Meeting the Neighbors

One nice thing about twice daily walkies is that we've been meeting some of our neighbors. We've had several people on the street wave at us when they've been driving. We've seen Tony and his mom and dad from across the street. Tony's mom and Aunt Pat like to chat so we make ourselves comfortable on their lawn. We love to have some snout to snout time with Tony. He's a very sweet young man.

Our neighbor D has been especially nice. She and her family live at the end of the street and we've seen her working in her yard quite a bit. She loves dogs, but her kids have allergies so they can't have any. She's made it a point to come over and pet us. She even gave Aunt Pat some squash from her garden! Aunt Pat gave her some romaine from our garden, too. I've left a gift or two on their lawn as well, but Aunt Pat and Daddy keep picking them up.

The Garden is Coming Along Nicely

And the carrots are delicious! Of course Aunt Pat wanted me to have one. Otherwise, she wouldn't have held it down by her side after she picked it. She didn't say anything when I came over to sniff it, so I very gently took it from her hand and ate it. It's a healthy treat, and I'm trying to lose weight. The doctor at the Vet in Webster said I should lose 5-10 pounds, and I'm very motivated! Healthy snacks are one step in my goal. I've been sniffing around the garden, trying to find the carrots that are ready to be picked. I've tried to pick them, but hadn't quite figured out how to get the whole carrot out of the ground. This evening, Aunt Pat turned around and saw me chewing on some of the carrot greens, but didn't see the actual carrot. She's not sure if I got the whole thing or not. I'm not telling, either. I'm not being snotty, or mean. I don't speak English! If I could speak to Aunt Pat, I think she'd check herself into the hospital, if you know what I mean.

I don't think Chloe approved. She's been laying in the garden, and sniffing around like she's some store security guard. I think she's taking the Homeland Security post a little too seriously.

Chloe, Director Of Homeland Security....

our home and land security, that is. She loves to sit on the table in the living room, observing the outdoors. She'll bark at other dogs being walked by their humans, the mailman, and any other strangers passing. Well, Monday, the 13Th of July, was no exception. Aunt Pat had warned us that a man would be by to read the gas and electric meter, but she didn't know when he'd come. Chloe was at her usual position when a man wearing a yellow vest walked across the lawn. Of course, Chloe started barking to alert Aunt Pat that he was here. The meter reader got so scared, he dropped the meter read card he leaves at houses where nobody answers the door, in the driveway and went to the next house! Who would have thought that our sweet little Chloe could scare a grown man!

Daddy cleaned out the medicine cupboard this morning. There were a few bottles of Katie's medication left, so he called the Vet to see what he should do with them. They told him to bring them over. Apparently the drug rep who comes by takes them, and his company sends them to third world countries to help animals in need. It's comforting to know that part of Katie will live on to help some other animal.

I Have To Have My Daily Dose of Fiber

That's what I keep hearing every day when we're on the sofa watching television. I certainly don't want to have problems in that area. I drink water, I exercise, and I know I get good quality food. Yum! But, I want to make sure things stay, well, regular. Those little pills and supplements they advertise on TV aren't meant for dogs, so I have to improvise. I eat grass, but sometimes I eat too much and I throw up. Now that it's summer, Aunt Pat's garden is coming along nicely.
Strawberries are fruit, and they're supposed to be wonderful roughage. But, when the strawberries aren't available, I love Aunt Pat's bean plants. Bean sprouts are supposed to be good for you. Chefs use them all the time in different dishes.

Aunt Pat planted a lot of them this year, and she keeps replanting them once I've finished! She even put some in containers just for me! At least I think she did. Some of them had a bitter apple flavor that didn't taste too bad once I got used to it. There was also another bitter flavor I couldn't identify, but it sure made things tasty.

Don't worry, I've left a couple of plants for the humans. Aunt Pat actually picked a few beans last week.

Aunt Pat thinned a few carrots today, but she didn't give me any. I thought if I stood on the edge of the garden, tail wagging, and gave her my cute excited look, I'd be chomping on some carroty goodness. It didn't work. I probably should have barked, but I'll wait until the carrots get bigger. The ones she pulled out were pretty small.

Don't feel bad for Aunt Pat. I know she would rather have me eat the garden, err, grab a couple of bean plants instead of eating too much grass. Besides, there's this place called a Farmer's Market where Daddy and Aunt Pat can go and get just about any kind of produce they want.

