Dutchess...

We got some really bad news this week...

My bestest doggie pal Dutchess when to The Bridge on Wednesday night. She fought long and hard against the nasty cancer that had taken over her nasal cavity, but eventually she could not fight it anymore...

Dutchess was my favorite pup (outside of my own pack mates) to hang out with. I took my first camping trip in my life with her just last year in July. We had sooo much fun together!

Her house has gotten very quiet in the last couple of months. Her fursister Callie went to The Bridge on New Year's Day, the next day her Mom found out that her cancer had started to spread again and that she would only be with us for a couple more months tops. Now she made the journey and left her mom with only Jackson in the house, and from what Dad has heard, he is not taking it very well.

Please keep this family in your thoughts, they are having a hard start to the year & we hope that things turn around for them in the upcoming months.

My poor tail!

Well... Saturday morning everything was going as usual around Pit Bull Place, then Dad's room mate happened to look at my tail because I was licking it or something like that...

He called Dad in to look at it because the spot I was licking was swollen and bleeding a little bit. Dad saw the little growth I have had in that spot for a looooooong time had become VERY ANGRY and clipped the fur from around it to have a better look. Well, it appears to be some sort of abcess or celulitis or something going on there. He cleaned it up & put a bandage over it with some Neo-Sporin w/ Lidocaine in it so it wouldn't bother me too much & then later in the day he hot compressed it a few times. After doing the hot compresses, it came to a little bit of a head & Dad popped it open. WOW was that a mistake! It was bleeding quite a bit!

Anyway.. long story short, he got it to stop bleeding & kept a bandage on it overnight to see if that would help before taking me to the Vet on a Sunday.

Sunday morning comes around and he takes the bandage off & everything looked fine. So, he hot compressed it again & put a clean dressing on it. A little while later, he saw that it was oozing through the new bandage, so he decided to take me to the ER Clinic where he used to work. We love going there because they just let Dad walk right back into the treatment area to have a Doc look at me right away without having to sit in the waiting room (we don't jump in front of anything critical, we just hang around until the Doc is able to see us). We got to see one of Dad's fave Docs (they are both huge Bears & Cubs fans!) & he said... "EWWWW, that looks kinda bad Ziero, what did you do?" Dad told the Doc for me what happened & he said, "Well, we're gunna have to put you on some antibiotics & NSAIDs & see how things look in a few days, but if it doesn't get better in a week or so, you might have to have a partial tail amputation."

WHAT? A partial tail amuptation? WHOLY CWAP! The Doc told Dad that there might not be enough good tissue around the area to be able to close it up, so the only option would be to cut off my wagger!

OMD! What am I gunna do without it? I love to wag my tail at people, that way they know I am a happy pup!

Anyway, we will keep my diary updated over the next week or so to let everypup know how things are progressing.

Day 2 update:

Well, things are looking a little bit better today. The sore is starting to slowly dry up a bit, but Dad busted me trying to chew/lick it yesterday... so, now I am doomed to wear a satellite dish when he can't keep a close eye on me!

Dad thinks it will heal up pretty well on its own by looking at it today, but only time will tell. He is going to give it until the end of the treatment course before he decides what the next step is going to be.

To be honest, at my age, Dad really doesn't think it will be the greatest thing for me to go under anesthesia or have my tail amputated... He knows that most of the time it is a safe as can be, but there is always the outside chance something may go wrong. Now that he's not a Tech anymore, it is very nerve wracking to know that he cannot be there to monitor my anesthesia.

Well, it is now day 3 & everything seems to be going as well as possible.

Dad did make me wear the lampshade yesterday when he went to work... BUT I was rescued by his room mate who stayed home from work sick! I got to go all day without the lampshade!

The sore still oozes off and on, but more often it does not anymore. We are thinking I am going to heal up just fine at this point, but we still have 7 more days of anti-biotics to go before Dad makes any kind of decision.

Dad talked to his regular Vet yesterday and they suggested that if it looks like it is going to heal on its own, we could possibly just refill the anti-biotics and see what happens in a few days afterwards.


Thanks for all the happy thoughts everypup! They seem to be working so far!

Well.. it has been a couple days since we posted a pupdate on my tail!

The last few days have been pretty good.. I have been such a good boy with my lampshade on, nothing in the house broken and I have not been fighting to get it off either!

The sore is looking better every day, and the swelling is going down as well. We didn't do the epsom salt.. Dad was going to, but then saw that most of the swelling had subsided, so he didn't think it was necessary.

I have about 5 more days worth of anti-biotics left & then I should be good as new again!

Thanks again for all the great support!

Why am I special to my Dad?

Today there is a contest in the Plus forums asking us to write why we are all special to our pawrents. This is Dad's submission about why I am special to him:

Why am I special to my Dad? There are almost too many to list...

First off, I was Dad's first Pit Bull that he ever owned himself (he lived with a couple that he helped take care of for a while before he got me). When Dad got me, I was VERY sick... I had Ehrlichia and Babesia. He spent all of his off time with me making sure I was getting the correct treatment and doing LOTS of follow up labwork. I have traveled all over the place with him as well.. I was also the only dog he has that NEVER got carsick while we were out driving! As a pup, I scared a potential robber out of the back room of the Vet Clinic Dad was working at at the time, he had wondered in through the back door somehow & guess who he ran into? BOL! From that day on, I was a hero dog at that clinic!

