Happy Birthday to Me!

Today is my birthday,
Today is my birthday!

I turned 15 today! We are having such fun celebrating! I got to have a special breakfast, a waffle. I love waffles! Of course, I have mine dry, while Mom gets to use syrup.

We are spending a fun day together and a little later we will make birthday treats.

Monday, Mom took me to Zona Rosa to see Santa. We waited a long time in line with a lot of other dogs and a bunch of kids. Everyone behaved so well while we waited. Some of the kids petted me while I lay on the floor, waiting for the line to move. I always enjoy a nice petting!

Happy Halloween!

I had fun again this year for Halloween. We gave out candy to the kids and had to close shop early because we ran out. I watched at the door for the kids. When Mom's friend Tracy came by with her kids, they came in to pose for a picture with me. When Dawson was petting me, he mentioned that he could feel my bones. Mom had to explain that I am old and sick. We had a fun night.

Dog Sitting

This past week, I have been dog-sitting my friends Chloe and Roxy. Every morning, my good, good friend Gale brings them over, and she comes with CHICKEN and Tiny T-Bones for me. I love it! She is so cool! Unfortunately, Gale has to work, and can't stay with us. But Chloe and Roxy spend the day, and then Gale comes to get them in the evening, after she gets off of work. I have enjoyed having my friends Roxy and Chloe over, but of course, I look forward to seeing Gale the most. The girls really look forward to her return too.

Chloe spent a lot of time in her usual spot - hiding behind the loveseat. Roxy learned to enjoy the swivel chair in front of the window. And I would often lie on the floor in front of the chair, near Rox. Sometimes, mom or Gale would pick up Chloe and put her in the chair with Roxy. Chloe would stay there until they either took her out to go outside or when Gale would return. She is certainly a scaredy-cat, considering that she is a dog.

Sometimes Roxy would hang out with me and Mom as we did things around the house or in the backyard. Chloe only went out to help in the backyard when Mom carried her out and told her that she needed ALL of our help out there. Chloe did like to take walks, but I think she was looking for an escape route. The girls came in cute clothes everyday. One day, Mom said she was embarassed to take us for a walk, because the girls were in frilly dresses that all the neighbors gushed over. One day, Gale brought me bows to wear to match the girls outfits, so that I could be part of the fashion gang.

I enjoyed having the girls here last week, and waited by the door for them today, but they never came - Mom says that Gale doesn't work on Saturdays.

I'm a Roxy Girl!

My shih-tzu friend Roxy has a special song that Gale sings to her about being "Roxy Girl." Well, I think that could be my theme song too. I have picked up a Roxy habit.

If you read Roxy's dogster entries, you will know that she prefers to drink water from the bathtub faucet and from water bottles. I am kind of joining her club! About a week-and-a-half ago, I had another "incident" and had to go to the emergency clinic. Once I got better enough to come home, I didn't eat or drink for a few days. My mom was very concerned and sad about this. So, she bought a syringe and started pumping a bit of water and chicken broth into my mouth. That little syringe sure was a lot of work and didn't hold much. So, then, she filled a water bottle and has been squirting water into her cupped hand for me to lap up. This is working much better, and I drink quite a lot. Mom doesn't like that I seem to be dependent on her to get water...what if she isn't around? But, she is pleased that we are working out a system and that I can let her know when I am thirsty. It is nice to have fresh-streaming water, and to have Mom cater to me the way that she did when I was a puppy. I am not sure that I will let her know if I get better.

Oh, and in case you are wondering, I am eating some foods now. I have no interest in the treats that I loved just two weeks ago, but thanks to "Treat Bag" Gale, I am eating again. She brought Roxy and Chloe over for a visit and brought Sonic burgers for all of us. We doggies were supposed to share one burger, but I snarfed down most of it myself. I did let Chloe have 1 bite. Hey, I hadn't eaten for days - I needed the nourishment. So, now, mom is feeding me the good stuff...I have had burgers and chicken ever since the Sonic burger. Thanks, Gale!

Now you see it, Now you don't...or vice versa...

I think that I am pretty sneaky.

The last couple of times that Mom has started to give me my pills, she has found a pill on the floor from the last time. Then, she picks it up and says that I still have to take it, and gives it to me again instead of a fresh, new one. She checks the floor and my mouth at the end of our pill sessions, and she thinks that I have swallowed them all. But, I am too sneaky for that...hours later, she will find one on the floor.

Tonight, when she found one of the yucky capsules on the floor, she held it out and said "Is this your pill, Daisy? Is this yours?" I indulged her and went over to sniff it (feigning interest) and quickly shook my head "no." She laughed at me, because I have never shook my head in denial before. She thought that I looked like a little kid. So, she asked me again "Is this your pill, Daisy?" Again, I vehemently shook my head. I don't know what she expects with the double interrogation, but I was not cracking!

Mom thinks we should have a video of our new act of her asking and me responding. She thought it was funny.

Back to the Vet!

