Pets

[Kilgore47]

For several years I was hounded about getting a dog.  Pun intended.  Didn't want to do it.  Not because I don't like dogs but because I do like dogs.  I get too attached.  I finally relented and on a Saturday morning and we took off on a two hour ride - one way - to pick up a basset hound puppy.  That was eight years ago.  Daisy is my buddy now.  She hurt her back a few days ago and it was after hours.  And the vet we usually use was going to be out of town for the Easter weekend and wouldn't be back until Monday.  So I found an alternate local vet and took her in yesterday.  OK I'm almost to the point of this post.  I expected it to be a thousand dollars when I went back to pick her up.  But I'll pay that - I don't skimp on medical stuff when it comes to people or pets.  That's just one of the things that has to be done.  BUT the bill was only 500 dollars - still not cheep.  Now being of the old car mind set that means that I have 500 dollars left over to get some parts for the 47 P15.  Not sure I'll get away with that😂

 

PS:  I expected spinal problems in an old dog.  But turns out it's only a pulled muscle.  Really good news.

[cheesy]

It's amazing what we'll do for pets.

Buster dog, a Border Collie/Pointer/Shedder mix, had his spleen removed last summer. It was a rough week for all of us. I slept on the floor next to him the first couple nights after his surgery. I don't remember what it cost but it was spendy. He's back to his big old goofy self again. He's also waiting on me to get this stupid cast off my foot so we can do our morning 2 mile walks again. Two more weeks, buddy.

[plymouthcranbrook]

Our dog “Martin” had some sort of issue about 6 years ago when he was about ten years old. The regular Vet did not have any idea what was wrong so off we went to a specialty hospital.  A couple of days and $4000 later he was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that ended up being controlled by a relatively cheap medicine. He lived four more healthy years finally passing away at the age of almost 15.  I still miss that boy and his “sister”.  Now we are down to one little cat.  

Edited March 30 by plymouthcranbrook

[Sniper]

Many years ago my wife had a Redbone Coon hound she just loved.  I worked weekends out of town. Left for work on Friday and by the time I got back on Monday I had no dog and a $1500 vet bill.  I forget the details, I think his kidneys shutdown, but whatever.

 

The wife was the dog person in the house.  I like dogs, don't get me wrong, but I do not like being a dog owner.  I, personally, would not have spent that kind of money but when your wife is on the phone crying you tell her "money is no object".  She's one of those people that think dogs are people in furry coats.  Me?  I think they are dogs.  Short time with us, usually wonderful to be around, but they pass, all too soon sometimes.  I do not get emotionally attached to them like she did.

 

I feel for those of you that lost your best friends.

 

 

[Plymouthy Adams]

Well, same here, the pup eventually become family and usually cause less trouble or heartaches.   My little dog asks for nothing, gives all.  I have had a number of dogs over the years and yes, they all been good animals.  But this little guy, he is very special.  He was 14 last Christmas...I have had pugs since early 80's....they my favorite breed.  Here he is doing his Don King impression.

 

 

 

 

[P15-D24]

Our current girls and are best friends!

 

Roxie on the left, Queensland-Aussie mix, and Sunny, 100% Heinz 57 mutt!  

One suggestion after some substantial previous vet bills with one of our other dogs is get pet insurance. Cost is easily offset when you have those unexpected emergencies. 

Both my wife and I have had cats and dogs our entire lives and I don't see how you can live without them!

[Kilgore47]

This is Daisy.  She is asking for something - I just have to open my mind and figure out what it is😄.  Not that hard to figure out - she wants a treat. 

