Bugsy's First Christmas (A Tale by His Human)

Tradition dictates that we spend Christmas day in my grandparents house all the way over in Quezon City (we live in Paranaque) with all the rest of the clan. It's usually a whole day thing starting with lunch going all the way through midnight (opening presents is somewhere in between!).

With Bugsy being less than half a year old, it was unadvisable to leave him home alone for the entire day (and I didn't want him to celebrate Christmas by his lonesome) so he tagged along and he absolutely loved it!

On the way to his first ever Christmas party

On the hour-long ride to Quezon City, he relaxed sleepily in the backseat. But as soon as we got to my lola's house, he wriggled out of his leash and zigzagged his way around people's legs, greeting everyone with happy licks (if they'd let him) and some serious tail wagging (and some accidental excited peeing as well).

Most were happy to shower him with attention (specially the kids) and the little puppy basked in the glory of being adored by humans and played with everybody (and everything) until way past his bedtime. From Bugsy and his humans, Merry Christmas y'all! We all hope you had a great one!

Love,
Bugsy's Mum

Puppies in the Park

Last Saturday, we took Bugsy and Bailey, a beautiful lemon beagle, out to Ayala Triangle Gardens for a walk. Bugsy, the little boy pup couldn't contain his excitement at being out and about. His tail wouldn't stop wagging and he kept begging for attention. Bailey on the other hand, was used to taking walks and was better behaved, if not a little haughty, showing the exciteable puppy how it's done.

Summady developed a crush on summady and kept following her around

Bailey, Tita Annie's lemon beagle

Bugsy and his human, playing fetch in front of Banapple

Bim taking Bailey around for a romp

Bugsy had the time of his life!

Lovely Lashes

Shih tzu eyelashes are gorgeous, they're usually long, curled upward, and really adorable. Bugsy's is no different, his lashes are something I'm *almost* jealous of, theyre really long and unfortunately for him, very girly.

This picture of Bugsy and his pretty lashes is a lucky shot. It's not easy to take a picture of his face up close, as the always-curious-pup tries to jump and kiss the camera when he sees it near his face.

Woulda Been Cool To Have Met Her

Hello everyone!

For as long as I can remember, I've been told stories about my older sister. Her name is Brandy and they say we're a lot like each other. We're both cute, we like running as fast as we can, playing with toys, going out, and getting treats. Too bad she already went to doggie heaven a few months before I met her. We could have played all day and then I wouldn't be sad when my human goes to work She wrote about my sister on her blog, I'll put it here so you guys will know her story-

Without Words

Dear Brandy,

It's been more than two months since you've gone on and I can't say I've moved on already. We have a new dog in the house and his name is Bugsy, he's quite the rascal but I bet you'd have liked his company. You'd have enjoyed having someone to play with that's just as hyperactive as you were. It would have been a riot.

I miss you, puppy dearest. Today I was just thinking of your last days on earth. That night, when I arrived at the clinic where you were confined, you mustered up enough energy to stand up when you saw me, wagging your little tail weakly, surprising the vet because you had not stood up willingly for them during the day.

You liked fishies!

The people at the clinic said you stayed curled up in the corner of the cage, not paying them any mind even when they were trying to comfort you, completely ignoring the food that you used to gobble up in minutes not two days before. You were weak, the dextrose was your only lifeline. But you stood up and wagged your tail for me, silently telling me that you didn't want to be there.

I scooped you in my arms, carefully working around the needle on your small leg. We stayed in that position for a long while and I was stroking your head, your back, your little paws, whispering that you'll be better.

And then I needed to leave because they were closing, to my surprise, you pushed your weak body as hard as you could to that nook of my arm you loved burying your nose into whenever you were on my lap. Without words, you told me not to leave you in that dark cold room for the night, alone and in pain. But I did. I went home and thought leaving you there would be for the best. There were people who could monitor how you were doing in the middle of the night and call for the vet in case anything drastic happened. 

You had such a cheeful face :)

You had your first seizure right before I left, in the cage. I panicked and frantically asked the vet what should be done. He calmly said that seizures would really happen because of the malfunction in your kidney. I was ignorant and didn't press on for further action because you seem to have calmed down after a while and the vet seemed sure that it was a normal reaction and we should just let it pass.

I left you there in the hopes that you would get better and that they can take care of you better than I could. I tossed and turned that night, worrying about what might happen during the dark of the night. Warning bells were clanging in my head, telling me that there was something amiss.

Always curious

The next morning, I called the clinic right when they opened so I can ask about how you were. I was horrified when they told me you've been having seizures since before dawn, the intervals getting shorter with each one and the vet got in just five minutes before my call. You didn't recognize me anymore though I called out your name and looked into your glazed eyes. I had no choice but to agree to put you down because you were in much pain.

There are so many "should haves" that night. I should have rushed you to a better pet hospital with better equipment and compassionate veterinarians who might have taken a more aggressive approach to your situation the night before. Rather than you having to endure your pain in a dark room by yourself, your designated watchers just letting you have seizure after seizure without notifying anybody, it might even have been better if I just took you home and kept watch over you and hugged you tight when the pain was unbearable. I know I should have. I feel guilty and helpless every time I remember.

Missed forever

Brandy, I'm still heartbroken that you're gone forever. I miss your happy face, inquisitive eyes and perennially wagging tail. All your life, you brought me nothing but joy; I'm sorry that because of me, you had to go painfully. You couldn't say what was hurting you then, you couldn't say what you wanted. But without words, you tried to. And in many words, although it won't bring you back, here I am telling you that I'm sorry.

Love,

Your human

It would have been really cool to have met her.

-Bugsy

Bugsy in a Topknot: "I feel pretty, oh so pretty!"

Let me start that Bugsy is a little boy pup. Like any other shih tzu, his puppy fur is growing longer (and messier) by the day. It's very cute on him but his fur bangs fall over his eyes, making it nearly impossible for him to see properly. And although his human pops is opposed to it, my solution is to fix his bangs in a girly topknot. Bugsypup doesn't seem bothered by it, because he's had it on for most of the day and he ain't complaining! Look at Bugsy in a pink scrunchy (I had no blue ones!)-

I don't look like a girl, do I mum?

I still look like a boy, right? Right?

 

It's not so bad, I'm starting to like it..

 

Can I take it off now? 

Nevermind, I still look cute, clip or no clip. -Bugsy

Bugsy's Christmas Wish List

Woah, it's almost nearly Christmas! It'll be my first Christmas ever and I'm really, really, really, reaaaaallly excited! My mum tells me that Christmas is the happiest time of the year. She says there will be treats, bones, more hugs, lots of parties and a pile of GIFTS! I can't wait!

I'll tell you all about the things I want for Christmas so you don't have to think of what to give me, okay? You can just pick from my list! (This is also to prevent my human mum from getting me a barette. Geez mum, I'm a boy!)

Here are some of the stuff that I'd like to get for Christmas:

1. A cotton shirt-

My Sassy Puppy's Doggie Polo Shirt (p240)

Barettes and ribbons are gross, but I would like a regular shirt like this one. I want to look dapper for the holidays. They'll be taking pictures of me for sure! Blue's my favorite color, but the red one looks really cool too.

2. A food bowl-

Waggin Pooch Boutique's Food Bowl (p50)

I have a stainless food bowl, but that's boring and these are cool. Specially the blue one. And I want a bowl for water, I don't like that water bottle thing my mum makes me use so much.

3. TREATS AND MORE TREATS!!!-

Pet Avenue's Lamb and Cheese Burger Treats (p50)

Like these! I haven't tried these before. My favorites now are those bone-shaped milk biscuits and Dentabone for puppies but these look yummy too.

4. Rubber slippers-

These are my favoritest things in the world (besides treats)! Rubber slippers are the best toys ever. It doesn't matter what color they are, I can play with (chew on) them all day! If you give me these, I will love you forever!

And lastly, the most important item on this list, it would be great if you can give me..
5. A girlfriend-

Isn't she cute?

You know, like any other guy, I'd like a lady friend. I mean, I'm old enough now, I'd like someone to go on dates with sometimes. I'll even give her my favorite toy as a gift and I'll treat her like I should a lady, I promise.

