Thursday 24 May 2012

Good News!!

Wow, when Momma says we have a busy day, she ain't foolin'. I have so much to tell you.
First, I am going on vacation! Last night Momma took me to a lady named Shelley's house and she had some really nice dogs there. I visited with them and cuddled with Shelley for awhle. Then Momma told me I was going to go on vacation there. I have an ocean view and there are so many toys!1 I leave tomorrow and I'll be gone 2 weeks :)
Next thing is I went to see my friends at Elk Lake Vet Hospital to get my bandage changed. I got really good news there! I am healing so well, that in one week, I may get my bandage removed :) As much as I love the artwork on them & love seeing my medical team there, I would love to say farewell to this bandage. So, cross your fingers that I keep healing at this rapid rate and this will be my last bandage.
I still have a long row to hoe though, as my fracture has to heal, I need knee surgery, I have to get spayed & I need a dental cleaning. But no bandage is one thing off my "to do" list.
We also went to Petsmart in Langford and I saw my friends there. Mark was out having lunch so I didn't get to see him. Oh well, he'll have to wait until I get back from holidays to see my adorable face.
Here is a picture of my new (and hopefully last) bandage.


I love you guys & I'll see you in two weeks when I'm back from holidays xoxo
Guess who won? Me...that's who :)

Tuesday 22 May 2012

Bonus Pic!

This is my latest bandage. It has a sailboat & nice warm sun on it. I love my medical team, they are the best!! xoxo

May Long Weekend

Wow, what fun! I met more new friends. Momma's friend Shelley came over from someplace Momma called the Mainland? Anyway, she brought her dog with her! Gypsy is a mini dachshund and was really nice to me. She wanted to play with me, but me, having my big bandage, could only play so much.
Shelley was really nice and took some tartar off my teeth too lol!
Although I have been going to Elk Lake Vet for my leg Momma took me to Sooke Vet for my vaccines and health check. I like them there. I met Dr Deborah and she gave me a complete going over. She said that overall I was in good health. But, my knees are bad (we knew that) and I would need surgery in the future. I need a dental cleaning and I am even missing a tooth! How the heck did that happen? Oh well.
Also, I'm in heat. I don't like it one bit. My old family wanted to use me for breeding but then I broke my leg & they gave me up to a rescue. Momma said it was my lucky break. I'm only 3 pounds and Dr Deborah said she couldn't imagine me having puppies seeing as I was so small.
Also, not being up to date on my own vaccines means I wouldn't have passed any immunities onto my babies. I would have passed on my bad knees however; not a good thing for me to be breeding any babies at all. Ever. Also, with so many of my canine cousins being homeless already, I really don't need make more dogs do I? I can't wait to get spayed. It can't happen til my leg heals though.
Because I am so small Dr Deborah had to use a cat syringe on me when she gave me my vaccines. I hope I don't start to meow now.
So, all in all I had a great long weekend. Shelley & Gypsy went home on Monday and I went to the ferry with them to say good-bye. It was nice to go for a car ride that didn't end in a vet visit.
Here is a picture of me & my new friend Gypsy.

I want to thank everybody for reading my blog. It means alot to me to have such support as I go through my healing process. Everyone has said the nicest thing about me & everyone I meet has been very kind and gentle.
When I met Momma Carol & her pack I had a hunch my life was gonna change, and it did. Thank you.

Busy, Busy, Busy...