Chloe Looks Beautiful

Chloe went to the Groomer today and she looks wonderful! This is Chloe's before photo:

This is Chloe afterward. She really needed a bath and a haircut. Chloe enjoyed her day at the Groomer immensely. After all of the stress with Katie's illness and passing, she needed some pampering. We all needed to see somebody happy and playing like Chloe did in the back yard once she got home. Even my tail was wagging, and it didn't involve a treat!

Katie Adopted 9/24/1998-Died 7/22/2009

This is Aunt Pat. Heidi will return for the next post. I'm very sad to announce that Katie died peacefully this morning. Her kidney function tests improved only marginally after close to three liters of IV fluids, and she didn't eat much of anything during her hospitalization. The Vet thought she would go down hill quickly once she was home and off the fluids. He was right. She got home and immediately went to the pee pads and urinated. Unfortunately, her urine was bloody, and there were some blood clots on the pad. She continued to have urgency to go, had some accidents in the house and had some leakage of urine and some clots. The Vet was called, and he said that there was nothing else they could do for her. She would cough frequently and appear to want to vomit after drinking, having a tummy rub, or being picked up. Katie napped, but appeared more comfortable after getting her anti-anxiety herbal drops. The little spark in her eye; the piss and vinegar of our little Katie was gone. She looked at Andy and I as if to say "I've had enough". This morning, she seemed very grateful to finally be free of the pain and suffering, and gave Andy(Daddy) and I looks that seemed to say "Thank You." The sun came out as I'm writing this post, and I wonder if that's Katie's way of saying "I've arrived in Heaven, and I'm having a blast."

Katie always knew how to get her message across, and she could be stubborn. A sharp bark in the morning to say "get up and feed me; take me up the stairs, please or Chloe, go see who's skulking around outside". A bark accompanied by a pitiful look meant " Aunt Pat/Daddy/Human please share what's on your plate with me. I'm just a needy dog who needs some food because I haven't eaten in a while." It didn't matter that a while was just an hour ago, and she'd eaten not only what was in her bowl, but she'd sampled what was in Heidi and Chloe's bowl.

Katie was Yin to Chloe's Yang. She stayed calm while Chloe ran around and up onto the table in the living room when strangers came around. Chloe can get rather hyper at times, but Katie always stayed calm. Katie barked at strangers of course, and at the cats who roamed the neighborhood. But once she got to know you, she enjoyed having her tummy rubbed, getting scratched behind the ears, getting brushed, and trips to the Groomer.

Katie knew the value of a good nap coupled with regular exercise. During the nice weather she enjoyed laying in the back yard getting the sun on her tummy. She enjoyed going for "walkies". She'd be at the bottom of the stairs, singing and jumping up and down on the step as if she wanted to make sure she wasn't left out. Earlier this month when she started getting sick, Katie waited at the door, or at the stairs, tail wagging, when I took the leashes out. She was a girl who liked to play with her toys, and delighted in ripping the stuffing and the squeakers out.

Katie was a good dog. We'll miss her, but we know we did everything we could for her, and it was her time.

We'd like to thank everyone at the Vet's office, the Vet at Mendon Village Animal Hospital who did the ultrasound, our Groomer, our friends and neighbors who talked to us and gave us advice; and everyone who prayed for her during this time. We appreciate your many kindnesses during this difficult time.

Katie Says Hi!

This time, I didn't mind going to the Vet. I had to get a shot, and I got to see Katie! She was very happy to see Daddy and Aunt Pat, and we had a chance to have a nice sniff. She wanted me to say hello to everyone for her, and to thank everyone who has been thinking good thoughts and praying for her. The Vet wanted to keep her for one more day of fluids and will send her home tomorrow.

I was a little worried Katie wouldn't recognize me. The wart that was over my eyelid fell off ! I've had it for a while, so everyone is used to seeing me with it. There's a little bit left, but thankfully, it isn't flopping into my line of vision. I shouldn't have been concerned. Katie ran right over to me. Chloe and I will be happy to have her home tomorrow.

The Plan

Daddy called our Vet this morning and the plan for Katie is to hospitalize her for three days for another fluid challenge. She did respond to the first one, so she may need another to kick start things. After this week, we'll see where she is. If there's no improvement, of if she improves then gets worse, Daddy and Aunt Pat don't want her to suffer. Daddy dropped her off at the Vet hospital this morning with her rug to sleep on, and we'd appreciate any and all prayers for her.

