Let’s Meet the Shack Pack!

Hi, I was born sometime in 2002, and Mommy adopted me in June of 2006. I’m what they call a Lhasapoo – part Lhasa Apso and part Poodle. She found me at the shelter she volunteers for. I was picked up while roaming the streets, so nobody knows what kind of life I led before or how it is I became deaf. Even though I cannot hear a word anyone utters, I’m very smart and perceptive. Mommy took me to obedience classes so I could understand hand signals to do things like sit, stay and come.

Daisy's first day home - June 25,2006.

Everybody loves me and I love everybody! Well, except for Brandy. I started out hating her, but over the last year I’ve come to tolerate her presence. I even let her share Mommy’s lap with me. She has Frankie to thank for that. He and I hit it off right from the start. He was only around 10 weeks old when we met, and he was so tiny and cute! I just couldn’t resist his charms! Dukie and Charmie are awesome! They’re the best bro-bros a girl could have. I let them think they’re the boss, but really I rule the house.

I’m sad to tell you that I have bladder cancer. I was diagnosed with it back in 2009. Unfortunately there’s not much that can be done for it. Neither surgery nor chemo would be of any real help. The vets told Mommy that I could live as little as 4 months or as long as 4 years. It’s December of 2011 while I write this, so I’ve been battling it for 2 years now. There is a pill I take called Piroxicam. It’s had good success with other patients in shrinking the tumor and slowing the growth of it. So far so good! Keep me in your thoughts.

Mom rescued me back in 2009 and I was 3 years old at the time. She referred to me as her foster dog. I’m not real sure what that means, but she acted like she wasn’t planning on keeping me. Can you believe that?! I knew the first time I laid eyes on her that she was going to be my Mom, and I was even surer of that the first time I entered her house. One look at Duke, Daisy and Brandy and I knew I was home!

Things haven’t been easy. During the time she was calling me her foster dog, I was having a lot of health problems. I was having a difficult time getting the poop out of me and I couldn’t keep on any weight. The vet diagnosed me with nerve damage, a displaced bladder and a stricture of the intestines. It was assumed that the stricture was the source of my poop problems and because of where it was it could not be surgically corrected. Mom managed me as best she could with my food intake, but from time to time I had to get my “plumbing” irrigated ‘cause the poop would get stuck.

Duke, Daisy & Charm - The Terrific Trio

At the 11 month mark of being her “foster” dog, Mom took me to the vets to be irrigated and at that time I was diagnosed with yet another condition called a perineal hernia. This one can be corrected with surgery, but it isn’t always successful. It was at this point that Mom decided to adopt me as her forever kid. She was concerned that I might not have much time left on this earth and said that this was going to be the last home I ever know.

She took me to a specialist and went over my entire medical history with him. The specialist did his own exam and determined that a stricture might not be the problem and that my intestines might just be sagging and need to be tacked in place. It turns out he was right! Mom agreed to the surgery that fixed not only my intestines but also put my bladder back in place. Unfortunately they couldn’t do the hernia surgery at the same time. I have to go back in later for that one. Thankfully the first surgery did a world of good, and I’m having an easier time going potty, AND I finally weigh what I’m supposed to weigh! I’m finally on the mend and am so happy to officially be Mom’s kid. Foster dog my butt! She wasn’t fooling anyone. I’m right where I belong!

I was around 10 weeks old when Mommy rescued me on June 6, 2010! Mommy was volunteering at a dog only shelter the day this man came and tried to surrender me to them. She tried to convince him to take me to a shelter that takes cats, but it was pretty clear that if he was turned away I would just end up on the street.

Mommy took me from him and proceeded to call some rescues to see if they could take me. Just like Charm, she wasn’t planning on keeping me! Can you believe that! Luckily for me the rescues couldn’t take me until the next day. That gave me 24 hours to win her over! Thankfully that was enough time for me to wiggle my way into her heart.

It’s an adventure living here! There’s always something that peaks my curiosity. I don’t sit still too much because there are just sooo many things to investigate and play with! I try to play with Brandy, but she thinks I’m too energetic and pushy. She says she’s too old to play like that and wants me to leave her alone. I don’t buy that, so I keep pestering her. She’ll come around, I just know it!

The dogs are always a source of amusement for me. I love playing with Charmie’s tail! Daisy and I hit it off from the start (see video below). I can’t understand why she had such a problem accepting Brandy. I had a heart to heart chat with Miss Daisy about it and things seem to be getting better between her and Brandy. I like to play hide and pounce with Dukie! I’ll hide under the bed and when Dukie sticks his nose under there to find me I pounce on him! Dukie HATES that! I think it’s hysterical! Mom says if I don’t watch it, I’m going to lose one of my nine lives.

Anyway, it has been a hoot chatting with you. I’ve gotta go now. It’s time to go pester Brandy. See ya later!