He couldn’t get up as the early as rest of us, so he snuck out to his local polling center at PetSmart down the street and cast his vote. I tried to get him to tell me who he voted for, but he wasn’t having it. However, I think it’s safe to saw he went for Baruff Obama and not John McClaw.

This morning after eating breakfast, I decided to come and make my bed, when all of a sudden, a little monster named Henry just wouldn’t let me. He hopped up his mini stairs and began chasing my hands around as I was trying to straighten out the quilt cover. He was not only nipping me, but growling as well. I wanted to shout, “The power of Christ compels you!” in my best Dr. Evil voice. He had gone nuts. I continued about trying to get my job done, while this 6lb white gorilla kept gnawing on my hands. There were times when he would stop biting and spin around like dervish, until I relented and moved around to the other side of the bed.

And then, in an uncharacteristic move, I put my hands behind me, thinking I had outsmarted him. He looked up, blinked at me twice and before I knew it, he had jumped up and taken a nip at my breast! My right one to be exact. I scowled in pain between my fit of laughter and checked under my shirt to see if there was bleeding involved. Thankfully, I got out unscathed. Henry, shame on you. I guess it’s safe to say Henry is definitely not a fan of the behind.

Yes yes, I know. Christmas is at least three months away, but it looks like one of Santa’s elves has come out to play…

Henry tried on some pyjamas last night, as you can tell. A lot of people might get the impression that dressing dogs is silly and while for the most part, I whole heartedly agree, you have to take into consideration that small dogs, especially Maltese, because they don’t have an undercoat, get cold. So here he is, getting ready for the holiday season that is ever so quickly creeping up on us.

It has been about eight weeks and four days since Henry’s luxating patella surgery. I’m happy to report that for the most part, he’s doing very well. It’s almost as if he didn’t have surgery. He’s forgotten it, except when he’s taken outside early in the morning towards the cars parked in the driveway. I think he thinks he might be going back for more bandages and stitches.

There are times when I think I’ve seen him slightly lift one of his legs while running, although this could either be me worrying more than I should be, or just a normal part of the recovery process. His fur is growing back at a good rate, although he still looks like a lion in the front and a mouse from the back. One of the most important things that I do now is trim is pads, paws and nails frequently. Because we have hardwood floors, I want him to be able to grip the floor as easily as possible because the hair that grows between his pads might cause him to slip. Right now, he’s wrestling with an empty water bottle all around the house.

It’s been a long journey, and perhaps one of the most difficult things I’ve yet to experience in my life. I imagine I’ve experienced somewhat similar feelings of having a child recover from surgery. I know that might sound over the top and possibly an unfair comparison, but it’s something only dog lovers and owners can understand, especially people who own Maltese dogs.

Now that the surgery has been put more or less behind us, Henry and I have more important things to worry about. Like what he’s going to be for Halloween!

Last year was Henry’s first Halloween. Because of this, I wanted to make an extra special costume for him. I thought long and hard about what would be the best costume for an almost 1-year-old white ball of fluff and it came to me almost suddenly.

A gnome! I ended up making most of the costume out of felt, with the exception of his vest and belt, which was made out of Persian silk. It’s a shame that I hadn’t gotten Henry a year before, because I was Amelie two Halloweens ago, in tribute to my most favorite film.

Because of his costume, Henry even won second place at Etsy’s Halloween Costume Showcase! This year I have a couple of ideas for him. I’m strongly leaning towards Sherlock Holmes or some old timer like Benjamin Franklin or George Washington. We will see in a month’s time!

This week, I made the trek across town to take Henry to a physical therapy appointment, and I left with three different supplements, eight pages of physical therapy exercises, a dent in my credit card and one tired dog. Henry went through a thorough 2 hour exam where every part of his legs were checked. When we got home, he went straight to sleep. I really have my work cut out for me. In order to aid in his recovery from luxating patella surgery, Henry must take antioxidant supplements, fish oil as well as a pain/mood enhancing medication. His diet also needs to include only 50 percent commercial food and will be supplemented with various fruits, vegetables and spices. If it was up to me, I wouldn’t be feeding him any commercial food, but because I don’t have the time to cook for him, he does eat kibble and canned food. However, his food is always supplemented with vegetables and pure sources of protein, like chicken, beef and turkey. We make sure to cook for him as often as we can.

