A Weekend with the Family

One nice thing about the kids growing up is that they’ve realized they actually like each other. Kacey had plans to come home from school on Friday for the weekend. The school year will be done in only one more week, but Connor had a job interview on Friday and they both decided to use the trip home to move as much stuff out of their dorms as possible before the semester is officially over. Before they came home, Kacey texted me to make sure this was the same weekend that Brad and Heather were coming home for a visit. I confirmed that it was. I like that it is important to her that her visits are timed to coincide with Brad’s.  There were a lot of years when I wondered if my kids would ever get along.

I took the day off from work on Friday. I wanted to get the house cleaned up, do the grocery shopping, and have a nice dinner waiting on all the kids when they arrived home. I thought I might sleep in a little bit on Friday morning but no such luck. My body has apparently developed an internal clock that awakens me early even when I don’t have to be up.

Oh well. Figured I might as well get started on the day’s chores as long as I was up. And the weather made it easy for me to be stuck inside being all domestic and such. And the day was not without excitement. The new street light was installed across the street in Neighbor Bob’s yard. Now Mark can stop leaving our house lights on all night long in an attempt to compensate for the lack of municipal lighting that resulted from the demise of the previous street light. (Boy, the things you miss being stuck in an office all day!)

By late afternoon, the house was clean and the kitchen was well-stocked with food that would appeal to hungry young people. I had a big batch of chicken chow mein cooking when they all arrived home right around dinner time. And except for Jake, who fell asleep after work due to still making the adjustment from night owl to early bird, we all enjoyed a nice meal together at the kitchen table.

Later on, we decided to watch a movie together in the living room. Long before it was over, Brad, Heather and I had fallen asleep and only woke up long enough to go to bed for the night. We all start our days before the sun rises. There comes a point in the evening where, if I’ve stopped moving, I’m probably falling asleep. Apparently the same holds true for Brad and Heather. Mark had a good laugh at our expense. Easy for him to laugh! He doesn’t get up early unless absolutely necessary!

The weather changed over from snow to freezing rain on Friday and then to just regular old rain, gray skies and a chill on Saturday. I made pancakes for breakfast and tried mine Heather’s way – with peanut butter and maple syrup. They were delicious! The weather made us people feel lazy, but not the dogs. Lucy and Dacotah raced and chased and played tug-o-war in the back yard with the doggie frisbee until they were completely wiped out.

On Saturday night, Mark and I had our bowling banquet for our Saturday league. The kids were probably getting sick of hanging out with us old people anyway, so it was good that we got away for a while. And considering that I felt like my game had really suffered in the second half of the season, I was surprised to learn that I’d earned some awards! I was recognized for achieving:

• a 225 game
• a 500 series
• 75 pins over average
• the league high women’s average of 153
• the women’s high game of 247

All in all, it was a fun night and we enjoyed good food and good company. Most of our bowling friends were going to continue celebrating after the banquet ended, but we called it an early night so we could get back home to spend more time with the kids. They had a little celebration of their own while we were gone. They’d found some good steaks in our freezer and cooked them on the grill. They added some baked potatoes and veggies and enjoyed a nice dinner themselves.

Sunday morning was lazy. Brad, Heather and I were up early (as usual.) The dogs know which people to wake up when it’s time to start their day. We sat in the living room watching t.v., sipping coffee and showering the dogs with attention. Before long, it was noon and time for Brad and Heather to head back to Fargo. We said our goodbyes just as the sun was coming out of hiding and the air was beginning to warm.

Kacey would be home a while longer. She helped us clean up the gardens in the back yard and install some fencing around them to keep Lucy out – because she refuses to believe that the gardens are not a part of her domain! It had warmed up so much since Friday’s snow that we were out in t-shirts and Kacey and I had bare feet! Our next door neighbors were outside too, enjoying the sun and doing some gardening in their own yard. Their new family member, Gracie was outside and Lucy was anxious to get to know her. Gracie was a little shy though.

While we got our gardens all neat and tidy, Lucy chased up and down the fence trying to get Gracie’s attention. Gracie began to warm up and I’m sure they’ll be great friends soon enough!

We had an early dinner and Kacey’s ride came to pick her up. We hugged goodbye and the house got quiet again. Brad and Heather plan to visit again in a month. Kacey will be home for the summer by the end of the week. Lucy was sad to see them go, but I think the break will do her good. Clearly she wore herself out!

