Sweet 16

Happy birthday, sweet 16, Abby!!!



You may be old and gimpy, but you are one tough, beautiful, and incredible girl!!

A list of things this girl has been through in her life include:

1. Car accident in 1997 where she suffered three fractures to her skull and subsequently began having seizures.

2. Contracted e-coli up her nose (vet never figured out how) in 2001 and went through almost 11 months of severe breathing problems, multiple medical treatments and a trip to Colorado State University to try and cure it.

During the e-coli phase she:
a. got shot in the head with a BB gun just above her right eye and ended up with a hole in her forehead.
b. was on prednisone so was very food motivated and got into a fight with Samuel over her dinner and ended up having to get 14 stitches in her face.
c. got very fat (prednisone side affect) and somehow ended up with a hole in her left elbow (you could actually see the bone) that had to be wrapped and re-wrapped by the vet every 10 days for several month's until it healed.
d. was bleeding out her nose due to the chronic inflammation and had to have drops put up her nose 3 times a day for several weeks.

3. In 2005 she blew out (tore) her ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in both her knees. Had surgery to repair the right knee, then 2 months later her left knee. Problems developed with the right knee not healing correctly, so, 2 months after the left knee was healed we re-did the right knee a second time. Then, 2 months later, had to repair the right knee for the third time!


4. A couple of really nasty altercations with Holly that resulted in trips to the ER Vet. Here is a picture of the worst incident. Those white things sticking out are drains that had to be put in.


She has arthritis in both her hips and her front shoulders so is on Rimadyl. She is also hypothyroid so is taking meds for that. And, she is losing her hearing.

And, through all of this, she has been amazing! She even spent a few years being a therapy dog, which, she absolutely loved!

Abby has also been immortalized in a really cool tattoo on my right ankle. The artist did an amazing job!


After all of that, and I'm sure there's something in there that I have forgotten, she is still doing very well. I know each day she is with us is special and a blessing. I will take every day I can get!!

So, I just want to say a very happy birthday to my Abby Doobie Doo! Mommy loves you very, very much!! You were the first, and will always hold a very special place in my heart!

Love,
Mom