More Kaylee Photos

Not much new to report. Kaylee has been going to the front door and whining or ringing the bells I have hanging there to go outside. But sometime tonight neither Hal nor I noticed he making the giant pee spot in the same place in the kitchen she used a few days ago. Apparently, the odor eliminator stuff I have is too old and is ineffective. I couldn't find anything at the local Meijer grocery store last week so I will have to check Wal-Mart next.

In the meantime, Ziggy is barking at her now more than growling at her. I hope that is a good sign. She is still trying to get him to play and wants to lay next to him, sometimes he allows it, within reason, whatever his reasons are. Here are some of the latest photos.

She digs holes under the deck like Ziggy does

Kaylee in her hole

Kaylee has been discovering water is her friend. Here she is in the front half of what I have named "Rocket's Pool". He used to lay in the back half and Luna in the front. (There is a small downed cedar tree spitting the pool in half.) After Rocket died she took over the back half and Ziggy the front though he never laid in it like my Rocket and Luna did. I wonder how long it will take Kaylee to decide to lay down in it, too. Probably as soon as she discovers she likes mud.

Kaylee has discovered the swamp

She throws herself against the door when she wants in

This last picture happened tonight. Kaylee was there first. I wasn't watching but when I looked again there was Ziggy, too. She was still there when he lay down so maybe there is hope they will be friends eventually.

Under the deck yet again

I thought the Ziggy-Kaylee Relationship was Better

But last night while she was on her back, playing with her hanging rope toy, Ziggy went a bit ballistic at her, snarling, baring teeth, not good. I put him outside. I didn't let him in until she took herself off to her crate for a nap. After he spent some time on my recliner with me. She spent the night napping in her crate so there were no more incidents

Otherwise, Ziggy is very needy, staring at me, following me around, things he never really used to do. Yesterday I took both pups to the build site, tied her in the shaded garage and he just hung around with the shock collar on. It was about 83 degrees, sunny and he starts following me around the yard while I was mowing the fields. Crazy, his tongue hanging out, panting, a black dog walking behind my riding mower. I had to make him lay down. He chose to leap back into the car, so I had to pull it all the way into the garage to get him into the shade. Kaylee just laid around waiting for me to take them walking.

I'm really unsure how to proceed to fix this, assuming it can be fixed, and it must be fixed because getting rid of either dog is not an option. I have decided that from now on when she naps in her crate and I am not walking Ziggy alone, etc. he will also have to stay in the same room with her. Whether it helps remains to be seen. After 2 weeks I was hoping for more harmony. wish I could remember how long it took Rocket to like Luna. Luna seemed to adore Ziggy from the beginning. Maybe it's a guy thing to hate the new puppy?

The Garden Hose

Ziggy hates the garden hose. So did Luna. But in summer time when the dogs rolled in crap out it came along with doggie shampoo. Like today, Ziggy found something foul to roll in. Fortunately, Kaylee didn't have a chance to join him. He'd probably have chased her away anyway, he still is avoiding her and growling and snapping when she approaches.

So when we got home from our afternoon walk, Ziggy had a bath in the driveway and tried to escape several times. Kaylee, on the other hand, tried to get right into the mix and snap at the water. Rocket used to like the hose. It looks like Kaylee might, too. I will have to try a sprinkler tomorrow and see what happens!

Ziggy's at the Vet

I dropped him off 4 hours ago to have a growth removed from his tongue and biopsied. I had hoped it was something like the papillomavirus but when I took him in a month ago the vet didn't think it was and I agreed because it didn't look like the photos. She said not to worry but she recommended removal and a biopsy and today was the soonest we could get him in.

This isn't my usual vet but the closer one I used to take Rocket to till he just refused to go in the door anymore and I didn't want to continue stressing him so much. But Luna has been there twice for emergency surgeries when she cut herself out in the woods and they did a great job.

When I noticed the white growth on Ziggy I didn't want to wait for an appointment at my et which is also an hour away (this ver is only 20 minutes). I probably could have gotten in the next day but I think I had some other thing I had to do so this was fast and convenient even if I had to wait an hour because in Lincoln it's first come first served.

