We have two allegedly pure-bred Maltese in our household. Both were born in October 2000 and we adopted them in February 2001.
Dudley Hugs Klein was born about a little more than a week before Murray Sunshine Klein. They have the same father and their mothers were sisters. Cue the joke machine.....
Ironically, they have completely different personalities and you'd have no idea they share any blood lines at all.
While I enjoy having both dogs around, the "dog's dog" of the group is Murray. Weighing in at a whopping 18 pounds, he is the Andre The Giant of the Maltese world. He has always acted like a "big dog". He loves to lay around and make you walk around him....he is always quick to run and greet me at the door with barks and kisses, even if I was simply gone for a few minutes. He loves going on walks. He loves to pull on the viburnum hedges in the front yard when we leave for our walks (Murray!). He snuggles up against you when it is time for bed. He loves to wrestle and chase balls and toys. And, Murray loves to run in a pack.
About 24 months ago, he wasn't doing real well, and we thought we were taking him to the Vet to get the "take him home for one more night" talk. Murray was diagnosed with a severe liver disease and even if he got better in the next day or two, then we would be lucky to have him 6 more months.
And, then something happened. He got better.....in a hurry. It was quite frankly, close to a miracle-type recovery.
At the same time his liver issues were occurring, we learned he was also diabetic. Some doggy insulin shots twice a day have all but cured that problem.
Then, a couple of weeks later, Murray developed cataracts in both eyes. They are not painful and it seems like he was able to hold onto approximately 25% of his sight. Not great by any stretch, but he didn't care. He adapted immediately and was the same Murray we had known before all of his maladies began to affect him.
Well, that was nearly 24months ago, and this SOB has been going strong and barking at our neighbor's dogs and patroling the yard and protecting us from imaginary dangers and, basically, well, being himself again. It was unreal to think he was almost dead back in 2008.
Reality has started to finally set in, and Murray had been doing great until a few weeks ago. He is starting to go downhill and it is tough to watch. I'll spare you the details in order to preserve his dignity, but it just doesn't seem right to see him go like this.
Where is my dog that greets me at the door? Where is my dog that pulls my socks off my feet when he wants to be "bad" and nips at my toes along the way? I do miss that dog.
I hope Murray does get better one last time. We'll get some blood work back for Murray in a couple of days and we'll see how his liver is holding up. Murray has proven everyone wrong before (he was literally on death's doorstep before) and I'd love for him to make it back one more time.
What an inspiring animal.
We should all be so lucky to learn how to trust and love and play and protect and care as well as Murray Sunshine Klein.
We love you, Murray - you can do it, man.
Dudley Hugs Klein was born about a little more than a week before Murray Sunshine Klein. They have the same father and their mothers were sisters. Cue the joke machine.....
Ironically, they have completely different personalities and you'd have no idea they share any blood lines at all.
While I enjoy having both dogs around, the "dog's dog" of the group is Murray. Weighing in at a whopping 18 pounds, he is the Andre The Giant of the Maltese world. He has always acted like a "big dog". He loves to lay around and make you walk around him....he is always quick to run and greet me at the door with barks and kisses, even if I was simply gone for a few minutes. He loves going on walks. He loves to pull on the viburnum hedges in the front yard when we leave for our walks (Murray!). He snuggles up against you when it is time for bed. He loves to wrestle and chase balls and toys. And, Murray loves to run in a pack.
About 24 months ago, he wasn't doing real well, and we thought we were taking him to the Vet to get the "take him home for one more night" talk. Murray was diagnosed with a severe liver disease and even if he got better in the next day or two, then we would be lucky to have him 6 more months.
And, then something happened. He got better.....in a hurry. It was quite frankly, close to a miracle-type recovery.
At the same time his liver issues were occurring, we learned he was also diabetic. Some doggy insulin shots twice a day have all but cured that problem.
Then, a couple of weeks later, Murray developed cataracts in both eyes. They are not painful and it seems like he was able to hold onto approximately 25% of his sight. Not great by any stretch, but he didn't care. He adapted immediately and was the same Murray we had known before all of his maladies began to affect him.
Well, that was nearly 24months ago, and this SOB has been going strong and barking at our neighbor's dogs and patroling the yard and protecting us from imaginary dangers and, basically, well, being himself again. It was unreal to think he was almost dead back in 2008.
Reality has started to finally set in, and Murray had been doing great until a few weeks ago. He is starting to go downhill and it is tough to watch. I'll spare you the details in order to preserve his dignity, but it just doesn't seem right to see him go like this.
Where is my dog that greets me at the door? Where is my dog that pulls my socks off my feet when he wants to be "bad" and nips at my toes along the way? I do miss that dog.
I hope Murray does get better one last time. We'll get some blood work back for Murray in a couple of days and we'll see how his liver is holding up. Murray has proven everyone wrong before (he was literally on death's doorstep before) and I'd love for him to make it back one more time.
What an inspiring animal.
We should all be so lucky to learn how to trust and love and play and protect and care as well as Murray Sunshine Klein.
We love you, Murray - you can do it, man.
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