Monday, January 24, 2011

BEST FRIENDS ARE DOG FRIENDS

When I took on Lyla as a permanent member of my family and all of those kittens, K9 Justice League and I decided that it was probably best for me to take a break from fostering... at least until the kittens were adopted and Lyla got settled into the groove of life. All of the kittens were adopted except for Gizmo. He's still hanging out with me. I'm not sure why there hasn't been any interested in him! He's a handsome boy with neat coloring and very sweet! I hope he founds a good home soon. I'll be relieved to be down to just my three cats! In the meantime, I trapped another feral male and had him neutered. Two left! I thought there were only two left BEFORE I trapped that male. I had never seen him before! Ugh...

Anyway, once one of the two remaining kittens had been adopted, I texted Jessica and told her that I was ready to foster again. I can't resist fostering! I love it... in spite of the heartache that comes with it. There's a lot of happy, too.

Memphis graced my life days later. He's a young Beagle with a goofy, sweet personality. I absolutely adore him. He loves to snuggle! He's great with other dogs, great with other cats, and just a very easy dog to get along with. Unfortunately, after is neuter surgery, Memphis started throwing up his meals. He only threw up immediately after he ate. I started soaking his kibble in water until it was mushy and mixed it with canned food. He started keeping all of his meals down. Long story short, I took him to the vet today. They took x-rays and did barium. He doesn't have any obstructions - which is kind of what we were hoping for, I guess. He has a sac in his esophagus where the food is getting trapped as it goes down. He is taking meds and eating mushy food that is elevated. We are hoping this helps... but it's sort of wishful thinking. I don't think it's going to be an easy fix. Worst case scenario is that it's Esophageal Diverticulitis. This may require surgery... and sometimes the dogs get aspiration pneumonia from the condition. Argh! Poor baby! I hope that we can figure it out... and that Memphis pulls through it all. He's curled up and sleeping in his crate right now. I think he's tired from a day at the vet!

Monday, January 3, 2011

YOU CAN'T SAVE THEM ALL

Well... I told my dad that I was probably keeping Lyla. He just reminded me that caring for dogs is expensive and that I "really need to think about the amount of dogs I have." Of course, I know this. I thought about it. Intensely. I racked my brain trying to decide whether or not I should keep her. Ever since the beginning, though, there was something special about her. A puppy is the last thing I wanted in my life. I'm a "boy dog person." Not a "girl dog person." Taking on a puppy typically means taking on an animal that is going to live for at least another 8+ years. I WAS NOT planning on this. But... sometimes... it just happens.

Brody and Lyla are two peas in a pod. They adore each other. Jackson has even taken to her. I've had her for so long... that I can't imagine living life without her. She's brilliant, sweet, and beautiful. She's the "little girl" I never had. Pink... a color I've always despised. Now all I can think about is buying Lyla pink collars, pink bowls, pink coats... She's an addition to the pack that is here to stay. I say this as she's curled up next to me with her head resting on my leg. Yeah... I think she's here to stay.

My dad also mentioned that I was being "distracted by all of the animals" in the sense of schooling, etc. I attempted to explain to him that they aren't a distraction. They ARE my life. I've always had animals, and this has always been the norm for me. It's not a distraction. It just IS.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

WE'RE ON YOUR SIDE

Once again, I'm a slacker! Well, not quite. I'm just a little busy with everything.

The dogs are all doing well. I have four kittens left. Two or three more ferals to catch and have fixed. One of them might have a home come January 5th, so that's excited. Then the other boys need homes! I'm having trouble giving Tiny to just anyone, though. I would really like him to have a home with someone I know. I love them all, but he's just extra special to me.

Ummm, other than the usual with the cats and the dogs, nothing much going on. I tried to teach Lyla how to "roll over" yesterday, and she kept putting her paw on my hand and digging her nails into my skin to get the treats. I had just clipped her nails, so they were really sharp, and now my hand looks like I stuck in in a thorn bush. Ouch!