She has to have a good sense of humor, no bad breath or body odor, and must have an outdgoing personality. She doesn't have to be a shih tzu like me, but she does have to be cute (I'm pretty cute too, so it'll be a good match) and about my size (I don't date girls bigger than me). Someone like that really pretty girl in the picture.

And that is all. Those are the only things I want for Christmas this year. Please, please, please wrap my gifts in recycled paper so I can tear it off all by myself (but if you're getting me a girlfriend, don't wrap her please). Have I said I'm excited for Christmas already? I'm very excited! I am! I am! I am!

-Bugsy

Bugsy Has Demodectic Mange

A couple weeks ago, the little shih tzu pup developed a nasty itch. At first we thought it was normal dog itch and ignored it but a few days later, he wouldn't stop scratching and we suspected it to be ticks or fleas and bought him a medicated flea and tick collar as recommended by the pet supplies store we frequent. Two days later, the itch seemed to worsen and the fur on his neck seemed to have fallen off (his human pops says he looks like a monkey with a bare neck and a furry head).

By this time, I had decided to remove the collar because Bugsy's skin might be too young and sensitive for the collar (although the package said it can be used by puppies 12 weeks or older). Another day later, his itching had not improved at all. A coin-sized wound appeared on his neck, his skin was pink in patches and he wouldn't stop scratching. We decided to bring him to Happy Hayop that weekend to get checked. They took one look at him and said they needed to scrape off some skin for testing and that's how we found out that he had demodectic mange.

Demodectic mange is  is caused by a microscopic mite of the Demodex genus. Three species of Demodex mites have been identified in dogs: Demodex canis, Demodex gatoi, and Demodex injai. The most common mite of demodectic mange is Demodex canis. All dogs raised normally by their mothers possess this mite as mites are transferred from mother to pup via cuddling during the first few days of life. Most dogs live in harmony with their mites, never suffering any consequences from being parasitized. If, however, conditions change to upset the natural equilibrium (such as some kind of suppression of the dog's immune system), the Demodex mites may "gain the upper hand." The mites proliferate and can cause serious skin disease. (source)

The vets of Happy Hayop said he needed at least three weekly injections of Ivermectin to kill the nasty mites. We're currently on his 2nd dose and his neck now looks like this-

Bugsy relaxing after lunch and a walk

His skin is still pinkish but his wound has completely healed, the skin on his neck is baby smooth once again, and the fur on his neck is starting to grow back. The gray spots are just Bugsy's birth marks. Like any worried momma, I've been trying to find out more about demodectic mange and my research tells me that everything should be fine once his immune system matures. *crosses fingers*

Juvenile onset of Demodectic Mange - Young dogs have inherently immature immune systems and are thus susceptible to the development of demodicosis without any sinister underlying diseases. As they grow up and their immune systems mature, they tend to naturally gain control of their mite infestation; in fact, 30-50% of dogs under age 1 year recover spontaneously from generalized demodicosis without any form of treatment. (source)

In the meantime, I'm just glad that the treatment is working and Bugsy remains to be a hyperactive ball of fur who doesn't itch as much anymore!

-Bugsy's human

Bugsy's Story - My First Day Home

Hiya everybody!

I read my human mum's account of my first day home last week and not all of it is true! Before you judge me, you'll have to read my story too. Here it goes-

That day, I woke up early inside the cage that I shared with my sleepy brother. I jumped on top of him to wake him up, it's funny when he gets jolted awake. It was breakfast time and we each had our own bowlful of puppy food that we both finished in less than a minute! It was yummy. My brother and I wrestled for a bit after eating and he kept trying to pin me down but I wouldn't let him. I always win at wresling.

And then around lunchtime, a couple of visitors arrived. They talked to my birth mum's human dad and he let us out of the cage to welcome the guests. I was used to this, there were a lot of visitors who came to see us every now and then. I ran to the one closest to me and jumped on her. She smelled pretty nice. She petted my head and I wagged my tail as hard as I could. The humans said that my brother and I were both lively and cute, but I disagree. I think I'm the cutest.

After a while, the visitors said they'll be bringing me home. We went to ride in this big and noisy box (which I later learned is called a 'car') and I sat on the girl's lap while she kept petting me. I liked that. Then we arrived at home and they brought me inside. I didn't really understand what was happening at first.

