Off Topic - A Smiley Update

Isn't he adorable?  Don't you just love that little face?  I am crazy about our Smiley.

About two weeks ago though, we were frantic.  Smiley, who loves his food - and I mean he dances in the kitchen for his food, literally (he is too cute! Patience is not his middle name.) - would not eat and was lying on the floor shivering one morning.  I suspected he had a fever or low blood sugar or something bad.  Anyway we quickly took him down the mountain to a local vet, who diagnosed him with Ehrlichiosis, a tick borne bacterial infection.  To say the least, I was petrified that Smiley would die.  See, the only time my dog, Happy, became ill, he died not too long thereafter.  I had to talk to myself sternly and remind myself that animals, just like humans, get sick too and don't have to die each time.  I was worried sick to be honest.

We suspected that Smiley had some kind of urinary tract infection as well, as his pee output was greatly reduced and he was leaving tiny drops in the house.  We treated him for the Ehrlichiosis as well as a possible urinary tract infection.  That meant two potent antibiotics - Doxycycline for a week and Cipro for a little longer.  Poor little guy.  I gave him some yogurt periodically to stave off Candida.  His appetite was coming back by the fourth day.  He literally did not eat much at all before then.  He also could not keep the food down in any case.  He was so nauseous (possibly a side effect of the antibiotics as well as the infections).

I am so grateful that today Smiley is super-healed.  He is back to his happy, energetic self. Thank you, God!

Smiley is really a rags to riches story.  His family abandoned him in the middle of the jungle on the top of our mountain.  I cannot imagine why.  However, my birth family abandoned me too (in particular, my ex-mother), so I feel Smiley and I have something in common.  I immediately took to Smiley and wanted to give him a happy home with full acceptance and full privileges (kind of like my heavenly Father did for me many years ago).  I went out and bought him a diamond-studded (not! - actually rhinestones) collar with the word Doggie spelled out in the aforementioned glittery decoration.  He looks so adorable in the photo below and quite "rich".  LOL

See that little smile on his face?  That is why we call him Smiley.  He sleeps with a smile on his face and his ear up usually.  My eldest son calls him Growley, because he still growls at Daniel occasionally.  Daniel lives in a casita at the top of our property and so in Smiley's eyes he is part of another pack and not ours (Ian and I and Jonathan).  Funny that.  However, if other people come to our house, all of a sudden Daniel is part of our pack in Smiley's eyes and Daniel can tickle his tummy and take advantage of that time.  Funny that too.  Our Smiley is a real enigma.  Maybe he needs Caesar to come and sort him out? - you know the famous dog handler/psychologist on TV in America.  That would be cool, however, I don't think Caesar travels to our part of the world.  That guy is amazing!  I love that show.

"Ooooh, this is the life," you can just see Smiley thinking as he stretches lazily. 

Smiley in his natural habitat.  Actually that was soon after we got him.  He is a little more... um.... portly right now.

From day one Smiley took over my "birding" chair.  That is where I would sit at the window watching the birds eat their bananas from the hanging baskets under the eaves, where they are safe from squirrels, but not from monkeys (Titi or Geoffroy's Tamarin) or the night prowling Olingo.  I sighed and put a towel on the chair and now the smart leather chair (not so smart anymore thanks to ugly towel) belongs to Smiley.  No one sits there anymore for fear of catching a Smiley flea.

Hope you've enjoyed another doggie tale all you doggie lovers out there.  Little Smiley has brought much joy into our lives.  (smile)