My Girls

Everyone who knows me knows that I am "stoopid" about these two schnauzers who share my existence. It all started when my sister and her husband gave me the first schnauzer six months after Ken died. My Sassy is the doggie you see at the top of this blog. I had her for almost twelve years and loved her every day of that time. At age six she had developed bladder stones and needed surgery. In fact, we had scheduled her surgery shortly after diagnosis. It was Christmas / New Year's season. The night before surgery one of those mean 'ole stones lodged and she wound up spending the night in the emergency vet hospital. The next morning I picked her up and transported her to her vet for surgery. They were really "bad guys" and it took a while to rid her of them that day. After that, we made lots of trips back and forth to the NC State Vet school and spent far too many dollars doing ultrasound after ultrasound always being concerned as to whether she was developing any others. Then at the age of almost twelve she started to limp on a fore paw. Her vet thought perhaps she might be developing arthritis and gave her a specific medication that should make a difference. When it did not, off we went again to the NC State Vet School. This time for an MRI. It revealed that she had cancer where the paw connected to her body -- a brachial plexis tumor which was totally wrapped up in the nerves and blood vessels. I was told I could choose to have the paw amputated. We talked about life expectancy. The conversation went something like this. Will amputation cure the problem? Answer: No How long will she have with amputation? Answer: Six months How long will she have without amputation? Answer: Six months.

You know which I chose, I am sure. Sassy rests now on the mantle in a chest. I love her today as always.

In the meantime, I had gone back to the breeder when Sassy had the bladder surgery and adopted/bought a new puppy. So now, I have two...enter Miss Piper Kensleigh! She was a new experience! Where Sassy had been sweet and oh so easy to love Piper was my Wild Child!! At one point I almost gave up on her. My brother-in-law (who loved all schnauzers, no matter) kept her for about two months. At that point I felt guilty and brought her home. Since then we have made peace and she is my older girl.
Piper had been a truly healthy schnauzer until a few weeks ago when she started to drink an unusual amount of water. I knew what that meant in human talk ---unfortunately, it means the same in doggie talk -- diabetes. After a four day stay in the veterinary specialty hospital and some more really nice sized $$$ bills, I am learning to be a doggie nursemaid to a diabetic schnauzer. As of this particular moment I am certain we do not have the insulin regulated correctly but we are working on that task. I am learning to use glucometers and insulin and needles. I get frustrated when she will not eat. With a doggie insulin is given after a meal depending on whether and how much they eat. Oh, and the most frightening aspect during this diabetes scare, Piper lost five pounds in what seemed like a few days. That truly scared me!!

In the intervening times(s) I had gone back to the breeder in Tennessee and acquired another schnauzer before Sassy went away. Enter Kamelot Kamryn!! Kamelot because her mother is Guinevere!! We call her Kami and she is my wild child now. Cute as a button and unlike either of the other two. All three of these schnauzer girls have different personalities and have turned out to be wonderful pets. They are beautiful schnauzers. (Someday I will get current pictures of them up for viewing.)
Interestingly, they were all bred in Tennessee and come from the same bloodlines. But, the breeder has sold the schnauzer stock and this is the last of the girls from Tennessee.