A few days ago, May 8 to be exact, Bill and Bailey turned eight years old. You’d think they were still in their terrible twos, and yet somehow they are the most adorable, loveable, stinkin’ weenie dogs ever.
We didn’t do much to celebrate. I always joke about having a party, but seeing as these kiddos are anti-dog (other than themselves, of course) and anti-big crowds, a party would pretty much be our average evening just with cake and hats. And party hats don’t come in teeny weenie size. I stopped making birthday cake for them when we found out Bill is allergic to wheat and corn because the recipe I have calls for all-purpose flour and I just never got around to finding a different recipe. I once made them a “cheesecake” from a dog cookbook made from sweet potato and some other stuff but they weren’t fans. Picky eaters.
Anyhow, they got a new toy and got on with their lives as usual. Bill is still our crotchety little curmudgeon and Bailey is our baby doll. Not much has changed with the Big 8.
The past couple of weeks have been crazy for us, not to mention the dogs. With painters and carpet cleaners and now painters working on the outside of the house, everything is still in disarray, slowing creeping back into place, and Bill and Bailey have probably barked and howled more in the last two weeks than in the last two months…and they are dachshunds.
Just when things started to calm down a bit, I noticed Bailey’s eye had swelled up. You have to look at her eyes together to compare them in order to see that the right eye is slightly more puffy than the left on the underside. My mom couldn’t tell but my dad noticed a little something. Then my mom got worried and thought that perhaps each time she touched the supposedly swollen spot, it was tender and sensitive. The next day it looked a little better, but still swollen so we called the vet. Today Bailey went in to find out she has two broken teeth that need to be removed. I was worried it would be dental in nature because the same thing happened to Bill several years ago. It ends up breaking that particular tooth is not uncommon.
Next week Bailey will have surgery. Her broken teeth will be extracted, her intact teeth will be cleaned (finally, much-needed), and if time permits her fatty tumor/cyst that has been growing near her underarm will be removed. Bill will be nuts with worry and boredom while she’s gone and will probably poke and prod her silly when she comes home. Maybe even hump a little.
So, to tally it up, under our care:
Bill has *been neutered
*had a tooth extracted and tooth cleaning
*had back surgery
*had neck surgery
*strained his hip
Bailey has *had a tooth cleaning
*had two back surgeries
*will have two teeth extracted, another tooth cleaning, and a lump removed.
This is why my parents and I always tell people that dachshunds are adorable, funny, and loveable, but you must have infinite patience and a large savings account to care for one!
From My Mind to Yours 