My two boys

I make the bed every morning before we leave for work. This morning I came into the room to see this huge bump in the bed. I knew it was a dog with is legs up, but when I opened the bed to see both my boys lying next to each other with their legs in the air. It was so funny. By the time I got the camera, they had already dropped their legs and were lying together like in the picture. They are both so cute and I am so happy they get on.

Dreaming me sad

Last night I had a very disturbing dream. First I dreamt that my oldest dog Lucca was had no hair on one side of his body and when I took him to the vet, she said it was because he is itchy on that side and he rubs himself against anything to get the itch away. Then he ate a plastic lid off a take away bowl, and it got stuck under his skin on his back, and the vet said she doesn't want to cut it out as she doesn't think its worth it, but he couldn't walk because of it. After that I went to my friends house, and she was a psychologist and it was her birthday but she wasn't there. All I wanted to do was talk to her about my sick dog, and she was nowhere to be found. So I sat in her bedroom and sulked. It was horrible and this morning I woke up sad.

My First Born

Lucca loves having a car in the family with a back window. The Italian Greyhounds love to be up high somewhere. So this back window is perfect for him.

Lucca Kruger

Finally the bandages have come off my Lucca, and I must say, he is looking and reacting much better. He has got life again and is ready for anything. Granted he still shakes his ears and from time to time the one ear still bleeds, but no splatters of blood on the walls anymore. The only problems are; because of the wrapped up ears, and no ventilation holes (he would be able to get his paws in the holes and pull the bandages off), he has got a little infection in his left ear, and a few scabs in the same ear. The thing that bothers me the most is that he looks a little like Freddy Kruger from Nightmare on Elm Street. You cant really see in the pic, but he has hair missing on top of his ears, and under his chin and around his face, and it is raw and scabby and red. He looks much worse than he is. I am very happy that he is better though and that he has got that spark of life in his eyes again.

My Little Lampshade

This is what Lucca has looked like for the past week, and what he has gone through. I can only imagine how happy he will be when this is over, my little lampshade!!!

The Big day

Today is the big day that Lucca's scrum cap is coming off and his ears will be healed. I am very nervous for him, and didn't sleep much again last night because he was in a state again. So off to the vet now, will let everybody know how the ears are doing.

Lucca Update

Lucca is a very strange and interesting animal. He is so gay that EVERYTHING in his life must be a drama. Now that his ears have been taped up, and he cant shake them anymore, so he doesn't have the comfort of the shaking sound, he started to scratch at the bandage, and misses them, and scratches on top of his head. Needless to say that now he has sores on the top of his head. So last night I decided to put the lamp shade on him (the color to prevent him from getting to his head). He hates that and runs around the whole time, until you pick him up and hold him. He is only a little boy and very scared of all these things happening with him. But I know and trust that this will be the best ever. When the time is right and those bandages comes off, the ears will be healed and he will be a happy, vibrant, lively little lamp shade-less dog.

A glorious morning

It has been a very good few days. Yesterday I got R5 in the parking machine that someone left behind, I signed up a corporate company that is going to bring us big bucks, I got a load of appointments set up, Lucca's ears have been doing very well, growing nice scabs and he was being very calm and not shaking too much. Then this morning happened. I woke up to Lucca shaking his scabs off and bleeding all over the place again. I know I have said this many times, but I really cant explain how I feel. I am so fed up with this. There must be something else to be done!!! I have never seen any dog with this issue for so long, so there must be a way of stopping it. Then there is the weather this morning. Its all rainy and cloudy and I have to be at work. Its the perfect weather to be at home under the duvet watching Dstv. I just feel so helpless, and if one more person tells me "there is nothing you can do about it, so stop stressing about it" I am going to punch them in the gut. OF COURSE I STRESS ABOUT IT, HE IS MY BABY!!!! Even more so because I cant do anything about it. I want to go home and sleep...

Blood on the Wall

So I know I have been saying allot about Lucca and his ear, and here are just two pics taken today of my kitchen. Lucca and Leche have been left in the kitchen since yesterday as I have had the carpets cleaned and am keeping them locked in the kitchen. These were the scenes from this afternoon. The speckled floor and wall are blood specks....

