How much we love our 4 legged friends? As much as family, sometimes more!
We've adopted her from a breeder when she was 14 months; she was the runt of the litter, did not grow up like her brothers and sisters, she barely weighted 1 pound at 6 months. They could not sell her, but they are nice people and kept her. But she became the odd ball, running taller with another new litter of puppies when I met her. She came home for the weekend, I wanted to see how she gets along with the cats who have been here many years before her. But she never left anymore. As soon as I let her roam through the house, she found the kitty door, used the backyard, came back and owned the house. She chased the kitties for a little while, but then they eventually learned to split the space.
There she is the first week at her forever home, she was still chewing, but we did not mind, we loved her to pieces.
Then after we bonded, she developed separation anxiety, and was so sad every day when we left for work we felt guilty...and we brought her a little partner. Here they are, playing, the first day Nello came home.
But you know what, now I had 2 sad puppies every day I had to work, so we decided it is not their fault, but ours 
We went for walks together, almost every day, and everybody learned to get along, and wait for me to get home...
Nucka was always the fragile one, for years we gave her drugs to protect her liver, we had some scary nights in ER with dehydration, reaction to vaccines, you name it.
And then in November 2016 we got a death sentence; the vet found a melanoma on her palate, during a routine teeth cleaning procedure. He removed the tumor and gave us 6 months. Nucka wasn't even 12 at that time. I asked for a second opinion, and I was told with treatment (radiation, because chemo is not useful in melanoma), we might extend our time to 6-11 months. We decided our precious girl will not have to go through that, and we will enjoy the time we have left.
I started researching alternative therapies, and found a vet in California was using Hemp Oil called Charlotte's Web in dogs with cancer; not to beat the tumor, but to enhance the body's natural ability to fight it. It was hard coming up with the dosage (she now weights 12 pounds), but she's been on it since November of 2016.
You were all praying for us about 3 weeks ago, when she started changing and I though that was it, it was her time to go. But the vet told us the mass is about 5mm (when he removed it in 2016 it was 2cm), and potentially infected. She took antibiotic for 7 days and she is happy again.
Today she is 13, Happy birthday dear Nucka, I can never tell you how much joy you are bringing me every single day, and how precious every minute with you is. Mama loves you sweet girl!
PS My apologies if the blog has nothing to do with quitting smoking, but maybe it does; maybe without the love of my furry baby I would not be where I am today.
