360 pugs rescued since October, 2005
It is with deep sorrow that I write to tell you that we lost Mitsu this morning. She had started to seizure and when her foster mother took her into the vets yesterday, we also discovered that her white blood cell and platelet counts had fallen through the floor. Neither were likely related to her chemo. Sue took her home hoping for some quiet time, but she continued to seizure and so Sue let her go. She was a game and feisty old lady and her foster mom is gutted at her loss. We had done blood work with MItsu 3 weeks ago and everything was fine, but as of yesterday, things were very much not fine. Run Fast. Run Far. Run Free, Mitsu (AKA Micki)
Mitsu has been with us for about 3 weeks. She went from being an only child to being surrounded by siblings of all shapes and sizes. She definitely enjoys their company, but people are still the center of her world.
Last week we went to the VEC so Mitsu could have her re-check with the surgeon who removed her bladder polyp, mammary masses, and did her vulvoplasty. He was thrilled with her healing and gave her the go ahead for full-blown activity and bathing. The stinky little lady got a bath the next day. We still have to see the oncologist, but so far things are looking good for Miss Mitsu, who needs a break after all the surgeries and doctors in her world.
Although Mitsu's UTI's are hopefully behind her, she still spends a lot of time peeing on anything that hits the floor. This includes pee pads, as well as, rugs, beds, towels, random pieces of clothing - boy, this gal can pee! However, if nothing is on the floor, she manages to mostly limit her pottying to pee pads and grassy yards.
We're keeping an eye on Mitsu as there is a bit of concern that she's displaying some signs of Canine Cognitive Dysfunction. We'll discuss this concern with the vet at her next check-up, for sure. But for the meantime, we're enjoying all the sweetness and love that Mitsu has to offer. And she has a lot to offer. We're completely head over heels for her!
Mitsu welcomes 2018 with the hope that her latest round of antibiotics had done the trick, making her infection free. Unfortunately, it was not to be and testing came back positive for both E. Coli and a UTI. Given the stubbornness of these infections, Mitsu has been referred to Dr. Mason at the VEC. Hopefully, he will be able to get to the bottom of things and get Mitsu back to her normal, healthy self!
Mitsu has been much less enthusiastic about being outside these days, given the cold weather we have been getting! Like most of us, she is ready for Spring! Even with her little booties and jacket on, Mitsu spends as little time out in the cold as possible and is very efficient when doing her business! She would much rather be inside, snuggled up on the comfy, warm couch. She looks forward to lazy Sundays with her foster dad, watching football and keeping toasty.
As always, Mitsu continues to charm those around her, human and animal alike! She is still Miss Popular when we go for walks. Neighborhood residents take the opportunity to check in on her and ask how she is doing as we pass by. She even made a furry friend over the holidays! She was introduced to another dog visiting our home, and even though Mitsu's heart is always with people, she got along great with our furry holiday guest! I have no doubt that she will charm and draw much love from her forever home!
Mitsu has been doing great since her last surgery. She is one tough little girl and rebounds very well, especially given the number of surgeries that she's had! The vet removed a mere seven teeth and it hasn't seemed to affect Mitsu at all. She is still very active and has even taught herself how to climb up and down stairs! I think having the tumour removed helped with her mobility. She has also lost a bit of weight due to her exercising more! The only thing that is still hanging on is her UTI, but once that has cleared up, Mitsu should be vet free for a bit! Yay!!
In between her trips to the vet, Mitsu has found time to meet all sorts of new people. Some of them have dogs, but she doesn't pay them much mind. It's all about the pets, no slobber! Mitsu did meet a cat at the vet, but was too busy trying to get attention from the humans to notice it. I expected Mitsu to dislike the recent change in weather, but unlike most pugs, she does not seem to mind one bit. That being said, she is also just as eager to come home, warm up and relax!
Mitsu is truly an all-round great dog! Everyone who sees her immediately falls in love, even strangers to whom I happen to show her picture! She is just that kind of dog. I have no doubt that her forever family will be just as smitten!
Great news from the world of Mitsu! She had her spay and mass excision surgery the other day and the biopsy of the mass came back as benign with clean margins!! It goes without saying that we are all thrilled to hear that this spunky old gal will recover without any issues. She wasn't even bothered by the surgery itself and was up and bopping around the next morning like nothing had happened! An appointment was made to removed her stitches in a week and a dental will be scheduled at that time. The vet did note that Mitsu's urine was still abnormal, but no cultures developed to suggest an infection. A scan was done on her abdomen to check for stones, but there were none. It's a bit perplexing so the vet placed a call to a microbiologist to see if there are any next steps to be taken. Fortunately, the antibiotics from her surgery will knock out any possible infection that may be present, but not showing in the cultures.
Other than one groggy day spent at the vet, Mitsu has been loving life in Pugalug! She is as energetic as the day she arrived. She enjoys her walks and her new friends. The canine friends are good, but it's the human friends that Mitsu adores! Her favourite place is the park because that's where she meets up with all of her fans! She will go out of her way to say hello to anyone that passes by. Mitsu loves the attention and gets plenty when out and about!
If you are one of Mitsu's fans too, stay tuned for updates about her dental, her latest adventures and when she'll be ready for adoption!
Welcome Mitsu! This lively old gal was surrendered to Pugalug about three weeks ago and has had no problems settling right in. She is 11 years old, but that doesn't stop her from enjoying everything life has to offer. She enjoys her walks, especially in the morning. Mitsu is most definitely a morning pug and wakes up energized and ready to see what the day has in store! She is a wonderful, curious walker, but her great leash manners makes for a very enjoyable walk as she investigates everything along the way. Mitsu is also great with other dogs and people, including kids! The moment that someone walks through the door, she greets them with plenty of tail wags, affection and the most adorable excited grunts!
Given her age, it's not surprising that Mitsu had a few issues will need to be addressed by the vet over the next several weeks. When she initially arrived, we found that she had trouble holding her bladder, but during the initial vet visit, she was diagnosed with an UTI and those accidents stopped once we started her on some medication. Mitsu behaves beautifully at the vet, patiently letting herself be poked and prodded. The initial vet visit also determined that her nails were far too long and will need to be regularly trimmed in order to shrink the quick back to a point that allows the nail to be a more comfortable length. It will take a while to do so, but Mitsu is so well-behaved that a quick little trim at home every couple of weeks is more than manageable! The vet also noted a large mammary tumour and a biopsy was done. Unfortunately, it came back inconclusive so we've opted to remove the mass completely, which will happen during her spay surgery next week. A mammary tumour is not necessarily cancer. It could also be a benign ademona. We just have to wait and see what the second test says once the mass is removed. Finally, once the above is completed and Mitsu has healed, we will schedule her for a dental.
All in all, Mitsu is a fantastic pug to have in our home. She is so happy, loving and well-behaved. She won't even beg for food, preferring to have our company over the tasty treat in our hands! We look forward to helping her recover from her surgeries and preparing her for her furever home!
