You all are not going to believe this, but Gidget had two days in a row that she was really pretty good. Actually, yesterday she was a dream dog... thought for awhile someone had come in and replaced her with a robot. LOL Not only did she tell me every time she had to go out.. she went every time she told me. :-D The best thing with her though was that she was really so mellow all day and all night. She didn't have to go to her room once. She laid by my feet or took a nap on the couch and at times just laid by the back door watching the world go by. Wow... I could get use to this. LOL

It was so funny. Last night I was chatting online with Debs. I turned to check to see where Gidge was and saw her laying so proudly on the couch... with a pair of my underwear next to her. I swear, this dog has some weird kind of fetish. I took it away from her and put it back where it belongs... in the laundry room, and this time I put it out of reach. A few minutes later, I hear her in there, and it sounds like she's jumping to reach.... yep... sure enough, a couple minutes later... here she comes... prancing into the living room like a proud circus horse with her white flag of victory flying half over her head. ROFL I wish I had a video... she is just too funny.

I absolutely loved the feeling last night of having both dogs next to me... Mike on my right and Gidge on my left... each leaning up against my legs... and both of them "quiet" while I was on the computer. What a treat that was. Hoping that today stays as nice as it was yesterday. Of course it all depends on the Young One.

Oh Debbie... Thank you so much for telling me about Jack and to watch for excessive panting. You're right, it's scary, but... I think you're on to something. Last night, after I read what you wrote, Mike started again with the panting. I decided to try something. I gave him a half of a Tramadol (the dose they gave him for his leg) and wanted to see if it worked. It did. Within about 45 minutes he stopped panting and was able to sleep good all night. I don't know if it's because the Tramadol made him drowsy or because it took away the pain he may be having. If it happens tonight.. I'm going to try it again. I'll ask Dr. Blaha about it too.

I'm wondering if the cancer may have spread to his stomach, because every time he eats, he seems to have problems lately (but his appetite basically has been good). I know the only way I'll be able to find out for sure is with an ultrasound, and right now, I hate to have to put him through it, plus it's an expense I can't deal with right now since I've used all the funds I've been putting away for pet care on them in the last month or two. If it's absolutely necessary though, I can use my credit card now... hopefully I won't have to.

Hope everyone is having a great day. Give all the furkids hugs from me and wet Westie nose kisses from the kids.

Debbie and Jack said...

I know this will scare you but when I could not get the pain meds down Jack after surgery,I was to watch for excessive panting as an indication of his pain level. Don't know about Mike however wanted to throw that out.

Hope things are getting better. That Gidge is a caution.

Love and big Husky hugs,
Debbie and Jack

June 29, 2008 7:42 PM

Rough night again last night. I'm still not sure if it's from the food or the heat, but I've kept the AC on and he still pants like crazy. It could be a combination of both, because it's after he eats that he generally starts the staring and panting again. Every time he fell asleep last night, he'd wake up panting really heavy, and I noticed when he was sleeping, he was breathing pretty fast... not slow and relaxed the way he should be. Today, he hasn't wanted to eat anything, but I did manage to get him to take the Pepcid. I even made oatmeal for him (like I do every day), but he was happy to let his sister gobble it up. Then when he went out he had the dire-rears. My sweet boy... he needs some good days again.

Gidget, believe it or not, behaved herself really well yesterday, and boy was that a refreshing change. I still think there's a bit of Pom in her though... just the way her nose isn't as square as Mike's and the way her hair sticks out to the sides from below her ears.. and then there's that high pitched "yip". Otherwise, she looks just like a Westie. Oh, and she's definitely a jumper too. She can easily jump three feet off the ground... don't know if Westies do that or not.. but Gidget does. I think Poms are adorable, but I never wanted one... mainly because of their hyper personalities and yippiness... but it looks like I may have gotten on (or partial one) by default. Oh well.. to know her is to love her (even though she's a pain sometimes and it's hard to "like" her) LOL.

Hi Cynthia... I'm going to try to e-mail you a bit later, but if I don't get there before you leave... have a WONDERFUL time!!! I've asked the vet about the possibility of a UTI, and she says it's more behavioral.. so, I guess I'm just going to have to hope and pray I could let her live long enough to stop the behavior... (patience was never one of my strong points).

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend.
Take Care and God Bless

Sequia said...

Hi Joanna,
I am just wondering if there is a possibility that Gidget might have a urinary tract infection? That could be why she can't wait until she goes outside.... just a thought.
hugs, Cynthia

June 29, 2008 7:19 AM

It was a bit of a tough night for our boy last night. It seemed like every time he ate, he came close to having an upset stomach. Thank goodness I was able to sit with him and calm him until it passed. Later in the evening he was panting and staring at me for the longest time.. I thought for sure we were going to have another episode, but he didn't start the whining that generally comes along with it. All night though he was panting really hard, even when we went to bed. I turned the air on for him in case he was hot although it wasn't hot at all in here. After all, the diaper has to be warm. It was around 2:00 before he could finally fall asleep and stay asleep. My poor guy can't catch a break.

Gidget did fairly well yesterday, finally... until last night. She made a river in the laundry room. I just don't have any idea what to do with her anymore. If I thought she didn't understand what she was doing or didn't know any better, I'd be a bit more tolerant... but I know she knows exactly what she's doing. When she makes a mess, she immediately goes into her cage... that's my first clue as to what she's done. Anyone have any suggestions?

Hey Debbie... Oatmeal seems to be the food of choice lately. I tried giving him some ground turkey last night, and even though he ate it (loves it).. it just didn't agree with his tummy. My poor boy.. this morning he didn't even want the oatmeal. I'll try again later to get him to eat it. Give Jack a huge hug from me. GET THAT PHONE!!!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend.
Love & Blessings

Debbie and Jack said...

Missed you yesterday, but now I understand after reading your posts. I hope Mike's stomach does well. Oatmeal is probably good for it. I believ they used to give that to settle stomachs back in the day.

I miss you. Got to get that phone.

Love and Husky hugs,
Debbie and Jack

June 27, 2008 2:37 PM

Ok.. so I know I have to remember that Gidget is a puppy... but... she's going to be 10 months old next week... that's not a baby in dog years. I don't know what happened... she was doing so good, but yesterday and the day before she decided to start creating small lakes and rivers in the laundry room again and twice in the kitchen. Urrrrrrrggghhhh!!! She did it three times yesterday and spent most of the afternoon and evening in her cage. Oh, how I hated to do that, but I just couldn't keep up with her. The thing is... she didn't seem to mind at all being in the cage all that time. I've never left her in there for very long, and she's always let me know when she feels she's had enough of it. But yesterday, it was like she was staying in there willingly.. like.. "Fine, I'll stay in here and when I come out, I'm gonna make a mess for you again. I'll show you." Stubborn little thing she is.

Around 8:00, I finally decided I'd let her out for awhile.. she really needed to get some energy out. I prayed she wouldn't make any more messes because I totally ran out of paper towels... and I prayed Mike wouldn't get sick, because I didn't have anything to clean up after him with.

Anyway.. when I let her out of the cage, even though she had been so bad all day.. I had to laugh.
After I let her and Mike outside, she came in and started to herd him. It was just so darn funny. Mike was in the middle of the living room floor and the young one ran circles around him... she'd run for a minute and then crouch down with her butt up in the air and front legs and shoulders down... she'd bark, run around him again and then sit for a half a second and start doing it all over again. Oh my gosh... you'd think she was born to herd. I literally laughed out loud. Mike just looked at her like she was nuts. LOL

Mike did pretty well yesterday. Last night I was concerned though, because about fifteen minutes after he had eaten, he started whining and panting like he does when he gets an upset stomach. I sat on the floor with him for awhile and petted him and tried to calm him before his stomach got bad... thank God.. it worked.

Hi Cynthia... I told the kids what you said. Mike listened, but of course Gidget didn't.. she doesn't listen very well. It sounds like you and Nathan are going to have a wonderful time. I'm so happy for you... you deserve some time off. Have Fun!!!

Well.. I'm off to make Mike some oatmeal. I'm so glad he likes it. It's easy to give him his pill in and is bland enough not to make him sick when he needs to eat but his stomach is iffy.
I hope everyone has a beautiful day.

Take Care and God Bless

Sequia said...

I just lost all of my comment! Ahhhhh

Well, I was just saying how lucky we are to have these pets that were put on earth for us to care for yet they sometimes seem to look after us!
I am so glad to hear that Sire Mike is doing well. Keep up the good work! And as far as Gidget, well, sweety, you have nice big ears so there is no excuse not to listen to your mommy. She loves you both very much so do your best to help make things easier for her.
Unfortunately, we are not going to the Sates but to a single mom's camp not too far from here. Check them out, they are fabulous and we so look forward to go every year. This will be our third year going. Soon, Nathan will be too old to go.
Here is their web site:
http://hiddenacres.ca/site/summer-camp/single-moms-camp/
I have tried that cat litter that Debbie is talking about and I love it. It smells like cinnamon! Can't get it here anymore though.
I would so love to come to Ohio and meet with you guys but with the price of gas continuing to climb, i won't even be going to visit my brother in Quebec this summer either. It is so upsetting that this is allowed to happen.
Hopefully the weather will be great next week too!
Hugs,
Cynthia

June 26, 2008 6:31 PM

Sorry I didn't post yesterday. It was such a busy day that I never really got time until last night, but then Brandon was here (spent the night) and took over the computer. There's not much for him to do when he's here, so at least I can let him play on this. He enjoys it.