 

A happy ending to a (literally) crappy week

Well, I don’t think I’ve ever been so obsessed with poop as I have been this week. But it was for the best, believe me.

Poor Lucy has had the Hershey’s Squirts since Monday. Of course, I was immediately concerned. The dog has a stomach of iron and eats everything that will fit in her mouth, usually without incident. I had Mark take a stool sample in for testing, but nothing was found. I was advised to cook some white rice and feed it to Lucy with her regular food for a couple of days. But it didn’t cure her loosey goosies.

“Mom? My butt hurts!”

I watched Lucy in the yard last evening. After she did her business, I went to investigate, hoping to see some sign that things were returning to normal. But things were far from normal and I also saw blood, which made me feel a little panicky. Bella had bloody stools just as she got so incredibly sick. I couldn’t sleep last night. I worried that Lucy was getting incredibly sick too. I made Mark promise to take her to the vet today.

Mark called me at work this afternoon. He asked, “Do you want the good news? Or the good news?”

“Umm… the good news,” I said.

“They found a fungus in Lucy’s stool. She has some pills to take for a few days and her poop should get back to normal as soon as this evening.”

I was so relieved! When I got home and Lucy greeted me at the door like usual, I dropped to my knees and hugged and kissed her and told her how happy I was that she was going to be just fine. She put her paws up on my shoulders and gave me a big, sloppy, wet kiss! A happy ending to a crappy week!

On a side note, for anyone wondering, “Why don’t I know who Tigger is?” ….

This is Tigger.

There’s not much to say about Tigger. Like some of our other pets, he found his way into our lives when we weren’t even looking. He used to belong to my parents until they couldn’t keep him anymore. It took him a while to get used to us. He never really did, I guess. He now resides behind the furnace for the most part and comes out for treats and a snuggle from me when I get up for work in the morning. Otherwise, he pretty much keeps to himself and prefers not to be looked at or touched.

I can’t say for sure, but I think Tigger is glad that Lucy isn’t feeling so crappy anymore too.

Stray

Lucy frequently barks at things she sees out the windows. School children walking to and from the bus stop. Runners. Dog walkers. Squirrels in the yard. Turkeys in the yard. (Yes, really. But just that one time.)

Last evening, Lucy was gazing out the window of the front door and began to bark and howl, whine, cry and dance like a dog possessed.

“What the heck,” I said, leaving my skillet of Sloppy Joes in the making to investigate. Jake came to the front window just as I did. There we saw Neighbor Bob out in his front yard with Jack, the German Shorthair. And in the middle of the front yard was a cat. The cat and Jack were running circles around each other, Jack trying to play with (or eat) the cat, the cat trying to fend off Jack. Each time Jack tried to approach the cat, Neighbor Bob pressed a button on a remote control which shocked poor Jack who howled profusely which sent Lucy into further fits.

I slipped on my jacket and walked across the street to see if I could help. While Neighbor Bob secured Jack in his back yard kennel, I approached the cat that was now sitting in the middle of the front yard, breathing heavily. Bob came back just as the cat was hissing at me, warning me not to come close.

“Do you know whose cat this might be,” I asked him?

“No idea,” he said. “Maybe nobody’s.”

There are a lot of feral cats in this area. They tend to stay closer to the many ponds and wooded areas, but sometimes one will run through the neighborhood. They tend to be small and skinny and extremely skittish. The cat in Neighbor Bob’s yard did not appear to be feral. He was too pretty and filled out. I was sure he was someone’s pet, but I couldn’t see a collar and he wouldn’t let me near without hissing. I wasn’t up for getting bit, and I told Bob so. He said he wasn’t either and thanked me for trying to help.

I went back in the house to finish dinner. Not long afterwards, I was looking out the front window and saw Neighbor Bob in his front yard with a broom, shooing away the stray cat. The cat alternately pitched and ran and made it as far as across the street. To my yard. Where he found refuge under the deck steps between the chain link fence and a sizable shrub. I went outside once again to check on the cat, now huddled underneath the steps. Neighbor Bob stood in my front yard with his broom, apologizing for sending the cat my way.

