Mazz

Our first Husky's breeder lived on a farm.  Her dogs were confined to a fenced area.  However, one night, both managed to get out while everyone was asleep.  The dogs teamed together and were gone most of the night.  Both dogs returned home, blood soaked.  Of course the breeder knew something was not right, but thought perhaps it was a deer or other animal.  They made repairs to the confinement area, and then one day, the same two Huskies managed to get out when no one was at home. Ran into a nearby farmer's field and took down a calf.  The farmer was working in his field saw what happened and shot both dogs.  He collected them, brought them over to the breeder's farm and apparently, the night run they had recently taken, they also took down one of the same farmer's calves.  They compensated the farmer.  Who was at fault?  If one were to say the farmer, they'd be sadly mistaken.  Letting a Husky run lead free takes on a level of responsibility that is often not given much thought.  The end result can be devastating and unfortunately, it is the Husky that usually bears that end result.  Love your Husky!

Ronin's softer side.  I'd say BIG BABY!

I'd let him buy me a bone for crying out loud!

Rohn does this to Zoya every chance he gets.  So glad both have been "fixed".  Anyway, I have been told by some that it is a reaction to hormonal changes, and others have told me it is a back door attempt to challenge for dominance.  Not sure if either is correct.  It's sort of like the age-old question of why dogs eat grass.  Several answers, but which one is correct?

Roger that. LOL

Another satisfied Husky. Looks like there is a real attachment between the too(ths).

It was 23 years ago, Sally and I got our first Husky. We named her Elke. She was a beautiful bi-eyed Red & White. Oh she was a handful, but we learned a great deal from Elke.  Fourteen years and eight months after bringing her home, we made the last trip with her to the vet, to let her cross the Rainbow Bridge.

On the way home that morning, we cried. All day and the next, we moped around and cried some more.  No more dogs for us.  Three months later we found a breeder in northern Wisconsin. This breeder had the same outlook we had on Huskies, and so we called, just to talk. Well this led to our bringing Zoya home that fall.

A little less than five years ago, Sally called me at work, to inform me that we were getting another Husky, a rescue. And so Eisa came to live with us. This past summer, we had to let Eisa cross over due to cancer. Again we cried.

In late 2014, I picked up a male pup from Zoya's breeder. And so Rohn came to Iowa, and became part of our pack. About a week later, Zoya ruptured her right crutiate ligament. It was a complete tear and required surgery. She had the surgery, and after about two months, started using her rear leg again. Today, Zoya can run like the wind.

So that's the background information.

We have kept in touch with Zoya and Rohn's breeder. We exchange e-mails on a regular basis, and send her pics of both from time to time.  She is a staunch advocate for the breed. One of the contract requirements when acquiring a dog from her, is that the buyer will never turn one of her pups over to a shelter, or rehome to another party. The dog MUST come back to her - no questions asked.  She is firm on this, with no exceptions. I recall one person who had one of her dogs and had turned the dog over to a shelter.  She found out, called the shelter, only to discover the dog was scheduled to be put down that afternoon. She gave them her credit card number to pay for the dog's expenses, took off from work, and drove over 120 miles to get the dog and bring it home.

This past week, she rescued another of her dogs. The owner claimed they could no longer keep the dog, and brought the dog to her to surrender him. She noticed he was not using his one rear leg. They told her he had a pulled muscle. She took the dog to her vet the next day, only to be told the dog had a ruptured crutiate ligament and required surgery to repair. Her vet said he would discount the fee, but it would still be expensive. So last night she set up a donation site and within 18 hours, had the funds to cover the surgery. The outpouring of support was overwhelming.

So why am I sharing this story? Because there are some good people, who care enough about the dogs they have brought into this world, that are committed enough to those dogs, they will do what it takes to see they have the care they need.  And there are some good people, who though they don't personally know the dog, care enough about animals in general, that they were willing to help out in this particular situation.

So, March 22, this boy will have his surgery, and a few months down the road, he will be back to a normal routine and ready for a new forever home.

Just wanted to share.

Our vet uses dissolving stitches internally, and medical super glue externally. Just had to take the dog back for a follow-up at between 10 and 14 days.

Yeah baby!

