I got Fozzy in January of 1995. She was just 5 weeks old and could easily sit in one hand! My ex-wife

picked her out, I wanted the chocolate one but she wanted the blonde, so we got the blonde. When we

spilt up in 2000, she didn't want the dog and I got to keep Fozzy. She isn't just a dog, she's

part of my family. Only dog owners would understand. She is in her teens now and she doesn't

have the spring in her step like she used too.

As she gets older she is having quite a bit of medical issues. She has a pretty dangerous medical condition that

I discovered in 2005. Wondering why her back had been bothering her, I had X-rays taken to try

to figure out what was wrong. Her vertebrae are fusing in two places. They are probably 90% fused

now and somehow the disk between them never ruptured or moved into the spinal column. That would have

paralyzed her. There is still a very real chance that one of the vertebrae or what is left of the disk can

slip into her spinal column. No more jumping for her, I've changed the couch and bed around so she can

easily get on them without jumping. Who knows how long she has, but what she has left will

assuredly be happy for her. I'll see to that. ;-)

Medical Updates:

Here are a few pictures of the X-rays.

These two pictures (One, two) are from the summer of 2005. They show the fusing of 2 vertebrae.

This next image is from summer of 2006. It is only a side view shot because they didn't want to risk putting her under
sedation. It shows the same two vertebrae are getting worse and a calcification is forming below them. Also more ventrally
two more vertebrae are fusing. She cannot hardly get up the steps at all now and I have to carry her in and out. :( At her age,
spinal surgery would not really be worth it. I'm doing the best I can for her.

Update: February 2007

I noticed a lump in on of her mammary glands and had her checked out and it was a tumor. Since she
was still in-tact, it was most likely cancerous. I had blood work done and she was in good enough
condition to have surgery so we scheduled the tumor removal and spaying her the same day
on February 8th 2007. Thankfully the surgery went well.



Here are a few pictures of her in action over the years.

Me and Fozz in the old truck circa 2002.

Her favorite place to hang in the house, on top of the couch.

Fozzy and my mom's dog Minnie.

Back