Gone To The Dogs
I promise not to be one of those dog owners who does nothing but post pictures and videos of my dog. But… you’ll cut me some slack for today, right?
It’s just me and Buster for a good chunk of the day hanging out at the house together. Between our walks around the neighbourhood and naps on the couch, we’ve got to entertain each other somehow!
Anyways, here he is reacting to a video of a dog “singing” to some song. I’d never seen him perk his head like this before and it was just too much!
I should also probably mention that the picture of Buster and I in my last post was taken before my oncologist kind of freaked out about having a new puppy in the house. I mean, I guess they are not the cleanliest of creatures to have around while my immune system hovers just above zero. But the emotional boost is worth it…right?
My mom then freaked out and said Buster and I have to cut back on our cuddle time. I’m trying to teach him to sleep in his own bed. We both suffer from separation anxiety.
I’ll make sure he’s the cleanest dog ever. Even if that means dressing him in fancy-boy booties.
I’ll be back eventually with a post that isn’t about my dog. In the meantime, enjoy your Saturday!
Posted on October 15, 2011, in Buster, Videos and tagged cavalier king charles spaniel, dogs, pets. Bookmark the permalink. 36 Comments.
The Great Balancing Act 
you have a CAVVY!! destiny that i found your blog today… it was meant to be! I also have a cavvy :) Although we live across the world from each other now… kinda sad. He lives with my parents and I live far away with my new little doggy – they talk on skype to each other… super cute. Post pictures!! who cares!! You should totally be one of those dogs owners!! I whip out photos and show strangers on the bus all the time!!
Haha, I can totally see my cavalier Skyping too. He looooves responding to the noises he hears on the computer ;)
Aw I love those new pictures of buster. I think the emotional benefits of having a dog definitely outweighs anything else!
Totally agree, Chelsey!! Susan, cuddling with that puppy is good for your soul!!
As a veterinarian student, I am always aware of all the infections and parasites one can get from a pet. Just be careful with his saliva and licking, and wash your hands after you pet him, specially before meals.
I think his love and cuteness will do you good, and I’m glad he makes you happy :)
Yup, Buster’s face isn’t allowed to be around my face anymore. And the handwashing/sanitizing thing is ALWAYS happening around these parts anyways. He does have ear mites from his last home though, which is kind of worrisome. He’s taking that Revolution stuff for it.
Don’t worry about the ear mites, they are easily killed/removed with drugs and ear solutions, and people can’t really get those little buggers. Just make sure the vet gives you a good antiparasitic that will kill the ones he has, and prevent other ear mites and parasites. I guess Revolution is good for the prevention, but I’m not sure if you should get something else to kill those he already has. And also, cleaning the ear canal with a solution is pretty important so he doesn’t get a bacterial infection.
But I’m sure your vet already informed you, so I don’t wont to bother you anymore :))
I hope you have a great weekend!
Wow. He’s the cutest thing ever. Pictures and videos appreciated :)
Awww that video is precious!! I’m sure he is the cleanest pup around :) sorry you oncologist freaked :( there is no way I could resist that face! :)
“Precious,” and “adorable” are the words that come to mind. :-) Please do take a picture if you resort to fancy-boy booties, and definitely know that the emotional boost is doing you oodles of good. :-)
Oh my! You are allowed to post about your pup all day every day… Buster is one of the cutest dogs I have ever seen, hands down!
I’m almost sorry I was in love with this post and your dog. Can you tell I don’t mind when your blog posts are exclusively about Buster? Heee hee. What a cutie patootie! And I think the emotional boost is definitely worth it, and then some.
Good luck with the separation anxiety :(
Know that this is coming from one of the biggest animals lovers you will ever meet but I thought about the cleaniness of Buster when you first talked about him. A friend is going through treatment for the same kind of cancer as you and has gotten rid of her cat based on her oncologists advice. Fortunately, the cat has been temporarily rehomed at another friends place until her treatment is finished. I totally think that cuddling with Buster has huge emotional benefits, but sometimes your physical health has to come first. Think about all the years you can spend smooshing faces when you’re better though!
