behle

Well, I just vacuumed up the squeaky ball by accident! I was running the upright vacuum (absentmindedly to be sure - thinking about something on Dogo) when I felt and then heard an awful plopping, sucking noise. Before I could get the dratted thing turned off, I smelled hot motor smell, you know the one that signals death of an electrical appliance! :o So I finally get the thing turned off, flipped over, and start examining the beater bar. There, just tucked in behind it, flatter than a pancake, is Max's dang green squeaker ball! Hmm. What to do.... I rummaged around with my fingers but couldn't get a purchase on it. So I went to my kitchen tool drawer and fished out a pair of needle-nose pliers. I was able to successfully remove the offensive ball. By this time Max is hovering over me waiting for me to return it to him! I gave the vacuum a test run....now it makes a hideous wheezing noise! All this because of a $2 squeaky ball! :roll:

Oh, Courtnek! I am so sad for you...Tears are flowing... I have to tell you that you have done the right thing. A few years back my husband and I lost a kitten we had taken into our home to this same infection or something very like it. We tried everything our then vet recommended, putting that little guy through removal of one eye, all sorts of meds, and suffering. To no avail, the infection just continued to spread and when his other eye began to show the same signs I lost it, I called up the vet and said he had to meet me in his office (the middle of the night) to put poor Willy to sleep and end his suffering. I will never again allow myself to prolong an animal's suffering because I don't want to lose him. All the time he had been purring like a freight train was not because he was happy, but because he was HURTING. Nothing anyone says right now will make it bettter, I know. But we are all thinking of you during this sad time, and now Alex doesn't hurt anymore! I will keep you and yours in my prayers!

Thanks Mouse...I am so relieved that we all liked him - especially the boys! :lol:

What beautiful puppies! Just wonderfully cute, especially in the first picture all lined up drinking one of their many meals! :lol:

If this puppy were mine, I would be taking it to a vet. :o

They are so tiny. I would always be worried I would step on their delicate little paws. I don't have to worry too much about that with a rottie and a saint! :lol:

To my guys' first exam at their new vet (recommended by a co-worker). I have to say I was impressed by his intereactions with them and the manner in which he spoke with my husband and myself. "If he were my dog"...was the lead statement when I asked about pain medication for our rottie. Max cannot tolerate buffered aspirin. He ran through a number of options of over the counter meds, mentioned prescription meds, but said again that he would not want to have a dog of his on these long-term, heavy side-effect drugs if there was any other option available. He and his vet tech spent a good deal of time with our dogs and us, asking questions and getting a good feel for the health of Ben and Max, as well as performing the physical exam. Ben weighs 149 pounds and Max now weighs 109 pounds. Both are healthy and heartworm free. Max does suffer from an old injury to his right rear knee and a birth defect of his left front foot which has caused his shoulder to become arthritic. As for the heartworm issue...he asked what we had been using (Heartguard chewables) and said that he would recommend that the guys continue with this. Plus, and this is something new for us, he performed the fecal test himself while we waited. At our other vets we always found out the results a day or so later! I'm sorry...I know I am running on about this, but I am so pleased that I think we have found a doggie doctor who has a lot of knowledge coupled with common sense plus an easy "dogside manner"! :D The only downer of the entire visit was paying for all this service plus the cost of 8 months of Heartguard! Ch-ching! :wink:

My boys are chipped through Home Again. Along with the chip we got little yellow i.d. number tags that go on their collars. The phone number of Home Again is listed as well as the chip number, so the information can be given by whomever finds the dogs to the Home Again service without being able to read the chip. They have had their tags for about 3 years and the numbers have faded a little. We did use the service one time when our Saint took off after a deer (we live in the country) through some heavy brush too fast for my husband to catch him. We were worried sick....we searched every road in our truck looking for him. But a kind lady found him on a dirt road about a mile from our house, took him home, tied him to a tree, found the Home Again number and called it in. They in turn notified us and we were able to have him home safely in a matter of 2 hours. When we got home from looking for him a message was waiting on our phone! What a relief that was. If he had not had appropriate tags on we could have lost him for good! As a result I am an advocate of microchipping! :lol:

Disgusting! She should never be allowed another dog.... :evil:

CONGRATULATIONS! Looking forward to meeting your newest furkid soon! :kciuki:

So sad. :cry: There are so many cast-offs out there. :cry:

Courtnek, you are such a good mom for Alex. I am anxious for both of you as you visit the eye doctor. Keep us updated when you can... :cry: I will keep you both in my thoughts and prayers. How's Freebee doing with all this?

That is awesome news! It's no wonder you are on cloud 9 today! [size=6]CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AND YOUR ATHLETES![/size] :laola: :laola:

Well, Rosebud, I seem to be able to tune it out now most of the time! I haven't hit the bottle yet! :drinking: There's only an occasional extreme fit of squeaking now and then; I've taken it from him so much that he usually goes to another room to squeak it! :evilbat:

What a great thing you did! It couldn't have turned out any better! :angel:

Daisymom - glad you were able to catch a break on Chelsea's upcoming op! Thanks for posting the link too... :lol:

Wonderful girl babies! Congratulations to you all.... :buzi: Give the brave mommy a kiss from me!

Malamum - A dixie cup is a little paper/wax-coated disposable drinking cup that many people use in their bathrooms instead of a normal drinking glass. Use it once, toss it in the trash! Although I have no idea why Gretchen (Debbie's furkid) would want to eat one! :eating: I'd love to hear her explanation! :lol:

Our first saint, Wiley, had severe hip displasia that had been worsened by growing up in a crate or chained outside!!!! :evil: :evil: :evil: When we got him he could not run, sit comfortably, get up and down without pain, and his walking gait was a kind of a shuffle. His shoulders were massive from accomodating his deficiency. Our Ben can lay down in a Sphinx-like position - Wiley NEVER assumed that resting position, instead always shifting his hips off to one side. In spite of some initial improvement, eventually his problems became so severe that the nerves in the base of his spine got damaged and he became paralyzed, refused to eat or drink, and we eventually had to have him PTS. That was a horrible experience. He was the product of excessively poor breeding and an unknowledgeable owner. Sweet temperment though and a Mr. Slobberface! :cry:

Yes indeed, Malamum, that little thing caused all that trouble! And it was a bargain too; only two dollars for the joy of being awakened yet again this morning by its piercing squeak! Thanks for giving Max a compliment! I will tell him.... :lol:

:eating: Yummy! :eating: Good luck! Hope it all comes out all right in the end! :wink:

Thanks for the update Daisymom! Glad to hear she is on the upswing. I'll keep my fingers crossed for her and you! If it turns out fine, it will be money well-spent! :lol:

Hi Daisymom - Now that you mention it, how is Daisy's digestive system holding up? I haven't seen any updates lately - could be I have just missed them?

Hi Luka - If it were my dog, I would call the vet to get their advice. Better safe than sorry. Perhaps someone with more emergency experience will post here soon too. I would call the vet.

Here is a picture of Max gazing lovingly at the offensive squeaker toy after he is tired out from frantically chewing and pawing at it! [img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0RADjApwU0Mv68vrNZ5IGFpPoI3B80hr7!vPx5LEFh0Tf13e7dqeV1MbzIrZZsas5XiuJnNDXMrWLRJzTC5aQ3vLT4hBI3hmagzL4zDs8f18/squeaker.JPG?dc=4675417350138731364[/img] He is in love! :iloveyou: