I have always considered myself to be the eternal optimist. I refuse to see the glass half empty. Nigel, on the other hand, isn’t exactly a pessimist, but he does tend to see the glass half empty. Lately, my glass, my social tank, my attitude are at half empty, and that’s really unusual for me. Maybe it’s the season…you know…the after Christmas blues. Or, maybe it’s the weather. It’s been beastly cold. Then again, it could be Jack.
Max…
Max was our very first Westie. You’re probably wondering (of course, you are) why we (meaning I) fell in love with the Westie breed. The answer is short. My daughter-in-law’s parents had one, and we dog sat for them one week. I absolutely fell in love with Sherlock though the little stinker did run away from me. That had me all kinds of scared as I just couldn’t get that dog to come to me. That’s the famous Westitude you hear about. Anyway, within a year, we had tracked down a breeder in Fort Wayne, and got the cutest little puppy. We could have registered him but chose not to do so. Bet you’re wondering where the name Max came from, right? Well, the summer before, I hadn’t had a period for a bit and was joking with my daughter that I might be pregnant. That was pretty much impossible as I’d had my tubes tied decades before. So, we picked out names as one does! We decided Max Banks sounded just right. So, when we got this little Westie puppy, his name was immediately Max. Have you ever seen a Westie puppy?
Then Pete…
A couple years later, we decided Max needed a “brother.” We got Pete at a “broker.” At the time, I didn’t really know much about puppy mills, but I’m pretty sure this place was one. Pete was about four months old when we got him. He was in an outdoor pen with a bunch of goldendoodles and looked more like a cairn terrier than a Westie. And, did he stink! We had ridden our Harley down to see him as a way out should we decide he wasn’t for us. When he ran right to Nigel, that was all it took. We put down a deposit and went back the next day. It took about four or five baths before we could even stand to be around him. Max was definitely the alpha dog in the relationship. What made me giggle was when Max would pee, Pete would hurry up and go over and pee over it. Poor little beta dog trying to be the alpha!
Happy times…
We had Pete for seven years, and during that time, you couldn’t have found two happier Westies. Our backyard was fenced in, and they were out there most of the days during the summer. We had a huge birch tree back there as well as lots of flower beds. I had planted large blue hostas under the birch, and they were beautiful…until two little dogs set up a race course that went right through them. I loved sitting out on the back deck and watch Pete chase Max around and around the yard. We had a pea gravel walkway that led from the gate to the deck. Pete would launch himself into the air and sail over the walkway. I can still see him doing that. I only wish I’d gotten it on video. We had planted boxwood bushes around the pump thingamabob. Those two dogs would go around and around that bush scratching their backs. Eventually, the bushes became shaped to their shenanigans. The two slept on our bed with Max at the foot and Pete at head.
Til they weren’t…
In February or March of 2012, Pete started having some really nasty diarrhea. A couple of days after this started, he pretty much exploded in the bedroom. I got him into the vet that day. They x-rayed his poor little tummy and found it was full of fluid. The vet gave him a steroid shot and said she wasn’t sure if that would take care of things but to bring him back in a couple of days. For a few days, he rebounded and was the Pete I so very much loved. Just a little note about Pete…I was his human. He would only approach Nigel when he was sitting on the…ahem…throne. The vet said this was probably because he was basically feral for the first four months of his life so attaching to a human was difficult. But, he loved me. He had this funny little half jump, half dance he’d do when he was really happy. And, Pete was happy for almost his entire life with us. When we returned to the vet, we saw the senior vet. He looked at the new x-rays and said we needed to talk about quality of life. I hate those words, but I know their importance. We could have put him through exploratory surgery, but the results would probably be the same. The poor little guy was in pain and miserable with the almost constant diarrhea as well as lack of appetite. We made the agonizing decision to euthanize him. I was so shocked that it never occurred to me to ask if I could hold him as he crossed over the Rainbow Bridge. To this day, I feel so much guilt. I wish he’d had me holding him as he breathed his last even though I know, with every fiber of my being, the vet techs and the vet were loving and kind with him as he passed. We had him cremated, and it wasn’t until his cremains were in the house that I could sleep properly again.
And weren’t again…
That June, I retired from teaching. Nigel surprised me with a trip to the UK. We boarded Max at our usual place and asked if they could groom him. Unfortunately, they didn’t have time to do that. When we got back, Nigel picked him up and brought him into me. I noticed right away that he’d been bathed. Nigel said the boarder said Max kept wetting himself. And, the pee was sticky. I, of course, immediately googled it. All signs pointed to diabetes so I called the vet. Luckily, we were able to get in that day…a Saturday morning. The results…yes, his blood sugar was sky high, and they couldn’t do anything for him. But, the emergency vet in Fort Wayne might be able to do something. The vet’s office called them, and we were off to the ER.
