Monthly Archive: December 2007

On the first day of Christmas, DoberDiva Leissl wore a red, red wreath.

And pulled it off spectacularly! How many of us could look this stunning with a red, red wreath on our heads?

She had a few other beautiful photos from another photo shoot she wants to share. She’s such a German Babe, Leissl is.

Here she is being a softer German Babe.

Raven! What are you doing here?!

Didn’t you say, “Sit, Raven, sit?”

If she said that, you are supposed to sit like this, puppy brains!

Annie, Holiday, Leissl, Raven

Bird Brains & Lilian Update

After I got home this evening, I noticed certain members of the Fort Doberdale Squirrel Posse were gathered around the pine tree.

When I got over there, I saw a blue jay had gotten himself caught in the plastic mesh I have on the ground so the dogs won’t dig.

Blue jays are aggressive for bird brains, and this one was pecking Bouchard’s nose as Bouch tried to figure out what to do with it. Annie was on the other side of the fencing, which was this fellow’s saving grace, as Annie is the terminator of wildlife.

I called all dogs into the house, and tried to unmesh the bird. Knowing he was a peckerhead, and my immediate movement of the mesh didn’t loosen its hold of the bird, I went inside to get scissors. When I returned, I moved the mesh around to figure out how to trim it so the bird would not peck me.

At that point, the bird decided to help me out a little, and he pushed himself out, and jumped out of his bondage and onto the fence, peeping his freedom song all the way. He said “thank you,” and was on his way…hopefully with a lesson learned under his wing. I have no idea what he was doing to get himself trapped like that in the first place, but he is one lucky bird, and should be glad it’s the FDSP and not Bird Posse!

Lilian’s update tonight is more promising than last night. She has started to eat a little…

and guard her toys.

She is taking Flagyl as of tonight due to her sudden and probably much needed onset of diarrhea to purge whatever she’s harboring, and also Zantac for tummy upset. She had chicken breast and a few pieces of banana. She loves cold bananas. Every time I bring them out of the fridge to divy up, that is Lilith’s signal to sit pretty. I cannot resist but to give her a piece of the fruit for her efforts. Lilian is a little Diva angel in her own right, and we will all be happy as her recuperation continues and she gets back to her Doberpeachy self.

Birds, Lilian

Lilian Is Not Feeling Well

Last night I stayed up with Lilian. She is not well.

She couldn’t settle, and had thrown up earlier in the day. Later on, as I made dinner, she ate grass and threw up some more. She also refused to eat her bowl of chicken and rice.

This morning, I took her to a vet I have no relationship with. The reason being, my usual vet has had a baby and decided to work only Tuesdays and Fridays thereafter. That isn’t realistic for patients who have dogs that are acutely ill, and most of us want to have professionals we can count on and develop relationships with – especially when it comes to health.

Lilian was examined by the owner of this veterinarian facility today. He has the women at the front desk push vaccines till it’s sickening, and yearly vaccines are outdated protocols. They are un-neccessary according to updated standards and a detriment to a dog’s health.

I have outgrown this vet office and to see a vet and his staff stay cemented in outdated practices for the almighty dollar has become a burden to my own conscience. How can I support a practice with such values? I’ve had a hard time finding a veterinarian since moving to this area. South Florida is a tough area to begin with if you’re looking for courtesy and customer service; and veterianrians price their services at a higher rate than even Southern California, though the cost of living here is supposedly lower than there. That’s why I put my house up for sale…a year ago…I want out of South Florida! This market is such a twit of a market.

Back to Lilian. The vet she saw today was rough-handed and abrupt. Instead of stroking my girl, he slapped her. Why do some people think big dogs like that slap-petting sort of thing? They don’t. Big dogs like to be stroked as much as little dogs and cats. Lilian expressed her own anal glands because of this vet’s poor bedside manner.

I am not satisfied he did anything for her besides giving her sub-q fluids. Those are always helpful and what I wanted for her in particular. A bag of fluids is not worth $108, though, even in today’s market. We could have bought a barrel of oil for that, though not as helpful in this situation.

After all that, this evening, Lilian still refused food, a lovely chicken breast I slow cooked for her.

She wanted no part of it, though she normally enjoys dining. Some of the Fort Doberdale Squirrel Posse eat their food in one big slurp; Lilian, however, dines. Besides refusing to dine this evening, she is resting better than last night and is drinking water.

I will continue to monitor her, and look for yet another vet. This is the THIRD woman vet whose status as a mother has dramatically changed her status as a vet. The first two, from the same practice, quit entirely. I am waiting for this to happen to number three, though she claims it won’t. To each her own, but in a field where there are so few spots in universities that train for this profession, I find this a darn shame. All that education and experience is now poof! And no one equivalent is there to replace those who’ve poofed.

God bless Lilian.

Lilian

Raven’s Ear-Style

Raven’s bored with her usual ear-style, so changed it today.

The reviews were mixed.

All-in-all, Luigi loves his girls…even the ones that bust his chops.

Heza my boy, that Luigi is.

Then there’s Lilian. Let’s not forget the beautiful beak on her.

That snout can grab a toy and be off with it faster than any other snout in Fort Doberdale.

Lilian, Luigi, Raven

Dear Santa letter from “Doggy Mom”

This letter was delivered to me in an e-mail this morning. It is so funny, I thought I’d post it here. The author’s name was not listed, unfortunately.

——

Dear Santa,

I’ve been a good doggy mom all year. I’ve fed, cleaned and cuddled my dogs on demand, visited the Vet’s office more than my own doctor, spend more on their shampoos and conditioners than I do for myself, and most of the time they are groomed better than I am. I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my a black marker pen on the back of a dog food receipt in the laundry room between cycles of dog bedding, and who knows when I’ll find anymore free time in the near future with puppies coming and dog shows on the he horizon.

Here are my Christmas wishes:

I’d like a pair of legs that don’t ache (in any color, except purple, which I already have) and arms that don’t hurt or flap in the breeze; but are strong enough to put my struggling dog into the tub for a bath.

I’d also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere eating dog show food and at least three show outfits and some jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools.

If you’re hauling big ticket items this year I’d like noseprint resistant windows, floors that clean themselves, and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to eat my own snacks without having to share with a pack of barking maniacs.

On the practical side, I could use a battery operated dog that is always stacked perfectly and moves to perfection on my command to boost my showing confidence, along with at least two bitches who don’t bump each other to start a fight.

I could also use a recording of The Dog Whisperer chanting “Don’t pee in the living room” and “Get off of her, she is not in heat” because my voice seems to be just out of my dog’s hearing range and can only be heard by the next door neighbors who are at least an acre away.

If it’s too late to find any of these things, I’d settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container at a dog show.

If you don’t mind, I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare a doggy lock down session? It will clear my conscience immensely when I look at those miserable little faces.

It would be helpful if you could coerce my husband and children to help around the house without demanding payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family because after all, this is for MY Dogs!

Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is ringing and some of my dogs saw my feet under the laundry room door. They think I am eating dinner in here again and they are missing out on leftovers.

Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the door and look down so that you don’t step into an “accident”.

I would have left cookies, but between the dogs and the cat, there is no chance that anything other than drool will be left on the plate. I left you a Hot Toddy to warm you from the cold, but after a day like this, I drank it myself.

Yours Always,
Doggy Mom

P.S. One more thing…you can cancel all my requests if you can keep my
“doggy kids” in perfect show coats so that they win at the shows

Holiday