I am becoming a regular at my veternarian's office. It had been 6 weeks since I had "the incident" and Mom rushed me to the vet where they drained fluid from my stomach and treated my heart and made me feel so much better. Well, last week, my tummy was getting filled up again and Mom took me back in to get more drained. Actually, I went twice! Monday night, she couldn't sleep until she got up at 3:00 am and took me to the emergency clinic. It wasn't really an emergency - I was feeling ok, but she wasn't sleeping worrying that I wouldn't be able to wait until Wednesday (my vet is off on Tuesdays). So, at 3:00 a.m. she packed me in the car and away we went. The emergency clinic had a funny little dog with a full leg green cast that came to greet us and kept hobbling around to see what was going on. He got around good with that cast - he was so small that it probably weighed as much as he does!

Anyway, the emergency clinic vet had the philosophy that you should only drain 1/2 of the fluid, so that is what he did. He still took 750 ml. So, Thursday, we kept my appointment with my regular vet to let him see how I was doing, and he thought that we should drain more. He said that he drained more than 2 liters! I felt better, but not as miraculously better as I did after "the incident" in June.

So, that brings us to this week...this morning I started getting sick again. I was vomitting and shaking and couldn't get up. It was like "the incident" in June, but not nearly as severe. So, Mom got me into the vet and I had to see a different vet today. My regular one was off. Anyway, the new vet thought that they should drain more fluid from my stomach and up my lasix dosage. So, they drained another liter (I think) from my tummy. Mom is going to call and check with Dr. Entriken tomorrow to see if he agrees about upping the lasix. I feel much better this evening!

I did get a free bath out of the deal at the vet's. They had to clean up my messes!

I still got it

Mom keeps worrying about me and my age and my heart condition, but I keep-a-goin'. The last few days I have surprised her with my agility for a frail, senior gal. Yesterday, I beat her down the stairs. That used to be routine, but the last 6 months or so, I have had to take the steps slower. I am not sure that it is much to brag about though, because Mom has slowed down too (and she is not even a senior)!

Also, three times in the last week, I have gotten up on the rec room sofa. Again, I used to do this all the time - Mom would sit on her side, and I would lay on my side. But, for quite some time, I haven't been able to jump up on things. Sometimes, Mom would help me up or lift me up. The first time I did this recently, I surprised her, because she came downstairs and I was already laying on the chair. The next time, a day or two later, she saw me climb up. Okay, I admit, I can't jump up anymore, but I climbed with no problems. Tonight when she came back into the rec room, I was up on the sofa shredding a paper napkin. I so enjoy shredding tissue!

Then, tonight while I was supervising Mom's mowing, I tracked my arch-rival Morris the Cat. (Ok, I confess, I have no arch-rival - I am far too friendly for that, but I like to let Morris think so for sport.) Anyway, I stopped and pointed as I could smell him behind the bush. Then, I slooowwly inched my way around the bush to him and he took off around the other side of the bush. But I outsmarted him by looping back around. I would have had him had I not been on a leash...I am just sure I would have. He'd better watch his back!

It's my 1/2 Birthday!

Today I celebrate my 14-1/2 birthday. To tell you the truth, Mom wasn't so sure that I would make it this far, but I continue to knock down milestones. It is too hot here to celebrate much. We would like to take a nice walk, but with 110-degree heat index, I am enjoying the air conditioning instead.

A couple of weeks ago, Miss Sandra and her husband Butch came to spend the weekend with us. I really enjoyed that. I always like company, especially nice folks like them. Mom was impressed with how I stayed up late helping her clean the house before they came, and then stayed up again the next night waiting for them to get here. They didn't get here until 2 a.m.! Things have slowed down since they left, and so I rest a lot more. Mom was worried that all the commotion would wear me out, but now she thinks that it was good for me. She has a theory that when I am less active, the fluid builds up faster in my stomach.

I am feeling pretty good overall though. I don't cough as much, nor do I have as many leaking accidents as I have had awhile back. Maybe we can have friends over again soon. That is fun!

Scary Times

Yesterday, I made an emergency visit to the doctor. My stomach has been filling with fluids and it looked like I had a balloon in my tummy. It was so big that I struggled to get up, I would just roll back. Then, I started shaking and threw up so my mom took me in to the doctor. He looked very concerned.

They made me stay for several hours as they drained the fluid and then monitored me. When they called my mom to come get me, they said that I was doing much better. And I was! As the doctor said "I was half the dog I used to be...when Mom came to get me, she said that I now look anorexic! I am just all bones. But I was feeling better and wagging my tail and greeting the other dogs in the waiting room. Mom had be get on the scale, and I am down to 26.6 pounds.

When we got home, I was feeling good enough to go on an evening walk. I was back to following Mom around the house. That makes her feel good that I want to be with her. She tried to limit me on the stair climbing, but sometimes she didn't catch me in time.

I am feeling better, but we don't know how long it will take for fluid to build up in me again.

It's my Gotcha Day!

Today is my Gotcha Day. 14 years ago today, my mom and Aunt Jan came to get me. We are very thankful for the 14 years that Mom and I have had together. She says that I am a best and most loyal friend. We had Miss Gale come by in a fancy new car to take our anniversary picture. I didn't really feel like posing, but I sure enjoyed seeing my friend Miss Gale. She spoils me, as any diva should be.

Last weekend, we dogsat Matty AND Duke. We had a houseful! I liked having them, but I have sure enjoyed catching up on my rest after they left.