Penny and kids

One of the reasons why Penny is so good when she stays at Ideal Pet Store during the day is that she's eager to meet kids.

What she wants to do most is kiss little girls' faces. After seeing this picture, there's no question in my mind as to why.

Here, these three little youngsters are supposed to be snoozing. Only one little youngster is...

Penny as a pup

Synthia sent a few pictures of Penny as a pup to me. Look at her cute face. She still has that expression.

I'll be adding a few more pictures.

Penny's latest vet appointment was last Monday, Dec. 1, I think. She's off restriction but still taking Baytril to stave off that staph infection she's been fighting.

When I get back from MT (how I miss Penny and the cats!), I will take her off the Baytril. If she begins limping, Dr. Walker will have to take the plate out.

Penny's first foster mom

Penny and I ran into her first foster mom when we were at Ideal Pet Stop today. Synthia saw her and her eyes teared up. "Oh Penny," she said, "you've grown up and you're such a gorgeous girl." And, Penny was so happy to see her and her partner. She played and teased them, pulling unbought toys out of a basket and wrassling with them.

Synthia was Penny's foster mom from the time Penny was 6-8 weeks until she was about 9 months. She remembers Penny as being a little sweet bundle of love. When she gave Penny up, Penny was almost as tall as she is now, but just a stick of a girl. She didn't have nearly the big head that she now has or the wide chest. When I got her, she weighed just over 50 lbs.

Synthia clarified Penny's beginnings. The north end animal shelter (Everett? Mount Vernon??) called the Pitbull Project after three puppies were found stuffed in a backpack in a hotel room. The hotel guests had OD'd. Synthia thought that the people who OD'd were a mom and a daughter combination.

The three pups had mutilated ears. Synthia had been told they had been cut off with scissors and cauterized with lighters. How awful!

Her beginnings do explain some of her fearfulness of the unknown, but do not explain her dislike of most tall, African-American, men. Or tall men with tattoos.

Catching up

Penny has one more week of antibiotics to go -- at least that's my count for 8 weeks of antibiotics. She saw Dr. Walker last week and got the ok to start walking again. Still no off leash activity, but she's up to 15 minutes.

She's back at Ideal Pet Stop during the day and with me at night. She's sneaking onto the bed when she gets cold in the middle of the night. I wake to find all the covers pulled off and that she's sprawled out on most of the bed. Me and the cats have just one corner.

She's been curious about our little house guest, Rainier, a rescue from a feral colony. He's fearful, but at the same time wants to play with Penny''s tail. Then, when she tries to play back, he runs away.

Penny last Saturday with me at a Pet Expo at Le Chic Pet in Issaquah. She was pretty well behaved -- not as good as a Delta dog, but we were there for7 hours and she did just fine. SHe was the only big headed dog there!

New headgear

Penny got her bandage off today. She was in high spirits at the vets, dancing and showing off her blueberry donut. All who saw her commented on how much more comfortable the donut must be than the white e-collar. And, dogs can see better. With Penny, she quits moving whenever you put the opaque e-collar on her.

After our adventure at ACCES, I stopped by Ideal Pet Stop and bought treats (and a new rain coat). Kirstin and I chatted while Penny lay next to Kirstin. Penny began licking her toes, which is fine, but then I saw she could reach her ankles. And the ankle/lower leg area is one of the hot spots where the infection is.

So, I just added this lovely Kong e-collar to the pile of items that I was purchasing.

Lab results

Tana, Dr. Walker's vet tech, called today with the results of Penny's lab work. Penny has a staph infection and will need six more weeks of Baytril. They did a test, too, to determine which antibiotic would be most effective with the staph infection and Baytril is the best of what they tested.

She needs to be pilled with the Baytril -- after it is wrapped in a pill pocket.

Penny looks pitiful

Imagine that leg wrap that you saw on Friday. It reminded me of a leg of lamb wrapped in plastic. Add to that a bright blue inflatable donut to supposedly prohibit her from chewing on her leg wrap. Grand total: Penny! Then, trade that plastic wrap for a flagger-orange wrap and you get an even more woeful picture. And, to top off the color combination -- the pink camouflage blanket given to Penny by my mother.

Penny's dog walker, Amber, said Penny looks cute, but I think it's more pitiful. Penny, however, has more mobility (or thinks she has more mobility) than when I put an E-collar on her. Then, she freezes. Her peripheral vision is impacted and she's not going to move.

She's already learned to take off the blue donut. She finds a narrow place to wedge the donut into, head down, and backs up. This doesn't happen often. She only seems bothered by it when she's eating or wants to go outside.

In for a Penny, In for a pound

Penny is home from ACCES. Dr. Walker cleaned out her leg and restitched her back up. I received a bill of $580.

She was a little woozy when I picked her up. She didn't know where she was and I had to struggle to keep her moving. She stood still even when I pulled her collar. Especially when I pulled her collar. I think she was confused, not obstinate.

See her big white and blue bandage. This too may impede her walking. They told me to put a plastic bag on it when she goes outside, but they didn't give me a bag for it when I took her out to the car. So it's a little dirty -- and ragged already. It needs to be kept on til Monday. She has an appointment on Wednesday, so I may try to keep it on until then.

I did order an inflatable donut that goes around her neck from Ideal so that she won't lick her leg. Hopefully it will come in tomorrow. Otherwise, I'll call around.

Dr. Walker warned me that she'd be whining a lot tonight. And she is. It's heart wrenching.

Penny back on the surgeon's table again

Penny has not been weight bearing the past few days. At Rick's urging, I called the vet, who wanted to see her right away. I left work at 12:30 for an appointment at 2. Dr. Walker gave me 2 antibiotics -- Baytril and amoxicillin to knock out the infection that she now knows is there. She also took a culture.

Because her tummy has been upset when she's been antibiotics or pain meds, I asked for something other than Rimadyl to manage the pain. My vet, Dr. Heino, prescribed Zubrin when she needed pain meds and had projectile diarrhea during the first surgery. ACCES did not have Zubrin. So, I stopped by my vet's for pain pills. They weren't carrying Zubrin. I got another pain pill and headed home, instead of going back to work because it was already close to 5.