Other than leaking a lot, Mike seems to be doing ok. I have to be very careful how much I feed him as he seems to be hungry a lot lately. I just can't let him fill up and any given time.
Last night I woke up around 2:30... for some reason felt wide awake. Mike never wakes up in the middle of the night, but he woke up too. He wanted to get up on the bed, so I let him out, changed his diaper and lifted him up on the bed. As he laid there sleeping like a baby, I couldn't help but think how lucky and blessed I am to have him in my life. I wondered what I had ever done that was so right to have such a wonderful animal love me so very much. He's the best dog ever. I know a lot of people think that about their dogs, but Mike is just so perfect. As I said before, he would never even think of doing anything wrong. And he's such a Mama's Boy... I just love him so very much. I just looked at him and petted him and thanked God for him until 3:30 this morning.

The Young One is learning. It's going to take awhile for her, but I have to keep remembering she's still a puppy. She makes me laugh like crazy, but at the same time, she still drives me nuts sometimes. She's so doggone cute though that sometimes even when she does something wrong, when she looks at me with those huge puppy dog eyes, I just melt and try not to let her see me laugh.

All in all things are going well here right now. I pray it stays this way.

I want to thank all of you who have been standing by me through all of this. You've been there through good times and bad. I was reading through Mike's thread and blog the other day, and I saw so many times when I thought it was the end... you all lifted me up and held me together when I was literally falling apart. I want to thank each and every one of you for your love, friendship, support and for who you are. God Bless You All.


Hey Jennifer...It's good to see you and Emma here again. Sorry, the only thing I know to help with mats is a pair of scissors to cut it out. I know what you mean about groomers being so expensive... even on a dog Mike's size. I've been grooming him myself (except his nails) for years. He hates the groomer almost as much as he does the vet. I pray everything is going well for you. Give Emma a big hug from me.

Hi Debbie... Not sure yet when I'm going to start working, but I'll keep the Feline Pine Litter in mind. I'll have to think of a tactful way of suggesting it. I wish you had your phone. I'm really missing talking to you. Give Jack a hug from me.

Hey Cynthia... Oh my gosh.. what a horrible experience. Nathan must be shaken with that. I hope they catch those guys... the world doesn't need people like that out on the streets. I pray everything has settled down now and the guys are caught.
Where are you going? Coming to the states? Wish you were coming to Ohio... I'd love to meet you.

Jennifer and Emma said...

Joanna,
I am glad that mike had a good day yesterday. I am sorry I dont post as much as I should. I always think about you guys. I have to post early in the morning while everyone is asleep. After I take her out at 6 she comes in and lays in front of the fan and goes back to sleep. Do you have any solutions for preventing mats. I brush emma everyday and she still gets mats under her ears. I was told to use a beard trimmer under her ears and boy she is not interested. Its almost like the hair comes in matted. She will let me cut them off with scissors but I think the noise from the trimmer scares her. I dont have the money to take her to a groomer right now. I have always bathed her at home and cut her nails and clean her ears myself. She also loves me to brush her teeth. Anything that tastes like peanut butter she loves. It is very expensive for me to take her to a groomer because of her size and her coat.
I am glad to hear that katie isnt going out so much. Its tough to take them out every five minutes. Its really hard to get things done. I hope things keep going well for mike and his stomach doesnt bother him so much. Rachel Ray has some awesome doggie recipes on her website that include human portions as well, she even has one for doggie smoothies. I wish you guys the best and will try to be around more often. You, mike, and katie are always in my thoughts.
Lots of love and aussie hugs and kisses,
Jennifer and Emma

June 25, 2008 7:57 AM

Debbie and jack said...

Hey Jo, I am hoping all is still going well with Mike. And I am so glad that K.G. has gotten over going out so often. Sounds like things are settling down for you. Wish I could get a job like that. Try to get her to change to Feline Pine litter. It is a little more expensive, but it is wonderful on the odor and you actually use less. I have four cats on my two boxes and other than removing solid waste daily, I only change my two boxes about once a month completely. And it is all mulchable and not bad on the environment. Anyway it may not bother you so much. I hate litter boxes, too!

Anyway have a wonderful day. Hopefully my phone will be here soon.

Love and big Husky hugs,
Debbie and jack

June 25, 2008 1:12 PM

Sequia said...

Hi Joanna,
I am so glad that things are going well. Monday evening I had every parents' worst nightmare. My son and his friend were outriding their bikes and two men tried to lure them away with money. Thank God they new what to do and came and told us right away.
I'll be away nest week until Friday just to let you know.
Cynthia

June 25, 2008 5:53 PM

Hi All...

You'll be glad to know that we went the entire day yesterday without incident. Hooray!!! This morning, Mike has been doing well too. He's gotten really picky about his sandwiches now.. I'm almost out of peanut butter so I tried giving him some bread with jelly... that stinker just turned his nose up at it. Yet, if I give him peanut butter without jelly.. he won't eat that either... it's got to be a combination......... oh my gosh... I've created a spoiled monster. LOL He did eat some oatmeal this morning... I'm so glad he likes that... of course it has to have some sugar in it to tempt his pallet. But, hey, at this point, I'll do anything I can for him. I'll spoil him rotten and not think twice about it. Yesterday afternoon, I roasted a chicken with potatoes and carrots, and we both had a wonderful dinner. I had to serve it to him at two different times though so I could make sure he wouldn't get too much at one time and make him sick again.

The only problem with feeding Mike so good is... Princess Gidget feels she has to eat everything her big brother eats. I really don't want this to become an every day thing with her... she's got to eat the kibble. God knows I can't afford to .. nor do I want to... get her eating only people food. So, sometimes when I feed Mike, I put her in her room with a couple of treats (so I don't feel guilty) and let Mike eat without interruptions. Other times, I take just a little of whatever I'm giving Mike and put it in her dish with the kibble. Of course she finishes hers before Mike does and then "tries" to get his away from him... it doesn't work... I won't let her near him, because "sometimes" he will back up and let her have it... other times he will just let her know to get away from him. I don't want to take the chance that she eats what he needs to eat.

Hey Debbie... I'm so glad you were able to post again. I've really missed you. When you don't post, I think we all start worrying about you. Wish you had your phone!!!! It's really weird not talking to you for so long. Manuel can't wait to talk to you either. By the way.. did you see the pictures of Manuel and Zorro? What a handsome pair they are!!!

Hey Judy... Sounds like you really do have your hands full!!! So how old is Gracie? If she's a puppy.. well... don't expect things to settle down too soon. I knew they were a lot of work, but like I've said before... I never realized how old I really was until I got Gidget. LOL Thankfully, she's finally realized she doesn't have to go out every ten minutes... that was the hardest thing to get through... really wore me out. I really think that maybe her "female" parts were pushing on her bladder, because since she was spayed, she's gotten better and better about only going out a few times a day. Hell, if I had known that was going to happen, I would have "walked" her to get spayed instead of waiting till I had a ride there. LOL Good luck with the new family member. :-D
I've decided I'm not going to worry about working there. I'll bring the painter's mask and let her know I'm allergic to cats. Hopefully, I'll be able to bring some of the work home with me and will be able to do it here. Like you said.. there's nothing better than a job that pays well, is close to home and is in service to animals. So, I'm really excited about it. I don't know when I start working, she hasn't called me yet. I always see her driving past the house, so I know she's really been busy.

Hope everyone has a beautiful day.
Take Care and God Bless

Debbie and Jack said...

I know you have been worried. Actually had a friend read your blog so I could keep up. My phone came in but did not work so back it went. Should be able to get on and post everywhere today briefly. Keeping you and the kids in my prayers and missing talking to you.

Love and Husky hugs,
Debbie and Jack

June 23, 2008 12:08 PM

Judy said...

Thanks for asking Dr. Blaha for me. I live in Lake Co. 35 mi. east of Cleveland right on the lake.

I have to smile as I read about Gidget...we have our hands full since we just added a 2nd dog to our family. Rylee is upset, Gracie is upset and that makes everyone upset...

I hope in time things settle down. It's only been three weeks now.

I like your idea of a painters mask. When do you start working?

The money is good, it's close to home and she's a vet...that's three pretty good reasons to be happy...the negative ones are small compared to the perks...

I'll keep checking in to see how things are going. Judy

June 23, 2008 7:48 PM

Mike was hungry again last night. I gave him a little oatmeal, and it seemed to satisfy him without getting him sick. I'm wondering now if maybe he might have an ulcer. That would account for being hungry and still getting upset stomachs. Of course, I'm sure it didn't have anything to do when he wasn't eating and just vomiting water and bile, but the food issue is something else. I'll have to ask Dr. Blaha about it.

