Chi Chi 'n Me

[Jed]

Those who were on the forum so long ago will probably remember my despairing posts about Chi Chi, so 6 years on, here's an update.

And for those who weren't here then - Chi Chi came to me as a tiny puppy who had been cooked in a fruit box with the lid on, left in the back of a ute with her litter mates at a suburban shopping centre. She was about 5 - 6 weeks old.

The remainder of the litter either found nice new homes when they were well, or went to the Rainbow Bridge, despite my best efforts to save them all.

Chi was the second worst affected, and was very ill. She weighed a couple of hundred grams, and kept going on milk, egg and glucose via eyedropper hourly. No matter how poorly she was feeling, her indominitable will to live kept her going ..... and just as I thought she was catching the bus to the bridge, she rallied, slammed the door of the bus, and shouted "more food".

Early on, every morning, I'd go in, expecting her to be dead, but she was still breathing. Her lovely black sister, the worst affected, was gone one morning, and her brown brother, seemingly the least affected, was gone another morning, but Chi persisted. While the remainder gradually grew in strength and ran and played, Chi had her hands full, just surviving.

Chi should have been rehomed, but ..... well .... she has problems ... and she is very bonded to me, she wouldn't settle with anyone else .... and well, I love the little sucker.

She has some problems, with legs like a Queen Anne cabinet, and back legs which are only good for holding her up, although they fail at this sometimes, and she falls over. She propels herself with her front end, relying on the back to simply keep up. Seems to work for her though, although she looks a bit like a muscle man. She wears the top side of her toenails down from dragging her feet.

There is some brain damage. She is unable to keep still, and is either moving, or asleep. Calling her is a bit problematical, she is so willing to come, but coming involves 360s on the way, so it's a fair wait for the deed to be accomplished!! But she gets there. Eventually. I can make a cuppa while I wait, or read a bit of a book ....

She does 360s when she's excited too, so coming home usually involves not stepping on her, and her accompanying me around the garden is fraught with danger!! For both of us.

I've never seen her run, she walks or trots, but I don't know whether this is a physical or mental problem.

I haven't managed to house train her, although I've noticed lately that if she sleeps inside, there is no mess, so maybe she IS housetrained. She's not lead trained either, she wanted to choke herself on the lead, the constriction drove her nuts, so I carry her, or call her, and she heels off lead if we go somewhere. We go around the property sometimes, off lead, her bouncing along, and when she is tired, she gets a lift. And as soon as she hears dinner being prepared, she barks incessantly until she gets it. If someone else is in trouble, she growls at them, or rushes at them - just helping!!

She's also inclined to projectile vomit if stressed, or just for no reason, except she wants to

People love Chi, they all want to pick her up and cuddle her, and she loves this. I cross my fingers and will her not to chuck all over their silk shirts, or in their handbags!!

Unfortunately, little kids love her too, but she hates kids with a passion. She snarls most horribly if they approach, and if they get too close, wants to attack them. I have no idea why, but she has made her wishes known, so I keep kids away from her. Maybe a bad experience as a little pup?

She weighs just on 2kg, and the next smallest dog is 6kg, so there might be a problem with being stood on, or rolled over, but she has that sorted - if they stand on her, she simply bites them. They never do it again. She is as brave as a lion.

She loves to eat, and often falls into the food dish in her rush to shovel as much as possible in. When she's really excited, her back legs forget to work!!

She used to snarl most horribly when she was eating, but she stopped that about a year ago. She doesn't bite me if I take the food away, she just doesn't want anyone else to eat it. I lock the greedy dog in the trolley at dinner time, so he can't steal, and I often can't close the door, because Chi is wedged in it, because she's followed the food dish like an electronic homing device.

Speying didn't happen - the vet took one look, said I'm not anaethetising THAT, it will pop off for sure - and fell about laughing. Poor Chi. We talked about her patellas, and the vet said the same thing - and while they aren't bothering her too much, leave them alone. And they don't bother her. The problem is her back end construction is just totally wrong, and there is no way to remedy that.

She's terrified of fireworks or storms, and even the calming influence of the other dogs, who don't care, don't help - whilst it is happening, she ceaselessly trots right around the house, lap after lap, so I bring her inside - at least the distance is shorter there, and sometimes she will sit in a dog bed for a while. She hates going in the car, and projectile vomits as long as she is in it.

She loves her bones, gets down and dirty with them, she inhales food, and the other dogs all love her, making room for her on the bed, or going to her to see what's wrong if she falls over. Giving her a dog treat is dangerous, she's likely to take half your hand with it.

At 6, she's lived far longer than I ever expected, and it seems like yesterday that she was a tiny pup. Sometimes I wonder if she is suffering, but her appetite and her happy enthusiastic demeanor convinces me she isn't. And she has never had a sick day in her life, which amazes me.

She'd fail any and every temperament test, but she and I don't care about temperament tests, and we put up with each others bad habits without complaint.

I often idly wonder how she would have turned out if her brain hadn't been fried, but it's not important.

And she is the best lesson in being happy despite adversity.

And you know, I thought the other day that she has the perfect life for her. She does exactly as she likes, she is never in trouble (although I do swear when she is wedged in the trolley door),lots of room to run, and company, plenty of cuddles, and most importantly, lots of food - not as much as she wants, but enough.

Here's to Chi, I wouldnt be without her, and may she have many more years of projectile vomiting and falling down. She's living proof that you don't have to be perfect to be happy.

Finding a sucker helps though

[Tassie]

Oh, that is just lovely, Jed. What a lucky little girl Chi is - she certainly landed on her four funny little feet when she came to you. Dog bless you! And Chi.

