A LETTER MY MOM WROTE

Hi Wendy,
I thought I'd give you a little update on Minnie.
Minnie had to have heart test before her surgery. They also did a echo on her heart too. It seems she has mital valve heart disease and its fairly a bad one. The vet said that they rate heart murmurs from 1 to 5. Minnie has a 4. They said this could had developed as a result of over breeding her and a poor diet and /or heredity. But, it will never go away now and eventfully she will die from heart failure. Her heart also beats slow.
Minnie has severe periodontal disease and a large bladder stone.
She had surgery and of course it was dangerous for a small dog with severe heart disease to have any kind of surgery. We were afraid of her not making it through it. The vet spayed her at the same time. So she had a 3-way surgery. They said that if it looked like her heart would not make it through all of it .. That the would postpone the dental.
But she had the bladder surgery, spayed and dental all at once and she came though like a champ! I can't tell you how very relieved I was. I cried like a idiot when they told me that she came through the surgery.
The bladder stone (which was BIG!) had been in her for so long that a polyp had developed and made her bladder wall very thick. They sent the polyp off for testing because it could had been cancer. (another worry) . But since it was negative, they said it was because of the length of time the stone had been there. That stone had been there for years. What pain she must had been in all this time !
They cleaned and removed some of her teeth. Also put a stitch in 2 of them to save them. Minnie also had a hole in her mouth where a tooth used to be . The hole went all the way up into her sinuses. The vet said it's a wonder she didn't get pneumonia! I never knew they would get that from a hole in their mouth. Wow, the things you learn.
Wendy, she was in so much pain for 3 days, it broke my heart. David was home and did everything and I just stayed by her side every moment. I couldn't leave her!
Minnie today ? Well, let me brag a bit here. You would not recognize her coat. It was dry and stiff and brittle. Now its the softest coat, It feels like cotton its so soft! She's become very playful with my other dogs and treats my little brown dog (Tootles, you seen her), like her long lost puppy. Minnie thinks she the 3rd in command in our pack now. ( 5 dogs) I was wondering what order she was going to be. LOL. She sits and stands on command. Runs and plays with the other dogs. Eats like a pig!!! I have to watch her weight.
She hates the cats and will try to bite them.. What a joke because she has no top teeth and can only gum them. Minnie is very obsessive of me. I don't think that insecurity will ever go away. When she is on my lap , which is most of the time, she tries to keep Tootles and Sparky away from me by barking and growling.
She also has become a good singer . That's the voice you hear in the recording I sent.you. Its the cutest thing. She throws her head up and back and just sings it out. LOL.
All my dogs sleep in crates in my bedroom at night. They each have their own crate, except for Miles (my other Chihuahua), who sleeps in the bed. I don't close the crate doors, they stay open all the time. At night around 10:00pm to 11:00 PM, I tell them its bedtime and they all go to their own crates and stay there all night.
Minnie is 100% potty trained, but because of her bladders thick wall, I leave a pee pad out for her at night. She can't hold herself that long. She pushes the door open during the day time and goes outside by her self now. If she can't open the door to get back in, believe me...she will let you know !!!! LOL
Minnie has had such a hard life. It breaks my heart when I think of it. Thank God you got her and I adopted her.
Wendy, I'm writing this email to thank you for Minnie. Even though I know she will not have a real long life, she has bought much joy into my life. Everyday is something different with her. David is a captain on a freighter ship and is out to sea for 3 months and here for 6 weeks. That's a hard schedule. Minnie and my other dogs bring me a lot of comfort and companionship. I am home 24/7. They guard me, love me , entertain me and are my dear companions of course.
When weather is not too hot, they go to the field near us and run and play unleased. Minnie stays by my side always . She doesn't run with the other dogs because she is slowly going blind.
I know, with all she has been through, you would think things would get better for her. Wendy, Minnie has had a hell of a life before she came to us. But , its better now. She has me and lots and lots of love and attention, good food and vet care. Minnie will be on medications for the rest of her life. She takes Enalapril for her heart and a diuretic to keep the fluid off her lungs. But , she is able to do everything my other dogs do (except I don't' allow her into much heat outside ) and is a happy little lady
Thanks Wendy, for bringing this little love muffin into my life. She means so very much to me.