This morning, Dr. Walker called. She wants to reexamine the bone. Luckily, Penny hadn't eaten. I did give her pain meds and the two antibiotics. And now, I'm running to get ready so that I can drop her off before work.

Not as smooth as last time

This recovery has been different for Penny (and me). At first, she was more excited and excitable. Dr. Walker, her surgeon, said that that might be because she already has one good leg. But, she's still not weight bearing on her recently operated leg -- again, because her good leg can support her better.

Because she was more excitable, she didn't rest as much. Her leg stayed swollen longer -- and Dr. Walker suggested sedating her. After four days of taking rimadyl (anti-inflamatory for swelling), Tramadol (pain reliever) and acepromazine (sedative), Penny developed ferocious diarrhea.

Now, you might think that the pills were the culprit, but Penny has a sensitive tummy to begin with and had diarrhea before I went to Montana in late August. I had just weaned her from her turkey, rice, and cottage cheese diet and was back to giving her 1/2 can of dog food (I used many different brands and meat sources) and 1/2 cup of Natural Balance allergen formula duck and potato kibble. She might be sensitive to one of the brands of canned food or developed a sensitivity to Natural Balance. Who knows? So, I called ACCES and talked to one of the veterinarians, who said to fast her for her first day, except when it was time to give her meds and then give her a little chicken. In Penny's case, it was turkey, because I know that she's sensitive to chicken. On subsequent days, I could feed her a bland diet.

I fasted her on Sunday. I didn't feel right giving her meds even with the turkey so I called her surgeon on Monday. I also stopped giving her meds on Monday, thinking that because she still had diarrhea, perhaps the pills were the cause. Her energy level was also low and she had eye boogers.

Dr. Walker called me back on Tuesday and told me that it was ok that I stop the medicine. She asked how her leg was. Her leg was less swollen, but there was some leakage and puffiness close to her ankle, I said. She wanted to see her. So, I left my new contract job after a meeting and went to see her. 40 minutes to travel to Rainier Valley to pick up the dog, 10 minutes of getting the dog, letting her pee, and putting her in the car, and 35 minutes to travel to 113th and Lake City.

Dr. Walker said that her leg looked much better and that she wanted to make sure that the leg wasn't infected by giving her the antibiotic TMS. She also suggested something for her diarrhea of unknown origin, the antibiotic Metronidazole.

I mentioned that Penny was licking more, both her leg, her toes, and her bottom. Dr. Walker looked at her bottom, said it was fine, and wondered if she was bored. I agreed. One of the things I gave her last time during her recovery were raw bones. But with her recent bouts with diarrhea, I didn't want to give her that. One of her bouts also had started the day after I gave her a bully stick, so I haven't want to give her that. She agreed. But, another difference is that she's recuperating at my house instead of spending her days at Ideal. This arrangement has some good points: she doesn't have a fracture yet on her leg and I can identify what she's eaten or not. I really like her dog walker, Amber from See Spot Run, who is a compassionate and caring person. But, I think she misses the social interaction, even when she's not feeling good. I digress...

$47 later, Penny and I left. She spent the rest of the afternoon in my car while I worked. I prepared more rice and turkey and gave her dinner, followed by little balls of cream cheese covered pills. The vet tech, Tana, warned me that one antibiotic in particular was particularly foul. I may need to stuff her antibiotics into hot dogs.

Home again

Penny just got back from ACCES. She's putting weight on her operated leg already. It's shaved and discolored and looks awful. She's supposed to be wearing a cone, but I forgot it at the hospital. I may stop in at Ideal Pet Stop and ask Kirstin to order an inflatable e-collar if she starts licking her operated leg.

Prior to running up to ACCES to pick her up. I set up the X pen again. I just gave her a Tramodol, a pain killer. She's sacked out now, in the cage. I'll be next to her for the rest of the evening.

Busy week for Penny

We've had a busy week. We spent the last week in MT.

I painted my parents' hallway, stairway (Dad helped), living room and dining room while Penny lay close to me or wandered into various rooms looking for some pets. Mom made Penny her favorite meal (rice, turkey, cottage cheese) every day and got me a latte every day. I first moved furniture, wiped down walls, spackled (Dad did), cut in the corners, and finally painted. Whew.

Penny got to go outside every few hours. My parents have a backyard that has three sides of fencing, and Penny quickly learned to stay in that area. We played ball (she has lost her retrieving abilities), chase, and she rolled on her back with her feet in the area. Penny even got to go visiting my uncle Lew and aunt 'Vina. Elvina asked that she stay on her own little carpet, but Penny really wandered to explore the old house.

I think Penny liked having more people around. I think she was disappointed to leave.

But leave we did. We drive through 102 degree weather, thunderstorms, and a rain gush to get home. Actually, we stopped outside Cle Elum when my windshield wipers couldn't keep up with the rain. We stopped at a rest area and listened to the rain, wind, and thunder, grabbing a little shut eye. We arrived home at 2:30 this morning,

And today is another big day for her: we got up at 8 and went to Animal Critical Care and Emergency Services for her 2nd surgery. I am waiting for the after surgery phone call now.

Penny's better

Penny is feeling better, eating white rice, ground turkey, and cottage cheese. I'll say this much -- she's not pooping as much, which is good. Her energy level has been down until yesterday when she acted like she had not been getting much exercise -- which is correct. She danced on the leash, kind of a crazy 8, to let me know she was better.

So, today, we went for a walk around Seward Park and I started incorporated a few kibbles with her bland food. I want to exercise her fairly strenuously today and tomorrow because we're going on a road trip to Billings. 12 hours straight through, but I haven't decided yet whether we'll do that or not. We leave on Sunday and I still don't know all I need to get done before we leave.

Night at the Vet's

Penny hasn't been feeling so good. She's had diarrhea since Tuesday and she started vomiting on Thursday. I fasted her a day but she still had diarrhea. So, on Friday, I took her in to Rainer Vet. Rick and I walked with her to get urine samples and we already had a little bit of what she had vomited up.

Come to find out, Rainier Vet had just started taking appointments rather than being the world's greatest walk in clinic. But they made room for an appointment for Penny at 11:30. Penny was acting funny after we left so I let her walk in the parking lot. She had what I call projectile diarrhea. I gathered a sample there. Then, we drove around on errands until 11, when we headed to the vet office. Got caught in Blue Angels traffic, but got there around 11:35.

