28 november was a very happy day here at casa chihuahua.
why, you ask?
it was bailey's gotcha day!
it feels like it was just yesterday but it was actually 5 YEARS AGO that bailey became a part of our family. can you believe it?!?
when hubby and i first saw her, we just looked at each other and we knew we had to rescue this little girl. we had been dogless since january (we lost kibbles to cancer on 26 january) and while my heart was still broken, it was beginning to ache for another pup. my prayers were answered when we found bailey. we were a match made in doggie heaven.
no, not the muppet, i was referring to aoife. after she inhales eats her own meal, she just sits and watches bailey eat. since bailey doesn't always finish her meals, i have to pick up her bowl as soon as she walks away or aoife will devour any leftovers. do you have any piggies in your home?
well that quote pretty much sums it up, doesn't it?
and because i cannot publish a post without my little bailey's adorable face, here she is, cartoon'd.
thanks to the lazy pitbull for hosting 52 snapshots of life blog hop.
last year when bailey had her fall, i needed a tiny little sling to help her walk. we ended up just using her harness and a lanyard because i couldn't find what we needed. the harness supported her front legs but not her hind legs, making her look like a marionette. it was not ideal but it was all we had.
december 2014
this is how she walked, one year ago.
if only i had known about the ginger lead last year. look how much easier it would have been with the proper product. what makes this product superior to the average sling is that it serves a dual purpose. one end has a sling to support the hind legs and the other end attaches to your dog's collar or harness to be used as a leash. and in the middle there is a comfy padded grip for you. it doesn't matter if your dog is tall or short because the leads are fully adjustable. now you can walk your dog and support their hind legs at the same time, with one strap! and in bailey's case, this would mean no more hanging like a marionette!
i met the makers of the ginger lead earlier this year at superzoo. they knew exactly what i went through because they went through the same thing with their golden retriever, ginger. she needed assistance walking after surgery for a luxating patella. necessity is the mother if invention, and when they couldn't find what they needed, they invented it.
i hope you never need such a product, but if you ever do, no matter what size your dog is, giant or tiny, they have a ginger lead for you. and if you can't find them at your local pet shop, they offer quick and FREE shipping on their website. an added bonus is that they are made in the usa!
fyi: ginger lead did not ask me to write this review. in fact, they don't even know i am writing it. i am sharing this product because i think it's a brilliant idea and i know it will help many dogs and their pawrents.
one year ago bailey couldn't even stand up and look at her now. she is playing with aoife! it only lasted a few minutes, but it happened, and that's all that matters. life is good at casa chihuahua.
can you believe this is week 46 of the 52 snapshots of life blog hop? where has the year gone?
respect to all our vets that have fought in our many wars, but especially to my pop. he is a veteran of the korean war and served aboard the uss valley forge. go navy!
he's strong to the finish, cuz he eats his spinach,
he's my pop the sailor man
earlier this year he gave me his dog tags and someday i will pass them on to my daughters. but for now, bailey seems to be quite interested in them.
"why are they called dog tags if they are for people?"
life is full of surprises: some good and unfortunately some horrendous. exactly one year ago today, my world stopped turning. my little bailey had a terrible fall that landed her in the icu for a week, with a cracked skull & a cracked vertebra. she was in such dire straits, we didn't know if she would pull through.
thankfully, under the care of our amazing dr w & his incredible staff, your POTP, and a nod from God, she pulled through. her recovery has been nothing short of a miracle. doc said that with the kind of injury bailey had sustained, "she shouldn't even be standing!"
she has been working very hard to recover from her ordeal. who knew a little chihuahua could be so strong! she's still dealing with a couple of issues that may never correct, but that's okay. she's not in any pain. it's just her new normal.
we never know how long our fur babies will be with us, but one thing is for certain, it isn't long enough. each moment we have with them is precious and should not be wasted or taken for granted.
do you add anything to your coffee? daughter #1 adds cream and sugar but sometimes she likes to treat herself by adding a squirt of reddi-wip. one day she offered bailey a little taste and well, she loved it. bailey has now learned the spray sound and comes running for her lick when she hears it.
she was a really good girl and stayed in the shopping cart the whole time! we lined the seat with her purple minky so it was nice and comfy for her.
bailey found a raggedy ann doll that she just had to have. she always needs a pillow when she sleeps and this little doll is just the right size for her little head.