Boy, Do I Feel Better

Chloe and I both went to the Groomer today. I really needed a bath. I know, I look adorable every day, but it was time. I've been pretty itchy, and Aunt Pat's been brushing a lot of hair off of me. She's said she could probably spin enough yarn to knit a scarf! I don't think so. A small hat, or one mitten, maybe, but not a scarf. You can see our "before" photos.

Now, the "after" shots.

I swear I've lost those last five pounds already! Our Groomer said that she noticed how much better I looked. Notice the candy corn on the bandanna. Very snazzy for Halloween. That's tomorrow, plus, don't forget to set your clocks back. I'm looking forward to the extra hour of snacks...err, sleep!

Chloe looks like a new girl! Chloe has two different owls on her bandanna, plus, she has pumpkins and black cats on her orange hair bows. Chloe loves cats. Every time she sees one she barks and barks. I know she'd love to play, but the cats usually aren't interested. Usually, Chloe has to have the same thing I do, but I don't think she gives a hoot that her bandanna is different. Hmm, owls, give a hoot, get it?

We had fun running around the backyard and all over the house after we got home. Aunt Pat was very grateful that we didn't roll around in the mud or the dirt. Maybe tomorrow.

Another Weigh-in...

another pound lost! Daddy took me to the Rehab Vet this morning and they were very happy with my progress. I did a couple more minutes on the treadmill, and they gave us more exercises to do. I'm still having some difficulty holding a squat and these will help.

Today's been a pretty lazy day otherwise. It poured this morning, and neither Chloe or I wanted to stay outside any longer than we absolutely had to. Aunt Pat was finally able to take a walk after lunch, but they didn't stay out too long. Hopefully we'll all get to go for our walk after dinner.

Taking Advantage of the Nice Weather

Chloe and I are enjoying the nice weather we've been having lately. The leaves are falling and we all love seeing the fall colors on our walks. Speaking of walks, a couple of days a week we'll take three walks a day, not just two. Unfortunately, it won't be too long before it gets too cold and nasty to go too far. I'm not sure what the humans will do so I can get the exercise the Vet wants

me to have. I have the feeling we'll be playing a lot more fetch inside the house. My last appointment went well. I may have gained a pound back, but there may have been a problem with the scale. The doctor said that they want to be able to see my waist, which they're able to see. I went a couple of minutes longer on the treadmill, which made them happy. I've been more interested in playing with our toys, and playing fetch.

Chloe and I are going to the Groomer on Friday. Chloe's getting shaggy, and it's been a while since my last visit. Our Groomer is going to be so surprised to see how much weight I've lost, I hope she recognizes me.

I've Lost It!

No, not my mind, but I've lost 3 pounds!!! I was a little reluctant to get on the scale Wednesday, but was I happy I did. Aunt Pat thought my weight loss could be partially explained by the large number 2 I did right before I went inside at the Rehab Vet. I think she's full of it. Everyone was very happy for me. I guess all the carrots and beans are working! Aunt Pat thinks she can see my waistline coming back. This week, I did a 2-minute warm-up and then 13 minutes at a higher speed for a total of 15 minutes on the underwater treadmill.

Last week I ended up at our Regular Vet. My nails had been trimmed at the Rehab Vet, and a couple of them bled slightly. They put some powder on them, and they were fine. Unfortunately, I must have scraped them on the sidewalk when Aunt Pat took us for our morning walk, and they started bleeding again. My tail also bled quite a bit. I've been whacking it against the wall because I'm so happy to see my humans, especially when they finally break out the biskees. A girl can't live on carrots and beans alone, you know.

Anyway, our Vet put some more powder on my nails and told Aunt Pat to put some of my ear medicine on my tail. I couldn't believe my ears! Ear medicine, on my tail? For a moment I wondered if he thought I had my ears up my tail. But then he explained that the ointment had an antibiotic to prevent infection, an oil base to soften some of the hard tissue at the tip of my tail; and a medication to ease any inflammation. He also told Aunt Pat that she could try to put a bandage on my tail if the bleeding was worse. If I tried to chew off the bandage, the doctor could get a special collar. I was a little upset when I heard that. There's a dog boarding at the Rehab Vet who has to wear one after surgery. It's a big cone, and it doesn't look like it'd be easy to eat with it on, but it looks like there may be room to stash some snacks. But, the visions of hidden kibble vanished from my head when our Vet said he could get one that looked something like a human would wear after a car accident. Plus, he mentioned that the humans could put some foam pipe insulation on my tail to protect it. Pipe insulation? Who is our Vet, MacGuyver?