I didn’t want to mess with any more of Neighbor Bob’s crazy antics, so I said not to worry and to just leave the cat. The cat was outside of the fence that surrounds our back yard, but close enough to Lucy’s play area to make her crazy when she went outside. And something was clearly wrong with the cat. He wasn’t leaving in spite of all of the commotion. I decided to keep Lucy in the house long enough to let the cat wander off again. But since Lucy’s stomach was still bothering her, I knew I couldn’t keep her inside indefinitely.

I told myself not to think about the cat. I told myself not to worry about the cat. We’ve had enough pet issues recently. I couldn’t afford to take on another pet, especially one who wouldn’t let me near him anyway and one who might be sick or injured.

I checked after an hour. Cat was still hiding out under the steps.

I checked again sometime later, taking a closer look. Cat was still hiding out under the steps. In the rocks. In the cold. With icy snowflakes beginning to fall and a snowstorm on its way.

I told myself not to think about the cat again, but all I could think is how if he were my pet and out on his own, I’d want someone to care for him. I found a box and lined it with towels, hoping Cat would let me get it under the steps so he could get inside. He hissed when I came near, but I could see him shivering, so I knew he was cold. So I just placed the box as near as I could to Cat with the opening where he could see it.

I went back in the house and told myself not to think about Cat as I was getting him some of Tigger’s food. I brought the food out to the deck steps and Cat hissed at me again as I approached, but he allowed me to put the food in the box. I went back inside, then came out again a while later to peek at him and he was eating.

All I could think was that a snow storm was coming and Cat was going to be dead under my steps in the morning.

And I couldn’t let Lucy outside because she’d go nuts and anger the neighbors with babies on either side of our house. I decided I had to do something.

Not my stray cat, but he looked like this one

A series of phone calls led me to the county animal control agency who assured me that Cat could be picked up and taken to the Humane Society. I didn’t know if this was the best solution for him, but it would be better than letting him suffer and/or die in the cold overnight. Animal Control said they’d send someone out. It was not who I expected. Turns out we don’t have any type of Animal Control services after 7:00 pm in this city. Instead, I got a police officer who was not equipped to remove or transport Cat. Instead, he proceeded to lecture me about how I shouldn’t provide shelter and I shouldn’t provide food and water. He was not on board with my animal loving instincts. He said that I could probably get someone to remove Cat in the morning and for now, I should just leave Cat out there without the box, without the food and without the water.

“Okay,” I said. “But I think the cat is sick or hurt and I can’t let my dog out.”

He said that Cat didn’t look sick or injured to him. Again I was given the same spiel about help being available in the morning. “Just leave him there for now. Don’t feed him. Blah, blah, blah.”

“Yes, I know,” I sighed. “But I can’t let my dog out. But whatever. I’ll figure it out.”

He left, reminding me again. No shelter. No food. No water. I closed the front door behind him and muttered, “Asshole.”

Maybe he felt my disdain. Maybe he felt guilty. Whatever he felt, he was compelled to go the extra mile after he left. My phone rang and the officer informed me he was on his way back with a kennel and if he could get the cat, he would take him to the Humane Society. And true to his word, he arrived within minutes and came out of his truck with a kennel. He managed to get Cat on the first try. As I watched out the window, he gave me a thumbs up and put the kennel in the back seat of his vehicle. I poked my head out the door and shouted, “Thank you!”

I didn’t feel great about the whole thing. I know what happens to cats that go to the Humane Society and who don’t get claimed or adopted. But at least he didn’t suffer out in the cold overnight. I hope that if he has a family, they find him again. But really, I just have to try not to think too much about him.

They’re getting to know us really well at the vet’s office

Lucy’s tummy is bothering her. I knew it was bad when Jake called me at work yesterday to tell me she’d had an accident in the house and he was cleaning it up. I’ll spare the gory details he shared except to say that he mentioned the words green and reeks. He wanted to know how much carpet shampoo to put in the little scrubber machine and also to inform me that he was going to Target for some Spot Shot. I thought it was just a fluke thing. With much of the snow melting, Lucy has spent more time playing in the back yard than she has in months. The grass is matted and there’s probably mold and gross stuff in there after a long winter under the snow. And everything goes in Lucy’s mouth. God knows what she might have eaten.

After I got home from work, she threw up on the deck a couple of times. We kept an eye on her the rest of the night. She seemed normal otherwise and I wasn’t too worried. She continued to drink and eat normally. Dogs expel a lot of bodily stuff. Figured it was just one of those things and she seemed fine this morning.

