blocked the trail! As she started to turn, I started to argue with her, but quickly realized she was right--this run was not going to get any better and we better go home before someone got hurt! At that point, it was already fairly amazing that I was still with my team! Not one thing had gone right from the moment I pulled out the harnesses! We never should have left the yard. Pingo realized that first!
(obviously the pic is from last winter as we have no where near this much snow right now!)
Pingo is a little timid, has some neurotic tendancies--she hordes things, not anything useful like bones or toys. She hordes junk, stuff she steals from the recycling, old tennis balls and rocks. Never eats them, never chews them up, just hides them in the straw in her doghouse. She has a bit of border collie in her too and enjoys showing off her herding instinct sometimes. The local mountain bikers probably don't enjoy it as much as she does! Pingo's very sweet, enjoys a good cuddle, would never even consider getting involved in a fight, all the other dogs like her, she's good with the cats, she's a good dog and I do adore her. Hopefully, her son, Sundin, will soon come around the way his momma did!
Happy Anniversary, little one. Time flies when you're having fun!
Plus she is a reliable leader, something I really needed at the time she arrived. Pingo doesn't always take commands. She is a trail dog at heart and somedays likes to pick her own trail. So I taught her a new command, if she's been listening well, her reward is "PINGO PICK A TRAIL". She decides which fork in the trail we take. She loves that! She occasionally ignores a gee or haw the first time, but she never misses an On-by. Sometimes on a busy trail, that's even more important than which direction we go.
Pingo also has great trail sense. She always knows the easiest and safest way through overflow. Somedays she even has better sense than I do! Once last winter, about 5km into a truly distasterous run, Pingo came to her senses and without a word from me turned an 8 dog team around, without a single tangle or problem among the dogs and headed for home. I had already been dragged twice, had a major tangle, a run in with a loose dog and was stopped as three stuck snowmobiles blocked the trail! As she started to turn, I started to argue with her, but quickly realized she was right--this run was not going to get any better and we better go home before someone got hurt! At that point, it was already fairly amazing that I was still with my team! Not one thing had gone right from the moment I pulled out the harnesses! We never should have left the yard. Pingo realized that first!
(obviously the pic is from last winter as we have no where near this much snow right now!)
Pingo is a little timid, has some neurotic tendancies--she hordes things, not anything useful like bones or toys. She hordes junk, stuff she steals from the recycling, old tennis balls and rocks. Never eats them, never chews them up, just hides them in the straw in her doghouse. She has a bit of border collie in her too and enjoys showing off her herding instinct sometimes. The local mountain bikers probably don't enjoy it as much as she does! Pingo's very sweet, enjoys a good cuddle, would never even consider getting involved in a fight, all the other dogs like her, she's good with the cats, she's a good dog and I do adore her. Hopefully, her son, Sundin, will soon come around the way his momma did!
Happy Anniversary, little one. Time flies when you're having fun!
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Founder's Day..
December 13 means it has been two years since Founder joined the pack. Founder was another one of those long term shelter residents who seemed to all end up here for awhile! He earned his name when the morning shift of shelter staff came in and found him tied to the fence. He was a pretty fearful boy at that point. Not super timid like some of the others here, but he didn't like any sudden movements or anyone trying to touch his collar. To this day he still cringes at raised voices. Stuart brought Founder home after a shelter fundraiser. His theory was that I had already taken all his friends out of the shelter, so why not Founder too? Stuart likes to blame all the animals on me, but in reality he's a big softie too!
Founder already knew most our other dogs no intros went very smoothly. He is still one of the dogs who can meet any other critter with no problems. He speaks good dog!
Even Chum and Hobo don't drive Founder nuts! Those two could drive a nun to the bottle somedays! He does have some minor issues with Mac lately, but Mac kinda has that coming. In a most unfortunate incident a few weeks ago, both Mac and Founder reached for the same chunk of meat at the same time. Founder got the meat, but Mac nailed Founder's ear. The tip is gone forever! I have no pictures yet that show off Founder's new look, but you know there will be plenty soon enough!
Founder is a happy silly boy! Noisy doesn't even begin to cover it! If you don't know Founder and just happen to hear him, you probably think I beat him. He carries on about everything like the world is coming to an end! If you live within about 50km of my house, you've probably heard him! I've heard him howling when I was several kilometres away from home. The injustice of being left behind was broadcast all around our area!
One of my most favorite things about Founder is that his world begins and ends with me. I can do no wrong in his big brown eyes. He's even reliable off leash, a rare trait amongst northern breeds!
My favorite pic ever of him! Founder loves to pull. He's even learning to be a lead dog. Unfortunately, he prefers trails he has run before. He'd be quite happy to take the exact same route every time. He likes familiar routine things. He doesn't take commands, but will follow Paxil's orders if he's running beside her. Desire and the confidence to run up front can't be taught. Commands can be and he's a bright boy. He'll figure it out in time.
Happy Anniversary my big goofy boy!
Founder already knew most our other dogs no intros went very smoothly. He is still one of the dogs who can meet any other critter with no problems. He speaks good dog!
Even Chum and Hobo don't drive Founder nuts! Those two could drive a nun to the bottle somedays! He does have some minor issues with Mac lately, but Mac kinda has that coming. In a most unfortunate incident a few weeks ago, both Mac and Founder reached for the same chunk of meat at the same time. Founder got the meat, but Mac nailed Founder's ear. The tip is gone forever! I have no pictures yet that show off Founder's new look, but you know there will be plenty soon enough!
Founder is a happy silly boy! Noisy doesn't even begin to cover it! If you don't know Founder and just happen to hear him, you probably think I beat him. He carries on about everything like the world is coming to an end! If you live within about 50km of my house, you've probably heard him! I've heard him howling when I was several kilometres away from home. The injustice of being left behind was broadcast all around our area!
One of my most favorite things about Founder is that his world begins and ends with me. I can do no wrong in his big brown eyes. He's even reliable off leash, a rare trait amongst northern breeds!
My favorite pic ever of him! Founder loves to pull. He's even learning to be a lead dog. Unfortunately, he prefers trails he has run before. He'd be quite happy to take the exact same route every time. He likes familiar routine things. He doesn't take commands, but will follow Paxil's orders if he's running beside her. Desire and the confidence to run up front can't be taught. Commands can be and he's a bright boy. He'll figure it out in time.
Happy Anniversary my big goofy boy!
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