Merry Christmas

From my four legged friends and myself, Merry Christmas  everyone.  I hope the New Year is kind to all of you.  If I could have my Christmas wish it would be for world peace and that humanity realize that we are all on this spaceship together and animals deserve consideration and a happy life as well as mankind. 

Daisy

I finally got hold of my vet today.  Yes, Daisy is going back on meds.  Seems she will need to be on them on and off until, hopefully, the allergy shots do their job.  If this does not work with the allergy shots, then she will have to live on steroids and that will significantly shorten her life.  I really hope these shots work. 

She has crusty patches on her nose and her nostrils are swollen and some bleeding.  She also has large crusty patches on her back.  I will be bathing her in a medicated shampoo and giving her Benadryl along with the antibiotics.  And the allergy shot every 14 days. I have my fingers crossed. 

I will be taking Sally in after the 1st of the year to have her evaluated.  My vet seems to think that maybe she has developed diabetes.  As much as that hurts, I keep reminding myself that she is 15 and has had a really good life. 

Some sad news.

I made the discovery last week that my Sally, my part Siamese, is now blind.  She had been getting needy and following me around.  When I would sit down in the living room, she had to be in my lap.  This was unusual because usually she came for petting, then took off to get into something.  Then I noticed she was bumping into things.  It has gotten really bad for her this last week.  I open the door to the sunroom and she puts out a paw and feels for the door jam before moving.

I am making sure that I do not move any furniture.  Nothing is left in the floor that might impede her.  She seems healthy otherwise.  I will take her to visit the vet to make sure.  But she will be fine.  We will watch over her.  She is almost 15.  And I love her dearly.

Busy times

The last couple of weeks have been really busy.  I went to DC for Thanksgiving.  I saw Kenny, Joseph, and Bella.  A friend of my daughter-in-law came over with her Rottie-Pit mix.  That dog had no training and she just came in and let him loose.  My daughter, son and his in-laws spent most of the day trying to corral the dog.  She would speak to him in a sing-song voice as "Monty, please don't do that."  I really feel sorry for the dog because he will either hurt someone or get away and get run over.  We all tried to tell her that he needs training and lots and lots of exercise.  It was like talking to a brick wall.  Some humans just should not have animals and this woman should not. 

On a lighter note, my guys were delighted that my son was their caretaker while I was gone.  My instructions were not clear and he was feeding Jock and Duncan 1/2 cup wet food, which is what they get twice a day.  But he was adding 1/2 dry food with it.  I wondered why Jock was sprawled on the couch and did not even get up to greet me.  He was so full.  I will have to take a couple of pounds off him and at least a pound off Duncan.  He got it right with Missy and Daisy. And it was good to get home. 

More critters

This is my 16 year old foundling.  This is Missy on my grandson's bed.  My daughter picked her up when she was 11 months old.  She was flea ridden, filthy, and undernourished.  She has been with me ever since.  She is almost blind and can't hear very well, but she can find her way to this bed and to the couch and she, Duncan, and Jock are always on the couch.  When I leave the house, I put the three of them in this bedroom so Daisy can have her time on the couch.  She loves it.  I really need to get a new couch.  And when I do, it will be leather.  Leather seems to stand up to the critters better. She sure looks comfy on that pillow. 

Updates

I have been really busy the last few days.  I finally got a good talk with Michelle at the vet's office.  Wow!  Daisy is allergic to almost everything.  Let's see
Wool
Pork
Soy
Eggs
Cats
Milk
Lamb
Rice
Fleas
Humans
Dust
Mold
Mildew
And almost every weed and grass growing in Texas.

I have started on the second vial of antigen which is stronger than the beginning vial.  We are working up to every 10 days instead of every other day for the shots.  We will eventually work up to once a month.  I sure hope this works.  Daisy has been miserable.  I started her on Iams limited ingredients food.  So far she seems to tolerate it ok.  I figured I might as well put the other three on it as well.  I sure have my fingers crossed.  I am also giving her Benadryl twice a day and washing her blankets every day.  I do see a small improvement.  And it has turned cold so maybe that will help. 

Shots

I can't tell any difference with Daisy.  I sure hope this works.  She finished the steroids and today she was having trouble breathing.  I gave her another shot today.  I got brave and gave it myself.  On Friday, we go to the stronger vial.  That one I may cave on and let David give it to her.  I so hate giving her those shots.  She never complains.  She just sits with her head down.  She has learned that after the shot, she gets a carrot.  She takes it to her bed and holds it upright between her paws to eat it. She is very territorial about her bed now.  I left Missy in with her yesterday and when Missy tried to get on her bed, she really growled at Missy.  I went over the pet gate in record time to intervene.  I very quickly moved Missy to the front of the house.  It sounds like I leave Daisy off to herself.  That is not the case at all.  Daisy has the run of the dining room, my office, and the kitchen.  Her bed is a queen size quilt folded up and I swap it out every other day with a queen size blanket.  Her bedding is washed every other day.  It used to be once or twice a week.  Not any more.  And I wash them in hot water with a vinegar rinse.  I have delt with allergies before.  The vinegar helps sterilize the bedding.  Of course, I also do the other's blankets.  I spend a lot of time keeping house for my friends and I love them.  Life would not be nearly as much fun nor as relaxed without them. 