At work today, I received a call on my cell phone from a number I didn’t recognize. It turned out to be Emily at the vet’s office.

Emily is the one who assisted the veterinarian when we had to have Bella put down. I liked Emily immensely already because she loves Lucy and treats her extra special whenever we visit. I liked her a hundred times more when she cried along with me as I was letting Bella go. That day, I was asked if I wanted to keep Bella’s ashes and have a paw print made. I said yes without even thinking about it. I wasn’t sure if I wanted them or if Connor might want them, but it seemed important to accept them. Emily was calling today to tell me that Bella’s ashes were back and we could come pick her up whenever we were ready. I thanked her and told her I would probably stop in after work.

I seem to be having a harder time moving on from Bella’s death than I did with Shelby and Holly. Both Shelby, our Springer Spaniel and Holly, our gray cat lived to be ripe old ages (fourteen years each.) When their time came to leave this world, we had plenty of warning. They started slowly going downhill and we had time to get used to the idea that they wouldn’t be staying with us much longer. Maybe that made the grieving process slightly easier.

It’s been different with Bella. Her sudden illness took me by surprise and I feel guilty that maybe I just wasn’t paying close enough attention. Some days I think I’m used to the fact that she’s gone. Other days, some little reminder will bring me to tears again. She keeps showing up in my dreams where I’m surprised and thrilled that she’s come back to us. When Emily called today to tell me I could pick up Bella’s ashes, I felt okay. But as I neared the vet’s office, I felt tears stinging my eyes again. All I could think about was that day when Mark drove me there with Bella dying in my arms and the doctor and Emily waiting for us there, staying late at the office just so we could come in to have our dog put to sleep.

Thankfully, no one was in the waiting room when I arrived. I had brushed away my tears by then and was pulling myself together. A girl I didn’t recognize was at the front desk. When she asked if she could help me I said, “I’m Terri. I’m here to pick up…”

“Oh. Yes,” she said in a careful sort of voice. She stepped back into the office area and reached for a plastic bag. When she returned, she pulled out the clay paw print and explained that it wasn’t baked yet, in case we wanted to add Bella’s name or anything else to it before it was permanent. I nodded and thanked her.

Before I left work today, Mark called me to say that he was watching Lucy in the yard today and it looked like her stomach issues weren’t over yet. While at the vet’s office, I remembered I wanted to ask what they thought, and I was anxious for a distraction so I mentioned it to the girl at the desk. I went over my suspicions of moldy grass and whatever treasures Lucy might be finding in the yard. She agreed it was a good possibility that Lucy had simply ingested something that wasn’t agreeing with her.

I asked if we should be worried or if we should bring her in. I was grateful when she suggested that since Lucy seems otherwise normal, we could just bring a stool sample in for testing. God knows we’ve racked up enough vet bills over the last couple of weeks so if we can alleviate our worries without paying for another vet visit, I’m all for it.

I told the girl that I would assign the job of collecting said sample to my husband and she made me laugh when she said she would write a note to make it official that it was his job and not mine. I was appreciative but assured her that I could convince him without the official paperwork.

On the ride home, I kept seeing the box with Bella’s ashes on the seat next to me and I started to feel sad and teary again. Part of me was feeling embarrassed, thinking how some might think it is silly to feel so mournful over a dog. But another part of me was realizing that my pets have filled a hole that was left by my children growing up and that it’s natural, me being a dog lover and all, to take some time to grieve.

Anyway, when Lucy greeted me upon my arrival home, my thoughts turned away from my sadness. I remembered that I was worried about Lucy. The panicky side of me was worried that something was wrong with Bella that may have been contagious to Lucy. But when I saw Lucy acting her normal, squirrely self, I gave her a hug and relaxed a bit. And when she ate her evening meal as anxiously as ever and wrestled with Jake later on, I felt more certain she was only suffering some temporary ailment.

Also, I remembered the elk antler I’d bought last Friday at the pet store for Lucy to chew on. An online search led to some information about these antler chews being suspected of causing diarrhea in some dogs. Who knows. But Lucy’s been gnawing on hers since I brought it home and she’s done some damage to it. I took it away just in case. Then I called Mark at work to tell him that the vet staff said he was responsible for collecting a stool sample tomorrow. He was a good sport and played like he bought it.

