It is with great sadness I let you all know that we lost our Pixie yesterday. She was just a month shy of her 17th birthday.
A thirty-something gal from Pennsylvania who loves her chihuahuas and blogs about simplifying life, organizing your home, getting your finances in order.
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Showing posts with label chihuahuas. Show all posts
Goodbye to My Pixie
Tuesday, July 26, 2022
It is with great sadness I let you all know that we lost our Pixie yesterday. She was just a month shy of her 17th birthday.
Monday, October 5, 2020
As you may know, in July we lost our beloved Stella unexpectedly. It's been a tough time since then but I am super stoked to introduce you to the newest member of my Wolfpack, Daisy!
Miss Daisy Mae was born on August 1st. I just brought her home Friday so she is still adjusting and so am I. But she is so tiny and adorable and a long hair chihuahua that is solid black with a little white on her chest. I'll share updates on her here of course but to see the latest photos and adorable videos, be sure to follow me on Instagram!
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Monday, July 20, 2020
I'm keeping this short and sweet because that's all I can do right now. Last Wednesday we lost Stella unexpectedly. I woke up to find her early Wednesday morning. It's been a shock and so tragic for us. We are doing the best we can and navigating through our grief. Stella was 10 1/2.
Here is a tribute post I wrote for her:
Please keep us in your thoughts.
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Friday, October 14, 2016
Well, if you haven't heard about Grace by now then you've likely been living under a rock or just not visiting my blog. But that's cool because you can catch up here.
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| Grace's fur is growing back, hooray! |
So I wanted to take this opportunity to explain to you how I managed to salvage the situation, pay for Grace's medical expenses, and keep the rest of my finances in order. And hopefully, you can learn a little something and if you ever find yourself in a similar situation to mine, you'll be well equipped to deal with it in a way that won't hurt you in the long run.
Friday, September 23, 2016
Grace is my 9 year old female chihuahua and everyone who knows me knows that her and my other 3 chihuahuas are my children.
Recently Grace was having what looked like severe anxiety and panic attacks due to pain in her neck. She would tense her neck up and scream if you touched her neck. This was happening twice a day almost everyday for a month. After a recommendation from my regular vet to a neurologist in Maryland, I took her down there on Friday September 23rd.
The neurologist did some poking and prodding and could tell that there was some sort of spinal pain with Grace but the only 100% way to find out what it was and where it was, was by doing an MRI. The MRI cost over $4,500 but without it, I would have no answers for Grace's pain and she would continue to suffer every single day. I needed to be able to know what it was that hurt so I can properly treat her.
The MRI showed that Grace has Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) which is common in small dogs like Chihuahuas. IVDD is a condition where the cushioning discs between the vertebrae of the spinal column either bulge or burst (herniate) into the spinal cord space. In Grace's case, 3 of her discs ruptured, the C34, C45, and C56. This is why she is in so much pain when it flares up. So much pain that it actually causes her to go into a panicked state.
Some dogs have it further down their back and end up losing the ability to use their hind legs and become paralyzed. Luckily, Grace's is up higher and is treatable in a variety of ways, those of which I am still learning about as I research my options. One option is surgery, which obviously comes with many risks, but there are other options for pain management. Grace's quality of life is great. She literally JUST turned 9 and she is healthy in every other way.
My heart is breaking that money is even an issue for me. I already spend $2,000 a year on my other Chihuahua, Rocky, for his heart condition. He has Mitral Valve Disease but we have it way under control and he is thriving. Unfortunately, I thought I had atleast another year or two before I had dish out major money on another one of my dogs. So this was very unexpected.
I will be discussing my options with my regular vet (whom I trust with every fiber of my being) and in the next week I should have a better plan of action. My goal is to give Grace a normal pain free life. For now, she is on pain management with Gabapentin, Rimadyl, and Tramadol. Because there are risks with anti-inflammatory medications, I am looking into other options immediately. But in the meantime, Grace is not in pain and is enjoying life.
Please consider donating to Grace and I or atleast sharing with others.
