Happy and healthy! But then...
..after romping around in the yard for a few minutes, she showed up with this puncture wound. Most likely she stabbed herself on a tree branch while pretending to be a wild hyena in the forest. I have a theory that she just really, really likes going to the vet because they tell her how cute she is and give her treats, and she gets to sniff all the dogs and cats in the waiting room. If you're not convinced, let's recap the first 3 years of Rosebud's life:
1. Found wandering the streets of South Central L.A. at six months old.
2. Thrown in the pound.
3. Sits in the pound for a few weeks with no takers, scheduled to be euthanized.
4. Spared at the last minute by Ace of Hearts, a dog rescue in West Hollywood.
5. Too wild for her first foster family, is dropped at our door in Sun Valley.
6. Three months at adoption fairs with no takers, finally a nice family in Los Feliz wants to adopt her.
7. On the day of the adoption, the woman's father has a stroke, the family must go to Florida and cannot adopt.
8. I adopt Rosebud instead.
9. While on a walk in the Verdugo Hills, Rosebud runs ahead to sniff at a large pile of dog poop.
10. To my horror, pile of dog poop hisses and strikes at Rosebud. Pile of dog poop turns out to be a coiled rattlesnake.
11. Luckily, there is no bite wound! Rosebud lives again.
12. She starts acting lethargic and breathing weirdly in August.
13. She is diagnosed with pyothorax, her chest cavity filled with over a liter of bacterial fluid, and is near death.
14. She is put on chest tubes for 7 days in the i.c.u.
15. After six weeks of antibiotics and xrays, Rosebud lives again!
16. In December, she starts pooping blood at our holiday party.
17. She is taken to the emergency vet; diagnosed with gastrointestinal hemmoraghing.
18. Two days on an i.v. and antibiotics, Rosebud lives again!
19. We move to Kamilche. Our house is on a bluff overlooking the water. First morning at our house, Rosebud goes exploring and falls over the cliff. She gets stuck on a ledge about 15 feet down with no way of getting back up. Fire department is called in. Firemen lower a rescue guy down the cliff on a harness to get her. Rosebud lives again!
20. Which brings us up to yesterday's puncture wound. More antibiotics. And I forgot to mention her gimpy back leg, which she injured getting out of bed (I'm serious) in January, and which may or may not require surgery. I have a Special Needs dog. I love my dog! But she is a little stressful.
