I poked antibiotics, cough suppressants and a sedative tablet down her throat and we loaded her in the car. She was so lifeless, and by the time we arrived home so drunk from the sedative, that assessing her personality was difficult. But even by last night, as sedated as she still was, it was clear she is one sweetheart of a dog. She won’t eat this morning and I will be drawing blood and working her up shortly, but if she is at all able to be treated, we will. Right now she’s hanging out in the barn with the horses, to avoid infecting the healthy dogs and... more

My whole household had a lousy night’s sleep last night, thanks to the chorus of wails emanating from the kitchen. One of our two new babies missed her brother.

Yesterday my husband took a day off work and we headed east into Missouri to check out this Rott/Swiss Mountain dog puppy. We met this delightful lady who essentially rescues animal on a private basis. We had exchanged emails and she knew about my work with kids because of my email signature. She said she didn’t know how I did that… Her grandson had given her a run for... more

The plot thickens here as to who will be the next canine member of our family. I have had a rough day today, thinking a lot about Lexie. I have spent a great deal of time researching available Rotties through Petfinder.com. I am committed to getting a shelter dog... it fits in with my whole philosophy of taking in kids and critters who need homes. My husband says I have a compulsion to add a dependent every year, so he “scratches my itch” with animals who require commitments of a decade or two instead of forever. He doesn’t... more

Last night I picked Beth and the neighbor kids up from school after my neighbor took a header off of one of their horses. (Not a pretty sight, with her face scratched, her whiplash and lower back injuries, and her leg bruised from branches.) Beth informed me bad things come in threes… with the first being this same neighbor’s cat being mauled by a dog, and then our loss of Lexie, and then getting dumped from a recalcitrant horse. My neighbor is always there for me, and it was she who helped me bring Lexie home from the emergency... more

I wouldn’t have given you a nickel for this morning. I couldn’t function without bursting into tears. I didn’t have to step over a 75 pound dog when I awoke, and oh, how I missed her. I only had three dogs to let outside. Feeding time was very difficult. Fewer pills to dispense for old dogs, fewer drooling and attentive faces watching me prepare the food, fewer bowls to fill.

Walking with half my usual team—two dogs on a coupler—will take some getting used to. I can’t tell you the number of miles those two old dogs have walked with me. I participated... more

This day is finally over, and it is one that has been exceedingly difficult. After watching my beloved dog deteriorate rapidly before my eyes, I made the horrible but necessary decision to end her suffering. In spite of significant supportive care, she continued to vomit, exhibited “abdominal breathing” which is indicative of pain, and refused to move. When we did get her outside, she could barely stand up. I had to make sure there were no treatment options that I hadn’t explored, but even as I was researching and making phone calls, I could see... more

It is mid-afternoon now, and I am back from the Emergency Vet clinic. My friend Lisa drove me there to bring Lexie home. Lexie is on a blanket in my kitchen, fading fast. I have cried for two days, and Beth grasped the gravity of the situation when she saw Lexie’s condition this afternoon. My energetic and enthusiastic Rottie is barely able to walk, still has vomiting and diarrhea in spite of nothing orally for days, and looks very miserable. I have an IV drip going on her, and antibiotics and anti-emetics (to stop vomiting) to... more

It’s early Sunday morning after a very late Saturday night… I am waiting on a call from the ER vet who is ultrasounding my Rottie this morning. I took Lexie to the ER last night at midnight, after returning home from a movie to find her in very poor shape. She won’t eat or drink and can’t keep down what I fed her orally with a syringe. Since I can’t sleep until I hear what the vet is finding, I might as well write my blog.

My dogs mean the world to me. They fill my tank consistently when the people in my life are not as predictable.... more

As I alluded to previously, I cut my vacation a little bit short. I will return home late tonight. Beth can hardly contain herself. In my husband’s words, she will be “ecstatic!” After a week of being ill and running a fever, she finally returned to school today. Last week we learned that half her class was absent one day! Yikes!

Beth was happy to tell me on the phone last night that Amy had a “surprise” for me. Beth was more than happy to blow the surprise. Apparently I have some Valentine’s presents awaiting... more

When I first spied Sammy, I thought he was a retired “pasture ornament” and not one of Ken’s riding horses. I was wrong. Sammy has been at the B and B for about 8 years. He’s thin, like most really old horses, but he was more than energetic enough to take to the trails. He led the group of three horses most of the time. Ken said the only problem with Sammy was that Sammy didn’t find Ken (and vice versa) sooner in Sammy’s life. Sammy has a scarred nose, probably from a halter being left on too long or being too small. Sammy reminded me... more