Dog Talk
Nana: We're taking our border collie to the vet for her yearly vaccinations. For
some reason she gets violently ill when she gets her vaccinations. Last
year, she was on the normal puppy schedule for shots. Even spaced out, they made her sick.
Each time she would vomit and feel awful for a whole day. I warned the vet about this but he seemed to shrug it off. Really ticks me off when a vet disregards my observations. I'm not an idiot, especially when it comes to my animals.
After the first event, I didn't feed her until she had her vet visit, but it didn't matter. Even with nothing in her stomach, she'd have the dry heaves.
This year I have a new vet. We'll see how this one handles it.
Here's a picture of Nana multi-tasking. She always rides with me in the golf cart as I tend the animals and gardens, but this time she brought her ball--just in case.
Maggie: Poor old girl is feeling her age. She has a little cough after she eats. It might be due to the way she wolfs down her chow. I've resorted to giving her more broth so she slows down and slurps some of her food.
She's definitely slowing down though and tires out faster. As some of you might remember, Maggie was the labrador who was dumped out in the country.
Maggie and a lab puppy (we named him Biscuit) found their way to my house. Biscuit died of parvo despite our best efforts, but Maggie did fine--other than her bouts with Nana, the Terminator.
I'm happy to report there have been no more altercations between them. That might have something to do with how angry we were with the little beast the last time she trounced on poor Maggie. Nana knew she had crossed the line and did her best to get back into our good graces.
Iko: Our special child. He's still feeling a little lost since Saint Tank passed away. He idolized his older brother. He's been content to let Nana become alpha as long as she plays nice with him. If he wanted to he could put a world of hurt on that little dog. Fortunately, she's never tested him that far.
Iko has always been a little different. He's a nervous kind of dog which is hard to handle since there's so much of him. It's not easy to calm a 115 pound dog intent on hiding or running away.
We sometimes call him Crazy Ivan because you never know which way he'll go next. Still, he's a sweetheart. He loves to lay his head on your shoulder especially when he wants a hug. And he loves to go out in the rain because he knows when he comes in, I will rub him dry with a big, old fluffy towel. Life is nothing but simple pleasures for Iko.
And I couldn't end this post without including a picture of our angel, Tank. This is him and Nana when she was only a mini-monster.
It hasn't been the same since he's been gone. He was the rock of the pack, but he was still our baby til the end.
It might seem foolish to those of you who don't have pets or see your pets as mere animals, but our guys are family to us.
There have been saints, sinners, and at least one goddess in the long line of fur babies who had made their home with us. We loved them all.
What pets live with you, (past or present)? Have you ever had them share a bed with you? Extra points if they've ever pushed you off the bed.
Each time she would vomit and feel awful for a whole day. I warned the vet about this but he seemed to shrug it off. Really ticks me off when a vet disregards my observations. I'm not an idiot, especially when it comes to my animals.
After the first event, I didn't feed her until she had her vet visit, but it didn't matter. Even with nothing in her stomach, she'd have the dry heaves.
This year I have a new vet. We'll see how this one handles it.
Here's a picture of Nana multi-tasking. She always rides with me in the golf cart as I tend the animals and gardens, but this time she brought her ball--just in case.
She's definitely slowing down though and tires out faster. As some of you might remember, Maggie was the labrador who was dumped out in the country.
Maggie and a lab puppy (we named him Biscuit) found their way to my house. Biscuit died of parvo despite our best efforts, but Maggie did fine--other than her bouts with Nana, the Terminator.
I'm happy to report there have been no more altercations between them. That might have something to do with how angry we were with the little beast the last time she trounced on poor Maggie. Nana knew she had crossed the line and did her best to get back into our good graces.
Iko: Our special child. He's still feeling a little lost since Saint Tank passed away. He idolized his older brother. He's been content to let Nana become alpha as long as she plays nice with him. If he wanted to he could put a world of hurt on that little dog. Fortunately, she's never tested him that far. 
Iko has always been a little different. He's a nervous kind of dog which is hard to handle since there's so much of him. It's not easy to calm a 115 pound dog intent on hiding or running away.
We sometimes call him Crazy Ivan because you never know which way he'll go next. Still, he's a sweetheart. He loves to lay his head on your shoulder especially when he wants a hug. And he loves to go out in the rain because he knows when he comes in, I will rub him dry with a big, old fluffy towel. Life is nothing but simple pleasures for Iko.
And I couldn't end this post without including a picture of our angel, Tank. This is him and Nana when she was only a mini-monster.
