www.themaveninme.wordpress.com
Yes, the maven in me! A maven is an expert -- in my case, self-assessed -- in something. I'm an expert on my personal opinions. Maybe on the world. Maybe just in my kitchen. Definitely about my dog. So, the new blog is gonna run the gamut of things, as I feel like sharing. Join the fun. Join the rant. Join the pathos. Who needs a group hug? Don't look to me for comfort! You've got problems? Hey, I've got my own. Move over world. It's MY turn!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Treyce's Untimely Death
Treyce didn't live much longer after my daughter and I acquired our puppies.
Turns out, she had a bad heart. A big heart, but a bad heart.
No one saw it coming. It was just there. And then she was just gone. I never got to see her from the time she started having blackouts until she died, but I think she died without pain or discomfort. Her heart just gave out on her. At the beach, one of her favorite stomping grounds...
My daughter, too, was spared having to see her in her blackout fugue states. In fact, she was with me when Treyce died. She drove to Columbia to meet her not-yet husband and bury Treyce in his family's backyard.
If it weren't for Treyce, I'd never have had Sonny. If it weren't for Treyce, therefore, I would have a lot more money. But knowing Treyce has made my life richer.
She brought unconditional love into my life. She brought a renewed love of all things non-human. Well, except spiders (for my daughter) and snakes (for my husband) and mosquitos (for myself).
I will always be grateful to my son-in-law for unwittingly opening up a new door in my life. Because, despite the expense, despite the hassles, despite the vomiting, despite the deafness, despite the skin disorder, despite everything, if it weren't for Treyce, my life would have a hole in it I didn't know existed. Treyce performed open heart surgery and it was a complete success. But in this case, it wasn't the patient but the doctor who died. And I will always miss her.
Turns out, she had a bad heart. A big heart, but a bad heart.
No one saw it coming. It was just there. And then she was just gone. I never got to see her from the time she started having blackouts until she died, but I think she died without pain or discomfort. Her heart just gave out on her. At the beach, one of her favorite stomping grounds...
My daughter, too, was spared having to see her in her blackout fugue states. In fact, she was with me when Treyce died. She drove to Columbia to meet her not-yet husband and bury Treyce in his family's backyard.
If it weren't for Treyce, I'd never have had Sonny. If it weren't for Treyce, therefore, I would have a lot more money. But knowing Treyce has made my life richer.
She brought unconditional love into my life. She brought a renewed love of all things non-human. Well, except spiders (for my daughter) and snakes (for my husband) and mosquitos (for myself).
I will always be grateful to my son-in-law for unwittingly opening up a new door in my life. Because, despite the expense, despite the hassles, despite the vomiting, despite the deafness, despite the skin disorder, despite everything, if it weren't for Treyce, my life would have a hole in it I didn't know existed. Treyce performed open heart surgery and it was a complete success. But in this case, it wasn't the patient but the doctor who died. And I will always miss her.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Enough About Sonny. For Now. Have I Told You Lately That I Love...
...baking. Yep. That's right. Baking. Of course, my daughter could argue that I don't bake all that much anymore and she'd be right. I have to be in the mood.
But I just ran across a recipe that thepioneerwoman.com posted. I LOVE Ree Drummond. My daughter introduced me to her blog several months ago, and I'm hooked. She's a great writer, tells funny stories, has a wry sense of humor, takes pictures, cooks and home schools her children. I didn't think I'd have much in common with her, but there's always common ground.
Back to baking. I love baking because, when you find a new recipe, like the one I have in the oven right now, it's usually made with ingredients you already have hanging around in your pantry.
Or should have!
The only ingredient for this Mystery Mocha Dessert that I didn't have was whole milk. But I had 1%. I usually never make changes to recipes without first trying them as originally written.. But all the other ingredients were ready to hand. I didn't think swapping out whole for 1% milk was a major issue. And even when you don't have all the ingredients, you have the majority of them. A quick run to the store for nuts, dried cranberries, etc. is no effort.
(Although my gas gauge is hovering on empty, the light is on, I've driven for two days, and I'm desperately afraid that I won't have enough gas to get to the nearest station, which is as near as the nearest grocery store. And this gas issue SEEMS to be an effort to me. Go figure!)
I also love baking because it's easy to keep up with the dishes as you go. All the prep work gets done ahead of time, so that the least amount of bowls, measuring spoons and cups -- and therefore work -- is all that's left once the ingredients have been combined.
