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I've been trying to figure out a way to describe what's been going on in my life the past few weeks and haven't been able to figure it out.
I've always been a stream of conciousness writer, so that is what I'm going to be doing here. But I do need to give some back story to what is going on here.
Animals have always been a huge part of my life growing up. I am the youngest of 5 children, I had low self esteem growing up and, as a consequence of that, I had very few friends. I could count them all on 2 fingers. So then, one day, I found out that my sister bought a pet shop and I started working there when I was about 8 years old.
I had quickly bonded with all the different animals as, at that time, they really were the only things outside of my family that were happy to see me each day. My favorites were the Macaws. 3 of them: A Blue and Gold, a Military and a Green Wing.
By working there and learning about all the diffrent animals, I was able, by the time I reached high school, join the speech and debate team and went around the city competing in speech contests about the different animals. People from school who never paid me any mind before, suddenly started coming up to me and asking me, ME, advise about their pets.
It's fair to say that those expereinces helped to put me on the road to over coming my shyness and low self esteem.
So time passes as it is wont to due and the pet shop is sold but the lessons I learned from it have stayed with me. Animals have always been important to me since that time and always will be.
I leave home and after some time I end up in Washington state. I'm doing well for myself financially, have a good job and own my own home. So I decide to save some money and get a room mate.
He comes over and states that he has a Miniture Doberman Pincher (Min-Pin for short) Cute dog well behaved. No bigger than an average cat. Perfect for a condo. All goes well until about 8 months later he brings home another one. That one is older and not housebroken. To my room mates credit he does rent a carpet cleaner and is constantly cleaning the rugs because of the mess the new dog made. However, the first dog suddenly forgets what it is like to be house broken and starts to go all over the place too. Things come to a head between the two of us and I tell him he has to move out.
After he is gone and I am cleaning up in the room that he left, I begin to realise that all of the baseboards are ruined because of the constant urination of the dogs. The carpet isn't all that much better.
So for a time I am put off on pets.
Enter in my boyfriend. He's an animal lover. Not a bad thing, but for me, after the previous experience, I'm just not in an animal loving mood. Before he moved in with me, he did have some rats as pets. 2 of them. One of my very first pets was this giant brown hooded rat that I named: George. I know, really original. But I was 9 at the time. The rats are clean, smart and fun to play with. So he brings them with him when he moves in. He asked me if it was all right and I said yes.
So he moves in during the last part of 2005. Now, I know that he really, really, REALLY wants a Toy Poodle. He had one before he moved out here and had to leave her with his ex and he misses her terribly.
During this time we get 6 more rats. The original two had since passed away.
More than a year goes by and for Christmass 2006 I hint to him that having a small dog would be fun to have. He says no because he doesn't think it would be a wise thing to do at that time. So I hold off on getting him one for Christmass.
However, he does want to get a King Snake. So in late March of 2007 we go to a local reptile show and get Fleischman, the King Snake. We take him home and set him up in his new home and then go and visit some friends who live about 30 minutes away.
On our way there, we get a phone call from our friends that they need to push it back an hour. So we go to one of the local pet shops to waste some time. As soon as we walk in the door, what do we see? Baby Toy Poodles. I knew right then and there that if he even looked at one, that we were going to get one.
So that's how Mason came into our lives. As a puppy, our remote control was larger than he was. He was small! Mason is our red headed step child. The technical color for him is Apricot but he is more red/auburn with just a tuff of white on his chest.
As befits any puppy he quickly became the center of attention for us. It's amazing how forgiving one can be when it's your own dog that isn't housebroken. :smile:
From day one Mason slept in our bed. Sat on our laps at the desk. Was with one of us constantly when we were home. Can we say SPOILED??? This dog had toys and treats that would make an oldest child jealous! The funny thing is that no matter what toy he had, he really likes socks! And can he ever find them and steal them!
So Mason turns 6 months old and we make an appointment to get him neutered. They do the requisite blood work and surgery and he's ready to go home at the end of the day.
The next day we get a call from the vet saying that one of his blood work tests were in the high-average range and wants us to come back in 6 weeks to redo the test to make sure everything is all right.
