Joshy

Living with a Disabled Dog, I don’t think I’ve ever said those words until this morning. For those of you new to my little blog world I have two dogs a Puggle named Samuel Preston and a Peakazu named Joshua Aden. Since the day we bought Josh we fell in Love, not just me but everyone that has met him. I wasn’t planning on buying a puppy and was just going to look (never do that) I walked in and poked around and saw joshy sleeping, of course I had to ask about him and the woman told me that he was a clearance puppy and has been at the place for a while, my heart just sank, she then went on to tell me that the staff feel bad for him so they often take him home so he can get a change of scenery, and that no one wanted him nor thought he was cute…. Well if she was sales pitching me it certainly worked because I threw the $500 dollars down quicker than I had a chance to think “what have I gotten myself into.” Within five minutes the papers were signed and I was walking out of the store with a new Puppy. When I drove away reality set in and decided that it was meant to be if he is already in my lap. I went to Petco (because I had nothing, other than Sammies stuff) I put Joshua in the top part of the cart and went around the store and bought everything under the sun.

Then it was the introduction to Sam (which to be 100 percent honest I don’t remember!) I know it went well and within the next few days they were officially brothers. The weeks to follow were strange to say the least, josh was coughing or so I thought and I assumed he had kennel cough, took him to the vet and had his shots and regular first check up and given medicine for kennel cough. The months to follow Josh threw up every day (Literally Everyday!)  and we were always at the vet, long story short the “Kennel Cough” he had was really a “reverse Sneeze” (goggle it) and he was throwing up for 2 months because of the medicine he was taking for something he didn’t have!! I felt horrible but we eventually moved on, 6 months down the road Josh was hit by a suv (an illegal Ecuadorian to be exact who then speed away!) Four days at tufts in an air tank with bruised lungs and scrapes oh and did I mention 3,000 Dollars!! He recovered and we moved on again. 

 7 months later we ran out of Frontline (which is a flea and tick prevention) and we were in the midst of packing up and heading to the beach house for a week. There were a ton of ticks there and decided that we would get him some flea medicine at the grocery store, well ya bad idea, he was poisoned from it and rushed to Tufts again, $1,000. So here we are three times a charm, we were away on vacation and in a 5 story beach house that had a TON of stairs, Joshy somehow jarred his back, I knew something was wrong and he did not want to go outside or go down to the beach, so we left early. 

I took him to the vet and they said rest and painkillers, an hour later he lost all mobility in his back legs and collapsed in the middle of our living room floor, (One thing I know now for the future I must work on how to handle stressful situations) I was screaming, crying, praying to God not to take my little dog from me, trembling and everything else you could imagine when you little dog collapses before your very eyes. I scooped up his lifeless body called my mom in hysterics, drove 65mph back to the vet, they said he is lethargic form the medicine, but I knew it wasn’t that. I paid another emergency visit of 180 dollars and got right back into my car told Ralph to meet me and we drove straight to Tufts. They did everything imaginable and came back with the news, your dog needs emergency back surgery to live and if it is not performed now he will have to be put to sleep, oh ya and after surgery there is a 60 percent chance he may never walk again!!! Did I mention its 6,000 DOLLARS and must be paid before they can even start the emergency operation. So we pulled out are bank cards without any thought and prayed, cried and worried for our little dog who is so much apart of who we are and our family. 

How could I have EVER said No to Surgery!

Coming home with him was scary to say the least, he was so fragile or so we thought, we decided that the best thing to do would be to take our vacation time and use it now, I had three weeks and Ralph had a week. So we had a whole month to get our little dog better…. After physical therapy (another 1,000) and many doctor visits Josh is One HAPPY Dog!!! He is still unable to go for a walk and we have to take extra precautions so he doesn’t jump but we are all adjusting well. I don’t think Ralph and I ever gave it a second thought, we never said the words “Disabled” we have just adapted to a new life style. Yes it would be easier to throw two leashes on the dogs and go for a walk, and not have to block of certain areas off in the house (he can only be on carpet), and not build a pillow wall on the bed if someone is not in bed or leaves early for work, but we do, we wanted JOSH! So we made sacrifices, it’s hard to put a number on something that is a part of your family, in all the Clearance puppy has cost us around 13,000 Thousand Dollars but worth EVERY penny. Ralph and I are very fortunate that we were financially able to provide our dog the services he needed to stay alive, it’s heart breaking to see families have to put down their beloved animals because of money! How frustrating and sad is it that 6,000 dollars was in the way of Josh living or Dying. I’m not going to lie 6,000 dollars is a lot of money and most do not have that laying around to put toward and animal. Most families are struggling to find work let alone shell out that kind of money for their pet.

So I have found an Organization that helps Families fight for their animal and save their lives even if they don’t have the means to do so. It's so exciting to know that I was able to help save a family pet just by donating, I know if I had been in that situation with Josh and someone helped me I would have been forever Grateful!! So if anyone is looking for a great cause to donate to this Holiday Season check out Angels for Animals And help a family in need!! The most rewarding part is when they send you a picture of the animal you helped SAVE!! 

Click  HERE  to send in your tax deductible donation!!!

 In the ICU the day after Back Surgery. It was so hard to see him, even harder to leave him. I think Ralph may have had to carry me out....My poor little Joshy. Listening to him scream and howl as we left was Torture! He was there for 10 days!

His back with the bandages on. 

Two Days before his accident 

 

Physical Therapy in the Aqua Tank learning how to walk again! This was the very first time we saw any movement in Joshua's Legs, Such a Happy moment for Ralph and I.

My Handsome Lil' Guy