The Personality of a Miracle

Miracle is our wimp.  You know I mean that in the most endearing way possible.  But what we discovered early in Miracle's life was that she is a little dramatic.  The first time this was really obvious was when we had her spayed.  Keep in mind that we have had scores of animals (cats and dogs), male and female - neutered or spayed.  Some have acted as if nothing has happened at all.  They resume normal activity levels immediately.  Some have clearly been affected by the surgery, but do really well.  And we've had some that moved quite gingerly for quite a while after surgery.  But Miracle just went down and wouldn't get up.

We guessed that Miracle was about six months old when we found her.  She was treated for demodectic mange for months.  It's a juggle to decide whether or not to spay while a dog is in the midst of treatment for this mange.  Hormones make it worse.  But so does physiological stress - which a surgery definitely is.  My vet discussed this with me, and he decided that when she was about nine months old, if she was improving at all, we would go ahead and spay.  The stress from the surgery might cause a setback, but if we let her go into heat, the setback would probably last longer, and then the surgery would still have to be done eventually. 

On November 1, 2004, Miracle was spayed.  She c-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y walked into the house from the vehicle.  She crawled up onto a couch.  She DID NOT MOVE for 24 hours.  I am not exaggerating.  She never moved from the position she was in for the rest of that day and night.  The next morning I started trying to coax her off the couch.  She needed to start drinking.  Water didn't move her.  Food didn't move her.  Not even a treat would get her stirring.  She followed me with her eyes, but wouldn't even lift her head.  She clearly thought she was dying.

Later on that second day, I finally pulled Miracle off of the couch.  She screamed like I was killing her.  I actually thought that maybe something had gone wrong in the surgery, and her reaction was the result of intense pain from some sort of complication.  I pulled her over to where I had set her water bowl.  She drank and drank, and then she jumped back onto the couch and didn't move again that day.  By that evening, I knew she surely had to "eliminate".  I tried first to coax her off the couch, but no.  I pulled her off again and slowly we walked outside.  She did her business and back to the couch.

It was the next morning before Miracle decided to move on her own.  The girls and I still laugh about this.  We watched her slowly lift the front part of her body.  She eased down to the floor - front feet only - while the back end stayed on the couch.  She remained motionless for a moment, then she began to carefully pull one back leg and then the other onto the floor.  She stood there and I swear a look of shock passed across her face.  She took a few steps, and  - amazingly, she was fine.  She seemed to be in disbelief that she was standing and yet . . . not dying.  She started walking and you could see the astonishment written all over her.  She tried a trot.  Down the hall she went to the water bowl.  She resumed her old life in a matter of minutes.

We could theorize that she was handled too roughly during her spay surgery and was truly in more pain than others are after this surgery.  But the "wimp" characteristic continued to show up.  (And it still does today.)  Most of our animals get their vaccinations without so much as a flinch.  Miracle screams.  Bouzzer once tore a flap of his flesh off on a stray piece of metal and never even whimpered.  Patty was rubbing her eye over and over one whole day until we finally took her to the vet because she was rubbing the eye raw.  The vet pulled a stick from the corner of her eye the size of your pinkie finger - she never made a noise.  Miracle stepped on a piece of blackberry bush and one of the stickers stuck in her paw pad.  She took off running, screaming and holding the foot as high in the air as she could get it.  When we finally got her stopped and checked the paw, there was a tiny little sticker which was easily plucked out.  She didn't put the foot down for days.  Oh, our sweet Miracle.  We love her despite her dramatic flair.

Here are some before and after pictures.

Then . . .

And now.

Tomorrow I will describe the relationship between Miracle and Waggles.  The best description is that Miracle idolizes Waggles.  There's no question who the alpha dog is in this pair. 

Comments

[Sweet Praline]

Miracle is definitely a big wimp. I think my mom is a wimp, too.

[Amy & The House of Cats]

Aw, Miracle is a bit of a wimp sure, and a bit of a drama queen, but what a cutie she has become. It is amazing to see her before and after - you wouldn't even know that was the same dog!

[Ginny W & The fur family]

I loved the new pictures and Miracle is a true actress. She should get an oscar for that preformance but you sure have to admire her she made a comeback once she learned she could walk again. She has beautiful ears that stand up and when you first got her she was so sick her ears didn't stand up much at all. You all are miracle workers. Her relationship with Waggles is so sweet. Can't wait till tomorrow for the next chapter.

[Pam Graves]

I love a good drama queen. That silly little girl knows how to milk it for all it is worth. I agree that I can hardly believe the before & afters are the same dog. What a beauty she has become. I can't wait for the next installment either!

[The Taylor CatSSSSS]

The Princess and the Pea!!! What a sweet lovely woofie!!!