We just had a little oatmeal breakfast, and so far, he's fine. Hopefully to stay this way.

Gidget is such a character. I do have to say, she's learning very quickly now. Except for that one "accident" (which really wasn't an accident she's doing really well. She's so funny... her favorite hobby is to go into the laundry room, lay down and bark at my laundry basket... then she'll grab a pair of my underwear and just prance proudly through the house. Don't know what that pup is thinking.. she seems to think my underwear represent a flag of victory over the laundry basket.

I've been really fortunate in that I've never had a problem with her chewing anything. However, maybe I've been too lucky. I had to buy a pair of sandals a couple of weeks ago (mine broke.. and I hate buying shoes), so I went to Payless and got two pairs. There must be something about new sandals that attracts her, because up until yesterday, she never touched my shoes. Now, it's a "oh new toys" type thing. NOT!! Oh well, she's learning.

I'm going out for a few hours. I hope everyone has a wonderful day.

Love & Blessings

SECOND SUNDAY UPDATE: 4:28 P.M.

Shortly after posting last, Mike laid down and was fine. He even barked at a guy walking his dog outside. I can only believe it's faith that made him ok today, and I'll keep the faith that with every downturn he takes, there will be an upturn allowing him to feel better.
Thank you all so much for understanding.

SUNDAY UPDATE: 2:43 P.M.

Well.. it didn't last long. Mike had a little oatmeal this morning before church, and he did well with it. Around 1:00 he was hungry. I made him a baked potato with some ground turkey, and he ate like he never ate before. Unfortunately, within 20 minutes, he started with an upset stomach. I feel so guilty.. I feel like maybe I gave him too much at one time. I'm usually very careful about that, but maybe this time what I thought wasn't too much was.

My sweet boy searched for almost an hour and a half for someplace to purge... the entire time, whining and looking at me for relief. I felt so damn helpless and so guilty. He wore himself out so badly that in the midst of it, he had to lay down but never stopping the very fast panting that was making him that way. His respiration was outrageous. All that time, I swear, he was never able to take a normal breath. Each time he laid down, I'd kneel next to him, petting him and trying to get him to relax. Nothing worked. Finally, about 20 minutes ago, he was really worn, confused and frustrated. As he laid down, I laid hands on him and prayed so hard... harder than I have in a long time. I know God heard me... I just know it. I prayed that He either allow the upset and pain go away or help him to find a spot to purge so he could be relieved. Finally, his respiration slowed down... the panting had stopped, and he left me there on my knees to go lay down in the bathroom (one of his best spots when it's warm... although it's not a warm day.. he had to have been with all the activity).

Right now, he's laying on the tile by the front door. My poor boy is finally resting, and I continue to pray that his stomach doesn't act up again. I would so rather it be me than him.

Oh no... as I was finishing this up, he's starting up again with the heavy panting.. I just pray it doesn't start all over again.

Please keep him in your prayers.

Hi Judy... Since she probably won't be there when I am, I'm thinking a painter's mask will probably help alot. By the way, you asked if she goes outside Cuyahoga County... I asked her, and she does go into Lorain County. Where are you?
Thanks for checking on my baby.

Judy said...

I am so happy to read that all is good with Mike and Gidget today. Poor Gidget...we had alot of problems housebreaking Kayla, our GSD. Imagine pee pee problems with a GSD!! She wasn't housebroken for one year and then it just clicked and she was fine...

I am happy to read that you are going to have a part time job...$10.00 an hour is good money and will help you out ALOT...

I am sitting here smiling as a read about the cat smile issue...

About the germ and bacteria phobia. Don't worry about that...the smell isn't great but the bacteria/germs are only in the litter boxes...

With luck the computer will be in it's own room and you can shut the door (tell her for concentration til you master things) and burn a candle.

I remember I got a candle that is especially for pet smells. I think it I got it from Pet Supplies Plus..it's supposed eliminate pet odors...it sure is worth a try...

I know you'll be OK with this...you said it's only two days a week...you'll just have to be strong...

Try to find out where the smell is coming from...if it's litter pans I would mention it...perhaps you can say you have allergies to cats and you need to be in the farthest away room from them you can...

You're a clever lady...I know you'll figure it out...I'll be checking back to see how things are going. Judy

June 22, 2008 9:12 AM

*****

Yesterday turned out to be a pretty decent day for a change. Not only did Mike keep down the oatmeal in the morning, but he had a voracious appetite the rest of the day. He told me he was hungry three different times, and I was so happy to feed him. He had the oatmeal in the morning, around 2:30 he had a baked potato with cheese, at 7:00 he had some browned ground turkey, and then before bed he had a half of a pbj sandwich. I couldn't believe how much that little guy could eat. I'm sure he was making up for the few days beforehand.

Thank God for those belly band diapers. He's been dry and clean since we got them, and I found out that regular Kotex works better in them than even the pads that were made for it... they're much cheaper too.

Gidget has been doing really exceptionally well lately... until this morning. After she came in... she peed in the hallway. Boy, she knew she did wrong right away and almost flew into her room. I'm thinking she did it because I left her outside for a minute after Mike came in while I put clean pads on his diaper band and put it on him. They usually go out and come in together, but she was busy pooping, and he wanted to get back in to go back to bed, so I figured no harm in taking care of him first. She saw him come in and wanted to follow him before she had finished. That's NO EXCUSE though. But... she did it when I was just to tired to yell at her... she's punishing herself in her room, so I'll leave it at that for now.

I'm really tired this morning. If I weren't going to church, I'd probably be back in bed for awhile. Debs got me started playing dominoes with her online last night, and it was always "one more game".... we weren't playing all that late, but I had to use my brain to add to "5" LOL... so maybe that cerebral exercise did me in. LOL

Hi Roberta and Cynthia,

I don't think I could offer to clean the litter boxes. I just have this aversion to litter boxes and hairballs. We were taking care of Tigger (Michelle's cat) once for about a week, and I just couldn't bring myself to do it... got nauseous every time I tried (another reason I can't have a cat)... Charlie had to clean it for me.

I have another thing going on with what I might face too, and that is that I have a slight bacteria/germ phobia. Well.. it's not really a phobia.. more OCD. It's not really "that" bad.. but I do wash my hands about 20 times a day or more.. even at home... don't touch door handles at restaurants, that kind of stuff. So, I don't know how I'm gonna do over there. Guess I'll have to bite the bullet and pretend it doesn't exist. I am going to bring some Lysol though... thanks for the suggestion.

Cynthia, I love the dream you had. Too bad you couldn't video it and send it to me. I would have loved to have seen it. To be filled with kisses and energy... whoa... I'd love that.

Ok all.. gotta get ready for church. Give all the furkids hugs from me and nose kisses from the sleeping Westies (they're both out like a light right now).

Have a wonderful weekend.
Love & Blessings,

Roberta said...

So glad to hear Mike's tummy is feeling better! I hope this is the beginning of better days...

As for the cat odor...Maybe you can find a way to tactfully offer to clean the litter boxes? (I know, it'd be a nasty task the first time, but once they're cleaned, keeping up with them isn't as bad.) Maybe something like "Gee, since I'm here while you're so busy being out seeing clients, would you like me to do anything else? Make sure the dogs and cats have fresh water and food, clean the litter boxes, let the dogs out, water the plants, anything like that?" I'm sure the cats would be happier - and so would you! :-) Well, maybe not with the chore itself, but with the results, anyway...Who knows, it might translate to a couple of extra hours a week. And Dr. Blaha might be relieved to have a few less things to worry about.

If all else fails, the Vicks is a good idea. And bring a can of Lysol, and plan to open the windows while you're working...Especially if the odor stems from the cats peeing outside the boxes. But hopefully, if the boxes start getting cleaned regularly, they'd go back to using them.

Roberta

June 21, 2008 12:10 PM

Sequia said...

I hope that There are many more good days ahead Mike! I had a dream about you last night and you were full of kisses and energy and looked so wonderfully healthy!

Joanna, I was going to mention the same thing as Roberta. Just be honest with her. She sounds like the kind of person that you can talk to.
I have cats but the one thing I CANNOT stand is the amonia smell from uncleaned litter boxes. I have 2 cats and it was always real difficult to get Nathan to clean it so I purchased the Litter Maid litter box. When a cat goes into it, 10 minutes later it automatically cleans the litter and dumps everything into a container that you empty once full. I absolutely love it. I reuse these containers for about a month and then put a new one in. Perhaps you can suggest this one. The only thing I am concerned about the odour is that if it is from cats spraying, you are out of luck to get rid of the odour. What ever has ben sprayed must be gotten rid of whether it be a carpet, couch, etc. Even dry wall has to be torn out and replaced to get rid of that nasty smell. I have never found a product that entirely eliminates it. Hope that some of these suggestions might help you out.
Big hugs to you all!
Cynthia

(haha, my verification word ends in hug!!!!)