Bad News

Katie's been a real trouper this week. Every day she's had to go back to her favorite place, the Vet's office, for a shot, or like yesterday, some fluids. She threw up again this morning, so the Vet scheduled her for an ultrasound of her abdomen, as we mentioned in our earlier post. Well, the news was bad. Katie's kidneys show signs of chronic kidney failure. The doctor said that if she were human, she'd be placed on dialysis and put on a transplant list. Apparently they do kidney transplants in dogs, but the success rate isn't good. Daddy and Aunt Pat wouldn't subject Katie to such a procedure anyway.

The doctor is going to talk to our Vet either tonight or tomorrow, and Daddy will call him tomorrow to discuss things. Since Katie had some improvement in her symptoms with three days in the hospital on IV fluids, it may have helped her kidneys. But, the fact that she's gotten worse over the past week isn't good. The last thing Daddy or Aunt Pat want is for Katie to suffer.

Quick Update on Katie

We're sorry we haven't posted sooner, but Aunt Pat has been having more migraines and has been wiped out from our hectic week. Since she's been home, Katie's appetite has come and gone. She'll drink quite a bit, but she hasn't wanted to eat more than a few bites. The humans figured that Katie didn't like the beef diet, since she never had eaten beef before. So, Aunt Pat went on line and found some other kidney diets that have chicken and potatoes, yum! She still doesn't have much of an appetite. She'd only eat a little bit with a lot of persuasion. Aunt Pat found some ideas to She wouldn't take her pills, so Aunt Pat has been taking her back to the Vet every day this week so she could get her medicine in a shot form. Her tummy is still upset, though. She threw up again early this morning, so Aunt Pat and Daddy are taking her for an ultrasound at 6pm today. We'll post an update when we get home.

Daddy and Aunt Pat are very worried. The Vet said Katie still smelled uremic, meaning she smells like pee, which means her kidneys aren't working well. When Aunt Pat had her at the Vet yesterday, they gave her some fluids under her skin. They want to do what they can for her, but they don't want her to suffer unnecessarily. They're puzzled. Last year when she was so sick, Katie was very lethargic, and vomiting and pooping blood. Katie is resting, but she's not lethargic. She'll get up and go outside, sniff around and today was rolling around in the grass. She's trolling around the kitchen floor, sniff the bowls, and look for food. Whenever Aunt Pat got our leashes out for walkies, Katie's right there, wagging her tail.

Katie's Home, Part II

Katie had a heck of a time getting home this afternoon! She was so happy to see Daddy and Aunt Pat at the Vet's office she licked Aunt Pat's leg and rolled on her back for a tummy rub. The Vet said that Katie didn't eat breakfast, but considering the quality of hospital food in general, I don't blame her! They gave her an antibiotic to give Katie once a day, and said to call if she still didn't want to eat. They could give her something to stimulate her appetite if needed, and they made some changes to her liver medication, since her liver is doing so well. Katie piddled and did a number two overnight. The problem is, she did them on the rug Aunt Pat had knit, so the staff at the animal hospital had the rug in the washer. It will be ready on Monday. I think Katie misses it. She kept going from one dog bed to the other in Aunt Pat's room. Of course, I made sure I kept her favorite dog bed just right for her.

When Daddy and Aunt Pat where having their reunion in the exam room, there was a nasty thunderstorm. Katie didn't get too scared until they got out into the waiting room. They waited around until the worst of the rain and the thunder passed. Katie was better after they left. I wonder if she was afraid they were going to be stuck there all day, especially since the road outside of the hospital flooded. There was also a flood at the end of our street because the drains were blocked. But, they got home safely.

The first thing Katie did, once Chloe and I had sniffed her thoroughly, was get a long drink. She got a pee pad, too. Katie ran over when Aunt Pat gave me my aspirin, so she accidentally dropped a piece of turkey on the floor. Katie scarfed that up right away, so Aunt Pat gave her a spoonful of the new diet mixture. Katie chowed that down quickly, so Aunt Pat gave her more in her bowl. Aunt Pat wanted Chloe and I to leave Katie alone while she ate, so she took us into the dining room and reviewed our training lessons.

Katie has taken it easy for most of the afternoon. She didn't want anything this afternoon, but considering she hasn't eaten in a while, none of us are surprised. She went for walkies with us this evening and took some of her medication and a little something afterward.

She's Home!!

