Friday, February 11, 2011

A Girl and Her Dog

We took both dogs to the vet today. Max has had a chronic ear infection and Cleo just needed her shots updated. That dog is never sick and will probably outlive all of us.

When the Doc was examining Cleo (the wiener dog), she listened to her heart and said “She has a little murmur”  I asked if that was bad and got the explanation that basically it won’t harm her but to watch her and make sure she doesn’t start coughing a lot and that her exercise is still good. When she doesn’t want to exercise anymore, it’s affecting her.

Cleo is really Callie’s dog. She’s had her since she was in the fourth grade and calls herself Cleo’s “momma”   I’m not sure which one misses the other more.. but I think Callie misses Cleo more because Cleo is happy as long as she has her bed, pink blankie and a bowl of food twice a day.

 

 

 

I sent Callie a text message after our vet visit. It went like this:

Me: Cle0 has a heart murmur

Callie: (sad face) what does that mean?

Me: One of her valves doesn’t close all the way when her heart is beating. Doc said it could get worse as she ages but it’s not bothering her now. We have to watch for coughing and a loss of interest in exercise. So far she has no symptoms other than hearing it through the stethoscope.

Callie: (another sad face) my baby

Me: She is still good

Callie: You broke her

Me: I knew you would say it was my fault. I told Nick you would blame me.

Callie: Aww, she needs to come live with her momma. Her heart broke when I left!

Me: Please. Then it’s your fault.

Callie: You’d better not let her die.

Me: That doctor said she could live to be 19.

Callie: Good, she needs to outlive me.

Me: Don’t get crazy.

(hours pass)

Callie: She needs a valve replacement

Me: I don’t think so. With her heart murmur they can’t put her to sleep. The doc said she wouldn’t even risk putting her under to  clean her teeth.

Callie: I think so. I have been watching a lot of Grey’s Anatomy…I could probably do it.

Me: Where would you even get a replacement valve?

Callie:  A pig

Me:  You ain’t cutting open a pig.

That’s where we left it about 15 minutes ago. She cracks me up. Even on text message she makes me laugh. She misses her baby. I sure hope that stupid dog doesn’t die on my watch.

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5 comments:

JG said...

Awwww. Poor puppy. :( I've got that, too (valve that doesn't close thing). I hope she stays good and healthy for a long, long time!

Muchelle said...

Poor Cleo. I hope she does well and never has any issues but that conversations cracked me up! *lol* When my sister's dog had cancer we had the talk about we won't be going to extreme measures if our dogs get seriously ill. Then Mocha had her cancer scare. I already had my bake sales planned out to raise funds. So if Callie ever needs help cutting that pig I'm in. *lol*

Peppermint Ph.D. said...

that conversation made me laugh out loud too...because it sounds so familiar. :):)
Motherhood is exhausting, isn't it? ;)

Quiltingranny said...

We had a boxer that lived to be 13. Our vet said it was because she was loved so much. My son would take her on dates...Petsmart for nail clips and treats and he always took her for rides. He was gone for awhile and she got cancer, the vet said she would go quickly...she didn't, the vet said she was waiting for him to come back...he didn't, when she passed our whole family was devastated. I pray her mommy can come back home soon! Funny, while we say they are stupid dogs, we love them so much!

Mindee@ourfrontdoor said...

Poor Cleo. Although . . . I may start telling people I have a heart murmur and that's why I don't exercise.

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