Rest in Peace, Magic Man

We had to euthanize our dog Magic Man this week. I woke up Tuesday morning, and felt horrible. I decided to feed the dogs before I called in sick, so I could go back to bed, and not get pestered.

Magic didn't eat. Not only did he not eat, he threw up his cheese.I immediately woke up TS, and told him we needed to get Magic into the vet right away, something was wrong. He got up and showered while I called in to work, and then while I was in the shower he called the vet and told them we were coming in. When we got there, I went in and filled out paperwork, and TS took Magic outside so he could pee. Magic collapsed in the parking lot, and had to be brought in on a gurney. I knew then it was bad, but hoped he was just dehydrated because of a lack of fluids.

The vet techs took him in back, and showed us into a room. A bit later one of the techs came in, and said that after they started him on an IV he was much better. His gums had been pale, but pinked up. His tail was wagging, as usual. X-rays would be taken.We were thinking it was another obstruction, but we couldn't figure out what he could have possibly eaten.

Yes, he had eaten a few things in the recent past, but nothing lately. We had been vigilant since the sock incident. Buying a covered hamper, since we thought that he'd purloined the last socks from a full hamper. Getting a bathroom garbage can with a step-opening cover. Making sure tempting items were thrown away, put away, or well out of reach (in Magic's case this meant the top of the armoire, or entertainment center). Finally the doctor came in and told us she thought there was another obstruction. She showed us the x-rays, and said it was concerning, because the only clear soft-tissue picture in his abdomen was his kidneys. The intestines were unclear. But there were lots of gas bubbles (which by this time we knew meant blockage). She asked us if we would like the radiologist to take a look, although it would take longer. Of course, we said. The radiologist wanted to take more pictures. The doctor told us it might be awhile, since Magic was groggy from the pain medication they'd given him, and we should go. Because of his previous surgeries and problems, they wanted the board-certified soft tissue surgeon to preform the surgery. We said, fine. Paid for the surgery. Left.

A few hours later, I got a call. Yes, I was still sick as a dog, and worried about my dog. The news was worse than even my imagination. Magic did not have a blockage. The vet felt he had not healed properly after the second surgery. His intestines were stuck together, adhesions had apparently blocked the flow of blood, and now his intestines were dying. Parts were dead. They felt other organs could even be involved, but there was no way to know for sure, because they couldn't see anything. He was bleeding internally. The radiologist felt there was no possible hope. The surgeon was ready to go, but they had to go right then. Everyone made it clear he didn't have much of a chance, that probably the surgeon would be calling us from the operating table. I told them I had to talk to TS, but I would get right back to them.

I was in shock. This couldn't be happening. I talked to him, and he called them back, to make sure I didn't miss anything. He asked if, on the slight chance they could save him, if Magic would heal correctly. The vet said there was no way to know for sure - but it was likely, with his past history he would have the same, or similar issues. So even if they operated and as unlikely as it seemed, saves him, he might go through this again.

TS came home, and we talked it over. Initially, I wanted to do the surgery. I did NOT want to make the decision to let my boy go without fighting until the end, no matter what. But as we talked, I remembered the discussion we'd had after Magi's second surgery, when things looked grim. How I'd felt I would probably not want to put him through a third surgery, without being certain they could fix him. How bad I'd feel if he died on a cold operating table, surrounded by people who didn't love him. Or worse yet, come through this surgery and then have the same thing happen again, after he had seemingly recovered - when he really wasn't. We decided to let him go.

It was the hardest decision I have had to make. Yeah, maybe I'm lucky in that respect, but I don't feel lucky.

He wagged his tail when they brought him in, even though he was groggy, and in pain, even with the morphine.

We spent some time with him. The tech who came in to give us our refund for the surgery Magi wasn't having was crying, and apologized. I told her it was okay, I appreciated the fact she cared. It was a very peaceful ending. His head was in my lap. After it was over, he didn't look like my Magic anymore. Magic was gone.