June 22, 2008 6:45 AM

Well.. so far so good. Mike ate a little oatmeal this morning, and it's still inside of him, so I guess that's a great start. Poor guy was so hungry last night... I gave him a half of a baked potato around 6:30, and it was more than enough to satisfy him. Then before bed, he ate some oyster crackers. I figured they're like mini saltines so they shouldn't upset his stomach. I was right. I was so happy he fell asleep on my bed and stayed there until he jumped off around 4:00 this morning. At 7:30 when I went to let Gidget out, he was just snoring away... never woke up until 10. Thank you Jesus (and Dr. Blaha).

I'm slightly concerned about working for her. She said she's had people work for her and always find something else and leave her. I thought that was pretty odd since she pays so well, and the work isn't all that hard. I kind of had a feeling I knew what it was, and that was verified by Michelle, my daughter, yesterday.

Blaha has four dogs and a lot of cats. Now, I have nothing against cats (they're not my favorite animal but I have nothing against them)... but I know the stench they... and dogs too of course.. can create if not cleaned properly. But.. yesterday, when I told Michelle what I was going to do.. she said, "Uhm.. Mom, you might want to reconsider." I asked her why and she verified my thoughts. She had gone to Blaha's house to pick up meds for Mike. She said the odor was overwhelming. OMG.. I "NEED" this job!! I'm thinking about ways to avoid the smell... maybe spraying myself with Fabreeze and putting vicks under my nose. I can't let this opportunity go, no matter what. As soon as I get home, I'm sure I'll have to wash my clothes and take a shower. That kind of odor stays with you and in your nose.

I'm sure with her schedule and the fact that her office is out of her home and when she gets home she's overwhelmed with paperwork that cleaning and the odors are not a top priority. But.. I can't say anything bad about her.. she's a wonderful, wonderful woman with a huge heart for animals.

So, for today... as of right now... everything is going well. Mike is keeping his oatmeal down... Gidget is being the puppy she's suppose to be.. and I have a job. Life doesn't get much better than that... and if it does.. I'd love to see it.

Hey Cynthia... Thanks for stopping. I do have to say, I'm so grateful for Dr. Blaha... not only does she take care of my babies... she's offering me a bit of financial relief.

Hi Cindy... Blaha doesn't have an outside office. It's in her home, but that's ok... it's work for me. Yeah!! I'm so sorry Justie is having such a hard time. You guys are always in my prayers and always in my heart. You've been through so much, I don't know how you keep up... I really don't. I haven't checked the boys thread yet today, but I'm praying that Tuckie is still on the train.

Everyone... say a prayer for Justice.. he's such a sweet little guy. He had 56 (or 57) days seizure free, and now he's fallen off the train and desperately trying to get back on.

I pray everyone is doing well today and all of you and your fur-kids are healthy and happy.

Love & Blessings

Sequia said...

Oh my gosh! What wonderful news all around! Yahoo!
Way to go Mike! What a great vet! Yay for Dr. Blaha! Joanna, you go girl!

hugs,
Cynthia

June 20, 2008 5:40 PM

Cindy said...

Oh, Joanna, boy I went from feeling so awful for u and Mike, to elation after ur talk with the doc.
For abt 1 year while I went to college, I worked at a vet's office. It was a new practice, and before techs were hired, since I had been a Registered Medical Asst,
I did things like taking history, and other thing.
After techs were hired I entered codes, etc in the computer.
Anyway, I had a very sick pupper at the time--what's new!!!-- and we worked out a barter system. I didn't get money, but all I earned was put on my bill for Higgins' care. Plus I got a little discount becuz of being an "employee".
I didn't have to worry abt vet care at all during that time.
I know I thought the same as u...OK I can work 5 hours and pay this off.
I am just so happy for u. I sure hope Mike is better.
Justice isn't doing great, so I have been spending time cuddling him. But I hope to hear Mike is better!!
Hugs,
Cindy, Tuck and Justice

June 20, 2008 11:03 PM

FRIDAY UPDATE:

THANK GOD FOR DR. BLAHA!!! What an angel she is. First I'll tell you what went on with Mike and then I have some extremely great news (don't cheat and read ahead).

First... Mike was so good while she was here. We all sat on the kitchen floor as she went to work on him. His temp was just below normal (guess he's like me in that sense, mine is always that way). Then she gave him a shot for nausea to get it in right away. She started a bag of fluids in him even though she said he didn't seem to be dehydrated.. she wanted to make sure he doesn't get that way. While it was dripping in him, she gave him a shot of Tagemet for an acid stomach that was apparent due to the bile and a shot of an antibiotic as a precaution.

She said he looks really good and was happy that he had such a healthy bark when she came in the door. Of course his looking good, I'm sure, had a little bit to do with the fact that I gave him a hair cut and a much needed bath this morning.. he looks so handsome.

She doesn't want him to have water for awhile to make sure he won't vomit it when he drinks, so instead I put down some ice cubes for him... I seriously doubt that he'll even lick the ice cubes until they melt... he never did like them. Also, she said not to feed him until 24 hours after his last vomit.. which would be about 11:00 tomorrow morning, but the poor guy is hungry now. I will wait a while.. maybe until six or seven o'clock and then maybe give him just a little bit of something bland to ease his hunger but not enough to upset his stomach.

I asked her about the steroids and let her know the Proin wasn't doing anything. She said just to stop the Proin. She wasn't sure it would work on him like it does on females, but it was worth trying. As far as steroids, she said prednisone would be required if there was a "normal" bladder inflammation but wouldn't do anything for bladder cancer. She said it would probably make him leak more than he already is.

Ok.. are you ready for this? When we were sitting on the floor waiting for the fluids to drip, I asked her if she needed any help with her paperwork... told her I was looking for a part time job. She had her sister with her, and they looked at each other and laughed... SHE SAID YES!!!! She asked me if I knew Quickbooks... I told her it's been a few years but I could pick it up again with no problem... and I GOT THE JOB!!! OMG.. I am sooooooo happy. She said she will pay me $10 an hour .. AFTER TAXES!!!

This is such a miracle.. I've been searching desperately for some kind of work I could do either from home or close by so I could walk... and today my prayers are being answered. She only lives about a mile from me, so I could walk there. It's only going to be a couple days a week.. maybe two or three... but it's something.. and a lot more than I have right now. Plus, if you figure in the fact that I don't "have" to have a car to get there and definitely don't need to buy new work cloths (Blaha has seen me at my worst), I'm way ahead of the game.

As we sat on the floor and talked about the job, she told me she'd write up an invoice for today, and I could work off Mike's bill... THANK GOD FOR THAT!! I have absolutely no money at all and I'm down to next to nothing left in Mikes "going away" fund but would have tapped in to it for today if she hadn't suggested it. The way it was, with everything she did today, including the house call... she said it won't be more than "maybe" $50... a house call, three injections and a bag of fluids.. all for only $50??? I am so blessed.... 5 hours of work and my boy will be paid for.

So... that's what's been going on since 7:30 this morning. It's really been a day.

Hi Roberta... I'm so glad to see you here. I forgot to ask her about the Tigan, but I did ask her about Reglan. She said if Mike seems to have this problem continually, she will give us some to try, but in the meantime to keep up the Pepcid and it should work.

Thank you so much everyone for keeping up with my boy. You all mean so very much to us.

Roberta said...

Poor Mike! Sounds like it's a vicious circle: he doesn't want to eat because he's nauseous, then the nausea gets worse because his stomach is empty. (At least, that's been my experience with dogs vomiting bile.) Ask Dr Blaha if Reglan (Metoclopramide might help...also, see if dogs can have Tigan (Trimethobenzamide hydrochloride). That's the "big gun" in our arsenal at work, when we have an outbreak of GI symptoms.
Praying for Mike (and you!),
Roberta

June 20, 2008 8:22 A.M.

*****

Not good news today at all. I've got a call in to Dr. Blaha. I don't know what she can do, if anything, but I feel so helpless.

My sweet boy continues to vomit. Unlike the day before yesterday, yesterday it was almost all liquid after I posted. He drank plenty of water, but it would come right back up and was mixed with some bile. He didn't even have to look for a place like he normally does when he gets an upset stomach, when it's just the liquid coming out, it just comes out very fast wherever he is. Last night he was up until after 2. Every time he would get comfortable, he would have to get up and puke. He only searched for a spot once, and at that time there was a little solid in it and a lot of bile. He finally fell asleep and slept the rest of the night (at least I think he did).

I was praying that he'd be fine this morning, but after he went outside, he drank almost an entire bowl of water and went behind the couch. Then, I heard it.. the water (some of it but not all) came right back up. This morning, like last night, I couldn't even get his teeth unlocked to get a Pepcid in him. I don't know if it would even help at this point. Please pray for my boy. He's been through so much.

Gidget was so good yesterday when he was sick. Each time he started getting sick, she would follow him so close.. watching his every move, and when I told her "your brother doesn't feel good honey, why don't you go back to your room for a while" she went in and just sat there and watched. Of course I had to close the door of the cage for her to stay in there, but she went in and stayed quiet willingly. Maybe there's hope for her yet.