And before you know it, the recipe is in the oven, the dishes are done, and it's time for the wonderful smell of baking yummies to fill the house. And only about 30 minutes has passed. As hot as it is outside, I would never think of using the oven at this time of year usually. But there's always room for exceptions! Yummy exceptions.
I'll let you know how it turns out.
But I just ran across a recipe that thepioneerwoman.com posted. I LOVE Ree Drummond. My daughter introduced me to her blog several months ago, and I'm hooked. She's a great writer, tells funny stories, has a wry sense of humor, takes pictures, cooks and home schools her children. I didn't think I'd have much in common with her, but there's always common ground.
Back to baking. I love baking because, when you find a new recipe, like the one I have in the oven right now, it's usually made with ingredients you already have hanging around in your pantry.
Or should have!
The only ingredient for this Mystery Mocha Dessert that I didn't have was whole milk. But I had 1%. I usually never make changes to recipes without first trying them as originally written.. But all the other ingredients were ready to hand. I didn't think swapping out whole for 1% milk was a major issue. And even when you don't have all the ingredients, you have the majority of them. A quick run to the store for nuts, dried cranberries, etc. is no effort.
(Although my gas gauge is hovering on empty, the light is on, I've driven for two days, and I'm desperately afraid that I won't have enough gas to get to the nearest station, which is as near as the nearest grocery store. And this gas issue SEEMS to be an effort to me. Go figure!)
I also love baking because it's easy to keep up with the dishes as you go. All the prep work gets done ahead of time, so that the least amount of bowls, measuring spoons and cups -- and therefore work -- is all that's left once the ingredients have been combined.
And before you know it, the recipe is in the oven, the dishes are done, and it's time for the wonderful smell of baking yummies to fill the house. And only about 30 minutes has passed. As hot as it is outside, I would never think of using the oven at this time of year usually. But there's always room for exceptions! Yummy exceptions.
I'll let you know how it turns out.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Sonny In Isolation. Not.
Well, Sonny is never really alone ever unless she's crated. In her crate, she's got a lovely window view, the TV is on for her listening and viewing enjoyment (Animal Planet, of course.) She's crated every day we work. And she seems to like it in there. Well, I know she likes the treat she gets to go in the crate! In the mornings, as soon as she sees me reaching for the treats, she heads off to her crate. She is a creature of habit. And she LOVES her treats, too.
When one of us comes home, there is excitement and joy. But it's reserved, because the family is still incomplete. Not until the second one of us comes home is the family complete and she can be whole again.
The very first time I ever left her was when she was about 4 months old. We'd only had her about a month. Well, I left her. My husband didn't. Sonny moped. My husband made the mistake of taking a shower, leaving the pup to her own devices. When he came out of the shower she had retaliated. Oh well, my husband didn't really need that pillow anyway! It is the only time she has retaliated for leaving her alone.
That we know of.
She did retaliate once because I was on the phone, not paying attention to her. Another pillow incident. But this time, it was a beautiful decorative pillow that I adored. Notice the past tense. She grabbed the pillow out of the guest bedroom, took it out to the living room, and wreaked havoc. When I got off the phone, there were stuffing clouds all over the living room floor. Bye bye pillow.
My husband travels periodically and she appears to adapt to that without much distress I travel less frequently, so it may be more of an ordeal for her when I'm gone. I don't know why. Sometimes when I'm there she seems to favor him the most. But it is me that she follows all over the house all day and all night long. Unless she's in a deep deep sleep, she wakes up and follows me to the laundry, to the kitchen, to the bedroom, to the bathroom.
When one of us is gone, there's more room in the bed for her. Not that space has ever been HER issue. It's always OUR issue. She gets what she takes, and we get what's left over!
There have been times (not many) when we've had to travel and leave her at home. My daughter's wedding in Charleston. Our car trip down to Florida over Christmas last year. A long weekend getaway to Bald Head Island. When we were in Charlotte for a week for my husband's shoulder replacement surgery. Not often for sure, especially when you realize it's over a 3 year period.
But we don't get out very often. Reference The Money Pit.
We ALWAYS take her when we visit our daughter in South Carolina.So she can visit her brother, Charley.
We have a wonderful dog sitter, Jack. Sonny absolutely adores him. Jack is six foot something, but when he talks to Sonny he pitches his voice high just for her. Sonny goes crazy. Jack will spend the night at the house and Sonny sleeps with him. Lucky Jack.