Friday was such a difficult day! I went to Maryland alone so I was already overwhelmed. Of course when they were telling me that we should do an MRI I was already freaking out at the cost but I knew that the MRI would give me answers. As soon as they told me the amount I was devastated and my world began spinning. They casually mentioned that depending on the diagnosis there is surgery and I just nodded my head because all I could think of was SAVE HER!! Then they gave me a quote just so I had an idea. After seeing $11k I went to my car and cried. I couldn't even remember how to type or who to call. I was having a major panic attack! I knew that the MRI was necessary for me and for her. But then came the question of how to come up with more money than that for her treatment.
After the MRI, when it was time to take Grace home I lost it. I cried the entire ride back in the car.
I was not ready to see my poor shaved pup!
Please consider donating to Grace and I or at least sharing with others. I can not tell you how important this is to me. If there's only one favor you ever do for me in your lifetime, please let this be it. Thank you so much for even reading this!
HELP GRACE BY DONATING TO GOFUNDME HERE!
Another
way you can support Grace is by using my affiliate link when you shop
on Amazon. Simply bookmark this Amazon home page and use it anytime you
get on amazon and order. Each month a portion of the sales will
actually come to me. It's small but every little amount helps!
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
What a fun filled weekend it was! I took Friday off work to relax and prepare for the celebrations ahead. Friday was our 1 year anniversary in our house!!
That's right - ONE YEAR! How exciting!! So we celebrated with a dinner of softshell crabs! Oh, and some drinks of course.
Anyways, our home has come a long way...especially on the outside.
Saturday was Rocky's 12th birthday!! So of course he did what every guy does and celebrated with pizza and beer (cookies). How cute is he?
This little guy is everything to me.
Then Saturday afternoon James and I invited our dads over for a Father's Day dinner and cigars. We had steak from the grill, mashed potatoes, and sauteed asparagus. It was a nice relaxing time for both us and the dads.
How was your weekend?
That's right - ONE YEAR! How exciting!! So we celebrated with a dinner of softshell crabs! Oh, and some drinks of course.
Anyways, our home has come a long way...especially on the outside.
Saturday was Rocky's 12th birthday!! So of course he did what every guy does and celebrated with pizza and beer (cookies). How cute is he?
This little guy is everything to me.
Then Saturday afternoon James and I invited our dads over for a Father's Day dinner and cigars. We had steak from the grill, mashed potatoes, and sauteed asparagus. It was a nice relaxing time for both us and the dads.
How was your weekend?
Monday, December 28, 2015
I'm not even kidding. If you google Crazy Chihuahua Lady, and click on images, my photo is halfway down the page.
I really can't imagine life without my wolf pack. There are so many reasons why I'm a CCL though.
1// I would rather stay home with them than go party. Seriously. My stomach hurts when I have to leave them, so I just avoid leaving them altogether and instead I stay home every weekend on the couch and watch TV. And I love it. They are great company.
2// When I do go out, I'm miserable. But now, PetChatz has enabled me. I can go out but I can still be in touch with my babies! Pet chatz is like the best invention known to mankind! PetChatz allows you to connect from anywhere even when you aren't physically home. It's an interactive way to talk to them which is more than just watching them on a webcam. With PetChatz you can actually give them attention and interact in real time. There are no monthly fees - it's free unlimited chat time. PetChatz is made of super durable materials that are pet safe and PetChatz mounts directly over an outlet and gets screwed securely onto a wall stud. That means your dog can't go trying to pull it off. Plus, there are no corners, edges, or electrical cords that can be chewed. GENIUS!!!
But wait - it's even crazier (Better!). You can actually dispense a treat (one of the all-natural PetChatz ones) with the click of a button on the app or from your computer. And you can dispense a calming scent that's created specifically for PetChatz to give them a sense of security. You can even use your own scents. PetChatz has alerts that you can set up for motion and sound so I always know when my dogs are up and about and I can tune in to make sure there are no accidents in the house which sometimes happens, especially with Rocky. Setting up PetChatz is so easy it just takes a few minutes. It's Wi-Fi compatible so you aren't restricted to where you can place it and it's so easy to use with the web and mobile apps.
And no I'm not done yet - you can actually train your pet to call you over PetChatz system by pressing the PawCall button, which is an optional accessory that's compatible with PetChatz HD. This thing has literally changed my life. I no longer stress out when I'm not home with the dogs. I can see what they are doing, make sure I calm the down if they are barking a lot, and I can interact with them whenever I miss them. My whole life is completely changed thanks to this gem!