Daddy and Aunt Pat brought Katie home this morning. Yesterday, Daddy went over to give the Vet the container he uses to get a urine sample for Katie. The Vet wanted to collect some of Katie's urine to check for an infection. They were concerned because she hadn't piddled yet. So, once Daddy got there, our friend D, who's a Vet Tech there, brought Katie out. Katie was very happy to see him. D and Daddy walked Katie around, and D massaged Katie's tummy. Finally, Katie gave them a sample. It turns out, Katie did have a urinary tract infection. The Vet wanted to keep her one more day so they could watch her and give her fluids and antibiotics. She still wasn't eating, but she was drinking. The clinic cat wasn't amused when Katie took a long drink from her bowl. She was pretty perky, and did not want to go back into her cage. The Vet said that this year's episode wasn't as bad as last year, which is a good thing.

Spoke To The Vet

Katie is resting comfortably in the hospital. Her blood tests showed that her kidneys aren't working well, but her liver tests, which were off last year, were better. The Vet thinks she may have a urinary tract infection and wants to get a urine specimen, and will put her on antibiotics.
She may need a special diet to help control her kidney failure. Katie will probably be in the hospital for a couple of more days to get her hydrated. She won't be thrilled, but she's a little trouper. The Vet said that when anyone walks by her cage, she'll sit up and take notice, hoping someone will let her out. He'll call again tomorrow with an update.

Chloe and I miss her, of course. We've been staying close to Aunt Pat because we know she hasn't felt well the last couple of days. Mrs. G. stopped by the fence today and wondered how Katie was doing.

Brief Update

Poor Katie is still having tummy trouble. She hasn't wanted to eat, but is still drinking water and wanting to join us for walks and going outside. Yesterday, Aunt Pat took her to the Vet again. He took blood and gave her some medication called famotidine, to calm her stomach. Unfortunately, Katie vomited a little and dry heaved yesterday afternoon. She had thrown up some grass, but the humans weren't worried about that. Heck, I throw up grass every once in a while myself. Aunt Pat called the Vet and took her back late in the afternoon. They gave her some fluids under her skin and another medication to help her nausea. When she got home, Chloe and I gave her a good sniffing over, and Aunt Pat and I butted heads. I'm fine, but Aunt Pat still has a sore spot on her head!

Katie walked over to the water bowl and took a long drink from it. The Vet said not to give her any food to rest her stomach. This morning, however, Katie threw up again, not too long after having a nice drink and going outside. Daddy called the Vet and took her over. They've hospitalized her and are going to give her fluids and see what the blood test results are before they do anything else. Aunt Pat gave Daddy the throw rug Katie likes to rest on so she'd have something from home to help her stay calm. She had made it for the powder room-Aunt Pat knit it, not Katie-I don't think she could manipulate the needles too well, or keep proper yarn tension. Heck, Aunt Pat has a problem with her yarn tension and she has hands and thumbs!
After we moved in, Daddy thought it was too slippery for the bathroom. Aunt Pat put it down for us, and Katie took to it.

We're still waiting for the blood tests to come back, so I'll post an update after the humans talk to the Vet.

Katie Went Back to The Vet Today....

She'd been doing okay on the turkey and rice mixture, but yesterday she started getting a little...loose in the caboose, if you know what I mean. Plus, she started scooting again. Aunt Pat mixed in some canned pumpkin with her food and she seemed to like it. Unfortunately, a couple of hours later, Katie vomited again. But, an hour or so later, she was back at the dinner table, looking pleadingly at Aunt Pat and Daddy for samples from their dinner. She ate this morning but was still loose, so Daddy called the Vet. Aunt Pat had to take a sample of her number two with them, so Katie obliged. The humans were also concerned since Katie hasn't had her aspirin in a few days, and she seems to be having some joint discomfort.

The doctor gave her a good once-over, and gave them something to put in her food so she'll digest it better, and they cleaned out her remaining anal gland. The Vet also wants Katie to have lab work done in August since it will be a year since the last lab work was done. But, if Katie doesn't improve, to bring her in sooner. The Vet and Aunt Pat talked about possibly changing our food again and the possibility of doing an elimination diet. So, Aunt Pat has been researching different dog food companies. Katie was pretty tired when she got home and has been resting this afternoon. Heck, we've all been resting this afternoon like we usually do!