So now I wait and I hate waiting. Then it's another possible 2 weeks before I find out the results. He might not even be in surgery yet. Fingers crossed things go well.

Yogi was Rocket's Best Buddy

And he is gone.

January 2004, At his House

My neighbor and friend called at 8 am this morning to tell me he had a heart attack early this morning. I hadn't been over there yesterday so I didn't get to see him. He looked and acted fine the day before though he mainly lay in front of the wood stove. He did greet me and my pups when we walked in the door, always needing to see who was coming for a visit. He was 13, same age as Rocket but in much better shape than Rocket was at the end, just a little lame, a little slower. The 3 of us went over as soon as we could so Luna and Ziggy could sniff him and understand (I hope) why Yogi won't be there any more. He was a good old boy, a typical Labrador, loved to eat, drooled like a champion, and wanted lots of attention. He loved a good ear rub and having his back scratched just above his tail.

Here are a few photos.

I think this one is from 2007 at our favorite out of the way beach that everyone brings their dogs to.

2007 Negwegon, Rocket, Yogi and Tank

 Begging for food, as usual.

Hoping for a goody, April 2003

 Wrestling, a favorite past time, at Yogi's house.

Wrestling at Yogi's House April 2003

Begging for a goody on another day.

January 7, 2003 at my Front Door

And one of my favorite pictures, Rocket and Yogi playing tug of war.

 Goodbye Yogi, you will be missed.

Luna is Eight

Today is her birthday. Same age as Rocket was when I adopted her. She's still a peppy little pup and still gets into things she shouldn't, mud in particular. We've already had 2 walks today with the Zigman. It's not at hot as yesterday, only around 80. Yesterday hit 92 so she swam more than walked. Had a nice swim today though she pretty much fell in. I tossed a stick and just as she was deciding to leap she changed her mind but her body couldn't quite stop, so plop off the edge into the water. And she still brought the stick back.

Here's a fairly recent photo of my girl, if you can call June recent.

And because he's cute, here's Ziggy pausing at a really good digging hole. Luna's head is still in it. They do so love to dig. I need to take photos of the mine field of holes in the woods inside the fence, they're ankle breakers!

And one more of Luna because it is her birthday!

Uncle Butch Died

On the night as my last post. Shocked the hell out of everyone. I saw him around 8 pm that night and less than 4 hours later he was gone. Heart attack. Totally unexpected though he'd had heart attacks previously. I think everyone was just numb for the first few days. He was my dogs' best buddy, the goodie man. It seemed Luna and Ziggy, and especially Rocket would rather be there than here at home because you never knew when goodies would magically appear. I considered Uncle Butch a good friend, he and his wife pretty much adopted me into their family. Some part of me still can't believe he won't be laying on his couch when I walk in the door and ask me "Have you come to see my dogs?" as Luna and Ziggy greeted my arrival to bring them home.

He was only 72.

This really sucks.

A Few Photos

I have been negligent so thought I'd just post a few photos of the happenings around the swamp for the past 2 and a half months.

I thought I'd show what Ziggy's dinner place looks like every day when he eats. He doesn't pick up the ones on the outside either, but Luna does. I think she looks forward to his rings of Saturn though it doesn't help her waistline.

Ziggy also learned how to swim after watching Luna jump into the pond several times. He sort of fell in. After a few more times he began to leap in though he doesn't retrieve sticks. he just jumps in when he feels like it, does a couple circles and climbs back out. Usually he tried to climb onto Luna when she is climbing out as well. But now that is swimming he can go to the beach which we did a couple weeks ago at Negwegon State Park where he got to play in the waves and had a blast.

We visited my friend's house this spring and Luna and Tink, both females and only tolerant of each other had some weird sort of pushing contest. There didn't seem to be any obvious winner and it lasted more than 5 minutes. Very odd dogs.