I'm going to try now to get some of the stains out with the peroxide mixture. Please, everyone, say some big prayers for my little guy. I know I ask this all the time, and I know he's always come back to having good days because of the prayers you send up, and I thank you all for them.

Give all your furkids hugs and kisses from us.

THURSDAY UPDATE:

Mike's not doing well at all. I managed to get a little pbj sandwich down around 11:00 and the smallest amount of chicken with a little cheese around 2:00. He's been vomiting since 3:30 or so. Not much food but a lot of bile again. My poor guy just doesn't understand, and neither do I. Why does he have to go through this? He's never been anything but good. It's just not fair. Please pray for him.

*****

I've determined that, although this isn't the only problem, Mike (I think) is burned out on chicken. Again, last night he wouldn't even touch it. I added a little spaghetti sauce and just a little spaghetti to dress it up a little, and he ate it right up. However, about twenty minutes later it all came back up. So, even if chicken is no longer his meal of choice, he still is having a problem with his stomach again. This morning I can't even get him to eat the pbj sandwich I made for him to take his pills. I know he's not feeling good. Gidget, on the other hand, was more than happy that Mike wasn't eating. She "thought" she would get all of his sammy... but, I'm saving it for a little later when he's up to eating.

I noticed yesterday in the pads there was quite a bit of blood mixed in with his urine. It's killing me to see this... and even though he's been "fairly" good lately, I hate knowing what the eventual outcome will be.

I did get a bit of relief with the pads yesterday though. I know God really heard my prayers. I was down to two pads with no way to afford more or get to the store to get more even if I had the money. I never look at the ads in the mail, because I just can't afford anything anyway so why look... but I happened to see that the drug store had Kotex on sale. They were two packs for five dollars. Since they're the same thing as the pads I put in his diaper garment. So I was wondering how I could get to the store to buy them when my sister-in-law called me from work (something she has only done two or three times in the past two years) telling me she was going to stop at the store and asked if I needed anything. I'm sure God had her call me, and I had her pick up two packages for me. I was so grateful for them. I had seven dollars, so it worked out fine. The only problem is I have to use three of them instead of two at night, but that's ok... they worked great.

Hi Michelle... I'm so glad that Charlie's foot was something that can be taken care of without problems. I have to say I was really worried about him. (And I worry about you too). I checked out PetEdge but couldn't find LuvNCare (tried a few things that sound like it too). I also Googled "pet supplies" but most of them were close to the same price as PetSmart. Thanks so much for the leads though. Give Syd and Charlie some big hugs from me and wet westie nose kisses from the kids.... and give that little skin-kid of yours a super-big hug and a smooch on the cheek for me. What a doll he is.

Hey Debbie... I thought of regular diapers too. The problem with that is they'd be too big to put under his belly garment... he wouldn't be able to move, and if I didn't put something like rubber pants on him, it'd be a mess. God knows I've cleaned up more than enough messes trying to figure this whole thing out. I told him what you said about eating... he didn't listen. :-(

Hope everyone has a great day. Give all the fur-kids and skin-kids hugs and kisses from us.

Love & Blessings

Anonymous said...

Joanne, can you check with online sellers for the pads ? I know PetEdge and LuvNCare (or something like that) have really good prices. My mom's Gidget goes pee on pee pads and my mom orders from there and it saves her a bundle.

Hope Mike eats some more for you today. Give him some love from us !

Michelle & Syd (Char too)

June 18, 2008 3:08 PM

Debbie and Jack said...

Come on Mike, you gotta eat sweetie for your Mom so she doesn't worry.

The price on those pads is ridiculous. it seems like everything that is necessary is soooo expensive. I am going to look to see if I can find a source. Maybe a free one would be nice. What about cloth baby diapers? I know you would have to wash them, but maybe they would work in a pinch and then you would have to put rubber pants on him. Oh gosh, now that I think about it maybe that is not such a good idea.

Love and Husky hugs,
Debbie and Jack

June 18, 2008 3:31 PM

I've got to tell you, even though the diapers are a pain... they save so much cleaning and stink. My house isn't quite back to normal, but little by little the odor is disappearing. The hard part now is being able to afford all the pads we use during the course of the day. I have to put two pads in the band to make sure it stays leak free, and a box of ten is five dollars... don't know what I'm going to do after tomorrow night... funds are nil about now. Oh well.. if nothing else, I'll find some rags or something to put in it until I get my check next month. I guess that's the least of my worries, right?

I'm concerned about Mike again. He didn't want to eat again yesterday. Outside of a few treats and a very little bit of chicken that he would only eat from my hand, he would eat nothing. I'm praying we're not going back in to the tough days again. Even with the leaking, I'm all right, but watching him not eat is heartbreaking.

Hey Debbie... Don't know what's up with Gidget... she's just a ball of fire with a mind of her own. I'm praying she calms a little bit and stops making messes... especially on the couch. She's no longer allowed on the couch, and it's a shame because she loves perching herself on the arm of it and looking out the door and window. She can't seem to figure out why she's not allowed up there.

Hope everyone has a beautiful day.
Love & Blessings

Debbie and Jack said...

Sympathize with you on the house training. My mom had a Jack Russell who was a rescue and had had a rough start like Gidge. He would not housetrain, he had spent so much time in a kennel/run. I hope she straightens up soon. You have enough to do with Mike, poor pupper. My heart aches for you both. I just wish he could lose the diaper. Tell him I will probably join him in diapers sooner rather than later. My kids are already tossing a coin to see who will be in charge of me. LOL

Love and big Husky hugs,
Debbie and Jack

ps Still can't believe I can post on your blog!

June 16, 2008 10:58 PM

I've determined that it's time to keep Mike in his diaper during the day too, at least when he's in the house. It just seems since he leaks so much in his sleep, and he sleeps so much during the day, that it's the best thing I can do to keep from having to wash him so many times a day and give him baths almost daily. I went out for a couple hours with my brother and sister-in-law, and when I came home, Mike was a mess, so the first thing I did after letting him and Gidget out was to give him a bath.

I stopped at PetSmart this morning and got him a larger diaper band (belly band) and put that on him right after he dried off. It's been on him ever since. I know this will cut down on the smell in here too, because no matter how much I try to wash him, that odor just doesn't go away without a bath with a little peroxide in it. I'm so glad he's so good about it all. What a guy.

Miss Gidget, on the other hand, is really starting to drive me nuts. I'm beginning to think I'm just to old to have a baby around the house. I know everyone said "don't get use to it" when I was saying how sweet and quiet she was after her surgery.. but I guess I was hoping that at least "some" of those traits would have stuck. NOPE... it no longer hurts her to bark, and she's yipping constantly again.... but.. worse yet.. she peed on my couch.. not once but twice... once yesterday and again today. Ohhhhhhh........ I was soooooo mad!!! When I sent her to her room, she was fine for awhile, but then started that high pitch yip yip again. Yep, she's definitely a "yip yip dog" as my son would say.

She had me going so much today that when I went to let her and Mike outside, I forgot to take Mike's diaper off... I didn't even realize it until I saw him lift his leg with the diaper on... poor Mike. I've had female puppies before, but none of them ever gave me the hard time she's giving me. Even Libra, my beautiful white border collie mix, who was so hard to house train, never peed on my furniture. I just don't know what I'm going to do with her.

Hey Debbie... I'm so glad you guys are finally home and able to get settled again. As far as Gidget being out of the woods... yep, she's fine... thing is, I think I liked her much better when she was on drugs........ hummmmm wonder if they would give me some to go... I could slip them into her food. LOL

Love & Blessings To All

Debbie and Jack said...

How are things today with Mike? is he still blah or is is perking up. Just wanted to stop by and check. Sounds like Gidge is out of the woods.

Love you,
Debbie

ps Jack is multiple sneezing today. You ought to see the cats run LOL

June 16, 2008 11:54 AM

It was a tough night for Mr. Mike. He seemed fine when we went to bed, but around 1:00 he woke up panting like crazy and his respiration was too high to count. At first I thought maybe he was just too hot, but it wasn't hot at all last night.. it was actually on the cooler side. He was on the bed and didn't seem to want to move. I took a bowl of water in there for him and put it under his mouth.. he barely touched the water and turned his head. I don't know if maybe he had woken up with a bad dream, had an upset stomach or what it was.

I finally got him off the bed, took the belly band diaper off and took him outside at 2:15. He did what he had to do, and when I got him inside, I gave him a donut hole that he happily ate before I put his diaper back on. Afterward, he laid down next to the bed and then went to sleep on the bathroom floor (it's tile and cooler... he likes it in there). That would have been fine, but he kept moving from place to place until almost 3:30 when he finally went back into the bathroom and slept the rest of the night (at least I think he did).

He woke me up this morning at 7:00... he never gets up that early. I woke the puppy up and let them both outside. When he came in, he slept again until 10:30... just a little while ago, when I woke him up and took him out and then gave him his pills. After he came in, he took his place behind the couch at the corner of the wall. This is his "safe-haven" from Gidget and the rest of the world when he wants to be alone.