Today's visit wasn't all bad. Katie brought home a neat toy for her trouble! It's a cool flying disc. We haven't played with it yet, it still kinda smells like the Vet's office, so we left it outside so the rain can wash the smell off of it and it can air out.

We hope everyone had a nice July 4Th. Ours was quiet, until nighttime. Katie and Chloe were okay, but I didn't like the noise of the fireworks. I stayed even closer to Aunt Pat than usual, and we didn't stay out for potties long at all. We got to go nose to nose with Stella, the S's daughter's Labrador Retriever! She and her mom were up to visit for the weekend. Chloe was especially happy to finally have a nose to nose meeting through the fence. Stella didn't seem to be afraid of us this time, like she did the last time we saw her.

Today I Was a Mom!!

For about five minutes or so this afternoon. We've seen birds flying out of the forsythia beside the back door whenever one of us has gotten close to it. Chloe has sniffed around the shrub, and she's even tried to climb it at times, but Aunt Pat thought she was just tracking a bird she had seen. But yesterday, Aunt Pat found a nest, but didn't see any baby birds.

However, this afternoon Aunt Pat had us outside between rain showers, to do our business. That's when I spotted something in the grass. It was a baby bird! I sniffed it, and walked around it and sniffed it again. I couldn't believe it! Aunt Pat wanted me to leave it alone. She was afraid I was going to eat it, like I have some of the other dead birds we've found in the yard.


I had no intention of harming this bird. How could I leave such a helpless thing alone? Every time I leaned over where it could see me, it opened it's mouth like it was hungry! It thought I was it's mother! I didn't have any worms or bugs on me, so I knew we had to get it back to it's nest. After more sniffing, I tried to convince Aunt Pat that she had to pick up the bird and put it back in the nest in the forsythia, but she said no. She said that since the bird was pretty far from home, it probably started to practice its flying skills and got too tired to fly any further. Aunt Pat said that if we left it alone, it would fly back to it's nest once it rested. I didn't want to leave it, but I wanted to see what would happen. I was ready to resume mothering duties if needed.


Chloe did a perimeter check to make sure there weren't any cats around, and then we went inside. By the time we got upstairs to the kitchen, my little bird baby was gone. Aunt Pat saw it's real parents in the back yard, so they must have gotten him an energy boosting worm or something. I sniffed around outside the next time we went out, and there were no signs of fowl play. Fowl play, get it? I'll keep my nose, err, eyes peeled for my little charge.


Katie is doing fine today. She's back to begging at the table for scraps, and she's kept the bland diet, her heart worm pill, and a little deli turkey down. She didn't want any of the canned dog food Aunt Pat mixed in with her dinner, so the humans may try again tomorrow.

Katie Went For A Car Ride!

But, it was to the Vet. Katie didn't want to eat yesterday morning. That's unusual, since she normally eats not only her breakfast, but also what's left of both my breakfast and Chloe's. Last year, Katie had similar symptoms which led to two hospital stays. Daddy and Aunt Pat didn't want to take any chances with Katie's health. So, Daddy called the Vet and made an appointment to take Katie in today. Katie seemed fine, but she vomited in the early afternoon. She took a nice long drink from the water bowl which she didn't do last year. She also wanted to go outside when it was time, which she didn't do last year. The Vet, and the humans thought those were good signs and told Aunt Pat to watch Katie. If she got worse, they could squeeze her in.

Well, Chloe and I kept a close eye on Katie all afternoon. It may have looked like we were sleeping, but we didn't want Katie to get paranoid. Chloe and I had some of her boiled ground turkey, rice and low fat cottage cheese mixture with our dinner to show our solidarity.

This morning, Katie was more herself. She ate with gusto, stuck her nose in Chloe's and mine breakfast bowls; and she was the first one ready for walkies. Daddy and Aunt Pat kept the Vet appointment just to be safe. The Vet said that her exam looked good, and there was no fever. He thought the aspirin could be upsetting her stomach, so to keep her on the bland diet for another day, and to hold off on the aspirin and to delay her heart worm pill until tomorrow. Daddy had cleaned some of the gunk from Katie's eyes on the way over, and noticed that it looked rather icky. So, the Vet gave Daddy and Aunt Pat ointment to put in Katie's eyes twice a day. If Katie throws up again, she'll have to go back to have blood drawn. But, since they got home, Katie's been fine. She's also down to 17 pounds, which the Vet thinks is a good weight for her. Lucky girl, she doesn't need to diet anymore.