 

I don't know if it's all the rain we had this spring and the super cool weather we had (till lately, it's been dry and in the 90s lately!) but my roses are doing wonderfully this year like they never have before. The pink one is a William Baffin climbing rose and the red one the Morden Fireglow.

And this final picture just happened when Ziggy sat in front of Rocket's grave while the daffodils I planted over him were in bloom. I thought it was a nice picture. It's unbelievable how much I miss that big brown dog but I think Ziggy is doing his best to plug that hole.

Went to a Spa

Last weekend I went to a spa just outside of Petoskey, MI at the Inn at Bay Harbor. First time I'd ever been to a spa or had a professional massage. I must say it was a very nice experience. I also had a facial and a pedicure. A weekend of firsts for me. I went with my mother-in-law and 4 sisters-in-law and a friend. I would say we had a blast. The rooms were great, the food was great and even the local casino was okay though I am not much of a gambler. I lost my $20 complimentary cash from the hotel pretty quickly. The whole trip was a Christmas gift from my father-in-law. Rather nice of him, I'd say.

Aren't those the prettiest toenails? The color is Peruby Ruby by OPI which, of course, has been discontinued so I bought a bottle of It's Greek to Me, which seemed close enough.

While gone I left Ziggy with Hal and Luna with Uncle Butch and his wife. Ziggy has a mild case of kennel cough so he has to stay away from most dogs. Luna had gotten a booster shot last month so she's fine. Every so often I would receive a text message from Hal stating things like "pup still alive." I do believe Hal had no idea what he was in for when he volunteered to look after the puppy by letting me get him before my spa weekend as opposed to after it. When I got back to the farm to drop my MIL off, Ziggy was waiting for me to take home.

Upon getting home I picked up Luna and my two pups acted as though they hadn't seen each other in years. Maybe that's true since dogs have such short lives. But in any case they seemed very happy to see each other again. They bonded so much more quickly than Rocket did with Luna. But then Luna has always been part of a duo except for these past 6 months while Rocket had 8 years of being the sole dog.

So here are a few photos of their reunion.



  

Such puppy love!

(edited to fix typo)

It's A New Year and a New Oven

I have been negligent, yet again, in my posting. At this moment I am downstate at Hal's sister's house. Been here for a week. Tomorrow I will go home as she is going back to nursing school. It's raining outside here but up north we got snow and a goodly amount I have heard. That should make it nice for Luna as she does seem to like the snow though not as much as my good boy Rocket did.

Toward the end of 2010 by gas oven, which runs on propane, did not turn off 3 times and I did not find out till the next day. Fortunately, the flame remained on and though it cost me in fuel it did fill my house with gas. I've never liked that range, it was the cheapest GE the previous owner (who bought the whole property and divided it into 7 sections to sell for profit) could put in. It had the broiler drawer on the bottom which is literally a pain in the back to use, the flames were blue tipped yellow instead of solid blue so it was burning inefficiently and the oven temperature was off anywhere from 75 to 150 degrees depending on the required temperature and the mood it was in. It had been adjusted as far as it could be and was just not a joy to use. Plus those old burners did not boil water very fast and it would take 3 hours to get my 17 quart pressure canner pressurized.

My new oven which I bought in a year end sale and is a Frigidaire is a joy to use. It's got sealed burners so no water gets inside, it lights quickly, heats water, oh, so much faster! It has the broiler inside the oven where it should be. I even got it in the "bisque" color to match my dishwasher and refrigerator. I'd have loved to get one with a 5th burner in the middle but that would have cost an extra $300.

First day it came I roasted a chicken. I've baked cookies, boiled noodles, it's been an utter joy to use. I think canning vegetables will be so much easier this year!

(edited to add photo)

Looked at a Puppy

And played with him too at an animal shelter in south east Michigan yesterday. He was about 5 months old, black, a probable Labrador mix they called Reggie. He really loved to retrieve. He didn't look me in the eyes but kept coming back to me over an over with his ball or toys. He was undernourished and his back legs were a little splayed which could be from being undernourished. His skin was a little dry and he didn't say much  probably due to having kennel cough. But he seemed to be a sweet little boy. I hope he finds a good home, he'd possibly be a nice fit with me and Luna and Hal, but I wasn't "feeling it". Possibly it's too soon since I lost Rocket.

