Merlina is a dachshund. She was born on May 1996, and we celebrate her B day on the 5th. She chose me as her human, rather than me chosing her as my dog. I was examining her brother to take him home, after I had lost my precious Cocker Spaniel Belle. My other dog, a mini shnauzer, Frida, was so depressed, that finally, after 6 months of mourning, I decided to get another pup. My sister told me her friend's dog, Tequila, just had pups, and there was this cute male that I should get. We picked a name: Merlin. We got a collar and a bowl and engraved "Merlin" on them. Then we both went to see/get the pup. As I was checking out the little red male, I heard a noise. I tuned my head and on a flower pot, there was this little red, four legged bundle of hair, with a carrot in her mouth. She growled, jumped off the flower pot, and rushed towards me. She yanked her brother off my hands, sat on my lap, and proceded to lecture me on propper doggy manners. I picked her up, put her aside and picked the brother again (after all, THAT was supposed to be the dog I was going to take home). Again, she yanked the pup off my hands, this time she was angrier, and she started to bark her head off. This 2 month old little red, smooth dachshund was showing me she was the boss and wasn't going to take no for an answer. I thought that was terribly cute, so I picked her up and looked at her. She had the sweetest little snout. Short. Too short for a "true" dachsie. But then... she licked my nose. That did it! SOLD!
Then my sister reminded me we'd come for the male, which was cuter, true. We had all the "Merlin" stuff. What to do??? I told the owner of the pups I needed to think about it for a day, and that I'd come back the following day with a decision made. I walked towards the car and then, as I opened the door, I saw a little red bundle of hair trying to jump in. It was the little female. I turned towards the owner of the pups and said "I came to pick a dog, but the dog picked me". I grabbed the little female and took her with me, and as soon as I got home, I just added the "a" at the end of "Merlin". That's how my little Merlina ended up with us.
Since day one we've been together, sleeping by me and all the time I am home, she's by my side. She's never been very playful with the other dogs, though she is the alpha female of the pack. She'd rather be with any human than with any of her sisters. She's always been like that. Merlina has a temper. I'm sure she was the alpha of her litter and she's the alpha of the entire house: dogs, humans, birds, vermin, everything. Though she's always been lacking of health, that has never slowed her down.
At 6 months she had her uterous removed in emergency surgery. She had an awful hemorrage. Then, through the years, she's had 2 elbow fractures and 2 tail fractures. She's had several fatty cysts removed too.
Her right eye gave us a lot of problems. When she was 8 months old she accidentally pricked it with a thorn. Back then I went to another vet, and the vet missdiagnosed her and gave her the wrong treatment. After 3 days I saw her eye getting worse and I took her to another vet for a second opinion. This vet told me her eye was in very bad shape due to the steroid drops the first vet had prescribed. I was furious. She needed a surgery to cleanse the eye and partially close it to improve the healing and prevent impurities from getting in. The risk of infection was high, and the infection could reach her brain. While surgery was being done, I went to the other vet and let Hell break lose. Merlina needed a total of 8 surgeries to have that eye saved. She kept it and it had a small cloud, but she could see with it. It all lasted for almost 6 months before she was OK and "discharged". Needless to say, all that time I spoiled her completly, and to this day, that is how she remains.
In 2001, she had a similar accident in that same eye. I did not see it, but when I got home I noticed that she was under a bed and her eye squinting badly. i rushed her to the vet and she told me the eye had ruptured. She lost it, but still had another one to see.
In July 2004 Merlina had a dual disc herniation and almost died. It got very complicated. While in the hospital, completly paralyzed, without bladder or bowel control, with feeding tube, catheter and IV's in her, she had a terrible arrhythmia and also a high fever that almost killed her. Still, not only did she survive, but she walked again, and has full bladder and bowel control... with mild accidents. A couple of months later we found out she had Bacterial Endocarditis and was in Congestive Heart Failure. The vet gave her 6 months to live. We gave her meds, a new diet and supplements, and since that day, she's lived for 3 and a half years. Not bad.
In August 2006, bad luck struck again. Merlina was waiting to be carried upstairs when one of her sisters jumped her to beat her upstairs and accidentally poked her remaining eye. Yes. That instant I knew it was a goner. To my left I saw on the floor her lense. Nothing to do about it. My dog was blind, and cardiac. Could she survive the surgery? She did. Would she adapt to blindness? She did. Within 2 months she was exploring the entire house and ruling over her sisters again. Sure! She needs a bit of help every now and then, like a warning when she's about to bump, but she's got a very good mental map of the house and moves very well around it.
Merlina just seems to overcome everything bad thrown in her way, and is amazing. Her dachshund determination has helped her all the way. Through it all, she remains perky, stubborn and as loving as the first day she came home, filling my face with licks and nose rubs, and trusting me with her life.
Please take some time to read about the support groups and related links to all of Merlina's diseases and ordeals. They all helped us greatly and without them, this little diva might not be around.
By the way, my wonderful vet is Patricia Lopez Rangel, in Mazatlan, Mexico. She's the most caring and devouted vet I've known and she's researched her eyes out to help my little baby. Hats off to her.
