Firefly In July

I saw Wilson’s photo taken  a month ago, and I am reminded how quickly time flies, even if… or I guess, even more, if you don’t pay attention.  It’s all in his hair.  His white shiny hair that now so nicely frames his face, got me thinking of the last time I paid attention or complained of my dog’s short short hair.

Wilson, has allowed time to take its natural course and bring back that wasted cuteness when he was pushed under the razor, scared but without a single sound of protest.

As the summer heat wanes, Wilson, with the natural patience bestowed upon a dog, is slowly restored to his glorious beauty.   Not anymore is he mistaken as a poor impostor or a poodle… his true breed is again evident with his growing white mane.   Patient and meek, the little dog gains back what he lost, unknowingly and without a fight.

It wasn’t a flashy celebration.  In fact, he didn’t have a cake or ice cream, or balloons, or even a special guest… not that he minds, really.   He was  oblivious of the special day.  He wasn’t expecting any gifts… all he asked for was a small piece of my already half eaten apple, a walk outside, and just quality time of  togetherness.

It’s been a year, but its as if time had not touched him.  He’s still that playful, unsuspecting little creature that he is.   There are a few noticeable changes though, like his transformation from a stranger to a master of the house slowly adapting to the routine and learning how to capture our attention.  Sometimes,  he drives us crazy with his willful dominance and disobedience, but more often, makes us laugh with his voice-modulation, probably communicating in that encrypted language that only he and his kind understands.  He has stopped giving his signature  suspicious looks and learned to demand for the simple things that makes him happy, like being perched on the window for a brief view of the solitary tree outside our apartment or a ride in the car and tasting the wind blowing his hair away.   His character has slowly unraveled, sometimes hardheaded, but unselfish and loyal all throughout.

He is not just a dog. Not just a pet.  He is a companion who has unknowingly endeared himself, simply, by being himself.  To our little maltese, WILSON, Happy Birthday! Cheers to more happy and memorable times together!

Summer heat and long hair do not blend well together.  Since the first is uncontrollable, its often the hair, no matter how luxurious, that  suffers the ultimate slaughter.

I’m prepared to stand it out.. the heat and sweat.  If anybody’s getting  a haircut this summer, its not gonna be me! But for Wilson, it’s entirely a different story.  His long white hair clothing his entire body is synonymous with severe discomfort.   The electric fan does not do him much good anymore and even with the air conditioning in full swing, he still pants heavily.

Our afternoon walks has become very laborious.  We usually take two rounds around the wide Esplanade grounds before we even pause for a break but nowadays,  halfway thru the first stretch and I’m already sweating bullets, and Wilson’s tongue dangles shamelessly in his small mouth.

Last Sunday afternoon was the reckoning.  There’s no other way to relieve Wilson than to shave off that thick fur!  With it, 100 cuteness points disappeared into thin air.  Our little dog now resembles a poodle more than his maltese lineage.

Today is the company’s Sportsfest.  Everyone’s excited and at the strike of 7am, the office floor was filled with the noise of laughter, last minute preparations, and reminders.  Although I signed up for one of the games, I can’t share in the thrills.  I am not even sure if I could make it to the event… we have to take Wilson for a needed consultation with his vet.

Wilson had been suffering from skin rashes since mid last year.  For a while it stopped but lately he had those breakouts again.  We don’t know what’s causing it, until now we’ve been guessing the source of this allergic recurrence.  It could be the sudden summer heat, or the extra food treats,  it could be the fleas he’s unknowingly been gathering on his weekly walks… it could be anything.

We got to the animal clinic early, and as always, we find it an amusing place… well, that’s if your pet’s not in any critical condition.  In every visit, we see different dog breeds, even askals, and sometimes there are cats and rabbits.  Today, we met a yorkie named Butterfly… yes a dog named after an insect!  She was the cutest with her well groomed curly hair, braided at the back of the ears tied in red ribbons.  She was there for a scheduled operation, her guardian briefing us of her uterus infection.  Too bad for Butterfly, but lucky at the same time that she has a responsible and loving owner to get the help she needs.

