Wow, so at the end of 2009 Nathan & I spent $3000 on our DSH 5yr old girl... and then we were seriously looking at spending more when we had to make the decision about her wellbeing, quality of life and her likelihood of survival. 

I got an email back today from Dr Katherine Briscoe, Feline Medicine Resident at Sydney University Veterinary Hospital. They are a teaching hospital and offered to do a autopsy after we put her down as they couldn't diagnose her up to that point. They were rather quick about that particular process and cremated Mushu for free in return for offering them the opportunity to learn from her rather unique signs and symptoms. 

Poor little girl was screwed. We had to wait a long time as they were doing this all for free/study to get the info. But today the results makes our decision even more of a relief as there was always that, "What if we spent just a bit more..." There was no coming back from what she had: 

We do have the pathology results back and they are very interesting. The major findings are that Mushu had thromboemboli (essentially a blood clot) forming throughout her brain, spleen, intestines and the tissues in front of the heart. She also has evidence of a possible cancer in tissue in the chest (most likely an epithelial cancer, but the cells are so abnormal that you can't see exactly what type of cells they are). It is most lilkely that the cancer was the primary problem and caused the blood clots to form through a hypercoagulable state, and the anaemia was likely secondary to immune-mediate destruction (again secondary to the cancer). The initial low platelet count at your vets was probably because all the platelets were getting used up in the blood clots.

All in all, a very bad disease process, though we probably didn't need the pathologists to tell us that. It is possible that she also had a degree of disease called disseminate intravascular coagulation which would also contribute to her anaemia and ongoing blood loss.

We don't know whether we're insane or not for getting another dog... but we've got a way out believe it or not. Toby is technically fostered to us for the school holidays, so we have committed to having him until Oct 13. This lets the kennel get the long termers out for some socialisation outside the confines of the kennel/training ground. Toby however can be ours at anytime during the coming weeks. We just ring and book ahead, he goes back to get his snip, his heartworm test etc and he's ours... for the fee of course.

Toby is too mellow. He's not driven and gives up too easily. They don't put dogs like that into service because they have to be consumed by the 'search' drive to do it all day. We were initially told he was failing quarantine dog school because he's shy... Kristy their trainer must've been referring to a beagle who is failing because Toby ain't shy. He's a typical dopey, mellow Labrador and is very eager to please.

He's a little taller in the withers than Bella, slightly longer in body & has a much broader lab face. Don't get me started on his tail, our coffee table was never assaulted like this with Bella. We're spending our weekend puppy proofing the house again, while he's just 9mths it's back to square one. We doubt he's used to a house and what he can and can't 'mouth' so we're removing temptation while we slowly get him used to being a pet.

He needs a bath, he stinks to high heaven, considering he was kenneled with 30 other dogs (PUPPY/DOG SMORGASBORD!!! Beagles and labs... 6 chocolate lab puppies around 4 mths old!!!) it's not surprising. So it's calmed down a little, we have the shaker can out and I'm due to get a spray bottle during grocery shopping today... they spend 80% of their waking hours messing with each other, the other 20% messing with us. It's going to be a loooong weekend.

Snagged from Hai

1. As a comment on my LJ, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your LJ and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty cool (and funny) to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your LJ and leave one about you. :)

Well, today is the day! It's my little furry assbandit's first birthday.

She celebrated by jumping into bed at 5:30 and curling up with us and her partner in crime for a morning snooze, the whisker sisters at it again.

Tonight will be celebrated with a big kickass bone and her favourite dinner, rice and sardines in aspic. *gags*

A dog and her bone.

She must have thought the short time they were able to spend together yesterday evening wasn't enough... at 5:30am she pulled the good ole ploy, "BARK! INTRUDER! ALERT! DANGER!" grownup bark to wake us up pretty quickly.

She went outside and ran straight for her bone. It didn't leave her mouth even while she was squatting for a pee and she didn't want to come back inside (she's learned if she wants to be with her bone, they both have to be outside the house).

Got her back in and she ate her leftover biscuits from last night and settled back down in her doggy bed. We were thinking we could get in an hour of solid napping before getting up for work... ha. She whined, she whinged, she wailed and finally she barked.

So wonderful guy and puppy 'dad' he is, Nathan hauled himself out of bed and let her out again. Straight for her bone.

She's been at it for a solid hour, has ran into the house with bone securely locked in her jaws, jumped on the bed (and me) and flew back off to hide outside. Now she knows I'm up she's content to run around the backyard with her new best friend.

Bella has only recently come to know the love which is a good bone. When she was little she'd throw nice raw chicken necks or bones up at 2 or 3am (every. single. time at 2 or 3am. never 6 or 7, always 2 or 3).

Note to self - give her the bone when she can spend a good 5 hours playing with it...

I simply fucking sick of the little black ants which have found their way into my BRAND NEW LAPTOP. Gah - plan in place however, going to zip lock the little bastards in with some spray already in the bag. Then it's to Harvey Norman/Joyce Mayne or officeworks for a case that will keep them out when it's not in use.

I need to get the pest controller out again, he can't do entirely too much however, there are a lot of nests around in the yards surrounding us. He can only poison our property and hope some of those little fuckers take the poison back to their nests and start the killing spree.

Would someone also inform my 16 or so kg labrador puppy that she is in fact *NOT* a lap dog? I put on clean PJs last night, and they're already covered in mud and muck. She needs a shampoo, which means it'll have to wait until I'm ready for a shower as well.

I've had an interesting weekend of laundry, puppyisms and work. Well interesting might not be quite the right word. Plain old ordinary. I've had some time out this morning to watch some tv and chill. Well, chill incorporates playing with the dog when she gets hyperactive and starts stealing hose fixtures. Sorting out hungry hyperactive cats - there's a theme happening here. Hyperactivity.

Just the sort of relaxing morning you daydream about during the weekdays. It's getting stinky-ass humid already so I'm off to finish some more laundry before I get roasted alive.

Windows Vista is weird... it's kinda like going into your house and someone has changed all the furniture, painted the walls and ripped up the carpet.

In other news, I snapped and purchased a new laptop. Well the snap has been a long time coming really, I just finally had the ability to do something about it.

Oh, and as geeky as it is, having a remote control for my laptop is AWESOME.

Rules/Explanation:
1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I respond by asking you five personal questions so I can get to know you better.
3. You will update your LJ with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions



Why is it whenever I get accidentally 'nipped' by the puppy I bruise like I'm a junkie or she gets me in a really, really sensitive spot? *examines the small wound in the webbing of thumb* Damn they hurt.

Q.Where do you see yourself in ten years time?
A.Work wise? Doing something different than I am now. Location wise? Canberra, or England *shrugs* who knows where the wind will blow. I'd definitely like to give a non-humid location a try, I LOATHE the soup like air in N.QLD. 10 years is a lot of time.

Q.If I ever get my passport replaced and come crash on your couch, what alcohol would you make me pass out with?
A.Home brew Stella... all 6 cartons and a few vodka shots for good measure. No preservatives in the brew means hardly any hangover the next day >=D

Q.Are you happier with where you are now compared to when I first met you?
A.In some respects, no. In others, much so. I just wish I could get a handle on who the fuck I am! I still feel like a kid at 16 knowing the world is a vast canvas of opportunity and I can shape who and what I am in any manner I wish. The problem being approaching 26 is I realise I have no idea of who I really want to be and I probably wont until I'm about to be boxed up and buried.

Q.What would you consider your biggest achievement in life?
A.I'll let you know when I achieve it... it however may end up being toilet & obedience training my too-too smart puppy.

Bella's Bed Little Bella on her new bed