We have had her at a boarding kennel a few times. Sometimes Jack will have to take her there, or -- better yet -- rescue her from the kennel. The one kennel we prefer using is great. Sonny has a glassed in "suite" all to herself, a clear shot of the television (Animal Planet, of course!) and plenty of room. They take her outside to socialize with other dogs, they have a doggie pool and she seems to thrive when there. They are related to my vet, so I feel confident that her medical needs, if they arise, will be dealt with appropriately.
Once, and only once, we had to kennel her somewhere else. Although this place was recommended to me, I will never take her there again. Neither she nor I liked it. It was the only time that, when I picked her up, she jumped into the car without hesitation, without a push from the rear, without goading. As if to say, get me the H out of here. NOW, please.
When one of us comes home, there is excitement and joy. But it's reserved, because the family is still incomplete. Not until the second one of us comes home is the family complete and she can be whole again.
The very first time I ever left her was when she was about 4 months old. We'd only had her about a month. Well, I left her. My husband didn't. Sonny moped. My husband made the mistake of taking a shower, leaving the pup to her own devices. When he came out of the shower she had retaliated. Oh well, my husband didn't really need that pillow anyway! It is the only time she has retaliated for leaving her alone.
That we know of.
She did retaliate once because I was on the phone, not paying attention to her. Another pillow incident. But this time, it was a beautiful decorative pillow that I adored. Notice the past tense. She grabbed the pillow out of the guest bedroom, took it out to the living room, and wreaked havoc. When I got off the phone, there were stuffing clouds all over the living room floor. Bye bye pillow.
My husband travels periodically and she appears to adapt to that without much distress I travel less frequently, so it may be more of an ordeal for her when I'm gone. I don't know why. Sometimes when I'm there she seems to favor him the most. But it is me that she follows all over the house all day and all night long. Unless she's in a deep deep sleep, she wakes up and follows me to the laundry, to the kitchen, to the bedroom, to the bathroom.
When one of us is gone, there's more room in the bed for her. Not that space has ever been HER issue. It's always OUR issue. She gets what she takes, and we get what's left over!
There have been times (not many) when we've had to travel and leave her at home. My daughter's wedding in Charleston. Our car trip down to Florida over Christmas last year. A long weekend getaway to Bald Head Island. When we were in Charlotte for a week for my husband's shoulder replacement surgery. Not often for sure, especially when you realize it's over a 3 year period.
But we don't get out very often. Reference The Money Pit.
We ALWAYS take her when we visit our daughter in South Carolina.So she can visit her brother, Charley.
We have a wonderful dog sitter, Jack. Sonny absolutely adores him. Jack is six foot something, but when he talks to Sonny he pitches his voice high just for her. Sonny goes crazy. Jack will spend the night at the house and Sonny sleeps with him. Lucky Jack.
We have had her at a boarding kennel a few times. Sometimes Jack will have to take her there, or -- better yet -- rescue her from the kennel. The one kennel we prefer using is great. Sonny has a glassed in "suite" all to herself, a clear shot of the television (Animal Planet, of course!) and plenty of room. They take her outside to socialize with other dogs, they have a doggie pool and she seems to thrive when there. They are related to my vet, so I feel confident that her medical needs, if they arise, will be dealt with appropriately.
Once, and only once, we had to kennel her somewhere else. Although this place was recommended to me, I will never take her there again. Neither she nor I liked it. It was the only time that, when I picked her up, she jumped into the car without hesitation, without a push from the rear, without goading. As if to say, get me the H out of here. NOW, please.
Friday, June 18, 2010
You Say TomAto, I Say TomAHto. Read at your own risk.
Does Sonny suffer from mega-esophagus? Does she have Addison's Disease? Does she "merely" have IBS or an IBD? (Irritable bowel syndrome or disease). Does she even have an immune system? Does she have a lupus-type auto-immune disorder that travels from organ to organ, system to system?
Does anybody have the answer to these questions?
If you do, free advice is welcome. I think I'm going to have to refuse to pay anymore for expert advice. Not that I don't appreciate Dr E and all the staff. She and they are more than wonderful.
But Sonny is The Money Pit. Like the oil spilling into the Gulf of Mexico, no one really knows how to stop it. But for now, right now, the BUCKS ARE STOPPING! I can't pour concrete into her mouth to keep what's inside from coming out. Well, I guess I could but it would create other complications. Let's just say that my daughter is the first complication. The second would probably be PETA.
But I can control how I handle her next episode. Oh, and there will be a next. There always is. There always will be.