Three days later, Mason throws up. We thought it was due to a change in his diet. All through the weekend, he threw up. Then 8 days after the surgery, he stops.
Three weeks ago, on a Friday night, we find out he has worms. He also threw up again that Friday night. Saturday more worms and more vomiting. The same on Sunday. Monday, I'm back at the vets like a parent with a new born with a fever. The vet gives Mason a shot to take care of the worms and is concerned for the vomitting as that is not associated with worms. When we weigh Mason at the vets he weighs 5 pounds 3.5 ounces. Both of his parents were 4 pounds. I get some food from the vets that helps to soothe upset stomachs and we start Mason on a mixture of that and his normal food.
Two days go by and no vomiting. Wednesday Mason wakes up and vomits on the bed. We take him back to the vets and they do some more tests. We find out that his enzyme level is dangerously high. Which can make him naushis (sp) and can cause vomitting. His weight is now 4 pounds 8.5 ounces. I can feel his hip bones and ribs. The test results are back.
It seems that his liver is either not functioning properly or some of his veins are not hooked up to his liver. So this Wednesday we are taking him in for an ultra sound test and for a cat scan to see exactly what is going on inside of him. There can only be two things they can find:
1) Some of his veins are not connected properly to his liver. Surgery will take care of this.
2) Everything is attached and his liver isn't working. Nothing can be done about this except to put Mason down.
So, as you can well imagine, I'm a tad bit depressed about this. It's amazing how deep of a bond I have with this little boy. I know that if we have to put him down I'll bawl for at least a week.
The funny thing is that Mason has not sufferend any loss of energy or appetite. He still plays fetch with us with his ball. He runs around the living room and the hall way likes it's his personal indoor track, jumping up on the love seat bounding over to the couch and racing across the reclyner before jumping back onto the floor and starting the circle again.
Every now and then when we come home, we circle to the back of the condo and look into the living room from the patio and we see him laying on his blanket, which he dragged in front of the door, waiting for us to enter so he can run and jump up onto us.
So here we wait for Wednesday.
We also discovered that Tripp, one of the rats, passed away today, too:sadwavey:.
So I'm a little sore with all the gut punching that Life has given me.
Thanks for listening to me,
Sklar
I've always been a stream of conciousness writer, so that is what I'm going to be doing here. But I do need to give some back story to what is going on here.
Animals have always been a huge part of my life growing up. I am the youngest of 5 children, I had low self esteem growing up and, as a consequence of that, I had very few friends. I could count them all on 2 fingers. So then, one day, I found out that my sister bought a pet shop and I started working there when I was about 8 years old.
I had quickly bonded with all the different animals as, at that time, they really were the only things outside of my family that were happy to see me each day. My favorites were the Macaws. 3 of them: A Blue and Gold, a Military and a Green Wing.
By working there and learning about all the diffrent animals, I was able, by the time I reached high school, join the speech and debate team and went around the city competing in speech contests about the different animals. People from school who never paid me any mind before, suddenly started coming up to me and asking me, ME, advise about their pets.
It's fair to say that those expereinces helped to put me on the road to over coming my shyness and low self esteem.
So time passes as it is wont to due and the pet shop is sold but the lessons I learned from it have stayed with me. Animals have always been important to me since that time and always will be.
I leave home and after some time I end up in Washington state. I'm doing well for myself financially, have a good job and own my own home. So I decide to save some money and get a room mate.
He comes over and states that he has a Miniture Doberman Pincher (Min-Pin for short) Cute dog well behaved. No bigger than an average cat. Perfect for a condo. All goes well until about 8 months later he brings home another one. That one is older and not housebroken. To my room mates credit he does rent a carpet cleaner and is constantly cleaning the rugs because of the mess the new dog made. However, the first dog suddenly forgets what it is like to be house broken and starts to go all over the place too. Things come to a head between the two of us and I tell him he has to move out.
After he is gone and I am cleaning up in the room that he left, I begin to realise that all of the baseboards are ruined because of the constant urination of the dogs. The carpet isn't all that much better.
So for a time I am put off on pets.
