You Lucky Dog You!

Meet Lucky Dog. Lucky has been a part of our family for 5 years now. He was found on the side of the rode and I took him home with me. He was the most pathetic creature I had ever seen. His eyes were glued shut with eye gunk, he was missing patches of fur, he had this horrible horrible smell coming from his ears and nose. I was sure I was bring him home to die in comfort. I took him to our vet (we had two dogs already, both puppies about the same age as Lucky). Surprisingly he wasn't on death's door. He had an eye and ear infection, mange, parasites and fleas. We got meds and and instructions for cleaning all his ailing parts. I brought him home optimistic. Suddenly he took a turn for the worse. He wouldn't eat, wouldn't drink, wouldn't hardly move and he seemed to be twitching a lot. I took him back and the vet said it was distemper and considering his health he probably wasn't going to make it. On top of that my other puppies had just had their first distemper shot and so they probably won't yet 'safe' from distemper so I had to keep them isolated from Lucky. That meant keeping them in the backyard and taking Lucky in the front to potty. Not touching the well dogs until I had washed and changed my clothes after handling Lucky. The vet told me that I needed to prepare for the worst but pray for the best. Who knew that a person could get so attached to this mangy little pup I had known for only days. All God's creatures great and small I guess. I prayed he would get better, I prayed God would give me the wisdom to know when it was time to take him to the vet and have him put to sleep if he became uncomfortable and was suffering. I fed him pedialyte ever hour on the hour round the clock so he wouldn't get dehydrated. I finger fed him baby food meat and carrots and I gave him massages because he was having frequent seizures and twitching and his muscles were getting knotted up. I even took him to a homeopathic vet! I did this for 6 weeks and he made it.

That's one Lucky Dog my vet would say! He has nerve damage from the distemper so he has a constant tick or twitch that makes it look like he is enthusiastically chewing gum. Because the twitch has caused the muscles on one side of his face to shorten it pulls his tongue out to one side of his mouth. He can't keep it in his mouth. It hangs out in the most rogue way, making him look like a scoundrel. Especially when he is excited! The twitching caused all his teeth to fall out except two. He still manages to eat anything and we often find evidence of this when a child finds a barbie shoe or army man in Lucky's poo! He is a happy dog and his greatest ambition in life is escaping the hard to go visiting. No matter what we do he finds a way. In five years he has probably escaped 500 times! He can climb over, under, around or through any fence, barrier, blockade or maze of yard clutter to get out. Lucky's second greatest joy is napping. He has had nightmare's since he was a pup. I know I attach human emotion to my poochies so in my poochie mommy heart I wonder if he is reliving the day he was dumped on the side of the road and dreaming what life would be like if he weren't so doggone Lucky!