Because of her gastrointestinal problems, regardless of its name, my carpet is ruined. She's regurgitated on the carpet so many times in so many areas that the only solution is to take out the carpet and put in some kind of new non-carpeted flooring. My living room floor has stains all over the place. Sure, we've managed to clean up most of them, but after 3 years, the carpet has lost. And The Money Pit has won. So, replacing the carpet is not feasible at the moment. Probably never. Well, until we plan to sell the house, that is. Reference the aforementioned Money Pit.
And to set the record straight, Sonny regurgitates. She doesn't vomit. There's a difference, at least according to Dr. E. . Vomiting requires heaving and stomach spasms and a feeling of nauseousness before hurling out stomach contents and bile. Regurgitating happens at a second's notice, without any precursor or foreknowledge.Sonny's episodes? It's more like sneezing. You don't know you're going to sneeze until seconds before you do. When Sonny regurgitates, it takes the poor baby by total surprise. She could be just walking along and out it comes. Or she can be getting up from lying down and out it comes. Or she can be jumping around like a maniac and out it comes.
But it doesn't look like vomit. It looks like dog food that's been sitting in a small amount of water for a good while. Fully shaped, undigested, just soft. It looks like the food has never ever been in her stomach -- maybe just hanging around in her esophagus -- or her digestion is just really really really slow.
I know this is gross. Welcome to our life.
She may go several days -- IF WE'RE LUCKY -- not throwing up, and then regurgitate 4 times in a 20 minute period. And it happens so suddenly, she's not even expecting it. If she gets excited, out it comes. If she's nervous, out it comes. If she gets up too fast, out it comes. And then, poor baby, she runs into her crate because she just can't figure out what just hit her.
She regurgitates when she's under stress. But according to Dr. E, it doesn't matter if the stress is good stress or bad stress. Same reaction. Supposedly, we could increase her dose of prednisone in anticipation of a stressful situation, but the same events don't necessarily trigger the same response each time. And we're at the lowest dose we can give her. If we start increasing it on a regular basis, she first gets terribly thirsty and drinks enormous amounts of water. That get regurgitated. Secondly, she starts losing her fur. Neither reason is acceptable enough to warrant a long-term increase. Also, see The Money Pit.
This past weekend while at my daughter's house, we decided to leave Sonny outside of the crate along with her brothers, Charley and Sig. Outside of the crate for the very first time without a human in attendance.Of course, she wasn't alone. Charley and Sig were there. But, when we came home after being gone one hour, she had regurgitated on the floor.
Of course. Stressed out because she was out of the crate for the first time. I should have known better, but I really didn't see that one coming.
Welcome to our life.
Does anybody have the answer to these questions?
If you do, free advice is welcome. I think I'm going to have to refuse to pay anymore for expert advice. Not that I don't appreciate Dr E and all the staff. She and they are more than wonderful.
But Sonny is The Money Pit. Like the oil spilling into the Gulf of Mexico, no one really knows how to stop it. But for now, right now, the BUCKS ARE STOPPING! I can't pour concrete into her mouth to keep what's inside from coming out. Well, I guess I could but it would create other complications. Let's just say that my daughter is the first complication. The second would probably be PETA.
But I can control how I handle her next episode. Oh, and there will be a next. There always is. There always will be.
Because of her gastrointestinal problems, regardless of its name, my carpet is ruined. She's regurgitated on the carpet so many times in so many areas that the only solution is to take out the carpet and put in some kind of new non-carpeted flooring. My living room floor has stains all over the place. Sure, we've managed to clean up most of them, but after 3 years, the carpet has lost. And The Money Pit has won. So, replacing the carpet is not feasible at the moment. Probably never. Well, until we plan to sell the house, that is. Reference the aforementioned Money Pit.
And to set the record straight, Sonny regurgitates. She doesn't vomit. There's a difference, at least according to Dr. E. . Vomiting requires heaving and stomach spasms and a feeling of nauseousness before hurling out stomach contents and bile. Regurgitating happens at a second's notice, without any precursor or foreknowledge.Sonny's episodes? It's more like sneezing. You don't know you're going to sneeze until seconds before you do. When Sonny regurgitates, it takes the poor baby by total surprise. She could be just walking along and out it comes. Or she can be getting up from lying down and out it comes. Or she can be jumping around like a maniac and out it comes.
But it doesn't look like vomit. It looks like dog food that's been sitting in a small amount of water for a good while. Fully shaped, undigested, just soft. It looks like the food has never ever been in her stomach -- maybe just hanging around in her esophagus -- or her digestion is just really really really slow.
