Thanks Dogster!

Thanks to everyone at Dogster and especially my pup pals for making me a featured diary today.
For those of you following my story, here's what happened on 2/1/05:

Today started out like so many other days. I was a little tired after breakfast so I decided to take a little nap. Naps are good.

Instead of going to one of my usual napping spots, I decided to check out an old favorite-my kennel. Well, I was quite comfy and didn't really want to be disturbed. Well, let me just say, I love my boss man with all of my heart, but he does have (at least) one flaw. When he sees a snuggly, sleepy Little Bit, he just can't seem to help himself. Not only does he want to pet me with his ICE COLD HANDS (doesn't he realize I'm undercover for a reason?), but he insists on repeatedly using the "flashy thing." I don't really know what a dog needs to do around here to get a decent nap sometimes... But sometimes he comes bearing Pop Tarts, so I can't really be mad at him.

So then after nap time, I noticed that the scheduled walk for today was going to be at 11:00 am. This was a good idea because it was a little warmer, plus, it was early enough so that I could get home before lunch. I hate nothing more than late meals you know.

So we head off just as the sun starts to peek out from behind the clouds. I'm thinking to myself, this could turn out to be a pretty good walk. Well, we are going along and I'm taking the time to sniff the sniffs. So far, so good. We get onto the green space and go for a little ways when all of a sudden, guess who just happens to walk out from between two houses. A little hint, neither house was their house.

So, anyways, here is my arch nemesis Puddles! It goes without saying that I gave them the what for. Lyle was so surprised by their arrival at a place where they have never been seen before, that he didn't make a peep. I couldn't believe it.

So I didn't get to properly follow through with my investigation (the boss man can be in such a hurry sometimes), but I have an idea where she was going. I think that she was going to a secret meeting of the D.A.W.G. Pound (Dogs Against Wholesome Goodness a.k.a. Dogs Against Little Bit but that doesn't make as good of an acronym). I think she was going to meet Rocky to hatch their next evil plan against the Bit.

So, that brings me to my next request. Now, in addition to a body guard, I'm looking to hire a spy to infiltrate the D.A.W.G. Pound. If you are interested, send me a pmail.

I'll bark at you later.

Little Bit

Cancer story--1/30/05

Now, everyone knows that I'm a good dog. Well, maybe some people only remember me as a young puppy, they might not realize what a good dog that I am now.

Anyway, because I am such a good dog (oops, I wrote god there, not once, but twice-maybe I am a little full of myself) that I feel I deserve certain rewards. Today for instance, I was busy protecting the house from the dangers of the world. The bosses wondered what they could do to properly express their gratitude. They decided to give me a little petting. Well, of course, getting petted is very good. It is important bonding time between a dog and her alphas. It is just that sometimes a dog hungers for a little something more. Sometimes what she needs is a shredded beef burrito!

Now I know that it is not always practical to give a dog everything she feels she needs. I know that Qdoba isn't open twenty-four/seven. But when you are there anyways what can your excuse possibly be??? Well, I'm waiting???

Okay, okay, enough belly aching. I know I'll be getting a little something I like to call supper very soon.

The good news of the day is that I am feeling very well after my tooth extraction last week. In fact, if you didn't look really close, you would never notice the slight swelling that I still have. But most importantly, I am able to eat without any pain. What a relief that is. I mean, really. Eating is probably just about the most important part of my day. I'm glad that it doesn't hurt. I'm hoping that by Monday or Tuesday, I'll be back to eating carrots for breakfast. Certainly I should be able to have a little cow skin with the pig skin next weekend. It would be unthinkable to be sidelined for the biggest game of the year.

Well, it is a little PAST dinner time. I have to run.

Little Bit

Cancer story--1/28/05

So, I was reading about a study that was published in the journal Neurobiology of Aging this month. The basic study was done in older beagles. Dogs are apparently a good model for this type of study because their brain function and biology is similar to human brain function and biology. In the study they had four groups. The lonely, lazy and poorly fed dogs. The lonely, lazy well fed dogs. The fit and socialized poorly fed dogs and the fit and socialized well fed dogs. All dogs had the proper amount of food so they were not starving like me all of the time and all pooches were given mental exercise (they were taught how to find treats--that sounds like good exercise to me). The study showed that proper nutrition and exercise was essential for optimum brain function.

