Lilian

The Eighth Day of Christmas

Oh Lordie! Lilian is so unique.

That is THE photo of the 8th day of Christmas. We spent a lot of time together this evening, Lilian, the treat container, the camera and I. During my lunch break, too! And the above is the winning Lilian picture.

Here’s a beaut from our lunch time photo shoot.

And this one demonstrates Lilian’s tremendous talent for looking miserable with mere facial movements. She’s trying to remove the antlers.

She’s the official Doberbrat of Fort Doberdale. Hands down. God, I love her!

I have to add this one.

And this one, too, because it’s the companion to the one above.

Holiday, Lilian

19

Dec

2007

The Seventh Day of Christmas

Helen

On the Seventh Day of Christmas, my true self gave to me, a new breed. Annie is my 7th baby, and she is an Aussie.

Annie is very clever and has a different set of smarts than my wonderful Dobie babies have. That is true to the breed. Herding breeds, such as Annie, were meant to work with, but away from their owner. Annie is very good at figuring things out and acting on them. She is by far the most fearless dog and has a very bright mind. She’s also fuzzy and takes a little more grooming than the Dobies. According to Aussie standards, the tail of the Aussie should be removed…such as Dobies. I am very pro-tail, and Annie has one. I had been looking for a tailed Aussie and found this little gem three hours away from me. I set it up with the shelter to adopt her, so as not to take the drive in vain.

When the shelter woman showed me Annie, Annie was in an outside pen. The woman reached down and said, “She likes to pull on my watch.” That’s because Annie was bored out of her Einstein brains and that’s the only thing that came into her pen that was nearly a toy.

Annie is pretty much the boss of most, if not all, of her Doberherd. When she’s in a mood, she is not to be messed with. She has been the greatest mommy. The Doberladies do not have patience when puppies come in the house, but Annie? Annie has been pulled on, chased, and cuddled up to ad nauseum by various visiting pups. Lilian is Annie’s greatest accomplishment because she stayed and Annie grew her up from a sickly needy little pup to the dog she is now, Lilibeast, who has recovered from her recent mystery illness, by the way.

Annie is without a doubt a much loved member of Fort Doberdale.

Annie, Holiday, Lilian

18

Dec

2007

Bird Brains & Lilian Update

Helen

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.

Lilian Is Not Feeling Well

Helen

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.