I can’t worry too much as long as Lucy continues to be her mostly normal self. But I’ll feel better when we can get some answers and hopefully all we need to do is work on curbing her habit of treating the back yard like a salad bar.

Rest in Peace, Bella

God, I forgot how sharply this hurts. The first time we had to say goodbye to a pet, it was our Shelby dog. She was so gentle and sweet, such a loving dog. It was heartbreaking. Only a year later, it was our cat, Holly. Mark said we would never have pets again. It was too hard to say goodbye to them. And I agreed with him for a few years before my heart felt the tug to have a fur baby around again. That’s when Lucy joined our family. Only a year after Lucy came to us, Bella found us.

Bella was ten years old already when she joined our family. I guess I didn’t think much about her age. It wouldn’t have mattered to me anyway. She was such a darling. Everyone fell in love with her at first sight. She was a good pal to Lucy and helped her feel less lonely during those times when none of us people were home. She stole my heart. She “sang” for us and she made it clear to me when she wanted me to move over so she could sit in the chair with me. She slept between Mark’s and my pillows at night and I’m glad we let her do that because it meant that she was right next to me the last night she was with us.

Even if I’d known last October that Bella would only be here for a few months, I still wouldn’t have turned her away. She brought more love to our home and endeared herself to us completely.

I was so encouraged when she was allowed to come home with us yesterday. She was a little bit quieter and a little bit slower than her normal self, but she certainly looked like she was going to get better. This morning though, she seemed a bit slower than the night before. She ate her food and took her meds, but she looked at me as if she were only doing it for me, not because she was feeling better.

I went to work today, and thankfully, Kacey was home from school for the weekend and able to keep Bella company. Kacey texted me in the afternoon and told me that Bella seemed very, very tired. And I got worried. I hurried home as soon as I could get out of the office. When I came through the door, Bella came toward me and wagged her tail, but she was too tired to make it all the way to me. I picked her up and I could tell something was wrong. She wasn’t holding herself up at all, but only falling into me. Only an hour and a half later, it was clear to me that she was going downhill fast. Her breathing was getting labored and as I held her or petted her, she looked at me forlornly. I knew the end was near.

Mark called the vet’s office just as they were closing and he described Bella’s condition. The doctor agreed this was bad and she said to come in. They would wait for us.

I had to be there with her when she left this world. I kissed my Bella girl, stroked her face and told her I loved her as the shot was administered. I cried into her fur as she closed her eyes and breathed her last. It was so hard, but I knew it was the right thing for her. Deep in my heart I knew this was the time. She’s not hurting anymore, but our hearts are going to hurt for a while.

 

Love you, little Bella girl. You will be so missed.

Well THAT was scary!

Last Saturday I found blood where Bella had been laying. I called Mark to help me try to figure out what was wrong. Bella laid patiently on her back while we combed through her fur looking for the source of the bleeding. She didn’t seem to be in any pain and merely watched us with curiosity. Finding no injuries or bleeding, it finally occurred to Mark to check inside Bella’s mouth. Again, she patiently allowed him to prod her and when he lifted her lip, found that her gums were bleeding pretty well.

“I think she has a bad tooth,” Mark said.

“That would explain her reluctance to eat the past few days,” I agreed. For the remainder of the weekend, I crushed up Bella’s food and she ate happily. The vet was able to see Bella on Tuesday morning and upon checking her gums, she agreed they were in bad shape and a cleaning was in order. We weren’t surprised. Bella came to us last October with bad teeth and we knew we were going to have to suck it up eventually and pay the cost of a dental visit at the vet.  (And those ain’t cheap!)

Having a dog’s teeth cleaned requires anesthesia, so Mark left Bella at the vet for the day and picked her up again Tuesday afternoon. She was happy to be back home and enthusiastically ate her dinner and took the antibiotic the vet had prescribed because she had such a bad case of gingivitis. I hid the pill in a Pill Pocket and Bella thought she was getting a special treat.

A few hours later, Bella looked tired and was begging to sit with me. I picked her up and she snoozed in the chair next to me. I noticed she’d begun to wheeze and I was a little concerned, but when I checked online later for possible causes of the wheezing, I read that this is somewhat normal after a dog has her teeth cleaned, the result of the breathing tube that is inserted while the dog is under anesthesia.

