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Sick as a Dog

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Jul 262012

I look pretty bad here. What’s worse is how I felt. I couldn’t run, I could barely walk, my parents thought I was dying. And I guess I was. I felt sick as a dog, and I was. My mom wanted me to see my favorite doctor in the world, but she wasn’t there. So I saw the next doctor, then another, and finally I ended up where I should have started out, with my favorite doctor in the world (aside from Dr. Kiko, but I saw him too), who was now back from being away, and my favorite doctor in the world figured out all my problems and made my parents very very happy.

And I’m no longer as sick as a dog.

Here in this photo you can see my shoulder bones, you can see my vertebrae, you can see my sits bones and you can see my hips, bone by bone. You can see my skin flapping around. That’s when my mom said “enough.” Or maybe she said, “This is ridiculous.”

A while back, when my mom took me for a checkup, she noticed that I was losing weight but that doctor didn’t think that was important; he said “He has arthritis and it’s good to carry less weight.” He missed the sign. Then my mom took me back a while later and the next doctor missed the sign too. But my mom kept worrying about me and knew that the doctors were wrong.

So what was the problem?

The good news is that my favorite doctor in the world has me on an antibiotic and I’m gaining weight and you can’t see my bones bone by bone or my skin rolling off of me any more!

And, yes everybody, I’m able to run again!!!

My Elbow Dysplasia: Better on Cold Days

Aging, _Old Dog, _Other Stuff, _Stuff about dogs in General No Responses »

Jan 062012

I don’t want to face it, but I’m slowing down. Dad doesn’t take me on the long runs any longer. He takes me on the short ones, however. On my way home and up the big hill, he says I’m practically walking, no longer running.

On warm days, I’m even more tired, panting my way home. On cold ones, I do a little better.

It’s the elbow dysplasia that’s got me down. That and some arthritis in my knee joint where I was injured when I was hit by the car.

It doesn’t stop me from loving life and loving running. It doesn’t stop me from eagerly arising with Dad in the morning, when he comes to get me to run, and taking off from the gate. It doesn’t affect my attitude.

It does, however, slow me down. And I take an extra long nap after my run.

In July I celebrated my 12th birthday. But the thrill is definitely not gone.

can a dog write a blog?

_Other Stuff 6 Responses »

Oct 242010

I often hear people asking my mom, “Come on, who’s really writing the blog? You (referring to my mom) are writing the blog, right?”

Now of course my mom answers, “Joey’s writing the blog.”

And why couldn’t a dog write a blog? Why do people ask my mom this question?

The bottom line (and I know a lot about that) is that this blog reflects my point of view. Right? And nobody knows my point of view better than me.

So when people ask my mom that silly question, I just keep quiet.

I ask you, “Can a dog write a blog?”

Reflection and Contemplation a Necessary Part of Creative Writing

Dogs Have Grandparents, Too!

_Other Stuff, _Stuff about dogs in General 9 Responses »

Jun 292010

A dog has a really unique family and set of relatives: He has his canine family and he has his human family. And then he has his adoptive human family.

It was a long long time ago when I had my first human family. So long ago I really don’t recall.

But last week when I met Gramps, when he stepped out of his car in front of our home and came through the gate and into our backyard, I knew right away he and I had a connection. A very strong connection and bond. I don’t “remember” him but at the same time he knew just how to play with me, just how to talk to me, and I knew right away we were on the same side of the fence! It’s like he had known me forever!

And he had!

And then Debra came over to me when I was wagging my tail at the fence looking at everybody who was on the other side of the fence, talking, being happy. When I was a newborn puppy, Debra was my big human sister. Then I grew and grew. I grew so big that when Debra saw me last week, after ten years, she hardly recognized little “Big Ears”, as she had named me when I was born. Of course I don’t remember growing, but there we were again.

And see my first Grandma? She and Gramps owned my mother, Cocoa. They owned her, and loved her, and took care of her when she was healthy and when she was sick. She and Gramps and Debra were also there with me right when I was born. Before I became known to Debra as “Big Ears” and long before I became known as “Joey”. (And maybe they will write about when I was born!)

I love my whole entire first family.

You can see this in our “first family” portrait.

And once again I have to say that I am a lucky dog!

“Joey! You’re going to be in the newspaper!”

_Other Stuff 12 Responses »

Jan 112010

This was a fun day. It started out with my Dad and me running! But then it became very different from other days. First, the doorbell rang and a man came to our home. He brought lots of things with him. I know he was nice and I could smell his dog all over him! Then the man said “He smells my dog”. I could have told him that!

So then my mom asked, “What’s your dog’s name?” and he said “Honey”. Honey is a Welsh Corgi.

Getting back to this day, this day was different from any day I had before. The man and my mom and I all went into the office. My mom and I went over to the desk and computer, and my mom said “Joey, sit” and that’s what I did – for a while. I looked at him a lot. I was also pretty interested in this man because I could smell his dog all over him! So after a while I got up and moved around. But again and again my mom said “Joey, sit” and so I did, and then the nice man said, “Joey!” and I looked at him and his big camera and this man said “Good boy” and so on. And so on.

The man was pretty relaxed and I was pretty relaxed. But I was also interested in the treats that were in the little cup in his hand. You can see my ears: They are paying attention to those treats.

And so it went! When this man was leaving our home, he said, “Joey, sit” and he took more photographs of me standing by our front door. He’s a nice man and I was very relaxed for him. And that is unusual for me to sit still for so long and to look straight ahead into a little box that doesn’t smell like a treat. Usually I look up, or down, or to one side, or to the other.

