Diego seems to be doing all right. He’s able to hobble around on three legs pretty well. The incision looks good, and so far he’s leaving it alone, so we don’t have to make him even more uncomfortable by putting a giant cone around his giant head. I say he
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wmtc: pupdate: good news
The surgery was a success. The vet was very pleased with how the procedure went, said the joint is in good shape outside of this injury, and Diego did well with the anesthesia. He’s currently sleeping it off and we’re picking him up shortly. Whew! Thank you for your good
Continue readingwmtc: pupdate: our temporary tripod
Diego is walking on three legs, a result of a ruptured knee ligament (ACL). Surgery is scheduled for Friday. Our first dog, Gypsy, had the same injury. It’s not uncommon in large dogs. In those days, surgery was new and experimental; we borrowed a car to see a surgeon in
Continue readingwmtc: in which we discover kai is houdini
A new fence, eh? Not so fast! One minute the dogs are on their side of the fence, barking at a woman walking her dog past the house. The next minute, Kai is playing with the dog, on the street. Of course Kai completely ignored our calls. Her training is
Continue readingwmtc: in which two humans figure out how to make a yard safe for canines
We did it! We closed the gaps in our partially fenced yard, in a way that looks decent, was within our budget, and within our skill set. First we researched online, and eliminated many possibilities. Then we simplified the project by choosing the least number of gaps to close that
Continue readingwmtc: pupdate: ten things we love about kai
The yard is only partially fenced, so until we close the gap, Kai is tethered.She doesn’t seem to mind. Allan, Diego, and I are totally smitten by this little munchkin. What a surprise, eh? In no particular order, here are ten awesome things about Kai. 1. She’s housetrained. Through at
Continue readingwmtc: introducing… kai!
Our first meeting Introducing Kai, the new addition to our pack, and Diego’s new sister! Kai (rhymes with eye) is small for us, about 30 pounds, a pit-mix with a “Staffie” look. She is much smaller than a Staffie — unless her foster mom was very wrong about her age!
Continue readingwmtc: another piece to check off the list: we have a new vet
We knew there was a veterinary clinic in our area, the North Island Veterinary Hospital. But I was a bit concerned. This is a bias a mine, perhaps unfounded, but in my experience, people in rural areas may be less vigilant about the health of their dogs and cats, leaving
Continue readingcentre of the universe: The Christmas Story
As told by Teyah T. Dog (aka “Bumblebutt”) Once there was a woman in a kitchen and the kitchen was far from the dogs’ resting place on the chesterfield. The dogs heard the sound of crinkling and knew that the King would tell them they couldn’t have treats, so they
Continue readingScripturient: The dogshit dilemma
We have a problem with dogshit. Well, all municipalities do, of course, but ours is increasingly evident: it’s everywhere. And with the growing popularity of pets and our growing population, it’s becoming worse.* How do we deal with it? We pick it up, of course, as we dispose of it
Continue readingwmtc: what i’m reading: pit bull: the battle over an american icon
If you have an opinion about pitbulls, chances are good that it’s based on myth, misinformation, and even disinformation. I know a good deal about dogs, and I thought I knew a lot about pitbulls, yet I was constantly amazed and enlightened by Bronwen Dickey’s Pit Bull: The Battle Over an
Continue readingwmtc: "what kind of dog is that?" part 2: in which we learn more but feel like we know less
You may recall, we decided to have Diego’s DNA examined to see what breed mix he is. Here’s what the folks at DNA My Dog have determined. Supposedly Diego is 37-74% German Shorthaired Pointer, 20-36% German Shepherd, and 1-9% Collie. I just don’t get it. Diego looks nothing like a
Continue readingwmtc: in which we answer the burning question: "what kind of dog is that?"
At the beach! Diego’s favourite place. What kind of dog is that? People ask this all the time. All our dogs have been rescues, but most had recognizable breed markers. We could answer “white Shepherd-Husky cross” or “Lab-Shepherd mix” or “Jack Russell-Fox Terrier cross”. Of course those dogs probably had
Continue readingwmtc: pupdate, pressure, and poor customer service
Diego at the beach Three weeks after losing Tala, Diego became violently ill. The usual home approaches didn’t work, but when the trip to the vet didn’t work, I was really worried. Seeing this dog — normally the picture of happiness, with a voracious appetite — so quiet and sad,
Continue readingwmtc: update from the land of the missing white dog
We miss Tala a lot. Of course. Need it even be said. Somehow I have gone from abject grief to poignant acceptance quicker than I expected. I have no idea why this is. With each dog we have said goodbye to, eventually I get to a place where, thinking of
Continue readingwmtc: tala
We must say goodbye to our sweet Tala today. At the vet yesterday, we got the worst possible news, and we know we must do this right away. I’m grateful that it’s a clear decision. Tala, Tala Bobala, Talabo, T-bo, T. Skinny Face. Princess Tala. My Little Girl. She started
Continue readingwmtc: what i’m reading: welcome to the goddamn ice cube
Canadians might be disappointed to learn that Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube: Chasing Fear and Finding Home in the Great White North is not about Canada. We sometimes refer to Canada as the Great White North, but the Canada that most Canadians inhabit has little in common with the
Continue readingwmtc: pupdate: happiness is a cancer-free dog
Tala’s stitches were removed last week, and we got the full biopsy results: clean margins all around. The surgeon says she does not expect to ever see us again. A week later, I’m still feeling waves of joy and relief. Allan takes the good news in strid…
Continue readingwmtc: hooray for tala
Tala is doing great! Of course she was exhausted and a bit wobbly when she came home, but now she’s well rested and back to herself. And she looks a whole lot better without a disgusting, oozing tumour sticking out of her side! More importantly, there’…
Continue readingwmtc: in which i ride an emotional roller coaster and get off at the top
Short version: Tala has had surgery and has a very good chance of remaining cancer-free. Whoo-hoo!It’s been a crazy couple of days. Monday afternoon we hear the biopsy results. Tuesday morning we have X-rays done. Our vet recommends a top surgeon who i…
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