ON REX AND RAINY DAYS

IT'S been cold, cold, cold -- last Nov.30 was particularly chilly, even for a furry babe like me. Tip to dog owners: rainy days do strange things to your dog's skin, so be on the lookout for fungal infections. It can be minor enough to need just some virgin coconut oil, like what Mama wipes on my underside when she sees all kinds of bites and red stuff there, or it might need a vet's attention. Please be vigilant. Also, if your dog sleeps outdoors (unlike me, yipee), he or she won't be happy sleeping on cold tile, cement, or wooden floors nowadays. Make sure you lay out some old towels or bedsheets, or maybe even just some cardboard. The nip in the wind is not comforting, and we want warmth.
In my case, I've been spending more and more time on Mama's bed, and she makes sure I stay on my side (read: near her feet, on top of a sarong she spreads out). Problem is, sometimes SHE crosses the line and cuddles! Oh well, more warmth is also welcome. If you want to do the same with your dog, make sure you wipe her paws with some Wet Ones like Mama does with mine so she doesn't track dirt and icky things on your bed. But believe me, we love it.
As for Rex my dear little runt, we've been playing more these days, but he and Uncle Larry are not quite on great terms yet. Oh well, what is it with males and their problem with authority? But there's been some good news, really: Here's Mama's latest installment on her Rex chronicles, and check out Rex's cute face and the patch of hair on his head. Is that funny, or what?

King Rex the First

I GOT him a purple collar yesterday. He was using an old collar of Banana’s that she had outgrown, but his neck has gotten too big for that, as well. It’s purple, the color of royalty, because his name also means “king,” and Rex wears it pretty well, even if I still have to see if it doesn’t irritate the hairless skin around his neck (if I remember right, he was wearing some cloth collar fashioned from a rag when we first saw him).

It’s December 1, 2007, three weeks since Rex came home with me. We visited Doc Marga last Nov. 24, and he got his shots, with a booster scheduled in six months, since, as Marga says, we don’t know if we’re starting from zero here. He was 23 kg when we found him; he was 28 kg last Nov. 24, a 5-kg weight gain, and I am pretty sure he’s gained a bit more in the week since then. He’s benefited from daily walks around the block in our village, and neighbors have been asking me about the scrappy-looking dog I’ve been walking before the others, dustpan and walis tingting in tow in case he poops in the middle of the street.

He’s still on a daily dose of Yakult and kelp multivitamins, which I mix in his morning meal. We’re on the last week of his mange medicine and mange baths. We’ve changed his dog food to something cheaper, but which Marga recommended and which has actually been better for him, as the last one gave him the runs and made his poop smell to the high heavens! Again, my friends have been pitching in. Ame sprung for a portion of the medical bills, Rina donated for the dog food, and Joy is even pledging a monthly “allowance” until Rex is in perfect health. There have been many e-mails, many offers, even from strangers. How sweet is that?

After three weeks, I think Rex is finally allowing himself to be completely loved. There are no more wounds on his body except at the end of his tail—I never knew a Lab’s tail could look so bony!—which he tends to snap at when I put Betadine on it. His hair is slowly growing back; I look to the V-shaped patch of thick hair at the top of his head (visible in the picture) as a promise of what he’ll be covered with when it all grows back. Upon Marga’s orders, I’ve had to shampoo him with dishwashing liquid (Axion! Grease-cutter!) because his skin is still oily from the medicines and fat supplements he’s been taking, as well as from some residual grime that’s hanging in there. That’s also why he still has a distinct, though not foul, smell. It’s amazing how much effort it takes to undo the consequences of doing nothing.

I’ve been working on showing him more affection, and he has learned to reciprocate with more confidence. In the beginning, whenever I would bend down to hug him, Rex would bow his head in such a heartbreaking way, like he was bracing himself for something; he still does when he sees the water hose when we’re preparing for his bath. I’m guessing he was hosed down in his cage or wherever he was tied for that awful time. He would also blink in puzzlement whenever I would give him one of his regular coconut oil facials, before proceeding to lick his lips. The skin on his face has been particularly affected by the mange, so it’s rough, hairless, and wrinkled. But, as even my mom noticed, he has the most startling brown eyes that look back at me intensely when I look into them and whisper assurances—promises that it’s never going to be so bad again, not if I can help it. He seems to be listening well. And then I get a wet nose in my face.

Nowadays, when I hug Rex, he wags his tail and allows me to wrap my arms around him. Even the way he eats has changed; although he still goes nuts at the sight of his bowl, he feasts with more leisure, and not like the food will be grabbed from him any minute. I think it has finally sunk in for him that things have gotten good.

By the grace of God, and with much thanks to the incredible St. Francis of Assisi, things might get even better. I really, really recommend praying to this saint and lover of the earth and all animals for any concerns over your dear pets, because he’s awesome, and he understands. I had started a novena last Sunday, the 25th, praying that Rex would get along with Larry, our older alpha black lab, who’s been acting cranky and jealous of late. Either that, or someone would give him a better life. As I told Anna, I’d been trying to work out the pack dynamics here at home, with me as alpha and the two males still working out second place. Banana is above it all, as she submits without hesitation and pretty much gets along with everyone; she and Rex have been playing more vigorously, though I still worry she might hurt him. Larry is almost 7 and is possessive over the other dog, a female Dalmatian, so the prospect of a young upstart sharing the same space and getting walking time isn’t making him happy. It’s not that they’re immediately at each other’s throats, but Rex isn’t running away, either, so I still don’t keep them too close together. I am hoping things will get better after Rex is neutered. Speaking of that, Marga has offered to neuter Rex this month, before Christmas. She has also loaded me with extra fat and skin supplements, all for free. I don’t think I can thank her enough for all the help, and for being so much into our little Rex project.

And then, on Day 4 of the novena, a gift from left field: my friend Popi finds a couple very keen on taking Rex. If plans push through—and I want to set everything before making it official—Rex may just soon find a home on a farm, where he can live indoors with other dogs. I asked Popi if they knew what he looked like, what he had been through—and she told me they had seen his bad pictures, and were precisely interested because of them.

A FARM! That’s like Disneyland for Labs, with lots of wide, open spaces to run across and dig through and laze around in. When Popi first texted me the details, I was in an editorial planning meeting at the Hyatt and having lunch with my officemates. Naturally, I bawled shamelessly, right there in front of the buffet table.

Popi and I are hoping to meet with the couple before Christmas, and if all goes well, Rex may be ready to move after he’s recovered from his neutering and is looking better, after the holidays. I had some friends over the other day, and they all commented on how handsome he was despite his condition. He’s got to look like the king that he is. After all, he might just have a wonderful new kingdom waiting for him. All I’m asking for now is for what’s best for my miracle Lab, and whatever that is, I know that is what will happen, whether he’s assimilated into our motley little pack or has a loving home awaiting him elsewhere. This dog deserves every sliver of joy, every blessing, and every bit of love that the world can give him.