Crystal

MY SURGERY!

Well guys, I finally had my surgery a couple weeks ago. It turned out to be a major surgery too ! Since I have mital valve diease they were a little more then leary about giving the surgery I needed. The vets took out my bladder stone and spayed me at the same time. Since my teeth were so bad they wanted me to have that done also. But, they said that if my heart got stressed she (my vet) would not do my teeth . I came through all the surgery just fine, even having my teeth done too. I had a hole from a tooth, that had fell out, that went from my mouth all the way up in my sinuses. Can you believe that ! WOW.. they also pulled a few more teeth and put stitches in another tooth to try and save that one and close the hole in my mouth up. My doggie mom says I'm a real snaggle tooth now cause I don't have any teeth at top front. She says I can't bite !... If I wasn't so sweet, I'd show her that I could bite one of the other dogs...grrrr.
I was in so much pain that I was catatonic almost. That really hurt a lot. It's been a couple of weeks now and I feel SO much better now then I did . I still take my heart medication everyday and my diuretic for the lung congestion from my heart . Then my ear got infection from yeast. so I had to go back on antibodies for that !!! I certainly have had health problems Huh ...
Well, thanks for reading my diary. If you want to send me good well wishes... please do!!
Stay safe and watch out for your tail in the door

The Vet (again) and big foot is here !

Well I found out some things that were wrong with me. I have a enlarged and Arrhythmia heart. It beats slow also.. I have to go to get a echo- gram on my heart Monday. I have to have a bladder stone removed. I also may have thyroid problems too. Of course all my teeth are bad too, but, at this point, we can't worry about this small detail. My doggie mom says I'm a mess! I guess I am. But I hope I get better. I'm glad my doggie mom rescued me!
I met my new doggie dad. He has been out to sea and only comes in for 6 weeks at a time. He is a nice and gentle man, But he has the biggest feet I have ever seen!!! I'm so small that I run out of the way when he comes.
Well folks ... Thanks for reading my diary.
stay safe and watch out for big feet !

RAINY DAYS

Today, it was raining and my new owner noticed that I am very scared during storms. I tried to tell her why I'm like that, But she doesn't understand me. She let me sit on her, but doesn't pet me. Crystal told me thats cause she didn't want to encourage my fears. I just wanted to be coddled cause the noise scares me so much. I tried to tell her that. she still didnt pet me though. (heavy sign inserted here )
The vet called today to make sure to have me at the her office Friday morning for the heart test. Crystal told her to x-ray my bladder too, cause she was afraid I may have stones. she hung the phone up and petted my head and told me I was a mess and she hoped I wasn't very sick. I hope not too !!
Crystal is very nice to me and I'm getting very attached to her. I follow her every where and dont' want to let her out of my sight because she may go away also. I even follow her to the bathroom hehehe.
I should call her mommy I guess. What do you think about that ! Should I ???
Thanks for reading my 4th entry to my diary
Stay safe and have a warm blanket to get under, when it rains at your house.
Minnie

OUCH!!

Hi everyone,
I finally got bit by the alpha dog, Lucy, Yesterday. My new rescue person, Crystal, was giving chicken hot dog pieces out and I was in a hurry to get mine. I didn’t mean to touch Lucy in the process. But I guess I did and POW… she nailed me. Ouch, I will have to be more careful next time. I have figured out that Crystal is stuffing medication in the hot dogs for Lucy and me and that’s why we get the hot dogs in the first place. I don’t care though , as long as I get some of the good treats like that. YUMMY!
Crystal is busy making a quilt, so we aren’t getting the attention we deserve. She has a pillow on a chair beside her but its not the same as being in her lap.
I got a car ride today and I’m still not sure if I like them or not. I’m a little dog and the car is sooo big!
Thanks for reading my 3rd entry to my diary.
Stay safe and be careful around bigger dogs
Slurps and a tail wag
Minnie