Totally valid points and ones that I probably should have taken more seriously when I first got him. Our first reaction after hearing that from my oncologist was that maybe my mom should take him until I’m done treatment, but we’re trying to be SUPER careful at home first to see how it goes. Buster isn’t allowed much time in my room anymore (especially not in my bed!), nowhere near my face, and sanitizing ALL the time. It’s weird because my doc didn’t have a problem with the cat because the cat was in my life before treatment started. It’s a tough call to make, and I wonder all the time if I’m making a mistake!
Buster is so cute. I’m living vicariously through you as I can’t get a dog quite yet. Sorry you guys are going to have to cut back on cuddle time. :( I think dogs and pets are so important for comfort. Just looking at him makes me happy.
Don’t tell my pug Chloe I said this but Buster is the cutest darn dog on the planet. And the name reminds me of Buster from Mythbusters which is awesome.
When you first got him I did wonder if someone with such a compromised immune system should have animals around them. But, as long as you keep good hygiene and cut down on cuddle time, I think his presence for your emotional health outweighs the dangers. :)
You and Buster are just getting to know each other, so it’s normal that you’d be excited about everything he does that you’ve not seen before – just like a new mom, “Wow! The baby yawned today! Isn’t that the cutest thing you’ve ever seen?” Just glad to see you’re enjoying him so much! I’m a cat person (in part because they can just use a litter box and I don’t have to walk them in all kinds of weather), but I must admit that Buster’s eyes definitely grab me!!
I have a cavalier also!! They are the best dogs. My little Abigail barks at the tv when she hears/sees other animals. It is hilarious!!
Buster is adorable!!
I soooo enjoyed this post, and as a doggy mamma myself who can’t get enough of her Dante … I say post away … He is adorrrraaaabbbleee!
In my case Dante just came to my life at the perfect time and has done wonders to my soul!!!
Take the proper precautions as directed and aside from that love him and post away … I am looking forward to seeing more of his cuteness!
The video is adorable. There must be something about the other dog’s cry – watching your video, I ended up with my puppy in my lap and lots of kisses to make it stop!
Enjoy your rest and bathing Buster. I think the cuddle time is so important for both of you!
Buster’s so funny. I love the way he dips his head from side to side. And re: cleanliness…I’d be willing to bet that if someone did research to measure the positive and negative effects of companion animals on healing, the positives would far FAR outweigh the negatives. Cuddle that little boy and soak up all of his happy, puppy energy.
That is what I am hoping too. I’m kinda hanging on to my sanity by a thread these days, and I lost it at the thought of having my dog taken away. That’s why we opted to just take every precaution we can in keeping him around. And in all fairness, my family helps a lot with taking care of Buster!
Sometimes we in medicine (I’m a physician though not an oncologist) err on the side of caution and concern for physical health and ignore emotional and spiritual health. We KNOW that pets make us healthier on the whole. To me, getting rid of pets might fall into the category of too cautious. I mean, children are probably more effective human disease vectors than pets, and no one would dare tell a chemo patient to get rid of their kids (short of a situation like hospitalization)! And no, you are not at risk of getting ear mites, even in an immunosuppresed state.
Wishing you all the best, and have really enjoyed how eloquently you present health care from a patient perspective. It’s hard to work in a patient care setting and not be struck by the irony of how unhealthy and kind of — synthetic/plastic — health care environments can be at least sometimes.
Be careful, but hold on to the dog! I’d go crazy if mine was taken away from me at a really stressful time.
Thank you for this comment Sara! As my mom pointed out to me earlier, this getting rid of cancer thing isn’t always an exact science, and my doctors just want to get rid of all negative variables possible. I’m sure there are a lot of people who would love to have me in a bubble ;)
this just wants me to have a dog even more now!!! I miss having one, since growing up with one and now in my adult life not having one is hard. one day i will get my dog :)
My sister-in-law raises goats, was confined to her home for the first 6 months or so after her chemo and bone marrow transplant — no going outside on the farm without a mask, and no going anywhere near the barn or the “outside” animals. However, her doctors ok’d her two small indoor dogs after they’d been thoroughly bathed and clipped by a groomer, and given a clean bill of health from the vet. The dogs went outside to do their business, but were restricted to the fenced deck attached to the house (no roaming free or associating with the “outdoor” animals) and she was not allowed to clean up after them.