[ggdad1951]

Personally (from all the posts here) I like dogs, but just don't have the time for one.  You have to be around (or someone) every so many hours.  When we moved to our place we inherited Puma, the shop mouser.  She's had her adventures (lost for 6 weeks after a broken carrier outside the vet's office....but we got her back..which involves the USPS phone call...long story).  She's my little buddy in the shop and when she's gone, I will miss here dearly.  Growing up on a farm I never got too attached to the cats as they were outside animals and could literally disappear overnight.  But she has clawed her way into my heart.  She's over 20 years old (we actually figure 22 from discussions with the neighbors) now and spends the majority of her day sleeping, but still needs to take a nap at the end of the day on dad while he makes sure nothing will go amiss overnight in the shop after welding, maintenance or woodworking.  Hemp oil has given her a new lease on life this last year or so, the arthritis pain is kept at bay and she still plays, runs and jumps.  I highly recommend this for older pets!  When she's gone, I'll be alone out there, but won't find a replacement as I worry too much about yotes and eagles.  I give you the engerizer bunny kitty and shop supervisor: Puma!

 

 

[Kilgore47]

2 hours ago, ggdad1951 said:

Hemp oil has given here a new lease on life this last year

I'll have to check that out.  

[kencombs]

Edited April 1 by kencombs

[kencombs]

Here’s my little girl.  Broken leg and all 24 yours after I got her she jumped off the porch.   Found out there are doggie orthopedic surgeons so she got a plate and cast.   That was 2022

Edited April 1 by kencombs

[kencombs]

Later pic with her favorite toy.  I’ll bet I kick or throw that ball well over a hundred times a day

5 1/2 lbs of fun

Edited April 1 by kencombs

[cheesy]

Buster dog hinting that he'd like to have what I'm having.

We've had seven dogs over the past 50 years. This guy is not only the largest dog who lived with us, but also the most well behaved. He isn't a snuggler, but he can't control his licker. Lot's of kisses. He's an absolute gentleman when riding in the backseat of the DeSoto, and he has made himself the official protector of it. If someone gets too close to the car while he is in the backseat, he will let out a low growl in his throat if he doesn't know them. No snarl, no bare teeth, just the warning. Of course, if you passed him a burger, the car is probably yours.😉

[Plymouthy Adams]

Burger, Hawaiian bun, double cheese, hold the onion...!

[Dan Hiebert]

Dog and cats.  Wife insists we have a dog, always a German Shepherd.  The one we have now (Heidi) is a rescue from the streets of LA of all places.  Terrified of loud noise and bad weather.  Like some people I know, she's quite friendly, but doesn't have any manners.  We don't get out enough (with her), and we don't get enough visitors to train her.  Unlike our last GSD who hated people in general, but loved other animals, this one loves people but hates other animals.  We've got her to where she tolerates our cats, and she has to be on a leash when she goes outside or we'll lose her chasing chickadees, red squirrels, or the neighbor's dogs.  Both our cats are old-ish, but we don't know how old they really are.  One's a sweet little calico (Millie) that weighed 18lbs when we got her, now she's half the cat.  She hangs out in the basement and is getting old and creaky.  We'll have to try that hemp oil thing, too.  Our other cat (Ollie) is a big fluffy Norwegian Forest Cat (according to his papers, but I have doubts, I think he's just an alley cat) that we inherited from a friend who died.  Really good mouser and used to be my shop buddy until the neighbors got a dog that kills everything, and Ollie wandered a lot, so we keep him inside now.  He used to be a tad standoffish, but is an attention whore now.  Keeps Heidi in her place.

[oldodge41]

We always had dogs, I love dogs. We had cats too, the last one went missing a couple years ago. Our neighbor has outside cats that hang around our place sometimes. I don't mind, they are good mousers. Our last dog was a Chocolate Lab named Coco who we had to put down the same week I lost my Dad. Hardest thing I have ever done. My wife said "no more", she can't handle the loss again. I hate the loss, but the joy when they are with us outweighs the loss for me. Just about the time I thought we might be ready to adopt another dog, 7 years ago, my daughter adopted a rescue. Remmy is a terrier mix with an unknown background, although the vet says his past was very bad based on a physical exam and his obvious trust issues. Remmy is a lone wolf, he doesn't like other dogs, or cats. He takes a little while to warm up to most people too. He and I became best friends quickly. Although he lives 2.5 hours away, we visit often, and we dog sit whenever needed. When his human brother was born, it really freaked him out. I slept on the floor in the living room with him for about a week until he adjusted to a baby making baby noises overnight. My grandson is now two and they get along pretty well, but sometimes Remmy just needs his space. We brought him home Monday after Easter to stay with us for two weeks, a longer than normal visit, but my daughters family has several things going on over the next couple weeks and rather than shuttle him back and forth, he will just visit with us. I love it! 