At the appointment, Dr. Heino took her temperature, which was normal, palpitated her tummy, which caused discomfort but not great pain, and checked her hydration. Penny lay on the floor, not even rolling her eyes to keep up with the conversation. Dr. Heino wanted to take her for a few hours to run an x ray to check for obstruction and to rehydrate her. I left, feeling forlorn and that I was abandoning my little girl to the great medical establishment.

I called as requested between 4 and 4:30. Dr. Heino wanted to keep her overnight to keep giving her fluids and keep an eye on her.

I started calling about 8:30 to see if she was all right. I kept getting the answering machine. At 9:00, I talked to the receptionist, who said she'd have Dr. Heino call me back. At 11, I called again. After some scurrying around and other noises, she came back to the phone to say Penny could be home.

When I got her, I also got 3 different medications to give her, along with instructions to feed her a bland diet of white rice and turkey and cottage cheese. I also am to limit her water to a few seconds of drinking at a time.

And that's where we are. I just took her out for her morning constitutional, fed her, gave her a little water, and now she's sleeping. I will drop her off at Rick's when I have an appointment this morning.

I am sure she is on the mend.

A successful sidewalk sale

Last weekend, Ideal Pet Stop, Penny's home away from home, had a sidewalk sale to get rid of stuff that had been cluttering the back room. Penny and I helped out!

The weather on Saturday was unpredictable. Like so many spring days this year, it rained. We stayed inside, sorting the sidewalk sale items into boxes for birds, reptiles, small animals, cats, and dogs. The best easy deal was a $5 retractable leash. If you had time to rummage through a box, you could find a $5 leash or collar. There were great deals in that box: original prices ranged from $15 - 55.

Today, Kirstin gave me my portion of the sale: $545. We are so close to meeting the goal of $23oo for her second surgery. We may do another sale or I might have a bake sale.

I wouldn't mind if we earned a bit more than $2300. It would be lovely for Penny to have a few aquatherapy sessions.

Penny gets to leap and play

Penny and I had an appointment with Dr. Walker and decided to hold off the surgery on the right leg. First, she still has lots of atrophied muscle on her left leg. Second, she's not limping that badly. Third, it's summer in Seattle.

Of course, it's raining cats and dogs and we still need to use the furnace, but it's June! I'm looking forward to hikes and other outings with my beautiful red dog. We'll schedule surgery once she starts limping constantly.

Penny walks Greenlake

Every month, I try to meet with three other women who took the UW's Marketing Communications certificate program at the same time I did -- over ten years ago. We meet on the first Sunday of the month. Generally. There are times when it was too rainy, my back hurt too much, or when life became too busy for all of us. But we meet at 10 am, walk around Greenlake and catch up.

This past week was the first Sunday of the month. We all could make it at the regular time. I was looking forward to it.

Penny woke me up at 4:30. She really had to pee, she whined. Now, I know that as the Alpha I decide when we get up, but I could tell that this girlie really needed to pee. I touched her belly -- it was hard. So I slipped on my fleece-covered crocs and threw a coat over my flannel pjs (I am still wearing them even though it's April), grabbed her and her leash and we headed out.

After she did her "bidness", I went back to bed. I don't like to get up before 6. Penny zonked too. Next thing I know it was 9:45!

I threw clothes on, grabbed Pennny, and called Tina as I was walking out the door. There was no way I could stop at Ideal Pet Stop and still be at Greenlake anywhere near the time. So, I decided to take her with me.

And you know what? She did just fine. She started out a little surly, forgetting appropriate behavior for dogs walking around Greenlake. Rules include no snarling, lunging, or barking, even at the most irresistable looking fox terriers and pitbull pups. After she relearned the rules, we had fun walking. Of course I couldn't carry on a conversation -- that was when she'd start to act up (we will again work on this). But, she walked and barely limped, even the day after the outing. Yay! That means we can take luxorious walks, not only around Greenlake and Seward Park, but maybe do short hikes.

We do have an appointment with Dr. Walker tomorrow to see if we should continue the recovery process or whether she is ready for her second surgery. It would be really fun to have her active in the summer; on the other hand, it would be nice to get this over with.

A late spring evening

As I sit here, typing this, Penny is lying at my feet, breathing heavy on Rick's fir floors. She is tuckered out. We spent the day at Ideal, me getting trained on ringing the cash register, while she lay panting on her circle bed.

After we left Ideal, we went over to Rick's for salmon and a salad. But first, I thought I'd read a bit of the War of Art in Rick's patio, called the Duwamish Room. It's a cement brick floor with an arbor of grape vines above, furnished with rustic furniture. In my mind's eye, I saw Penny lying at my feet like she does inside a house. So, knowing that Dr. Walker said that she couldn't hurt the plates in her leg, I thought I'd let her off leash.

She became a whirling dervish. Running, moving. jumping. She wouldn't listen to me. I just let her go. She never did sit beside me on the patio. But, she did slow down enough to roll on the grass, dig a few holes, and get a little dirty.

We'll see how she feels tomorrow.

Stairs again

I changed my appointment with Dr. Walker from next week to this week to see if any serious damage was done to Penny's knee. So, Penny and I went to see her today. She was charming as usual (and laughing at Penny's reaction to the coyotes that are marking the area around the house. Penny doesn't want to go up the bike trail anymore.)

The vet staff took x-rays and Dr. Walker came in to show them to me. We even got to compare the current x ray to the one that was taken when we found out about the hairline fracture to the original one. Penny's leg looks great in terms of the bone. Where the bone had been blocky from the surgery, it's now filled out. And the fracture hasn't shifted, which also could have happened with this sort of complication.

Penny is released to do nearly all activities -- slowly. Still no off leash time, but that hasn't mattered to me. But, we'll again increase the amount of time she's walking (we quit trying to get her to walk in the coyote infested area once she injured herself playing.) What this really means is that I get to sleep in my own bed again, not on cushions next to the X pen. Yippee! I can also have people over without having to explain about the dog, the X pen, the surgery.... The X pen does take up the majority of the walking space in the living room.

