I'm Back!!!!

We're Back

That's my boy...Franklin. He's a big part of the reason I've been gone so long.

I never meant to stop blogging...but somehow a few weeks turned into months.

Back on Labor Day weekend my little Franklin ruptured three discs in his back.

It was a terrible weekend. I didn't know he'd hurt himself.

It started with him limping a little on Saturday morning.

Saturday night when I got home from work...he couldn't walk at all and was in 

lots of pain. 

I rushed him to an all night vet where he stayed till Tuesday morning when I

was able to take him to a surgeon.

By then he couldn't feel his back legs any more.

He was paralyzed from mid back down.

The surgeon said there was a 40/60 chance he'd be able to walk again.

Even with those odds...I decided to try the surgery.

It was a rough go that first week.

He was still totally paralyzed but not in a lot of pain.

He had to be kept still in a pen for 8 weeks.

He was mad at me...he looked at me like..."Why had I done this to him?"

We made many trips back and forth to the vet and the surgeon.

He had a terrible bladder infection that made him even more miserable.

This video is one of the first times Franklin was out in the yard after the surgery.

This would be the first week after surgery.

He couldn't walk and couldn't wag his tail. 

About a week after the surgery he moved the tip of his tail for just a second.

That was monumental! Mom and I had him at the emergency vet once 

again because I was so worried about his ongoing bladder infection.

They had taken him to the back to try to get a urine sample and when he was brought 

back out to me...he moved the tip of his tail just slightly.

Mom and I both saw it and ww started yelling...

"He moved his tail! He moved his tail!"
We were crying and laughing and jumping up and down.

Everyone looked at us like we were nuts but it was our first glimpse that he might regain some movement.

The surgeon told me it could take 6 months...and that is about what it has taken.

Sorry these videos are all sideways. I don't know why I filmed them that way.

They looked fine on my phone but look stupid here.

But you get the idea.

This is Franklin in the backyard last week.

I'm so proud of how well he has done.

Sorry, my voice is so irritating on this video and sorry that the video is sideways.

I'll try to shoot a better one this week - turned the correct way.

I feel very lucky that Franklin has made such a great recovery.

He walks a little funny now but nothing slows him down these days.

He's a very happy boy again.

I've found now that I'm working full time as an interior designer...

it's really hard to get projects done around my house.

I did get french doors put in the breakfast nook off the kitchen.

About a week after Franklin was back home and recuperating in the breakfast nook in

a kennel...the back slider door fell off!

I had to live for about 8 weeks with no door while I waited to have one made and installed.

I had plastic sheeting up to keep out the weather. I lucked out as we had a very mild

fall and not much rain.

Mom would come many afternoons and check on Franklin during the first 8 weeks of his

recovery.

I'm so happy to be back with all of you and will be posting again on a regular schedule.

We'll talk again soon!

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Broken Hearted

Marcus

 This post has taken me two weeks to write. My Mom's boy...Marcus died suddenly two weeks ago.

He was the full brother to my Harvey. My Mom adored him and he adored my Mom.

If you've read this blog for a long time you know one of my own died suddenly a few years ago 

and it just about did me in.

I loved Marcus. But he was everything to my Mom and for him to be healthy one day and dead the next....well...It was soooo hard.

We lost our Daisy back in January and that hurt but she was 14 and her health had been slipping the past 6 months so we were prepared.

I'm going to tell you about Marcus's illness so that you can be on the look out for something like this in your own dog.

I don't know that we could have saved him if we'd known sooner.

Probably not but ironically Daisy had the same illness caused by a different source 

and we were able to save her 6 years ago.

Here is Marcus at my house after my Mom's open heart surgery.

My Mom recuperated in a twin bed with seven weenie dogs!

That was crazy!

We attributed the weenie dogs to her quick recovery.

In this photo you can see Violet, Marcus...Rosie, Daisy and in the corner....Harvey.

Back to what happened....

Marcus did not look sick. The day he died...he looked just like he did in that photo.

My Mom had been busy running my sister's dog, Boomer back and forth to the vet.

We had found out that he had diabetes and she had to take him to the vet every day for about a 

week and a half to check his blood sugar levels.

During this time...Marcus was his usual happy, loud, bossy self. 

But one day all of a sudden he was not as active as usual...that morning he didn't want to eat.

Mom took him to the vet that afternoon. She feared he had a tooth ache or something.

He walked to the car as usual...barked on the ride to the vet...walked into the vet...wagging 

his tail. 

The vet didn't think there was anything wrong with him but Mom insisted saying he wasn't eating.

Then he looked at his mouth. His gums were white..the pads of his feet were white.

This meant he was extremely anemic. 

We had this once with Daisy...same thing...she was fine one day and super sick the next.

Mom took her in and found out that she was about an hour away from dying.

The vet gave her steroids, a blood transfusion and anti-biotics and just hoped for the best.

That time it was an auto immune disease caused by a tick born disease.

We'd never seen a tick on Daisy. Daisy stayed at the vet for a week but came home and after

some time had a complete recovery. 

