I figure it has been a while since the last update on how the family is doing, and we have had a lot of things happen over the course of the last several months! So read on to find out what we have been up to!
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Bubbles and Her Big Health Scare
I didn’t write about it in my last update back in October but we had a pretty big health scare with Bubbles about a year ago. I was out in the backyard giving her some scratches and noticed a lump on her belly. My first thought was “oh my god not another tick” since it was just about the right size! You can read more on ticks HERE.
But when I pinned her down (she is NOT a fan of having her belly touched at all so my very life was at stake at this point!) and managed to get a look…It wasn’t a tick but a lump. And since she’s getting on in her years it was off to the vet (they must love me in there).
The diagnosis scared me half to death. Most likely (like in 99% of cases), when there is a lump next to a mammary gland it is aggressive cancer. The recommended course of action was a double mammary strip masectomy over the course of two surgeries (one for each strip). And then chemo. I sobbed pretty much the whole way home.
My Miracle Cat
So, me being me, the first thing I started doing was research of course. And sadly my conclusion was pretty much the same as he vet’s. But I learned that the surgeries and chemo might give her another six months only. And my heart broke. The difficult decision was made that if she only had a short period of time left that I wouldn’t be subjecting her to all kinds of surgeries and pain. I’d let her go on her terms.
Lo and behold, the next vet visit revealed that the lump had not increased in size at all! And she was perfectly healthy! Several months later no less. So my Bubs became one of the lucky ones where it didn’t turn out to be what they thought. The next tears that came were tears of joy! My girl beat the odds!
Crazy Dior
Enter Dior! The reason Bubbles had to go to the vet in the first place. A beautiful Sphynx cat had turned her world upside down, and she was having trouble going to the bathroom. The diagnosis? A stress induced bladder infection. The reason? Dior’s arrival…
Back in February I had a girl who had just arrived from Ukraine move into my basement. She showed up with only a suitcase…and Dior! Dior came in as the smallest guy in the house, but easily the biggest and strongest personality. He had the dogs running and desperately wanted to be friends with the cats! Succeeding with Whiskers, and Whiskers only.
I’m going to have to do a separate post on Dior alone because he’s such a character. So you’ll have to keep a look out for it! They left at the beginning of June when her mom arrived and they moved in together. And I’m going to have to admit I miss the funny little guy and our nightly cuddles.
Rover
Deciding to sign up for Rover, it has brought a whole new bunch of dogs into our lives! Again, a lot of content so it’s going to require its own post haha. I figured…how hard can it be? I’m already out walking all the time…Well, we have had all kinds of personalities and experiences!
From the gentle giant Minnow, a beautiful lab/corso mix, to sweet little Edna who has a special place in my heart. We’ve run the gamut from intense resource guarding to me having to separate everyone and sit on my dining table to keep the peace! But it has been a great learning experience and has taught me so much and the vast majority of it has been a truly rewarding experience.
But yeah, you’ll have to check back for the full story…
Benson The Scaredy Cat Becomes The Tough Guy
Benson…my big cuddly baby. Scared of yoga mats and brooms (oh and feathers). So imagine my surprise when he started getting reactive. He used to be such an easy going guy, but not so much anymore. He had a few run ins with intact males and instead of cowering between my legs decided he wasn’t having it anymore…
The last time he was attacked was by two intact males in the dog park. No owners in sight, they charged him. One of them ran by…the other one engaged. And Benson being the much bigger guy, well it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that it took a matter of a mere few seconds for him to have the other dog pinned.
Me vs. Benson
I didn’t know what to do. Try as I might I couldn’t manage to grab his harness through all that fur…so instinctively grabbing him by the haunches and digging my feet into the sand I hung on with all my might. I really don’t know how I managed to keep hold of 135lbs of an extremely angry and red zone dog but I did…And it gave the other dog a chance to get away after probably pretty much immediately regretting its decision…
Sauntering over casually the owner collected her dog (who was now hiding) and walked right on by us again while I struggled to hang onto Benny boy. With him turning and snapping at me trying to get me to let go. I offered my number and got a “that’s ok we are just going to meander on out” kind of a response….With me thinking it wasn’t the first time this happened.
So since that day Benson can be hit and miss when he meets an intact dog or one that shows dominant body language. You can bet I’ve been learning anything I can on reading body language to pick up on other dog’s queues now so I can prevent disaster. I have also started carrying a pet corrector and dog spray on my walks…
Let Me Introduce….
I wasn’t kidding when I said I had a lot to update! But this one is a biggie! I’ve noticed that my dogs are slowing down a lot as they come up on four years old. I knew about the shortened lifespan when I got them but I didn’t anticipate just how fast it would go. And I’ve seen what happens to a dog when they lose a cherished companion. One of the guys in my area lost one of his two Berners recently, who was younger than my two…
So have you guessed what I’m going to say next??? Yes, the new puppy comes home at the end of the summer! I’ve had everything from comments on how I’m crazy to the people who totally get it! And with Benson’s reactivity now to males (which I’ve made decent progress in training to correct), I figured the best bet was another little girl!
We are very excited for this little gal to come home!!! Bernese Mountain dogs are simply wonderful companions to have in the house! My daughter wants to name her Aurora (Rory for short, so would be Gracie, Benny, Rory). But we’ve also been given Petunia (Tunie) and Penelope as other options we are considering! Petunia seems to be the most popular, so drop us a comment and let us know which you cast your vote for!
And be sure to check back for more posts touching on other things we wrote about above!