A little more…
Max had always weighed around 16 pounds. He was about 12 pounds when we took him to the ER vet. They told us he was really, really sick, and they would do everything they could. But, they didn’t know if they could save him or not. Regardless of outcome, we would need to commit to paying half of the estimated cost of his stay. They left us alone to talk about the two options…euthanization or hospitalization with no guarantee of success. I looked at Nigel and said, “I can’t lose another.” He then said it was up to me to make the decision, knowing what it would be. Max was in the hospital for a week. I visited him every day. He had a huge pic line in his neck. Most days, he’d just lean against me as I cried over him. Slowly, but surely, he recovered. I learned how to give him injections, monitor his food intake, and take care of a diabetic dog. Within a few months, Max was blind. Unless you looked into his white eyes, you would never have known it.
And, then…
All went well for about three years. He mastered the move from up north to Brownsburg, learning the layout of a new house. One time, at our house up north, I couldn’t find him. I looked all over. I finally found him in the basement. He’d followed me downstairs when I did the laundry (yes, he could navigate stairs even while blind), and he just stayed put until i found him. I thought that was ironic given he couldn’t see anyway. That last year, he refused to eat most days unless I hand fed him…and, yes, I hand fed him. We switched from the hard food to the wet food (which was disgusting). I doctored that food up with low sodium chicken broth warmed in the microwave with a touch of shredded cheese. It was still a battle. The thing is…he had to eat in order to have the insulin. He got a shot twice a day. Nigel was good about injections whenever I wasn’t home. Unfortunately, we didn’t connect with a good vet in Brownsburg. She was in the midst of leaving the practice so I think she pretty much phoned it in with him. That last visit, she prescribed an increase in insulin and shampoo for his skin. Overnight, he got much worse. Nigel took him back and spoke to another vet who brought up the “quality of life” discussion. I had already told Nigel it was OK if that’s what the vet thought so he didn’t have to make the decision. This is the kind of guy my Nigel is…he went back and held Max as he crossed the Bridge. Then, he arranged for cremation, came home to tell me about Max’s passing, and held me while I wailed.
Jack…
We got Jack a couple of years later. He and Nigel have never bonded. I asked Nigel about it, and he told me he didn’t want to ever go through what he did with Pete and Max. The thing is Jack is beginning to exhibit some of the symptoms of diabetes…lots of drinking and urination. I’m hoping I’m just imagining it. He has his yearly appointment next week so I’m going to have them test for that. Given the price of insulin these days, I’m not sure I will be able to make the same decision I did for Max. I do know, if the worst happens, I will have to be the one holding him. Nigel doesn’t want that burden, and I can’t put it on him. It’s my turn to step up and be there for my beloved Jack.
The outfit…
I loved this dress the moment I saw it in the catalog. It’s on major sale right now but in limited sizes and colors. Oh, it’s the Fizz Dress...isn’t that fun? I love the print and the colors and the general moodiness of the dress. I also like the shapelessness which is weird, I know. Oh, and it has pockets! The thing about Gudrun Sjödén is the colors don’t exactly match what you get! I added a slip in the color, Mulberry, which I thought would be a brownish purple-y berry color. Nope, it’s pretty much brown. I debated keeping it, but I found several other dresses and skirts I could wear with it. I think I need to invest in a nylon half slip because I’ve discovered the slips and tights don’t particularly like each other. I’m constantly fighting to keep them apart so I can walk…not a good look anywhere…let alone the museum.
The Lewk!
You’re probably wondering what’s happened to all my other boots, right? Well, these Miz Mooz Leighton boots are so comfortable that I reach for them over and over, especially if I’m going to the museum. I really like the Ocean color because they read as almost black but yet you can tell there’s some blue there. I added this beautiful Sylca Cream Mixed Media Necklace. I bought mine at the museum gift shop, but it’s also on their website (no affiliates here). Then, I added the multi-colored hoops along with three wooden bead bracelets to kinda go with the necklace.
Wrap it up, Marsha!
Well, that was depressing, right? I hope not because I really wanted you to come away with a sense of my Max and Pete. They loved life so much and just had a blast as “brothers.” One more story…one time they got out at night. We had a cornfield behind us so I figured they were in there. It was dark, and there was no way we could find them. We decided we’d check the humane shelter in the morning. Needless to say, it was a sleepless night for me. But, lo and behold…the next morning…there those little boogers were at the back door (I’d left the gate open for them). Pete was soaking wet, and Max’s belly was dirty. This is how I figured it went down. Max, the alpha dog, said, “Pete, you’re my minion so you will sleep on top of me and keep me warm and safe.” Pete, being the not alpha dog, acquiesced but not without muttering a few Westietude remarks under his breath. If I’ve already shared this story, please forgive me. My boys (furry, that is) have been on my mind a lot lately. So, can we talk? Is there a breed of dog you just love even though you know they come with a whole set of problems? Have you ever dealt with a diabetic pet? Do you think two dogs/cats/etc are better than just one? Please leave me a comment or two, and we can talk. I promise to respond as quickly as I can.
Thank you!
Thank you so very much for reading today’s post. I hope you enjoyed it. I also very much appreciate those of you who comment, email and/or subscribe. It’s what keeps me going! If you’d like to follow me on Instagram, you can find me here.
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