Hi Tawnya. Sorry about the loss of your cousin. Kudos though for taking on the responsibility of a Husky, and keeping her out of a shelter.  Do you have any friends with dogs? If so, have a friend and their dog go with you and Freya for some walks. The walks help keep the dogs focused on the walk and not so much on each other, and at the same time, provide some socialization. If you have several friends with dogs, it would help to alternate a bit, and later have a group walk.  Takes time though. I suspect Freya has not been socialized much, but I do not know that to be a fact.  Give it a try and please let us know if it helps, if there are any issues.  And before I forget, welcome to Husky-Owners!

What a cool pair of furbabies. Welcome, and thanks for posting the pics. We all enjoy seeing pics of the dogs.

Jay, we are still in your corner.  That so called "breeder" most likely did not have any hereditary data, and probably lied anyway.  Don't know how far you are from Madison, Wisconsin, but you might check the University of Wisconsin Veterinary College to see if they may have any programs that Yukon would fit into, as a backup.

It's not an easy decision.  I know when Eisa was in her last few months, we hoped so hard that her issue was not cancer, but perhaps an infection.  The vet suggested we go the the University of Wisconsin Veterinary Clinic, but the wait to get in was seven to ten weeks at the time.  As luck had it, Eisa would not have made the appointment.  An MRI at the UofW is around $1500, they also do an exam, which is around $250, so the first day, it's almost $1800 and you may or may not find out what's going on, and the poor dog is still not any better.  So we had our vet take needle biopsies, which were $125 for the lot of five, and he was able to diagnose spindle cell cancer from the results.

If Yukon is restless, wandering, panting, and whining, it's obvious he's not enjoying life.  I hear you on the not knowing part though.  It is so damn hard to know what to do, and you hope beyond hope, that a miracle cure will come over the dog, or that during the night, the crossing of the bridge takes place without issue.  Because making that decision is one that every dog lover wants to avoid.

I guess what I'm trying to say Jay, is we are here for you and for Yukon.  While we can't make the decisions needed for Yukon's well being, we can certainly support you in the decisions you need to make, and be a sounding board of sorts.  

Donald Trump?

Taken in Hawaii or Kenya?  Just asking.

2 hours ago, Emma said:

Barrack Obama but with less teeth?

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It's the ears that give him away.

That is so sad.  Run free Sasha.  

Rob, you are simply a master at all you attempt.  It is John Wayne.  And Tina, I should be so good looking.  And not to slight Andy, but a bucket of spanners comes to mind.  Just kidding of course.

5 hours ago, SamK said:

I don't think it's safe to defrost a liver and then freeze it again. This isn't right for dogs..

Explain please.  To defrost it out on the counter, no, you are right.  But to defrost in the fridge is not an issue.

9 hours ago, loudlucky said:

As far as I know you shouldn't thaw liver & refreeze

Cindy, you are correct. That's because it breaks down further and become even more mushy than it already is.  Hence, it's not as presentable for us humans.  But for the purpose of feeding a dog, it would be fine to thaw - in the refrigerator - cut up as needed - then repackage and refreeze.

When I was a butcher years ago, we would get livers in from the packing house.  Had to skin them and then wrap in plastic and freeze.  Next day, we'd take them out of the freezer, unwrap, and then slice on the band saw stacking in between freezer paper in a box, and then back to the freezer.  The liver would remain frozen until used.  So in that case, we did not refreeze the liver, but instead kept it in a frozen state.

Oh my gosh.  That's a bad way to go.

Couple of good pics to end my lunch period with.  

One of the risks of spaying a female, is it can render them to be incontinent.  Not sure how hou would determine if that was the cause or not.  Our first Husky became incontinent, but that started in the last month of her almost 15 years.  Have you discussed with your vet?  The vet should know about any prescriptions that might help and any side affects.  Have you ruled out a bladder or urinary tract infection?

Nick, it's tough to lose a faithful friend. We lost our first Husky, Elke, in 2008, after almost fifteen years. Still miss her terribly.  This past year, we lost our rescue Eisa.  That was a real heartbreaker, because she was such a sweetheart.  Our two that we currently have, Zoya and Rohn, keep us on our toes.  But we still feel the pain of loss. Probably always will.  While normalcy eventually returns, it's just not the same. But life goes on.  I have always had at least one dog in my life as long as I can remember.  Each of them still holds a place in my heart. But not a one ever replaced those that I've lost. 

They say that time heals all wounds.  While that may be true, time does not lessen the pain we feel when they pass.

Welcome back.  Seems you've been fairly busy.