It didn’t take long before Wilson was called in for his turn, and much to our satisfaction, it was the senior vet who checked on him.  After several questions and probing, the doctor informed us that even if we don’t see any fleas or mites on our pet doesnt mean that we can get away from using pests preventive medications.  Fleas and mites are the surest culprits of skin allergies and it is always recommended to have a pests spray handy to keep the parasites at bay.  Aside from the spray, he was also given an antibiotic to fight off the bacteria that have infected his rashes.  Next,  Wilson was prescribed a hypoallergenic dog food to eliminate any food allergens, a skin vitamin supplement and specially formulated shampoo for maintenance.

As a parting advice, the vet said that caring for a pet with skin problem is a commitment.  We sure do understand that; pet care and medication does not necessarily come cheap.  The consultation cost – P200, Dog Food, Shampoo, Vitamins, Parasite Spray – P3,990+, a healthy and happy Wilson – Pricesless!

You can never be too careful with pets.  At this very instant, I am typing with a bandaged index finger, sore arms and legs.  That’s all because of this cute, cuddly, and seemingly well-behaved little doggie named Wilson.

It has been our routine to take Wilson for his weekly walks to MOA (Mall of Asia) and this evening we decided to park near the newly opened  section of the bay area or more popularly known as Esplanade. Most of the restaurants have not opened business yet so the only crowd were two pairs of lovers getting intimately cozy in the semi-darkness.   The place suited us perfectly… no kids or big dogs and we’re free to roam around without interruptions.

A few minutes and a panting-dog later, we decided to move to the San Miguel View By The Bay to get a photo of the newly erected Christmas Tree.  Mark suggested that I walk Wilson on the way there while he transfers the car to the nearest parking.  While walking, Wilson saw a group of kids eating their dinner by the side of their car.  Being the food fan that he is, he darted to their direction with all his might and dragged on his leash.  And that’s when it happened… I was restraining him when I stepped on a stone, lost my balance and landed heavily on my two hands like a frog, my fingers scratching the hard cement surface and peeling off the skin on my index.  I could not get up immediately, it was a pretty bad fall and I guess I was stunned.  A little dog dragging his master on her knees… what a sight.  The strap on my right sandal snapped and worse, I had to walk three blocks more and look for Mark.  With blood trickling down my finger, bruised palms, and disheveled hair, I slowly proceeded, pretended that nothing’s wrong and still tried to smile at the people who ogled in amusement at our willful dog.

I found Mark all excited to take pictures but I was no longer in the mood.  I was mad at Wilson, mad at myself for falling, mad for having to walk with the torn sandal.  Finally I wasn’t able to hold it in any longer and tears spilled out.  Then realizing that a small dog caused all this mess, Mark and I looked at each other and laughed.  Crazy.  That ended what could have been a fun night of strolling and taking photos.

Wilson have these odoriferous ears and they’d always been that way from the day we took him in.  We thought that cleaning them regularly would put an end to the awful smell but unfortunately for all of us,  WIlson’s ears remained stinky and dirty even after a good warm bath.  It was time to get professional help.

Last Saturday, we took him to Animal House.  We spent a few minutes mingling with other dogs at the waiting area which kinda diffused Wilson’s nervousness.  He has come to associate the clinic for injections and confinement.  When we were called in, he suddenly became agitated again but it wasn’t long before he was discharged.  We went home with antibiotics and ear drops for the fungi thriving in our dog’s ears.  Now, its a two weeks ahead of medication ordeal.  We started with the ear drops last night and Wilson didnt seem to bother.  In fact, he seemed to be thankful that his human owners had finally understood what he’d been going through all this time.

Its a good thing that we had him checked before the infection became severe.  But we still wish we had read the signs earlier and spared Wilson from itchy odorous ears.

PAWS (Philippine Animal Welfare Society) held a dog show today at the Mall of Asia.  Of course, we made sure not to miss it!  It was a chance for Wilson to meet other dogs and flaunt his cuteness to all canine lovers this side of the planet.  It was a half day affair and when we got there around two in the afternoon, the place was already packed.  A race track was set in the middle of the open auditorium and dog athletes were busy warming up on the side.   Others seem to be oblivious to the pressure and saw the race as just another walk in the park, taking their time to walk down the track while their owners knelt at the end of the line begging for a little effort to win.  There were Saint Bernards, Dalmatians, Daschunds, Beagles, Schnauzers, Shih Tzus… Wilson was one of the few Maltese in attendance.