[Ellie]

That's a fabulous story, Chi is a beautiful little girl and appears to live life to the full despite her disability. I think she saw you coming Jed!

[cashew]

;) Thanks for showing me how much love there is still left in this world

[The Spotted Devil]

Wow Jed! That's such a wonderful story and outcome for the little girl

And, oh! How she reminds me of my foster failure kitten, Dizzy!!!! Nearly died from cat flu, syringe fed until he could eat on his own, was about to be euthanased but the vet couldn't bring herself to do it (Dizzy had his head stuck under my chin purring his head off) so opted for surgery instead - removed the badly ulcerated eye, desexed, microchipped and vaccinated.

Came back home with me to recuperate whilst his litter mates were all adopted. Still looking for that perfect home The 3rd eyelid of his 'good' eye is adhered to the cornea but the specialist said his eyesight is amazing. The cat flu destroyed his nasal cells meaning he can't warm the air as he breathes in and thus needs the heater on at night to stop him becoming congested.

Inhales food, has to be locked up if there is ANY food out (including crumbs, whole vegetables, plastic containers that once contained food, sink strainers and vomit), growls fiercely at any dog, cat or human who tries to steal his favourite toys (although I have taught him 'give'), plays fetch as long as you're willing, wrestles the Dalmatian (and wins), annoys the other cats and generally makes a complete nuisance of himself How I love the little bugger ;)

Edited April 2, 2010 by The Spotted Devil

[HollyMilo]

What a lovely story Jed

Chi is a very lucky little girl to have ended up in your pack.

[tdierikx]

I always knew you were a total softie Jed... here's to many more happy years with little Chi Chi...

T.

[WoofnHoof]

How gorgeous ;) What a little fighter

[SeeGee]

Thats beautiful Jed, thanks for sharing, a little teary here

[persephone]

What a wonderful story! Thank you.

[Ashanali]

[teekay]

That bought a tear to my eye, I wish there were more people like you, Jed. The world would be a better place

[Poo-Fong]

What an amazing story.... love to you and your gorgeous Chi Chi from us over here xxx

[Dame Aussie]

How beautiful

Thank Dog you have been there to give Chi such a lovely life Jed, she deserves nothing less.

I've fallen in love with her and want to give her a big hug and I didnt know she existed till 5 minutes ago!

[Jed]

That sounds like a good cat TSD!! Loved the bit about eating everything!!

I sometimes wonder if we aren't sent animals, and in return for their keep, they teach us important lessons.

Forgot to say - Chi doesn't play with the big dogs, but she loves the pups and juveniles. Once they go out in the garden, she's right there, wrestling with them, and showing them how to play and fight, and having a wonderful time. They knock her over, and she gets on top of them and play growls and fights - 8 week old boxers are as big as she is. The cav babes are gentler, and a bit worried about her to begin with, but they soon get in the spirit of things.

And she never got a "real" name on the basis of never naming anything which is going to die, and she was Chi, because I think her parents had some acquaintance with a chihuahua (and maybe a JRT),but when I looked around, she was living, and she was "Chi Chi" forever, no other name would do.

I've been very good about passing on the rescues - although the puppy farm Keeshonds were with me for a long time, and almost stayed forever, but I found them a lovely home together with an obedience instructor, which is probably what they needed, but Chi was - well, Chi.

Edited April 2, 2010 by Jed

[PuddleDuck]

What a beautiful story, and a lucky partnership. Thank you for sharing - so inspirational.

[Guest Willow]

That's a great story

[trifecta]

I sometimes wonder if we aren't sent animals, and in return for their keep, they teach us important lessons.

I think you have hit the nail on the head there! I have had a couple myself

[Koemi]

Wow, Jed... apart from the difficulty with her legs, Chi sounds so much like my Bambi girl. She was from a mass dog situation (I'm still not entirely sure what happened to her but she is a very broken dog!) and I can NEVER tell what is going on in her head. She will climb up onto my lap (she's so bonded with me, the month I was away in hospital my housemate had to all but force food down her throat ) and just... sit there and stare. For ages. And then looks awkward like she's not really sure why she's there or what she's doing. She doesn't respond to her name half the time, only high pitched excited voices, which flips a switch in her brain and makes HER excited and over stimulated!!! She does my head in, but she's my baby girl.

Even tho she'll never learn how to toilet outside 100%. Even tho she'll throw up her food for no real reason and in no particular pattern. Even tho she NEVER sleeps unless I am sleeping (I have never, ever seen her sleep when I have been awake). I could write a book about all the weird things she does.

Good on you for rescuing Chi. I think everyone needs to be blessed with a spethul dog or two.

[KitKat]

Lovely...just lovely

As to the 'don't need to be perfect to be happy' one of my devons is like that - both head end and tail end are manky, he smells and even the vet can't work out why!, he has the memory of a goldfish, he hisses and freaks at the other cats when they surprise him by not doing anything and just appearing (mind you he may have been curled up next to them for the last hour), and every day is a new one for him...litterally everying is new and he's never seen it before...lol. I know he was a runt, but even the vet agrees Chaos' brain isn't fully devloped and the nasty bug he had when i got him didn't encourage further brain funtion...lol And the fact he has regular mini fits is just something to keep an eye on but they don't seem to bother him. But i love him to death and wouldn't give him up...even when he started pooing on the laundry floor for no reason, tho i'm glad he decided to stop that after two years, and the projectile vomiting isn't always a regular thing...

Gotta love 'em!

Edited April 2, 2010 by KitKat