I know this is gross. Welcome to our life.
She may go several days -- IF WE'RE LUCKY -- not throwing up, and then regurgitate 4 times in a 20 minute period. And it happens so suddenly, she's not even expecting it. If she gets excited, out it comes. If she's nervous, out it comes. If she gets up too fast, out it comes. And then, poor baby, she runs into her crate because she just can't figure out what just hit her.
She regurgitates when she's under stress. But according to Dr. E, it doesn't matter if the stress is good stress or bad stress. Same reaction. Supposedly, we could increase her dose of prednisone in anticipation of a stressful situation, but the same events don't necessarily trigger the same response each time. And we're at the lowest dose we can give her. If we start increasing it on a regular basis, she first gets terribly thirsty and drinks enormous amounts of water. That get regurgitated. Secondly, she starts losing her fur. Neither reason is acceptable enough to warrant a long-term increase. Also, see The Money Pit.
This past weekend while at my daughter's house, we decided to leave Sonny outside of the crate along with her brothers, Charley and Sig. Outside of the crate for the very first time without a human in attendance.Of course, she wasn't alone. Charley and Sig were there. But, when we came home after being gone one hour, she had regurgitated on the floor.
Of course. Stressed out because she was out of the crate for the first time. I should have known better, but I really didn't see that one coming.
Welcome to our life.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Traveling with Sonny
One of the good things about Sonny is that she travels in the car very well. If there's just the two of us, she sits up front with me and takes in the scenery. If it's a family trip, she's relegated to the back seat and usually sleeps. Unless we slow down or stop. Or take a curve too quickly. Then she's up and at the window to see what's going on.
Of course, when we travel with her, we are usually going to my husband's family homestead in western North Carolina, or down to coastal South Carolina to visit our daughter, husband and their two dogs. Both places have crates. I don't trust Sonny running free in any environment that isn't enclosed.
We don't really go on vacations. I don't like staying in places that permit pets, because they're usually dives. And I've decided that a vacation in a room with a hotel bed not as good as mine at home isn't much of a vacation. So it's rare we travel without her. Of course, it's rare that we travel period, except to the aforementioned family homestead and our daughter's house! Read my post entitled "The Money Pit".
When we're on the road, we usually stop about every two hours. We stretch our legs and Sonny stretches her's. Big sniffing conventions, because there's all these new smells. And some old ones, because we often stop at the same places.
We offer her water each time we stop. Sometimes she drinks, sometimes she's more interested in getting back in the car in case we decide to leave without her. As if!!
Of course, when we travel with her, we are usually going to my husband's family homestead in western North Carolina, or down to coastal South Carolina to visit our daughter, husband and their two dogs. Both places have crates. I don't trust Sonny running free in any environment that isn't enclosed.
We don't really go on vacations. I don't like staying in places that permit pets, because they're usually dives. And I've decided that a vacation in a room with a hotel bed not as good as mine at home isn't much of a vacation. So it's rare we travel without her. Of course, it's rare that we travel period, except to the aforementioned family homestead and our daughter's house! Read my post entitled "The Money Pit".
When we're on the road, we usually stop about every two hours. We stretch our legs and Sonny stretches her's. Big sniffing conventions, because there's all these new smells. And some old ones, because we often stop at the same places.
We offer her water each time we stop. Sometimes she drinks, sometimes she's more interested in getting back in the car in case we decide to leave without her. As if!!
Monday, June 14, 2010
What's That, You Say?
So Sonny went deaf on us several months ago. I don't know how we missed it for so long, but one day my husband came home for lunch and Sonny didn't wake up in her crate. She was sleeping soundly. My husband made his lunch, opening the refrigerator door, which is always a wake up call for her. Nothing. He calls me, as if I can do anything about it. So, what's going on? Is she still breathing? Yes, he says. I can see her breathing. Then wake her up and make sure she's ok. Right as rain, he says.
Of course, it's Friday with the weekend coming up. But at the moment, she seems fine. Let's see what happens.
What happens is that I come home, start testing her and finally make the assessment: Sonny's deaf! She can hear me yell loudly, she seems to hear my whistle, but not anything else. Certainly not the doorbell. Not the refrigerator door opening. Not the ice dispensing in the freezer door.
WTF do we do now? It's the weekend and we're faced with doing nothing until she can be examined by Dr. E.