In three weeks, I am supposed to check in with Dr. Walker by phone and if all is well, she'll be released to be off leash for 5 minutes increasing to more. Since her come command is still one of her weakest, Rick suggested just having her on a longer leash while we once again work on her come.

Since Penny's been on a diet, she's become more food focused. Maybe that will help with the come command! I am sure I will have more to report on THAT!

More setbacks

Penny has been so calm and accommodating when I ask her to get in her pen or walk slow that you can forget that she's a young dog with a drive that causes her to forget about pain when she gets going.

I try to outsmart her when I see signs of her getting excited. But, I haven't been good at reminding others that she needs to be kept quiet and heal.

On Tuesday, I have class. It's a 10 week class from 6 - 9:45 pm. It's nice to have a structured event. For the past two weeks, I had feldenkrais method physical therapist at 3:30-5, which doesn't leave me time to pick up Penny. The first week, Rick picked up Penny. Two days ago, another friend offered to take her.

While I was at class, this friend went to another friend's house who has a dog that Penny adores. They let Penny run free with this dog, not for five minutes, not for 10 minutes, but for about an hour. When I heard, I was apprehensive, but said we'd see what happened in the morning. Penny seemed all right, but the leg grew more wobbly as the day went on. When I saw the leg, I was sickened. Penny doesn't act comfortable on it.

All of this time, all of this money, potentially wasted. I cried in the car. Penny cried the next night. I gave her pain killers. She got diarrhea. I don't know whether it was the painkillers, the nontypical food, or just being out of her routine that caused her tummy to flare up again.

I blame myself. I am ultimately responsible for her. This friend knows about Penny's surgery and has been invaluable in her help in Penny's recovery. She's not stupid -- she just made a spur of the moment decision, which was bad. She was not thinking, which we all do once in a while. And, Penny did enjoy herself. But, I know the consequences. Penny doesn't tie the pain and the jumping around together. So she is suffering.

Once again, she is fasting. I will feed her turkey, rice, spinach, and cottage cheese tomorrow if she doesn't have any more diarrhea. She's hungry and wanting to eat everything.

I will take her to the doc if her diarrhea continues past tomorrow. I will make an appointment with the surgeon if her leg doesn't look better by Monday.

On a positive note, another friend sent a check toward Penny's surgery. I am blessed by people's generosity.

A setback

Penny saw Dr. Walker today. She got a new x ray that showed a crack in her tibial crest. This is the location that the patella tendon attaches to, although the tendon attaches to the entire length of the crest and Penny's crack is about a quarter of the way down.

According to Dr. Walker, this is a not an uncommon complication. And, with Penny's weight (!) and her bilateral deterioration, it is not out of the ordinary. She probably didn't injure it by hopping up and down (although we should keep her quiet for another 6 weeks), but because she probably put too much weight too quickly on it.

I can start walking her for a 5 minutes a few times a day, increasing the time with every week. By the time I see Dr. Walker again, Penny should be up to 20-30 minutes. Of course, if she seems sore, I am supposed to back off.

Regarding her weight, she could stand to lose 5 lbs. In healthy dogs, ribs should be able to be felt easily and Penny has a few extra lbs. Once I start walking her frequently, I am sure this weight will melt off. :)

So the Xpen will continue to be a part of the living room decor. And, we won't talk about the other leg until she is comfortable on this one. We'll get another x ray in 6 weeks.

Company in the cage

For those of you who think poor Penny is lonely in her Xpen, I have evidence to the contrary. Graham likes to hang out with her -- he's spent whole nights in the pen with her. When I sleep next to Penny -- not in the pen, but in a little bed next to the pen -- I keep the cage door open so that Graham can come and go as he wishes. Olive, too, likes to hang out and I've even caught Cassie in there. But, the most friendly and frequent visitor is Graham.

One of draws is that the Xpen is set up in front of a gas-powered fireplace. The other is Penny's warm tummy.

Yes, that's a blanket in front of them. At night, she likes to be covered up.

Tuckered out

Having a bake sale in your honor is hard work. Hosting a bake sale is equally hard. Here, Kirstin, Ideal Pet Stop's store manager, and Penny share a bed during a break in sales late Saturday afternoon.

Kirstin had to negotiate for part of the bed. Do you think Penny is telling Kirstin that it's time to get back to work?

Penny at the bake sale

Penny had a great time at the bake sale. Most importantly, she didn't get too excited.

She greeted some visitors, but spent most of her time hanging out on her lovely bed.

The measure of success

We made close to $400 at Penny's bake sale yesterday. Items sold included:

• My cards (I only had 6 and they all sold)


• Rice Crispie treats (both Heather and Kirstin made them)


• Turtle brownies (Heather made)


• Molasses Ginger cookies


• Triple fudge brownies


• Chocolate chip cookies (Kris made)


• Sugar cookies


• Peanut butter cookies (Rox made)


• Book Bracelets (Rox made)


• Dog biscuits (Larry made)


• Lemon bars

I am sure I am forgetting something so let me know if I forgot something. I also made snickerdoodles but I forgot them in the freezer. More for next time!

It was lovely seeing all the support of my friends and the community. I appreciate the people who bought one or two cookies, to those who bought many more. One women, whom I had never seen before, donated $60 and bought cards and bake sale items. Amazing generosity. We will keep selling raffle tickets through next week.

Carina, from Animals First Foundation, put an announcement on her web site and because of that, we got an amazing donation for the raffle of either 3 doggie day care days or a long weekend stay at Happy Hound Hotel. Thank you, Linda!

Other prizes include a gift certificate to a bookstore in Rainer Valley, a necklace/earrings set from a very talented local designer, a pet portrait from me, a gift certificate for dinner, free food and toys for cats and/or dogs.

And, I only had one night where I got 5 hours of sleep. That's great.

Another bake sale/raffle

The one improvement I see in Penny's movements is that it's easier for her to get up now than it was immediately after the surgery. When she gets up, she still limps heavily on her operated leg. Once she's been up, she starts using it a little. Her gait is funny. Her operated on leg looks bow legged and her other operated on leg looks pigeon toed. I hope that's progress.