Henry’s therapist was the first professional I had met in the field of veterinary medicine that advocated the use of cooked meals and raw, organic foods in a dog’s diet. It was then, that I knew I had made the right choice to take him in for an exam. Every other vet I have spoken to or pet owners in general, usually don’t advocate the use of so called ‘human’ food in a dog’s diet. I always thought this was a ridiculous idea. Despite them being different, a dog’s nutritional needs are not that far off from a human’s. I feel sad for dogs who are always kept on dry kibble and never have the chance to experience the taste of foods that are good for them. What a boring palette. Food is the essence of life, in my opinion and should be enjoyable for humans and animals alike.

But, I digress. For the last 2 days I have been doing exercises with Henry when I’ve come home from work. These include short walks and a number of balance and flexibility exercises. Getting through all of them is hard. I am so tired by the end of it, not to mention stressed. I just can’t wait for him to fully recover. If I had the necessary funds, I would put him in the physical therapy program that the rehabilitation center offers, which includes 2 visits per week, but unfortunately, I don’t.

While we were there, Henry met a dachshund named Lily and he kept pulling on his leash to go play with her. When they took her away, he started to cry! My heart broke. He definitely needs a playmate and I look forward to the day when I can get him one.

It’s been a little over 5 weeks since his surgery, however we’ve got a long road ahead of us. One that involves much exercise, stressful days, sleepless nights and extra cuddles.

I woke up with a terrible headache this morning and when I took one look at Henry and saw how peacefully asleep he was, I knew I couldn’t get up, get dressed and fight the traffic to get to work. So I ended up staying home, nursing my head (and Henry) and cleaning my room up a bit. By the end of the day, I was feeling much better. It’s so nice to be home once in a while. My mind was so at ease. It was so nice being able to look outside at my garden, instead of the walls of the cubicle I sit in. It was so nice, that I decided to play photographer and took some photos of my usual subject, Henry.

Roaring white lion.

Henry was barking up a storm a couple minutes ago because he could smell that the neighbor’s had brought an unfamiliar dog into their backyard, probably just a pet of a visiting relative. He’s calmed down now, but he was being very annoying. This morning I let him out of his crate and he ran circles around the coffee table, an old habit he hasn’t been able to do for a month now. I tried to catch him as fast as I could, because he’s not meant to be running, but as per usual, he thought I was playing with him and proceeded to hop around as if you to say “catch me, if you can.”

I felt his fur today and he’s got more knots than you can imagine. I want to brush him, but I’m scared it might hurt his legs, so I’ve just let him be as frazzled as he wants to be.

This week, he’s got a physical therapy appointment, but I’m having some doubts about taking him in because he seems to be doing incredibly well and I would just hate to spend so much money on something I already know and can do at home. I’m not sure about that yet, but we’ll see.

This weekend we tried putting him in a bath full of water, with a towel around his waste, so he could exercise his legs, but he wanted no part of it at all. He was slightly terrified, even though I was with him and the water was warm. I finally managed to submerge him, but he froze and wouldn’t move. So I just ended up bathing him quickly and then taking a shower myself because I was drenched in water.

He is one tired furball. He still sleeps next to me, which he loves and I love a lot as well. Speaking of which, I think we will both be going to do that now. Au revoir!

Well, I can’t believe it’s been an entire month since Henry had his luxating patella surgery. These 4 weeks not only have been hard on him because he’s been stuck in his crate, they have been incredibly hard on me as well. I haven’t gotten a decent night’s sleep, but this week has gotten better.

Henry was dropped off at the vet yesterday morning and I left work early to pick him up. Unfortunately, I was stuck in traffic for an hour and a half before I got to the vet. His x-rays revealed that he’s doing great and the vet even commented on what a great dog he is. His appetite has improved so drastically, you wouldn’t believe. He eats now because he wants to, not because he needs to and loves his dry and wet foods. I always sneak peppers and blueberries in there as treats.

He’s still on cage rest, although he’s allowed short, leashed walks during the day. I plan to do a little water therapy with him by filling up my bathtub and holding him up with a towel so he can exercise his legs. I have heard that water therapy is a great way to rehabilitate muscle, in humans as well. The vet also showed me to do additional therapy by having him lay on his back, while I stretch out his legs. I was also informed I should continue to give him pain medication. He doesn’t seem to be in any kind of pain, but I will comply.

His hair is growing back at a rapid pace, although he has so many knots because he hasn’t been able to be brushed properly for a month now! He’ll probably have a good shave once more of his hair grows in.

