I was hoping to bring my baby home again today. He has been at the vet hospital since last Thursday, recovering from a stumble. We went to visit last night and finally got him to eat some canned dogfood. He looked great!
During my “inspection” of his incision, I noticed a section tucked in a fat roll that looked weepy and oozy. Ugh…infection. It was also starting to separate. He is still draining from the drain tubes and it’s just impossible to keep that incision dry and clean. The doctor just called and asked to keep him a few more days with antibiotics until the blood cultures come back.
I miss him. My house isn’t right without him! I will be going back tonight to bring him more food. Not that I need an excuse to go spoil my baby!
Newly married and signing the papers to our first mortgage, we knew two things: (1) we were broke and (2) we had to get a dog!
We picked out Bubba from a litter of 8. He was the quiet one sleeping in the corner alone. What a trick! He is brindle with very little white coloring – a beautiful Boxer. The white on the tips of his toes and the bottom of his chin sold me! He had his name – Bubba – long before we ever saw his face. We had always talked about ‘Bubba’ being a great name for a Boxer. In our new, empty house, we sat and counted our pocket change (stored in a giant Coke bottle) and bought our Bubba.
He is our first baby. In 2004, Joseph came along. In 2006, Matthew came along and in 2008, Amanda joined our family. I tell my kids that Bubba is very special to all of us. For me, Joseph, Matthew and Amanda, Bubba is our first dog EVER! And, for my husband and I, he is “our” first dog together. He made our house a home.
Bubba is more than a dog to me; he is my dream come true! When I was a little girl, I always wanted a dog. Not just any dog….a dog that loved me as much as I loved him. I wanted a dog that went everywhere with me, laid by my side, did tricks for treats, etc. Bubba is that dog.
When my days are long and the stress of a full time life with jobs, kids, home, school, etc gets the better of me, I look to Bubba to find peace. He reminds me that dreams are worth the wait. I waited 23 years to have him and I would keep him for the rest of my life if it was an option!
It’s been a rough 2 years as Bubba battles cancer. Cancer is something I know a little bit about…I am a Radiation Therapist. One thing I’ve learned is that dogs aren’t that different than people, when it comes to the treatment of cancer. I have had a hard time dealing with his diagnosis. I am not ready to let him go….and I know, he’s not ready to let us go either.
Deciding to amputate has been both relieving (in knowing that the tumor is finally gone forever!) and sad. It has only been one week since his left front leg was amputated and it is a rough start to tripodism. I will do whatever I need to do to keep my mind positive and focused on recovery for Bubba. He is my dream come true!