We need to start thinking about raising more funds for her next surgery. I sent out an email request for baked items for another raffle/bake sale for Penny. It will be next Saturday from 11am-4 at Ideal Pet Stop (on Wilson, across from PCC). There will be lots of cookies, lemon bars, brownies, and hopefully some rice krispie treats. I've made krispie treats once and it wasn't fun. The marshmellow stuck everywhere -- I couldn't get the mixture to be flat in the cake pan. I know they're big sellers so I want to have them, but I was hoping that someone else would make the rice crispie treats.

Current baked items will include:
chocolate chip cookies
oatmeal cookies
ginger molasses cookies
oatmeal raisin cookies
turtle brownies
sugar cookies

There will also be book bracelets and cards.

The raffle includes:
dinner certificate
a book certificate
pet supplies
jewelry

Let me know if you have suggestions for the bake sale and/or want to donate to the raffle.

Thanks.

Conehead

Penny was licking her front paw on Monday evening. Rick had picked her up. Her paw was all raw from where she had been licking. I thought I could see a little puncture, but I wasn't sure.

Horace also was limping. So I took them to the vet. Horace has a little puncture, most probably from Gustof (an ongoing feud at my house... know of anyone who wants a black cat who may have asthma?) , so he has oral antibiotics. Penny has a little puncture, probably from a thorn or something. She has topical antibiotics and has to wear a cone.

She is so uncoordinated with the cone. She'll get stuck and will make no effort no move her head so that she can move again. She just stands there. I don't know whether she's being stubborn or whether she thinks that I'm am going to help her. She refuses to get in the car with the cone. She refuses to try to drink water with the cone. She walks slowly, despondently, with the cone.

But when I take the cone off, she starts licking again.

Stitches out

Yesterday, Penny had her stitches out. I didn't talk with Dr. Walker, but her tech says she looks good. She spent an hour in the car waiting for me to come out of the naturopath's and then she went to Ideal.

Kirsten bought her TWO new beds.

Today, she was limping. Enough for me to give her pain meds.

Tomorrow, we'll both hang out.

Upper body strength prevents fall

Penny has been using a ramp that Rick built to go up the back stairs. The last few days she's stopped midway up. I don't know what has caused her stopping. It may be the creaking that it does. I haven't figured out how her brains work.

Last night, she stopped and looked at Albro who was meowing next to the porch. Albro leaped onto the porch and we both looked at her. The next thing I know, Penny is hanging off the ramp, and straining to get back on the ramp. I couldn't move to help her because it would have taken too long to get around the ramp. I held on tight to the leash and encouraged her. She made it!

But, she limped even worse. She held her leg extremely high. I looked at the leg and I didn't see any damage, but who knows? She could have hit something. She could have strained her tendon even further...

I am worried about her. I don't know whether to take her to the vet or to my vet. I did give her anti-inflammatories and am hoping she'll be all right. I guess if she's worse tonight, I'll take her to her vet.

Every little bit counts

Yesterday, I went to see my friend, Barb's, art show at the UU church in Seattle. I hung out long enough to be asked to accompany them to an early dinner. Jane, Barb's partner, paid for my dinner and whispered, "Pennies for Penny." I'll transfer $15 into Penny's account.

Penny is doing... well, better. She's eating rice, cottage cheese, ground turkey and spinach. Still not real big meals so she is pretty hungry, but she's not licking her lips in a "my tummy's upset and I'm trying not to barf" manner. Since she's not eating much, she's not pooping as much, which is fine.

She's now suspicious of cream cheese, which is too bad. I used to be able to slather cream cheese on anything and she'd think it was a treat. But since those little horrid pain relievers that made her salivate, she looks at the cream cheese as if I'm trying to trick her. And I am. That's what I cover her stomach settling pills with. Two more days of that.

She's still not taking any anti-inflammatories and so her little eyebrows are wrinkled with pain. Tonight, if I see no signs of stomach upset, I'll give her the new pain reliever to help her sleep a bit better. This morning, we both overslept. Not used to Daylight Savings Time.

Snarfing cat food

Penny is on her second day of her fast. I've given her a little chicken broth this afternoon and again this eve. She's kept it down, so far.

Tomorrow, we'll do cottage cheese and rice. Maybe a little ground lamb. She'll be so hungry by then, she'll eat anything.

She keeps trying to get into the kitchen to eat some cat food when I let her out while I get ready for her potty breaks.

Girly has an upset tummy

Last night, I gave Penny her Rimadyl and then her dinner of Natural Balance cereal and 1/2 can of venison and sweet potato. About 1/2 hour later, she vomited it all up. So, that's the 2nd vomiting incident that she's had.

This morning, she was was a three-legged dog. I, being of a suspicious nature, suspected that my housemate may not have controlled her as much as she should be. Rox denied it, but did say that Penny did pull a lot when she went out for potty break at the same time I was leaving to go to the emergency room. (Gustov bit me so I headed to the emergency room for antibiotics and a lecture about infectious cat bites. I drove to Rick's and he drove me to Swedish. Since this is a blog about Penny, we won't get into details.) Rox pointed out that Penny vomited up her pill when she vomited up her dinner. I now think that's what happened.

I calledACCES this morning about 8 am. Dr. Walker doesn't work on Fridays, but she had told me to that the staff could get a message to her. In the meantime, I had to take Horace to the vet because he was limping too so I planned to ask Dr. Heino. Dr. Heino was very concerned about the vomiting. He said once was not a big deal, but two means its a cycle, regardless of how many days separating the two incidences. So, he told me to have Penny fast for a couple of days. I can let her drink a little water today, and then the eve of the second day, she could have some chicken broth. If she does well, she can have a bland diet on Sunday. Baby food or cottage cheese. Or both. I got 2 kinds of medicines that will coat and calm her tummy and help it heal. I got a different anti-inflammatory pills that she can start taking on Monday.

Penny, Horace, and I will both be pill poppers. Horace has a bite on his foot and will be taking antibiotics 2 x a day, I'm on antibiotics for the cat bite, and Penny will be taking 4 pills 2 x a day.

ACCES called while I was at Dr. Heinos. According to Ursula (I love that name!), Dr. Walker said only be worried if Penny seemed in pain. I explained that she was in pain but that Dr. Heino was more concerned about the vomiting. Ursula asked that they get some sort of report about her current medication. I relayed the message to Marlena, but I am unsure whether that report will be faxed because Rainier Vet is in the middle of transitioning ownership from Dr. Heino, who I love, to Dr. Kung. The office is even more chaotic than usual!