During the week Dr. E examines Sonny's ears. She's puzzled, because she's never quite seen this in a dog before. At least to this extent. It looks like there's a big wad of waxy buildup in both her ears. Dr. E is unwilling to commit that removing the blockage will bring back her hearing. Maybe it's related, maybe not. But, unlike in humans where they just lavage the ears out, a dog's ear canal curves, so to get in there is not only uncomfortable but could be dangerous to the dog if the dog moves. So, Sonny's going to have to be anesthesized for the blockage to come out.
Hooray, it works. She can hear again!
And now, she can't. Again. At least it appears to us that she's deaf again. Or being extremely unresponsive on purpose! And not only is it a Friday again, but I am flying out of state for the week.
And there is that Money Pit issue...
Of course, it's Friday with the weekend coming up. But at the moment, she seems fine. Let's see what happens.
What happens is that I come home, start testing her and finally make the assessment: Sonny's deaf! She can hear me yell loudly, she seems to hear my whistle, but not anything else. Certainly not the doorbell. Not the refrigerator door opening. Not the ice dispensing in the freezer door.
WTF do we do now? It's the weekend and we're faced with doing nothing until she can be examined by Dr. E.
During the week Dr. E examines Sonny's ears. She's puzzled, because she's never quite seen this in a dog before. At least to this extent. It looks like there's a big wad of waxy buildup in both her ears. Dr. E is unwilling to commit that removing the blockage will bring back her hearing. Maybe it's related, maybe not. But, unlike in humans where they just lavage the ears out, a dog's ear canal curves, so to get in there is not only uncomfortable but could be dangerous to the dog if the dog moves. So, Sonny's going to have to be anesthesized for the blockage to come out.
Hooray, it works. She can hear again!
And now, she can't. Again. At least it appears to us that she's deaf again. Or being extremely unresponsive on purpose! And not only is it a Friday again, but I am flying out of state for the week.
And there is that Money Pit issue...
Friday, June 11, 2010
Back to the Past: Sonny's Re-Check Visit
Well, we did make it back to the re-check. She survived and apparently thrived over the next several days. We put Sonny back on the exam table, rooting around in her blanket, trying to make a nest. Dr. E walks into the room and comments "look at that, she's acting like a real puppy now."
I took that as a sign of good things to come. It was the first positive affirmation from Dr. E that our puppy was behaving in a normal manner. And she had gained some weight. Things were looking up!
And that's the way Sonny's health has gone ever since. We are always re-assessing. Is she better or worse? How often is she regurgitating? Is she eating or not? Is her stomach making those gurgling sounds that indicate her intestinal tract is in an uproar? Is she licking an inordinate amount? Her paws? Her belly? Is she shaking her head and scratching at her ears? Does she have a fungal or yeast infection? Do we have the meds to try treating it ourselves, or do we need to take her in for yet another veterinary office visit?
It is always something.
Always.
When she was spayed, she pulled her stitches the first night and we had to take her to the emergency vet. Wonderful wonderful folks there, too. They stapled her right up.
Oh yeah, and she went deaf, too. Temporarily, thank goodness. But more on that later.
I took that as a sign of good things to come. It was the first positive affirmation from Dr. E that our puppy was behaving in a normal manner. And she had gained some weight. Things were looking up!
And that's the way Sonny's health has gone ever since. We are always re-assessing. Is she better or worse? How often is she regurgitating? Is she eating or not? Is her stomach making those gurgling sounds that indicate her intestinal tract is in an uproar? Is she licking an inordinate amount? Her paws? Her belly? Is she shaking her head and scratching at her ears? Does she have a fungal or yeast infection? Do we have the meds to try treating it ourselves, or do we need to take her in for yet another veterinary office visit?
It is always something.
Always.
When she was spayed, she pulled her stitches the first night and we had to take her to the emergency vet. Wonderful wonderful folks there, too. They stapled her right up.
Oh yeah, and she went deaf, too. Temporarily, thank goodness. But more on that later.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
The Money Pit
Sonny stole my heart before I even met her. The concept of a boxer was already ingrained in my heart. But since I got her 38 months ago, she's also stolen my money and almost 100% of my discretionary income.
Do I love her? Absolutely! Unequivocally! She's my buddy when my husband is out of town. She's my buddy when sitting on the couch blogging. She's my buddy when I'm in bed with a migraine. She's my buddy when I'm in bed with a flare-up of Crohn's.
But is she worth it?
