Sun 21 Feb 2010
Zenni came out of surgery on Friday & he has survived! 
If you have not seen him before to the right of this blog in the bar are some pictures of him and Petal. I feel quite bad because I suddenly realised we need some pic’s of my Ruby too! After Petal died so young, I just could not post pics of Ruwbs. I don’t know why - I think I wanted her to get past that milestone first year!
Zenni does look like he was caught in a train smash though, poor little fig! His eye is very swollen & protrudes worryingly which reminds me of a goggle eyed goldfish. His head is shorn to the skin. The swelling is probably to be expected but I’m not sure it’s better today than yesterday. I’ll get him checked out again tomorrow just to be on the safe side. He had his lower canines removed and his breath certainly smells a LOT better!
The vet was amazed at how well he did and even more amazed at the x-ray of his heart. It’s in very good nick! After all that! We both thought his situation was dire & there it is - a nice little ticker in all. He does have a very strong heart murmur but this has not caused his heart to swell or malform in any way and that is excellent news!
I’m saying nuffink, but I do think the fact that he is on homecooked food and mother natures supplements has helped him hugely. Before surgery I fed him up a bit & was pleased that he had gained a little weight. I also exercised him more than usual.
Right now he is on a course of antibiotics. I bathe his eye several times a day & apply ointment. I take him outside to widdle hourly because I’m scared he’ll knock his face. (He usually uses a cat flap to go outside). I feed him lot’s of high protein tidbit’s and basically spoil him rotten. I have turned into a full time doggie nurse! But I am happy and nothing gives me greater pleasure right now than to care for him.
It sounds strange - but I will never forget how Zenni was, for many lonely years when I was severely obese, really, he was my dearest little animal friend. I always felt he was watching out for me. My weight meant nothing to him - he loved me full heartedly regardless. And in those troubled depressed years when very little made me laugh, Zenni was one of the few things in my life that made me laugh & lifted my spirits.
Sooo, it seems I might have several more years with him yet, godswilling.
Why he coughs is another matter - we will have to look into it. The vet did look at me like I was a bit bonkers when I suggested before his surgery that if he could he look at the windpipe. I tried to explain badly that just because his ticker was dodgy ( we both thought it was) - we should still look outside the box, just incase! Me and my ‘outside the box thing’! So we might explore this further sometime.
What was quite touching was that once we had settled him into his homecoming crate Ruby sat next to him and howled and whimpered for 15 minutes solid. Quite strange. Was she feeling his pain? I don’t know. She’s a very special dog this one, I’d not be surprised if she was sensing his trauma.
With all of this my fitday has gone walkies. 
I thought it might. I knew I would be busy but did not expect it to be on the hour stuff! I had plans to make some scrubby shower bars and fiddle about with a spray in hair conditioner - but that too has not been able to happen. I’ll catch up with it all sometime next week provided he starts to get considerably better.
I hope you had a lovely weekend! 