At 10:00, Mark left for work and the dogs and I called it a night. I was tired and fell asleep quickly but was abruptly awakened at 12:30 by Jake turning on the hallway light. I saw Jake in my doorway and groggily said hi, thinking he was just letting me know he was home for the night. (I’m not sure why I thought this. He never lets me know when he’s home for the night.) I really woke up, though when Jake said, “One of the dogs had an accident and threw up and there’s blood.”

I bolted out of bed and found that Jake wasn’t exaggerating. Bella was hiding under my bed and Lucy’s demeanor was hesitant. I had Jake take the dogs outside while I scrubbed carpets and called Mark at work to tell him what was going on. We talked a bit, but neither of us could think what might be going on. I was scared, but Bella seemed to be done vomiting. I took her into bed with me and proceeded to not sleep while listening to make sure she was still breathing.

I fell asleep sometime just before my alarm went off, or so it seems. When it was time to get up I was utterly exhausted and so was Bella. Clearly something was not right. She was lethargic and still wheezing. I carried her to the back door and took her outside, then carried her back in, hoping she would eat something. She turned her nose up at her food and then proceeded to vomit more blood. Now I was panicking.

Mark was on his way home from work and I waited to leave until he got back. He took Bella to the vet’s office and asked them to call me with any information. I hadn’t been at work long when I got the call. The vet explained that Bella had no platelets. She’d had platelets the day before when she had the health assessment before putting her under anesthesia for her dental cleaning. Now she had none. The vet explained that this condition was common in chemotherapy patients and in Bella’s case, she wasn’t sure of the cause. It could be that Bella had a condition that was just now making itself known, or it could be the result of the anesthesia or the antibiotic. It was clear this was serious… the vet told me Bella might not turn around. She was going to give her steroids, keep her overnight and said we would know in the morning if she was going to make it.

I could not concentrate at work and I felt weepy all day long. I’m sure my exhaustion contributed to my inability to focus and I couldn’t wait to go home. When the end of the day finally came, I headed to my car and as soon as the door was shut, I began to cry. I was sure we were going to lose our little Bella. I called Mark to ask if the vet had called the house and he said she hadn’t, but suggested I swing by the vet’s office on my way home.

As I headed into the vet’s office, I swallowed the huge lump in my throat. The woman at the front desk asked if she could help me and I said, “Yes. My AnnaBella is here. I was wondering if someone could give me an update on her status.”

“Sure,” she said. “I’ll go check and be right back.”

She didn’t return, but another veterinarian did. He smiled and said, “She’s moving around, barking, eating everything we put in front of her.”

I was stunned and speechless for a moment. “Are you serious?”

“Absolutely,” he said.

“Soooo… she’s gonna be okay,” I asked?

“Well, we’re still feeling a little guarded about her outlook, but we’ll know a lot more tomorrow.”

“Do you think this was a reaction to her antibiotic?”

“Maybe,” he said. “Tomorrow will tell. You can go in back and see her if you want.”

“Really? Okay,” I said!

“But keep in mind she might not like it when you leave her again.”

I stopped mid-stride and said, “You’re right. I don’t want her to think I’m abandoning her. Maybe I better just wait until tomorrow.”

I felt more hopeful and went home to share the news with the family. And even though the news was promising, I was still so worried and sad for my little Bella. My mind kept seeing all that blood and in spite of the vet’s news, I was convinced there was something really wrong. The lack of sleep was catching up with me, I know. While Mark took his pre-night shift nap and watched t.v., I sat in the recliner and cried off and on all evening. When I crawled into bed later, I fell asleep quickly, but was awake off and on all night, worried about Bella and thinking that I had to prepare myself to say goodbye.

I felt better this morning, more able to handle whatever news the vet might have for me today. When I hadn’t heard anything by 9:00, I took my cell phone to a small private office and made the call. I braced myself for bad news, reminding myself of Bella’s age and the fact that she came to us with some issues last fall.

But there wasn’t bad news! The first thing the vet told me was, “Bella has platelets!” She was doing very well and she could go home today! She was still bleeding slightly from her nose, but the vet assured me that after a few days on the meds she was prescribing, that should stop. She said Bella isn’t out of the woods yet. She wouldn’t know for sure for a couple of weeks, but everything looked promising. She was pretty certain that this episode was not the result of some condition, but the anesthesia or the antibiotic.

