This past weekend, was one of the scariest weekends with my dogs. I've been working, a lot, on behavior training, and basic obedience training, for all of my dogs. I have 4 females. Two corgis, a chihuahua, and a larger dog, which is a mutt, and I have no idea what her breed is. All of them, individually, are amazing! I couldn't have better dogs for my kids! They are all extremely sweet, and loving towards my kids, and extremely patient.
Emma, one of my two corgis, has more of an old grumpy soul. She believes everything is in her care, and everything animal should be where they should be, and should not stray. She doesn't like it when the other dogs play with each other, because she doesn't like the noise or ruckus. She is the oldest and is our very first baby. We got her before my husband and I got married.
Ellie, my other corgi, she tries to be dominant, and often fails. She follows Emma's ques, when it comes to herding the other animals, and they work very well together. They get into their little spats, but never injured each other as a result. She is the most patient with the kids and loves them so much! She bit me once because she thought I was running after Autumn, and she wasn't having it. (She learned pretty quick to never bite me!) But even with all the times this goofy dog has injured herself, she always allows you to take care of her without complaint and will never nip, even if you are pulling out a tick, or feeling her leg for a break. She will whine and kiss you, but that's the extent of it. She is a huge lover!
Bella, well, is Bella. She is so hilarious and quirky and probably one of the smartest chihuahuas I have ever met in my life! She is a feisty little shit, but she also loves snuggling with Ellie and Aoife.
Aoife is an extremely adaptable dog. She can be full of energy when you want her to be, or lazy. She is happiest when she is around the kids and is extremely gentle with them. She is a little shy around people she doesn't know and is extremely loyal, and protective of her family, but also loves our friends! (If you scratch her back, you pretty much have a life-long friend!) She also LOVES other dogs! She loves to play!
Okay, so now that you know my dogs, and their personalities, It's also important to know that their personalities, clash (except for Bella, none of the other dogs take her seriously.) When it comes to Aoife and the my two corgi girls, they just don't always see eye to eye. Aoife wants to play, and the girls want nothing to do with it. When they are all inside, they get along just fine. They respect each other's space. When it comes to being outside, they are all just fine until me or someone else steps out. I can't play fetch with them unless I separate them, or else a fight ensues. That's what happened Saturday. One of my guest had no idea that it would even be an issue to play fetch with them. Aoife got the ball first, and Emma tried to go after Aoife to take it from her, and that's when it happened. Normally, when they fight, if their are any injuries, they are always minor. This time, Aoife, retaliated and seriously injured Emma. I have never seen so much blood come from any dog in my life. My dad scooped her up, with an old t-shirt and held her wound in the back of my jeep, while my friend, drove us to the vet. I was in panic attack mode. I knew I didn't have enough money to cover her medical expenses. My dog was loosing blood rapidly (she had already lost a pint of blood before we even left), and all I could think about was how in the world was I going to save her?
The three of us walked in, covered in blood, with Emma, and they took her back immediately. I was devastated and in tears. When the Vet came in and told us how bad it really was, I was freaking out. Things being said like, "she may lose her leg, she may need a blood transfusion, she may not make it from surgery, etc." I was determined to do everything I could to save her. When I got an estimate of the bill, I felt so overwhelmed and scared. My quote was 1600-3000 dollars. We also discussed a limit of money they could not go over in case Emma crashed. I had to tell them do not exceed 3000 dollars. That was the hardest thing I have had to say, to put a money limit on my dog in order to save her life. With Vets, there is rarely a payment plan, or anything of that nature. Money has to be upfront, and honestly, I don't blame them! They get screwed! It's not like they get help from the government. It's the hardest part of their job, because a lot of these vets and vet tech are extremely compassionate, and when they are faced with someone who is in a financial bind, it's rough on them, too!
Thankfully, I had a Care Credit. It's a Credit card, that is great for emergencies, especially when you have as many dogs that I do. I can not stress enough, that if you have multiple animals, you need to have money set aside for emergencies, because they are bound to happen. Just like for any emergency, you need to have money. It can ease a little stress in an already stressful situation. Animals are expensive.
Thankfully, Emma is okay! There are no broken bones, there was no need for a blood transfusion, and she came out of surgery, beautifully! She had to have drainage tubes placed, because the wound when straight through her leg. She is home and back to her old grumpy self, and the other girls are so happy she is okay. I'm happy that she is okay.
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