Monday, November 22, 2010

Running...

Life for me has certainly changed since becoming a big sister, but at least my people still find time to take me to my grandparents house where I can run, play and soak up the rays...

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

I'm a big sister!

I became a big sister on Monday, August 9th. His name is Mylo Taha Wood. It was the strangest night ever. Mommy was vomiting, moaning then resting. Vomiting, moaning then resting. I was sitting by her side in the wee hours of the morning when all hell broke loose in the bathroom. Next thing I know there were a lot of phone calls being made, they grabbed a bunch of bags and then flew out of here. A couple of days later, they come home with this squirmy thing that looks like a miniature version of my dad. They keep call him my brother. Ok, whatever, but if it means I have to start sharing my treats he'll have to go back to where he came from!

Friday, July 9, 2010

Beach dog in the making...

I just came back from my first vacation. No offense grandmas: Northport and Candlewood Lake are great, but it doesn't compare to a REAL vacay with my people. Now I know where they go when they drop me off to be babysat by you a couple of times a year.

Ella at Navy Beach
It was a long drive out to Montauk but I just adore road trips! Every morning they would open the door to our hotel room and I would go out and sunbathe on the lawn, do my business and then eat a delicious breakfast. Then they would take me to Navy Beach where I would lie behind their chairs and yelp at them when they ventured into that big pool-like thing to take a dip. Of course they tried to coax me in to join them but I wasn't having any of it!

Then they would take me back to our room where I would nap in the AC while they frolicked with their friends on the ocean. They'd spend some quality time with me again in the evenings on the beautiful grounds of our hotel which was adjacent to a marina. I loved watching the boats go by and that day they BBQ'd and mommy fed me vegan sausage from under the table was a memorable one!

One day at sunset they took me to Ditch Plains where they were in some photo shoot with a nice lady named Michele Anthony. I watched the surfers, sniffed the dried up seaweed and romped around with other dogs there that were off-leash.

I am still a little unsure of the whole water thing - hydrotherapy may have scarred me for life - but I think it is safe to say that I am definitely becoming a beach dog!!
Ella at Ditch Plains

Thursday, June 17, 2010

All is well in Ella land...

What can I say? I am a terrible blogger. I might have my legs back, but who says I use them? Just joking, I use them. Just not for typing!

I am happy to report that my staph infection is in the past - for now. To tell you the truth, it was such a tough and long winter on all that medication that I really don't like writing about it, let alone even recalling it. So that's all I am going to say about that.

So what have I been doing? I've been learning how to be a dog! My people are convinced that because of my injuries and the way in which they labored over my care, that I am more human than I am dog. And perhaps they are right. I mean I love other dogs and dog food, but I would much rather be chilling with humans and eating people food. What's so wrong with that?

I have also been getting used to the fact that I am about to become a big sister. I'm not sure how I feel about that, but I guess it was inevitable. I always knew this day would come. Lucky for me, I am not the high maintenance pooch I used to be. After all, I am not sure how mommy and daddy would cater to all my needs and that of a newborn baby's!

But hey, I'm not gonna lie -- sharing the spotlight is going to be tough. Hopefully this kid won't throw a fit when I chomp it's Joe's O's out of its hands!

The pic I posted is of me and a new friend at the new dog run at the new park at the base of Atlantic Avenue. Wow, now that's a lot of newness!! Even though it's only a few blocks away mommy and daddy drive me down there a couple of days per week and let me play (supervised of course) with my own species. It's new and nerve racking, but like anything they introduce me to that I am scared of at first, I eventually wind up conquering it!

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Ella's infection...

So a whole five weeks on some God-awful medication intended for swine, and I still can't shake this infection. The great news is, though, that it's not getting me down - I am not nauseous, lethargic and there is no change in my appetite. So I am wondering, how deadly is this "deadly" infection?

There is one more route my people can go to try and rid me of this thing that they shot down the first time and opted instead, to administer the swine medication orally four times per day. (I should add that while I miss eating four times per day, I sure as hell don't miss feeling like poop and being incontinent.)

After a ton of discussion between mom and dad, they opted to give it a try. And so on Monday I began daily injections of Amikaycin. They gave me this antibiotic once before for 12 days, but since I have to be on it for a month this time, and because it is severely tough on the kidneys, I have to have subcutaneous fluids administered as well. And let me just tell you - having needle after needle jammed in your back every morning is no picnic, but it is always accompanied by my people speaking softly to me, as well as a handful of treats, too!

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Not cut out for showbiz...




Ella was part of a pit bull photo shoot for a new, start-up non-profit about, well, pit bulls. Of course the big lights, background and equipment scared the bejusus out of her but at least the photog got one good shot before the panic attack kicked in!

Monday, January 25, 2010

Ella can't catch a break...


Poor Ella can never really catch a break. Ella has an infection similar to Mersa which is highly resistant to your average antibiotic. We're not sure how she caught this thing, although we had been treating the blister-like lesion on her back right foot holistically for quite some time. After several vet visits and second opinions we were told that the only medicine that might kill the bacteria was an injectable liquid intended for swine. Lovely, right? Wrong.

Ella needs to receive the medication every six hours, four times a day. And to make matters even more complicated, I am not allowed to administer or come into contact with the medicine because I am 12 weeks pregnant. So while this is great news, it has made our lives extremely difficult. Believe it or not, this is even more difficult than any post-surgery our pup has ever had: casts, lesions, intravenous bags, needles... you name it. It just so happens that Jason is in between gigs at the moment and is around several times per week. But when he is not around, we rely heavily on the help of our lovely neighbor, Tonya.

The medicine has some funky side effects, like diarrhea and grogginess, but it is also giving her a leaky bladder which the Dr. insists is not a side effect. We know our dog best, though, and the leaky bladder began within 24 hours after being on the medicine for one full day. While the Dr. would love to dispense yet another drug to control Ella's bladder, we are going to wait it out. She has been on the medication for two weeks now and is required to be on it a few more.