[JBNeal]

Several years ago, a lady friend asked me to take care of her dog as she was gone a lot and her grandparents' farmhouse yard was infested with fleas and the grandparents would not allow an exterminator on their property.  I reluctantly agreed with some provisions to keep her honest, and Roper was penned up in my backyard for the next 2+ yrs, where I trained him to mind his manners and obey simple commands, something my lady friend was amazed to see when she would occasionally visit.  I'd even take him for a ride on occasion 😃

 

 

She eventually took him back to her grandparents (long story) then I heard through the grapevine that she blamed me for his disappearance a few months later...he was a friendly dog that liked to explore while living in the country, and she had removed his collar cuz he was scratching so much cuz of the fleas again.  More than likely, he got bored and had wandered up to the road tracking some varmint as he would often do, and some passerby probably stopped to talk to him and he just hopped into their buggy and rode off into the sunset, happy as a clam to get the attention cuz she was still gone a lot and the grandparents had mobility issues so they did not want to get tripped up as he could still be rambunctious with his high energy and bottomless pit of emotional needs 

 

I've had a few dogs before and since, all rescues, none get along well with cats, so no felines on the place except for the occasional polecat.  I've had a few other lady friends with cats, and they have been amazed at how their cats warm up to me cuz they think that I am just a dog person.  Especially the aloof female-friendly cats...on more than one occasion, I've had cats known to hide from strangers up and hop onto my lap to give me the judgmental look, then sit a spell while i pet them, which would be a complete surprise to witnesses, cuz them cats don't really like anybody.  I recently had one talk to me on the phone during an evening hey-how-ya-doin call, which had my friend rofl cuz apparently me and her Buster speak the same language 😁

 

The current backyard resident has been tasked with keeping away the mountain lions and unicorns...I helped Mom pick up Willow from the shelter in late '19, as my folks had recently lost 2 dogs in a span of a few weeks (rattlesnake bite got Cooper, UPS truck got Bailey), and Belle was gettin up in years...unfortunately, Willow and Belle do not get along, apparently as loveable as both are, there is only room for one of them on their hill.  So after almost a year of trying to get them to live in peace, I was asked to take care of Willow as them 2 had been snapping at each other a little too vigorously as winter was approaching.  As before, I taught her a few manners and she eventually learned how to swim...she gets really intelligent and disciplined when I bring home the occasional brisket fat or bbq rib bones 

 

 

 

Edited April 11 by JBNeal
additional information

[Sniper]

You live in Bell County?  Not too far from me.  Used to lie in Killeen in the mid/late 90's,

[plymouthcranbrook]

The cat that shares our home, or rules it depending on your perspective.  In one of her favorite places.  As we lovingly refer to her as 6 pounds of vicious fury. 😁

 

 

 

Edited April 7 by plymouthcranbrook

[cheesy]

Buster dog has decided that the new couch is acceptable.

He misses his old couch, but that may be passing.

[Sniper]

19 hours ago, cheesy said:

He misses his old couch, but that may be passing.

 

Oh sure, just as he finally got it properly broken in you went and got a new one.  Gonna take lots of work to break in the new one, lol.

[cheesy]

21 hours ago, Sniper said:

 

Oh sure, just as he finally got it properly broken in you went and got a new one.  Gonna take lots of work to break in the new one, lol.

He's working hard at it right now.

[cheesy]

On 4/13/2024 at 5:58 AM, cheesy said:

He's working hard at it right now.

Yeah, I claimed your new couch. So what? Whaddya gonna do about it?

 

Every morning when I come downstairs, his barrel shaped body is stretched out and snoring on MY new couch. It isn't where he starts out at night but it's where he ends up by 6am.

[greg g]

Two hours after arriving from the shelter.

[greg g]

First time in crate.   Yes he got out.

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