Meet Da Pack -- Day Six

GOOD MORNING

BLOGVILLE

TODAY'S I IS GONNA INTRODUCE Y'ALL TO DA

BALD ONE

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BUTT FURST WE ALL WANTED TO WISH

Y'ALL A VERY

HAPPY ST. PADDY'S DAY

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REMEMBER...

THINK GREEN TODAY!

OK's Mom....You's can takes over dis Postee now!

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Thank you, my little weenie dog...

Today's pack member is

APRIL.

April will turn 10 years old on April 18.  She is not one of the rescues as her reason for existing was very much planned for.  For many years I was facinated by the Chinese Crested breed.  At the time they weren't readily available but finally in 1997 I located a reputable breeder in Sarasota, Florida.  After many emails and finally a phone call, we drove to Sarasota to meet DeeDee, who was about 4 months old.  It was love at first sight.  DeeDee came home with us and from that day on was such a very important member of our family.  She went to work with me many times and sat in her own chair in my office and greeted everyone who came in.  She went shopping with us and enjoyed visits to the local flea market where we would always sit and have an ice cream cone.  Sadly, DeeDee had to cross the Bridge at the age of 12 after her minor heart murmur turned major from the excitement and over-exertion of barking at a stray dog walking past the house.  We rushed her to the vet but she died a few hours later at the vet's home where he had taken her to be able to watch her more closely.

In 2001 we decided to breed DeeDee once before getting her spayed.  We contacted the breeder where DeeDee came from and chose a small AKC Champion by the name of Timothy to become the father to DeeDee's pups.  On April 18, 2001, April and Angel were born.

April is the puppy on the top.

Angel was born with a cleft palate and couldn't nurse.  We were sure we would lose her the day she was born but our wonderful vet told us if we were able to tube feed (threading a tube down her throat to her stomach) her until she was about 3 or 4 months old, he would be able to surgically repair the cleft.  Of course we would do anything to save our Little Angel, so that's what we did.  Angel survived, the surgery was successful, and she tasted food for the first time when she was almost 6 months old.

Chinese Cresteds come in two varieties.....Hairless and Powderpuff.  April is Hairless like her mother and father and Angel was a beautiful Powderpuff.

In October of 2009 after a frantic trip to the ER, we found out that Angel also had a bad heart that was leaking in two places.  She was only given about two months to live.  Her personality didn't change at all.  She was always so happy and loving and was the Alpha of the pack.  All the other dogs respected Angel for who she was, and knowing we were losing her was very difficult for us.  Of course Angel had to do things HER way.  She was able to give us three more months and crossed the Bridge on my birthday in January.  Knowing Angel as I did, I'm sure she planned it that way so I would always remember her on my birthday.

Her life was cut short - only 8 1/2 years.  But I will never, ever forget my Little Angel.

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THE THREE MUSKETEERS

April, Angel, and DeeDee

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DeeDee never formed a close bond with Angel since she really didn't take care of her seeing as Angel had to be tube fed.  But DeeDee and April were always very close.  We would rarely see one without the other.  Shortly after DeeDee departed for Rainbow Bridge, it would almost seem that her spirit would occasionally take over April's body.  Many strange things started happening but I'll only give you one example.  DeeDee was terrified of thunder and would always try to hide in the pantry.

DeeDee

April was NEVER afraid of anything.  But after DeeDee was gone, every once in a great while when it would thunder, this is where we would find April.

April

Same spot, trying to face the wall.  This doesn't happen every time it thunders.  Most of the time April just ignores the thunder completely.  But sometimes I think DeeDee is just trying to let us know she's still here with us even though we can't see her and shows us that through her daughter.

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This photo was taken just hours before DeeDee left us.  April always shared that bed with her mother and wouldn't go near it for months after her mother's death.

April is using her mother as a pillow

April is very precious to us.   Over the last few years she has developed a few physical problems.  She has Epilepsy and also suffers from Inflammatory Bowel Disease.  She is taking Phenobarbital for seizures and we are very fortunate that she hasn't experienced a seizure in almost 2 years now.  Her seizures when she did have them were very mild with the exception of one where she had to be taken to the vet at 6 am one morning.  She has occasional flareups of her IBD but we usually just let it run its course unless it's severe enough for intervention.  In 2009 six inches of her intestines had to be removed.

I would like to share a few pictures of April with you now.

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I still don't know where April got her gigantic size.  DeeDee was a very petite 9 pounds and April's father was even smaller than that.  Angel was also very tiny at 9 pounds, even with all that fur.  April weighs in at 16 pounds.  (Whew, girl!)

Bad Hair Day....Ok, bad day all around!

Now...back to our weenie host!

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Tanks, Mom

I didn't tink you was ever gonna gets done.

I protests!

Anyways.....everybuddy don't forgets..

Have a fun GREEN

St. Patricks's Day

and

Don't drinks too much of da

GREEN BEER!

(LIKE I DID'S)