My Little Ecuadorian Dog

Thought we had lost our little Ecuadorian dog this morning. We (the BF, my little Ecuadorian dog, Tessa, and I) were out walking near the mouth of the river as the tide was going out. Tessa loves playing in the water and fetching things that are tossed in. This morning, she saw a coconut floating on the current and jumped in to bring it to shore. The combination of the river current and the outgoing tide was so strong that she could not make it back. I thought about going in to help her and was thigh deep before my husband told me to stop.

"I would rather lose a dog than my wife." was his reasoning.

He was right. The current was so strong that we would both have been swept out to sea. All I could do was watch helplessly as she struggled to make it to shore. Then struggle to keep her head above water. Then I held my breath as I lost sight of her beneath the waves.

It was a horrible thing to contemplate - her drowning. I could not watch. But, as we turned to walk back up the river, my husband spied her on a wave, being washed ashore on the other side. A wave or two later and she was out of the water and running along the opposite bank looking for a way back.

Then, the silly girl, jumped into the water and began trying swim back! Again, as I watched, she was caught in the current and pulled toward the sea. Again, as I watched, she struggled to make it back to shore, to us. Again, I saw her, in my mind's eye, being pulled under as the tide joined with the river to produce a current so strong.

But, this time, she was closer to the sand bar so the current was pushing in her favor. I held my breath as she struggled toward the safety of the shallows. I watched as she appeared to be carried out into the main part of the river and out to sea once again. But this time she made it. Her little feet touched solid ground. She struggled with the current still, but she was almost home free. Then, she jumped and bounded across the shallows that were chest deep for her. She had made it!

I wanted to grab her and hold her close. She wanted to stay just out of reach but close enough to know safety.

She is downstairs now, lying in the warmth and safety of her yard. I am happy she is there. My little Ecuadorian dog.

Funny Story (Rated R for explicit anatomical wording)

As you know, I have an older dog, Roz (fuzzy creature on right). Roz is the sweetest dog ever. Roz is not a normal dog. Roz has "issues".

First, Roz has seizures. They are now controlled with heavy drugs. She is drugged morning and night and rather enjoys her state of drugged bliss. No more seizures. Improved living through pharmaceuticals. Living in happy land.

Second, Roz is a hermaphrodite. Yes. You read that correctly. H. E. R. M. APHRODITE. Why does it not rhyme with Aphrodite? That would be funny. But, I digress as usual...

Roz had a cyst on her side that was growing and getting really bad. Made an appointment with the vet to have it surgically removed. Brought her in, dropped her off, went home, awaited the call to pick her up.

At about 11 I got a call from the vet. The vet was concerned because Roz had what she thought was a cystic growth in her vagina. We talked a bit. The vet said it was so close to the vulva that it would soon protrude and block the urethra.

Protrude? Protrude, I thought. HA!!! This was my vet saying that my hermaphrodite dog had a cyst! I interrupted the woman's cautionary cancer tale with "You do remember that Roz is a he/she? A hermaphrodite. Before you go removing this "cyst", make sure you are not palpating a penis."

Vet, very condescending, "Hermaphrodites don't present as female."

"Mine does. Please just make sure it is not a penis."

Vet, still condescending, "Alright, but..."

"My dog has a penis, it protrudes on occasion. She is not a she. She is not a he. She is the poster dog for Transgender beings everywhere. Scientific proof that it does happen!"

Vet saw no humor in this. Said she would call me back after a visual inspection of my poor Rozie's privates.

A few minutes later, humbled vet, "You were right, it is a penis. I have never seen such a thing."

Poor Rozie, the humiliation of it all. I need to take her to therapy now because she didn't know she was built wrong...

Moral? Is there one? Are you a veterinarian? If so, sometimes the owner is right!

My Day Has Begun

This morning started like every other morning. Alarm went off, I hit snooze - lather, rinse, repeat. Finally, after playing the snooze button dance for about 20 minutes, I rolled out of bed.

Slippers on my feet, eyes open just enough to see, I staggered down the stairs.

The dogs greeted me excitedly; not so much in delight, but with the urgent need to get out the back door to take care of doggie business. Out the door we went, into the frigid cold (-9 degrees Fahrenheit!) that has been sitting over us for the past couple of days. Thank goodness they were quick!

The cold was the shock it took to truly awaken my system - sense of humor first. All of the sudden, everything was funny! My coffee grinder didn't want to grind my coffee. I laughed and called it names. I sang to my darling "Miss Sylvia" as she dispensed my morning espresso. The banter between my son and I was in my favor, so quick was my wit this morning. The dogs each got a song, freshly composed, about their life abilities and prowess at nothing.

And then, the birds at the feeding station began to sing. All winter long they have silently partaken of the bounty provided. This silence broken only with the occasional scolding from a little chickadee. But this morning, the cardinals were chatty, the chickadee couldn't silence their conversation. The male goldfinch, just coming into color, was obviously practicing for some opera and the scolding chickadee couldn't silence his aria. And my favorite, the diminutive little titmouse (visions of tiny mouse breasts run through my head) with his large voice, calling out to the sun as it rises and spreads its little bit of winter warmth across the yard. They must be feeling spring in this cold that blankets us. Their joy must be a sign of spring just around the corner.