Sneaking upstairs

Penny is not supposed to walk up stairs. She's not supposed to jump up or use her knee for pushing for the next 8 weeks. Maybe more. Dr. Walker says that because Penny has to climb upstairs to enter our house, she'd rather that Penny not climb upstairs for bedtime for the next 8 weeks.

So, I was really aggravated at myself and the world around me when Penny walked upstairs last night. I had gone upstairs to help Rox clean out a wound where her skin had cracked and thought that Penny was occupied with a bully stick. But, a few minutes later, I saw her stick her nose in the bathroom.

I didn't know whether I should have ordered her downstairs immediately or whether I should pull out her bed from beneath the bed, fluff it up, and have her lie down on it. I decided that she should lie down and that's where she stayed for the next 8 hours. I got to sleep on my bed for the first time in a week, too.

Woke up to Gustof fighting with Graham at 6 am. but that's beyond the scope of this blog....

Hyperventilating for no reason

Penny seems fine today. Her gash looks fine. Her leg bruises are fading. She is currently laying on her bed in front of the gas fireplace in the X-pen. What a life.

What's that saying, No news is good news. There's no news.

Waking up to a gagging girl

I feel like a nervous mother. I am a nervous mother. Penny woke me up this morning with some gagging or coughing sounds. Oh, oh, I thought, I wonder of it's the rimadyl. But, I also realized that she had more treats than usual yesterday, especially peanut butter, which were a gift from Sophia, a cute pit whose mom comes to Ideal for treats and food.

When I got up about a half an hour later, I called Animal Critical Care and Emergency Services.

The woman who answered the phone told me that they don't worry if it is just one bout of vomiting. They want to hear about it if it occurs again. Of course it doesn't help that I think her tongue is paler than usual and that she's less energetic than usual. (But, I'd be less energetic if I had an upset tummy.)

I am planning to check in on her about 3. I have a doctor's appointment at 1:30 and will stop by there. Hopefully, there will be nothing to report.

Home alone

Penny spent her first day home alone. She's never had to spend more than 5 hours by herself and so I was a bit worried. Circumstances played in her favor... My car, I found out when I parked in a garage this morning, doesn't have any headlights, so I have to leave early. I left with enough time to swing by Ideal, pick up fresh produce, and still arrive home with plenty of daylight left.

Penny spent 7 hours alone and seemed to survive just fine in her X pen, with a bully stick, a raw bone, and a bowl of water. When I arrived, she opened up her eyes and was ready to go outside.

Her poops and her appetite on back to normal. I am happy about both. She might even be a bit more hungry than she usually is... Perhaps it's her body expending energy to repair itself, perhaps she's bored. I don't know.

Status on 3rd day

Penny has spent two nights at home after the surgery and seems relatively comfortable. She is walking on both legs, and seems to be putting some of her weight on the left leg (the leg that had the TPLO surgery). No more toe touching for this kid!

Her leg is quite swollen and there is a 3-inch suture on it. She still has redness on her calf that will turn purple and yellow as it heals.

She's chewing anxiously. Rick stopped by yesterday and stayed with her while I ran to Ideal and bought raw bones and bully sticks for her. She occasionally licks the sutures and I tell her "no." I plan on stopping by Ideal again to pick up her E-collar that I left there from she pulled her toe nail out by jumping on a crack, wedging in the nail, and then jumping away. Ow!

Yesterday, I also bought pill pouches while I was at Ideal. They don't work. Thankfully, she likes the Rimadyl, which is a liver-flavored large bill that is supposed to reduce swelling. The antibiotics, Cephalexin, also are not a problem. They are two-toned green capsules that I can just coat with cream cheese> Once coated, they're just another treat! The pain reliever, Tramadol, is what she can't stand. These little white pills must taste odious because they make her salivate excessively. I've hidden them in cream cheese, natural balance sausages, cheddar cheese, and the pill pockets. She knows their smell and refuses to open her mouth for the supposed treat. If I can get the pill into her mouth, she spits it out, regardless of the yummy tastes surrounding the pill. I've taken to pilling her, which is a far cry from pilling a cat.

With pilling a cat, all you do is open the cat's mouth and sling the pill down the throat as far as possible. If your aim's not good, maybe you poke it down a bit with a finger. Then, you close the cat's mouth and massage her throat. I'm an expert pill slinger -- with as many cats as I have, I've got to be. With Penny, pilling is a little bit different. You open up her mouth and then push the pill as far as you can down her throat. I need to put my entire hand past my wrist in her mouth to make sure she doesn't spit it out. Uggh. Then you pull back your hand, close her mouth, and wait for her to swallow. After that, you go to the sink and wash your dog spit covered hand and arm off.

Thankfully, Dr. Walker said that she doesn't need this pill. But, she's so anxious at night, I've been giving it to her to help her sleep. And, it does help her sleep. She's been sleeping very peacefully in her X-cage. I know because I am sleeping right next to her on three couch cushions. The cats prefer to sleep on the bed, especially when I leave the electric blanket on for them. And, there's more room for them to sprawl out.

Penny's home

Gotta write quick. Penny's downstairs, resting on her bed in the X pen that takes up most my living room.

She was touching her toes on her operated leg. That may or may not be a good sign. What we don't want her to do is begin using that leg too soon. And, she may. Her right leg is a fraction more angled than her left, although it was the left that was operated on, due to her torn meniscus.

She's chewed a bone and a bully stick. I haven't wanted to give her med because they're every 12 hours and I didn't want to have to wake both of us up at 2:30 to give the meds.

I think she's hungry. I am about to take her out for a pee break and then feed her. Then, she can have her pill.

I did forget the antibiotic in my hurry to take her out of there. So, Rick is running up there after work to get them. I sure do appreciate him.

Resting nicely

I called the office last night and the report was that Penny was resting nicely and had been outside for a potty break with the help of a sling. I'll have to get some additional training on that.

I am looking forward to picking her up at 1 pm. I am trying to think of a way to get my desktop computer down to the main floor of my house (with Internet access) so that I can work and update her blog. Right now, it's in Cap'n Jack's room, which is also my studio.

