Penny and her mama

Kirstin, the manager of Ideal Pet Stop in Seward park (where Penny likes to hang out during the day), has a new camera, a dslr Rebel Canon something something.

Whatever, it takes great pictures.

She brought her new camera to work and we took some pictures of Penny, and even some with Penny and her mom.

Here we are.

The collar is from Fido and Scratch in the Mount Baker area. She has a matching leash, too.

Are you a fan?

Penny has a Facebook fan page that she updates lately. Some people even say it's funny. At least some of the time. Search for Penny the BRD on Facebook.

There are new pictures, including a set that this picture comes from. This set was taken by Kirstin Konrad, who manages Ideal Pet Shop. It's one of the few that are still in color. Kirstin prefers to post her pictures in black and white.

Today, the sun is shining in Seattle. Still. It's been a very mild winter and spring. I got out and weeded. She got to go out with me, but because I still do not have a fenced yard, she had to be tied to a tree. She couldn't get comfortable, first tangling herself in the shade garden, and then tangling herself around the magnolia tree, around which is apple branches.

Right now she's snoozing.

Better now, just bored

Penny is still taking it easy. She's finishing her antibiotics today and is still limited in her activity. Tomorrow we may start walks again.

She hasn't vomited since last Friday and I haven't heard her cough since Wednesday.

We're transitioning back to her diet, but she may still get occasional boiled hamburger treats.

I think she's a little bored.

Maybe this, maybe that

Penny vomited all day and all night yesterday. Because she was eating easy to digest mixtures of cottage cheese/rice/beef broth, my carpets looked lovely. But who cares? She was not feeling well and she was coughing, too, her eyes were runny and she looked just miserable.

So, this am, I called the vet's office and told them what was happening and they were able to see Penny at 9:30. When I entered, Penny started coughing, and one of the vet techs came running out, asking me to have her wait in the car until they were ready for her. Then, she changed her mind and led us to the new cat examination room where we waited for Dr. Heino.

Dr. Heino looked worried when I told her about the vomiting. He suggested switching antibiotics and giving her antinausea meds. Next step, he thought, was an x-ray.

Well, my beloved has been wondering about an x-ray since this episode started. Penny looks like she's got something caught in her throat and she's trying to hack it up. So, I suggested that we not wait -- that we do it now. So, I left Penny there and went to feed the cat that I am housesitting for and get my hair cut.

As I was entering the salon, Dr. Heino called. The x-rays showed suspicious looking masses in her abdomen. He suggested an ultrasound. I told him I'd call Animal Critical Care and Emergency Service. I then made an appointment at ACCES for tomorrow at 10. Then I went in to get my hair cut.

Once I was back at Rainier Vet, I asked to see the x ray and Dr. Heino led me to the back room to a station set up near the operating table. Reminded me of when I used to volunteer there and when I liked everyone there and called some of them my friends. He showed me these two areas that looked like round circles on the x-ray. A sponge ball? A milk top?

Penny doesn't usually eat anything weird like that. But, I thought maybe she'd done it while she was with Stella or perhaps even at Opa's for her birthday party. But it concerned me enough to call ACCES and ask to be squeezed in today -- which they did.

Penny and I got a special room at ACCES too. We sat in Exam Room 1 and waited for the doctor. Doctor March, a young fast-talking woman who wanted to know when this all started. I explained the best that I could, and she went back to look at the x-ray that I had brought. She and the radiologist weren't sure that the masses weren't anything more than a kidney and an inflated tummy caused by gas.

We talked about whether we should do the ultrasound or not. We agreed to go ahead with it. The ultrasound looked good. But while Penny was back getting her ultrasound, her cough sounded bad enough to be pneumonia, which sometimes happens with severe cases of kennel cough, so they wanted to do another x ray of the chest. In for a penny, in for a pound. I agreed. Thankfully, the chest x rays looked fine.

So, Penny got more drugs, some fluids, and a shot.............

Not feeling well

I am so sorry that everytime that I think of updating Penny's blog, she's not feeling well. Well, I did want to update the blog with pictures of her on the Oregon coast during Valentine's weekend, but Rick has all the pictures -- and only about six of them. Both R and I ruined our cameras that weekend. This picture is taken with a cell phone.

But a couple of weeks before we left for our long weekend getaway, Penny had blood in her stool. I took her to Dr. Heino and there were too many variables to really pinpoint what was going on. Was it her new food, which had grain in it and made her poop lots more? Was it the salmon oil which was helping her coat, but could have been irritating her bowels? Was it visit to the dog park, where one of her favorite games was jumping in the mud puddles while I yelled, Penny get out of there! I had brought in a fecal sample so Dr. Heino sent it in.

I also went back to her old food and quit the salmon oil. The fecal came back positive for giardia, so Miss P was put on antibiotics. Metronidazole, which is about 70% effective. I was to provide another sample when the antibiotics was done.

So, she took her antibiotics, we went to Bandon, Oregon, and Penny had a blast. Her poop was normal. But a week ago, she had a bit of blood two times in a row, right after I started feeding her fish oil again. Suspicious timing so I quit the fish oil.

I brought in a fecal sample on Monday.

I also talked to a friend about her food on Monday. Penny eats Evo, a very high protein food that has all sorts of apples, carrots, alfalfa sprouts, etc. Since I was concerned about food sensitivity, perhaps I should change her kibble to a more simple one protein/one carb diet. So I bought a small bag. I switched to her new food (15% new food/85% old food at about 5 yesterday.

Today, she woke up puking. The vet called with positive results again for giardia. I asked for an appointment and I told Dr. Heino what I am writing here. Before we give her more antibiotics (either a stronger and longer dose of the Metronidazole or something else), perhaps we should do blood work to see if there's something going on that's causing her to be more sensitive.

So, here I am tonight, waiting for the bloodwork. I'll call tomorrow if I haven't heard.

In the meantime, Penny is occasionally dry heaving and looks uncomfortable.

UPDATE: Penny has kennel cough and will be on a new kind of antibiotic.

Penny with pup

I went with a friend to Kennewick to get a dog who was found in an abandoned pig pen. My friend is fostering her. While I was gone, Penny stayed with Theresa, who she adores.

This dog, originally named Chai by the people who found her, but now called Olive by Erin and her partner, arrived to her foster mom's house a little shy, a little unsure of herself. Penny did everything she could to get the little dog (38 lbs) to play with her. She rummaged in her best friend, Opa's, toys for squeaky toys. She walked around with a squeaky ball and then dropped the ball at Olive's feet. She lay on the couch and buried her nose in the pillows.

Finally, Olive played with her. She was a little intimidated by Penny's size and the compromise was for Olive to be on the couch, with Penny nosing her with her hind feet on the ground -- mostly.

Here are some shots.

A few days later we went to the dog park and Penny was able to really wrestle with another 100-lb dog named Max. I am hoping we see him again so I can take pictures.

Pitbulls on Parade

Penny, not pictured her, attended Pitbulls on Parade for only part of the 10 - 3 day. She came with her dad to help me set up, but when her dad left, she wanted to leave too.

No CGC test for her, unfortunately.

Maybe we'll take a class!

(photo courtesy of Kirstin Belinda Konrad)