This is my darling Pugsley. I adopted him in September 2011. He was 5 years old, very shy, he had been badly abused and had to wear a “thunder shirt” much of the time when he first came to help with anxiety but he settled in nicely and has been one of the sweetest pugs I have ever had. He is my darling, the oldest of my pugs, he will be 12 in July, which isn’t quite so old. I have adopted 11 pugs in as many years and they have typically lived 14-16 years. But Pugsley has had a challenge this last year. Last June he was diagnosed with a collapsed trachea. From the x-rays they thought that it was bad enough that I might only have him 6-12 months but he has done remarkably well on the medication and most of the time you wouldn’t know that anything was wrong with him. Today we faced another challenge and it is scary.
I took the above picture of him over the weekend. You can see that a problem was developing and it came on so fast I only noticed it after I took this picture. It is his left eye. By yesterday it was draining and he was not opening it all the way. I called the vet and got him in early this morning. By today the eye looked really bad. It is a “severe bacterially infected ulcer.” These things apparently can come on over a 24 hour period. It seemed to have happened overnight. Worst case scenario is that they can lose the eye and it is very painful. I was simply horrified. To have this happen 3 1/2 weeks after losing Tanner has shaken me badly because it is more complicated than it ordinarily might be. If it gets bad they can usually remove the eye and the dog does very well without it, but it is a surgical procedure and because of Pugsley’s collapsed trachea he is not a good candidate for surgery. This had my vet really worried and she sent us right to a specialist this morning, a veterinary ophthalmologist. This was not my first trip there. I have had 3 other pugs that had to go to this office. Because pugs have protruding eyes they can be easily injured or develop problems. It is always a scary business.
The specialist felt that it might be able to be treated, that the eye might be able to be saved, but the treatment is aggressive. He has 3 different types of eyedrops that must be administered several times a day and 2 different meds he must take by mouth twice a day. We came home and got right to it. He is not thrilled but he is being really sweet as he always is. I have to take him back in early Thursday morning so she can check and see if the treatment is working. I am asking for prayers and good thoughts for my little boy. And he will of course get whatever treatments he needs but the vet bills are really scary, they are my biggest worry. But I just want him to get well, I can’t stand to see him go through this. He is my baby (even though he is the oldest).
I am trying to relax. He needs to be cuddled and loved and tenderly cared for in addition to all of the medications. That is what I am doing. But it is just coming so close on the heels of losing Tanner that it has me completely unnerved. I am going to stop here for today. I know, once again, it isn’t much of a blog post but I wanted to let you know what was going on. Again, prayers are very much appreciated.
I hope all of your babies are well. Hold them close, we never know how long we will have them, it is never long enough.
The Experiment ~A 365 Day Search For Truth, Beauty &
Happiness: Day 1 ~ Introduction To The Project
“Do or do not. There is no try.”
Yoda
Hopefully the next two days will see it big improvement Maitri.
Thank you Moira honey. I just put one kind of eye drops in. They have to be put in pretty much every 2 hours but 5 minutes apart. I just keep on keeping on…
It is never long enough. how true. but when you think of the life you have given pugsley and what he has given you, it is such a deep pure blessing. focus on the love you have for each other… to get you through
and we are by your side…
P rayers of
U ltimate
G ood
xo ka
Thank you so much sweet Ka. We are going through our 8 pm regimen of drops. 3 different kind of drops, 5 minutes apart for each. We just keep on keeping on. Onwards and upwards. Keep holding a good thought honey. I love you…
Oh, Maitri, I hope that the eye drops work to resolve the infection.
We picked up Woody today — a clean fluffy boy, after he’d been an excellent “uncle” to two foster dogs at our dog sitter/vet tech/Woody care person. She had sent us the most adorable pictures of them snuggling up to Woody. And how glad we are to have her have Woody (and support her) instead of the vet (who she works for). All good.
But, she’s also mindful that Woody is nine, an older boy now, and has seen plenty of Goldens apparently leave at younger ages.
Sending good thoughts to all of you.
Thank you so much dear Lisa honey, I am doing everything that I can. We are going through our 8 pm regimen of 3 different kind of eye drops, 5 minutes apart each. We will do it again at 10 and add the 2 medications by mouth then. We just keep on keeping on.