My living room is going to be crowded for the next few weeks, with Penny's X-crate, my desktop computer, and my easel. I want to be in the same room with her while I am home so she doesn't feel left out.

Recovering nicely at 2:45

Dr. Walker just called. Penny is recovering nicely from her TPLO surgery and will be ready to go home tomorrow at 1 o'clock. She also had a torn meniscus, which was also removed.

There are two cruciate ligaments in the knee: the anterior, or cranial, cruciate ligament (ACL) and the posterior, or caudal, cruciate ligament (PCL.) 90% of knee injuries in dogs are ruptured ACLs.

When the ACL is torn, the meniscus on the inside of the knee often becomes damaged as well. About one third of the patients that are operated for a torn cruciate ligament also have a tear of the meniscal cartilage on the inner side of the joint (medial meniscus) .

Here is a graphic of how the knee moves back and forth, both with the tear and with the surgery.

Penny is dropped off at ACCES

Penny and I showed up at Animal Critical Care and Emergency Services at just before 8 this morning.

When we arrived, Penny clad in her pink coat, Penny was greeted by name. She wagged her tail, happy to be acknowledged. I was told to weigh her, which I did, but because it was in kilograms, I didn't pay attention. I can't tell you how much she weighed.

Then came the paperwork. I had to indicate whether I wanted her resuscitated if something went wrong (I said I wanted basic CPR, no advanced treatments like heart surgery) and then I had to pay the minimum estimated cost for the surgery.

While I was doing paperwork, a lovely woman came in with a irregularly shaped box. Penny growled. I've never known her to growl at a woman. The woman stopped, said hi to Penny and reached out a hand to pet her. Penny wagged her tail like she was only kidding, and the woman continued walking toward the back. I said to the receptionist that she must be nervously guarding because she doesn't growl often. The receptionist said that veterinarians, even their vets, can be scary. I really liked the interaction between Penny and the woman vet. The vet didn't see Penny as vicious and took the time to meet her. It's a good sign.

Back to the paperwork. For some reason, I thought I had to pay 50% and then 50% on pickup, which I was ready for. I was not ready to pay the entire minimum cost, which amazingly actually was only $200 more than the 2,500 that I put in my checking on Tuesday night. I performed some quick mental accounting and cavalierly just handed them my debit card.

The X rays were not on the billing estimate. I know that Dr. Walker is planning to do both legs and hips, so I know that I'll owe a bit more when I pick her up. I also know that I'll owe a bit for the overnight stay. So, the balance will go on a credit card, which I will then transfer to a low interest card.

We had to wait while they got a room ready for her. Then, the receptionist came back with a green leash with a loop in it. She asked me to take off Penny's coat, collar, and leash. I did. Then, the receptionist, a nice young woman, tried to get the rope over Penny's head. Penny balked. She tried a couple more times and then asked me to loop it over her head. I did. Penny and she stood up and started walking toward the back. The receptionist commented on how well she is walking today.

I watched them disappear behind the swinging doors. I felt like a traitor. I picked up the bill, my purse, Penny's coat, leash and collar and walked to my car. I sat in my car, tears in my eyes, before starting the car and driving.

Tomorrow's the big day

Last night I went to the bank and transferred money from Penny's account to my account. That's $2600! Thanks everyone.

Last night, Penny refused her pain medication. I tried smothering it in cream cheese, canned food, and her treats. No go. She wouldn't touch any portion that had the medication inside. But this morning, she ate her new anti-inflammatory without any wrapping. That's great. It makes things easier for both me and her.

Tomorrow, I drop Penny off before 8 am at Animal Critical Care and Emergency Services. When I drop her off, I'll ask when I can call to find out how surgery went. I will make sure to update the blog as soon as I know.

She will be spending the night because the surgeon cuts her bones. She will be heavily medicated and will need to be watched. I plan to pick her up after work on Friday. Hopefully, she will be able to walk. Otherwise, I'll have Rick and/or Kirsten meet me and we will help her in then.

I am getting ahead of myself. Keep sending those good wishes to Penny.

Hobbling on two legs

Next Thursday can't come quickly enough. Today, Penny is hobbling on two legs, I think because of the manipulation that occured yesterday.

I did some more research on the surgery. Here is a graphic description. Don't look if you don't want to see some blood.

On a positive note, Graham spent the night with Penny in the X Pen.

Surgery is scheduled

Penny and I met with Dr. Tamara Walker of Animal Critical Care and Emergency Services today. I heard, for the first time, that Penny had cruciate ligament disease, which is the slow deterioration of the ACLs, rather than torn ACLs from an injury. Same result. Same recommendations. But, this time, I made the appointment for surgery.

I am not dissing Dr. Allen Johnson, not at all. I think it's a matter of timing. Seeing Penny in such severe pain (she's still not putting any weight on her left leg) made me vehemently aware that it is time to schedule surgery. Had I seen him this week, Penny may be scheduled at Animal Surgical Center on Stone Way, rather than at a clinic in Lake City.

I also considered her comfort level with the vet. Penny was more comfortable with Dr. Walker, than she was with the tall, powerfully built Dr. Johnson. Or, maybe Penny was so uncomfortable that a stranger didn't matter. Really, though, we know Penny likes girls better. She allowed Dr. Walker to manipulate her knee, obeyed me when I asked her to stand up. She tolerated the pain while Dr. Walker manipulated her other leg. (Dr. Johnson took her in the back to perform the manipulations as she got antsy.)

Plus, Dr. Walker has a vet technician of her own, so that will be helpful if I want a progress report during surgery and her stay after that. The vet clinic is also open 24 hours a day, under the same ownership. The Animal Surgical Center shares its location with the Emergency Veterinary Clinic, which operates in the off hours. Penny would be able to stay there and be monitored by staff all the time, but I hope that the setup at Animal Critical Care and Emergency Services provides more continuous care.

Dr. Walker had an easier job talking to me than Dr. Johnson. Dr. Johnson told me about TPLO and the other, less expensive surgery techniques. I had time to research TPLO and knew about the procedure, while I didn't with Dr. Johnson. She didn't have to convince me that Penny's weight and age makes TPLO a better choice than for the less expensive options. I had time to recover from the price quote and think of how I was going to pay for the surgery.