It is now silent. Hijo Segundo is gone for his day of learning and friends, the Boyfriend is working to provide me with money to spend, and I am sitting here at my computer surrounded by dogs and one lone little cat, sharing my thoughts, as silly as they are, with the cyber world. My day has begun.

Another Shot

I have been worried about my old dog Roz for quite some time now.

When we brought her into our lives about 8 years ago, my vet informed me she had serious hip displaysia. Serious to the point of possible worsening to the point of inability to walk in later years. Roz has been having that difficulty for the past 5 to 6 months.

At first it was just a little hitch in her stride as we set about our morning walk. Then it progressed to a definite limp and lameness on one side of her back end. More recently it has worsened to the point of not being able to get up the stairs. She would fall and slide back down to the bottom and scare the tar out of me every time. It has worsened to the point where she cannot walk through snow deeper that 6 or 7 inches. It has worsended progressively to the point where she can barely walk and I must carry her most of the time.

Finally, I could not stand to see my loyal little friend in such pain. Watching her brought tears to my eyes and I would sit and hold her and cry. She seemed to know that my concern for her ran deep because she would always look up at me with her big, liquid brown eyes and just relax in my arms.

"Right now," I whispered to her last Thursday as I set her down and reached for Google. I set about finding an animal chiropractor to see if she could be given some sort of comfort. And, Google didn't let me down. I found one a 45 minute drive from my home in the small town of Pompey, NY. She was flying out for a race (she works on race horses) and would be back on Monday. She would see her that day!

This morning Roz was bundled into her bed already set up in the back seat of the car and we set out for Pompey. It took a a while to get there because it was snowing so hard and traffic was not moving quickly. I was afraid the kind Doc would think us a no show. But, just as we pulled into the drive of her farm, a small SUV pulled in behind. It was her! Also late due to the roads.

The first thing that the Doc did after we entered her barn/office area was take the leash of Roz and let her explore. She watched as Roz limped around her office, sniffing and nosing into the boxes of toys and horsey smelling blankets. After about 5 minutes, Roz came over and sat down at my feet, entirely calm and okay with the situation. Then the Doc sat down on the floor and motioned for me to do the same. With Roz between us, she began talking to her and running her hands lightly up and down her spin. After Roz was okay with being touched by this kind and gentle person, the Doc took Roz's hips in her hands and extended Roz's legs to the back.

She had one leg about 1 inch longer than the other! With that little bit of information flying about the room, Roz began to quiver in fear. Then the Doc gave one of Roz's hips a little tweak and Roz relaxed perceptably. Then a tweak to the other hip. Roz's tongue began to peek out of her mouth as it does when she is entirely relaxed. The Doc set Roz back down on all fours and began working her hands ever so gently back up the dog's spine, every once in a while giving a little push and re-aligning a stray vertabrae.

As she reached the center of Roz's back, Roz again began to quiver in pain. In the very center of her spine, Roz had a vertebrae that caused her back to have a slight bend; canting to the right as if her right shoulder and her right hip were trying to meet one another. Somehow, very quickly the Doc massaged that spot, got Roz to relax again and snap! Her spine was straight! And the vet continued her gentle journey up Roz's spine.

By the time she was finished, Roz was asleep, tongue lolling to one side as I held her in a standing position. As soon as Roz realized that her spa time was at a close, she turned around and gave the vet a big wet doggie kiss. The vet smiled and laughed. I smiled and laughed.

We both, the vet and I stood up to see if Roz would walk around for us again. And she did! She walked without the stiffness. She put weight on all four feet. She stood squarely on all four feet! I was so relieved. My worries for my little friend were set aside.

As Roz explored and looked around the Doc and I set up another appointment for her. But, this time, Doc comes to us! She makes house calls! SaWeet!!!!! My job for the next 10 days is to work Roz into and excercise program of walking daily, rain, snow, sleet or hail. She needs to walk to regain her strength in her hips that are severly atrophied due to her inability to use her hind legs properly. But, with time, her hips should be alright, considering the severe displaysia that she has.

I am relieved. I am grateful. I am excited for my old dog to get another shot at an active life.

Playing Around with Smilebox

Captain Jack Explores His Moods

Not only do I, the Capt of Jack, enjoy wool rugs, but I am a moody Kitteh too. Sometimes I am an angry Kitteh, sometimes I am green with envy cuz that dog Jezzabelle gets all the attention. Other times, I just want to fade into the ugly wallpaper and become a "Wall Kitteh" and then, pop out and become the "In your face Kitteh". Yes, I am the Capt of Jack!

Captain Jack says

Sleeping on wool is good for the belly. You can bite it, chew it, throw it up like a hairball 3 days later. Yum.