We're moving! We're moving! We're moving! & illness- news...

Mommy signed her lease today and we will be working to move her into her new condo this week. It's a nice end-unit two bedroom with a deck and huge large common area back yard. We even have a basement too! Unfortunately, it's all hardwood floors, but Mommy is going with her mommy to clean the place, move some small items, and potentially purchase large rugs. Mommy will also need to purchase more baby gates for the new place.

Also, I had been ill since Mother's Day. I am better now though Mommy is still being cautious and I'm still taking medicine. It was an interesting awakening on Mother's Day for Mommy. I had diarrhea then vomited once then continued to have diarrhea. Mommy was supposed to go with Grandmom on a trip the day after Mother's Day, but the morning of their scheduled departure, my diarrhea was black. This is called melena which is evidence of digested blood meaning I was bleeding from my upper gastrointestinal tract. My gums looked a little pale to Mommy so she and her Mommy cancelled/delayed the trip so that I could go to the veterinarian. It's funny that Mommy is a veterinarian and has to take me to a veterinarian, but she doesn't work at a veterinary clinic or hospital and doesn't have the equipment or an entire pharmacy to dispense me medication. She took me to the original vet that she worked at. She loves everyone there! They took x-rays to make sure there wasn't any evidence of something obstructing my GI system, ran a little bloodwork to make sure I wasn't dehydrated and didn't lose too much blood, did a physical exam, and put me on special & exceptionally yummy canned food and medication. My black diarrhea stopped a couple days later and I seemed slightly less peppy but I was doing fine. Mommy and Grandmom took an abbreviated trip and visited Grand Haven and Holland while oldest auntie took care of me. I have been doing pretty good since then and have enjoyed eating wet food. Mommy started adding in my regular, dry food today and hope that I can be on my normal food in about a week if everything goes well.

On another note, Mommy's friend's doggy had a seizure on Sunday. This was the first seizure that anyone had witnessed and Mommy's friend's dog is the right age for them to show up if it is idiopathic epilepsy. He's four years old and if a dog has epilepsy, it's likely to start up with a dog is between ~1-5 years of age. Since his seizure was short and none have occurred since Sunday, Mommy's friend is just going to monitor his dog and keep track of any further seizures. If there are many seizures or if any seizures last longer than ~5 minutes, Mommy's friend's dog will have to get to the vet and get medication. We hope everything will be okay and that perhaps he may not have any further seizures. If he does need medications to help reduce and control the seizures, it will be okay too, but we hope it doesn't come to that.

Well, Mommy is excited to be moving into our new place so I better wrap this entry up. Hope everyone is staying cool if it's hot out there like it is in Michigan!

Graduation!!!!!!!!

Mommy's graduating this Friday and then we'll be moving after she takes a few trips. First, she'll be going to Mackinac Island to have fun with her colleagues to celebrate and say good bye since everyone is moving all over the country for whatever lies beyond school. She is also taking me to the school for my annual visit and booster vaccinations, heartworm test, and maybe so she can look at my eyes. She has been learning a lot on her last clinical rotation, ophthalmology. Doggy and kitty eyes are no longer just round organs for vision anymore to her and she enjoys examining the different parts of the eyes. I hope she doesn't really look too much at my eyes since she uses equipment that shines bright lights. Anyways, I hope my visit goes well. Also in May, two of Mommy's friends will be getting married, then Mommy will be going to Chicago with her Mommy, and then she'll be going to California to help her friend move there. When she gets back, she and her sisters are going to have a spa day, and eventually, she and I will spend wonderful quality time together. She's still trying to find our home for the next three years, but she thinks she has almost decided on where we will end up.

Good news!

First of all, Happy New Year and bah to superstitions. Mommy received good news today which made her happy on this Friday the 13th. After graduation from veterinary school, she's going to start a residency. Her top choice offered her the position so we can start making plans for the future. It's a three year program so Mommy will continue to be busy, but she's excited. I'm happy when Mommy's happy. Also, she found out yesterday that she passed her licensing board exam which means that there is only a few months until she becomes a doctor once she graduates.

In other news, Mommy bought me a new bed that is like a cave. Of course I prefer cuddling up to Mommy or being cozy on Mommy's bed, but it's neat. Also, I love the dental chews that Mommy bought me for my birthday. I can't have them every day because they make my poop too soft, but I enjoy them a 2 or 3 times a week. Check out the chews at tartarshield.com. Delicious and good for my teeth!!!

Mommy being sick = More cuddle time :)

It's nearly Christmas and Mommy has been home a lot lately because she's sick. She spends a lot of time sleeping and keeps a warmer on her tummy which I cozy up next to, but she also spends a lot of time in the bathroom. :( She either has some kind of viral infection (i.e., stomach flu) or possibly cryptosporidiosis which is an infection with a protozoal parasite that you can get from infected animals. She might go to the doctor tomorrow because it's nearly been a week since she's gotten sick, though she did improve over the first 4-5 days. Unfortunately, it's gotten worse today. She was possibly going to take me to Atlanta after Christmas so we could see our friends there, but she's going to probably stay in Michigan to make up the work for her current clinical rotation since she's missed so much. We're wishing everyone and every animal a healthy, happy holiday.

Tomorrow, I'll have been on this planet for a decade!!!