3// I have been known to sit on the floor if there is no room on the couch for me. My dogs also sleep in bed with me so even if I'm super tired and they are taking up a lot of space, I just let them have their way. I would literally starve in order to keep them happy. I mean I'd be miserable too but who cares...I'd still have them. I know... it's crazy, but I warned you!!
4// I take time to play with each one individually every day. That's right...every single day I play with my dogs one on one. I know what each one likes and that's what we do. For Stella, I basically just pet her and talk to her in a goofy voice. She just loves attention and that makes her happy. Grace likes to wrestle with me and we chase each other around. Pixie loves playing fetch so every night I sit on the floor and throw her mini tennis balls. And Rocky is the cuddler so he gets special cuddles every day!
5// They have 5,000 nicknames each. Not even kidding. Okay maybe I'm kind of exagerrating but let's see...
Pixie - Piggies, pig, pickies, figgets, piggets, figgies, pigmalia, pigamus prime, miss pixie wiggins, wiggins, pixie wigginstein, das foogy, fickes, fickes mcgehey, baby piggy, lil sis, stinky pigs, wiggets.
Grace - Anna, banana, ann, mama, bub rub, gatey, getty, grace ann, gitty, Annamous Prime, Gatey Ann, Officer Gatey.
Stella- Telly, tell, tella bear, baby bear, bear, t bear, steve, steve-o, shteve-o, steven, Poo eater, Stella marie, telly bum, baby bee, B, Stelly McBear, Shteve-o Shtevowski, Terry Teriquo, Broby.
Rocky - Rock man, rocket, rock guy, buddy, bud, buddy guy, buddy man, tink, tinky man, tinkery man, tinkery, stinks, stinky, stink man, stink man mcgee, BG, guy bud, guy bud man, Rocket man.
See - I'm crazy.
Oh but wait... one of you is going to be just as enabled as I am because PetChatz is giving one lucky winner a unit of their own!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Friday, December 11, 2015
This post is sponsored by Pro Plan BRIGHT MIND and the BlogPaws® Pet Influencer Network. I am being compensated for helping enrich the lives of senior dogs, but Ask Away only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Pro Plan BRIGHT MIND is not responsible for the content of this article.
I can't even imagine my life without my dogs. James and I don't plan on having children so it's easy for me to focus all my time, energy, and money on the needs of my 4 Chihuahuas. They are small dogs so it's not too much of a hassle on my daily life even though vet bills can get expensive and their potty pads are like buying diapers each month.
While Chihuahuas have a pretty long life span, Grace being 8 years old reminds me that she's an aging pet and with that age comes a responsibility as her owner to keep her nutrition in mind. Senior dogs can have different nutritional needs which is why I use Purina Pro Plan® BRIGHT MIND Adult 7+®> as her dry food.
According to experts at Purina Pro Plan, around the age of seven, the glucose metabolism in a dog's brain begins to change and this can affect their memory, their learning, awareness, and even decision making. So they discovered a new way to promote alterness and mental sharpness in dogs 7+ by using nutrition and that's why they have introduced BRIGHT MIND Adult 7+ formulas! These formulas contain enhanced botanical oils that have been shown to promote alertness and mental sharpness in dogs seven and older with results visible in 30 days! Owners that feed their senior dogs Purina Pro Plan BRIGHT MIND Adult 7+ as a daily diet can notice differences in how their dog interacts with them and even their interest level in playing and adapting/coping to change.
I love Grace so much and she has a special role in our wolf pack and in my life. Grace is the guardian. She is known for making security sweeps around the house, checking out each room to make sure all is well and as it should be. She's the first to notice a strange sound or someone approaching the house and she's my loyal girl. Even if she's dead asleep, if I get up to leave the room - she follows. She's always at my side and she's been the easiest dog to train. She even graduated from Doggie Obedience class a few years back.
My sweet Gracie girl isn't as peppy as before and I'm sure that has come with her age. She isn't as quick to respond to my commands as she used to be and while I joke that it's by choice, I do think it's naturally occured with her age. That's why I was really excited to transition to BRIGHT Mind.
