Friends
On November 4th, 2014 at approximately 11:53AM, I had to say goodbye to my best friend. We put Sabicas to rest after repeated bouts of suffering since July of this year. He had a tumor somewhere around his bladder that would prevent him from being able to urinate on his own.
He started having these episodes in late July, where the vet basically said there was nothing much they could do for the tumor, but to operate and see if they could remove it. Even though operating was an option, they could not guarantee anything, nor could they ensure that he would survive the operation given his age; Sabicas would have been 13 on December 22nd.
So in the months since his diagnosis, he would have several bouts of his inability to urinate, and the suffering and discomfort of not being able to. In some cases, we would have him catherterized to relieve him, which would work sometimes in allowing him to urinate again on his own. But at a certain point, catheterization only relieved him temporarily, as he would still not be able to urinate after on his own.
After several more bouts of his suffering, I desperately tried to research for a solution. I ended up finding a manual technique owners with paralyzed dogs would use on their dogs, which involved using a hand technique to 'squeeze' the dog's bladder manually to express their bladder. This technique worked, and it worked for several more months until it no longer worked.
There came a point when the tumor surrounding his bladder had become so large and solid that even the strongest manual forces I could comfortably impose on Sabicas was not enough. In the end, the tumour had shifted the position of his bladder, which explained why my expressing technique no longer worked. At this point, there was no more I could do, and I no longer wanted Sabicas to suffer through these bouts.
It's been almost a month since, and I still get very emotional at times when I think about the impact he had in my life. It's amazing how much we can learn from our best friends. They truly exemplify the notion of actions speaking louder than words.
Rest in peace, Sabicas. I know you have a lot of running and playing to do in Elysium; wait for me.
Sabicas (December 22, 2001 - November 4, 2014)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When I went to pick Sabicas up from my parents' home for the weekend, I always discovered something new that he had attempted or succeeded in accomplishing in terms of mischief. Here are some of the strange, odd or common things that he did to keep himself amused during the week.
Saturday, May 5, 2012 - Compost BagSure enough the presumption that this boy ate the compost bag as well was true, as during our morning walk he managed to barf out the entire bag with the contents still inside the bag. Relieved, because I know that if that bag worked it's way down through his intestines it wouldn't be too pleasant and probably would involve a visit to the vet.
Friday, May 4, 2012 - Compost BagIt seems at the most opportune time, whether it be a 10-20 seconds of a window of opportunity, Sabicas will eventually raid the compost bin if it is unsecured and available. Friday I discovered that in this miniscule window of opportunity in an instant and in haste, he swallowed the near empty bag of compost whole! My parents thought he had ditched or stashed the bag somewhere while eating the contents, but the bag could not be found. Only logical explanation is that he ate the bag as well. *Sigh*
SynopsisMy dog's name is Sabicas (Sah-bee-cahs). He is named after one of my most favourite flamenco guitarists, Augustin Castellon Campos, whose stage name was "Sabicas". I thought about different names, and usually when it comes to dogs, most people try to use 2 syllables or less for convenience. So, since I'm a big fan of Flamenco, I thought about some of the greatest guitarists I admired. 'Paco' was a very clear and obvious choice, after Paco de Lucia. But I wanted something more original, and without the syllable inference, 'Sabicas' was born.
I got him from a farm in a rural part of Ontario from an ad in the newspaper. He was advertised among his perhaps 8 or 10 siblings as a Labrador Retriever. When I got to their home, all of them were running about scurrying as the breeder showed them to me. They were fairly startled and scurried back to their mother in a nearby corner.
As they scurried, all but one which seemed to sneakily try to avoid detection by crawling between my legs. I looked down and saw this black, tiny, floppy-eared little imp, cute as ever, trying to go back to his mother. I reached down and picked him up, raised him up above me to get a good look and just melted at the innocent looking face of this floppy-eared creature.
As he was being prepared, I stood outside beside his mother, a Golden Retriever. Her demeanor seemed very placid, and she seemingly smiled as I petted her. As I was driving off, all I could see was the entire pack running after my car, as if bidding a final farewell to their brother, and a mother seeing one of her children off.
