29 August 2012

Hola, Gustavo! Que paso?


Gustavo ran like a champ last weekend.

I dunno if that will keep happening. We have no expectations. Like, it would be nice. It would be awesome. It would be STUPENDOUS if he could, but no guarantees. No expectations.


We're just doing the best we can.

In the last 2 weeks, he had to go under anesthesia twice. The first time, to pull out not one, not two, but sixteen teeth.

He has really crappy teeth. He came with those, when he got smuggled across the border from Mexico as a skinny little stray, and now his medicine makes them worse.


Let's bring everybody up to the same speed page. He has a congenital liver malfunction called hepatatic microvascular dysplasia. Basically, his liver doesn't work and there ain't nothing we can do to fix it except give him medicine and NO MEAT. No. Not even that kind. Or that kind. NO MEAT.

I know he's a dog and dogs eat meat but not Gustavo. He gets a carrot.

The other time last week was when he sniffed a fluffy seed pod up his nose and it got stuck. It was like a foxtail but bigger and fluffier and all hairy.


His vet just stared at me when I brought him in. You are kidding me.

He's not even supposed to have anesthesia. Just great. But she got it out and he did just fine. We have amazing vets.


Every time I meet new people, I find out that he's a sheltie, a chihuahua, a terrier, a border collie, a schipperke, or a squirrel. You are all correct.

His brain is messed up, his liver is messed up, his remaining teeth are messed up, it took 2 years for him to learn to do weave poles, and he recently developed a fear of wheelbarrows.


You know who one of the best in the whole world of all dogs is?

Hola, Gustavo.

Thanks, Sarah Hitzeman, for the photos!


7 comments:

vici whisner said...

Gustavo is one of the best dogs in the world. You are lucky to have him! Love that smile when you come off the line yelling "Goooey!"

andrea said...

great pics! great dog! great Laura!

Elf said...

16 teeth pulled?!?!?! I cannot put enough ?s and !s about this! How will he chew his bully sticks? Oh, wait, bully sticks is meat. Wellll, crap, Gustavo! Maybe you can share you stories about terrifying wheelbarrows with Boost's stories about terrifying clear plastic old candy jars filled with PVC pipe fittings.

Even so, today's post made me laugh. But I'm not the one paying the vet bills.

Elf said...

P.S. I also noticed the stumpy hand when I was browsing through Sarah's photos. It's quite distinctive.

Unknown said...

I wish I could've met you a few weeks ago Gustavo! Hola! So great he's feeling well.

Terry A said...

he really is a huge hearted boy!!

Lisa said...

16?? Oh, man. Don't feed him a carrot, since he has no teeth to chew it :(