Goodbye Sweet Angel

Argo got called back to heaven - as angels often do - on January 21, 2007.

She gave me the best year and a half of my life, and I only hope I was able to do the same for her.

Goodbye Mama Bear, you are missed.

A Week at the Vet!

I spent five days on IV at the vet's last week. I was diagnosed with Kidney Disease in September and have been on a low protein diet evet since and had been doing fairly well until last week when I began to vomit and tremble and have runny poops. Mom had a sense that something "wasnt right" and took me to the vet asap where they took some blood and sent me home. The very next morning the vet called and said i needed to come back as soon as possible, so Mom loaded me into the Volvo and off we went. Apparnetly my BUN and creatnine levels were about 9 times what they should be, and Mom made the decision to have met put on an IV for several days to see if they would come down at all.

I spent the first day with no changes at all, the the vet told Mom that I was very lethargic and not doing too well. Mom came to see me that night and I perked right up - everyone at the clinic was surprised to see me get up,w ag my tail and eat. She then took me (and my IV bag) for a walk where I was finally able to have a pee (I will only go on grass, never on concrete so wasnt taking care of business in the run they set up for me!) - when we got back to the vet Mom crawled in the cage with me and fed me my dinner. I dozed off and she snuck out and headed home to see Dad. The next day there still werent any changes, so again, Mom came down to visit, walk and feed me - and again, I perked right up and everyone at the clinic agreed that I was sad to be away from home. The vet suggested I stay on IV for one more day, and if there was still no change, I would go home. Mom stayed with me long after the vet's closed and we had a really nice cuddle, but she couldnt stop crying, she cried so hard that the vet and the technicians' started crying, too - it was pretty ridiculous!

The vet called Mom the very next morning and said that my levels had dropped 10 whole points (!!!) - and suggested I stay for one more night just to make sure i was properly flushed. When Mom came to get me the next day my BUN levels were about 35 - not great, but better than the 65 they were at when this whole thing started!

Ive been home for almost a week now and am having some follow up bloodwork done tonight to see how things are going, so wish me luck!

Mom is feeling very positive as I've been eating like my normal piggy self again and have a lot more pep in my step than I did last week!

LIFE IS A PRETTY SWEET FRUIT

For those of you who know me, and those of you who dont, I have been in my new "home" since the end of September. I was a little shy when it came to being around my people all of the time, and despite enjoying the odd cuddle, I liked to spend a lot of time in my safe place - my bed.

Over the past few months I have really learned how to be a dog again. My mom is thrilled - but shakes her head all the time when she sees all the silly dogo things I do. Im still learning how to play with other dogs - I can be a bit shy, but have really come out of my shell and go right up to dogs I know now and stamp my front paws on the ground and wag my tail. Its very cute and everyone at the dog park agrees I am pretty silly when I do it.

I have also learned how to play with a stick; sometimes Jane and I will spend a full hour in the park trying to take the stick from each other; sometimes she has it, sometimes I have it, and sometimes we both like to pull on an end of it till the other one "gives" (its usually Jane who loses because I am so strong!)

I also have a boyfriend. His name is Martin. He fell in love with me at first sight. He is an 11 year old Scottish Terrier and when he sees me from across the park he comes bounding over - our Moms joke about the fact that you can practically hear the symphony playing in the background when we see each other. Sometimes when my Mom leaves for work in the morning she will open the door to see Martin sitting on the porch waiting for me!

I also do a few rotten things; for example, Mom and Dad had to put a bolt on the pantry door as I had taken to cracking it open and eating everything I could reach. I ate a bag of cookies, two boxes of uncooked pasta, a bag of Ice Tea mix, a cake mix, some chips and two dryer sheets one day!

Overall, I am a very good girl. I show my mom each and every day how happy I am to have a home with my very own bed and another friend to spend my time with. Everyone who meets me is very touched by my story and comments on what a good girl I am to be so friendly and trusting.

Mom is taking me to get spayed soon, which kinda scares me, but she promised a nice visit with my Dogo friends in Oshawa before I go, so I guess it will be worth it.

What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been

Hi all, well my Mom started this diary so that all the kind folks who have taken in interest in me can stay in the loop about whats new in my world.

As you know, I was picked up from a neglect situtation a little over a month ago. I was fat, stained and my toenails were so long that they curved under the pads of my feet. Amazingly, I was a good, trusting girl from the moment I was taken away from my old home, and have been very tolerant with the blonde lady's endless fussing over me.

Since I came to live in Toronto Ive done all sorts of things -- I go to the dogpark each and every day where Mom takes me and Jane to the tennis courts. Its a nice enclosed area so I can go off leash and no one has to worry about the fact that I dont hear so well. Mom runs around the court like a madwoman yelling "Excercise! Let's get some excercise!" and Jane and I run around after her. Dont tell her this but we pretty much only do it to humour her as she really seems to think it's important!

As you may or may not know, I was a little soft around the middle when Mom came and got me -- fortunately Ive managed to lose a few pounds and this has really helped me with my hips -- its a lot easier for me to get up and down and I have a new spring in my step now that I've got a few less curves!

Grandpa took really good care of me and treated me to a trip to the veterinarians where I got all my shots and was also diagnosed with a wee ear infection. The crazy blonde lady coaxes me with cheese when she puts the drops in my ears. What she doesnt know is that I am such a good girl Id let her do it anyways - but the cheese is a nice touch.

Thanks for visiting me and stay tuned for more updates!

Slobbery kisses
Argo