When we lived in Mobile, the Woman ordered my heartworm preventative on-line, because it was cheaper that getting it from the Vet. When you order this type of medicine on-line, they first call your Vet to ensure you have a valid prescription for the medicine. Our Vet in Mobile never had a problem with this. When we moved to Asheville, we initially went to the Fairview Animal Hospital, because it was the closest clinic to us. During my first visit to this Vet, the Woman refilled my heartworm medicine from them, no questions asked, no heartworm test required. Six months later, she tried to refill it on-line to save some money, but Fairview Animal Hospital declined the request stating that I needed to have a heartworm test first. The Woman called the clinic and asked why they declined the prescription, and they told her that they do not prescribe this medicine without a heartworm test. However, Ian drove to the clinic two days later, and they sold him more of the medicine without giving me a heartworm test. So, they were basically lying about their policy in order to make money off the People.
A couple weeks later, the on-line vendor sent the Woman a letter saying that what the Vet is doing is unfair. They are forcing us to pay more money for heartworm preventative than we have to, and advised her to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. The Woman took their advice and finally got a response from Fairview Animal Hospital today. They are denying that the on-line vendor ever even contacted them! The Woman is fuming mad. She called the on-line vendor and got the history of all that transpired between them and the Vet. It turns out that the on-line vendor sent them three faxes and received a telephone call and a fax in return. The Woman wrote this up in her rebuttal, but she suspects they will get off clean by playing stupid. Just because they are bad record keepers does not mean this never happened. Furthermore, they didn't even address their policy on not allowing on-line companies to refill prescriptions. They completely dodged the issue! Needless to say, the Woman is seriously ticked off.
If you live in the Asheville area, I recommend you to stay away from Fairview Animal Hospital. Their policies are unfair, and apparently their record keeping is shoddy.
I have had great experiences with Asheville Veterinary Associates on Leicester Hwy. Their prices are fair, and they take time and care with their patients. I also like Heartsong Animal Clinic, but they are quite pricey.
The verdict is in. 6 out of 8 Pugs surveyed have a dry nose. So all you future Web Surfers who find this site out of concern for the condition of your Pug's nose, rest assured that your Pug is normal. Well, normal for a Pug at least.
The remaining 2 Pugs in the survey keep their noses moist by licking them a lot. I never thought of that. Licking is a favorite past time of mine. Maybe I should try to reach my nose every now and then to keep it from cracking and getting gross. I'll keep you updated.
I have always had a dry nose. Sometimes it even gets all cracked and gross looking and the Woman puts lip balm on it. The Woman prefers my dry nose and actually hates when dogs like Brother get their slimey nose all over her. I noticed a web surfer found my site through the search string, "should my pug have a wet nose," and it got me thinking that maybe I should have a wet nose. What kind of nose do all you other Pugs have?
The Woman used to chop up my broccoli really finely with what she calls the "chop choppy" kitchen utensil to make sure I don't choke when eating it. This made her hand hurt though, so Ian suggested just cutting the broccoli in half. The Woman was afraid I would not chew the broccoli if they were that big, but she gave it a try. I am, in fact, smart enough to chew my food before swallowing it, so the big broccoli were not a problem. This week, however, the Woman started getting lazy with cutting the broccoli in half, and there was a giant one in my bowl. So, I brought it into the living room to tell her to cut my broccoli up better next time! She thought I looked so cute with a giant broccoli in my mouth, but Ian did not think I was so cute (surprise, surprise). He yelled at me to get off the couch with my food, but the Woman just laughed and laughed at how cute I was. So now it is tradition for me to bring the last piece of broccoli to the Woman so she can have a good laugh. Ian still yells at me too, so it's twice the fun!
The People are often telling me I'm a bad dog, because I bark a lot, whine, pee on things and am really annoying in the car. So, I am making a list to show you all the bad things I don't do. Maybe this will help put things into perspective the next time I get punished for something.
I do not:
Chew things up.
Bite people.
Dig holes in the yard.
Roll in the mud.
Trample the Woman's flowers.
Bring in dead things I found outside.
Run away.
Howl at night.
Bark at night.
Steal food from peoples' plates.
I think this is a pretty long list for as bad as the People make me out to be most of the time.
The stupid Vet was trying to talk the Woman into getting me neutered. What is it with male Vets and my dingle-dangles? They always want to cut them off! It's interesting that the female Vets never mention cutting them off. I think the men are just jealous of my endowment. So anyway, if the People want to see a really bad dog, just try and have me neutered!! Then we'll see who the bad dog is.
