11/3/2022 I was in a sleeveless dress on the deck a few weeks ago sitting in the sun, the boys would go for a dip in the pool when they got too warm, but not anymore. Almost overnight the weather changed. There is still sun but it is much colder, we even had below-freezing temps a few nights. I cut my annuals back to the ground, the perennials I’ll cut back in the spring. I bought a lot of bulbs to plant, that’s something that is going to happen this week. It’s supposed to start raining over the weekend so I need to get them in the ground. Bill planted grass outside the fence and it’s really coming up nicely. The only problem is the ground is soft and the stupid deer are ripping it up with their hooves. I’m so over having deer and deer poop galore.
Bill got the fence done out front so now we don’t have to worry about the dogs taking off after a deer or fox or coyote, or even worse, a skunk or porcupine. We still have to close the sides of the pool deck because they can jump off that into the field. I just bought more of the fence when I went to Glasgow.
We have not had a good year with the dogs. First Highway got sick. He was hacking, sneezing and coughing, all while struggling to breathe through his nose. After several trips to Dr. Claudia in Glasgow, she referred us to the specialty vet at Metropolitan Vet Hospital in Louisville. I’ll refer to them from here on out as the $$ vet. Louisville is a 2.5 hour drive one way. UGH.
They decided that Highway needed to have a CAT scan and then have his sinuses cleaned out. They did that and determined that he has chronic rhinitis. He’ll be on meds for the rest of his days.
He is much much better and rarely has a reverse sneeze. One dog taken care of.
Gringo had been limping off and on for several months. Since we walk in the woods all the time I assumed he had something in his paw. I searched his paw and couldn’t find a thing. If one of the other dogs would bump his paw he would yelp, still leading us to believe it was his paw. It would seem to get better, then bad again. On August 1st we took him to Dr. Claudia to get his teeth cleaned, a fatty lipoma lump removed and get X-rays of his leg, elbow, and paw. They did everything but x-ray his paw which upset me because that’s what we were most concerned about. A few weeks after that we took him back again for paw x-rays. TWENTY x-rays later and they see absolutely nothing to indicate why he was in pain. They said to give it time. A few weeks later, Gringo’s right shoulder vanished, it had atrophied so badly. Gringo was all muscle, our hunka hunka dog. He ran like the wind, could jump anything and was just a super healthy dog. Dr. Claudia referred us once again to the $$ vet. Bill took him up there and the orthopedic Dr/surgeon examined him, took a few more x-rays, and saw nothing. Bill came home and we watched Gringo get worse.
We called the $$ vet again and they said they could do an MRI to get a definitive answer. We bit the bullet because we couldn’t stand seeing Gringo in such pain. Bill took him there at O dark thirty for the MRI. What they found was a tumor lying on the bunch of nerves at the right brachial plexus. The nerves originate in the spine and travel down the neck into the armpit, controlling the right leg, arm and foot. My boy has cancer.
We were devastated. The Dr. said it is slow growing and could ultimately, at some point in time, render him incapable of walking. I would never let it get that far. Our option was to remove the tumor and the whole leg. We struggled, this is not our first rodeo with a 3 legged dog. {My dog Taz, a lab/rott mix had cancer in the bone and had to have her left front leg removed. She did not make it a full year after the surgery. Then there was Frito, the dog I rescued on Roatan who had her leg removed because of a compound fracture on her paw, and she then gave birth to 7 happy healthy pups. My 3 are from Frito’s litter}. Gringo is going to be just like his momma. Having 3 legs for Frito didn’t stop that dog for one second, she’s a miracle. She’s living in WA with my BFF Teri and has a life of luxury. She’s spoiled and loved.
So on October 26th Gringo had the surgery at the $$ vet. Bill came home after he dropped him off because he had to stay the night. He went back to get him around lunchtime. The Dr. said he did really well and was up and walking around. The Dr. said the tumor was the size of a lime. His new concern is that a few of the nerves were enlarged, they were cigarette size when they should be spaghetti size. We are constantly praying that it is due to infection. I would hate to have put Gringo through all this so we could selfishlessly get a few more months time with him. Even if it is cancer the Dr. said it is very slow growing, so there is that to hold on to.
In between all of this $hit, Barrio decided to viciously attack Max, 2 times in 16 days. Each time I was in the house alone with the dogs. Once Barrio starts it, the others join right in. It was pretty awful, the first time it took Bill and 2 workers to break it up. The second time Bill was just coming back to the house when he heard me screaming. It was the 2 of us breaking it up. Each time Max had to go to the vet. We came very close to putting Barrio down, I was ready because I was there, I saw the instant he attacked both times, it’s seared in my brain, PTSD for certain and sure. The first time I did not get hurt although I had blood all over my shirt and arms. The second time I did get hurt. I don’t know what happened but the day after the fight I noticed blood on my undies and saw I had a huge bruise on my stomach. It was green yellow black purple and blue and it had 2 puncture holes in it, but I could not have been bitten. I don’t know how I got it. My Dr. put me on antibiotics with instructions to call if it changes at all. I also got bitten on the nailbed of my pointer finger (I believe my nail is falling off, it’s been black for a few months) and my left pinky has no feeling at all, 2+ months later. Now we keep Barrio and Max separated or Barrio wears a muzzle. It’s no fun at all.
I’m too old for this $hit. Seriously, I am.
Back to Gringo. The day Bill took Gringo for the surgery, I had to organize something. I decided on the pantry.
For those of you who don’t know me, I LOVE TO ORGANIZE. It’s my favorite thing to do. It fulfills my OCD tendencies. Bill is still asking where stuff is.
Gringo got home late afternoon on Thursday. His brothers were very apprehensive and curious. We took him to the spare room/office where there was a rug and we could keep him from jumping.
Keeping Barrio and Max separated is more of a pain in the butt than you think. Currently, Barrio and Gringo are outside. Gringo is very content, Barrio, not so much.
Unfortunately, there are 4 windows on the porch he can see in, plus the 2 doors. It’s great because it gives us a lot of light but it stinks when you’re trying to hide from your dog.
Gringo really wants to go on the walks in the morning but we’re not letting him until he gets his stitches out. When I get back with the other 3, I take Barrio with me and we walk Gringo. Today he walked the whole way down the driveway, he really wanted to go up in the field but I coaxed him to go back to the house.
We invited Aaron and his son Colt for Thanksgiving. Aaron is the guy who came the day after we arrived in Burkesville to cut in a road. He’s done all of the work around here that requires machinery Bill does not have. It’s always fun to have company for the holidays, we would prefer for it to be the boys. We wish they were closer.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!
Mermaid on a Raft 