One day.

Happy Birthday Luna

Luna turned 5 today. Bittersweet as we lost Rocket yesterday but we went for a couple of long walks and she got lots of special goodies and chicken in her dinners. She went for a swim in Mud Lake, chased sticks, and visited Uncle Butch's house 3 times today and played a little with Yogi. She's doing pretty well I think. We both are. It's hard to stay sad with her bounding around. She is such a sweetheart!

Rocket: August 21, 1997 to September 10, 2010

He's gone. Friday morning I got a call from Uncle Butch's wife, Rocket couldn't get up, he had an "accident" and was crying because he couldn't get up to go outside in time. I got there  in under 10 minutes, I called Hal, we carried him outside on his bed, I helped him up so he could pee. His rear legs kept collapsing, but he managed. We helped him back to his bed then carried him to the car. I called the vet's office while we were on the road. He rode quietly in the back seat, he seemed comfortable now that he had peed. We got there just after 9:30 am. The doctor was amazed that he wasn't jaundiced, that he had gotten into the wading pool the day before. I had spent that afternoon outside with him, it had been a nice day. He seemed to enjoy laying in the sun and sniffing the air.

They brought a gurney out to my car. We lifted the bed onto it, and wheeled him into a room. I signed a form and paid the bill. Then the doctor did it. I held Rocket's head in my hand and then he was gone. It was fast, it seemed too fast. He swallowed. His eyebrow twitched, his nose whiskers quivered. We wrapped him in a blanket and wheeled him back out through the side door and they bundled him into my back seat. We were driving home by 9:55 am.

Hal dug a grave by the lilac bushes near the pond. Uncle Butch and his wife came over, they brought Luna with them. It was all done by noon.

Rocket performing the biscuit dance at Uncle Butch's house.

So Rocket is gone and it seems very unreal. I expect him to appear around the corner and perform his biscuit dance. I'd so love to see it again.

Almost Went to the Vet Today

Would have been for the final visit for Rocket, last night he was breathing roughly, he was weak, falling over, and everyone agreed it was time. I went over this morning to check on him and he was breathing normally, looking around, being his normal self for a dog who isn't eating. Turns out the pain pills I was giving him for pain I thought he might have, were causing all the symptoms. Fourteen hours after I'd given him the last one he was able to walk outside, get in the pool, have a drink, come back inside and went to bed. He was a different old dog today. He's still not well and won't get better, but he's got a short reprieve.

Beach Party!

On the last day of August I joined my friend at Jewell Lake with his dogs and mine to celebrate his getting Tink a year earlier. She's Mr Mike's little sister. He acquired Tink while on a trip to South Dakota where he goes every year for field work. Both his dogs are bird dogs of the pointing variety whereas mine are retrievers though untrained in that job. I certainly don't need my dogs to start retrieving chickens.

Luna Retrieving yet again.

 

It was a hot windy day and the 3 younger dogs had a blast chasing bumpers. They chased them over and over and over. Eventually, they did tire out.

 

Mr Mike pointing at something....

Tink Leaping

Rocket also seemed to enjoy himself though he did what he usually does which is simply lay in the shallows and just watch everyone else.

Rocket Being Rocket

It was a good day.

It Must be the Water?

So the last couple of days I haven't seen Rocket drink any water. As far as I could tell the only liquid he was getting was what he was getting whenever I used a 3 ml syringe to give him honey, broth or water. He hasn't really eaten anything since Saturday.

This afternoon while he was sleeping in the driveway Uncle Butch and Mrs Butch came over in their golf cart to see him. After mentioning the water problem, UB decided he was going to set up his water dish near him. So he put out a couple of blocks to raise the level to Rocket height and I got his water dish. Immediately Rocket stood up, walked over and did what I've seen him do the last couple days, smell the water, look around, smell the water, stick out his tongue and taste it and then walk away toward the trailer.