It was an afternoon that the dogs and their owners all enjoyed…. we’ll the dogs were more the celebrities than the owners.  Wilson dazzled a number of fans, posing for pictures here and there.  If he could only write, Im pretty sure that he would have been asked for an autograph.

After the event, we strolled around the mall and let Wilson do his thing… meet a few friends, bask in the afternoon sun, and water the lightpoles as he always does.

Tags: Dog show, Mall of Asia, Maltese, PAWS

WIlson Update:

He had his haircut last May, this is how he looked then:

And here he is now. Notice the smile? He’s just too happy to be out in the park and meet other cute little doggies.

Tags: Maltese, pets

 ”Why dont you stop and look me over… am I the same dog you used to know?  Yes I Am, Yes I Am!”

This is Wilson before his haircut —

And here’s our newly groomed dog!  Pretty neat, huh!

Tags: Dog, haircut

If you think our doggie days are over, think again.  A few days after we lost Perere, our friend from whom we got him, offered to lend us one of their dogs to help us recover.  We battled with the idea, thinking it might turn out as a constant reminder of our little doggie and then like rubbing salt to a still open and fresh wound.  Mark decided that if we are going to have another dog, it will be one of Perere’s siblings.  Nothing else will suffice.  And so we travelled to the distant land of La Loma and checked the soon to be dog on a noble mission of helping us out of our grief.  He’s got a funny name for a dog – Kitkat - or simply, Kat.  Yeah, a dog named Kat.

It wasnt love at first sight.  He was taller, bigger than Perere and my first thought was — is this really a purebreed Maltese?  While Perere was cute and cuddly, he looked awkward moreso for the uneven haircut and brownish feet discolored by his own urine.  He is a decent dog but could not be a replacement for our free spirited Perere.  We spent a few minutes there considering if we are ready to take him home.  In that few minutes, we learned that his appearance belied his love to be carried and cuddled.  You can carry him all day or put him on your lap and thats enough to send him into a blissful mood.

Alright, so we got him.  One of the things we had to deal with was his unacceptable potty habits  In the first week, he relieved himself in every corner of the house driving the place stinking with urine!  At one point,  I got so pissed that I threatened to hit him, and with a stern voice told him to straighten up or else, it will be a return trip to La Loma.  He looked at me with those eyes of deep hurt and retreated to the kitchen where he stayed and ignored me until I picked him up.  But coming from the intelligent lineage of the maltese, he quickly learned where the potty area is and that watering the entire house is not the way to go. 

Unlike Perere, Kat is a very laid back dog.  He doesnt bite hands and demand for play time.  He just sleeps on the floor until you carry and squeeze him in a hug.  He doesnt like Dentastix that much.  He munches on a stick and leaves half of it uneaten.  Perere can devour a whole pack in a few minutes.  He is not so much of a picky eater.  He eats and eats.. just leave the bowl full with eukanuba, please.  Perere was even prescribed an anorexic’s vitamin to divert his appetite to other nourishment aside from Denta.  Kat was easy to be around.  And slowly, we accepted him into our home and gave him a little space by the foot of the bed for his personal sleeping quarters.  He will never replace Perere, but he is lovable in his own sweet way.

Just one thing that we were not comfortable with — calling our dog KitKat or Kat.  First, wouldn’t that cause an identity crisis?  He’s a dog, not a cat!  And second, Perere abhors cats!  The reason why he ran out of the gate  resulting to his demise was the neighbor’s slinky cats who lured him.  We just got to change that name but Mark and I could not come up with anything fit.  Until I told our new dog story to my officemate Iyrin who wittily made a comparison to Tom Hanks’ Wilson in Cast Away.  People get so attached because dogs listen without any questions.  They accept every argument without a fight.  Treat everything you say as if it is the only truth in the world.  How clever!  Our new dog’s name turned from Kat to Wilson in an instant.  He shares the name with a close friend of mine, but what the heck!  Wilson it is.

Its been three weeks now.  Wilson has also integrating himself into our lives, adapting to our routines, and doing what all dogs do best — loving us unconditionally.  It does hurt to lose a pet, but that doesnt stop us from loving one all over again. 

We wont be returning Wilson; we are keeping him for good.

Tags: Dog, Maltese, Wilson