The Kid ...

Dr. R was very faithful to call me every morning to give me an update on Maggie. He always called her "The Kid" ... maybe that's his way of not having to keep up with the names of all the dogs he cares for.

Maggie's surgery went well and if all things go as expected, I will be able to pick her up on the 20th ... now mind you, she went in on the 4th of January.

It's been pretty lonely without Mags here to give me comfort or I guess I should say to give me something to clean up or fix ... I'm counting the days when I get to go pick her up ... needless to say, I don't realize the post op care she needs when I bring her home ... more to come.

It's Just For A Little While My Dear Friend...

So, Dr. B told me that my Maggie Mo had a congenital hip condition known as hip dysplasia ... In short, Maggie's hip sockets were "shallow" and they did not properly cover the head of her femurs. He also said that once damage to the ball-and-socket occurs there would be no point of doing surgery. Maggie would develop painful arthritis and she would need pain medication for the rest of her life. He recommended that I consult with Dr. R., a canine orthopedic surgeon. I immediately decided to take Maggie down to VCA All-Care animal hospital in Fountain Valley, CA. There I met with Dr. R.

Now, Fountain Valley is approximately 2-1/2 hrs away from where I live. But Dr. R was recommended and recognized to be the "Father" of the hip surgery and the inventor of the devices that make the surgery possible and successful. So, after checking-in at VCA, Maggie and I met Dr. R. He began to examine Maggie and her x-rays. He spent time with me and Maggie: we went outside so that he could see her walk, we went inside where he examined Maggie's hips and legs (front and rear.) He then explained that Maggie was a good candidate for the surgery. Dr. R was very confident that the "TPO" procedure (tri-pelvic osteotomy) would help Maggie to live a long, happy, and pain-free life. He also explained that Maggie's recovery would require her to stay at the VCA hospital for three to four weeks! Geesh . . . this was gonna be hard on Maggie and me!

I decided to allow Maggie to have the surgery but saying goodbye was very hard for me... although this hospital was everything you would want it to be, it was very painful to put Maggie in her "kennel" and say good-bye ... I know I won't be able to visit her as it's too far for visits ... and of course it would be just as hard to have to leave her each time ... The tears kept flowing down my cheeks on my way back home ... I hope I'm doing the right thing ...

Dear Lord, I know you love animals since you are the creator of them ... protect my Maggie Mo and give me the strength for days to come ...

Sweet Dreams My Maggie Mo ...

Maggie got lots of toys for Christmas ... in fact she got so many, she didn't know which ones she should play with ... I guess she just wanted to sleep on it a while.

We have an appointment to go down south to Fountain Valley (which is approximately 2-1/2 hrs away) for a consultation with the famous Dr. R. For some reason I'm not that worried ... I guess I never gave it much thought what we would be put through ... all I know is that I love this dog of mine and I will do everything I can to make her life enjoyable ... at her age she didn't need any limps or aches, she just deserved the best quality of life possible, at least I thought she did.

ps ... please don't tell me she's just a dog ... (ugh)!

So This Is Christmas ...

Maggie's first Christmas picture. If you look closely at the picture you will see that all the candy canes are at the top of the tree for fear that she may eat them. Maggie is doing well after her surgery from being spayed (you can see in her leg where they had shaved her for the IV), and I decided to go "home" to Phoenix to spend Christmas with my family.

I received a phone call while I was in Phoenix from Dr. B who told me that he had reviewed Maggie's x-rays with Dr. R and that they had confirmed that Maggie had problems with her hips. He wanted me to follow through with Dr. R. (the specialist), and make an appointment for a consultation ... I decided that I would, after all, Maggie is only six months old,

No Puppies For Maggie and Me

Today is December 8, 2007, and Maggie is going in to get spayed ... as much as I would have loved to have puppies, I know that isn't possible. I dropped Maggie off early am and await for the call to pick her up.

I know Maggie is in good hands with her surgery because she has the best vet in the world. Dr. B called me around 3 p.m. and said that during the anesthesia, they checked Maggie's hips (routine procedure) and that her hips were "popping" when they rotated them back and forward. He asked permission to take an x-ray for further evaluation and consultation with himself and Dr. R., a hip specialist, who comes up from Fountain Valley once a month. I agreed to do whatever needs to be done to make sure Maggie is okay .

I picked Maggie up at dusk and of course spoiled her from having her surgery. Lots of instructions to follow but I will make sure that I follow each and every one ... I love my Maggie Mo you know.

McDonalds, Gage and the Screendoor

My son called me today and asked if I would watch the kids while they went out for dinner. No problem, they would stop by McDonald's to pick up some food (because they know Grandma doesn't have anything good in the house), and then come by. I put Maggie outside because she is still a puppy (pushing 50 lbs) and I know she would jump on the kids. "Outside Mags", and I close the screen door.

The kids come in with their bags filled with the aroma of hamburgers and french fries. I started to set them up at the dining room table so they can chow down, but Gage is very apprehensive of Maggie. I assured him that Maggie, as he can see, is outside and won't be bothering him. Now mind you, there is a small tear at the bottom of the screen door and just as soon as they were about to eat, Maggie poked her nose through that tear and then literally ripped her way through to come inside! Oh my gosh, the look on Gage's face was priceless! His eyes got so big! It wasn't funny at that time as I could see "terror" in Gage's eyes, and as much as he likes McDonald's, he was about to heave all of his food over to Maggie. Needless to say, we put her back outside (coaxing with a fry or two) and then closed the glass door. Gage and Aussie got to eat and now I have a screen door to contend with.

Thank you Maggie for ruining my screen door!

It's Not A Ball, Maggie!

Maggie is a little "spoiled" shall we say and I decided to get a doggie door so she can go in and out all day while I'm at work. The only problem is that it leaves her the living room, dining room, and kitchen all to herself. I bite the bullet and install the doggie door into the slider, (Note to anyone reading this, you loose about half of your doorway when you try to walk out).

I leave for work (hoping for the best), close all the bedroom and bathroom doors and leave lots of toys for Maggie to play with ... a little apprehensive to come home, I open the door and yep, another mess to clean up! Maggie had apparently found a "dirt clod" under those darn bushes that maybe she thought was a ball(?), brought it in the house, and then proceeded to play with this dirt clod ... I had a huge mess to clean up ... In fact it was so bad, I had to pick up the big pieces and sweep the carpet before I could even attempt to vacuum (for fear it would blow up the vacuum) ...

Oh well, it's just another day with Maggie Mo.