As he grew, Sabicas exemplified traits that would earn specific nicknames, such as 'spoiled brat' and 'sneaky thief'. Regardless, he is the most loving, caring and intelligent dog I have ever known or owned. He has kept me company through the hardest parts in my life thus far, unconditionally.
Sabicas will be 11 years old this December 2012. Regardless of his age, he is and will always be a puppy to me. No amount of greying whiskers or eyebrows can separate that perception to me.
Sabicas eats anything we eat. I don't think he eats whatever it is he eats because it tastes good, but for the sake that he sees US eating it. He eats most vegetables, meat(of course) and he has even been known to eat Currants!(from theft of course).
He has stolen some chocolate cake once, and to my dismay and ire, had to take him to the vet hospital as a precaution since chocolate is toxic to dogs. After a 2 hour wait, he was of course fine, but the unbelievable antics this boy executes makes me shake my head and smile at the same time.
He is a very perceptive and observant boy. He will watch and study a given situation very keenly and patiently and will find the right time to execute his scheme. He has been known to be a jail-breaker and master thief, having been placed in doggie daycare on occasion. He managed to wait for the right time for the daycare handlers to go to lunch, then manage to open his daycare suite, then raid the daycare cookie jar! Unbelievable ninja skills this boy has!
Here are some videos I have of him when I bought him some winter boots after he started complaining on one very frigid evening walk. He would lift his paws and kick in defiance of the cold. So I decided to get him some boots for such frigid days.
These videos were also part of a write up I did on HTML5 video. You can view the videos HERE.
Christmas eve 2011Is it Christmas yet?
This face tells it all, anticipating gifts, and the opportunity to steal something from the kitchen table. This is a pic of the brat before heading out to my parent's place for Christmas eve dinner. Seems like he was trying to give me a hint in hastening our departure.
MischiefThe name of this canine's game is *MISCHIEF* Sabicas will do everything in his power to cause and stealthily cause mischief, namely, theft.
Sabicas is the greatest "dog-burglar" that ever lived, you only need to lose attention of him for several seconds before he catches wind to your misperceptions and by then, he would already have stolen something, namely food.
He will do everything in his power to steal food, even if it is at the cost of severe punishment. The reward of stealing to him outweighs any punishment, as he has done this countless times with no sign of letting up.
He started having these episodes in late July, where the vet basically said there was nothing much they could do for the tumor, but to operate and see if they could remove it. Even though operating was an option, they could not guarantee anything, nor could they ensure that he would survive the operation given his age; Sabicas would have been 13 on December 22nd.
So in the months since his diagnosis, he would have several bouts of his inability to urinate, and the suffering and discomfort of not being able to. In some cases, we would have him catherterized to relieve him, which would work sometimes in allowing him to urinate again on his own. But at a certain point, catheterization only relieved him temporarily, as he would still not be able to urinate after on his own.
After several more bouts of his suffering, I desperately tried to research for a solution. I ended up finding a manual technique owners with paralyzed dogs would use on their dogs, which involved using a hand technique to 'squeeze' the dog's bladder manually to express their bladder. This technique worked, and it worked for several more months until it no longer worked.
There came a point when the tumor surrounding his bladder had become so large and solid that even the strongest manual forces I could comfortably impose on Sabicas was not enough. In the end, the tumour had shifted the position of his bladder, which explained why my expressing technique no longer worked. At this point, there was no more I could do, and I no longer wanted Sabicas to suffer through these bouts.
It's been almost a month since, and I still get very emotional at times when I think about the impact he had in my life. It's amazing how much we can learn from our best friends. They truly exemplify the notion of actions speaking louder than words.
Rest in peace, Sabicas. I know you have a lot of running and playing to do in Elysium; wait for me.
Sabicas (December 22, 2001 - November 4, 2014)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When I went to pick Sabicas up from my parents' home for the weekend, I always discovered something new that he had attempted or succeeded in accomplishing in terms of mischief. Here are some of the strange, odd or common things that he did to keep himself amused during the week.
Saturday, May 5, 2012 - Compost BagSure enough the presumption that this boy ate the compost bag as well was true, as during our morning walk he managed to barf out the entire bag with the contents still inside the bag. Relieved, because I know that if that bag worked it's way down through his intestines it wouldn't be too pleasant and probably would involve a visit to the vet.