Wow...I have been so busy these last few days! let's see, where to begin?
Well, in the days following my spa day & hair cut, I went out cruisin' with Momma in the car quite a bit. We went to Petsmart where I met Mark the manager & a dog trainer named Wendy. Again, these people were so nice to me. While Momma and I were shopping all kinds of people wanted to say hello to me and pet me. Momma told everyone that I was a recue dog from Victoria Adoptables & about my story of breaking my leg, having surgery & getting groomed. Everyone was so kind and gave me alot of support. Momma bought me a very pretty pink coat to help keep me warm until my hair starts to grow a bit more.
After that I went to Sooke Veterinary Hospital and Momma got something called flea prevention? Yet again, more people were happy to see me & smiled at me, cuddled me & really seemed to care about me. I like these people :)
I got to go see Momma Carol  and her husband Dave too. It was nice dropping in and showing them my new hairdo. It was nice seeing all my dog pals at her house too. I love those guys.
I went to Elk Lake Veterinary Hospital  a couple of times and saw my friends there too! They removed my bandage, did my hydratherapy and a new bandage went on. They seemed very happy to see my new haircut too. They said I don't look like a Muppet anymore, but that's ok, Momma says we should never forget where we came from, so I'm keeping the name :).
A friend of Momma's little girl saw my picture and said my name should be Princess Butterfly, so Momma calls me that quite a bit too. The little girl said my ears looked like a butterfly & I looked like a princess. Momma says butterflies start out as one thing, go through a change and become who they are really meant to be, so Princess Butterfly was a good nickname for me.
Oh, the other big thing that happened was I found this stuff in the yard called pine tar. Do yourself a favour, don't step in this stuff. It will stick all your toes together so it's like you have one giant toe, a rock will get stuck in it and it's very annoying. Then you have to sit quietly while Momma picks the rock out & washes the pine tar away with warm water. Some even had to be clipped out with tiny little scissors.
Here is a picture from my visit at Momma Carol's house. I love posing for pictures :)

Groomed!

Wow! That's what grooming is! I had no clue. I went to Posh Paws Pet Spa and met Liana & Ashley. They are so nice!
Because I have a bandage on my leg they had to use a dry shampoo on me so I wouldn't get it wet. After I was all clean, they started to slowly clip my hair. I hadn't been groomed in a long time (if ever) and my coat was filled with mats. They would have been too painful to brush out, so Liana & Ashley slowly and carefully introduced me to the clippers. I had to get clipped right down to the skin because my coat was so matted. I was scared and a little unsure of what was goiung on, but the ladies were very patient with me, gave me time and a couple of little rests along the way.
Slowly bit by bit, my inner poodle began to emerge & I actually felt really good. Momma was right, I would feel better :)
Momma came to pick me up and she seems really happy to see me. I was happy to see her too, but I was chilly after losing all my hair. She wrapped me up in her coat & took me to the car. Oh, it was so warm in there...she had the heat on extra for me cause she knew I would be cold.
As a treat for being so good, we went to Wiskers & Wags (a local pet store). Momma bought me my very own collar & matching leash, hot pink. The staff there made a big fuss about me & they seemed to really like me too! I'm making so many new friends everywhere I go.
When I got home Momma put a sweater on me to help keep me warm & she even wrapped a heating pad in a towel and put it on my bed for me. I think she loves me. The big white giant (Cracker) seemed happy to see me & sniffed me all over. He seemed to know where I was and I could sense from him, this grooming thing was perfectly normal.
I can certainly tell you, I feel alot better. My skin isn't itchy, my hair (or what is left of it) is neatly combed and out of my eyes.
At the end of the day, Momma and I laid on her bed again, she talked, I listened. She told me she was proud of me. She told me that she knew I had a crappy day, but that grooming was never going to be that bad again. She said that my coat could now grow out properly, that I would go see Liana & Ashley every 4 weeks or so & that they would make sure my coat and skin stayed healthy, free from painful mats & that I would always look my best. Again, she seems trustworthy, so I'll go along with it. This is what I looked like at the end of my grooming day. I look like a Poodle! Hey! I am a Poodle! Yay Me!