The worst things about it were that there was no obvious sign of any problem. After his surgery, he was back to normal within a week. We followed all the instructions the vet had given us. He was eating normally, playing, digging, being his normal merry self. We played fetch the night before, and he had a great time, shaking his head as he brought back "Grunter" his rubber ball with feet and devil ears.

There were a few things that made me wonder if all was well, but nothing that made even paranoid me call the vet. Nothing abnormal, for a dog. Eating grass - so was Nemo. (So have every single one of our dogs - sick or well.) No diarrhea, which would have sent me to the phone immediately. Maybe the occasional soft stool, but then they would be fine. Nothing that couldn't be blamed on a sneaked french fry, or his still-tender system adjusting to a foot less of intestine. Not laying the same way he did pre-surgery. I think I even asked the vet who took his stitches out about that. She said he might be a little tender for awhile, things were still healing.

It was shocking to loose him so suddenly, and so young. I am having a very hard time. I know I will be okay, but it's so sad. He was such a lover. Such a sweet, merry, fun dog. He loved everyone, and everyone loved him back. I miss him jumping on the bed when the alarm goes off. I miss him coming over and just laying his head on my leg for a minute. Hugging him. The glint in his eye when he got something forbidden. His little "oof" when he lay his head down on my foot. His excitement when he saw something new. His lack of fear of the vacuum cleaner; he thought it was the Best Toy Ever. Watching him and Nemo play in the snow. His joy when we brought home a new toy. And of course, his gusto for food. His doggy kisses, even the slobbery ones, that grossed me out and made me laugh at the same time. His big old feet, and his soft nose. He is the fourth animal we have lost in a year. Cocoa to the wild, Suzie to cancer, Kiel to diabetes, and now Magic. I am so sad.

15 Things We Learned about Puppies & Dogs

This is in memory of our Magic Man. Born August 31, 2006, died April 11, 2007.

And all the other dogs we've had over the years.

1. Never punish your dog for something you didn't see him do.
They don't really "get" that you are yelling at them about what they did. If you feel the need to be mad, stomp around and yell things like "WHO did this bad thing!" They will get the idea you aren't happy, but you won't end up with a dog that cringes when you yell.
I remember yelling at poor Toby for a lot of stuff. He did a lot of bad stuff, but he really didn't understand why I was so mad at him. He was

2. Never rub your dogs nose in his mistakes, or hit him with a newspaper, or hit him for any reason when potty training. (Never hit your dog, period.)
The only time it's okay to yell at your dog when potty training is if you catch him in the act of going potty. Then say "NO", and take him outside right away, and praise, praise praise. There are lots of great places that offer puppy kindergarten classes that will help you potty train your puppy in ways that make your life easier, and are effective and KIND.

3. Gentle training is better than strict training.
You want to make obedience fun, not a time of punishment. All the dogs we trained this way were much better behaved, and faster to learn. The old school obedience training involved mean corrections that were not necessary.

4. Training your puppy when he's young is the best.
Don't wait until you have a problem dog, start training right away. Puppies are so eager to learn, and eager to please - it is so easy to do and doesn't take much time. (Sorry Toby) Training is like a game to them. With treats.

5. Never give your dogs toys that are a.) small enough to fit completely into his mouth or b.) look like anything you don't want him to destroy.
This includes shoe shaped toys, stuffed toys (especially if you have kids) (we don't so our dogs sometimes get stuffed toys). Some dogs, like our Suzie, could not have toys with squeakers. She would rip the toy apart immediately to get at the squeaker. We also don't give rawhide toys. Our Nemo as a puppy felt that rawhide was the same as leather. Which led to the destruction of a few pairs of leather shoes, the leather around the tops of three pairs of tennis shoes, a leather belt (complete except for the buckle) and a couch cushion. I am missing a few things.
We have never given socks, except for possibly to Toby and Tasha, who were smaller dogs. Big mistake, Tasha was a clothes thief. Tasha used to steal clothing out of the dryer and bury it. Toys that fit in a dogs mouth can be swallowed. Don't give tennis balls to dogs that can swallow them. There are over sized tennis balls for this. I am very leery of nylabones, greenies, or anything like that. Our dogs jaws are too powerful. They can eat things that will really hurt them. They find enough stuff on their own, don't let toys be a part of it.

