Hospitali ya wanyama (aka my house!)

I wrote earlier about the pets here and boy, do I have an update. Its not good news really. First of all, Nyama, who has been my faithful companion and cuddle buddy at night, has grown an enormous belly which can only be explained by pregnancy considering presently we are experiencing a food shortage at my house. It is hard for me to get excited about this because the puppies at Rose’s house have been so much work. Its very expensive and difficult to get pet food here, so Rose always cooks for them- porridge and ugali. As for the puppies, they are a month old and are eating food so 5 out of 7 left Rose’s house to go to their new owners. The same day they were gone, one puppy showed up again later than night. It was quite injured and appeared out of it, but ate and played with the other remaining 2. The next morning, I arrived and was surprised to see 3 puppies and then I noticed how dirty the one was. On closer examination, the puppy had puncture wounds under its chin, on its head and on both sides of its neck. There was fluid under the skin which I am sure was breeding infection. We had to go to work giving interviews, so I carried the puppy with me and it slept the whole day in my arms. It was crawling with fleas which I am sure I now have, but it must have been exhausted because he was only awake for about 5 minute out of the day. After our visits in the village, I brought the puppy to my house and gave it a bath. It took about 2 hours and 4 buckets of water to get the puss, dirt, and ticks off the poor thing. I spent the afternoon grooming it as I would a baboon baby. There are still fleas, but not nearly as many and I was able to get the majority of the pus out from under his skin, but when someone pets him, it still makes a gushing sound. Kind of creepy actually. I am happy that I don’t see fleas jumping on me anymore! I am sure the villagers have added one more reason to their list of “why mazungus are weird.” I was carrying the puppy all day wrapped up in my scarf as the local women do for their babies.

And that is not the worst story. Our original dog, Mwemwe had “surgery” last Tuesday to stop his wandering (castration). I was not present for the event, but Rose who is always full of positive things to say told me it was a big problem for the “doctor.” I still have no clue how he accomplished this on a dog that was not put under, but I don’t think I even want to know. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself for paying for it! Anyway, now Mwemwe is in a very bad way. He walks around listlessly and can’t seem to hold his tongue in his mouth. He has a wincing posture with his spine curved upward and his tail between his legs. Its hard for me because I am the only mazungu here who could decide if he is suffering more than he should have to. Also, I have tried to ask if dogs are put to sleep here and I haven’t gotten a response. I am just wondering what happens when it gets bad enough that I can’t take his suffering anymore. Poor thing.