The study really got me thinking.
First off, they really ought to be feeding me more. (When I was at they Vet's office yesterday, I had an accurate weight of 23.4 pounds. I am only up 0.3 pounds--Not 1.5 pounds.) Feeding me is good for my brain!
Secondly, even if we exclusively fed Lyle brain food, would he ever get as smart as me?
Third, that study wasn't really very fair to most of those dogs. If people want to know what goes on in human brains, I think they should study people. I know, I know, some animal studies are very important, I just think that maybe the science community should use animal models only if they have a VERY GOOD REASON to use animals.
And fourth, is the boss man getting enough mental exercise? We have noticed that the boss is a little more forgetful these days than he used to be. It seems that maybe he needs a little more mental stimulation than he has been getting by sitting around watching TV all day (just kidding boss man). I have been trying to help him the last six weeks or so by having him help me with my blog.

So, the pack voted. For the boss man's mental health, he needs to use more mental floss. So he signed up for a couple of college classes. I think he is a little nervous about being graded again. After all, it has been almost twelve years since he graduated from college. I think at the same time he is a little excited too.

Well, I had a really big day yesterday and I'm still a little sleepy. I think I am going to find a nice sunny spot and take a little snoozer.

TTFN,
Little Bit

Cancer story--1/27/05

You are all invited to my pity party!
Okay people, fess up! Someone out there is using black magic on me. Who else can explain everything that keeps going wrong with me other than someone has a Little Bit voodoo doll. Let me set the record straight, there are NO officially licensed Little Bit voodoo dolls on the market. No one (and that includes both of you Puddles and Rocky!) should be dabbling in the black arts! Danger, danger! Stop what you are doing now before something else happens to me.

So you all know about my recent lymphoma troubles. Knock on wood, I seem to be in remission (keep your fingers or dewclaws crossed it stays that way). So thing are going pretty well for me medically speaking. Then, BAM, something else happens.

Yesterday evening I was chewing on a little something-something I like to call rawhide. If you know the Bit at all, you know I LOVE rawhide. (Yeah baby!) So, all too soon, the rawhide is gone. I'm a little sad, naturally, but life goes on. I always have the next rawhide to look forward to. So then I get on with the nights snuggling of the boss ma'am (important dog work you know). After a while it is announced that it is Tooth Brushing Time. Well, a little chicken flavored toothpaste never hurt anyone as far as I know, so I get first in line.

Now, in case you are wondering, my teeth have always been in very good shape. The doctor always comments that my teeth look great when ever I go for a physical exam. This is in no small part due to my frequent tooth brushings. Oral hygiene is important people (and dogs)! Do it often!

So anyway, the boss ma'am starts brushing and OUCH, that really hurt. So I hightail it out of there (and bump my sweet little head in the process). The boss ma'am not understanding why I left (as I forgot to tell her the reason of my hasty retreat), comes over to me and we start again. OUCHY, OUCH, OUCH! There it was again. What the heck is going on?

So then the boss man comes to pick me up. Well, let me tell you, they were very surprised to see that half of one of my molars is missing! It was broken in half and it was bleeding! (Sorry boss ma'am, I know you don't like to hear about tooth things-I hope this doesn't give you any bad dreams.)

You can guess where I ended up today. Now, as I've said before, the people at the Animal Care Clinic are really super. It is just that I don't think I should have to visit them as often as I have been lately. So I implore you, please mail me that Little Bit voodoo doll so that I can keep it safely locked away. I do not need ANY MORE reasons to go to the vets office. Just mail it anonymously and I won't even have to know who the guilty party is.

Little Bit

P.S. I am doing very well recovering from anesthesia. They pulled the molar out so it won't be giving me any more problems. I hope I don't bark with a lisp or anything now.

Cancer story--1/26/05

Spring is teasing us here in the Bluegrass state. Yesterday it was 50 and sunny. This morning it was sunny and 45 (and thankfully Rockyless). The daffodils and crocuses are coming out of the ground. Life is good. Or so I thought.

This afternoon it is cold and gray again. They are talking about more winter weather this weekend. Yuck!

Let me tell you, I am glad that I am not a Northern Dog. Sure, I enjoy a romp in the snow. Who wouldn't enjoy playing in the large fluffy flakes for five minutes or so each year? Maybe even a month of the white stuff would be good. December can be the official snow month. But then the flowers should be allowed to do their thing without having to worry about Mother Nature.

On a different subject, I have to tell you more about Rocky. My boss ma'am was talking to Oreo's and Misty's boss man today. She told him about "the incident" just in case Misty and Oreo hadn't told him yet. Anyway, it turns out that Rocky's misbehavior wasn't just limited to me!