Today at the vet's

My new owner took me on a car ride and I knew it wasn't going to be good cause I was very nervous the whole way.
They did all kinda of things to me and some of them really hurt even though I didn't cry. I tried to put on a brave face for my new rescue mommy. I had shots too and I hated the drops the put in my nose for kennel cough. YUCK. Have you ever had drops put in your nose my your doctor? Did they hold you down too?
The vet tech then took me in the back and actually took my blood out. MY BLOOD! The vampires. I liked her too.
The new lady that rescued me, told the vet to check for heart worms and other worms first. The nice nurse was hoping with Crystal that it would come out clean. Guess what, the nurse came back cheering and said .. no worms of any kind...ALRIGHTY !!!
Then the doctor came back in and said they have another problem with me. They said I had a heart murmur and on a scale of 1 to 6 ....it was a 4, which the doctor said was not good. I dont' know what that is! I'm getting afraid again cause I see Crystal has a worried look in her eyes. Aww. She was happy just a minute ago. I have to go back to the doctor at the end of the month for heart test and complete blood work. Maybe a echo on my heart too. I don't know what that is . Do you ? I just hope it doesn't hurt like the needles did.
The doctor said it could complicate my up coming surgeries I have to have.
So I have to have these funny test on my heart first. I know that Crystal is concerned about the money too. But she said that we will be OK and have to just Stretch it out a little. She is a nice person!
The vet said I was over weight. I wanted to growl at her... GRRRRR. Thats not a nice thing to say to a lady is it? Doesn't she know that I have been caged most of my life, fed a poor diet and pumping out puppies! I would like her to do that and not gain weight. I tried to tell them that I get tired very easy when Crystal tries to walk me for exercise me. But they dont' understand. I dont' know why I get tired. I have a breeders tattoo in my ear that had the year I was born. It is 01 which would be 2001. Thats great, I'm younger then Crystal thought. Wouldn't you like to find out that you are younger then you thought!
I'll let you know how my life is going maybe tomorrow or the next day .
Until then >> stay safe and watch out for big feet.
Thanks for reading my second entry to my diary
licks to you all
Minnie

4 days with the new folks

WOW, this has been a trip already. I have many tails to tell, but my new people can't speak doggie chat yet.
I was at a breeders, then dumped some at a apartment building. Then I went to the doberman rescue. They are BIG dogs and scary too. Then I went to Basset rescue, to a lady named Wendy. She was good to me and had a nice boy. I liked them very much. Wendy wanted me to have a home of my own, "a forever home". She put me in petfinders.com and other places. This lady named, Crystal, seen a picture of me. Crystal kept going back to my picture on the computer. She had other dogs come through her doggie groups, but for some reason my picture kept coming to her mind. She doesn't know this, But, I put the "I need you " look in my eyes for her. Crystal had 4 other dogs and really didn't want another one. But she couldn't get my picture out of her mind. Finally (whew) she emailed Wendy and asked questions about me. she then waited a few days and kept thinking about it. Crystal has a bigger heart then a purse or sense. But she and Wendy met us and she took me home.
I am scared! Here I am at another place again. I had been sick. I had a urinary tract infection and my teeth hurt a lot. I have a cough too. I wasn't in the best shape to be moved yet again! I try to tell my new doggie mom what I been through. But she doesn't understand me.
She has 4 dogs as I said and 2 are wary of me. One doesn't like me at all! The other is the boss lady and I had better stay out of her way!
I hear Crystal say today that I was to go to the vet tomorrow. I hate going to the doctor, don't you ? So I guess she will find out how my health is.
I'll let you know more tomorrow Ok.
Stay safe and be careful of cars.
love to all that read my first entry
Minnie