Oh, it makes me so happy to read that you are back with Woody now. I know that he was in very good hands but as our babies get near to what may be their life expectancy (and it may, and hopefully will, be much longer than we expect…) I think it is important for us to prioritize being with them and I know you are doing this with your dear Woody by making arrangements to go someplace next where you can take him with you. We don’t have to have dogs but if we choose to I think we need to put them first above other things in our lives as you are doing, as I do. They are so precious.
On I go putting the drops in and praying for the best for my baby. I thank you for holding a good thought for him…
I continually see the cat people come together on Instagram, time after time, to help kitties in need.
If you could (have someone) put up a GoFundMe or YouCaring page for Pugsley, I bet the dog people would rally to support you. 🙂
Oh gosh Victoria, it would be such a tremendous help but I feel very shy about this and I don’t know how to go about doing this.
You know I adopted my first of 11 pugs in 2007 several years before the fire. In those years I was more financially secure and able to manage things. The last 3 pugs I have had, one of whom was Tanner who just passed away, I have had before the fire. Since the fire when I lost everything I have really struggled and my biggest fear is vet bills.
You know, the sad thing is that in my heart I am the perfect person to take these babies in, so many who are seniors, disabled, or have special needs that make them not the cute young things that people want to adopt. I am home fulltime, rarely leave my house, and devote my life to these babies completely. If I didn’t have to worry about the vet bills I would be able to take in so many babies that seriously need a home, and I could give them such a lovely secure home, but I can no longer afford the vet bills. I mean I WILL pay for the vet bills for whatever my 2 babies that I have need no matter how I have to get the money, but beyond these 2 whom I have been committed to for a number of years I don’t know how to carry on. At 64 I could still live for 20 or 30 years and I could provide a loving home for numbers of babies, but not with the vet bills. There are so many that need homes and so many people just don’t want them. If I could figure out how to afford the vet bills I would be a wonderful home for these babies but I just don’t know how to do it.
For now I just want and need to take care of the two that I have. Beyond that I don’t know what to do, but I will tell you that life without dogs for me would be untenable, I simply could not live and go on completely alone without dogs. I wish that I could figure out a way to do more for the sweet babies in the world that need homes…
I am holding good thoughts for your sweet Pugsley. I visualize all his angels and your angels around you both healing, sending love and peace <3
Maybe someone else can set up a Go fund you page and you wouldn't have to be shy about it. My friend rescues Min Pins and has go fund you pages for it. I don't know how to do this though.
Sending you much love. I know it's hard and almost impossible not to worry though. Maybe talk to his eye and thank it for healing. It is amazing what bodies (human and animals) can do and heal.
Love, Jean
Thank you so much dear Jean, I pray the angels are with us, surrounding my baby boy, and giving me the strength to do what I need to do round the clock to take care of him.
You know the whole idea of the Go Fund Me just kind of makes me cringe. I don’t like to be the kind of person asking for money, and I wouldn’t ask for myself, but if I were able to have support for vet bills I could do so much good with these babies, I was meant to do this, but I no longer have the money to support it. But there are so many in need these days to get enough to be able to count on a steady stream of income for the care of the babies you took in would be hard.
But as you say it is amazing how our bodies and the bodies of the babies can heal, and yet, as I have just found out with my baby boy Tanner, the youngest of my 3 who had his yearly checkup 3 weeks before he died and checked out PERFECT and healthy and then just laid down and died 3 weeks later, when it’s your time it’s your time. People (and animals) survive unbelievable things and continue to live on, and other people go seemingly far before their time, like my Tanner. It’s hard to comprehend, but there you are…
Ah well, so much to think about, but right now I’m just so tired…
Definitely sending Reiki for the healing and recovery of Pugsley’s left eye and for you as you support him through this Maitri. <3
Thank you Joan, I really appreciate it honey…
Sending prayers for Pugsley and for you as you deal with this…our shih tzu lost an eye after an injury when he was only two years old and has done wonderfully, but at your baby’s age, I pray the medication works for him. Hugs, sweetie!
Thank you Lynne honey, I’m glad your baby did so well and yes it makes a real difference when they are young. Dogs can do very well without an eye, I have known pugs that lost both eyes and did amazingly well, but it gets riskier to go under anesthesia as they get older and then with Pugsley’s collapsed trachea it just wouldn’t be good. I appreciate the prayers, I am so praying the medication works. It’s an aggressive regimen of 3 different drops 4-6 times a day + 2 meds by mouth. He will be checked again in the morning. I so pray this works.
Bless you for your good thoughts honey…