After I made the peanut butter and jelly sandwich to give him his pills with, I called him, and he wouldn't come out... even for pbj (by the way.. did I tell you how really spoiled this boy is now? ... now, he won't eat a pbj without the jelly.... peanut butter is just not good enough for him anymore LOL). Well, Gidget was right at my feet waiting for hers, and I thought Mike would come out knowing she was eating without him... nope.. he stayed behind the couch. I took a piece of the sandwich, reached behind the couch, and gave it to him. He ate it happily... my gosh, he really wants service now. He came out from behind the couch and sat at the kitchen door waiting to be served.... What A Diva this guy has become. Well, of course I humored him... he's got to eat (and take his pills).

Little Miss Gidget is getting better every day. The incision looks great. Her leg bothered her a little yesterday and then again this morning, but I've cut the Rimydal from 1/2 twice a day to 1/4 twice a day... so far.. so good. I know she's not hurting as much anymore since it definitely doesn't hurt her to bark anymore... she got her voice back and loves to bark at anything she sees when she's outside (thank God she's not an indoor barker... Mike barks indoors, and she barks outdoors... I can't win :-o ).

Plus, she's as playful as ever. I'm still cautious as to how much she's playing and running right now, at least for another couple of days to make sure there's no problem with the incision. I felt so bad yesterday.. Mike wanted to play with her and when I told them "no", he went and got the Westie Baby so they could play tug. She immediately grabbed on to it until mean old mommy told them to stop. They'll be able to tug soon enough.

Hey Debbie.. I'm sure you're right. I believe Mike understands what's going on. Problem is.. I know he's not happy about it. When I put the diaper on him, I feel like I'm putting it on an old man (human) who is frustrated and embarrassed about what's happening to him. Give Jack a hug from me and some wet Westie nose kisses from the kids (after you clean his nose LOL)

Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend.

Love and Blessings

Debbie and Jack said...

So things are getting back to normal, whatever that is. Glad to hear Gidget, Amy was worried. She is in the midst of spay learning curve right now and sometimes antibiotics alone don't work and the sutures have to be reopened and incision flushed. Sounds like you caught it real early. Thanks heavens for Dr. Blaha coming by so you didn't have to find transport. She is a gem. Does she come to Missouri?

What a love that Mike is. I am a firm believer that he understands everything that is going on and how wonderful his mom is for sure.

Love and Husky hugs,
Debbie and jack

June 14, 2008 11:54 AM

Hi All,

Princess Gidget is doing so much better. The incision looks great now. The antibiodics and warm compresses seem to have worked. Last night she felt so good, she started playing like before. I had to slow her down though because I didn't want the stitches to act up again... she seems to have forgotten she had surgery. LOL She's only pulled her leg up once this morning, so I'm holding off on the Rimydal.. don't want to give it to her unless I see she really needs it.

I just went to her room to see what she was chewing on and saw that she must have puked in her cage sometime during the night. She's such a putz... she grabs the blankets when I take them out and then pulls on the clean ones when I try to put new ones in... my gosh.. she's got me sweating, and it's not even hot right now.

Between both of the dogs.. my water bill is going to go sky high... wash for Mike every morning washing his belly band and comforter and at least every other day for Gidge's blankets... Chuck's gonna think I leave the water running here 24/7. LOL

Mike was so adorable last night. He jumped up on the bed all by himself... and looked sooooooo proud that he could do it. I guess he finally believes his leg is all right. My bed isn't a "normal" bed... it's an air mattress... maybe 2 1/2 feet from top to bottom (I love sleeping on it.. since I got it I never wake up sore, achy or hurting and sleep so much better... not bad for $50 at Walmart)... so it's not all that high anyway. He just needed to believe in h imself. When he got up there, he just had this really happy look... like he was grinning from ear to ear. I just love that shaggy mutt... he's soooooooo handsome.

He and Gidget wanted to play last night. It made me so sad to tell them to stop... couldn't take the chance with her incision. Thank goodness they both listened to me the first time I told them. Of course, when I went in the other room, it didn't stop them from playing again. LOL

Hi Cindy...

After you mentioned Justice having the tumor removed, I remembered what it was like for him. It does sound like it's the same kind of pain. Poor kids.. they just don't understand. I think Mike's got the idea now to stay on the comforter. I hope. When he sleeps, he spreads out full length on his side. Last night he seemed kind of careful to stay where he should. I just love when he sleeps with me... I think it's more comforting to me than it is to him. I just love him so very much.

I'm praying Tuckie is still on the train and that Justice jumped back on. Give them both some hugs from me and nose kisses from the Westies.

Hi Cynthia...

Believe me.. I'm not going to let Dr. Blaha out of my sight. She is such a blessing. Here's a note I got from Tara yesterday:

Thanks so much for recommending Dr. Blaha and thank you for your good thoughts. Dr. Blaha and her tech Connie were wonderful. Very skilled and compassionate. Max passed away peacefully. Every dog should be so lucky. We were blessed to have him in our lives. We are going to miss his so very much but I know he is in a better place and it is such a relief that he's not suffering.

I'm keeping you and Benji in my prayers. Still praying for funds to get him to the vet. Here's the link to Benji's blog again... praying folks out there will not only donate but spread the word as to his needs http://www.benjisjourney.blogspot.com/
How I wish I could donate.

Hey Debbie...

No you didn't dream that one up. Her incision was draining blood and (I hate this word.. it's yucky) pus, but thanks to sweet Dr. Blaha who was johnny on the spot, we got the antibiodics in time, and it's looking so much better. As far as Mike... well, I guess I have to get use to it. Diaper (belly band) or not, his belly still needs to be washed every morning... and sometimes when he's sleeping during the day, it happens again.. so then he needs a bath. Poor guy is so sick of being washed and bathed, but he's so good for me... he knows he stinks and he hates it too. I've been trying to get rid of that kennel smell in my house. I'm hoping Michelle brings my carpet cleaner back soon so I can not only clean the carpets but use straight Nature's Miracle on it after it's been cleaned. Hopefully it will get down into the padding and get rid of the stink. If not, eventually, I'll have to buy new carpet for the house, and I just can't afford it. The carpet was only a year old when I moved in.

Give Jack some big hugs from me and nose kisses from the Westie cousins


Hi Judy...

Thanks for letting me know Kayla went through the same thing. It's been so long since I've had a female that I wasn't sure what to expect. I guess now I know.

I don't know how far Dr. Blaha goes. I thought you were in Cuyahoga County? Don't you live close to me? I'm in Olmsted Falls. If you're in Lorain County, she probably would come out there... after all it's not that far from Olmsted Falls, and she lives right around the corner from me. If you want her phone number, e-mail me and I'll be glad to give it to you.

The weather has finally broken. Thank goodness, maybe I could leave the air off today. Between the water and my electricity.. I've really "not" been "green" lately. LOL But... then again... gotta stay clean and cool. LOL

Hoping and praying everyone is doing well today, and all the furkids are happy and healthy.

Love & Blessings

Cindy, Tuck and Justice said...

Aw poor Gidget! They must wonder what the heck happened to them.
It sounds like she is doing something similar that Justice did after his 2 tumors were removed. That night he stood hunched and shivering-he was obviously in pain. Thankfully Rimadyl really did help.
Yup this is the last time u will have it this quiet--as long as she isn't in pain--enjoy it while u can!!
Maybe u could put the handmade quilt away for now, and use some other covering on ur bed??
Poor Mike. He also probably just wants to be near his mommy. I know if the boys don't feel well they want closer to mommy--although sometimes they will want away from everyone.

The kids vet sounds awesome!!

Hugs to u, Mike and Gidge!
Cindy, Tuck and Justie

June 13, 2008 2:15 PM

Sequia said...

Ok, I can't stop crying. First i was so happy to hear that Mike is eating and keeping it down, then to hear what you have done to allow him on your bed at night (I would have done the same thing). Then tears of sorrow for Tara, especially after watching that news. Dr. Blaha sounds like a true angel. This is one vet that puts animals before the money! Hang on to her! Joanna, I hope things continue to get better with Mike and Gidget. Givwe them some hugs and scritches for me please.
Take care,
Cynthia

June 13, 2008 9:53 PM

Debbie and Jack said...

Well checked on you earlier and was glad to see that Gidge was feeling better. Does she still have infected drainage from her incision or did I dream that one up? Amy was asking me.
I cried big tears watching that newscast. Her heart must be breaking to lose Max so soon after Annie. It really makes me feel fortunate when I read about poor Tara and Annie.


Poor Jo, I can sympathize with what you are going through. I only had to do it a few times and that was enough. Of course Jack was bleeding all over, so I didn't have to deal with odor. I wish I could help you. You are such a great mom. Mike is one lucky little guy.

Love and Husky hugs,
Debbie and Jack

June 14, 2008 1:32 AM

Judy said...

Just wanted you to know that I have been checking in to see how everyone is doing.

