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.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
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.
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.
Friday, August 8, 2008
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.
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.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
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.
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.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
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.
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.
Friday, June 6, 2008
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.
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.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
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.
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.
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