Found on the Houston streets, this little one was starved and so much more.

You have to admire my restraint.  This posting that this little dachshund was found in Houston shortly after the storms went up on Renee’s Facebook and I left it alone.  But I kept thinking about my almost 13-year-old dachshund, Lula and how her health was fading.  I love Lula as much as anything.  I bought her for Ally as a bribe to break-up with her high school boyfriend.  Lula started with us in Sugar Land, moved to Wharton, and now is the queen (or king, she is having some Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner moments growing new sex organs, but I digress) of the farm.

I did not message Renee for at least a week about the dog.  At that point they knew there was not a microchip and no one had called about the “found dog” posters.  I told her I would be interested in taking the dog if it needed a home.

Renee said she would be asking for potential adopters soon but knew I had asked first.    We agreed I would pick up the dog on my way to the dentist Thursday.  I could leave the dog at the vet while I had my root canal (how fun!) but I made it clear if the dog had heartworms (and she certainly looked like a candidate) I could not take on that financial risk.

When I got there to pick her up, Renee showed me that the dog had a mass in her jaw the size of a jawbreaker (this is a tiny dog-so big for her) and that her eyes were filmy and blue toned.  Now I was thinking, oh, boy she is going to need surgery to remove the mass, she is partially blind, and probably needs to be spayed.  Her coat did not look very good either and she was so thin.

Of course, all the way to the vet, she snuggled with me.  I stopped to get a drink at McDonald’s and she growled and barked from her position on my lap at the men walking by my car.  I started to love her right then!  I had asked one of my generous boarders who loves dachshunds if she might be able to help with some of the expenses and she had said yes.  I was busy driving and hatching a plan to go to the vet office manager and see if I could do a payment plan on the surgery.  I still was on a “no-go” regarding the heartworms, though.

My mind tripped back and forth over alternatives as the dentist attacked my teeth.  I really wanted to keep this little girl.  In fact, I had already come up with a name.  You know how I have this thing for naming my animals after my dead friends and relatives.  Well, here we go again.  Both of my grandfather’s names were Samuel and my dear friend Dee, just passed away.  TA DA-I was going to welcome Sammi Dee to the family if I could afford to get her out of the vet’s office.

I got back to vet just as the heart worm test came back NEGATIVE!  So I was on a little bit of a high as the doc examined little Sammi Dee’s eyes and mouth.  In the category of too crazy to be true, as the vet opened the little mouth, she said she thought she saw something lodged in there.

The piece of bone that had been lodged for quite some time in the dog’s mouth. It sure did not smell good.

She took some forceps and gently removed a small bone from the dog’s mouth where it had been lodged for weeks (at least).  It was a bit like I imagine the lion felt when the object was removed from his paw.  The relief was palatable on the dog’s face as she licked around her sore mouth.

Onto the eyes where the vet said there had been a prior injury and/or burning of the eye.  But after examination, she told me there was scar tissue but no problems with Sammi Dee’s vision.  I was ready to high-five her about this point.

In the end, we determined the dog was probably five or six, healthy, except as noted.  She was spayed.  I left the vet’s having paid for the exam, the heart worm test, some antibiotics to heal her mouth and rabies vaccine. I will her the other needed vaccinations.   Pretty good deal I would say.

It got better as I got home and in true dachshund fashion, immediately told the Doberman and poodles what her position was in the hierarchy (second Queen) and started learning her way around the farm.

She slept easily with all the dogs last night, on my bed, next to my pillow.  She even gave a mighty what-for to the mean cat Levi and set him in his place.  I think I did something good here, both for me and for her.

So no admonishing me for getting another dog.  Sometimes things are just meant to be.  As they are with Sammi Dee!

Thanks for riding along!