Rocket loves being at Uncle Butch's

We figured he was going to his usual spot to eat grass or lay down where he could be alone as he has always been a loner. I followed him around the trailer expecting to see him go back around the other side but, no Rocket. Mrs Butch got up and we start looking around, then I see his butt disappearing down the power line trail. I keep following, Mrs Butch following further behind and then I hear UB start up the cart to follow.

I see Rocket climb down into his favorite swamp pool/mud hole, lay in it and drink a little swamp water. Then he climbs out, stands in the trail a moment then starts up the hill toward UB's house. The 3 of us follow along strung out in a line, every so often Rocket pauses, looks back to make sure we're still there, and keeps going. We end up at Uncle Butch's house, Rocket walks up the ramp and we let him in where he proceeds to the dog dishes in their kitchen and drinks a lot of water. Then he walks away, let's Yogi have a drink, then drinks some more.

Then he lays on their kitchen floor and decides to take a nap.

I guess he likes their water better.

So I brought his bed over so he can spend the night. I'll take his pill over at 11. I hope he sleeps well.

Happy 13th Birthday Rocket!!

My little man is still with us and made it to his 13th birthday. I got him to walk home from Uncle Butch's yesterday and he spent the day in various spots in the yard or inside the garage. For a while I sat in my lounge chair reading with him. He actually tried to get into his old mud hole/pool on the walk home but it was empty of water since we've had little rain. I don't see a dog  that does something like that is ready to give up.

Today I took him and Luna for a ride to the vet, not so they could be seen by him but so I could pick up the metronidazole I had left there the day of the surgery. Earlier I managed to force a couple tablespoons of ground dog food down his throat and he swallowed it. He hadn't eaten in 2 days so I had to do something to give these pills a chance to work. He had his pills at 10 am then at 2 and 6 I fed him a little more.

He seemed to enjoy the ride, he always did like a nice car ride even if we didn't actually go anywhere in particular. When we got home he wanted to snooze in the back seat so I let him, eventually he got back out and we hung out together, him snoozing or sniffing the air while I read a book in between the rain showers.

I also took a few photos and I think he still is looking pretty good. So Happy Birthday RocketMan. I sure wish you could be around for more. 

The Roller Coaster Continues

Rocket is still with us this evening. It's not been easy. For the most part he doesn't want to eat. I've run through all kinds of foods; cheese, raw chicken necks, hearts and gizzards. All kinds of canned dog food, brown rice, hot dogs, venison sausage, canned mackerel, scrambled egg, cooked chicken, boiled and raw hamburger, ramen and oatmeal. Most of this he isn't interested in, he's completely given up on goodies of any kind. A few days ago he chowed down on 13 chicken hearts after a little canned food. Next day it was 7 hearts and 2 gizzards. Then a chicken neck and a few gizzard pieces. Yesterday all I could get into him was one chicken/pork hot dog. Today I had to force feed most of a chicken neck. I became very despondent today as he eats less and less. I know the outcome is inevitable but he's still alert, still seems interested in watching things around him.

Last night he decided it was time to walk to Uncle Butch's so I followed him and when he got there he performed his biscuit dance for everyone, though, unfortunately, he didn't actually want to eat and biscuits. (I suspect he wouldn't have eaten some if he thought they still tasted good.) I brought his bed over and he spent the night, not on his bed, but in Uncle Butch's room in front of the door. He spent all day there too and apparently, will be spending tonight there as well. I visited several times today and will be walking over at 11 to give him his antibiotics. A little good news is that he did eat a little food tonight, some brand name deli sliced roast beef and turkey. Perhaps a couple ounces. Not enough but better than nothing. it's been almost a week since the surgery. One week of the month the vet gave him. I don't think he has a month, but we're all trying to make his remaining time happy enough.