Rabbit 1, Chloe 0

Monday night, Aunt Pat let us out to do our business before we went to bed. Normally, we just do our thing and go in. But, this time we had some unexpected company. Aunt Pat heard rustling in the bushes, and saw something dart across the back yard. The light wasn't great, since we only had the light from the motion sensor by the back door. Of course, Chloe, our Director of Homeland Security, heard it, then took off after the creature. I barked and ran across the walk, protecting Aunt Pat and directing Chloe to go behind the bushes at the back of the yard. Well, the thing came out in the open, and Aunt Pat could see it was a rabbit. A pretty big rabbit that had tried to crawl under the fence but couldn't get out that way. So, it turned around and headed straight for Aunt Pat and me. It veered off into the darkness, so Aunt Pat put me in the house and got the flashlight. I had no intention of hurting the rabbit, I was protecting Aunt Pat. I laid by the back door, but couldn't see much. After a few minutes, Aunt
Pat brought Chloe inside.

Aunt Pat told me that Chloe had chased the rabbit behind the shrubs on the side of the yard, and as she headed over there, she heard Chloe yelp. As she ran over, the rabbit and then Chloe ran out of the bushes around the back of the yard again. Aunt Pat only caught Chloe once she stopped to rest. Apparently, she got a little too close to the rabbit, and the rabbit must have kicked her and pulled a little of her hair out. She didn't think Chloe ran into the fence, Aunt Pat didn't see any hair or blood on the fence or in the shrubs. The spot was a little swollen, so Daddy called the Vet. He said that there was a scab there, but it was okay. We'll just keep an eye on it, and if it looks like it's getting infected, the humans will call him back. The rabbit got away. Aunt Pat heard the gate rattle once she went back out to open the it. A few minutes later, we went back outside to complete our business, and Chloe was a little unhappy that it was gone.

What a Week It's Been!

It's been quite a week around our house, and Chloe and I are pooped! Daddy's been sick with the flu. The doctor doesn't think it's the H1N1, aka the Swine Flu, and we concur. Daddy doesn't smell like bacon...or pork chops...or roast pork tenderloin with gravy and mashed potatoes...oh yum!! Can you tell I'm on a diet? Chloe's been taking good care of him, cuddling up with him and making sure he gets plenty of rest. We helped Aunt Pat make chicken soup, always at the ready in case she dropped anything. We were very willing to help her cut the carrots, but she didn't think we had enough knife skills yet. Chloe and I would have had to cut the carrots with our teeth...that doesn't mean we'd eat all of them. We would have left a couple for the soup.

The diet isn't going as well as the Rehab Vet hoped. I haven't gained any more weight, but I haven't lost any more either. The Rehab Vet wondered if I'd ever had my thyroid checked. Nope, never have. Apparently dogs had have their thyroid glands slow down or go out of whack, just like humans! A simple blood test will show if my thyroid levels are too low, and if they are, I can take medication to bring things back to normal. If I haven't lost any weight on this coming Wednesday's appointment, they'll probably do the blood test. I'm walking at 1.6 miles per hour, for 14 minutes on the treadmill. It's hard work, but the whirlpool is so relaxing. I just lay there, while the Vet Tech supports my head and tells me what a good girl I am. Then, I get a good rub down when they dry me off. I love it. I make sure I run over to Aunt Pat and rub up against her to let her know how much I appreciate her and Daddy taking me there. She doesn't mind getting wet...at least I don't think she minds. If she does, tough. I don't want to embarrass anybody by planting a big sloppy one on her. It just isn't dignified.

I had to see my regular Vet this week, too, but that's another post.

If I Hadn't Seen It With My Own Eyes...

I wouldn't have believed it when Chloe told me the mess in the back yard wasn't her fault. It looked like there had been a wild dog bash in the back yard! Chloe's a good girl, but she's very social. Whenever we're out, she wants to stop for a chat with the humans we meet, or to greet other dogs no matter how far away they are. She'll stand on her hind legs, dance around and look cute just to attract attention.

Wednesday, Aunt Pat took me for my therapy appointment, and when we got home, there was a man in the back yard pushing a big noisy machine around. He was doing something called an aeration, which helps the yard be healthy. Plus, they put grass seed down in the front yard. Too bad they didn't put any in the back. Chloe and I have been eating our share and some tender shoots next spring would be a treat. After he left, Aunt Pat took us outside.
You can see why I thought there had been a lot of dogs here. When we saw this, Aunt Pat said the dirt and grass plugs reminded her of, well, number two. Me too. I sniffed around the yard just to be sure, but Chloe and I were the only dogs I smelled. Then, I sampled a few of the plugs. More dirt than grass, so I spit most of them out.

My appointment at the Vet went well. I went longer on the treadmill and a little faster. I managed to lose a tenth of a pound, so I'm starting to go in the right direction. But, the doctor wants me to eat a little less dry food in the morning. The humans are giving me, well, us, baby carrots for treats more often and putting some canned, unsalted green beans mixed in with our food. They're supposed to make us feel full, and not feel like we're being deprived. I don't feel deprived, I love carrots and beans, so I'm in heaven!