I was elated! I couldn’t thank our veterinarian enough and she laughed happily, clearly happy to deliver such good news to me. I was going to be able to pick up Bella after work and take her home with me again. I left work a few minutes early and swung by home first. Jake and Kacey insisted on coming with and argued on the way there about who was going to get to hold her on their lap on the ride home.

Back to her old self

Bella is back home with us, happily eating her new prescription canned food, getting pampered and sleeping more than usual. Being so sick takes its toll and I’m sure it will be a few days before she really bounces back. But we are so glad to have her home again. (Lucy too! She missed her little pal.) We’ll all sleep so much better tonight.

Walking, Talking Dogs

Oh man, it was a long day at work! I had some challenges to tackle, but all worked out pretty well by day’s end. I called Mark as I was exiting my parking ramp to let him know I was going to be late coming home, which he probably already knew since it was already well past the time I normally pull in the garage.

It was such a crazy day that I barely stopped for lunch and all I wanted to do when I got home was enjoy a hot meal and stop thinking so much. Since there was no hot meal, I heated up a pizza and plopped into my recliner to eat in front of the t.v. and temporarily reduce my brain to mush. Lucy had other ideas, though. I got the distinct impression I was receiving a talking to, although I’m not sure for what!

So I finished my pizza while Lucy and Bella waited in the foyer for me, Lucy whining desperately for me to hurry up. She was so ready for another walk, she even sat nice while I slipped her Easy Walk Harness over her shoulders.

Mark declared he was not going out walking with us tonight. So I took the two dogs out on my own this time, wondering how I was going to manage two crazy canines on two separate leashes. I have to say we did pretty well. I kept the dogs close to me as they walked me in the dark, a chilly wind blowing against us as we took a bit longer route than we did last night. We happened across a couple of other dogs who were out walking their people too. The girls raised their heads in curious greeting, but otherwise did a good job of continuing onward. Bella was so cute. Her short little legs worked furiously to keep up with Lucy’s and my long strides.

I can see this is going to become an expected and regular thing again, this dog-walking business. And it’s getting colder outside by the day. I need to acclimate to the temperatures if I’m going to keep up! (It never occurs to me to wear something  over my ears until it’s too late!) And I think I need to get a reflective vest. It’s dark out there! I saw someone walking their dog in the dark the other night. I could only see them because the dog was wearing reflective dog boots. I’d love to get some for my dogs, but I doubt either of them would put up with me covering up their feet. But who knows? The weather man says we may get some snow on Friday. I hope we do!

The Girly-Pies Get a Good Night’s Sleep

Sometime not long after Bella joined our family, it became obvious to me that wherever I went in the house, the dogs would follow. Lucy could not go without Bella  and vice-versa. They always travel behind me as a pair because if they don’t, there is the ever-present fear of missing out on a treat, a belly rub or some other sort of privilege.

Not that it was even remotely necessary, but I found myself encouraging them to follow when I would go, using that sing-song, babying voice that so many of us animal lovers tend to use with our pets. On my way to bed one night, I called out behind me, “Come on Girly Pies!”

Mark tried to stifle a laugh. “Girly Pies? Really?”

“Shut up,” I said. (With love, of course!)

And of course, they came, because I was using the voice. For all they cared, I could have said, “Come on, Ketchup and Mustard!” They still would have come. But Girly Pies stuck.

I spent last night Lucy-proofing the house. There is so much that is off-limits to her while she heals from her surgery. No stairs. No jumping on furniture. No running. There are gates at the top and bottom of the stairs. There is what I refer to as a kiddie-corral that divides the bedroom to prevent Lucy from gaining access to the bed. And of course, there is the inflatable bed set-up in my room so that one of us can comfort Lucy during the nights when she has to sleep on the floor, which she clearly considers a major hardship.

Last night at bedtime, I called to the Girly Pies to come along. I got comfortable on the inflatable bed. And so did Bella. And so did Lucy. It is only a twin-sized mattress. And sometime in the middle of the night, I realized that I wasn’t comfortable at all, but the dogs sure seemed to be sleeping soundly. So I extracted myself from the dog pile and stepped over the barrier to my bed. I crawled under the covers as quietly as possible and waited for the whining to begin. But none came.

It was perfect! Lucy isn’t opposed to not sleeping on my bed. She’s opposed to not sleeping on a bed. She had a comfy mattress that didn’t require any jumping in order to get on it. And she had her pal, Bella to keep her company.

