8 posts tagged “dog”
The funny thing about it, I didn't intend to buy that at all. I stopped at the pet store on the way home from work with the intention of buying a new dog bed. Ten minutes later I'm driving away with a smile on my face, anticipating the excitement my dog will have when he sees his new treat. It wasn't till I got home that I remembered the bed -- and the fact that I didn't buy it.
Darn 3ft dog treat. It just boggled my mind.
The same thing always happens to me at the grocery store. I arrive intending to do the weekly shopping, and I get home later with 20 frozen pizzas and a deli sandwich.
I'll just go through some quick blurbs (this might be how I blog for awhile):
We are short some people at work, so I'm pulling a double work load. I'm also now on-call every other week, which is always so much fun. There is nothing like getting home to relax after a long day only to be called in for another shift. But hey, nothing to be done about it. At least I enjoy my job.
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Two houses on my street were robbed this past week. It freaked me out enough that I have a couple security companies coming out to my house next week to quote me some prices on a full home security system. The very last thing I want to be stressing about while I'm at work is my little brother getting home by himself and interrupting some burglars in the act.
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I got the results back for my dogs blood work, he is almost at pre-disease levels for all his previously elevated hormone counts. He won't ever be taken off his medication, but at least now he is stable and is in no immediate danger of anything serious. He has had Cushings Disease for a year now, and his life expectancy was listed at 4 years after diagnosis. Supposedly he has 3 years ahead of him, but of course I'm hoping he proves them wrong and stays with me longer. I'm not ready to say goodbye to him.
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My recently discovered new favorite pizza joint, the Great Alaskan Pizza Co., just went into new ownership and decided to suddenly up their prices by nearly $10.00. Where is the justice!? It just figures I only found this place a couple weeks ago. Since they are now even more expensive than Pizza Hut... I guess I'll be switching back to buying from the Hut instead. Bah.
I think he has a strong will to live, and a loving family he would rather not leave behind.
I find it amazing though, how much pets health care costs. It's unbelievable really. If I didn't have a job that afforded me with some extra spending money, my dog would have died last year. I have no illusions about that at all. This last Vet trip was $93.00, and that was just for 2 shots that took a whole 5 minutes. I also have to fill a monthly prescription of Metyrapone that is about $100.00 a bottle (even with insurance). As well as his special--and expensive--allergy-free dog food (since many things in normal dog food makes his Cushing's worse) that usually sets me back about $60.00 every two weeks.
Now this coming Tues. I have to drop him off again for a few hours at the Vets, for some extended blood work and testing. A process that experience has taught me is going to set me back anywhere from $300-400 for the one trip.
Don't get me wrong; the life of my dog is worth any expense to me. He's my kid, so that says all there is to say. I'm not so much complaining about my situation, but more so for other people. I mean... how many pets are dying out there because their owners just can't afford these ridiculous Veterinary charges? Not everyone can afford this sort of treatment. Actually, I'm sure the majority of normal families couldn't swing it. It's heartbreaking to think that some people will have to make the decision to put their pets down, simply because they can't afford the treatment or surgeries that will save their lives.
That just isn't right at all.
Sure, I know that you can get pet health insurance now - but still, even that will only cut expenses so much - and you probably can't even get the insurance if your pet is already sick. The costs of these things really are out of hand. But like I said, I love my dog. I'm going to keep paying these exorbitant prices simply because there is no other option, except letting my dog die - and that is absolutely unacceptable.
Anchorage is supposed to only get about 5 1/2 inches of snow, on average, during the entire month of April. Barely over a week into the month and we'll have about 4 times that already. Really Alaska, really?
It's funny though, just about everybody thought winter was over. I had hoped it was too, to be honest. A couple weeks ago half the city went and had their snow tires removed. Even my mom called me and tried to tell me to get mine removed, and she just about never calls me. Then boom, more snow. Now the dozens of people who got into accidents today probably wish they had left those snow tires on!
Tut tut citizens of Anchorage, that is what you get trying to jump the gun.
The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is kicking off in downtown Anchorage today.
"...over 1150 miles of the roughest, most beautiful terrain Mother Nature has to offer. She throws jagged mountain ranges, frozen river, dense forest, desolate tundra and miles of windswept coast at the mushers and their dog teams. Add to that temperatures far below zero, winds that can cause a complete loss of visibility, the hazards of overflow, long hours of darkness and treacherous climbs and side hills, and you have the Iditarod. A race extraordinaire, a race only possible in Alaska."
