Charles had to go back to the vet (going to vet pictures above) to make sure all the heart medicine for his advanced congestive heart failure (see post on March 21: Charles’ 2d Chance) was OK. Jolie, of course, suffering from FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), came for moral support. Well maybe Charles was her support, but I digress…
Charles at the Vet with Jolie butting in as usual
Dr. Buchanan said everything is looking good. We are watching his liver and kidneys and all that stuff because between the Phenobarbital, for seizures, and the VetMedIn and Lasix, for the heart, his poor little organs are under a lot of strain. But Charles does not know this, so he is as happy as a lark.(Coming home from the vet – smiling – pictures below.)
One side effect of these meds is that he is really hungry. I mean, eat the wallpaper hungry. He is not only constantly barking at us and demanding more than ever (he is a Pomeranian CHIHUAHUA as you know and currently we must place a very heavy accent on the little demanding dog part of the breed), but now he has taken to jumping up at my arm when I am in the recliner and giving a little nip if I am not listening to him (since I try hard to ignore him if I can).
We are really glad that Mr. New-lease-on-life is still with us, but we really would like to watch at least one TV show undisturbed.
He finally did conk out after all that excitement at the vet, at least for a little while.
Our pet whisperer/ animal sitter / groomer and all-time great caretaker, Sonya, gave me a handsome fur cut the other day. It takes a lot to keep me looking gorgeous as I do.
I even posed for Mom when she was taking pictures because I know that I look sooooo good. Aren’t I handsome? – Charles the Mugwump
One of the best things about Charles is that he is generally a happy fellow. He can be pretty demanding for 15 lbs, but as long as he gets his way, he will smile and dance for you. Happy Black and White Sunday!
It is hard to believe that Charles rescued us 4 years ago. He has become such a central part of the pack. The top right picture is the day we brought him home and the bottom is Mr. Sexy now. ❤
Charles is such a silly little man. He has become quite a presence at the Zoo.
Never having had such a small dog before (he is about 15 lbs), I am learning all about demanding balls of fur who think they own you. I won’t say that he totally suffers from Small Dog Syndrome, which is a combination of behaviors from whining and jumping up on people, being a diva, demanding food, but he does take some behaviors to the next level for me. There are things that a small dog does that we would never tolerate in a larger breed, such as the constant food begging. The problem around the Zoo is that Mom (me) is not the only person in the house, which means that the rules are not consistent, especially when it comes to Lil’ man. Everyone thinks he is just so cute, or they want to shut him up, so they slip him food, which only makes it worse.
A good thing with Charles is that he does not want to be carried everywhere like many little dog divas do (thank goodness). He actually is not a lap dog which is why we are his 5th home, because he would bite people. Personally, I think he has arthritis. Previous owners may have picked him up quickly because he is little and people do that and then he would snap at them because it hurts or maybe children played with him to rough, which also hurts.
At the Zoo, we try to respect who they are, not who they are supposed to be. We are still figuring him out, that’s fur sure.