There were small humans that wanted to play with me and I got surprised when they talked in really loud voices. That's why I hid in the corner for most of the afternoon and sulked. I kinda missed my brother then because no one was the same size as me. But the girl who smelled nice gave me lots of food and I just kept eating and drinking.

After that, I took a long nap and looked for my brother when I woke up. He wasn't there, but the nice smelling girl was there and I just shuffled next to her so she'd pet me again. She gave me a toy called Mr. Moo to play with. I know I'm good at wrestling and Mr. Moo was no match for me- I had him pinned down in no time. He kind of reminded me of my brother. I slept next to Mr. Moo that night.

The next morning, although I still kind of missed my brother, I was cool with him not being there. My human wasn't bad, she hugged me a lot, gave me yummy food and cleaned up my mess. Plus, I had Mr. Moo to wrestle with and there were slippers to chew on! SLIPPERS! Those are awesome! I was pretty sure it would be a fun after that.

Now you know my story, it's not all about pooping and pissing like my human mum insists!

Call Me Bugsy

My mum started to call me Teddy when I first came home and I hated it. It was a cutesy name so I pretended not to hear her whenever she called me that.

Good thing she caught on quickly, she picked a new name already, which I liked better. "Bugsy" has a nice ring to it, and I run to her every time she calls me. This is the first time I did it, on my second day home-

 Bugsy likes his name

She says she picked that name because I'm such a little bugger. Heehee, I know I am mum, I can't help it!

Bugsy's First Day Home

Bugsy came home on September 18, 2010. We picked him up from Sucat, Paranaque where his birth mom and brothers live. When we got there, it was difficult to decide which to pick from the two puppies available for adoption.

One was dominantly white, with a golden mask on his face and beautiful golden spots on his back, and a lovely face with pretty eyelashes that were thick and long. The other had darker markings with a golden brown mask and a dark brown blanket marking on his back, his face rather small and his eyes beadier than normal. While both were playful and energetic, wrestling playfully and tumbling all over the place to get attention from the newcomers, after a good half an hour or so, the little brown puppy who kept licking our feet won our hearts.

Bugsy's first day

On the ride home, he wouldn't sit still in his basket so he jumped into my arms and settled his small furry self there until we got home. Once there, the little pup was apprehensive of his new surroundings and kept to himself under the cabinet. A short bit later, he came out of hiding, ate everything in his bowl and kept asking for more. He went back to his corner to observe and rest after eating. The puppy was timid and shy for most of the afternoon; he kept running back to his corner whenever a loud sound startled him.

By nighttime, he was slowly coming out of his shell and started sniffing everything around him. He even started to wreslte with his cow stuffed toy. It was then that I found out that sleeping peacefully is a rarity when taking care of a 9 week old puppy. Bugsy didn't like the dark; he kept trying to jump onto the bed to get attention and pooped and peed everywhere every few hours. It was exhausting. That's also the best way to describe Bugsy's first day home.

You can read Bugsy's account of his first day home here!

Thanks,
Bugsy's Human

Me and My Birth Parents

Hello again everybody,

I just had Holistic Puppy for dinner and it was yummy! I finished every last kibble. My vet, Dr. Bong from Happy Hayop, says it's good for my sensitive skin because it has no chicken in it. He rubs my ears when I visit and makes sure I'm comfy. I like that guy.

Anyway, my mum told me I should talk a little bit about myself so you get to know me. I'm not really sure what to tell you guys but I'll just start with the basics. I was born on July 12, 2010. That makes me 15 weeks and 2 days old today! (I had mum count it for me) I'm a pretty big boy now and I weigh 1.9 kilos or 4.19 pounds according to my vet. They said I'm a bit heavy for my age but mum says she'd still like me no matter how fat I get.

The humans I lived with before were nice enough to give me pictures of my birth parents, so I won't forget about them. Here's my pops-

Dad

My human mum says he kind of looks like he's been in a fight I think I look a bit like my old man, tough and brave looking. We have the same markings too on our faces and backs, only he's gray and I'm brownish. I got my color from my birth mum, here she is-

Mom

Look at that, we have the same color- gold and brown with dark ears that looks exactly like mine! They say she's a sweet-tempered dog and sometimes I think I'm a little bit like her (just a little bit).

