TUFF'S STORY

This what I do most of the day.

I have to sit down to try and eat.

Oh no!! My eyes are the wrong color-what next?

SHE knows I don't look my handsome self and still she is taking my picture...

My name is Tuffy but SHE calls me Tuff. I came to live here around seven years ago-I can’t remember. I have had a very good life but recently I have been having some major problems. I accidentally go into a fight with a big glassed eyed dog that needed an attitude adjustment and he messed me up pretty bad but you should have seen him. SHE decided that I needed to visit the vet.

That guy was so nosy he opened my mouth and looked at my gums. He thought they were not the right color so he did blood work. I wasn’t sure just what he needed more of my blood because I had lost some as a result of the fight but he insisted. He had some lady hold me down and he stuck this humongous needle into my leg and took more or my blood. It was very painful and even as tough as I am; I let out a very low growl instead of a scream, like a sissy.

After leaving the room he soon returned with the results. He said I had a very bad disease. I had one of the worst types of tick fever. My count was up or maybe it was down I got so excited I didn’t get all that little red headed vet had to say. One thing I know is that he gave me a big shot with another humongous needle and once again I contained myself and only let out a low growl.

He treated my bleeding ear and patched me up as best he could and sent me home with some medicine. As the days went by I got over the fight with that smart-alecky glass eyed dog but the tick fever was trying to get me down. I started hurting and my body became so stiff I could hardly move. I had a fever and felt just awful so SHE decided to take me back to see the red headed vet. The sweet lady lifted me upon the examination table and it hurt so much but I was very brave. SHE comforted me because she was so worried about me and I think she really dreaded for the vet to stick me again. Sure enough, he poked me again and found that the disease was raging in my body. I was really sick and SHE gave them permission to keep me so they could try to make me better. I was so lonesome locked up in that little cage but felt so bad it didn’t really matter. I did miss SHE and I knew she was missing me and was so worried.

I stayed for three days and finally felt better. SHE called to check on me and the girls came down to visit me because that glass eyed dog also had tick fever. His was not bad like mine-lucky dog… Finally I got to go home with more medicines to take. SHE knew that I didn’t like to take pills so she started poking the pill in little pieces of wiener. I usually gobbled them up but on some days I didn’t even feel like eating anything but with a little coaxing I finally took my medicine.

When the steroids ran out I rapidly returned to being sick again. Once again I returned to the hospital for a few days. I heard the little red headed doctor say that I might not get any better. SHE was so sad. I went home again still do not feel great. I take my medicine two times per day and will taper off the steroids. I worry about what happens when I can no longer take the steroids. The little red headed doctor told SHE that he would not talk her out of giving me one of those shots that make me have no more pain and suffering. SHE hates to see me suffer so much and is having a big problem making the decision to give me that shot.

Right now I am down to about six days of the steroids. SHE will then give me another medication but I worry that it will not work like the steroids. I spend most of my time sleeping and SHE tries so hard to get me to eat. I fear that my days of running in the pasture, chasing that pesky goat, impressing SHE with my guard dog duties is about over. I no longer feel up to the challenge. One thing I do know for sure is that SHE loves me and has a big decision to make in the near future. What will it be???