Everyone was feeling pretty good this morning. And aside from tiring out much more often than normal, Lucy seems to be doing extremely well.

“I just walked across the room. I need a break!”

Bella, as you can see, continues to be highly attentive.

“Can’t a girl catch a nap? This nursing business is hard work!”

Doggy Surgery – Round Two

I really did not want to do this again. Did not want to put my puppy-girl through another hip surgery. But Mark had to be all level-headed and insist that we couldn’t just fix her hip dysplasia half-way. We’d decided earlier this year to go with the surgery option and we knew from the get-go that there would be a round two. I was just not prepared to see my poor dog in such a fragile state for such a long time.

We waited until after last weekend’s family festivities when it would be quiet around the house again. Tuesday morning, before her second surgery, I hugged Lucy and kissed the top of her head over and over and told her I was sorry until Mark reminded me, “She’s going to be okay!”

All I could think about is how I came home after the first surgery to see her laying on her doggy bed on the living room floor, flashing those puppy eyes at me and looking so forlorn. The thought of watching her go through it all again made me so sad.

Lucy came home today and she is okay.

But I still feel so sorry for her. She’s got weeks of restricted activity, therapy and healing to do. At least we’re better prepared for the healing process this time.

After the first surgery, Lucy had to be locked in her kennel at night so she wouldn’t wander around the house and put too much stress on her hip while we were sleeping. She put up with this for the first few days and then decided she’d had enough. She wanted to be closer to her people. I’m embarrassed to admit it, but she whined and cried so much that Mark and I actually took turns sleeping on the floor with her for a while. But I’m ready for her this time! I blew up the inflatable mattress and made up a bed on the floor of our room so we can all get our beauty sleep.

Spoiled dog much?

Oh, well. It’s just for a couple of weeks until she can start easing back into some of her normal routines. And by Christmas time, she’ll be good as new with two working hips and no more pain! And maybe by next spring she could even start running with me.

And this time around, Lucy’s got a pal to keep her company while she recovers. The fact that Bella is an old lady comes in handy here. She’s mellow and calm and has taken it upon herself to act as Lucy’s nurse, licking her face and paws and assuring her it’s all going to be okay.

 

Two-Dog Family

Connor’s dog, Annabella … Bella came to meet us Friday night. Connor and his grandma brought her over with the intention of seeing how “the girls” would do together. I wanted to be sure that she and Lucy were compatible before I agreed to keep her. If all went well, Bella would go back home to spend one last night with her sister, Lexie, (an energetic Black Lab who was also going to a new home,) and then come back to us for good on Saturday.

Lucy was excited about this new dog. But try as she might, she couldn’t get Bella to romp and play with her. Nine year-old Dachshunds just aren’t that playful. Bella was a bit nervous, but she allowed Lucy to sniff and kiss her and run circles around her for the couple of hours she was here. When she went home, Lucy was disheartened. But her disappointment was short-lived. Bella came back to us on Saturday morning and has been here ever since.

Getting used to new surroundings

Saturday was a day for Bella to get used to new people and surroundings. She was really nervous when Connor and Kacey left for a few hours. But by the end of the day, she had relaxed. Lucy, on the other hand, spent the entire day behaving as if she were worried that Bella would go away again. Whenever Bella moved, Lucy had to go sniff her again, lick her ears and herd her. (Lucy likes to herd other dogs. She would have been very good with sheep.)

Herding and kisses!

This morning when we woke up, Bella was feeling decidedly more at-home. When she sensed me waking up, there she was, wagging her tail and offering kisses. Lucy, of course, greeted Bella with a good-morning welcome that, if translated, would say, “YOU’RE STILL HERE! OH MY GOSH, YOU’RE STILL HERE! LET’S GO SEE THE CAT AND GO OUTSIDE AND EAT A CRUNCHY BREAKFAST AND PLAY AND BARK AT SQUIRRELS. OH MY GOSH, YOU’RE STILL HERE!”

I think Lucy will need a few days to get used to the idea that Bella is here to stay.

The girls!

As for me, I’m in love with Bella already. She’s mellow and gentle and sweet. And I thought that after Shelby, I’d never have room in my heart for another dog! Turns out I was wrong! And I’m so glad. Now Bella has a safe and loving home and the best part is, Connor can still see her and spend time with her whenever he wants.