I know how many times we've taken Sonny to the vet since we got her. I counted them. One by one. Since our visit on May 26 for more health issues, Sonny has been seen by Dr E 51 times. FIFTY ONE times. In only 38 months. That means, on average, Sonny goes to the vet MORE THAN ONCE A MONTH. I bet you only take your pet to the vet ONCE A YEAR.
You do the math.
It chills me to the bone to realize how much money I've "invested" in my beloved dog. My husband is right. When he looks at Sonny, he calls her his retirement. i used to laugh.
Not anymore. He's right! She's our money pit. She's our vacation getaway to Bald Head Island. She's our trip to a major league baseball game in a metropolitan city. She's a down payment on a vacation home. She's our wood flooring and granite countertop. She's my new dining room set. She's a new pair of eyeglasses. She's our refinished wood floors in my husband's family home. She's also new kitchen cabinets there.
And she's only 3 years old!
I love her and can't imagine my life without her. But her quality of life is starting to affect MY quality of life. And I just don't know what to do...
Do I love her? Absolutely! Unequivocally! She's my buddy when my husband is out of town. She's my buddy when sitting on the couch blogging. She's my buddy when I'm in bed with a migraine. She's my buddy when I'm in bed with a flare-up of Crohn's.
But is she worth it?
I know how many times we've taken Sonny to the vet since we got her. I counted them. One by one. Since our visit on May 26 for more health issues, Sonny has been seen by Dr E 51 times. FIFTY ONE times. In only 38 months. That means, on average, Sonny goes to the vet MORE THAN ONCE A MONTH. I bet you only take your pet to the vet ONCE A YEAR.
You do the math.
It chills me to the bone to realize how much money I've "invested" in my beloved dog. My husband is right. When he looks at Sonny, he calls her his retirement. i used to laugh.
Not anymore. He's right! She's our money pit. She's our vacation getaway to Bald Head Island. She's our trip to a major league baseball game in a metropolitan city. She's a down payment on a vacation home. She's our wood flooring and granite countertop. She's my new dining room set. She's a new pair of eyeglasses. She's our refinished wood floors in my husband's family home. She's also new kitchen cabinets there.
And she's only 3 years old!
I love her and can't imagine my life without her. But her quality of life is starting to affect MY quality of life. And I just don't know what to do...
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
Now What?
Yesterday was the 51st time Sonny has been seen by the vet in 38 months. Sonny has NEVER had a "well check". She's never been well. And she's never gone more than a month and a half without being seen for one ailment or another. Sometimes she's gone once a week.
This go round, Sonny has been getting up multiple times during the night to chew at her paws, lick her belly, shake her ears and scratch. It was driving us to distraction, so we made an appointment to take her in. Not so much because she was hurting. Mainly because she was disrupting our sleep!
So we took her in, thinking it was her ears and her paws again. Another yeast infection. Or so we thought. Turns out we were right about the ears. Eardrops will do the trick. The paws? Not a yeast infection this time. But Dr E did find pustules on her belly and a few other spots. Some sort of skin problem. She's had it before.
One of the reasons she has been on antibiotics and a special food diet for the past 8 weeks was to determine if her belly pustules were related to a food allergy. Based on this new eruption, probably not. So, her prednisone dosage has been increased, she's taking benadryl, and we'll try a medicated soap.Dr. E thinks maybe it's an airborne allergy. Like people get. Pine trees, dust mites, hair and skin dander, grass...
I don't know if they test dogs for allergies the way humans are tested. And I don't know if dogs get allergy shots like people do. I'm sure I will be finding out. Ca ching$$
Well, since we were there for her ears and skin irritation, we'd go ahead and get her annual check-up for heartworm, get her distemper shot and bordatella vaccine. At least this year she wasn't so sick that we had to delay getting her shots and annual routine examination.
Our appointment was for 4:45. We are always there for at least an hour. I'm not complaining. Dr. E always gives us her undivided attention. We sit on the floor and discuss Sonny, options, indicators, plans, ideas. Anything that helps begin to define today's Sonny issue as well as tomorrow's.
The vet's office recently expanded to add additional examination rooms. I think they should name one of the rooms after Sonny. Or maybe 2. Instead of Exam Room 5, maybe it should say "Room Sonny" or "Sonny's Room" or "In honor of Sonny's owner's contribution to our expansion wing". All kidding aside, I guess it's better than "in memorium".
This go round, Sonny has been getting up multiple times during the night to chew at her paws, lick her belly, shake her ears and scratch. It was driving us to distraction, so we made an appointment to take her in. Not so much because she was hurting. Mainly because she was disrupting our sleep!
