sweet athletic Booboo

Booboo is getting much better today. He is probably used to walk on three legs and starts to run a bit today (trailed by Lova). Although he is still very tired because of all the pills he is taking , he is in good spirit and is eating and drinking fine. He keeps licking the spot they shaved him, maybe a little irritating or something. Obviously he got much better handling the big heavy red bandage and performed a little "athletic feat"
pas de bourre !! :)


He also learned to use the pillow and help him turn to lay on the bad leg side for a change so the other leg is not always sleepy. Good booboo!!

Booboo is home

We picked up booboo from the vet this morning. He has a big bandage on his leg. He was very happy to see us and tried to jump with only three legs. We put him into his new cage, he drank lots of water and ate lots of treats and food. The doctor said he has one of the worst knee he has seen, but believed the surgery went very well and he put all the things into the right places; and now it's up to booboo for the healing process. Booboo seems very happy to get back, although not pleased with us left him in the cage. He will be on antibiotics and pain killer for the next 10 days and hopefully he will behave and rest a lot. The doctor wouldn't be able to see anything obviously wrong when checked his throat/vocal cord? thus we don't really know why he has a voice breaking problem yet. I think we should just take one thing at a time so he doesn't get overwhelmed. Because of how bad the knee looked like, the doctor believes its genetically dislocated to start with and I think probably some later injuries had made it worse. I wonder how he could run so fast and so beautifully when he has a bad knee like that. I hope he'll recover well and be able to run like before again. In the meantime we need to make sure he gets lots rest, little activities, very clean bandages, on time for all his pills, lots of treats, lots of kisses and lots of loves.

BooBoo update, Ginga and Lily

BooBoo went for his surgery today. The doctor took one look at his dislocated knee and said that it's pretty bad and needs surgery with 3 things - shortening the tendon that holds the kneecap in place (or out of place in this case), relocation to the opposite side and deepening the groove so that the kneecap fits there better. It will take 3 months before he is fully fit again and we really have to watch it in the next two weeks that he does not exert himself at all. Well, now we all have imprinted upon our souls what 'patellar luxation' means. In other health news, Ginga's sprained tail seems to be getting better by the day. He can hold it up higher today and it's no longer completely constrained by the vicissitudes of gravity.

Just yesterday BooBoo got his summer haircut which makes us a little unhappy but him extremely happy because he feels light and cool.

Ginga in the meantime got kissed by his aunty and also got some treats (yes motomama I took the treat picture for you):

He also played with Lily at a party, they were wrestling for most of the evening:

BooBoo will come back home tomorrow, we could not visit him at the hospital today because he would get too worked up. Then he has to go into a cage with very short potty breaks outside so that he doesn't hurt himself. Ginga will continue to be on vacation at aunty Doc's house until BooBoo gets well enough to play.

Ginga /Boo analogies

It has been a recurrent game in Lafayette to figure out the best analogy for the Ginga/Boo duo.
There were a lot of proposed duos (or is it dua ?): Laurel and Hardy came up often, Pinkie and the Brain was a good one, Maverick and Iceman (?), Puss in boots and Donkey and so on, you name it, we have probably done it. In my opinion, here is the definite analogy: Asterix (Boo) and Obelix (Ginga): physically, it works: the brute force of Ginga and the speed of Boo. Other similarities: the smarts of Boo and the strength of Ginga, the constant bickering and making up between the 2, Ginga's appettite is Obelix-esque while Boo is more selective. Romans would be rabbits and wild boars would be pig ears.... therefore , I propose Gingix and Boobix as their secret code names.

The headbutt heard around the world

Paul O'Neill took a page from Zidane and head-butted his horse. Zidane was at least provoked. O'Neill just lost his head and got frustrated with his unruly horse and took it out on him. Hope he gets fined enough to support the horse for the rest of its life. The oddest thing is that the jockey probably precipitated his horse's unruliness by being tense and angry. Animals react to the mood of their person, just like our doggies who disappear under the couch when they sense that we are angry.

Ginga the tailsprained scientist dog

Given all the attention that BooBoo is getting because of his impending surgery and past seizures and being underweight, Ginga was feeling a little left out. So he decided that he would do something dramatic so that we would notice him as much. Since yesterday he decided to walk around with a limp tail and to try to reach around to bite his own butt. He also stopped sitting properly and started sitting to the side rather than on his anus. When we lifted up his tail we were introduced to a new smell that previously had only been circulating in our worst nightmares. A quick google search revealed that his anal sacs may be blocked.