Apparently, Rocky had "visited" (that is a euphemism for being a bad dog that snuck out of his yard) before. And guess what the little ankle biter did! He bit Misty's and Oreo's boss ma'am right in the ankle. And it was hard enough to make her bleed!!! Bad, bad, bad, bad dog Rocky. Well, after hearing that Rocky was "visiting" again, their boss man called animal control on him. Rocky's bosses need to keep him in his own yard. They have a fence, but I guess that, being a master criminal and all, he knows how to escape. Anyway, the animal control officer is going to tell them that Rocky cannot be allowed to visit other people (or dogs!) without being on a leash. If someone calls to tell the officer when Rocky is being a bad dog they will put him in the slam. Rocky's bosses will then have to pay $50 to bail him out. I sure hope he stays in his own yard, but if not, I hope that the animal control officer teaches him a lesson.

Bad dog Rocky! Stay in your own yard!

I'll bark at you later.

Little Bit

Cancer story--1/25/05

So, it is not like the boss man is really a wimp or anything like that. He runs, walks just about every day, he lifts weights and he works out on the elliptical trainer pretty often. It is just that, well, with a dog leash in each hand, plus other things that he carries (unmentionables), it is just that he is somewhat ineffective when it comes to protecting me. It goes without saying that Lyle doesn't help at all, and even makes it worse by wrapping his leash around the boss man's legs.

Besides, I think that, since I am a dog and all, that I should hire one of my own kind. So, if you know of any dog that is looking to be a body guard, please tell them to send me a p-mail as soon as possible!

Some big burly dog would be okay. But what I think might suit me best is a scrappy little dog, like maybe a Pug or a Chihuahua. Something that won't be as much competition for my kibble. (I don't like to share.)

So you might wonder why the sudden interest in protection. Well, I think it might be due to my new found fame. I am on the world wide web after all! Well, I don't know if it is adoration gone awry, or maybe jealousy. It is really hard to know for sure. But I have a stalker! I know, you might think I'm overreacting, but I'll tell you what happened and let you decide for yourselves.

The boss tells Lyle and I that we are going to wait until the afternoon for our walk today. He says that it will be almost 50 and sunny. Can't really argue with that now, can I.

So we head out around 1:45 pm. Sure enough, it was beautiful by our standards as of late. So here we go, sniffing the sniffs. Things smelled especially fine today. Well, we just barely get on to the path by the green space and we see this woman looking into our friends' (Misty and Oreo) yard. We think it is a little odd since they are not out there, but figure we will keep an eye on things to make sure that the strange woman is on the up and up. Well, let me tell you, she most certainly was not!

All of a sudden, this little white fur ball starts off after us. The woman starts running too. She yells "Rocky!" Then she yells to us "Look Out!" Let me tell you, the boss tried to pick me up (Lyle can fend for himself pretty well) but he wasn't quick enough. Then this deranged fan Rocky, lunges right for my neck! Can you believe it!?! The boss man picked me up lickety-split after that (and yes, Lyle was trying to wrap himself around the boss man to get to the whippersnapper). Well, a few seconds later the woman that was chasing Rocky gets to us and picks him up. She apologizes, of course, and there wasn't any harm done, but it really got me thinking. I need a body guard that isn't physically attached to me, to follow me around and to step in and take a bite for me if necessary.

What a bad dog Rocky is. Bad dog Rocky. Bad, bad dog Rocky. I am going to pee ALL OVER your yard tomorrow!

Well, if you know of anyone looking for a job, let me know.

Peace out,

Little Bit

Cancer story--1/24/05

Now, I'm a dog and dogs don't lie. I've had some bad days in the last month or so. Fighting of the evil that is Lymphoma is hard work. Die cancer. Die! Of course I wish I didn't have to go through all of this. It is not like I enjoy going to the Vet's office every week. Being hungry ALL OF THE TIME isn't any picnic either. Ohh, maybe I should have a picnic! Well, okay, maybe I'm always looking for a little something-something even without the prednisone. But still, chemotherapy is a drag. I wouldn't wish cancer on any dog.

All that said, I have had a few extra perks lately. It made me think that I could probably come up with a list. Sort of a "You know you are" list.

Here goes...

You know you are a spoiled dog if...
... your name is Lyle. (He, he, he. I couldn't resist!)
... you get to sleep on the bosses bed at night.
... you have a "dog closet" full of toys and treats.
... you have at least five water bowls spread around the house.
... you have at least three pillows, two dog beds, a kennel and a heating pad on top of a bed to choose between with you want to lay down.
...the boss man will sit on the floor because the dogs take up all of the room on the couch.
...you have a designated rawhide day. (Cow skin with the pig skin, baby!)
...you get a walk just about every day of your life.
...you can share Pop Tarts with the boss man or popsicles with the boss ma'am.
...the bosses plan their vacations to that you can come along.
...you get carried up and down the stairs.
...the bosses have over 1200 pictures of you stored on their computer.

