Frodo's teeth

No pictures today to go with this post...maybe because I'm afraid to look in Frodo's mouth! He had FIFTEEN...count them...15 teeth removed today. I'm still in shock. PLUS...he was missing two molars lost somewhere. He's okay now and was very very very happy to see Chris & I when we picked him up. Fiona had two teeth extracted a couple years ago and she was semi-comatose when we picked him up. All the Vet Techs were amazed at how he was acting with all those teeth missing, but he's the high energy boy around here.

How could a wee Scottish Terrier lose so many teeth? Well, it all started when he was a wee puppy. Our backyard faces the school property with 6 big blue spruce trees against our fence...and the rabbits love to live there. Early on, Frodo decided he hated the rabbits. Just as a little guy he would stand on his side of the fence and put his big Scottie head through the gaps in the slates. Then as he grew and his head grew, he decided he needed to do something so he could get his head out just to bark at rabbits. I have no idea how long this all took as we have lots of shrubs and flowers along the perimeter of the fence to give our backyard a English garden look. So imagine our big surprise in the Fall of Frodo's first year to find holes all in our fence...chewed out Frodo head size holes! He actually gnawed away the wood to make himself places to observe his favorite barking obsession. He never stopped no matter what we did. We put kennel wire along most of the wooden fence...he pulled the kennel wire away. We put black plastic so he couldn't see the rabbits...he ripped that away. He had to see. He had to bark. He had to put his head through that fence!

Eventually he stopped that behavior when he realized that if he could climb onto the boulder on the back of the property, he could see OVER the fence and look down onto rabbit kingdom. Oh wasn't that enjoyable when he taught Arwen how to climb the boulder & there would be two barking snarling rabbits. Thank god, Fiona's legs are shorter & she can't climb or else there would be three Scotties squeezed onto the top of that granite boulder screaming away at the top of their lungs. I guess there is mercy in this world for my ears.

Then Frodo discovered that on the other side of the chain link fence covered with ivy there was a magical sidewalk where other dogs and children would walk to get to the school property. He was in dog heaven trying to figure out how to use his teeth to pull the chain link out so he could...yes you figured it out...stick his head under the chain link so he could bark, bark, bark. I'm sure that might be where he lost those other two molars. We reinforced the chain link & yes, even eventually put MORE kennel wire up. He is just a very determined Scottie. You see dogs with their heads hanging out the window as cars are speeding by at 50 mph...I guess Frodo having his head sticking out the fence is in the same area of dog enjoyment.

But now he's paying back for all those years of gnawing like a beaver at our wooden fence. I'm still in shock. You know all those tiny teeth top and bottom between the two canines...gone! All them molars on top and three on the bottom...gone! Plus more...so between Fiona being sick all last week from eating a dead rabbit and now Frodo's dental disaster, we only have one healthy dog...Arwen. So it is all boiled hamburger and rice for another week in the Lewallen household. I was reminded when I shaking signed the VISA slip that at least I don't have to send them to college or pay for weddings...at least I guess that is a plus.

So anyone want to buy some of my stuff??? I have a nice Scottie purse for sale...call it Frodo's teeth sale!