Anal sacs - they have an extremely stinky liquid in them, most animals can spray the contents out in self-defense or if they just feel like stinking up the neighbourhood. Cats and dogs have lost this ability (thankfully, otherwise we would be living our worst nightmares) and the act of doing No. 2 (pooping) actually releases this liquid. When the sacs get blocked they has to be relieved (expressed is the vet term) by actually pushing the anal sacs physically to remove it. So I tried to relieve the pressure but that didn't seem to work as doggie was still trying to bite around there.

Then BooBoo decided to come outside and Ginga started to sniff his behind as a control experiment to figure out what an arse should really smell like. Exposure to so many scientists has taught him a lot. Anyway then BooBoo turned around and smelt Ginga's nose. He didn't say it but he was thinking, "Dude you got problems. Your face smells like your arse. And it stinks."

Well I'm happy to report that I took Ginga went to the vet, by then his anal sacs were empty so he must have unblocked it himself. His tail is still down and the docs think that he might have sprained it, although we have no idea how. Hmm... maybe he sat on it, come to think of it. Oddly enough it raises when he is urinating. I don't know what to make of that.

edit - it took about a week for Ginga's tail to get back to normal. it improved a lot in 2 days, he could raise about 60% of it by then and 100% 4-5 days after that.

Tidbits

Booboo's going in for surgery on Wednesday for his bum leg. Well actually it's patellar luxation, which means that his kneecap gets dislocated easily. In his case it prefers to stay dislocated so he limps around and is very sad :(. This might be due to a birth defect or due to injury, the doctors are not quite sure but on wednesday they will scrape the bone so that it is more compatible with the kneecap and adjust some ligaments so that the kneecap prefers to be in the correct place. Then he'll have to be restricted for 3-6 weeks from playing and running and jumping so I-mei's friend lent her a doggie cage for him where he can stay when we cannot supervise him. The plan is also to stick a computer with a webcam on so we can monitor him from our lab. That should be an interesting technological challenge.

It's been quite sad for the humans lately, with Booboo having small health issues... he had a seizure again early saturday morning, and his voice keeps cracking when he barks. The doctors will take a look at his throat when they do the knee surgery, because they said that it could be a number of things, collar/leash injuries or a growth or some other vocal cord problem. Hopefully all his little problems will get sorted out on wednesday and he'll be back as the doggie he was before all this stuff started happening. In the meantime here are some pictures of them.


Lazies...




Where are you going, take us with you!


That looks good, may we have that?


BooBoo checks out the cage...


Ginga checks out the cage...


I check into the cage...

Fat doggie

A lab retriever in TW weighted 60 kg (for the record, ginga is 65 lb which is only ~29 kg) and some people called her a "sea lion"; and the owner put a sign on her written : I am on diet, pleas don't feed me.
Ha, she is kinda cute still. And the face looks like ginga. Aparently she is still "nimble" and can catch cookies in the air; not really affected by her weight. But since being on diet she is a little light headed now. I hope the owner take it easy and slowly reduce her food intake. Go puppy!

Ginga will also be on diet for few weeks (light weight science diet, bravo!). Maybe we can have a contest. The biggest loser will go to.......

We're it

Ginga and Booboo got tagged by their aunty Rohini and since they’re not so good with the typing they asked me to be their secretary sorry administrative assistant.

I am thinking about…
Ginga: When do I eat next? Is that food? No it’s a chair. Hmm wonder how it tastes… woody, with a hint of pine nut and a smattering of varnish. Mmmm… when do I eat next…
BooBoo: I’m so bored. Those guys are trying to get their Ph.D. but they won’t let me. I want to do dog psychology with special case study of Fatass aka Ginga.

I said…
Ginga: RUFF! Fear me I am Ginga
BooBoo: A woo woo woo A woo woo woo. Don’t I sound impressive, ladies?

I want to…
Ginga: Eat and lay outside all day saying hi to the neighbouring dogs and sleep on the couch at night.
BooBoo: Run very fast and have other dogs chase me. They can’t catch me ha ha ha.