WooHoo! It's my birthday tomorrow!!! I'll be 10 years old, but I don't feel like my age. I have lots of energy and still like to play. It's unfortunate because Mommy has been mind-bogglingly busy these past three weeks. She's been at her school working with horses. She's usually gone for 12-20 hours each day and when she comes home, she really only has time to check e-mail and goes to sleep only to wake up and do it all over again. Her roommates have been taking care of me so I'm doing all right. I just miss my Mommy. She bought me dental treats for my birthday which she thinks arrived, but she needs to go to the post office to pick up the package. Unfortunately, she won't be able to head over there until possibly Saturday. Anyways, I'm just a content doggy who will be a wise age of ten. Happy birthday to me!!! :)

Summer adventures!

Well, Mommy's been having adventures. I've been at home waiting for her to come back. Her roommate then her friend have been taking care of me while she was gone. She went to the jolly old country of England for a clinical rotation to observe work with research animals. She learned a lot of stuff including about how animal welfare restrictions are stricter in that country. Animals get a better deal in the UK. The US could learn a lot from the UK. Anyways, I get to see Mommy in a couple days when she returns. Oh yes, she got to travel around Ireland prior to starting up her rotation in England too. She loves that country - so green and pretty. England is okay too she says. She visited London a few times too and there is no shortage of things for people to do there. There are also some great parks there, and Mommy would really miss me when she'd see them and wish that I was with her so I could frolick in the green space.

So... I'm sure Mommy will be happy to see me and I'll be incredibly happy to see her too. She promises me that I'll get lots of walks (and not just down the street) since she's been walking a lot while she was in Europe. I love walks and Mommy's friend has been taking me on walks, but it's been nearly oppressively hot in Michigan (unlike Europe). Well, I'm hoping everyone is having a great summer (or winter if you're in the southern hemisphere)!!!

We've moved!

Mommy and I moved last month. We are renting a house from a colleague of hers who graduated and moved for a job in May. We love the house and it's great because I am the only animal here. There is a deck, nice yard, basement, and Mommy's room is twice the size of her old room. I still don't like hanging out in her room because I spend most of the day there while Mommy is at her clinical rotations for school. She is currently helping dogs and cats as they come into her school's veterinary teaching hospital for emergency and critical care. The hours are long, but Mommy usually comes home happy and is beginning to feel like she'll be able to be a competent veterinarian one day. Mommy's roommate had people over on Saturday and while Mommy was gone, her roommate took me to go potty and I was very amiable to the house guests. When Mommy returned and I saw the guests again, I was more wary. I definitely like to protect my mommy. That's for sure. Well, we're battling mosquitoes in the Michigan spring-summer weather, and Mommy's going to finally get my booster for my leptospirosis vaccination. This infectious bacterial disease is transmissible in animal urine and can be transferred to humans as well. They used to make a vaccination that caused quite a few vaccine reactions, but there are better vaccinations available now and Mommy felt it was safe for me to be vaccinated against this bacteria. I'm sure I'll still receive benedryl before I receive the vaccine to help reduce the risk of a vaccine reaction. With the initial vaccine, I received the premedication with benedryl before the vaccination and after I got home, I became very playful. Mommy was expecting me to be tired because of the vaccine, but it seems that the benedryl caused excitement which surpassed any tiredness I might have had due to the vaccine. It was fun running around like a little puppy again. And it was even greater because I have full run of the house and can pull my toys from Mommy's bedroom into the living room so I can play to my heart's content. Everyone has been remarking at how much happier of a doggy I am at the new place, and they are right. Mommy loves her new place and so do I.

Hoppy Easter / Happy Sunday!

Mommy and I are hanging out together on this fine Easter Sunday. Lately, Mommy has been busy with clinical rotations and working on animals at school. She has a vacation coming up this summer and will be going to England for a rotation after her vacation so I will probably be spending time with grandmom and granddad this summer. I hope they will take me for nice walks so I get to enjoy the Michigan summer. A few weekends ago the weather was really nice and we went walking all around the neighborhood. It was a great day! The weather has continued to be pretty cold except for yesterday which Mommy spent with her sisters and family without me to celebrate auntie's birthday. It was windy so they flew a kite. She really only left me home for logistical reasons because of events before and after the celebration. It was probably a good thing because it was muddy outside, and I wouldn't have liked a bath too much. Not too many updates to make here except that before Valentine's Day, auntie got engaged. We're all so happy for her! Hope everyone is doing well.

R.I.P. Pumpkin

Older auntie's cat Pumpkin's time on Earth ended today. Although I'm indifferent towards cats, she was definitely a good cat. Mommy is very sad but knew that this would happen eventually. She doesn't even want to think of when this day will come for me, but I told her not to worry. I'm just warming Mommy's lap, making her smile, and keeping her company like a good doggy.

Happy holidays!

I had a wonderful day yesterday. The entire family was gathered, I got a holiday cookie, and it was all love and cuddles. Mommy's nephew was going to bed, and when he was asked if he wanted to give hugs and kisses good night, he walked over to me, hugged and kissed me then walked over to his parents to take him up to get ready for bed. Mommy, auntie, and everyone else thought it was adorable that he preferred to hug and kiss me good night and nobody else. It was especially heartwarming and made this little doggy feel incredibly special! Hope everyone is having a safe, happy, and loving holiday!