Xena the Princess Warrior

I forgot to post this earlier in the week.  Xena loves to run and is great at coming when called.  Luckily we have a couple of acres and share yards with good friends.  Here is proof that she does run even with the 4th limb that is just along for the ride…for now.

I spoke with the vet office.  It is going to cost between $1600 and $2000 to remove Xena’s limb and spay her.  Yikes!  They said surgery for the amputation would take about 45 minutes if all went well. They are going to remove it at the shoulder (that what it’s called on people anyway).  She won’t have a bandage, she will have internal stitches and will need to be careful not to bump it for about a week while the incision heals.  We are shooting for April 21st if all works out.  Still hoping to see some improvement in that nerve damaged limp…

I got this new elevated food bowl for Xena donated by my friend Karen G.  Her dog got it for Christmas but has been scared of it so she passed it on to us!  I am not positive it’s the right height to support proper posture for Xena but it’s better than nothing at all, I guess.  It’s not Xena’s best pose but she is busy chowing down like usual.

Xena seems to have integrated pretty well with our two rescue cats Winston and Thea.  See the header where Xena crawled on the back of the sofa near Thea.

I am working on bell training Xena for her potty needs.  She has not barked once while we have had her.  She whines at times when she is picked up.  She does not like to be picked up!  She loves to snuggle and sit on my lap but it has to be her getting there.  I am using peanut butter on a bell to get her to ring it.  I hope she doesn’t get tired of peanut butter.

Xena loves cat food (I guess most dogs do). so this weekend I moved the bowl from the desk that was getting messy with all the crumbs to the top of the washer.  Well, Winston apparently did not care for that because he sprayed the wall above the washer with what looked like feces. I quickly got the hint and the cat food bowl is back on the desk making a mess.  Better a mess of cat food on the desk that cat spray on the wall.

Xena is definitely feeling more at home as she walks right by the cats and it doesn’t seem to phase either of them.

We took Xena for a second opinion and vaccinations on today. The vet does not sound optimistic that her nerve damaged limb will regain function.  We are giving it a month and at that time we can spay her, amputate and give her booster shots while she is under anesthesia.  The appointment didn’t go well between the news of losing her limb and the stress it caused Xena getting her shots. :-/  We did get Xena on Revolution and Austin Veterinary Diagnostic Hospital gave us a small deal on a couple of months worth of the heart worm medication.  Thank you to my good friends Kevin & Shelly C for paying for this vet visit of $119.

We picked up Xena in Round Rock, TX on a Tuesday night (March 11th) at Heart of Texas Veterinary Specialty Center.  She had been there since Sunday morning.  A concerned motorist saw Xena get hit by a car in Thorndale Saturday night.  Xena was in shock so the motorist brought her home and wrapped her in a blanket.  It he morning Xena was still alive.  So our rescue leader, Liz, took her to the emergency vet.   They took very good care of Xena who was understandably very frightened.  It was then we learned that Xena had nerve damage to the right forelimb.  Heart of Texas was very helpful by donating some of the medications for Xena.  Even still her bill was $1000!  I had to give her antibiotics, antacids, stomach coater, and pain meds.  Not to mention PT 4x a day.  Very overwhelming for someone who hasn’t had a dog in over 15 years.

I should mention that Xena is a 11 lbs female,  officially it says terrier mix on her vet paperwork, but, I think she is a miniature pinscher mixed with a dachshund.