I wish…
Ginga: I was 18, can finally escape and become a chef with my own restaurant. Maybe I can audition for Hell’s Kitchen.
BooBoo: I was King of the world. Ruling Brunswick is just not enough for me.

I hear...
Ginga: only the clink of the leash which means I go out, opening of wrappers which means I get food and strange and wondrous sounds from the world outside which I want to check out. I listen to commands only if they involve a payoff in treats.
BooBoo: The sounds of my own voice… so melodious, a woo woo woo woo. I can hear a rabbit at 500 metres and field mice at 100. I give the commands around here, the people better listen.

I wonder…
Ginga: I heard cheese sticks come from cows. Are cows God?
BooBoo: Am I a dog or a person? Must be a dog, dogs are far superior. Can smell and hear better and can lie around all day, get treats and massages and ‘play’ with my blanket without getting arrested.

I regret…
Ginga: That I didn’t play the guilt angle that I lost my mummy more. Might have got more treats out of it. Too late now I have 2 ladies clamouring to be my future mummy but oddly enough daddy does not feature in their plans.
BooBoo: Voting for Bush. Hey, they promised me a vote if I voted Republican. I figured that getting a voters ID card is the first step to becoming President and ruler of the world but as things are going now, there might not be a world left by the time I get to that.

I am…
Ginga: black and tan. Now can I have a black and tan? (mix of Guinness and Bass beers)
BooBoo: black and white. I’ll go with the Guinness and for dessert, a Smirnoff Ice (for Indian non-drinking readers that's Limca with some alcohol in it).

I dance…
Ginga: on two back feet, forwards and backwards. German shepherds are spiritually Jamaican, didn’t you know?
BooBoo: on both feet, mainly jumping on and off the couch. OK border collies can’t dance.

I sing…
Ginga: when I see someone outside, when I want to go outside to do number 2 or when I’m bored.
BooBoo: A woo woo woo A woo woo woo. I’m singing now!

I cry…
Ginga: when they forget to leave food or trash for me to eat.
BooBoo: when Ginga jumps on me, the fatass weighs 10 kg more than me.

I am not always…
Ginga: concerned about eating. I also like massage and walks.
BooBoo: behind the couch. On the couch is good too, as long as I get to jump and run and sing.

I make with my hands…
Ginga: Dogs have paws silly. We lick them. I don’t mind a spot of carpet digging though if the shouting humans are not at home.
BooBoo: Ginga for once is right. Digging the carpet is pointless. Digging for field mice I wouldn't pass up though.

I write…
Ginga: my public relations officers mosilager and lova and imei handle that (see note above about hands).
BooBoo: my thesis on dog psychology of Ginga. It’s taking a long time and I fear I am turning into him.

I confuse…
Ginga: easily. Now did the humans want me to put my ass on the ground or 10 cm above it in a half crouch?
BooBoo: stupid people. They don’t know they should stay away unless I tell them it’s OK.

I need…
Ginga: another stomach. I love to eat.
BooBoo: a herd of sheep and a farm. Wouldn’t complain if there were some rabbits within 500 metres either.

And finally…
Ginga: Now can I get my sausage?
BooBoo: Humans, I am your father. Pray to me and cater to my every need.

OK so now I shall nominate for the GingaBoo 5 people who may or may not want to answer but I'll try anyway...

Video - she wants to be Ginga in her next life.

Mansoora - she comments 50,000 times on the web but hardly ever posts. Now's her chance.

Siddhu's crazy neo-Aryan roommate (Siddhu can write for him) - the roommate is insane and Siddhu does a good imitation.

Sreekumar - he always has profound thoughts on things... might get a serious answer to the tag!

Rajesh - for some spooky deja vu... wait isn't that a movie?

oneredpaperclip 2: the ginga/boo version

Ginga and BooBoo are wise dogs and they know a great idea when they see one (i.e, cheese sticks and plastic bones: great ideas). So upon hearing about Kyle McDonald's great adventure (Kyle bartered a red paper clip into a house) Ginga/boo thought: "hey clever guy, but we don't have a red paper clip". What they have is an open, 2/3 empty box of dog snacks. So here goes: Ginga/Boo will barter their precious possession for anything until they get their own doghouse. Ginga is slightly food-driven so Booboo had to do a lot of convincing to get Ginga to agree to let go of the box. So C'mon friends, let's hear the offers :).