Monday 21 May 2012

May 9th

So, for the most part I've been spending my time being adorable and hanging out with Momma Carol & her pack. They are so nice to me. But, today I moved! Momma Mick came and picked me up & my stuff and took me to Robinson Rd. She told me it was a nice place, very quiet & that I would be living in the country while I healed.
She was right, it is very quiet. There is another dog here. His name is Cracker, but I think he's a big, white giant. He weighs 15 pounds! Really? Why did he have to grow so big? He must have a complex of some kind.
She gave me a really soft bed in my own room to sleep on. It's so fluffy & soft; I love it. My crate is right beside it and my food & water is all set up there too. I love having my own room :)
Because of my leg I can't go on long walks or anything, so Momma M takes me out on my leash for small walks in the yard. I love it! There are so many smells here. Rabbits & squirrels, and some bigger animals Momma calls deer. I get the feeling she doesn't like them very much though. We have a forest to walk in too.
After supper Momma said her I had to have a talk, but that she was gonna talk & I had to listen. We laid down on her bed with Cracker and she told me she was happy I was here.
She told me I didn't have to worry or stress about anything, everything I needed would be provided for me. She said that she understood that I was lonely and confused and that I should feel that way, I wasn't with my family anymore.
You see, dogs form very strong bonds with their families. Even when we are not treated well or they have to give us up, we still love them & Momma M understands that.
She told me that I could stay here as long as I needed to, until I could be adopted by a new family. My health being what it is, that isn't going to be for a long time & until then, this was my home.
She said that I had to follow 2 rules. The first one is that I must always behave like a lady, if I wasn't sure what that meant, she would help me learn. The second rule was that I always must come when I am called. I have no idea what she meant by that, but she seems trustworthy, so I'm sure she'll help me learn that too.
She said that I was going to meet some nice ladies at Posh Paws Pet Spa and that I was gonna get groomed. I had no idea what she was talking about, but again, she seemed trustworthy so I went along with it.
She also said I wan't supposed to create any "drama". No neurotic barking or silliness and that because God gave me 4 legs & her only 2, I had to walk to the places I wanted to go, she would not carry me. The only exception is that I will not be walking up or down stairs and no jumping as those were doctor's orders. Seems fair enough I think.
So, that's it, that's how I came to Robinson Rd...I'll let you know how this grooming thing turns out :) My hair seems fine to me?

May 1

Ugghhhh...I don't feel well. I don't want to eat, and my paw is really sore. I went to see the vet today & he said I have a pressure sore on my paw. It means that I have to stay on antibiotics and go to the vet more often (one a week). I get my bandage removed once a week, get hydratherapy & a new bandage put on after the vet looks at it to make sure I am healing. This picture was taken one day when I was outside. It explains why the tulips are on my bandage :)

Friday 18 May 2012

April 27

My surgery was today. I couldn't eat before my surgery so I was a little hungry and that gave me something to think about. I was given a pre-surgical exam and then they shaved my left leg. They put a needle in my left leg & that's all I remember.
When I woke up, everyone was smiling and saying hello to me. I was so sleepy and a little bit uncomfortable. I went back to sleep. I slept most of the rest of that day, but I did notice that I had a different bandage on. Hmmm, I wonder what happened?

My Story Cont'd

So, when after I arrived at Carol's house she took some pictures of me and put them on her facebook page and her fans gave suggestions for my name. I hadn't been to the groomer for awhile and I looked like Animal from the Muppets, so my name became Muppet. 
Despite my lack of style, I was still cute as a bug's ear and everyone was asking when I could be adopted. I gotta admit, it was really nice being such a hot topic and to feel such love from people that had only seen my picture.
The truth is, that I can't go to my furever family for quite sometime. I have a long road ahead of me and many, many trips to the vet in my future.
A day or so later, I went to Elk Lake Veterinary Hospital and met all the nice staff there. They were all so nice to me!
During my vet exam Carol learned that I would also need surgery on my knees in the future. I have what is called a luxating patella, something that is very common in small dogs. I would also require more vaccines, and I would have to be spayed. Like I said, many, many trips to the vet's office in my future.
I was told not to worry, that I would be taken care of and that everything was gonna be ok. I am as brave as I can be, but I am only 3 pounds and it's a little overwhelming when I think of the road ahead.

Monday 14 May 2012

My Story

In late April of 2012 I was hurt. A family member took me to the vet because I was limping. The Dr examined me & took x-rays. Turns out there was a fracture in my right front leg that is consistant with the type of injury one would get from jumping off the couch.The vet gave me some medication and put a splint on my leg. My xrays were sent to a specialist in Victoria and he said that surgery was a must in order for my leg to heal.
At the time I was well over a year old, I was behind on my vaccines and hadn't been to a groomer in a very long time. None of this is my fault, I depend on my humans to keep me safe & healthy. My family also mentioned to the vet it was their intention to use me for breeding.
Spending money on surgery to repair my leg was not an option for my family, so the Dr asked them if they would surrender me to a rescue that could save my life.
That is how I came into care at Victoria Adoptables
A nice lady named Carol opened her home to me and this is what I looked like when I arrived at her home.



She had other dogs there and all of them were so much bigger than I was. I was scared and I felt alone. Everyone seemed very happy to see me and I could sense from them, my canine cousins, that everything was going to be ok and that my life was about to change.