Part of the rationale was that since the dogs had been with her for a while, she knew their health history, and knew they were healthy. She was also told no new animals — it’s the “unknown” risk factor that they worried about. While she was most vulnerable, we were careful even with our own shoes after walking outside, and anyone working in the barn showered and changed in another building before coming back in the house. (I must say the cancer team did a great job of coming with workable rules — we were very afraid she would not be allowed to go home at all!) It’s all about risk management — and being painfully aware of the downside, even for animal lovers. Please be careful! It’s just for a while!
Bev, I’d been wondering how people receiving treatment in more rural areas dealt with it!! There are a lot who travel to my hospital for treatment.
But yeah, the whole staying clean during treatment thing is a NIGHTMARE. Not going to pretend like it’s not. It’s hard to say just for “awhile” when who knows how long this could drag out for (not tricking myself into thinking recurrence is impossible). I am definitely being careful and taking it seriously, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still hate it! The weakened immune system is by far the hardest and scariest part of chemo (although, my poisoned lungs are up there).
Hey Susan,
Hang in there! We thought (and I say “we” since cancer affects your whole support network) 6 -12 months was “forever” and seriously thought about selling the farm. In fact, that was too difficult to arrange in the short time we had.
Fast forward — it’s 12 months later, and some precautions are still part of the daily routine, but she’s happily bottle-feeding kids (goats!) through the fence (incredible what animals learn — they come when she calls!) and she’s off on a short vacation to celebrate being 1 year older next week!
“Clean” is definitely a full time job and it can be stressful trying to remember everything. A couple of tips:
Try to make things “routine” as much as possible (i.e. always sanitize, towels get changed every morning, shoes always get left at on the door mat, etc.) so you don’t have to think about it.
Leave sanitizer, gloves, cleaners out in full view, close to where they are used. (Medications, blood pressure machine, etc. should also have a “home” and chart with scheduled times and dosages to check off — again, no thinking!)
Finally, colourful post-it note reminders!! They help you, your caregivers, and your guests!! I know you are so much more than your cancer, but we found everyone was more comfortable when they worried less about screwing up! — and I’m sure you are creative enough to come with some interesting messages and symbols!
Good luck, and hope this helps some,
Bev
I’m so sorry about the restrictions on your time with Buster, what a bummer! He is so precious and I love all the photos and videos, he reminds me so much of my boy Riley. That last photo is amazing, how can you resist that face?!
Buster is so cute! He looks so sad to not be with you in that second pic. I hope you can work this out so you can cuddle more!
He is just too cute!
I’m sorry to hear about the cuddle time cut backs…Thats so unfortunate!
It’s amazing what great companions dogs can be isn’t it? I unfortunately cannot have one so I will live vicariously through you ;)
When I went through my radioactive treatment, I had this vision of myself leaving this toxic invisible sludge every where I went (that one really helps the self esteem!) I was a cleaning freak during and after I was done, so I can only imagine trying to keep things clean and fresh for so long. (That sentence really made me think of a feminine product or something…)
I rescued a dog about 1.5 months ago and I am also in the freak club of talking/showing pictures/doing nothing but snuggling your dog. So cute!!!
Hope you’re feeling better today!
Aww, I’m sorry to hear about the new limitations with the pup :( That video is so darn cute…the head tilt always gets me!
Thinking of you, Susan <3
HOLY SHIT THE HEAD TILT IS KILLING ME!!!!!!! I had to watch it over and over. Um. Please turn into a crazy dog owner. PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE?! also, sorry you don’t get 110% cuddle time, but that is prob for the best. OH I LOVE YOU AND BUSTER!
My dog is named Buster, too! He cocks his head like that when he hears the garage door open. Gets me every time. :)
Too freakin cute!!! When the video started, Ellie got up, but then laid down again , remembering she doesn’t speak ‘dog’ :-p