Health Update

Hey everypup,
Just wanted to give you a quick update on how I'm doing. Mummy was very touched that so many of you reacted to my being sick and sent her words of encouragement. The past few weeks have been tough as Mummy and Daddy have to come to terms with the fact that I might not be around for too long anymore. The vet can't really tell how long my liver will last, but so far the change in my diet seems to have stabilized things at least for a while. And hey, I get yummy rice, chicken and veggies now plus an extra vitamin formula - homemade food is the best. :) Anyways, I'm doing okay for the moment and my paws are better too (they tend to get all crusty and sore due to my liver not working properly anymore - sounds weird but that's what it is). I hope I'll be around a lot longer and that I can witness Mummy and Daddy's wedding in March and I also heard there might be a little human brother or sister in the future as well. Keep your paws crossed that I'll get to be there for all that fun! Power to the Paw!!! Smoochies, Chester

Update

Went to our own vet again yesterday (the ultrasound was done at the clinic) who said that it's probably cirrhosis rather than cancer. It's still really bad of course, but at least this will give me a bit more time. Since mommy and daddy changed my food I've been feeling so much better (mommy keeps claiming I jump around like a two-year-old puppy - Phew!), which makes the whole thing even more tragic. :S Nobody can really give us a prognosis yet, but if the new food and medicine help, I might be able to live for another year or so. That's still not super long, is it? :( I want to be there for mommy's and daddy's wedding (I'm supposed to be the ring bearer). :S

Bad news! :(

We went to the vet today to get my heart and belly checked on the ultrasound. As you know I have a bit of a heart condition which isn't doing too great. But the worst thing was the result of my liver ultrasound. My bloodtest already hadn't been good on this front but today the vet found out that I either have cancer of the liver or a really bad cirrosies ( spelling?). He said that both look the same and only a biopsy could tell for sure but that wouldn't really make a difference as my liver is already very very damaged. :( Mommy has been crying for hours already cause she doesn't want to lose me. She refused the biopsy as it would only clarify things but not change the treatment anyway and she didn't want me to suffer through such a nasty procedure. we'll go back in a few months to see how things look then. The doc said I have a very bad prognosis and it could be anything from a couple of weeks to two years. :(

Surgery :(((

Oh my dawg, Please all keep your paws crossed for me this Friday as I need to have surgery on my private parts. I've got a little tumour on my butt. The doctor says it's probably benign but it still needs to go. Ouch!!! Mommy is already very worried, especially since the doc told her that I also have a bit of a heart murmur. He again said that it's nothing to really worry about cause it's probably just because of my age but still... Mommy worries. And I'm scared because I hate the vet obviously. Hope Mommy and Daddy will give me the extra-special treatment when I'm back home Friday afternoon. :(

Off to the beach...

My oh my, we're definitely very decadent when it comes to vacations this year as we've been travelling a lot and will do some more, starting this weekend: Saturday we're leaving for Holland again so I get to play on the beach for ten days straight... well, maybe not straight but you get the gist. :) I'm really looking forward to it and I'm going to show mum and dad that I'm not "slowing down a wee bit". Can you believe that this is what my mum said the other day??? PAW, she has no idea!!!! 9 years or not, I'm gonna start my special Chester-goes-to-beach-rejuvenation theme and she's gonna be sooooo surprised. ;)

Hope everydog is doing well. I apologize for not being around so often anymore but I'm sure thinking about you guys a lot!!!!! Smoochies,
Chester

It is sweltering!

Oh my, it is dogging hot here in Germany (which, by the way, is no excuse that I haven't written here for an entire year - Yikes)! But the semester is coming to an end, and so a summer holiday is just around the corner. Mum and Dad will actually go on holiday twice this year: The first time they are going to Ibiza which is when I'll stay home with grandma and grandpa (it would be way too hot for me there and I wouldn't be allowed on the beach anyways during the season). The second time we'll all go to Holland again! Wohee!
Personally, I think that Mum and Dad are really decadent for going on holiday this often but, then, I won't really complain. And they do deserve it because both are finishing (or already have finished) their PhDs this year. I'm quite proud of the old ones! ;)

I'll be eight years tomorrow! :)

Hey everypup,
Wow, tomorrow is by barkday! Can you believe that I'll already be eight years old by this time tomorrow? Time really has flown! But never mind, as I'm still feeling like my old puppy self and hopefully will continue to feel that way for a looooooong time! :)

SNOW!!!!!!

OMD, you won't believe this! We got a good 20 centimeters of snow last night and it is sooooooo great AND it's supposed to STAY! I'm so pooped right now cause I got to jump around in the snow twice today while taking long walks with mom and granny. And I also met me bestest pal Buck! What fun! Mom says I'm actually quite silly as I still stick my nose all the way into the snow and then start sneezing (She says I should know not to do this as I'm already seven years old but hey, it's FUN, ain't it? So what does she know?).
The downside of all this white stuff is that I always get snowballs in my fur after a while which makes it hard to walk but when we get home, mom usually melts them away in the shower and I'm fine again. :)
Alright, I think I gotta go take a nap cause it was really tiring with my short legs and the snow even reaching over my belly. So goodnight, everydog, I'm off to bed! *starts snoring*

I can smell cookies!!!

OMD, mom is seriously already starting her Christmas baking. Holy dog! Well, it does smell nice and yummy here right now but somehow I get the feeling that these cookies aren't for me. :( Mom also said something about making baked apples with hot vanilla sauce on the weekend but again... not for me. That is sooo not fair!!!!

OMD, I'm so pooped right now!

Guys, I had a VERY busy day today and did some SERIOUS walking. The day started out somewhat lazy with mom letting me outside at six but then going back to bed until about nine. Then, she and daddy had breakfast (I got to "watch" - yeah, what fun...NOT) and it looked like we wouldn't do much today. But then, daddy went back to his place to get some work done and mommy said the two of us would go for a walk. Walk? Hell, no! I was close to a hike! Anyways, it was fun and I goofed around quite a bit and when we got back home I ate my lunch. Then, however, mommy decided to give me a bath (she said I was stinky but that shampoo is waaaayyy stinkier, if you ask me). As I had to dry my hair somehow (you guys know what I mean!) I ran around the apartment like crazy for a good 15 minutes after the bath and then took a little nap. But only for about an hour cause then mommy had to go see this woman whose MA thesis she's proof-reading so we walked all the way to her place, stayed there for an hour and walked all the way back..... I mean, these paws really are made for walking but that was a tiny bit too much for me today. Actually, I asked mom to type this as I'm currently chasing squirrels in my doggy dreams... at least that isn't too hard on my paws. ;)