Friday, September 23, 2005

Uh Oh!

Uh Oh!

Me thinketh the Elsie-eth might-eth be-eth moving-eth into a heat-eth cycle again-eth.

Yes, the thought of another heat cycle is enough to send me into Shakespearean dialect. ;o)

Help!

Ridge is showing all the signs: panting, barking when in his crate, humping Baxter (not Elsie, of course), hyperactivity--poor Ridge...and Elsie hasn't even started bleeding yet.

Double help!

The little squirt's vulva is enlarging again, so I suspect she's starting her second heat cycle, but again we have to protect her carefully since she's only 14 months old. We don't want to breed her until she's over two and has cleared all her screenings (hip and eye in particular). So we'll move back into keep-Elsie-and-Ridge-apart-at-all-costs mode. :o)

Just when life settles down with the human kids, it picks up with the canine kids.

"All my life's a circle, sunrise and sundown..." (a Joni Mitchell interlude! How apropos!).

It looks like we're in for an adventure again over the next few weeks (okay...I can hear it..."no complaining, you signed up for this" echoes through the Internet). Nope, I won't complain. I'll just giggle my way through like I did last time--the laugh of a loon. ;o)

Poor Ridge. This is such a tough time for him. If he gets much worse, we may have to break out the Benedryl (like our vet advised last time). We'll see.

And so it goes. At least this heat thing only happens a couple of times a year (imagine if dogs were like humans--yikes!).

But we're responsible for Elsie's health and well-being (and Ridge's and Baxter's); so we'll do (gladly) everything possible to protect her again and to make Ridge comfortable, even if it means rotating crate time for her and Ridge. They won't understand the need to be crated, but it's for their good (I keep telling myself that).

Isn't it funny how limitations and boundaries are good things, how they can help and protect? Hmm... I wonder why we (humans) resist them so, especially when we see how boundaries are good for our pets and our kids.

A little perspective can go a long way toward fostering contentment even within boundaries. Now if only I could give Ridge and Elsie that perspective.

'Til next time,
Joan

2 comments:

Lisa said...

Oh gosh, I feel like I was just reading about Elsie's first heat! Kiwi is scheduled to be spayed October 19 and all my fingers and toes are crossed that she makes it to that date without going into her heat. Poor Ridge, give him and extra hug from us!

Anonymous said...

"Imagine if dogs were like humans".....I'm SO glad we're not like THEM!!!!