But my Mom had to take her in every 6 months just to make sure she was ok.

We were lucky with Daisy. Very lucky that she recuperated.

Mom always checked Daisy's gums to make sure they were pink from that day forward.

But...it never occurred to Mom to check Marcus' gums.

Mostly cause he did not act sick until that day that she took him to the vet.

The vet said he was VERY sick...he gave him steroids but did not want to give him a blood transfusion till he knew for sure what was wrong with him.

This was on a Monday afternoon. 

My Mom called me at work and it scared me to hear the fear in her voice.

The vet said he'd have test results on Tuesday and for Mom to bring Marcus in for treatment on Wednesday morning, first thing.

Test results came back Tuesday morning and it showed that it was not a tick disease 

(which would have been best case scenario)

It was not bone cancer (which would have been worse case)

but it was an auto-immune disease and his blood vessels were being destroyed.

I saw the vet that day...I took Violet in for a check up.

He said...that we'd probably do a blood transfusion in the morning. 

He was very concerned...but had hope.

I told him I spoke to my Mom...so had he and she was worried cause Marcus ate and 

went outside but he was very sluggish and breathing rapidly.

The vet said that was caused by the steroids.

I called Mom and comforted her and she said she couldn't wait for morning to take him in.

We should have taken him right then...Mom knew things were not right. 

That night at 9:30 my Mom called me and said Marcus had just died next to her in the bed!

She was crying and crying...it was just terrible.

She said he'd eaten and walked out to the bathroom. 

She'd put him in bed and a few minutes later he was gone.

My Mom was just beside herself in grief. Why hadn't she taken him in even though 

she was suppose to wait?

Why had she not noticed his gums being pale?

Had she missed his not being well in the past month?

She had only been telling me the week before about how she had to get on to him for being too

rough with her other dog. So obviously he was feeling himself just a week before.

The vet said he could not believe he acted so normal and was so sick.

I went to see my Mom and helped her the next day.

We ended up having him cremated. We've buried all the others in the past but it's been

raining here almost every day and it didn't seem possible to prepare a hole for him in time.

A very very hard time. 

I told Mom now I understand why some people just say "enough" and don't

do another dog.

In the end they break your heart. 

Now my Mom still has Rosie and a couple of months ago she adopted a new Daisy

who she calls Daisy Too.

Rosie has been out of sorts since our first Daisy died and then with Marcus gone too so 

soon after...she was not herself at all.

Today when I talked to Mom though she said that Rosie for the first time had gone over and 

snuggled next to Daisy Too to sleep.

That is a big step.

Mom is doing better. 

I know too well the pain of the sudden loss of a dog and I would have done

anything to take that pain away.

We are trying to focus on the ten wonderful years Mom had with Marcus 

and not question how things might have been different.

My vet felt terrible and questioned his own decision in having us wait a day to bring him in.

I'm telling this story so that you all will know to keep an eye on your dog's gums.

If they are pale, rush them to the vet.

I don't know that we could have saved him if we'd noticed sooner.

Perhaps, not. 

Dogs can't tell you when they don't feel good.

I saw his body. Looking at him...he looked perfectly healthy.

You would never have thought anything was wrong with him.

A friend of mine's Mom had a similar thing happen with one of her dogs.

They weren't able to save her and she died at the vet.

Anyway...for now my Mom says she is going to focus all her love on the two girls and

one day when they are gone she will get a boy puppy.

Marcus was her special boy and he cannot be replaced but she hopes one day

she will know that sort of love again.

He was obsessed with her. 

It's very hard to lose someone that loves you that much...I know cause I experienced it 

when I lost my Newman.

Anyway..this is why I haven't posted much of late.

And of course I'm always at work. Hard to do projects these days.

Sorry for the long read...but I know you understand.

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Daisy Too

Introducing Daisy Too!

Two weeks ago my Mom adopted a little 10 year old dachshund that needed a home.
A friend at work knew about her and asked if I wanted her.

With Violet being sick I just couldn't take on another...but I mentioned her to Mom

and when Mom heard her name...she couldn't resist.

Her name is Daisy.
 

You know we lost our own Daisy in February.

She looks very sad in this photo and she was very sad.

But each day she is happier and happier at my Mom's house.

The first night she slept in a dog bed in the kitchen, her choice.

The next night she came in and slept in a dog bed in the bedroom in the middle of the night.

The next night she followed Mom's other two to bed but again slept in the dog bed on the floor.

After two days of that...she decided to join the others in my Mom's king sized bed.

Mom says now she has claimed her spot in the bed and can be found there all day 

when not awake.

She had so much to learn in her new home. How to use a doggy door. How to eat off a spoon.

She has the softest ears. She is just the perfect little dog.

She does love to eat and weighs almost 30 pounds.

That is why Mom is hand feeding her to limit the amount she eats.

But Mom says she wakes her at 6:30 am each day asking for food.

At first Mom thought it would hurt to call her Daisy since we'd had our own Daisy.

But Mom said she really did seem like a Daisy so she is calling her Daisy Too.

