Showing posts with label brandy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label brandy. Show all posts

Friday, November 19, 2010

Without Words

Dear Brandy,

It's been more than two months since you've gone on and I can't say I've moved on already. We have a new dog in the house and his name is Bugsy, he's quite the rascal but I bet you'd have liked his company. You'd have enjoyed having someone to play with that's just as hyperactive as you were. It would have been a riot.

I miss you, puppy dearest. Today I was just thinking of your last days on earth. That night, when I arrived at the clinic where you were confined, you mustered up enough energy to stand up when you saw me, wagging your little tail weakly, surprising the vet because you had not stood up willingly for them during the day.

You liked fishies!
The people at the clinic said you stayed curled up in the corner of the cage, not paying them any mind even when they were trying to comfort you, completely ignoring the food that you used to gobble up in minutes not two days before. You were weak, the dextrose was your only lifeline. But you stood up and wagged your tail for me, silently telling me that you didn't want to be there.

I scooped you in my arms, carefully working around the needle on your small leg. We stayed in that position for a long while and I was stroking your head, your back, your little paws, whispering that you'll be better.

And then I needed to leave because they were closing, to my surprise, you pushed your weak body as hard as you could to that nook of my arm you loved burying your nose into whenever you were on my lap. Without words, you told me not to leave you in that dark cold room for the night, alone and in pain. But I did. I went home and thought leaving you there would be for the best. There were people who could monitor how you were doing in the middle of the night and call for the vet in case anything drastic happened. 
You had such a cheeful face :)
You had your first seizure right before I left, in the cage. I panicked and frantically asked the vet what should be done. He calmly said that seizures would really happen because of the malfunction in your kidney. I was ignorant and didn't press on for further action because you seem to have calmed down after a while and the vet seemed sure that it was a normal reaction and we should just let it pass.
I left you there in the hopes that you would get better and that they can take care of you better than I could. I tossed and turned that night, worrying about what might happen during the dark of the night. Warning bells were clanging in my head, telling me that there was something amiss.

Always curious
The next morning, I called the clinic right when they opened so I can ask about how you were. I was horrified when they told me you've been having seizures since before dawn, the intervals getting shorter with each one and the vet got in just five minutes before my call. You didn't recognize me anymore though I called out your name and looked into your glazed eyes. I had no choice but to agree to put you down because you were in much pain.

There are so many "should haves" that night. I should have rushed you to a better pet hospital with better equipment and compassionate veterinarians who might have taken a more aggressive approach to your situation the night before. Rather than you having to endure your pain in a dark room by yourself, your designated watchers just letting you have seizure after seizure without notifying anybody, it might even have been better if I just took you home and kept watch over you and hugged you tight when the pain was unbearable. I know I should have. I feel guilty and helpless every time I remember.
Missed forever
Brandy, I'm still heartbroken that you're gone forever. I miss your happy face, inquisitive eyes and perennially wagging tail. All your life, you brought me nothing but joy; I'm sorry that because of me, you had to go painfully. You couldn't say what was hurting you then, you couldn't say what you wanted. But without words, you tried to. And in many words, although it won't bring you back, here I am telling you that I'm sorry.

Love,
Your human

Thursday, September 30, 2010

The Early Worm Gets Eaten By The Bird

As expected, having a new puppy in the house has made me change my daily routine. My day now starts 2-3 hours earlier than it used to.

My schedule before Bugsy went like this:
08:00am - Wake up and lounge around
08:30am - Eat breakfast
09:00am - Get sucked into the vortex that is the Internet
10:30am - Get ready for work
11:00am-8:00pm - Work
09:00pm - Eat dinner
10:00pm - Get sucked into the vortex that is the Internet

These days, because Bugsy the pup wakes up at about five in the morning, he needs to be let out to do his poopie puppy business by 6am. Yes, 6 frickin' am. (Dear Reader, I haven't been up that early since that one semester in college when I had a 7am class. And that was seven years ago.)

My schedule now:
06:00am - Wake up and bring Bugsy out to do his morning business
06:30am - Give Bugsy breakfast/Eat breakfast
07:30am - Play with Bugsy/Bugsy's towel bath
08:30am - Get ready for work
09:30am-07:00pm - Work
08:00pm - Give Bugsy dinner/Eat dinner
09:00pm - Bring Bugsy out to do his evening business
09:30pm - Play with Bugsy/Bugsy's towel bath
10:00pm - Get sucked into the vortex that is the Internet

The first couple of times, I tried to sleep in for another hour to see if he could hold it in just a tiny bit longer. Having a bladder that is possibly smaller than my pinky finger, the little pup couldn't. Bugsy had a 'nice' little accident on the floor right by the entrance to my room.

Since then, I've forced myself to get up and bring him out right when I wake up. Surprisingly, the earlier schedule isn't as bad as I initially thought it was. I've gotten used to the earlier schedule and I'm starting to like getting things done earlier than usual. Although this lively little ball of fur wakes me up at ungodly hours of the morning and keeps me up late at night, I still think he's nothing short of adorable. <3
Bugsy at 11 weeks

Friday, September 24, 2010

Puppy Love

Just last week, a nine-week old baby Shih Tzu doggie became the cutest member of my household. On his first day in his new home, the puppy was timid, shy, and overly scared of loud noises- he cried out and hid in shadowy corners when he heard a louder-than-your-normal-speaking-voice noise.
Shy little puppy
By nighttime, he was less scared and started to sniff around and play with Moo, his stuffed cow. The little bugger kept me up all night by trying to jump on the bed, whining for attention, and having little puppy accidents all over the place.

"I win this round, Mr. Moo!" -baby Bugsy
I wanted to call him Teddy the first night because he looked like a cute little teddy bear when he was sitting down. But on his second day, he overcame his shyness and became the little rascal that he truly is. By morning he was running around his play area, gobbling up his food down to the last kibble, enjoying getting his tummy rubbed (I found his ticklish spot!), and playfully nipping toes (I'm still trying to make him learn that this particular game isn't cute).

Bugsy likes his new name
Since then, the little bugger has been christened with the (fitting) name Bugsy- a name he seems to like as well. The second night was much better for little Bugsy and me. Although he had a couple of weewee accidents, they were understandable because he's only nine weeks old (puppies of that age can only hold their pee in for about 2 hours or so) and had just spent two days in his new home. What's amazing was that he slept through the night and pooped outside the following morning.
Bugsy is a curious little doggie
Now, he's like an energetic two-year-old human baby. He's teething (he has only eight teeth) and likes chewing on toy bones and his teether toys (although his favorite "toy" to massage his gums with are my favorite pink slippers -_-). He's also currently practicing to pounce, leaping as high as he can to land on top of his chosen toy (usually Moo, the stuffed cow).
No more weewee accidonts by the third night!
Three days in, he has learned to pee on his doggie pad (which is actually an adult diaper pad) and has almost learned that pooping should be done outside and outside only. He just had one poopy-related accident since the first night (this is a feat because the pup poops six times a day)!
Bugsy, I wish you had met Brandy
We're going to see the vet this weekend for Bugsy's third round of vaccines and I hope things go well. I get worried because I've been researching pet care online and have read too many horror stories of little puppies getting very sick and not making it (the Internet is evil for things like this). In the meantime, Bugsy is a bouncing ball of furry fluff that has taken possession of my heart (and my favorite pink slippers -_-). <3