Missy's Engaged!

Congratulations!

December 17, 2011

Portland Temple

SICK BABY

Tanner aka "Baby" is sick.  We're not exactly sure what is wrong with him.  I first noticed it last Thursday while cleaning out the trailer. I stacked a huge stack of blankets on the bed.  I was busy wiping the floor and heard him fall off the bed.  I thought "why did he jump off the bed?"  We don't like him to because it's too high and he's getting old and brittle.  Then it hit me that all of the blankets were also on the floor. He LUVVS to make nests and without seeing him do it, I think he made a nest on the top of the huge stack and tipped it over onto the floor.  The next morning he was just wierd.  Tight and tense and didn't stretch when he got up, walked around with his tail tucked, his ears down and he tried to chew a treat and acted like it was painful and then snapped at me when I tried to kiss him on the head.  I called the vet and she thought it was a tooth absess and made a dental appointment for him on Tuesday.  OF COURSE it was a FRIDAY and A HOLIDAY WEEKEND so she said just wait and watch and bring him in on Tuesday morning.  What a long, sad weekend. On Sunday we felt a marble size "something" on his neck. By Monday it had grown into the size of a ping-pong ball causing us even greater worry.  We knew he was in a lot of pain and suffering.  She had said not to let him stop eating and drinking and it was a lot of work to keep him going, but we did. We would dip our fingers into water and he would lick our fingers. I bought super soft dog food in a can for him which he would eat because it's usually been a treat for him.  He wouldn't even eat his treats which he LUVVS!!
Tuesday morning Missy dropped him off at the vet.  I picked him up later that afternoon.  Of course my stomach was in knots with worry.  When they brought him out he looked like he'd gotten in a fight.  All of the fur on his right eye was torn off and red and icky.  I asked the vet "what happened?!" He said that he had some gooey stuff on his eye and when he picked it off, the fur just started peeling off....wierd!!! Anyway, he then said that he was going to have MUCH better breath that they had removed all of the rotten teeth...all 19 of them!! I actually waited to see the joking twinkle in his eye and for him to say "not really, just 5" but he didn't!  I was SO Shocked!  19!!!! Holy COW! So our little guy looks like a little old man with out his dentures.  I felt so guilty!  The vet said it's just part of an old little dogs life to loose their teeth.  He said that when he heals up, he will feel so happy and healthy like a new dog.  He loves to give kisses and it is true...right now when he kisses you...NO BAD BREATH!!! So until then, we'll keep giving him his pain pills & antiobiotic and wait for our happy little guy to return to us.  We will miss his teeny-tiny cute teeth but not his bad breath.  We will also keep praying that the lumps go away with the antibiotics and that it's not something very, very serious and we loose him altogether. It's been a very fun 8 years!