Now that I'm a big boy, I don't live with my birth parents anymore. I have my own human and she's pretty cool because she gives me treats and teaches me tons of new stuff. I gotta go now, imma go and play tug of war with my new Taz stuffed toy. Later!

-Bugsy

Hello from Bugsy's Human Mum

Hi everybody,

I'm Bugsy's human mum. I put up this blog to stop annoying people with random stories of how cute Bugsy is be able to write about what's going on Bugsy's puppy life.

Anyhoots, Bugsy-pup is exactly fifteen weeks and two days old today. I took him home about a month ago, when he was a wee little ball of fur at nine weeks and four days old. He's grown noticeably taller and bigger since then, and has already lost all the inhibitions he had on his first day.

Bugsy the puppy is currently on medication for a relatively mild form of Demodectic Mange (I'll talk more about this later). We were lucky to have caught the disease at an early stage. Thankfully, he's still a roly poly puppy that's sometimes a bit too hyperactive for his own good.

Thank you for reading,
Bugsy's human mum

Puppy Love on rub-a-dub-dub, abumelt in a tub

Hi one and all,

I've attached the first post my human mum wrote about me on her blog, rub-a-dub-dub, abumelt in a tub at the end of this post. Don't tell anyone, but I was kind of misty eyed at the end. You guys might wanna read it, so here it is:

~o~

Puppy Love

Just last week, a nine-week old baby Shih Tzu doggie became the cutest member of my household. On his first day in his new home, the puppy was timid, shy, and overly scared of loud noises- he cried out and hid in shadowy corners when he heard a louder-than-your-normal-speaking-voice noise.

Shy little puppy

By nighttime, he was less scared and started to sniff around and play with Moo, his stuffed cow. The little bugger kept me up all night by trying to jump on the bed, whining for attention, and having little puppy accidents all over the place.

"I win this round, Mr. Moo!" -baby Bugsy

I wanted to call him Teddy the first night because he looked like a cute little teddy bear when he was sitting down. But on his second day, he overcame his shyness and became the little rascal that he truly is. By morning he was running around his play area, gobbling up his food down to the last kibble, enjoying getting his tummy rubbed (I found his ticklish spot!), and playfully nipping toes (I'm still trying to make him learn that this particular game isn't cute).

Bugsy likes his new name

Since then, the little bugger has been christened with the (fitting) name Bugsy- a name he seems to like as well. The second night was much better for little Bugsy and me. Although he had a couple of weewee accidents, they were understandable because he's only nine weeks old (puppies of that age can only hold their pee in for about 2 hours or so) and had just spent two days in his new home. What's amazing was that he slept through the night and pooped outside the following morning.

Bugsy is a curious little doggie

Now, he's like an energetic two-year-old human baby. He's teething (he has only eight teeth) and likes chewing on toy bones and his teether toys (although his favorite "toy" to massage his gums with are my favorite pink slippers -_-). He's also currently practicing to pounce, leaping as high as he can to land on top of his chosen toy (usually Moo, the stuffed cow).

No more weewee accidonts by the third night!

Three days in, he has learned to pee on his doggie pad (which is actually an adult diaper pad) and has almost learned that pooping should be done outside and outside only. He just had one poopy-related accident since the first night (this is a feat because the pup poops six times a day)!

Bugsy, I wish you had met Brandy

We're going to see the vet this weekend for Bugsy's third round of vaccines and I hope things go well. I get worried because I've been researching pet care online and have read too many horror stories of little puppies getting very sick and not making it (the Internet is evil for things like this). In the meantime, Bugsy is a bouncing ball of furry fluff that has taken possession of my heart (and my favorite pink slippers -_-). <3

That was kind of sweet, human mum.

-Bugsy

Greetings humans!

My name is Bugsy and my human has decided to put up this blog for me. You see, I'm an awfully cute shih tzu puppy and she enjoys yakking about lil' old me. So here were are in BugsyFiles, where you'll get to read stories about me and the cool things I do.

-Bugsy