6. Start grooming your dog once a week when he's very young.
It's especially easy not to worry about short haired dogs. If you groom them once a week you can keep an eye on any skin problems, or hurt places, in addition to having your dogs used to grooming tools, and not thinking they are toys (Magic) or Items That Might Hurt Them (Nemo).
Toby, the Cocker Spaniel hated to have his feet touched. Suzie was always Very Concerned about the toenail clippers (although she would allow them to be clipped).

7. Take your dog many places when he's young. Introduce him to lots of people, and other dogs. Socialize, socialize, socialize.
This should almost be number one. It's true that every dog has a personality. Toby could be nice, but he was stubborn, and had the Cocker rage problem. Tasha was very, very smart, and very good. Both of them could have been much better dogs (with reservations) if we had been better at socializing them. Toby was good with people, but bad with other dogs. Tasha was actually good with everyone. Suzie was an angel dog. In spite of her breeds (Rottie/GSD) she loved other dogs. People - it took her a few years with us, but she gradually lost her suspicion of people she didn't know, and became a people-lover. Nemo has always been shy, and because of his hip displaysia we didn't socialize him as much as we should have - so he is very reserved. If he knows you, he loves you. If he doesn't know you - you must be a little spooky. Magic - loved everyone. Everyone loved him. Part of all these things was personality - part of it was socialization. Do it.

8. Crate Training is Good
While I am not a fan of keeping dogs in their crates all day, except when they eat or exercise, or go potty, I also feel they have a place in training. During the first few days of being in a new place, they are good. I also think that our next dog may be more crated than our other dogs. Just because it's an easy way to transport them.

9. Pay Attention to What you feed your dogs.
We have always fed our dogs good food. We also don't give them people food. People food is not good for dogs. Toby and Tasha probably got the most people food of all our dogs. Suzie got some, but then when Nemo came along, we gave him very little, and Magic got only a few things, mainly cheese, because we give Nemo cheese in the morning for his glucosamine. Listen to your breeder. Pay attention to your dog. Some dogs need special food, some don't. More expensive is not always better.

10. A skinny dog is better than a fat dog.
Of course, this goes for people too. But we learned the hard way with Suzie. When she was 11 we had to put her on a strict diet, because she was too fat. Her hips started going, and she could barely get up and down. After she lost 35 lbs, she was a different dog. Getting up and down was easy. She became more lively again, and more playful. It gave her several more years of life. So, now we keep our dogs on the lean side. (If only we could do the same for ourselves...)

11. Always remember that 30 lb puppy is going to be a 160 lb. dog.

Since we have big dogs, especially we remember this. A cute little puppy jumping on your head is cute, maybe a little funny. A 160 lb. dog (or in Nemo's case, 200 lb. dog) could be life-threatening. A small dog can still be a pain in many places - a two pound puppy might be a 20 lb dog. So keep that in mind when you are playing.

12. Don't let your dog be the boss.

Don't let your dog get away with dominate behavior. Our dogs nearly always are required to sit before they are fed, before they are let out into the field for a supervised run, for pretty much any fun thing. Even if they con you into giving them treats, make them sit before you give it to them. If you let dogs on the furniture, bed or anywhere else, they have to yield to humans. Nemo's "safe spot" is the couch, but sometimes we make him get off for us. He pouts, but even though he sighs and whines, he knows that we are the boss. If your dog ever snaps at you, or anyone else, seek professional help. Obedience training is very important.