Friday, May 4, 2012 - Compost BagIt seems at the most opportune time, whether it be a 10-20 seconds of a window of opportunity, Sabicas will eventually raid the compost bin if it is unsecured and available. Friday I discovered that in this miniscule window of opportunity in an instant and in haste, he swallowed the near empty bag of compost whole! My parents thought he had ditched or stashed the bag somewhere while eating the contents, but the bag could not be found. Only logical explanation is that he ate the bag as well. *Sigh*
SynopsisMy dog's name is Sabicas (Sah-bee-cahs). He is named after one of my most favourite flamenco guitarists, Augustin Castellon Campos, whose stage name was "Sabicas". I thought about different names, and usually when it comes to dogs, most people try to use 2 syllables or less for convenience. So, since I'm a big fan of Flamenco, I thought about some of the greatest guitarists I admired. 'Paco' was a very clear and obvious choice, after Paco de Lucia. But I wanted something more original, and without the syllable inference, 'Sabicas' was born.
I got him from a farm in a rural part of Ontario from an ad in the newspaper. He was advertised among his perhaps 8 or 10 siblings as a Labrador Retriever. When I got to their home, all of them were running about scurrying as the breeder showed them to me. They were fairly startled and scurried back to their mother in a nearby corner.
As they scurried, all but one which seemed to sneakily try to avoid detection by crawling between my legs. I looked down and saw this black, tiny, floppy-eared little imp, cute as ever, trying to go back to his mother. I reached down and picked him up, raised him up above me to get a good look and just melted at the innocent looking face of this floppy-eared creature.
As he was being prepared, I stood outside beside his mother, a Golden Retriever. Her demeanor seemed very placid, and she seemingly smiled as I petted her. As I was driving off, all I could see was the entire pack running after my car, as if bidding a final farewell to their brother, and a mother seeing one of her children off.
As he grew, Sabicas exemplified traits that would earn specific nicknames, such as 'spoiled brat' and 'sneaky thief'. Regardless, he is the most loving, caring and intelligent dog I have ever known or owned. He has kept me company through the hardest parts in my life thus far, unconditionally.
Sabicas will be 11 years old this December 2012. Regardless of his age, he is and will always be a puppy to me. No amount of greying whiskers or eyebrows can separate that perception to me.
Sabicas eats anything we eat. I don't think he eats whatever it is he eats because it tastes good, but for the sake that he sees US eating it. He eats most vegetables, meat(of course) and he has even been known to eat Currants!(from theft of course).
He has stolen some chocolate cake once, and to my dismay and ire, had to take him to the vet hospital as a precaution since chocolate is toxic to dogs. After a 2 hour wait, he was of course fine, but the unbelievable antics this boy executes makes me shake my head and smile at the same time.
He is a very perceptive and observant boy. He will watch and study a given situation very keenly and patiently and will find the right time to execute his scheme. He has been known to be a jail-breaker and master thief, having been placed in doggie daycare on occasion. He managed to wait for the right time for the daycare handlers to go to lunch, then manage to open his daycare suite, then raid the daycare cookie jar! Unbelievable ninja skills this boy has!
Here are some videos I have of him when I bought him some winter boots after he started complaining on one very frigid evening walk. He would lift his paws and kick in defiance of the cold. So I decided to get him some boots for such frigid days.
These videos were also part of a write up I did on HTML5 video. You can view the videos HERE.
Christmas eve 2011Is it Christmas yet?
This face tells it all, anticipating gifts, and the opportunity to steal something from the kitchen table. This is a pic of the brat before heading out to my parent's place for Christmas eve dinner. Seems like he was trying to give me a hint in hastening our departure.
MischiefThe name of this canine's game is *MISCHIEF* Sabicas will do everything in his power to cause and stealthily cause mischief, namely, theft.
Sabicas is the greatest "dog-burglar" that ever lived, you only need to lose attention of him for several seconds before he catches wind to your misperceptions and by then, he would already have stolen something, namely food.
He will do everything in his power to steal food, even if it is at the cost of severe punishment. The reward of stealing to him outweighs any punishment, as he has done this countless times with no sign of letting up.