Sweet Puppy

Anyone who knows us knows how much we love our little Dixie dog.  She has an adorable, feisty, personality that belies her small stature.  We really think of her as part of the family....and she knows it!  Sometimes I'm convinced she doesn't really know she's a dog.  

So, needless to say, we've been very concerned the last few days as we've noticed her limping around, only using three legs.  She's had knee problems for a while, but they never seemed to slow her down until now.  I took her to the vet earlier this week, and he referred us to an orthopedic surgeon (am I the only one who didn't know they had such a thing for dogs?).  Today was our appointment with the specialist, who told us Dixie has a torn ACL and chronic knee cap displacement.  Sounds pretty painful to me, so I was more than happy to schedule surgery for her.  I realize she's only a dog, but she's enriched our lives for years, and we want to do anything we can to make her life more enjoyable too.

Tomorrow is the big day, and poor Ryan has the unhappy duty of dropping her off at the vet's office.  Over the years, Ryan and Dixie have become good buddies.....although the scars on his arm remind us that sometimes it's more of a love/hate relationship than true love.  I have to admit that Dixie has become a bit of a grumpy old lady the last few years.  Of course, Ryan just thinks her crankiness makes her that much cuter.  I think it might break his heart to leave her at the vet's, but he's putting on a brave face for her.  We'll be praying that the surgery goes well and she's able to get back to her crotchety old self soon!

Who wouldn't love that face?

Ryan decided to put Dixie in the trash can when we were raking up leaves....maybe her animosity has some foundation after all ;)