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Titus the Dog
Hello! My name is Titus. As I frequently
spend time in Mommy's office, I would like to take a moment and introduce myself. You may hear me watchdog bark
on occasion, when you are speaking with Mommy on the phone. My Forever Family I chose my Daddy and Mommy (Jim and Mary) as my Forever Family when they visited the
Contra Costa Animal Shelter in Martinez, California on June 18, 2005. In honor of this very special event, we celebrate the third Saturday
of every June as Titus Day. I am a Chow Chow mix and turned 9 years old on July 30, 2009, the
equivalent of 59 human years old. My Family
and I live life to the fullest; we appreciate each and every day. I like to take walks through my neighborhood,
hike in Briones Regional Park with Daddy, garden with Mommy, play ball, perform my watchdog duties, take long naps, and chase
squirrels (and the occasional kitty that wanders into Mommy's gardens). Just in case you are wondering what the
weather is like in my neighborhood, here are the details from my friends at The Weather Channel:
I look
forward to UPS and Fed Ex deliveries at my home; the drivers often bring me a big Milk-Bone biscuit! US Postal
Service mail carriers never, ever bring me a bone. What's up with that? My favorite foods are cheddar cheese, roast chicken, roast turkey, Ball Park Bun Size Smoked White Turkey Frankfurters,
lunch meats of all kinds, Mommy's homemade cookies, Happy Hips Duck Breast strips, Lamb & Rice Jerky Meaty Treats, and
milk. I also like Nutro Natural Choice moist dog food; I am currently enjoying the Chicken, Rice & Vegetable
Weight Control recipe. I am not very fond of dry dog food, which Mommy occasionally tries to get me to eat
by calling it "crunchies". Yuck! Most of that tasteless stuff isn't even fit for a kitty. I am thankful for the excellent veterinary care I receive from everyone at Hillcrest Veterinary Hospital in Pleasant Hill, California (my primary veterinarians) and Veterinary Surgical Associates in Concord, California (my veterinary surgeons). Highly recommended! (Although I could do
without having my temperature taken during my visits.) My Knee Surgeries:
June 2008 and May 2009 I tore the ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament)
in my left rear knee in June 2008, and had surgery on June 19, 2008 to rebuild my left knee using the TPLO (Tibial Plateau
Leveling Osteotomy) procedure. Without the surgery, I would not be able to go on long walks and hikes, climb hills,
chase squirrels, or comfortably climb our stairs ever again. My Family and I agreed this would not be a very good
quality of life for me.
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Titus the Dog
Mary's Beloved Canine Companion
In the spring of 2009, I started to have discomfort in my right knee. I had ruptured my
right ACL; my right knee was swollen and experiencing scar tissue buildup. One of my primary vets, Dr. Louisa Asseo, DVM,
said I have lots of good years left, and advised it would be best to have surgery now to help prevent arthritis, inflammation,
and pain. On May 28, 2009. Dr. Paula West, DVM, Diplomat ACVS reconstructed my right knee using the
TPLO procedure, using a TPLO plate, six screws, and a pin. I had to stay overnight in the hospital following my
surgeries. I was concerned about leaving Mommy and Daddy alone; thankfully my Family survived without me those two nights.
During my recovery this summer, I convinced Mommy to feed
our backyard squirrels extra peanuts, so the squirrels would get fat and slow in preparation for my return to squirrel chasing
this autumn. Fantastic! My
knees are now better and stronger than ever. I hike the hills at Briones Regional Park and the Lafayette Reservoir
Rim Trail with ease. I feel like the Bionic Super Dog! You can see my X-Rays below. Pretty cool, huh?
The Latest: January 2010
I am having a great winter. Raccoons, skunks, and opossums visit my backyard at night, giving me lots of interesting smells to decipher in the
morning. Squirrels are busy gathering acorns and black walnuts they buried earlier this autumn, providing excellent
squirrel chasing opportunities. My Family and I had a great Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year .... Mommy's
Thanksgiving turkey was so good. Mmmmm!! I can still smell it slowly roasting in the oven. Although
Mommy makes roast turkey quite often, this turkey was extra good. We had two Christmas trees in the house this year;
everything was so very festive. Santa Claus brought me a homemade doggie biscuit kit from the King Arthur Flour Company,
complete with whole grain doggie biscuit mix and a doggie biscuit cookie cutter. One negative item to report: Costco has been out one of my favorite treats, Lamb & Rice Jerky Meaty Treats,
for a couple of months. Hopefully Daddy and Mommy will find another source for them soon. Best wishes to everyone for a great 2010. Thanks
for stopping by!
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