Gratitude Friday

1. Sam is getting better. I’m almost afraid to outwardly celebrate, but inside I am all “praise Jesus!” I don’t even know how to communicate accurately what a big deal this is. I lost my first two dogs to cancer in the past four years. Two of those years I spent knowingly caring for a terminally ill dog. So when Sam started to get sick and no one could figure out why, I feared the worst. We took him to doctors and specialists for a year and no one could give us any answers. They were all stumped.

We started having conversations about how bad it would have to get before we’d let him go. Last week, we had an MRI scheduled to see if he had a brain tumor. He’d gotten to the point that he’d go an entire block at the beginning of our walk shaking his head, his back leg scratching at the air. We couldn’t hardly ever let him play with Ringo because that would trigger the same. He was so uncomfortable, and it was difficult to watch.

Finally, we took another approach, looked again at the possibility of a skin issue. Our vet found an overgrowth of yeast on his lips where he’s lost the pigment, using a testing method we hadn’t tried before, and we decided to take a chance, cancel the MRI and treat it for two weeks with antifungal cream. And it’s working! He hasn’t air scratched for at least four days. We can put on the medicine, really rub it into his lips, and it doesn’t bother him. He an Ringo roll around in the back yard playing, knocking teeth against teeth, biting each other all over, and nothing.

We plan to take him to see a Dermatologist at CSU’s Vet Hospital, to follow up and make sure that there aren’t things we could do, supplements and such, to ensure this won’t happen again. I am so so so grateful he’s better.

2. Daycare and training for Ringo. I’ve said it before, this boy is challenging. I am working harder than I ever have with a puppy, knowing it will all totally be worth it. We took him to his first day of doggie daycare Monday and even though he was a little scared and barking too much, he got invited back, called adorable and sweet, and he’s doing really well with training, which is most likely more about teaching us than him.

3. The noise of birds in the morning, a sure sign that spring is here.

4. The sound of the grade school playground at recess. We live just down the street from an elementary school and I love how at certain times of the day, if we are in the backyard, we can hear the play, the screaming and yelling.

5. Grapefruit juice. I’m obsessed with it right now. And lest you think I’m getting all healthy or something, I’m also obsessed with two bite brownies made with Belgian chocolate from Whole Foods.

Bonus joy: Walking together, all four of us.

It’s all about the sticks when you are a puppy

1. Sick days. Eric had a bad cold last week and I thought I was going to luck out and skip it, but no. I was out sick most of the week, still don’t feel 100%. I am so grateful I’m given sick days, can use them when I need to, can stay home in my pjs and get paid for it.

2. Spring weather. I know I’m repeating myself, but I have a deep down need right now for dryness, warmth, and blue skies.

Sam likes it too, was out rolling in the grass this morning.

3. Sweet Sam. There was a big shift this week. We cancelled the MRI and visited our regular vet instead (all the while consulting with the neurologist, who is amazing, assured us she’d do the same if it were her dog). We are revisiting the idea that Sam’s issue is with the skin/tissue of his lower lip, rather than a nerve issue caused by an injury or even tumor like we were thinking. We are starting off treating it as if it were a fungal issue, and if that doesn’t work, we’ll consult with Dermatology at the CSU Vet Hospital and keep trying, keep looking.

The closer the MRI got, the more we realized the actual center of Sam’s discomfort was his lower lip, both sides, an area that in the past few years has lost its pigment, turned from black to pink, and sometimes looks inflamed and is very tender to the touch. I am so thankful that whatever this is hasn’t interfered with his ability to eat and the discomfort, while it can make his back leg thump and head shake and cause the occasional whimper, hasn’t led to him actually scratching his face or hurting himself in any other way.

We are applying a topical treatment right now and I don’t want to get my hopes up, but he seems the slightest bit more comfortable already. You have no idea, kind and gentle reader, how wonderful it would be if we could help him feel better, if he could return to the full and healthy life of a four year old dog who has a puppy he can play with whenever and however much he wants. This has been a mystery for at least the past year, and he shouldn’t have to keep suffering, won’t if I can do anything about it.

4. Ringo. He is challenging me, forcing me to get so smart and work so hard, but if this little dude grows up to be as good as he is cute, it will all be worth it.