Mom's Marcus really likes her and Rosie thinks she's ok.

I'm sure it's confusing to them that Mom is calling her Daisy when they KNOW it's not THEIR 

Daisy.

But all are adjusting. 

It's good to know that even though we lost our little Daisy...we've been able to give another Daisy

a happy place to live out her golden years.

I always say...

There is nothing better than a puppy except a dog and the only thing better than 

a dog is an old dog.

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Christmas is for Dogs

Christmas Morning was lots of fun for the weenies.

They had a great time tearing into their pretty stockings from MVL reader, Karla.

Thanks again, Karla!

Oh...the dogs loved all of this.

Violet is the best at opening packages.

The other's watched her to see what to do.

Then they all settled in to chew on their new bones.

Yes, a very good time was had by all.

Today I bought them a bunch of toys at 75% off!

Christmas...continues...for the weenies!

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Harvey Bing a Ling a Ding Dong Dog

Yes, Harvey Bing!

Love, love, love this pudgy little dog.

He's actually lost quite a bit of weight.

I know he still looks plump...but he's way smaller than he was and getting smaller.

I love him from the tip of his pink spotted nose to the white tip of his tail and all the good parts in between.

Toenails got trimmed right after this photo shoot.

He HATES for his toenails to be cut!

All my dogs do.

It's so bad that when I pull out the human clippers to cut my own toenails...they all immediately

run away.

They are afraid they are next!

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Little Snail

Little Snail

Upon the ground.

Why do you frown, frown?

Is something wrong

in Snail Town?

Something is wrong in Snail Town! It's invaded by weenies...it becomes Weenie Town!

Little snail surrounded by Plumbago in the corner of my deck.

I just can't seem to resist decorative snails in the garden.

This one found on half price at Hobby Lobby. 

I love the turquoise shell of course. 

That is the reason I bought him.

Lots of good photos of Franklin today.

He loves to sit up on the patio table and look over the yard.

What a face! Dear boy.

Looking for squirrels

He'll sit up here for ages.

I think he's part cat with the way he loves to be up high.

He thinks this is a viewing platform, not a dining table.

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It's Weenie Time!

After work...most days...I spend a little time on the deck with the weenies.

Here is Franklin...he's panting because it was so hot out...like mid 90's.

He's a full grown lovely boy now! He's over two years old.

He is very very sweet and gentle. He's very attached to me. Likes to be near me at all times.

He's an easy dog. He comes in when I call now and the only thing he is crazy about is squirrels 

but I never have to worry about him trying to get out. He seems perfectly content in my backyard.

When I had Newman I was constantly scared that he was going to find a way out or hurt himself doing

some daredevil thing. Franklin is full of fun...but he's not hell bent on destruction. 

He's a happy little guy.

I tried to get a photo of his full body, so you could all see how handsome he has become.

He has a very nice tail but his ears are a little funny. 

The hair stays short on the tips and is long on the tops.

Many of the photos turned out like this because he kept trying to come up and kiss me while I was shooting.

I haven't shown Harvey in awhile. He is much thinner than he used to be.

Here's a photo of how he used to look....

Very adorable but very fat.

He's is still chunky...but he has lots more energy now and can run and jump a little.

He's lost weight since I started spoon feeding them.

I don't leave food out for him to eat when he wants any more.

Still adorable.

I began this diet after discovering Violet is allergic to grain and chicken.

She had a terrible sinus infection and cough last year that just would not go away.

Many trips to the vet did not solve the problem.

The vet said it was just chronic and nothing to be done about it.

Well, I switched to canned food just because I'd run out of their normal dry.

That canned food was beef only. 

Mom had brought it when she came to stay with me.

After a few days on that food...Violet was so much better!

The coughing stopped and way less snotty nose.

Recently, I went grain free too and she's 100% again.

She has always sneezed a lot in the spring and summer but last year after she caught kennel cough 

from Franklin...she was sick most of last year.

I wonder why my vet didn't think to suggest it could be a food related allergy.

Her skin was itchy and broken out too.

Now it seems obvious.

Anyway, I wanted to tell about it here in hopes of helping anyone else that has a dog 

with a constant cough, runny nose and itchy skin.

Try taking chicken and grain out of their diet.

Poor Violet, she is not very photogenic. She is much more beautiful than this photo shows.

She is very hard to photograph too...she doesn't care about having her picture taken at all.

Newman used to stare right at the camera and I'd get lots of good shots of him.

Funny how some dogs like their picture taken and some don't.

Sally doesn't mind although she wiggles too much when close up. 

She is probably thinking about rolling in something in that top pic.

She likes to do that a lot.

Here she is being good. Such a silly girl with a silly smile.

Sally's lost weight too....Franklin has gained a little which is fine but poor Violet has 

gained several pounds. She used to pick at her food but since I changed it

she wants to eat lots of it. I think she knew it made her sick and ate as little as possible. 

That's what's up with the dogs.

Nothing much up with me.

Which is good....it's good when things are dull...don't you think?

Nothing bad happening...and that is good. 

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