Thanks to all of my community's generosity, I have $2,000 toward her first surgery, which is estimated to cost between $3200 and $3700. X rays are included, while they aren't at Seattle Surgical Center. Coming up with $1,200, even putting it on a card, seems easier than the original amount. And, we'll keep fundraising. We'll schedule another bake sale for March and I intend to have a big old rummage/garage sale this spring.

Dr. Walker took her time with me, too, answering my questions. We discussed whether Rick should build a ramp to the back porch. (She doesn't think so. She thinks that it is likely that Penny will refuse to walk the ramp and that it might become a power struggle.) She thinks that Penny would be just fine walking slowly up and down the steps. We discussed whether I should take Penny to Ideal Pet Stop (she is the store dog there) immediately after the surgery (probably not-- she should be as still as possible), or whether I should pay for boarding (save my $$ for the second surgury), and whether physical therapy is helpful (not at this time). Because Penny will be more active than what is ideal during her first two weeks, she does feel that Penny should not go upstairs to sleep for two months. It sounds like it's the XPen for her for the next 2 months. We've got it set up in the living room now. Lovely!

Penny also got new meds because the aspirin that she is taking is an antiplatelet medication and prevents blood from clotting. Not good during surgery! I'll report on how she tolerates the new meds once she's taken them for a few days. She first starts with pain killers and then after 5 days or so, starts taking Rimadyl, another anti-inflamatory. Rimadyl is not without its critics. Pfizer lists one of the side effects as death. Here is one such report. I'll watch her carefully and be on the lookout for vomiting, lethargy or diarrhea after she starts taking it.

We're in shark-infested waters anyway. 80-85% of TPLO surgeries are considered successful. But what about the other 15%? Half of them are infections and other issues. The other 5-8% may require additional surgeries. What's that saying: In for a penny, in for a pound? Let's not dwell too much on that. Instead, let's think positive, healing thoughts.

The surgery is scheduled for Thursday, Feb 28.

Penny is hurt again; search for surgeon intensifies

Last night, Penny and Rox were walking up the hill in back of my house. Rox let Penny pick the route and Penny meandered toward the driveways east of the bike trail. Rox was on the phone with her husband. A car started or something happened that spooked Penny. She jumped and ran. Rox had the leash wrapped around her wrist and did not react quickly enough. She fell, scraping her hand. I think she may have even been dragged a few feet.

This morning, Penny is a three-legged dog. She won't let her right leg touch the ground. Her forehead is wrinkled and her dark eyes look sad.

I've been in denial. Penny's been pretty solid the last two months or so. I was wondering whether we could squeak by, like my sister-in-law Carole did with her big dog, by limiting exercise and not spending money on surgery. As of this morning, the conservative approach is no longer an option.

I revisited the list I made of the TPLO certified surgeons in Seattle and decided that I would talk to Critical Care and Emergency Services. I've already had a consultation with Animal Surgical Clinic of Seattle . Animal Surgical Clinic is the place that Dr. Heino recommends, mainly because they do so many surgeries. But, he has emphasized that any TPLO certified surgeon will do. I like Critical Care and Emergency Services because it is women-owned and Envirostar-certified.

Dr. Tamara Walker, the surgeon at Critical Care and Emergency services, seems young but competent. She has a big, pointy eared dog (a Kelpie). I would choose between her and Dr. Alan Johnson, based on how Penny reacts to them and their willingness to answer my questions. It's been a while since I saw Dr. Johnson, but he was nice enough, had a great handout, and was willing to answer my questions.

Penny has an appointment to see Dr. Walker on Thursday at 9:15 am.

In the meantime, I will probably buy the X Pen that Kirsten ordered for me tonight so that Rox and I will not have to carry Penny again... She came upstairs in the middle of the night, but refused to go down on her own. Imagine this: Rox and Seanna, both in their flannel pjs, struggling to lift Penny down a full flight of stairs. Penny, her heart racing, braces her feet on the floor. She claws at the floor whenever she contacts it. She is not dead weight -- she's resistant weight.

Rox and Seanna release Penny onto the floor and collapse, exhausted, onto the couch. What a great way to start the day.

Sean Marie helps out

My 10-year-old friend, Sean Marie, is helping Penny out by making and selling bracelets in the little town of Albany, Oregon. Sean Marie and I talked about Penny's surgery when she and her mom, Cheryl, visited at Christmastime. Cheryl is from Seattle and her aging mother still lives here so Cheryl visits Seattle monthly. Sometimes, Sean Marie comes with.

Sean Marie loves animals but unfortunately lives with parents who are allergic or not exactly excited about furry beasts. But, her current plan is to be a barrel racer.

Back in Albany, Cheryl and Sean Marie stopped at their local bead store (it may be http://www.spearitbeads.com/) so that Sean Marie could buy beads for this project. The person behind the counter (owner? manager?) heard about Sean Marie's project and donated $5. Sean Marie sounded so excited when she called me with the news.

I got the $5 this week and plan to send Sean Marie a thank you card, along with a blank card she can give the woman who donated.

Onesies for Penny

My friend Leslie designed this logo and printed it on baby t-shirts and onesies. I bought a couple -- one for Kris and one for Sean Marie. More on Sean Marie soon.

These items are available at Ideal Pet Store (5044 Wilson Ave S, Seattle, 206) 721-3173)

The Annie Series

Back in December, when I decided to do a bake sale, I emailed many of the people in my contacts list, even those who I had met only once or twice.

One of those people was Anne Fontaine, who I had found out about when I had taken a 9-month class through the UW Extension, entitled Art for the Children's Market. Obadinah Heavner was one of the class speakers and she had just finished illustrating a book, Ocho Loved Flowers, written by Anne Fontaine. Obadinah showed us the dummy, which made me cry. It's a story about a little girl whose cat is dying. It's lovingly written. You can read more about it.

I wrote Ms. Fontaine and told her I wanted books when they came out. She emailed me when the books were ready and when her opening party was scheduled. I met her then!

I included Ms. Fontaine in my email asking for help with the raffle and baked sale. I thought maybe she would contribute a book to the raffle. Instead, she sent a check.

Why I remembered this today: I took one of my cats to the vet this morning. He had blood in his urine. This caused me to remember Ocho Loved Flowers and I told my coworkers about it..)