The Storm

My mood today is very similar to the weather outside. I am feeling very down and very dark and very rainy. Lucca's ear is not getting better at all, and I decided to put a plaster on his ear to stop the blood from going everywhere however, I have made it much worse. First I had to take the plaster off the ear and by doing that, pulled some hairs off his ear, so he was howling like mad. Then after I took it off, I realised that the ear has gone pussy under the plaster, and of course right after I took it off, he just went ballistic with the head shaking. When I tried to leave, he did his dramatic thing again. Running from the far side of the corridor and flinging himself against the front door whit his entire body, howling and screaming and crying as he does that. Then of course Leche joins in and they howl at each other like someone is cutting their throats. This is all adding to my stress and making my mood extremely bad and I feel like a thunder cloud is following me. Then there is an added stress around moving house and its all just a little too much for me today.... But I am sure it will all be better tomorrow, coz its a public holiday at least!

Lucca state of mind

I know I have been talking allot about Lucca the past few days, but it really bugs me and he is not good at all. We had a brief return to normality yesterday afternoon, but this morning its all back to anxious head shaking, and blood everywhere in the house. I am so unsettled about this.

Lucca's Las

I feel so sorry for my little dog Lucca. He used to be such a nice loving friendly energetic little dog, with no issues and no problems, just happy to be alive and happy to be living with us. In the past two years he has developed all sorts of illnesses and little things that turned him into a real neurotic little anxious dog. It started with his bum. He had issues with his anal glands, where they were genetically not expressing themselves, so they had to be expressed manually for about 4 months. Eventually they got removed in a very scary operation, and then he started this anxious neurotic behaviour. he could not stop running around and trying to get away from his own bum. Then there were the many bites he had to endure. He got bitten about 4 times in a month. With one that made a very big scar for ever. Now he has developed a genetic disease in his ears that can not be cured but only controlled. The problem is it itches and he shakes his head uncontrollably. By doing this, he causes his ear tips to split and make sores. The sores will not heal because he keeps on shaking his head. Its turned my lovely little dog into a head shaking, neurotic, constantly running around, never giving love to anybody kinda dog. I also know that me leaving him alone over night as much as I used to in the past, has added to the way he is now. I am so sad and feel so sorry for him. He used to be such a friendly little bugger.

Night from hell

I had a very bad night last night. Lucca kept me awake until 02:00am this morning, because of his ears or his bum or his feet or his nose or his tail or something psychological. I am getting tired of him being so anxious and hypochondriac-ish. Cant I just have a normal dog that has normal issues and get it over and done with. This morning his one ear is bleeding again because he has spent the entire night shaking his head. Will those ears never heal? What am I supposed to do? At least I got to work and got some positive input from one of my directors about my past week. He was very happy with what I have done so far. As for my house excitement, I got very excited yesterday afternoon when we sort of decided to look for a place to buy. Finally we can get a place that we own and we can change as much as we want. Finally all those hours of watching the BBC Leisure channel of home improvement programs will pay off. I am positive for this Monday though. Its gonna be a good one!!

A day In Cape Town

This is more of an update as to what is happening.  Its a grey and dreary day in Cape Town, but I am feeling quite good.  My head has stopped pounding from the sign post, I have signed and sealed a new job starting on Monday (now I think I should have taken another week off),  I have an amazing boyfriend that makes me feel really good and has so much faith in me, and I live in Cape Town!!!!  Of course there are a few things that are still not fixed properly.  Lucca's ear is still very bad, both actually, and he might need to be drugged for a few days.  I have put on weight, and need to get motivated to go to gym again.  I constantly think about a looming house hunt and move (which, if you know me, you know puts me in an instant depression).  I think the best thing to do is to go shopping.  Shoes maybe... actually I HAVE to go shopping for shoes, but for work, so its not even fun!!! 

Update on Lucca

So I have to take Lucca to the vet on Monday for a biopsy that has to be done on his ears.  The vet is going to put him under, and then first look to see if there is anything in his ears, and if he cant find anything, he will do the biopsy.  As usual I am a little nervous, coz Lucca doesn't like vets, and he is hyper sensitive to anaesthetics.  I am sure he will be fine but I have to worry as his "dad".  Tristan, he is not playing on my feelings, he is really bothered by those ears, and he is my baby.... 