It hasn't been the same since he's been gone. He was the rock of the pack, but he was still our baby til the end.
It might seem foolish to those of you who don't have pets or see your pets as mere animals, but our guys are family to us.
There have been saints, sinners, and at least one goddess in the long line of fur babies who had made their home with us. We loved them all.
What pets live with you, (past or present)? Have you ever had them share a bed with you? Extra points if they've ever pushed you off the bed.
Comments
I had a beautiful black cat, Alex, who LOVED to jump on my face in the morning to wake me up. He loved to torture Natasha, too. I really miss him. He was the best cat ever.
Barney, our cocker mix, was the last dog we had. Loved that guy, but we wouldn't let him sleep on the bed or jump on the couch. Kind of learned our lesson with Natasha. But he knew when my alarm clock went off it was time for his walk and he'd nudge his nose in my face to make sure I was getting up. I miss those walks.
We decided not to get any more pets after Barney, mainly because our best friend is allergic. Kind of miss them at times (but not the messes, certainly not that).
We try to keep the dogs from getting on the bed too much--especially if they're big dogs. This is more for their safety. Once they get a certain age, it's too high a jump for their old bones.
I think they realize it too and don't try to jump.
They take it better than I do though.
I am happy to say that the last pet we have at present has totally rocked my world with the change in her personality since she has been in the household since April of 2003 when we got her at six weeks of age from a shelter 20 miles from where we lived. Nowadays the formerly independent "Queen of the house" has become much more likely to "ask" for affection rather than snubbing it, she sleeps on the side of my pillow by my head when I nap and at night when I sleep in my bed.
Okay have to admit a cat does not take up much space and yes have had a pet "shove me out of bed", growing up my parents allowed me to be given a Golden Retriever/Irish Setter puppy by my Dad's boss at the time.
Sugar was a great bed partner in winter as my room had no heat source, we slept back to back however one night she must have had a bad dream because I ended up on the floor at some point and still remember laughing so hard almost wet my pants because the poor dog was so worried she was in trouble she was almost crying.
Since than lap dogs, they hog the bed and covers but lack the ability to "throw"one off the mattress!
Re: 2 car bedroom
LOL! Love the cat bedroom. Makes perfect 'cat' sense.
Re: I miss them both and understand how Tank has left a vacuum in the family.
That he did.
Though I think hubby and I snore enough for the whole family. LOL.
I feel for Iko. The respect he had for Tank was palpable. Losing his big bro is a big deal. Losing Tank is a big deal for all of you. I've only ever owned a hamster, bird and fish. But I can understand what you mean about your pets being family.
I recommend the Break Fast bowl. Our Lucy doesn't need it that badly since she's slowed down...but that evil food greedy Molly the Labrador...enough said.
Hugs from this menagerie
Maggie is better since I've moistened her food. If that didn't work, I was going to put a ball in her bowl so she'd have to work for her food.
Re: Gracie
I know how you feel. Losing family is like losing a piece of your soul.
It takes a long time to recover whether friends see it in you or not.
And in the pic of Tank, I thought that little black-and-white scrap in the background was a stuffed toy of his.
Re: Tank and toy
LOL. Well. sort of.
Your dogs just make me want to hug them - except Nana, she gets balls thrown in fetch till she finally tires out :)
Re: Nana
So far we've yet to tire her out. She's a little dynamo.
Beastie Girl pushed me out just this morning, LOL. One good twitch, all four legs on my back, and BAM, hello floor. Took Mini Me with me!
This was a year prior to diagnosis but at the time my mobility problems really started becoming an issue later that year and all of 2012.
I believe the reason she "shadows" me now has more to do with being an "only child" now than it has to do with the MS, she really wants to make sure she is not "alone" and also she feels safer when in the same room with me as I have always been her defender when she needed one.
However also believe my pretty little kitty cat knows Mom is kind of needing company because my "snuggle cat" is gone and I really miss his cuddles and kisses every day.
I agree. Animals are so empathetic. When I lost my Chelly, Tank was right there waiting to hold me up when I broke down.
They know, and they show it in the only ways they know how.
One thing I love about our vet is their vaccine policy. Every three years instead of every year. And once my pups got older I just decided to opt out of them completely and they were fine with it.
And you better believe I share my bed with them
I always worry about over-vaccinating. But Nana is only two so I'd like to make sure she's covered.
http://baffledspirit.blogspot.co.uk/2009/05/elegy-to-cat.html
Poor Gladstone.