I think that Gidget will start feeling better every day now. I remember when Kayla got spayed, she didn't want to go pee pee because of the stitches, that bothered her alot in the beginning. Plus this heat and humidity makes everyone want to stay inside.

Bless Mike's heart...he sure is a trooper...and he has the best Mom taking care of him...

I really am happy you found Dr. Blaha. She seems like a total gem. Does she leave Cuyahoga County? I'm wondering for the future. I would love a vet that makes house calls.

Will be checking back in to see how everyone is doing...the weather is supposed to be cooler now that the storms went through. I hope that things can settle down and be more "normal" for all. Hugs, Judy

June 14, 2008 6:56 AM

It's horribly hot and humid already, but the air is on , and I think both pups are comfortable. Mike's been doing great with his eating, but I'm still careful not to give him a lot at one time. The big thing now is his losing his bladder so much.. and especially at night. Dr. Blaha said the Proin (even though it works better of females) should start working soon. I hope so. I can't tell you (and you probably wouldn't want to hear it anyway) what a stinky mess it is... especially when I take his diaper off in the morning. I'd love him to go back to normal.

I had a talk with him last night in bed. I asked him why he never wanted to sleep on the bed BEFORE he started leaking, and now that I have to be careful where he sleeps so he doesn't mess up my handmade quilt my sister-in-law made for me, he wants to sleep there all the time. He told me he's testing me... to see how much I loved him. Well... I love him soooooooo much that I just make sure "his" comforter is triple folded on the bed so nothing gets to the quilt and pray he stays on it... and then I wash his comforter first thing every morning. I'm so glad all of you understand where I'm coming from here. If I told any of my family that I let him sleep on the bed with all this going on, they'd probably try to have me put away. LOL

I called Dr. Blaha again yesterday... caught her almost as soon as she got home from her daily appointments. Told her about Gidget leaking some bloody pus and about her leg. What an angel she is... she came over about an hour later to check her and bring some antibiotics and didn't charge me a house call.. just for the pills. My gosh, I really am blessed to have found her. I feel like my kids have their own personal vet. I promised her I'd try not to bother her anymore since I know I'm getting to be a pain, but she just laughed and told me it's no bother at all... but still... unless it's an emergency I'm going to try not to call.

By the way... don't remember if I told you what she said about Gidget's leg, but she told me it could just be from her feeling the muscle pull from the surgery. I gave her a Rimydl last night and it did seem to help a lot. Poor thing, she didn't even want to go outside... so I'd have to pick her up and carry her out, but when I put her on the grass, all she did was sit down and look at me and then she'd lay down in the grass. I've got to say she looked adorable, but that wasn't the idea behind her going out. She's much better today, but if it gets bad again later, I may have to give her another dose.

On Wednesday, I was looking at Craig's List and saw someone post for help to find a vet that would do Euthanize at home. I answered the ad giving them Dr. Blaha's name and phone number and also the number of the cremation service that will pick up after the deed is done. Well, how weird is this... I got an e-mail back from the owner... and... it was Tara. Don't know if you'll remember but her wonderful Aussie mix went missing last August. Tara and I met through her desperate search for Annie. I've never seen anyone work so diligently trying to find their beloved pet. She put up a $2500 reward and spent literally thousands during the search with flyers, newspaper ads, gas, pictures... her search, unfortunately did not produce the wanted results. Annie's disappearance still remains a mystery.

Anyway, Tara e-mailed me letting me know that it was her with the request. Annie's best friend, Max, had been diagnosed with advanced stage 5 lymphoma. Max was fine until about 1 1/2 weeks ago when he stopped eating. Up until then... no one would ever have considered that he was ill. Apparently, Max went downhill very fast. His quality of life now is bad. Tara reached Dr. Blaha yesterday, and she will be going to help Max go to Rainbow Bridge this afternoon around noon. This is such a blessing for Tara and Max, because normally Dr. Blaha does this only on Mondays and Tuesdays when she has a vet tech with her.... but considering how bad Max is doing and what Tara has already gone through with Annie... she contacted a tech and made arrangements to go there today. My heart is breaking for Tara and Bob... last year to have lost Annie and now Max. Please keep them in your prayers. Here's a link to the newscast that was on when Annie was lost http://youtube.com/watch?v=pFr4WSw2iaw&feature=related

Hi Debbie... Thanks for letting me know that the muscle pain isn't unusual. I'm so glad Amy is there to help me rest easier with this. Give that beautiful big boy an extremely big hug from Auntie Jo and bunches of nose kisses from his white Westie cousins.

Love and Blessings To All

Debbie and Jack said...

Sounds like you had a great day. I hope Gidge bounces back soon. There is an awful lot of muscle pain associated with a spay. Listening to Amy describe how they do it, I am amazed they can even walk afterwards.

Good to hear that you and Mike are having some good cuddle sessions, too.

Love and Husky hugs,
Debbie and Jack

June 12, 2008 11:52 PM

Hi All...

Well.. so far so good. I'm not going to go on and on about how well things are going because I don't want to jinx it again. But... eggs and hash browns for breakfast and no pukey pukes.. so I'm happy about that.

Also, I got a real surprise yesterday. I had asked Dr. Blaha to stop over when she got a chance to weigh Mike. He looked like he was losing so much weight. Wellllllllll........ did I get a surprise. She said he looked a little thinner too, but when she put him on the scale... HE GAINED FIVE POUNDS!!! Now... neither one of us could figure out how that could have happened in two weeks, especially due to his eating history lately. The only thing we came up with was that "maybe" when she weighed him last time (actually her tech did it) that possibly he didn't have all fours on the scale (it looks kind of like a baby scale). Geesh.. I think I'm gonna do that with my bathroom scale... I'd like my weight a whole lot more. Anyway, my boy weighs a whopping 27 pounds again. What a relief that was.

He's really been doing some strange things though. Remember I told you he slept in the bed all night? Well... he did it again. This really blows me away since until night before last he had never done that, and now he did it again. Also, when I was sitting on the lazy boy last night, he actually jumped up on my lap like he use to before he hurt his leg (that was back in February). I don't know if he's trying to tell me something or (hopefully) he's just now believing that his leg is good enough to jump with again. I hope that's all it is. It was great though... we sat on the chair together for a good half hour while we watched tv together, and I gave him a wonderful massage.

Sweet Gidget is coming back from her surgery rather slowly... but well (I think). She's not barking hardly at all. I think it hurts her when she barks, and she's still moving pretty slow, unless someone comes to the door and she forgets about it... but she still isn't barking at the door. Also, we've cut down her potty breaks from every 15 minutes or so to maybe 5 or 6 times a day... whoa.. fewer potty times and less barking??? Life doesn't get much better than this. BUT... with her not barking.. she's also not telling me when she's at the door.. so I've found two puddles that weren't there before I stepped in them.

The only thing I'm noticing today with her.. and it kind of bothers me, but I'm not going to worry about it yet, is that she has been picking up her right rear leg... like it's hurting her. She's tried to get inside the crook of the leg and seems to be trying to get something out. I've checked her but don't see anything. I'm wondering if maybe she got bit by something while she was outside. She didn't start doing this until this afternoon.

Hey Debbie... Thanks for posting. I'm so glad you and Jack are getting some R&R at Amy's. Please tell her Happy Birthday from us. Give her, Jack, your Mom and yourself some great big hugs from me and nose kisses from the Westies.

Love & Blessings

Debbie and Jack said...

Sounds like a perfect day and evening. Just waht you all deserve.

Love and Husky hugs,
Debbie and Jack

June 11, 2008 11:09 PM

Hi Cynthia... Thanks for stopping in to check on Mike and posting. I just pray that the funds come in for Benji's appointment. Keep the faith. Love You

Sequia said...

Good Morning Joanna,

It was good to read how great the day went for all of you! Mike is such a gentleman for checking on Gidget to make sure she is ok! Yes, he certainly has lived up to the name of Sir Mike!
Lets keep the positive thinking going that Mike .... oh sorry, Sir Mike, will have another great day!
Again, thank you so much for thinking or my Benji and posting his link. I am getting down thinking that I will have to postpone his appopintment another month.
hugs to you all.
Love,
Cynthia

June 11, 2008 9:02 AM

Yesterday was quite a day. After I dropped Miss Gidget off to be spayed, Mike and I went for a really nice ride. Boy was he happy to be in the car. We went to a local park and walked around for a bit. He just stood there as a bunch of 4 year old soccer players left the field to pet him (the ref wasn't really too happy about the game being delayed LOL). It was so cute seeing the kids (boys and girls) who were only about three feet tall coming around saying "awe how cute". My boy just took it is stride thinking... "yea.. I know... I'm the man". LOL He's so mellow and loved the attention.

I was going to drive him around for a bit afterward, but as soon as he got in the car (on the way to the park) I realized.. my God... does he stink!!! Pee UUUU... I mean I knew where the smell in my house was coming from, but I "thought" I had been able to get all the stink off of him... NOT. So we came home, and he got a much needed bath.