Lucca's ear

I am a little worried about my oldest (dog) ear. He has had these dry tips for a long time, and the vet assured me its nothing to worry about. Problem is now that he has developed a sore on the left ear tip and it is getting bigger and it is irritating him more and more now. Yesterday I got home and my entire kitchen was redecorated with red blood spats on EVERYTHING. Washing machine, oven, doors, floor. It was like little sprays of blood, and the wound on his ear was open again and he had blood all on his neck. Clearly it opened and he shook his head, coz he does that constantly at the moment. This is however a superficial problem. I know my dog very well, and he has been through ALLOT. He is extremely sensitive and at the moment he is not in a good frame of mind. He is used to having me around all the time. I used to leave him alone for work, but was there right after work, and took him for walks everyday. Now I spend much less time at home, and when I am at home, it is only to sleep, so I get home, and we go straight to bed. He doesn't get to see me as much at all anymore, and I don't go for as many walks with them. I realise my House is not perfect and it is not bright and cheerful, but it is still my house, and I still live there for the next few months, and I want to spend more time at home and with my dogs. I know I sound like a pathetic queen about his dogs, but it was Lucca who was there for me through everything I have been through, and I am his protector and only "alpha dog". I will see what the vet has to say this afternoon.

My Peaceful Terros

I have two beautiful dogs. Two Italian Greyhounds. Lucca, who is the older, more wiser chocolate brown and white (he looks black), and Leche who is the young baby still very active, fawn and white one. They are two real little gorgeous things, and for the most part, very sweet and cute and cuddly. However, they have their times where they are so uncontrollable that I want to give them away to the first bergie who knocks on my door. Like when I leave them at home and come back to find my carpet riped up, and chewed along with my couch and a few socks. Then I try to discipline them, but they have no idea why I am screaming at them and they look at me with that "run away, he has gone mad" look. I think they are at their best when they are sleeping. They are so peaceful and sweet then.....actually, it takes them a hour to get to sleep, they never lie still and they take over the bed. They are little terrors, but I love them soooo much. I just need to discipline them better. But how do you discipline someone that looks at you with those whites in the eyes, and the head hanging low and the tail between the legs. Its so tough!!!

Salty Sea Dog

We went for a walk today on the beach in Milnerton. Tristan, Lucca, Leche and I. It was a great walk. We walked all along the stretch of beach next to the golf course. On our way there we saw a whale that was very close to the shore, blowing air all the time from his blow hole. Only after walking for a while I noticed the whale is not diving, nor is it moving. It turned out to be a rock. Very interesting. We crossed paths with a big Golden Retriever, and true to form, he started chasing Leche, to play with him. Leche, true to form, tried to run as far and as fast away from him as he could. The only way for him to go was towards the sea, and having NEVER been in the sea, he of course did not know what that was, and thought he could just run right over it. Well, he went straight into the surf and realised what it was and how cold it was. The problem now was the Retriever, who loves water, followed him, so now Leche wanted to come back to the shore, but the Retriever was behind him. He finally got out of the water and the other couple got the Retriever away. He was so cold and shivering and all wet....He was a Salty Sea Dog.

I must say I am a little out of place with this constant fear and fleeing that Leche does when another big dog wants to play with him. Lucca plays with them and runs around, but Leche only runs away with his tail between his legs, and mostly runs into trouble. I cant remember if Lucca was the same when he was younger and beefed up later, but I really hope Leche does, as his brother Bruno, is so comfortable with all other dogs.

Dogs vs Life

So last night Lucca was violently sick and was vomiting the whole night. It was very distressing to me, because not only is my one and only little boy sick, but I also had to be conscious about the people in the house, and Tristan trying to sleep coz we all had to go to work in the morning. I am finding it more and more difficult to balance my life outside of the house, with that inside the house. It is nobodies fault and there is nothing to be done, its just that it has been myself and my dogs for over a year, and all three of us have to get used to that changing.

Almost Home

Its Tuesday night, I have one more night in Durban. Tomorrow night I get home and then on Thursday is jumping time!!!! I am almost home, almost with Lucca and Leche, almost back to have tea with Bruce, almost home to taste that frozen chocolate muffin, almost home to speak to Richard about my insecurities, almost home to see the show with Kate. See you Thursday Cape Town.