I have started him on glucosomine supplements again in pill form. I crush the pill with the back of a spoon or knife, mix it in with his wet food and he doesn’t even know the difference. One of the best treats I’ve ever found that has glucoasmine is by a company called Dogswell. They have these amazing sweet potato pieces wrapped with chicken that Henry loves. LOVES. He will fight you to the death for one. They also have one in their line called “Veggie Life” that contains flaxseed and vitamins A & E.

I haven’t had any time to take photos of his progress, but I will upload some soon.

It’s so funny how dogs come into our lives. One minute they’re with their sisters or brothers or in a shelter or at an adoption agency and the next minute, they’re yours. Sometimes, when the entire house is quiet and I’m on my computer, sitting in the dark, as I am now, and Henry is lying beside me somewhere between dreaming of food and toys, I look at him and it amazes me that I can call him mine. This little dog is mine. When I talk about him, I say, “My dog, Henry.” That is just astonishing to me. I’m sure I sound weird to anyone who is reading this, but you don’t understand. My childhood wasn’t filled with actual pets, just the longing for pets, almost every day.

My parents never let me have a dog or cat, so I would spend my days catching ladybugs and lizards in the back yard to call my own. They finally relented and let me have goldfish, and these were not your ordinary goldfish. They were beautiful, with striking colors, big puffy heads and flowing tails. I had them for a couple years. Then one day, we went on vacation and I came back to find most of them dead. After my goldfish fiasco, I was granted ownership of two anole lizards I kept in a terrarium in my room. Every week, my mom and I would make the trek down to the pet store to buy a bag full of crickets to feed them. A couple would always get loose and make their way around the house.

The lizards were tropical and as such had to be occasionally sprayed with water. I would take their cage out every week and put them in the shade. One day, I left them out too long while I went to the store with my mom and came back to find them shriveled up and gasping for air. They both died. I ceremonially buried them under the oak tree. I was completely devastated. Having felt sorry for me, my parents gave me permission to get more lizards, but I didn’t want to have anything to do with them. It was enough of a traumatic experience that I couldn’t bare to think of having two more.

Year and years went by. Having a dog was a topic of conversation at least once a week in my house, but the end of it was always the same: It’s either me, or a dog, my mom would say.

Thinking back on it now, what a cruel thing to say to a kid. But she didn’t understand, and I don’t blame her. I loved animals more than life itself and she, well she didn’t.

It wasn’t until I graduated from university last year, that she ever gave serious thought to me having a dog. By then, it wasn’t her choice anymore. It was going to be her and the dog and there was nothing she could say or do. So she chipped in and paid for half of Henry. She even came with me to bring him home. Although she might not admit it, they have been best friends every since. She feeds him chopped pepper, he sits in her lap. She worries about him when we’re not home, he watches her cook. She calls him “our dog” and pats his head while he sleeps. They love each other.

Pets are such an important and enriching part of life. Looking back, I’m not sure how I went all those years without Henry. Everything in my life can be crumbling and when I take one look at him when I get home, all of that melts away and it’s just me and him, with his head resting upon my hand, comfortably. It’s where he belongs.

It has been 3 weeks since Henry had his luxating patella surgery on both knees. His x-ray went very well last Thursday and as you can see a couple posts below, he even had a bath and a cut. The last few days have been very difficult for me as I have become nervous and anxious about his recovery. When I put him down to walk to his pad, he walks fine. I have seen him raise his leg up once and this worries me a lot. I feel like it’s all a part of the recovery process and I don’t want my expectations of him walking perfectly so soon to be unrealistic, but it’s just so hard to know what’s going on. Sometimes I feel very out of the loop about the recovery process. I’ve read different things that mention how some dogs were given physical therapy schedules or other dogs were not even touching the ground until 6 weeks. It’s been 3 weeks and Henry can walk pretty fine, I am just overly worried. I don’t honestly know how people have kids, the amount of worrying that goes into children is in itself worrysome.

Henry does not have another vet appointment until next Thursday. From then on, I am going to confine him to his crate and only let him walk a couple minutes a day, closely supervised. I wish I knew more about this and I sincerely hope I’m doing the right things to aid in his recovery. My mind won’t be at ease until his next x-ray.

I have also scheduled him for a 2 hour examination at the California Animal Rehab Center, a facility which was recommended to me on a forum I visit. They completely assess the state of his legs and send me home with a physical therapy schedule. I’m looking forward to it. Until then, I will keep writing about his progress!