Then the man left our home and another man came! This man and my mom sat in the kitchen and talked for a long time. He was nice also. I was relaxing for a while in my bed in the dining room, right by the kitchen, while they talked. But I liked this man. And so – I brought my ball into the kitchen and started showing him that I wanted him to play ball with me. I wanted to be his friend and I wanted him to be my friend.

I think he is my friend, even though we didn’t play ball. But still, he was very nice.

And then my mom said, “Joey, you’re going to be in the newspaper!” although I didn’t know what she was talking about.

And then she gave me the treats that had been in the little cup.

The rest of the day wasn’t so interesting. But I’m not complaining!

***

You can read the article in the Newton Tab about Joey here!

And Joey would be happy to meet Mark the photographer and Dan the writer again, and also to meet Honey!

Joey also appeared as a “cover dog” the following week, in the Daily News Tribune, the following week, with Joey as the cover photo and article!

we have a house party for Setti Warren

_Other Stuff, _Travels around Boston and Newton 3 Responses »

Oct 152009

You may not see that this is about me and getting better. But it is!

When I still had the splint on my leg and I wasn’t allowed to see many people or make many new friends, when I had to always be on my lead when I was outside, I had a really lucky afternoon when a lot nice and friendly people came over to our home.

At the time, I didn’t understand why so many people were coming to our home. Lots and lots of people came over! And they were saying “How’s Joey?” They asked, “Can we see Joey?” and they let me spend some time with them. I was really very happy about seeing my old friends. Some of them I’d never met before. I was really very happy about making new friends.

One new friend came over to our home: Setti. My parents introduced me to Setti, too. After a while, everybody went into the living room and sat down. Setti talked, and people listened, then people talked, and Setti listened, then Setti talked, and people listened, and on and on it went like this for a long time. At one point, I heard somebody say “dog parks”.

Setti also was very nice to me! Mom took this photo of me and my new friend, Setti.
(a friend in the background) then me and Setti

If I were a person and could vote for Mayor of Newton, I would vote for Setti. He was really nice to me, as you can see, even though I can’t vote, in fact I can’t even register to vote, and he made me feel better and happier at a time when I couldn’t go out and make new friends. He was really nice to me and to everybody!

Setti is one of my new friends.

Here’s another of my new friends: Lorie. You can see how friendly and nice Lori is and dogs like me pick up on this right away! Meet my new friend, Laurie! Days and friends like this really make me want to get better and better and live my life!

*****

my timeline for surgery, bandages, and splints after I was hit by the car

_Other Stuff 6 Responses »

Oct 152009

When your dog is injured, do you know what to expect in terms of your dog’s healing, and visits to the animal hospital? When should you expect the splint to be removed? There are some general guidelines, although of course only your dog’s veterinarian has enough information to determine what is right and healthy for your dog, and when.

******

Here is my time line for my injury, when my x-rays were taken, my surgery on my broken ankle, my bandage changes, when my bandages were removed and when my splints were removed. In general, my parents and my doctors made these decisions, not I.

Day 1: I was hit by the car and brought to the emergency room of the animal medical center.

Day 6: My parents pick me up from the animal medical center and bring me home.

Day 8: I go back to the local animal hospital for a bandage change and check-up.

Day 9: I am rushed to the local animal hospital when I start bleeding profusely from my lacerated penis. The doctors fix me up and send me to the big animal medical center. I go home! All is well. (Except that from now on, the shades in the living room will be drawn and no children will be able to come over to our home . At least for a while.)

Week 2, Day 6: I go to the local animal hospital for a bandage change and check-up.

Week 2, Day 2: I return to the animal medical center for my “Day 9″ (counting from when I was allowed to go home) examination.

Week 4, Day 4: I go to my local animal hospital for a bandage change and a check-up.

Week 4, Day 7: I return to the animal medical center to see the surgeon. He will decide whether or not I need surgery on my broken ankle. He also changes my splint. He decides I need surgery.

Week 5, Day 2: I go into the animal medical center for surgery on my broken ankle.

Week 5, Day 3: I have surgery on my broken ankle, though I’m asleep and don’t know what’s going on.

Week 5, Day 4: I go back home!

Week 7, Day 1: I go to the local animal hospital for a bandage change and a check-up.

Week 7, Day 4: It has been two weeks since my surgery on my broken ankle. I see the doctor again for an examination. He is really happy with how my leg is healing, and I get to go right back home.

Week 8, Day 1: I have a bandage change at the animal medical center and get to meet new friends and dogs. This is an emergency visit; my parents have discovered I’m chewing at my splint and my bandages are wet.

Week 9, Day 2: I have a bandage change at the animal medical center. I get treats! It has been 4 weeks since my surgery.

Week 10, Day 3: I go to the animal medical center for my bandage change.

Week 10, Day 4: I go back to the animal medical center when my parents discover I’ve been chewing on my splint and my bandages are wet.

Week 11, Day 4: It has been six weeks since my surgery! I go back to the animal medical center for another bandage change, and to make friends with some new animal friends. I get treats!

Week 12, Day 3: I go back to the animal medical center for a bandage change. It has been 7 weeks since my surgery. Although he was going to only take x-rays at this time, my doctor removes my splint!

Week 13: Day 3: I go back to the animal medical center for x-rays on my broken ankle. It has been 8 weeks since my surgery. My doctor removes my bandages!

There were a few other times when I had to go to the animal medical center for bandages changes – when my parents found me chewing on my bandages and splints.

Dogs Don't Look Both Ways