So we took her in, thinking it was her ears and her paws again. Another yeast infection. Or so we thought. Turns out we were right about the ears. Eardrops will do the trick. The paws? Not a yeast infection this time. But Dr E did find pustules on her belly and a few other spots. Some sort of skin problem. She's had it before.
One of the reasons she has been on antibiotics and a special food diet for the past 8 weeks was to determine if her belly pustules were related to a food allergy. Based on this new eruption, probably not. So, her prednisone dosage has been increased, she's taking benadryl, and we'll try a medicated soap.Dr. E thinks maybe it's an airborne allergy. Like people get. Pine trees, dust mites, hair and skin dander, grass...
I don't know if they test dogs for allergies the way humans are tested. And I don't know if dogs get allergy shots like people do. I'm sure I will be finding out. Ca ching$$
Well, since we were there for her ears and skin irritation, we'd go ahead and get her annual check-up for heartworm, get her distemper shot and bordatella vaccine. At least this year she wasn't so sick that we had to delay getting her shots and annual routine examination.
Our appointment was for 4:45. We are always there for at least an hour. I'm not complaining. Dr. E always gives us her undivided attention. We sit on the floor and discuss Sonny, options, indicators, plans, ideas. Anything that helps begin to define today's Sonny issue as well as tomorrow's.
The vet's office recently expanded to add additional examination rooms. I think they should name one of the rooms after Sonny. Or maybe 2. Instead of Exam Room 5, maybe it should say "Room Sonny" or "Sonny's Room" or "In honor of Sonny's owner's contribution to our expansion wing". All kidding aside, I guess it's better than "in memorium".
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Weekend in South Carolina
We're visiting our daughter, son-in-law and the two dogs this weekend. Absolute total bedlam. As if three dogs together isn't enough, their cousin Rylie is visiting, too. Four boxers. Two hundred and thirty pounds of boxer love.Boxer slobber. I've been jumped on, scratched and licked since the first minute we got here. My clothes are filthy from being jumped on outside.
I love it! Especially right now when the dogs are pooped out and sleeping. Sig on the couch with me. Charley on the ottoman. Rylie and Sonny on the floor.
But where Sonny is mostly an indoor dog, the other three are outdoor dogs. And they've all been outdoors in the kids' large, fenced in back yard. And they're absolutely filthy. Bringing them indoors is a chore, because their face and feet need wiping off. Sixteen paws. Four mouths. All juggling for position to get into the house first. Well, first behind Charley. As alpha dog, YOU come to HIM to wipe him down, because he is NOT giving up his first place in line.
It's so funny to see how different all four boxers are, It's so much fun to see them interact. Sonny's the smallest and the only female; the other three are un-neutered males. Rylie is hyper-active and paces a lot. He's very friendly and his tail is a rotor engine. It is always wagging double-time.
Charley is the old man and, unless he's outside playing, places himself above the fray of the other dogs. Sig is high energy and the youngest of them all. He's still just trying to figure out what he's supposed to be doing.
And then there's Sonny. She may be small but she's loud. She's quite able to let Sig know when she's had enough! But she LOVES playing with Sig best of all. It used to be Charley, but he would tire out/be bored before she was ready to call it quits. Sig is quite happy to play on, and on, and on and...
I love it! Especially right now when the dogs are pooped out and sleeping. Sig on the couch with me. Charley on the ottoman. Rylie and Sonny on the floor.
But where Sonny is mostly an indoor dog, the other three are outdoor dogs. And they've all been outdoors in the kids' large, fenced in back yard. And they're absolutely filthy. Bringing them indoors is a chore, because their face and feet need wiping off. Sixteen paws. Four mouths. All juggling for position to get into the house first. Well, first behind Charley. As alpha dog, YOU come to HIM to wipe him down, because he is NOT giving up his first place in line.
It's so funny to see how different all four boxers are, It's so much fun to see them interact. Sonny's the smallest and the only female; the other three are un-neutered males. Rylie is hyper-active and paces a lot. He's very friendly and his tail is a rotor engine. It is always wagging double-time.
Charley is the old man and, unless he's outside playing, places himself above the fray of the other dogs. Sig is high energy and the youngest of them all. He's still just trying to figure out what he's supposed to be doing.
And then there's Sonny. She may be small but she's loud. She's quite able to let Sig know when she's had enough! But she LOVES playing with Sig best of all. It used to be Charley, but he would tire out/be bored before she was ready to call it quits. Sig is quite happy to play on, and on, and on and...
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