13. Don't put your dog a losing situation.

Don't put a shy dog into a room with 20 screaming kids. Don't put an aggressive dog into a dog park without a leash. Don't corner a fearful dog. Be smart about your dog. Don't leave a dog that isn't used to kids with children. Don't let a small kid walk a large dog unsupervised. Don't walk a cat-hating dog without a leash in a neighborhood with cats. Forcing the issue is just going to make it worse. Nemo is a very shy and timid dog. As long as he feels he can flee if things get too bad, he's okay. Suzie was very wary of people she didn't know. We were very careful about introducing her to people. Gradually she got over that. But we were always aware that with her looks, it was better to be safe. Use common sense. Most problems can be overcome with training, but don't put your dog into situations that he could fail.

14. Keep your dog fenced.

Dogs , unless they are in the middle of nowhere USA, should never be allowed to run free. It's dangerous for them, and dangerous for other people. Dogs as a pack may do things a single dog would never do. Get hit by cars. Get lost during storms. It's just a bad idea. A fenced yard is the best. Some people say dogs should not be allowed out unsupervised even in a fenced yard - I mostly disagree with this. We have a dog door, and it works great. Our dogs have a small run, but also a big field to run in (supervised, since it's not entirely fenced). But we would never allow our dogs out of our yard without a leash. It's just not smart. Dangerous for the dog. UNLESS your dog is trained in off-leash healing. But, even the most highly trained dog will be tempted by things. Cats, say. Or squirrels. Someone with a treat. A dog across the street he's friends with.

15. Sometimes it's kinder to let them go.

All of our dogs, except Nemo, had to be euthanized. We know his time will come someday. It's a hard choice, but don't keep your dog (or cat, or llama) alive for you. Of course, the hope is that you will wake up and they will have died peacefully in their sleep. (I hope this for all my pets, but it rarely happens....) Sometimes, like with Magic, it is a very hard decision. Sometimes, like with Suzie - who had mouth cancer, it's not as hard.

Even when you are prepared, it's still not easy. But as a caretaker, sometimes it's the kindest choice to make.

My hair

I don't have a good picture of my hair at the moment, but it is very cool. At the moment it needs a cut, and I am not going to get the color re-done for another month or so.

Naturally I have dark brown hair with grey in it. Many people think it's black, but it's not.

Right now it's red, with blond on the top, short - very short. I have gotten more positive comments about it that any other hair style or color I have ever had. I have known the woman who does it since she was a small kid. So, that's fun. (She is the daughter of one of my sister-in-law's best friends...does that make sense? No, but don't worry about it....)

I like it a lot. It matches my Strat.

I just wonder what people mean when they say my hair matches my personality.

Fiery? Fake? Blond ?

I don't know. I don't really care, because I like it!

Why Socks Are Bad

Our puppy Magic almost died. He's still not completely out of danger.

He ate a sock.

Yeah, I thought it was kind of funny, too. Except the almost dying part.

Magic is a 6 month old Saint Bernard puppy. 85 pounds, tall enough for me to pet with out leaning over. He loves everyone.

He has a mischievous spirit. When he's doing something bad, he gets this glint in his eye. It's playful, and he knows he's doing something he shouldn't, but he just can't help himself.

Actually, Magic ate 5 socks.

# 1 Fell out of the dryer while I was transferring clean clothes to the dresser in the bedroom to be folded. I saw him with it, and although I NEVER do trades, I held up a cookie. "Wanna Cookie?" I asked. Magic's second favorite words. (The first being, "Are you hungry?")
In stead of dropping the inedible sock for the yummy cookie, he swallowed the sock. That sock came, ah, out, just fine. I found it two days later.

#2 & #3 I have no idea where he got them. We have a lot of theories, the Saint and I. Maybe from the top of the dresser. Although I push the clothes back from the edge. Several months ago three nice shirts, and three crappy shirts and two pairs of underwear received some big holes because they were too close to the edge. They came through fine.

#4 got thrown up last Friday morning. Magic didn't eat. This was a big, big deal.

After him being lethargic and not eating, and puking, I called the Saint at work and said, "He needs to go to the vet now."

Our vet took x-rays. He saw something, but couldn't tell what it was. Said if Magic started throwing up again to bring him back, they were there until 6. We went home. Magic not feeling good. Two hours later he started getting sick again. We rushed him to the emergency vet. They said, "I think there's a sock in there." CRAP.

