Lady

Lady, Eskimo/Chow.

Born June 22, 1996 in Watertown, NY.

A June 22 baby of 1996, my dog thinks, no, she KNOWS, she’s one of the family. Knows me as mommy and my hubby as daddy. Someone once described her as a kid in a fur coat running around on all fours. And she really is a 40 pound lap baby. LOL

I love when the four legged babies are just as much involved in holiday grandeur as the human kids. Mine knows the holidays and always gets a chunk of ham or turkey (bone removed), depending on the holiday. She evens has few presents under the tree at Christmas and, just like other kids, sits eagerly with her ears forward and alert, watches and waits. She’s up on her feet when I pick up a gift and say her name. Her tail goes ninety mph while my daughter helps her open it. And on Easter, she has her own basket filled with her favorite doggie treats. She hates dress up, but maybe one of these days she'll let me take her trick-or-treating.

Lady is currently hindered by severe hip pain and I am doing the best I can for her. Lady also suffered a stroke in late November 2008 and is currently showing improvement.

November 26, 2008

I walked into the living room and found my precious baby cuddled against my recliner and froze. The first thing I noticed was the tilt of her head and where she'd gotten sick. I almost cried as she struggled to her feet and staggered toward me. I added the symptoms and my heart broke. On top of what I already listed, there was a twitch in her left eyebrow, both her eyes jerked to the side every 1/2 a second, she drooled, she couldn't hold down water, let alone food, and there was even more.  She couldn't even bark at the puppies when they came too close. I was terrified because when a dog's sugar drops, their brain functions falter and seizures often occur just before death. My small thread of hope was her heart, her love of life and that she never stopped taking in water.

It devastated me to realize time was ticking away on one so young. Yes, I have always provided anything my animals needed, no matter the cost. I called the vet to get an idea, but didn't have the heart to walk that path until I had no other choice. We nursed her, babied her, did all we could for her and held on with hope and prayers as we learned our Lady had suffered a stroke.

November 27, 2008

We started Lady on baby food and, while it's only about 10 CCs a few times a day, out fingers are crossed. The upside is she's not drooling, walks a little better and is a bit more steady. Her eyes seemed to jerk slower, too. It's something. It's a chance. It's hope.

November 28, 2008

She's ate a whole jar of baby food. Okay, she did it throughout the day, but she did it and she's not only holding it down, but she's holding down water, too. Know what else? The symptoms I saw on that first heartbreaking morning are lessening. Yeah, our fingers are crossed, but we do know there is always that chance of the sudden turn.

November 29, 2008

She's eaten two jars of baby food meat and let me tell you it's nice to hear her bring the puppies back into line. She's getting up and down steps on her own and can get out of her chair, but not quite in it on her own yet. She's back and showing rapid improvement daily. I don't know how much longer our Lady will be a part of our family, but I hope for many more years to come.

I have my husband, daughter, mother, four little sisters, five nieces, six nephews, three dogs, three birds a guinea pig, about eight koi, more family-too many to count, some very close friends and a life I cherish.

If someone asks me what I have to be thankful for on Thanksgiving 2008, the answer is more than you will ever know and most of them are right here at my side.