It's been several weeks since we transitioned and I've noted many positive changes in Grace's behavior and activity. She seems to enjoy playing a lot more now and she wrestles with the other dogs every night. It's so entertaining to watch. She also seems to be more attentive to me when I call for her. She pops right up and runs right to me!
I'm definitely glad I made the switch for Grace to Purina Pro Plan® BRIGHT MIND Adult 7+®>. I am really glad that I can do things even at this age, to help Grace be happy and healthy. Plus, when my babies are happy - I'm happy!!
You can purchase Purina Pro Plan® BRIGHT MIND Adult 7+®> at your local Petsmart.
Be sure you check out the BRIGHT MIND website and also follow Pro Plan on social media on all of their channels including:
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook
This post is sponsored by Pro Plan BRIGHT MIND and the BlogPaws® Pet Influencer Network. I am being compensated for helping enrich the lives of senior dogs, but we only share information we feel is relevant to our readers. Pro Plan BRIGHT MIND is not responsible for the content of this article.
I can't even imagine my life without my dogs. James and I don't plan on having children so it's easy for me to focus all my time, energy, and money on the needs of my 4 Chihuahuas. They are small dogs so it's not too much of a hassle on my daily life even though vet bills can get expensive and their potty pads are like buying diapers each month.
While Chihuahuas have a pretty long life span, Grace being 8 years old reminds me that she's an aging pet and with that age comes a responsibility as her owner to keep her nutrition in mind. Senior dogs can have different nutritional needs which is why I use Purina Pro Plan® BRIGHT MIND Adult 7+®> as her dry food.
According to experts at Purina Pro Plan, around the age of seven, the glucose metabolism in a dog's brain begins to change and this can affect their memory, their learning, awareness, and even decision making. So they discovered a new way to promote alterness and mental sharpness in dogs 7+ by using nutrition and that's why they have introduced BRIGHT MIND Adult 7+ formulas! These formulas contain enhanced botanical oils that have been shown to promote alertness and mental sharpness in dogs seven and older with results visible in 30 days! Owners that feed their senior dogs Purina Pro Plan BRIGHT MIND Adult 7+ as a daily diet can notice differences in how their dog interacts with them and even their interest level in playing and adapting/coping to change.
I love Grace so much and she has a special role in our wolf pack and in my life. Grace is the guardian. She is known for making security sweeps around the house, checking out each room to make sure all is well and as it should be. She's the first to notice a strange sound or someone approaching the house and she's my loyal girl. Even if she's dead asleep, if I get up to leave the room - she follows. She's always at my side and she's been the easiest dog to train. She even graduated from Doggie Obedience class a few years back.
My sweet Gracie girl isn't as peppy as before and I'm sure that has come with her age. She isn't as quick to respond to my commands as she used to be and while I joke that it's by choice, I do think it's naturally occured with her age. That's why I was really excited to transition to BRIGHT Mind.
It's been several weeks since we transitioned and I've noted many positive changes in Grace's behavior and activity. She seems to enjoy playing a lot more now and she wrestles with the other dogs every night. It's so entertaining to watch. She also seems to be more attentive to me when I call for her. She pops right up and runs right to me!
I'm definitely glad I made the switch for Grace to Purina Pro Plan® BRIGHT MIND Adult 7+®>. I am really glad that I can do things even at this age, to help Grace be happy and healthy. Plus, when my babies are happy - I'm happy!!
You can purchase Purina Pro Plan® BRIGHT MIND Adult 7+®> at your local Petsmart.
Be sure you check out the BRIGHT MIND website and also follow Pro Plan on social media on all of their channels including:
This post is sponsored by Pro Plan BRIGHT MIND and the BlogPaws® Pet Influencer Network. I am being compensated for helping enrich the lives of senior dogs, but we only share information we feel is relevant to our readers. Pro Plan BRIGHT MIND is not responsible for the content of this article.
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
In case you are new to my blog, every year my dear friend comes over and takes photos of me and the pups. It's something nice to look forward to and a great way to capture cute moments with my fur-children. This year I invited James to be part of the fun. Enjoy the photos!
This is my fav!! ^^
We actually had a blast doing this even though it was exhausting. We were soaking wet by the end and there was hail all over the place outside so thank goodness we got done when we did!
Which is your favorite?