No wonder this is dubbed the “Last Great Race on Earth”. Sure driving 500 miles, in a circle, in a racecar, might seem hard - but try doing that without an engine, or wheels, while keeping over a dozen dogs and yourself safe and healthy, oh and there is no road either, just ice and snow. Yup, now that is a race.
If you want to read more about the race or follow the standings, check out the official site: http://www.iditarod.com/
My dog drives me crazy sometimes.
I just don't understand what is going through his little mind when he makes certain decisions. Take for example last night. Alaska -- in winter -- isn't a very ideal time to take the family pet on a walk, unless you like your pet frozen, clumped with snow, or covered in sloppy snow-melt slush. But we've been having a thaw the past week, and instead of the roads being a nasty mess they are just a nice sheet of ice. Still hard to walk on, but for sure not as messy.
So I decided to be nice and take my dog on a walk around the neighborhood. We are out maybe a half hour before I decide to come back in, and you know what he does as soon as he steps into my house? He pees on the floor. Yup. I looked at him and said, "Are you CRAZY?!?". He looked up at me with puppy eyes as if to say, "It can't be helped".
What the... he had the entire city of Anchorage as his toilet for the past 30 minutes, and instead he decides to come home and "decorate" my carpet. If he wasn't so darn cute I'd be mad at him. It's hard to get angry at him though, even when I see him do something like that he still LOOKS innocent. Wish I could pull that off.
Apparently my dog hates ESPN the Magazine. I don't blame him, I don't particularly care for it either. I got conned into buying a subscription once (I'll leave that horrible story for another day).
I walked upstairs today -- after checking the mail and then making the mistake of leaving it on the floor -- to discover my dog in this position, doing his best to be my personal paper shredder.
Prodigal was nice enough to ask about the health of my dog, Chichi - some of you may remember awhile ago I had blogged about him getting sick. Well I am very happy to say he is doing much better these days. He had lost most of his hair just after getting diagnosed with Cushings Disease (the dark 'orange' spots on his coat are areas where he completely lost his hair), but now he has been on weekly treatment and has responded great, his hair and appetite are back. He has a lot more energy. All is well.
Take a look at the page I linked to above, if your pet is displaying any of those symptoms; go get him / her checked quick. Early detection is key here, if you catch it fast enough your furry friends can still have many loving years to spend with you and your family.
My dog has a few habits that tend to annoy me.
I'll only talk about the very worst of them though: he stares at me when I'm eating. He'll sleep all day and all night, not moving a muscle. But if he hears the clink of a fork on a plate, or the crinkle of a fast food wrapper, he's up so fast you would have thought he had been sitting there for hours.
Then he sits there and stares at my face. Or more specifically; the food going into my mouth. Unblinking and unmoving, aside from the occasional licking of his lips - and I swear I can almost feel his thoughts telepathically urging me to drop my food: "drop it drop it drop it drop it drop it". Whats worst of all, I do accidentally drop food at times, and I just know that each time a crumb hits the floor it just reinforces his desire to sit there and stare at me.
He's probably thinking "...drop it drop it drop it.... YES! IT WORKED! This is the best food I've eve... drop it drop it drop it drop it..."
I mean his staring at me disturbs me so much that I've actually attempted to block his view of me at times. I've held up sheets and towels. I've stacked pillows. I cross my legs so that my knee is blocking his view... I've even tossed blankets on top of him and started rapidly eating, attempting to finish before he digs himself out.
Probably the most amusing thing I've done though, is when I sit at my computer. I have a swiveling chair, so when I sit down with a plate of food and Chichi rushes over to take his customary place on the floor to stare at me, I very very slowly start rotating in a circle.
My dog gets flabbergasted. I swear, you can just see his sudden confusion and panic.
He's like... "whoa, whoaaa, wait a second... you're moving, while eating! How can I watch your face if you're moving..." So before my back is turned to him, he gets up and starts slowly walking in a circle next to my chair. As I turn, he walks - and in a circle we go. I try to keep turning just fast enough to keep my back to him, and he does his best to get in front of me so he can watch my face as I eat. It's probably the most idiotic and childish thing I've ever done, but it works! By god, it works. Sometimes I start giggling so hard I can barely eat, when I look down at him and see him walking laps around my chair, desperately trying to catch a glimpse of what I'm eating. But man, it's so worth it.
So if you are ever wondering about what exactly Exer is doing in Alaska at any given time, there is a good chance I could be at that very moment spinning in slow circles as I eat dinner.
