Happy Birthday Beautiful

Our little or not so little puppy, turned dog turned 1 yesterday. She was very excited to receive an edible birthday card and tug of war toy.

 Presents

 Playing with Presents

 The edible birthday card kept her entertained for about an hour - 

best present ever!

So entertained that she wouldn't touch her other gift for a while

Love Vs. Money

Love versus money is something that most people don't even have to question but there is always those few who may have to consider it for financial or emotive reasons. This bring me to my post today about my beautiful 7 month old labrador, Saffy.

A Shaven Dog after Procedures Yesterday

Saffy is a gorgeous, loving puppy and completely normal, aside from her ectopic ureter and possible weak sphincter. She is a member of our family and life wouldn't be the same without her but as my first pet, I do find myself questioning what if we'd picked a different dog from word go (what if we didn't have to go through all these issues). It just shows that sometimes it comes down to love. Saffy was the one who stood out from the pack that day and we chose each other.


Saffy was officially diagnosed with this issue yesterday after an ultrasound and dye test. It is something a dog is born with and must be operated on to be fixed. It is not that common but more prevalent in labradors and female dogs. You may notice it by the dog leaking or wet patches when they get up from a spot. However, as a puppy it's harder to tell if it's just from excitement or something else. If you want more information, you can read about it here: http://www.vetsurgerycentral.com/ectopic_ureter.htm just beware if you're squeamish.

We were told by a vet the other day that quite a few owners actually put their dogs down before they reach the point Saffy has due to future costs. We love Saffy and would never consider but it isn't hard to understand why for those who can't afford it when you consider regular vet visits up to this point - $100 to $200, specialist consultations - $100 to $200, exploratory procedures - $1500 and the surgery (a couple of thousand) before you even consider desexing the dog. None of this is covered by insurance either, as it's a pre-existing issue. So if you don't have money saved away, you better have some nice people to give you a loan. Having a kid would be cheaper at this rate!

I would love to hear your point of view on the above.

In the meantime, here's the most recent photos from February Photo a Day:

Day 21 (of 29) Challenge - A Fave Photo of You

I'm on the right

Day 22 (of 29) Challenge - Where You Work

Reception Area

Day 23 (of 29) Challenge - Your Shoes

My favourite pair of shoes

Happy 6 Months Saffy

My gorgeous puppy (otherwise known as the rebellious teenager) turns 6 months old tomorrow, so I thought I'd dedicate this post to her. She is the best thing that's come into my life this year and I can't imagine what our home would be like without her.


Saffy will be playing cute dress ups in her Santa hat this Saturday. Will have to take photos of that!