Lori's little sausage, Pugsley, has received some difficult news - a grade 3 Mast Cell Tumor on his sweet little leg. Please be praying for him to make a full recovery. The x-ray and bloodwork do not show any signs of invasive spreading, but his prognosis is guarded. If you have any advice for Lori, please leave her a comment or send her an email. I know she would appreciate all your kind words and prayers.
Our trip was cut short this weekend, because Ian had too much work to do and needed to get home. He is a freelance graphic designer, so when the work comes in, he pretty much has to get it done; otherwise, there might not be more work from that company in the future. He likes the freedom of freelancing though. It lets him do what he wants for the most part.
We got to see Mr. Chris's new house and play with Brother and Gracie a bit. Gracie had fleas though and was quarantined to the deck. It was a shame, because I really liked playing with her. She is a Bassett Hound and has a giant head. I think my whole body fits in her mouth! We also went to Edward and Tia's and I played with Ginger a little bit. She was really tired though, and mostly just slept. Rose wasn't up to playing with me either - she pretty much just guarded her food bowl the whole time I was there.
The Woman took yesterday off work, and we laid around all day. It was some good cuddle time together. She obsessed a little bit over a new lump I have, but the Vet says just to watch it for now. It's about the size of a pin-head. The Woman took me Friday to have a needle biopsy done on it, but it was too small to get a needle in. The Vet says keep an eye on it, and if it grows, we will take it off. He says if it was his dog, he would not do surgery on it right now. It's in a weird spot - just on my shoulder - and the incision might have some trouble healing since it would rub when I walk. He didn't seem to be too concerned about my Mast Cell Tumors and says in his experience, these grade 1 skin tumors usually stay on the skin and don't spread. The Woman was comforted by his reassurance ... for a little while at least. She is back to obsessing again though. Oh well - that's the Woman for you!
We're going on a road trip this weekend to Atlanta to see Mr. Chris, Edward, Tia and the girlies. I am very excited, because it's been 4 months since I have been on a trip. I really need a vacation too. All this laying around and getting petted really wears a dog out. Hopefully Elise and Gracie will be at Mr. Chris's this weekend to lower the annoyance factor of Brother. Mr. Chris says that when Elise is there, Brother is all up on her, so that should keep him all up off me. Mr. Chris is kind of jealous of Brother getting all snuggly with his Woman, but I don't really mind if it keeps Brother busy. Maybe I will actually get to play some fetch with Mr. Chris this weekend! I am very excited!
I have been tagged by Baxterman! I'm so excited - this is my first tag.
Tell five weird things about yourself:
1 - I never eat a treat when it is first given to me, but instead I hide it under a blanket, pillow, the Woman, or anything else I can squeeze it under. Then I bark at it for a while, hide it somewhere else, and eventually give in and eat it.
2 - When I was a puppy, I thought I was a Pomeranian, because I hung out with my Pomeranian best friend a lot. Her owner would comb her mane, and I would demand that my mane be combed too. It wasn't until later that I learned I don't actually have a mane.
3 - I have been chewing on the same beef-flavored rawhide since last Christmas. I give it a couple gnaws once a day or so. I expect I'll get a new one this year when this one is finally thrown away.
4 - I have more knicknames than I can remember, and I have my own theme song.
5 - I bark whenever the neighbors leave their house or come home. I require all neighbors to get permission from me before leaving their homes!
I think everyone I know that blogs has already been tagged, so I can't really tag anyone else. I hope you enjoyed reading these weird things about me.
I ate a baby yesterday. OK, I didn't really *eat* her, but I did lick her... a lot. Kari (Murphy's owner) came over to give us some tomatoes from her garden, and she was pulling her soon-to-be one-year-old, Sarah, behind her in a wagon. Sarah likes me, because she thinks I'm a puppy, so when she called me over to the wagon to pet me, I didn't waste any time. She was right at Pug level, and I went to town on her little face. Her Mom is really easy going and thought my kisses were sweet. I think I licked her enough to qualify as eating her. After all, you do lick a lollipop to eat it, right? I'll get the Woman to take a pic of Sarah and post it. She's a cute one!
Last Thursday night, the Woman woke up to a dog howling. She tried to ignore it, but the sound seemed to be coming from our car port. She got up to check it out, and when she looked out the window, she saw what appeared to be Brother staring back at her. She knew it couldn't be Brother, because he was in Atlanta, but some Brother look-alike dog had apparently broken his chain and got tied around one of our car's tires. I guess he was chasing something through the car port and got stuck.
The Woman decided to leave him there until morning since it was 4:30am and he didn't seem to be going anywhere, but he kept howling away. So, Ian went out, untangled him and put him in the backyard. His tag said Richard M. (last name left out to protect the innocent), and the Woman recognized this as one of our neighbors. She decided to leave him in the backyard and return him in the morning. I was sleeping through all of this. If it's still dark outside, I don't leave my bed for anything!