Now If anyone offers a trip to Paris for Ginga/Boo like those 2 guys here, we might have to reconsider the doghouse :). (Pics from "betty and rita go to Paris")


Update: Rohini's offer ( canine cup for the empty dog snack) has been accepted by GingaBoo :). Since GingaBoo travel' s authorization is still a work in progress, we will have to make believe Gingaboo somehow managed to visit Rohini and shake paws on the deal. :) In fact, GingaBoo had a blast visiting India. They promised to come back very soon, Arf ! Here is the cup: cute, heh ?

Tags: ginga, booboo, one red paper clip, dog version, dogs in paris

Quick BooBoo update

Booboo was limping for some time so we took him to the doctor's. They said that he has a knee dislocation problem. The leg keeps slipping out so either the bone there is not formed correctly or his ligaments are too long or flexible. He has figured out how to put it back in, and it doesn't pain him, but he does have some discomfort and limps a little. Some days he doesn't limp as much, other days he limps more. The doctors suggested waiting for a few weeks and then if things don't improve to try surgery. They will not know which of the problems it is until they actually open the leg and see for themselves. Poor Booboo. Poor Ginga too, as he gets bored because Booboo is not interested in having a dog who weighs 12 kg more than him jumping on him.

Paraphrased from the doggies' aunty's report:
The doggies did have a good time this morning as they went to vacation at their aunt's house overnight. They got to swim in a pond in the morning but they were more interested in playing with each other than chasing the mean looking geese / water fowl or ducks. Maybe Ginga was scared because there were too many of the birds, before there was only one and he had swum after it. The leader of the geese was trying to look big and kept moving his head forwards and backwards, probably threatening to bite. Unfortunately for him the dogs were not looking in his direction and were chasing each other through the duck infested waters. There's something itchy in the water though, because Ginga rubbed his body on the grass afterwards. He also managed to get a fishhook stuck in his leash which took some time coming out. Now how he managed that is still a mystery, maybe he was using his leash as a fishing line :) Next step in dog evolution - learning how to fish and probably exaggerating the fish's size too.

Doggies - then and now...

PUPPIES, DOGS, GINGA, BOOBOO, GERMAN SHEPHERD, BORDER COLLIE, PAST, PRESENT, PHOTOS

It's never the animal's fault

Training dogs and training husbands uses the same principle - it's never the animal's fault. Here's how Amy Sutherland trained her husband (and they're both happier). I can't get over the feeling that the husband still hasn't noticed that anything has changed.

AMY SUTHERLAND, HUSBAND, TRAINING, ANIMAL, PSYCHOLOGY, SHAMU

Meet Toby and Dick: GingaBoo's ethiopian relatives

Dick is the big one and the father of Toby, the one who playfully bites him. I guess she is asking her daddy for a new car or something. The legend ( mostly my mother in Addis- Ababa ) states that Toby is mother is a fox (?) and by that she means a real fox , not a very sexy female dog. Toby kind of look like a fox though. The sad story is that some people roaming around the house threw stones at her and she lost her right eye :(. Dick is thrilled to have someone to pass on his football skills to. He conveniently did not consider that she is a girl and probably could care less about football, unless there is an equivalent to Beckham in doggy-football.

Tags: Toby and Dick, ethiopia

Ginga learns to frisbee, BooBoo recovery

We went to the football field with Ginga and BooBoo to test their world cup skills. They were excited on the way there and kept trying to smell the air from the car... or maybe they were just thinking that they were running very fast without any effort.



Ginga has been a little bored because BooBoo has a knee problem and spends a lot of time sleeping. So we tried to teach him how to fetch. He does it for a price... yes, you guessed it, peanuts.



BooBoo looks at me, "what, no more treats?"


We thought BooBoo was better after his week of rest from the dislocated knee but it hasn't healed yet, he didn't run around as much as usual and was putting more weight on his right foot than his left so he has to go to the doctor soon. He still seems to be OK while chasing bullfrogs in a stream close by, but we'll have it looked at.

GINGA, BOOBOO, LEG, HURT, FRISBEE, TRAINING, CAR, DOGS, GERMAN SHEPHERD, BORDER COLLIE, PEANUTS, WORK, PHOTO