Mad Dash to the Bedroom

Maggie is getting bigger and bigger by the day but she is still a puppy and enjoys jumping on people when they walk in the door ... The days when I come home from work, I carefully open the door (trying not to awaken Maggie), and slowly walk in the kitchen ... it doesn't matter, no matter how many times I try to sneak up on her she is usually looking at me thru the patio door ... now I know what's gonna happen ... she's gonna dart thru her doggie door and jump up on me to greet me ... some days it's okay but other days I have clothes on that need dry cleaning ... I usually make a mad dash towards the bedroom, close the door, change my work clothes and then I let her in so she can get a proper greeting ... whew, but there are days I don't quite make it to the bedroom in time ... "ah Mags," "you and those big paws" while she says "Gottcha!"

Is that my ... Oh No!

It's now April, 2008, two months from bringing Maggie home. I have a friend that consulted with Dr. B about a medication called Proin, a supplemental product for urinary incontinence for dogs. We decide to put Maggie on this medication, after all, what can it hurt? Only time will tell ...

In the meantime, Maggie doesn't have a clue that she is sick ... she's getting around so good after the hip surgery and just enjoying life playing with her toys, my dishtowels (ugh) and everything else she can get her paws on ...

Today I was watching her play outside while I was doing the dishes ... she was so happy running around in the backyard ... dancing around, lifting her head up and down ... I just love seeing her happy ... but wait, "oh no, not my phone Mags" ... needless to say, I no longer have a phone ... she has this phone so chewed up it won't work ... it's my fault for leaving it on the patio chair :-(

I e-mail all my family to let them know that I will be "out of pocket" tonight ... if anyone needs me I guess they will have to come by ...

I wonder what time AT&T opens up tomorrow ...

The Slow Healing

Maggie is slowly getting better. She's been to the vet for check-ups and is on so much medication ... prednisone, zenoquin, clavamox, and radiographs from her hip surgery to see how she is progressing. It seems every time I go, I end up in tears ... I hate to hear that Mags will probably never sleep on my bed and she will have to be in a crate or be an "outside" dog due to her bladder issue ... My poor vet, Dr. B., he is so wonderful and understanding ... he just comforts me and hands me tissues ...

Good thing she is a trooper about taking her pills ... just a spoon full of peanut butter and they all seem to disappear. It seems every time we visit the vet it costs a lot of money, don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining ... I just go outside and pick the bills off of my tree outside ... I just hope the tree doesn't die ...

Maggie Loves Her Dishtowels (Rags) ...

Like I said, dishtowels seems to be the fav for now ... I do hope she grows out of it sometime as all my dishtowels have holes in them!!!

Dishtowels ...

Maggie is very "spoiled" with lots of toys to play with but for some reason she seems to like my dishtowels that I place on my counter or hang over the stove. There have been many times that I would "catch" her taking off with the dishtowel in her mouth ... "Maggie, no" as I see her make a bee line for the doggie door ... I don't care at this point (probably a mistake), I just like to see her playing ... after all, dishtowels are a dime a dozen ...

The AM Washes

Having Maggie home feels really great although I must admit, it's a lot of work. Maggie basically doesn't have much bladder control, now don't get me wrong, she knows to go outside if she's up, but when she is laying down it just leaks out ... I truly believe she doesn't even know it ... I sat there one night and just watched as she slept and her bladder leaked ... It is so very sad ...

I have blankets all over the house for her to lay on because I am not going to keep her in a crate all day. If anyone bought stock at Walgreen's I bet they made money because I have spent a lot of money on 24 x 36" pads that I put down under her blankets.

If Maggie gets up too fast, she will just "squirt" all over ... I feel so bad for her and I do pray that God will heal her ... every morning when we get up, I open up her crate (because there is no way she can sleep on my bed), let her out, feed her, (she's on a high calorie diet), dispense meds, wash her fur in the back so she smells nice and start the washing machine ... I usually have a full load each morning of blankets to wash and I actually called my landlord and told him if the water bill is too high I would gladly pay for the excess ... (geesh, only I would think of that) ...

So this is our little ritual, one I don't like but one I will have to contend with ... after all, I love this dog of mine.

Only time will tell ...

It's February 9, 2008 and after being in the hospital for 15 days, I finally get the okay to bring Maggie home.

After much discussion, I was basically told that Maggie would almost certainly never live a normal life. She would not have much, if any, bladder control and she would most likely have to live outside for the remainder of her life. With this said, Dr. B. also stated that dogs have an amazing recuperative power. Nature (God) has granted them an amazing ability to regenerate themselves and their various organs and tissues. He stated that he had seen many, many dogs with horrible injuries and diseases recover themselves ... it may take six months to a year to know what Maggie's life would be like ... only time can tell ...

With all that said, I gulped on her bill, and took Maggie home. She's a little bit thin, (okay a lot) and her hair looks like she been through a lawnmower with all the different shaves on her from her surgeries. Tonight I made my second promise to Maggie ... "I will never put you through this again. I will not be selfish with myself. I only want what is best for you".

With that said, we finally get some much needed rest. My prayers are that I am so thankful that Maggie is home and "Dear Lord please give me the strength for the days to come."