All in all, I know that Lyle and I have it pretty good.

Have a barking good day!

Little Bit

Cancer story--1/22/05

So, here I am, lazing around in my office. I think to myself, Self, what you could use is a big ole rawhide. You know, one of the Big and Thick ones. Mmm, rawhide. Yep, you should see if you can talk the boss ma'am into getting you one. Then I remember the extra one and a half pounds that I'm carrying around these days. It makes me a little bummed out. I remember that the vet says that I shouldn't gain weight because it is bad for my joints. Well, at least Lyle won't get any either.

Of course, this brings me to remember that I have to worry about my long term joint health because the L-asparaginase shot that I received on Thursday has made my last bump go completely away. The boss ma'am can no longer feel ANY lymph nodes! That is VERY good news to me-and to you if you know and love the Bit. In case you were wondering, my oncology vet also said that I should increase my dose of vincristine to one and a half times the amount that I used to get. She said that it might make me a little less hungry. A dog contemplating a diet can only hope.

So, that brings me to think about what I lucky dog I am. Any how grateful that I am for everyone that has been keeping me in their thoughts and prayers. Thank you. Thank you very much (it is okay if you read that to yourself using an Elvis voice instead of my voice-as melodious as it is. I'll understand.).

So then I wonder, will anyone really care what is on my mind now that it looks like I might have a lot of time to record my memoirs? I am just a small dog after all. But then I remember, I am Little Bit. I am a most thoughtful dog, probably people will still want to know what is going on with me. So I'll probably still write. But maybe I should ask the boss for a raise. Mmmm, extra biscuits. I think I know just the thing to do with them.

Crunch, crunch, crunch. My diet can always start tomorrow...

Little Bit

Cancer story--1/16/05

Oh, what silly alpha dogs I have! I know they mean well and that they have my best interest in mind, but really.

Last night they decided to do a little "research." They thought if all else failed, they could maybe make me into a zombie. The watched Dawn of the Dead and Shaun of the Dead to pick up some tips. Well, let me tell you that I'm more than a little relieved that it turns out only people can be zombies. Us dogs are safe. As if I would ever consider being one of the undead... I mean really...

So today was my big trip to go meet the oncology vet. She was really nice and gave me and Lyle both a biscuit (yeah, we dragged him along too--didn't think we could trust him home alone all afternoon). And it wasn't one of those dry low fat ones either. Mmm, biscuits. Mmmmmm.

Back to the story, I was looking really pretty in my new collar. The boss ma'am painted it real nice. She said that I'm the sun, moon and stars and that my collar should reflect it. Right off the bat, the veterinary technician and the vet say how nice it looks. Treats and compliments are always good in my book. Well anyway, she checks me out. She says that I'm doing VERY WELL on my protocol. I have a real small bump left. The bigger bumps were my salivary glands! Nothing to worry about at all!!! Of course I need those! Anyway, she changed my protocol a little and said that if the small bump doesn't to away by Monday to give her a call back and she will start me on a new protocol.

I have to say, we had a little celebration of Arby's sandwiches (Mmmm) and fries (Mmmm) followed by Little Debbie cakes (Mmmm). It isn't a celebration without cake you know. Well, maybe the Arby's wasn't so much for celebration as for lunch. It was getting late and we were two hours from home. We got home a little late for dinner, but my supper was only fifteen minutes late so it was okay.

I'm a little tired now (she slipped me a mickey--what ever that means) so I think I'll cut this a little short.

Die cancer. Die! It seems to be working.

Peace, out.

Little Bit

Cancer story--1/16/05

I've had a lot of nicknames in my time. Some of them I like more than others. Some I just don't like at all. Most were given to me by my pack and are expressions of love, while others were spontaneously uttered in response to something I was doing at the time.

I think that perhaps all of my nicknames say a little something about me and who I am as a dog (or was--I wish I still was eating like I was in the good ole days when I was a twenty-eight pounder).

My bosses are starting to worry about me again. This is supposed to be my first week without any chemotherapy, but I still have a pair of small bumps (one on each side). They are going to talk to my doctor again tomorrow and see if maybe I should go to meet the veterinary oncologist in Cincinnati. I have to say that I'm feeling pretty good, but it seems like maybe I have a little less energy than normal. When I am up and doing things (like walking or begging for food), I am perfectly normal, but I have been taking maybe a few more naps than usual. I need to keep up my energy so that I can fight off the evil cells. Die cancer! Die!

Well, I'm off to nap in front of the fireplace (yeah, it is cold here again).

Little Bit