When morning came, the Brother look-alike was nowhere to be found! He had apparently climbed out of the fence or jumped over the fence, because he was not in the backyard. The Woman went to the neighbors' house to return his chain, but no one answered the door. She also called, but no one answered the phone either. Later that day, she saw a man in their backyard and went over to tell him what had happened. He explained that the Brother look-alike was sitting on the front porch when they got up that morning. The Woman was happy to hear it.
The Woman was also happy to see the neighbors walking the dog the next couple of days. He is a small outside dog on a really heavy chain, and it saddens the Woman to see him like that. Hopefully they learned their lesson with his escape and will give him more lovin' in the future.
It's official - I do not get that stray kitty I previously blogged about. The little neighbor kid who owns three Power Wheels toys wants him, and you know what that means ... he gets him. Hopefully he doesn't try to ride him though, because kitties aren't as tough as Power Wheels.
I had a busy weekend! The People took me for a walk on Friday night, and we stopped at Murphy's house to chat for a while. Murphy and I seemed to be getting along well. If you remember, this is the super-sized dog that almost peed on my head about a month ago. He didn't try to pee on me this time, and I was hoping we could be friends.
My hopes for friendship were dashed on Saturday when the People took me back to Murphy's house to play, and Murphy decided he doesn't like me. He's a really big dog with a really big bark, and he barked his big scary bark at me a lot. His owner, Kari, told him he was a bad boy and locked him away. I am sad that Murphy doesn't like me. I guess I'm just too small for him, and he wants to eat me. It's difficult to be friends with someone who sees you as an hors dourve.
Mr. Chris sent me this great picture of Chew Bear that I wanted to share. This image was taken not too long before she passed. She was such a pretty girl. I hope Mr. Chris gets a new Chew Bear soon, because I really miss her a lot.
Check out my Pug mane. This is the Woman's new blanket she got for her birthday that matches my fur exactly. I was going to cut it up and make a Pug toupee to cover my shaved spot, but I decided against it. It's a really snuggly blanket, and I like to nap in it. This is also my Pug Monk / Ewok pose. Yeah, I look kind of sad. I was thinking about Chew Bear.
Here I am pretending to nap while the woman takes my picture. I'm a darn cute dog.
The saddest thing in the history of the world happened last week... It all started when the Woman got off the phone with Mr. Chris and gave me the good news that he had closed on his house, and we would be visiting him within the next few weeks. She also told me that Chew Bear had accepted a job as an international Flight Attendant and would not be there for my visit. I was a little perplexed by this Chew Bear thing, because we are very close, and she has never shown any interest in becoming a Flight Attendant in the past. She is also a little too chubby to fit down those narrow airplane isles. So, I did a little research and found that you have to go to school to become a Flight Attendant, and I know Chew Bear would never pass any written exams since she can't read or write. My suspicion began to mount. I sent her several pee mails, but they all went unanswered. I asked the Woman to call and talk to Chew Bear, but she said the phone was out of service.
Finally, last night Chew Bear appeared to me in a dream, sadly, from doggy heaven. She said her little heart gave out on her when Brother jumped out from under the couch to scare her. She had heart worms about a year ago, and she hasn't been quite the same since. She also told me she was very happy in doggy heaven and she has been reunited with Cocoa, Mr. Chris's family's Pomeranian that passed away a year or so ago. She said she will miss me a lot, and she is hoping not to see me for a long, long time, and she's glad to have a break from Brother for a while. She couldn't talk long and said she couldn't ever call again, because they only allow you one call from doggy heaven before you cross over the rainbow bridge. I am touched that she used her only call to call me.
I can't describe the sadness I feel knowing that the Chewb is gone. She has been my best friend since the day the People picked me up from the breeders. Before they even took me home for the first time, we stopped off at Mr. Chris's house so I could meet him and the Chewb. Chew Bear was a lot bigger than me at the time, because she was about 6 months older than me, and I was intimidated by her size. I quickly got over that though, and we have been best friends ever since. Chew Bear wasn't an evil dog, and she wasn't a very smart dog, but she was a good dog, and a great friend. I will still look for her every time I visit Mr. Chris, hoping that I was just mistaken in what I saw and heard in my dream, and I will think of her often.
Chew Bear as a puppy at her first Christmas. Mr. Chris received her as a gift from his parents during Christmas 2000.
Chew Bear and I shortly after we met. I would soften up my chew stick for her and let her have it after she finished her own.
Chew Bear liked to have her belly rubbed, and she would put her front paws together and wave them up and down saying, "Yes, sir, may I have another."