I also trust my Dad completely. Any time I have needed anything done to me, I let him do it without complaining too much. Everyone where Dad used to work would always ask if he needed help with me.. then watched in amazment as Dad was able to draw blood, place an IV catheter in me when I was sick a few years ago, take x-rays, all that stuff.. ALL without help from anyone!

These days, I am the only one Dad trusts to leave out in the house all day without being kenneled while they are going to work. I am a great protector of my house! There have been times when strangers walked in (even when they were allowed to.. picking up Dad's room mate for work), that I did not let them more than 10 steps into the house before they turned around and walked right back out!

Most of all I am special to Dad just because of who I am. I am his best buddy out of all of our dogs. I am the one he takes with him on all of his trips (when doggies are allowed anyway). I am the one no one in our human family ever has a problem pet sitting for him. Dad feels that I personify what an American Pit Bull Terrier should be: brave, loyal, smart, and very loving to everyone I meet.

There are many more reasons, but Dad doesn't want to be typing all day about me.

ETA: It is often hard for Dad to write about me these days, knowing that I am getting older and soon will no longer be with him. It is hard remembering all of the thing I used to be able to do in the past when I was a young, strong dog.. and now I am older and while I am still a tough guy, I am not able to do many of those things. Old age has had many, many advantages for me... but at the same time it has had a s many disadvantages as well. Thanks to a few Dogsters, Dad was able to find medication to make me feel young again, but even then.. there are times I over do it and realize I cannot be as rough and tough as I used to be!

I've Been Love Tagged!

By my pal Cheescake (aka Cheesy) :o). So now I hafta choose three Dogsters I think are great and tell ya why. I'm not gonna agonize over who's fur sure the best pal I ever had, 'cause there's so many! But here's three great ones:

Samuel Jacob is always thinking of other pups and giving words of encouragement, even though he is going through a lot of pain and problems right now. SJ, You Rock!

Raskol is always reminding me of how OOOOOLD I am. But, at the same time he is a great BSL breed advocate, and he is another Pittie that likes to swim! GO RASKOL!

Roxie and Harley are 2 of the coolest pups we have gotten to meet in person! The day we met them, they both came walking up looking all cool in their Doggles! Harley attends LOTS of doggie related fund raiser type events and is active in Rally - O competitions as well. They are just great all around pups, and I want to make them feel at home here on Dogster!

I know my last choices were 2 pups, but what the heck?

Z-Dawg

12 years have come and gone!

Well, as of July 4th, I am officially 12 years old!

It is really hard to belive I have been with my Dad for this long already, the time seems to just fly by. We have travelled all over the place togther in years past, but now Dad has stopped travelling so much with the other pups in my pack, and has spent a lot of time with us at home.

We went to a BBQ this year for my woofday & I got to hang out with my pal Dutchess and met 2 other dogs too! One was a 10 week old Mastif pup named Dillanger and the other was a 10 month old Black Lab (my memory is failing me now.. I can't think of her name). We had a lot of fun, but I didn't get to go swimming like I had hoped to be able to, but it was a nice relaxing day overall.

We got home and I went to sleep for a while, then Dad, his room mate, and Shannon all left to go to see the firworks up the street from our house.

I love the holidays cuz I always get to go along with Dad & the other pups have to stay home! It is grrrreat fun!

Z-Dawg *A bit older now, but still smarter than the average Honor Student*

Tagged Again!

Wouldn't you guys know it, my pal Monte tagged me!

Here's how you play...

Here are the rules of the game!

Each player starts with seven random facts about themselves. Dogs who are tagged, need to post in their Diary the rules & their 7 pawsome facts. Then choose 7 dogs to tag and list their names. Don’t forget to bark them a pmail that they have been tagged and to read your Diary, or, send them a fun Rosette announcing they've been Tagged!

1. I was born on the 4th of July!
2. I love to spend time with my Grandma at our cottage up north!
3. I'm the only pup in our house that gets to eat twice a day!
4. I grumble when I am happy!
5. I LOVE KITTIES!
6. I usually walk better off leash than on!
7. I DON'T LIKE HORSES!

1. Raskol
2. Dutchess
3. Otis
4. Roo Crew
5. Cheesecake
6. Xena, NPC
7. Rudy

Raskol tagged me!

My Honorary-APBT bully buddy Raskol tagged me. I'm supposed to post 7 pawsome facts about meself and tag seven others. How fun is that?

1. I love to swim!
2. I love to play fetch with pretty much anything.. you throw it, I will try to bring it back to you!
3. I am a Grandpa to 4 cute little Pittie pups (Java's kids, Flash is one of 'em!).
4. I got 3rd Place in the only show my Dad entered me in!
5. I love to chase water coming out of the hose.
6. Iam the only one of my pack that gets to raom the house while Dad is gone to work (the rest all have to be kenneled!).
7 The one time I got to go out on our motorboat, I jumped in the water after my Dad when he jumped in to go waterskiing (I thought he was in some kinda trouble cuz he disappeared for a couple of seconds after he jumped in!).

I tagged:

1. Jodi
2. The Roo Crew
3. Jackson
4. Sabrina
5. Sabre
6. The Fun Loving Five
7. Dozer

Sooooo much fun!!

Z-Dawg

My Tail of Devotion for Ziero

This is a special Tail of Devotion

See All Tails of Devotion