McQuaid
In Memory of my ‘Cade – 11/87 to 9/99
‘Cade gave me more pleasure than can be described, he was a loyal companion and my best friend, I protected him and loved him and he gave me unswerving loyalty and devotion. He passed away at 4:40am on September 16 1999, his head was in my lap as I petted his head which I have done for the last 11 years. He passed away fairly peacfully, and I saw the the peace in his eyes as he finally slipped away. I will miss him desperately. I am heartbroken.
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I got McQuaid from a breeder near Sacramento, he was a 4 month old a bundle of fear. He quickly warmed up to us, and began his reign of destruction. I realized this guy could and would chew anything that he could reach. Even to his last day he ate anything… rubber, plastic, wood, paper, you name it. I think this continuous life of passing indigestible things through his system is what caused his chronic illness which the Vet called "Inflammatory Bowel disease". It can usually be controlled with Flagyl and Prednisone, and usually bouts of it occured after he ate something really bad, like a plastic food bowl! However the last year the Vet put him on another drug to substitute the Prednisone called Leukeran… This is what actually killed him in the end. Beware do not give this stuff to your dog. What happened is that the side effect of this drug is to inhibit the production of the sticky blood cells that stop internal bleeding, towards the end his cell count dropped to zero and he effectively bled to death internally :-( Regular blood checks are necessary, the trouble is it seems that once this production stops it is irreversible. The drug did prevent the Bowl disease, but IMHO I think Prednisone was less destructive, although it has side effects too.
McQuaid was a Wolfdog (or what used to be called a Wolf Hybrid).
This breed is not for everyone, they require constant companionship, either
human or dog or both. They are very loyal and affectionate, and require loyalty
and affection. They do not respond well to mistreatment, they are neither wolves
nor dogs, however they are not inherently dangerous as some people would have you
believe. They do require to be part of the family, and should not be chained up
outside all day by themselves. (Actually no dog should be!).
I recommend you do a lot of research before you acquire this breed of dog,
(actually you should do that for any pet), they require a lifetime of
commitment. They are a misunderstood breed (as are Wolves), and it helps to know
what you are getting into. The rewards are more than enough to make up for any
"inconvenience".
Are you quite comfy? |
Yes Thanks! |
Hey! Where do I sleep? |
Well, My job here is done! (The yard looks even worse now!)  |
Who’s afraid of who? |
‘Cade doing what he loves best in the whole world…
Chewing!! |