Missing something...

There are some days when we feel like something is missing. We feel an emptiness that we can't seem to be able to fill with fun and games or food and drink.

Sometimes it doesn't bother us. Sometimes we just remember to feel it again, but it's always there. Or, actually, isn't there anymore.

I wonder if Aschiuta ever feels that way sometimes too. And she does have something to miss. Something quite important. Poochie is missing the possibility of ever becoming a mother.

Tucked in, with her collar on

She was looking towards me just now, a bit accusative. Then she put her head back on my legs. She doesn't miss it all the time.

How did this all happen? Well, around her birthday last year (awful present, isn't it?) we had an outing with the extended family and were out of town for the weekend.

We sent her away to the usual dog hotel, where we know she is always well taken care of.

We had been thinking about spaying her for a while already and, since the owner of the dog hotel is also a good vet, Scorp got the idea to ask him to give her the operation.

I assure you I slept very little the night after we decided to do that. Poor poochie would have too if she'd known what was coming.

I had always imagined that I would be there holding her paw throughout the procedure, but we knew she would be in good hands. And she would also get gas anesthesia, which has the least side effects.

We called the vet that evening and he told us she was fine and the operation had been a success. He also told us that we were lucky to have done it at that time, since apparently poochie had had a growth on one of her uterine tubes. He eventually took it all out and there were no complications. Phew! I guess it was a good birthday present after all.

We asked him to bring her back to us the same evening we returned from the outing. It was pouring and I remember they brought her back from the van with the cone on. She was happy to see us, of course, and we her.

I walked her home after the rain had stopped (remember, this was mid-May) and she kept bumping into things, poor girl. She seemed energetic, but she just wouldn't climb up the stairs to the first floor apartment where we live, so I had to carry her. Her tummy still hurt.

Plenty of rest is the key to a speedy recovery

We were alarmed when she peed a little blood the next day, so we told the vet. He came to check on her and gave her an injection, which she took bravely. The bleeding stopped soon, but I still went out with her with a wad of tissues to make her pee on them, just to check.

All in all, she made a full recovery and is now back to her happy self, as if nothing had happened. You can barely see the stitch scar too.

Hey, who knows, maybe she will adopt one day, if she can't have her own.

The change of the seasons

Hasn't it been a long time? It certainly feels like it's been months and I'm sure there have been several months since I have last written a post in either blog.

"Oh, hello, I was just writing in my blog here..."

Winter has come and gone, marking its passage with lots of snow and very cold winds. I'm a bit sad that I don't have any pictures of Aschiuta prancing around in the snow, as she is really cute doing it, like a little kid (goat's kid, that is).

We had managed to go out for the routine walk just as some snow had settled down on the street and it looked like a warm white blanket to the unknowing eye. For who doesn't know, we moved away from the hustle and bustle of the market place and the large busy road to a very quiet neighbourhood, where cars pass maybe three-four times a day. So, you can imagine how soft and untainted the snow appeared, especially at that early hour on a weekend.

Aschiuta loves the snow and to her joy, we did have several weeks of solid snow, so much that we ended up wishing for spring to hurry up. At times, it was so thick and so soft, Aschiuta would simply swim in it or try to, with her bunny hops. The first day of good snow, we chased each other around and I tried to topple her over in the snow, but she really wouldn't let me, so I settled with throwing a few soft snowballs at her. I am sure that, if she had been bigger, she could have pulled me on a sleigh if she wanted to. Snow is always good fun with the poochie.

Now the spring breeze is here to warm up the frozen earth and the snow has almost completely melted away, leaving lots of mud behind. Aschiuta's coat has been put away and we are already making plans for her next haircut, since she is shedding again. That much for snow... But still, we are looking forward to the joys of the next season, lots of grass and flowers for poochie to prance around in.