He stayed home when I picked up Brandon and then went to get the puppy. When Brandon and I walked in, she was sound asleep in her cage at the SPCA. Poor baby was so sleepy after the surgery... but she was fine. She sat in the back seat with Brandon on the way home. Apparently the anesthetic helped with her fear of cars too, because she was just so sweet and cuddly and had no fear at all.

When we got home, Mike quickly came up to see her. He nosed her neck and kept checking her out to make sure she was all right. Even when I put her in her room, he went up to the door of the cage to try nuzzle her. This is really unlike Mr. Mike, but I'm sure he realized what she had been through and wanted her to know he was there for her.

When Brandon and I went back to Michelle's to take the car home, a clean Sir Michael went with us. This time was a better ride (for me) since he didn't stink so bad, but still had that "kind of" wet dog smell since it had been raining all day. On the way back, we stopped for ice cream cones... Mike got his own vanilla cone in a cup... oh boy was he happy!!! I'm sure he felt just like one of the kids as he happily licked it one lick at a time.

Last night my heart melted. Sweet Gidgie Goo was just soooooo drowsy all night from the anesthetic. She slept a lot but then came out of her room and just walked slowing with her head down... wanting to be part of whatever she thought was happening in the house... but she was so sleepy, it didn't last long. She'd go up and give Mike some whisker kisses and lay down next to him for a few minutes and then go back to bed. There were a lot of "awe" moments as I watched her. I made her some oatmeal (very thin) and put it in her room with her to see if she wanted to eat, and she did eat some. She finished it awhile later... just before bed.

When she was out of her room, she kept looking up at the couch and then the lazy boy... just wanting to take her place on her thrones... but, she knew she didn't have the energy to jump up, so she went back to her room. Of course, I wouldn't let her jump up anyway... even if she could have... stitches are too new. I'd carry her outside to potty, and she'd just stand there looking at me until I reminded her that she could go. I swear.. she looked so pathetic. LOL

I called Dr. Blaha to ask her what dosage Rymidal to give her if she needed it, and when I told her how nice and quiet it was and how the meds were still in her and how she was acting, I had to laugh when she said.... "yep... some of them will play it up... feel sorry for me, while others just say hey... here I am... I'm fine and just bounce all over the place". I guess my girl's a drama queen. LOL

I had been chatting online with Debs and telling her how wonderfully quiet it was in the house... and marveling at the fact that I didn't have to get up every 15 minutes to go let her out (by the way, I've come to the conclusion that a lot of that is because she's bored). Anyway... Debs told me "don't get use to it"... LOL... sorry Debs.. I already AM use to it. What a blessed relief to be able to finish a sentence or a cup of coffee without interruption. I knew it was from the anesthetic, but I'm hoping she'll remember (when it wears off) what a nice, calm, relaxing day and evening we had and will carry (even a little of it) over to our normal daily living from now on.

This morning, she woke up at 7:30 calling me (just a quiet yip). She looks bright eyed and bushy tailed. She's not quite up to herself yet, but a far cry from last night. Of course, the first thing she did when she got out of her room was to go look for her brother (that's always the first thing she does in the morning) to give him whisker kisses.


So, all in all, yesterday was a very good day. Mike ate twice (plus an ice cream cone) and kept it down. He went for two rides (and thankfully didn't leak in Michelle's car), had a bath, and then last night ... this shocked the crap out of me... he slept on my bed. He hasn't wanted to sleep on the bed for a very long time... but last night he actually tried jumping up on it (diaper and all). That by itself surprised me since... since he hurt his leg back in February, he's been afraid to try jumping (even though he could). What shocked me even more was HE SLEPT THERE ALL NIGHT!!! Oh my gosh.. I couldn't believe when I woke up that he was still sprawled out on the bed. This was a first. Normally, he'd stay up for a short time.. or maybe as much as an hour.. but he never slept the entire night with me. I'm not sure what that was all about, but it felt good.

He's doing really well with the belly band type diaper. He doesn't seem to mind wearing it since he can move and walk and sleep with it. I have to say it's a Godsend... and so is Debs for getting it for him. Even with that.. the outside liner gets damp, and I have to wash it daily... and today I'm washing all of my bed linens because they did get a bit of moisture and that "odor", but hey.. that's nothing compared to what I was cleaning every morning before he had it.

Thank you all so much for checking on my boy... you all have no idea how much you mean to me. I just feel so much love from you. I love you all so very much.

Praying Mike has another good day today (even without the car rides) and Gidgie hangs on to at least some of the calmness when the anesthetic wears off.

God Bless You All

Oh.. by the way.. I can't close this without asking all of you to please check out and pass on Sweet Taffy's thread. I got an e-mail from Donna last night, and Taffy's not doing well at all. She really needs that surgery yesterday. We're praying for a miracle to get it for her... there's no telling how much longer she can hang on. Here's the link to her blog http://donnr11.blogspot.com/

Also... Benji's appointment is coming up on the 19th... only 8 more days to go. Cynthia doesn't have the funds to get him in. If any of you can help... any amount will be greatly appreciated. Here's the link to Benji's blog as well http://www.benjisjourney.blogspot.com/

Blessings

Well... the young one is at the SPCA getting spayed. Poor little thing was scared in the car. She had never been in a car except for the 2 1/2 hour drive up here with her rescuers when they brought her, and she was in a small carrier the entire time, and the last time she was in a car was when Claudia drove us to the vet to get her checked out.. that was in February, and she was on my lap the whole time.

This time, she sat on the passenger side of the car and shook practically the entire way. She did look out the window once or twice, but I think it scared her more seeing the scenery go by so fast. I tried telling her how much her brother loves going for a ride and she has to learn to love it too, because when Mommy gets a car.. we're going to be going all the time.

I hate that she had to go there. She seemed alright being there but barked from the time she got in until (and including) I had to put her in the cage. I don't think she was afraid.. just confused. Poor little girl.

So, now it's Mike and me for the day (well for the most part). When I finish this post he's going to go for a ride... I'm so happy to be able to do this for him. If I had a car, we'd be gone every day... gas prices or no gas prices, there are places close by we could go just to let him go for his beloved rides.

Around 6:30 last night, he finally told me he was hungry, and again I made him ground turkey with baked potato, and he ate like there was no tomorrow. I think eating wore him out because right after that, he laid down and fell right to sleep.... it takes energy to take in nourishment with that kind of zest.

When I dropped Michelle off (after she brought me the car yesterday), I went to PetSmart and returned the doggy diapers for the second time. They were "large" but still too uncomfortable for him. Instead of getting the extra large and possibly having to go back again, I got him something similar to a belly band that goes around his waste. A sanitary napkin fits right in it. He was a bit confused about why he had to wear it... but he was great with it. I think he accepted it because it didn't go between his legs making it difficult to walk. So, today for the first time in two weeks.. the only thing I had to clean was his belly. What a relief.

It stormed really bad last night. We got high winds and rains with some thunder and lightening around 7:30 or 8:00.. it didn't last too long, but later during the night whoa.. was it bad. I never wake up during storms, but lightening hit someplace really close to the house at 4:42 a.m. and it definitely woke me up. It's funny though.. Mike and Gidget both slept right through it. I couldn't help but wonder about Tucker, Justice, Syd and Charlie as to how they were doing through all the storms.

Hi Amy... Thanks so much for the hug... I really could use some hugs lately. I can almost feel your arms around me. I hope everything is going great for you. You are such a sweetie.

Hi Cynthia... I'm hoping it's just from the heat too, but I kind of figure it's not since he was in the air conditioning from the time it started getting so hot and humid. The only time he was in the heat was when he was outside. Today it's quite a bit cooler from the rain, so I'm hoping his appetite will pick up before he gets as hungry as he was last night. I'd rather have him eating two or three times a day with smaller meals than all at once like he has the last two nights.

Hey Debbie... Trust me.. you didn't jinx anything. If anyone jinxes things it's me for spreading the word of how great he was doing. You know, since I sent that e-mail out to his Craig's List friends telling them how wonderful things are.. he's been going downhill ever since.

Everyone give your fur-kids and skin-kids lots of hugs from me today and lots of loving nose kisses from the Westies.

We're going for a RIDE!!! :-D That will perk him up!!

Love & Blessings

Amy said...

Hi Jo,
Just wanted to send you a hug!
Amy

June 9, 2008 4:49 PM

Sequia said...

Oh Joanna, I am so sorry that Mike is not eating. I am hoping that it is just due to the heat?
Holding you in my prayers.

Cynthia

June 9, 2008 8:54 PM

Debbie and Jack said...

Gosh, and here I thought I had htings under control. Hope I didn't jinx Mike with my stupid vibes. Maybe he will start eating later today. The weather is so weird around here, everyone's eating is off schedule. One day it is hot, then it rains, then it's sunny and cool, that's today. So far anyway, no one ever knows what this afternoon will bring. So let's hope it brings Mike begging for one of your gourmet PB&J sandwiches. Little cutie.

Love and Husky hugs,
Debbie and Jack

June 10, 2008 9:27 AM