Chew Bear loved to run and play outside, and although she never once beat me at fetch, she was always a gracious loser.
Chew Bear was very photogenic and loved to smile for the camera.
Please share any Chew Bear memories you may have in the comments section. She will be sadly missed by everyone who has ever met her, and not easily replaced in Mr. Chris's heart (except by maybe a Lady Pug).
The Woman called the holistic Vet yesterday to find out if she should give me my heartworm medicine this month. Two days after I took my heartworm medicine last month, I got another mast cell tumor, so the Woman was concerned that there was some kind of correlation between the two. Well, the Vet is not aware of any studies concerning a relation between mast cell tumors and heartworm preventative, but she did tell the Woman that I don't actually need to take it every month. She says every other month is sufficient to keep the heartworms away.
The Vet also told the Woman that if I was her dog, she would never vaccinate me again - including rabies vaccinations! The Woman has read a lot of propaganda online about Vets causing people to over-vaccinate their pets, and she was interested to hear this Vet agree with that information. The Woman has even read cases where dogs develop mast cell tumors in the same spot where they received their rabies vaccine, and the Woman is suspicious that my first mast cell tumor was in the same place I got my last vaccination. According to the holistic Vet, cancer dogs should never get vaccinations again. Sure, it's law in NC to have an annual rabies vaccine, but the Vet doesn't think I will become rabid and go on a biting spree any time soon. I'm a pug after all. The only thing I bite is my own tail.
Another interesting thing the Vet said is that three-year rabies vaccinations are no different than one-year rabies vaccines. They are the same formula! How that works, I don't know. My last rabies vaccination was last year around this time, and it was a three-year kind, so I guess in another two years the Woman will decide if she wants to break the law by not getting me another vaccination. I bet I never get stuck with that stupid needle again!
It is interesting to me how little Vets talk to their clients about what they are injecting into their pet. People need to start asking more questions and make these Vets work a little harder for their pay. Don't ever let your Vet inject your dog with something unless they tell you what it is and assure you that it has been tested as safe, effective and necessary, and never let your Vet inject your pet with something that is new on the market. I was actually on ProHeart6 for a year, before they pulled it off the market. The Woman noticed the Vet injecting me with something other than my standard shots and asked what it was. He assured her that it was safe, but it was not! He was going to just stick me with a needle without telling the Woman what was in it! I still got stuck with it, because she trusted him, but thankfully I didn't die.
Ian will deny it, but we now have our own kitty! It is mostly white with some calico spots, and it lives under the shed. The Woman was able to pet it once, but when I went to lick it, it ran away. I'm not sure if it's a boy or girl, but when I find out, I will name it and let you know. Ian says we can't feed it or give it water, because he doesn't want it thinking it lives here. I'm sure the Woman has other plans though. It's very hot outside - we can't just let it die! The Woman thinks it isn't wild though, because it did let her pet it. If it was wild, she wouldn't have been able to get near it probably. If you have some name recommendations, let me know them. No, Brother, I will not be naming it Brother Jr. or Brotherina. No Chewbear, I will not be naming it Chewbear Jr. or Chewbearina. No, Mr. Chris, I will not be naming it Mr. Chris Jr. or Christina. FYI - Do not give me any Jr. or -ina suggestions.
Lori at Pug's Place shared the quiz she made today on her website, and it inspired me to make one of my own. I think the Woman got a 60 on your quiz, Lori. Not bad for never having actually met you. I have to tell you - she didn't know you were a natural blonde or your height, but she did get the question about Montana correct.
So, take my quiz, and maybe make one of your own. It was quite fun.
Big Butt Basketball Kangaroo Thing (or Big Butt for short) is my favorite toy. I stole it from the Gammy's house about a year ago, but at that time, it was just a basketball. The People would throw it at me, and I would bounce it back to them with my face. It was quite amusing ... for them. Not so amusing for me though, because I was after all, getting hit in the face with it over and over. A couple months after the acquisition, I realized there was a velcro strip on it that when opened revealed a kangaroo with an incredibly large rear end (it doesn't turn all the way inside out, and the basketball is affixed to its butt). I have since puggled it so badly that the velcro doesn't stick any more, and now I have a permanent kangaroo with a large butt. I like to cuddle with it, play fetch with it and tug with it, but my favorite thing to do is lick it! I licky boom boom down!
Brother is never ever ever allowed to play with it. We hide it from him when he comes to our house. Hahahaha!
Location: Asheville, North Carolina, United States
I live in the beautiful mountains of Asheville, North Carolina, and I am an ornery little pugger. Although I am only awake about 3 hours each day, I work a whole lot of mischief into each and every minute.