Rocket is Dying

There is nothing anyone can do. He has liver cancer and now I feel like a heel for putting him through surgery that accomplished nothing but a diagnosis for me. The doctor doubted there was a blockage, the symptoms weren't right, but because that stupid rawhide donut disappeared from the basement shelf at Rocket's height and right afterward he started refusing food, I like an idiot, latched onto that one hope that he might be fixable. Even though he's almost 13 and it was more and more unlikely.

Now he's in pain on top of the lack of desire to eat and I probably robbed him of his last few good days. I just gave him his antibiotic to prevent infection at the incision and those upset his stomach. After I'm sure he's keeping them down I'll give him his pain pill. Sometime after that he'll get his appetite stimulant. Same drug given to human breast cancer patients.

He spent the night outside. First he collapsed in the patch of black-eyed Susans in the front yard when he went outside to pee. He refused to get back up. Hal said he's been sleeping outside, let him. I placed beds and water bowls outside. Hal checked on him a couple of times, I had to go to bed and try to sleep. Rocket ended up back in front of the garage, where he spent many of the last few days. He drank some water while I sat with him this morning. Luna is now laying near him in a hole she dug in the sand. I'll leave him alone for now, he's always been a loner, never enjoyed anyone hovering around him. He likes to know where you are, but wants his space. Even now. I'll give it to him, it's about all I can do for now. If he doesn't feel better in a couple days, show any sign of enjoyment of life, well.... most of my pet loving friends tell me I'll know when to do the right thing.

Rocket is Ill

I mentioned in my previous post Rocket wasn't feeling well. He's been losing weight. He's not eating. He slept a lot more than usual. When my neighbors and I really noticed in July he seemed thinner and now and then was turning down his favorite treats. Also, he never really stopped shedding since spring and his fur had become dull. He used to gobble food easily grasping with his front teeth. Now he seemed to be licking the food. So I thought perhaps he had a tooth problem. I took him in to see our vet near the end of July. Not a tooth problem and everything else looked fine although in 3 months he had lost 8 pounds. He's been on an arthritis NSAID for almost 2 years, I took him off of it and within a couple of days his fur stopped falling out in chunks and he became more alert and went for a few short walks.

See how good he looks in this photo taken a few days after going off that pill.

His blood tests came back normal except for one thing, his pancreas enzymes were off the charts. One was doubled and the other was 9 times higher than normal. The vet then had him checked for pancreatitis but that test came back negative. So that left pancreatic cancer but at the time my vet thought against it as other symptoms weren't there.

So we left it there and we would retest his blood in a month. In the meantime I fed him all sorts of canned foods and found some treats he enjoyed, even boiling up burger and rice for him. I also tried to find lower fat foods which are supposed to be better for pancreas problems. A week ago, 2 weeks after his vet visit he seemed to be going downhill again. The canned foods no longer interested him nor did the burger. I took him back to the vet 2 days ago. In just under 3 weeks he'd lost another 6 pounds. He was given a Lower GI test with barium as he'd been straining with every bowel movement. Nothing obvious appeared. So I took him home again and he was put on 2 drugs. One is metronidazole, it's mostly used as an anti-inflammatory and has been known to help digestion problems. The other is an anitbiotic, cephalexin. I'm not sure why he's on that other than to counter a possible unknown infection. But that one is harder on the stomach and after last night's pills he threw them up. Today he kept them down longer before he threw up. Today thus far he's refused chicken, beef and venison burger.

I called the vet again and really the only option seems to be exploratory surgery. I really hate to put Rocket through this but there's a remote possibility the doctor will find something he can fix, although he's really expecting to find a tumor somewhere. If it's on the pancreas it's probably cancer and there won't be anything we can do. Of course, if it's cancer anywhere else that will be it as well. I'm not putting my dog through weeks of chemo or radiation. The only question is then whether I allow him to wake back up after the surgery tomorrow morning. I guess it depends. As of last night he still ate chicken although he threw it up with the pills 90 minutes later. Today he won't eat anything.

Here is a photo taken today. I hope I can take another tomorrow.