Wolf and Bandit having fun running in the leaves. It started off as any ordinary day...a fun Autumn afternoon of Wolf and Bandit enjoying some fun playing together in the backyard. We still can not believe it has happened again. While running around playing in the leaves with his sister Bandit, Wolf suddenly went down, screaming. I was out there with them, photographing their fun, and I still can't believe it happened. One second they are playing and running together, and then I am at his side trying to figure out what happened. Did Bandit crash into him? Did he step on something? Did he twist and sprain something? And then that little nagging voice whispers "CCL." Now I hear a lot of talk about odds...but seriously, what are the odds that four out of my five Huskies would have some degree of tears to their cruciate ligaments? Three of them from the same bloodline. First off, we had Chloe, who if you recall blew out both of her knees over a year ago and underwe...

Wolf, cuddling his buddies the night before surgery. So here we are ~ again ~ a place all-to-familiar to us. A blown CCL. While this one was no real surprise, as we were advised that after Wolf's imbrication surgery last October when he blew out his right CCL while running (see HERE for list of Wolf's previous updates), we could/should expect his other to give out in about a year's time. Well, it's been nine months and over the past month he has started showing the telltale signs of his left CCL going, and then this weekend, he was no longer able to put weight on the paw and I knew it was time. So this morning, my boy travelled with his Hu-Dad to the surgical hospital to prep for his surgery today. What makes this especially difficult is that I could not travel with them today as I myself was in Emergency Care this past weekend with acute bronchitis. But, his daddy reported back that he went in with the surgeon like a big boy! Just a few minutes ago, the surgeon p...

Wolf home from his hospital stay. It's been a little while since we've posted here and we really miss our Bloggerville family and friends and hope to catch up with everyone's blogs soon. As many of you know, we've been rehabbing Gibson from his fall on Christmas Eve...he is now in a brace and harness sling to aid in supporting him so he can walk. He has a long road ahead of him, but he is now helping to pull himself up, and on his Birthday he even gave me the greatest gift when he managed to wobbily stand up on all fours on his own! I'm taking this as a positive sign that going Conservative Care Management/Treatment once again with this leg is the way to go. It will be a long, slow road as he only just blew out his CCL on the right leg last December (and it is quite common to blow both within a year or so of each other and he tore his left one almost a year to the month this December). He also suffers from weak hind end issues caused by his Epi-meds, and he is a...

One week ago today, Wolf went in for surgery on his other CCL. Pictured above, Wolf on his way home from ortho surgeon with my husband and daughter. What made this extremely difficult was that I could not accompany Wolf to or from surgery as I have been sick with acute bronchitis at first, which was upgraded just a few days ago to pneumonia. Wolf's surgery went well for a completely torn CCL, blown meniscus, and a lot of arthritis. He was heavy medicated, but prognosis is good, just like his other leg that healed well after surgery last Halloween. We've been convalescing buddies. Wolf being greeted by his pack family (sis Bandit on the left and "momma" Harley on the right) as he he is helped up the ramp to the back deck with a sling by Hu-Dad. Everyone is so happy he is back home. Wolf all nestled onto his bed with one of his buddies, on the road to healing. As soon as I am feeling more myself and healthier, I'll be back on to updat...

Here's Gibson's Epi-Tip of the Day! Each day for the month of November for National Epilepsy Awareness Month we will be featuring a different Epi-Tip! Please be sure to read all about our "Live Gib Strong" K-9 Epilepsy Awareness Campaign for this month of November in honor of National Epilepsy Awareness Month in our original blog post HERE that will also tell about some fundraisers and giveaways (some are yummy for K9 and humans), and a special guest on our Sunday, November 10th episode of "The Sibe Vibe" on Dog Works Radio.   Wolf's Surgery & Rehab Update Wolf's cruciate imbrication surgery for a torn CCL, deranged stifle/dislocated knee cap, blown meniscus & quad was this past Thursday. Yesterday, we picked him up and he is now home on the road to rehabilitation and healing. We've been down this road before (see Chloe's story HERE ) and while we are better equipped this time around having some familiarity with the re...

"Woooo...a packaged for me???!!" Nothing brings a smile to a Husky's face (other than snow) than a box of treats and toys! As you know, my boy Wolf blew out his CCL last month and had to undergo cruciate imbrication surgery. He is definitely on the mend, and his incision has healed nicely, and a soft coating of white fuzz is now covering his surgery shaved leg. He is starting to put some weight on it and we just received the green light from the surgeon to allow him to walk for five minutes when he goes out on his potty breaks now! He is still on strict bed rest inside and on leash walks only, but we are on our way to healing. We are half way there...in three weeks, we do a follow-up and find out how he is progressing.  We have received many wonderful Emails, comments, notes, prayers, power of the paw vibes, and cards... and so appreciate each and every one of them. Today, we want to say "thanks" for a very special care package from Holly and the Huskies...

One sure is a lonely number. When you have spent a portion of your lifetime with five, fun-loving, crazy, rambunctious, howling Siberian Huskies who loved being together every day, you know somewhere in the back of your mind that having five all around the same age--three of them littermates, so three who are the same age--one day down the road, heartbreak was waiting; times five. We are now at four angels, with just one Pupster left, Wolfgang. Dear, sweet, beta-to-the-max Wolfie. Losing Bandit, a definite alpha and boss girl, so suddenly has left our dear sweet baby boy a mess. Being the last Husky standing sucks for him. While I stepped up going for walks and getting in lots of extra hugs and chats, I am not his sister Bandit. I am not his other sister Chloe. I am not his "momma" Harley, and I am not his big bro Gibson. And Wolfie misses snuggling with his pack family. Since September of last year, it has been just him and Bandit. They made the move with us and adjusted so ...

(Sigh). Love and Time are both funny things. Not in the LOL or ha-ha kind of way, but in the odd, surreal way that time plays in our lives, especially with pets. We all know before we welcome home that puppy, kitten, dog, cat, horse, rabbit, bird, or whatever pet fills your heart with love, that there is a ticking clock playing in the background. While I have had many of the above-mentioned pets in my life, I'm going to talk about dogs because their lifespans are no where near as long as we humans need them to be. So when we welcome a dog into our home, our family, and our lives, it is a commitment for the next decade--or if we are truly lucky--the next 15, 16, or even 18 years. Having large dogs (my Siberian Huskies and my adopted mixed breeds of German Shepherd and Akita, and Husky, Chow, and Shepherd, I know going in the time is on the shorter end of things. When I first embarked upon life with five Siberian Huskies--two a year apart in age, then two years later we added three p...

Love is...sharing rehab together! 'Tis the season for rehabbing Huskies here...I haven't done an update in quite some time, so I thought I'd bring everyone up to speed on what's happening here. As you recall, Chloe, who was just four years old, had double bilateral cruciate imbrication surgery last summer. She, I am happy to report, is progressing nicely! Where she had no ability to stand or walk after collapsing from a simple jump up on the bed only to discover she had shredded both hind CCLs and mensiscuses (deemed most likely from a genetic problem as she was from an irresponsible breeder). While there is a hitch to her gait now, she now can jump up on furniture, counter surf (which we discourage, however, seeing her stand up on the counter for the first time in almost a year was just wonderful! So I reached for my camera to capture it!), run with her with siblings, and even kick up dirt with her hind legs! Oh happy days! Gibson also tore his CCL while pla...