They tried to re-hydrate and hoped it would move along on it's own. It didn't. So at 4:30 am they called us and told us they were going to operate. They do this all the time at this practice. They felt it would be routine, so they neutered him, and stapled his stomach so he won't torsion.
Since he is a lighting-fast eater, was due to be neutered, and they would already be mucking around in there we told them to go for it.

Magic came through the surgery fine. Sock removed, only a small incision in the intestine. A huge one along his poor tummy, though. Neutered. The vet said only a couple more inches and the sock would have been on his way. All was well. He should be fine.

But he wasn't fine. He still wouldn't eat. He was listless, draggy, dopey. We went and saw him after work on Saturday, and he was not our bouncy Magic. We were worried. Then the vet called us Sunday morning and asked us to come in, to see if we could get him to eat. No luck. Sunday night we went back, and the vet was concerned about some white blood cells. No apparent infection. But he was still not eating. Running from both ends.

Monday, the radiologist took an ultrasound, and they gave us a choice. Things in there might be dicey. The could give him 5 days or so to see if he pulled out of it, or go back in for a look around, to make sure everything was fine. He had perked up, but still wasn't eating. The second time in ended up with the surgeon finding adhesions all through his intestines, removing a foot of the intestine where the sock had been. His chances were not great. He came through the surgery okay, but with the infection, resection, and it being the second surgery - it was not looking very promising. The surgery had taken three hours. On a positive note - his vital signs had stayed stable the whole time.

After getting the news I cried all night long. The Saint had to take Nemo with him when he went to get dinner because I was freaking him out.

Tuesday morning I was afraid to call and find out what was happening with my poor dog. I couldn't bear any more bad news. The vet tech came on and said, "He's eating like crazy."

From there the news got better. He perked up. Kept eating. No throwing up. We went to see him Tuesday, and he was a new dog. Still groggy from the surgery, but much perkier than the same time after his first surgery.

Wednesday morning the vet said if he kept improving he could go home. He was perky. They said he was a wiggle worm who kept trying to lick them.

When we went to get him he was back to Magic. Loving everyone, and ready to go home. When we got there he promptly stole three pieces of forbidden kibble. He's on a high nutrition soft food for now, and more pills than the Saint and me put together. But - he's looking good.

If he makes it to Saturday night without throwing up, having the runs, or not eating he should be okay.

You might be thinking to yourselves, do they just strew socks around? No.

Pretty much everything in our house is puppy proofed. We don't leave tempting stuff laying around where he has access. Shoes are put away when they are taken off. Clothes go in the hamper. Small tempting items are put on higher counters. Doors are kept shut to those really fine places like...bathrooms and the back bedrooms.

We also train him NOT to chew up our stuff, take away the bad thing, "MINE!" and give him a toy. However, he is a puppy. Like a kid, everything goes in his mouth. If it tastes not bad, he eats it. We watch him closely, and we try to keep things that will hurt him in safe places, but we can't watch him every second.

Is there a moral to this story? Not really. Puppies will be puppies.

PS - 3/30/07 Magic is fine now. Socks are on lock down though. He had to take three weeks of antibiotics, and be on special food when he first came home. I took three days off to make sure things didn't go bad. It was very scary. Does he still eat things he shouldn't? Yes. Two weeks after he came home he ate the handle off his new toy box. And the phone line. But he's fine. Hopefully he's at the end of this stage of puppyhood!

Marching Ahead

February went by in a flash - and I barely even touched my blogs.

My poor little Magic isn't feeling too well today. He ate another sock - he threw this one up. But he still wasn't eating so we took him to the vet this morning. They took X-Rays. They think he will be fine, but he still isn't eating (SO unlike him) and he's not feeling very good.

He's such a good boy, and I feel bad. At least we know where he's stealing the socks from now, (off the bedroom dresser - which is high!) so we can keep them away from him.

I'm hoping he will be feeling better soon. Poor little guy.