Enter in my boyfriend. He's an animal lover. Not a bad thing, but for me, after the previous experience, I'm just not in an animal loving mood. Before he moved in with me, he did have some rats as pets. 2 of them. One of my very first pets was this giant brown hooded rat that I named: George. I know, really original. But I was 9 at the time. The rats are clean, smart and fun to play with. So he brings them with him when he moves in. He asked me if it was all right and I said yes.
So he moves in during the last part of 2005. Now, I know that he really, really, REALLY wants a Toy Poodle. He had one before he moved out here and had to leave her with his ex and he misses her terribly.
During this time we get 6 more rats. The original two had since passed away.
More than a year goes by and for Christmass 2006 I hint to him that having a small dog would be fun to have. He says no because he doesn't think it would be a wise thing to do at that time. So I hold off on getting him one for Christmass.
However, he does want to get a King Snake. So in late March of 2007 we go to a local reptile show and get Fleischman, the King Snake. We take him home and set him up in his new home and then go and visit some friends who live about 30 minutes away.
On our way there, we get a phone call from our friends that they need to push it back an hour. So we go to one of the local pet shops to waste some time. As soon as we walk in the door, what do we see? Baby Toy Poodles. I knew right then and there that if he even looked at one, that we were going to get one.
So that's how Mason came into our lives. As a puppy, our remote control was larger than he was. He was small! Mason is our red headed step child. The technical color for him is Apricot but he is more red/auburn with just a tuff of white on his chest.
As befits any puppy he quickly became the center of attention for us. It's amazing how forgiving one can be when it's your own dog that isn't housebroken. :smile:
From day one Mason slept in our bed. Sat on our laps at the desk. Was with one of us constantly when we were home. Can we say SPOILED??? This dog had toys and treats that would make an oldest child jealous! The funny thing is that no matter what toy he had, he really likes socks! And can he ever find them and steal them!
So Mason turns 6 months old and we make an appointment to get him neutered. They do the requisite blood work and surgery and he's ready to go home at the end of the day.
The next day we get a call from the vet saying that one of his blood work tests were in the high-average range and wants us to come back in 6 weeks to redo the test to make sure everything is all right.
Three days later, Mason throws up. We thought it was due to a change in his diet. All through the weekend, he threw up. Then 8 days after the surgery, he stops.
Three weeks ago, on a Friday night, we find out he has worms. He also threw up again that Friday night. Saturday more worms and more vomiting. The same on Sunday. Monday, I'm back at the vets like a parent with a new born with a fever. The vet gives Mason a shot to take care of the worms and is concerned for the vomitting as that is not associated with worms. When we weigh Mason at the vets he weighs 5 pounds 3.5 ounces. Both of his parents were 4 pounds. I get some food from the vets that helps to soothe upset stomachs and we start Mason on a mixture of that and his normal food.
Two days go by and no vomiting. Wednesday Mason wakes up and vomits on the bed. We take him back to the vets and they do some more tests. We find out that his enzyme level is dangerously high. Which can make him naushis (sp) and can cause vomitting. His weight is now 4 pounds 8.5 ounces. I can feel his hip bones and ribs. The test results are back.
It seems that his liver is either not functioning properly or some of his veins are not hooked up to his liver. So this Wednesday we are taking him in for an ultra sound test and for a cat scan to see exactly what is going on inside of him. There can only be two things they can find:
1) Some of his veins are not connected properly to his liver. Surgery will take care of this.
2) Everything is attached and his liver isn't working. Nothing can be done about this except to put Mason down.
So, as you can well imagine, I'm a tad bit depressed about this. It's amazing how deep of a bond I have with this little boy. I know that if we have to put him down I'll bawl for at least a week.
The funny thing is that Mason has not sufferend any loss of energy or appetite. He still plays fetch with us with his ball. He runs around the living room and the hall way likes it's his personal indoor track, jumping up on the love seat bounding over to the couch and racing across the reclyner before jumping back onto the floor and starting the circle again.
Every now and then when we come home, we circle to the back of the condo and look into the living room from the patio and we see him laying on his blanket, which he dragged in front of the door, waiting for us to enter so he can run and jump up onto us.
So here we wait for Wednesday.
We also discovered that Tripp, one of the rats, passed away today, too:sadwavey:.
So I'm a little sore with all the gut punching that Life has given me.
Thanks for listening to me,
Sklar