Allergies

So I have given Daisy about 10 shots.  Not doing a lot of good, but David said it would take around 4 months before I would see a real improvement.  I had to go back to steroids.  She just finished them.  Her nose was bleeding badly.  I would find blood all over the cabinets and floor.  The steroids did not stop the bleeding completely, but they did help.  I'll go back to Benadryl again until I can do steroids again.  Hopefully, that will only be one more time.  She is so sweet.  She knows when I am getting the shot ready.  She will come and stand patiently beside me with her head down.  She jumps and tenses when I put the needle in.  Then she demands a carrot.  She knows she will get a whole carrot for a treat for being so good.  I have been putting Jock and Duncan in the sewing room when I go to work and I give Daisy and Missy the run of the house.  So far, they have been really good.  Daisy loves the couch.  She looks so sweet curled up on the couch.  

Duncan has learned to be secure enough in his home that he sleep soundly now.  For the first time, I heard him dreaming.  He has never slept that soundly before.  It has been an uphill battle to get him to fully trust me, but now he does.  The second half of his life will be wonderful. 

Trials of older animals

So yesterday I had to drive to my vet who is 20 miles away.  Why, you ask, do I need a vet 20 miles away.  For two reasons.  1) His clinic has a vet on call 24/7.  If I use a vet here and I have an emergency, I have to go to the vet school and it is about three times what my vet charges.  2)I like my vets.  I have known them for over 30 years.  They are like family.  Whenever one of mine have to leave this world, they cry with me, they mourn with me.  Everyone including the women who work the desk. 

Anyway, this morning Duncan was scratching his blanket into just the right spot and he lay down.  As soon as he lay down, he screamed.  Then he ran to the other bed they have in this room.  He crawled into that bed and cried horrible cries.  I picked him up and cuddled him until he stopped.  He stopped crying, but I could tell he was hurting somewhere.  I went over his body feeling for broken bones, stiff joints, anything.  I found nothing.  So I called my vet.  Yes, bring him in today at 4pm.  So I was there at 3:30.  They got me in right away.  David examined Duncan and could find nothing that would have caused hm pain.  So then he went to the ears.  Yep.  That was the problem.  Duncan has a severe inner ear infection in his right ear.  David put some drops in his ears, then he gave him a shot.  And he cried and cried over the shot.  David gave me more ear drops and a 5 day supply of clavamox.  Duncan is already feeling better. 

And when I got back, Jock was jealous.  He thought Duncan was getting attention he was not getting.  So instead of sewing tonight, I had to sit on the couch and hold Jock.  They each have their own personality.  And I love each of them very much. 

Daisy again

Last night Daisy was having trouble breathing.  It was so much worse this morning.  I gave her Benadryl, hoping it would help.  It did not.  So I set about the daily cleaning necessary for someone with allergies.  I washed her blankets, dusted the room she sleeps in, wiped down the walls with vinegar.  And I call the vet.  I told him what was happening.  He told me to come and get some steroids.  I set off this afternoon to get those steroids and got hung up in an accident on the highway.  It took me an hour and 45 minutes to make a 45minute trip.  But it was for Daisy.  I gave her her first steroid tonight and she is already doing much better.  She is able to sleep.  She did not move when I took Duncan and Jock outside.

So on a daily basis, I dustmop the floors with a dustmop treated with endust.  I change out the blankets the dogs use and wash them in hot water.  I dust everything.  I know the drill.  And once a week I wipe down the walls with vinegar.  Once a week, I pull out all the heavy furniture and clean and dust behind it.  Once a week, I pull the refrigerator out and use canned air on the coils, wipe it down with vinegar.  I do this with Daisy outside because of any dust that has accumulated on the coils.  I do have a clean house.  I hate housework.  But she is worth it.  I do love her. 

Still on .2ml

Another shot tonight.  We are still at .2ml and I think I see some improvement.  Maybe it is just wistful thinking on my part, but I am not seeing as much blood.  Until we started these shots and up until about last Friday, I was cleaning blood smears off my white cabinets several times a day.  That has not happened probably since Saturday.  So, I have my fingers crossed.  And the things she is allergic to are things that I cannot completely control.  About the only thing she is not allergic to is the other dogs.  She is even allergic to dandelions.  Go figure.  But I will do whatever it takes to help her with this.  Sometimes she drives me nuts, but I do love her. 

Up to .2ml

I gave Daisy her shot this morning.  We are up to .2ml now.  I don't see as much blood from her nose as I did.  I would find blood smears all over the cabinets and quite a bit of blood on her blankets.  That seems to be slowing down.  And she definitely feels better.  So, I hope these allergy shots work.  She deserves to be well.  She had a really rough  start in life.  All my friends did.  I will see to it that they have a great finish.  Love them so much. 

The ongoing saga of Daisy

Got the meds in for Daisy and started her shots on Monday.  The vet gave her her first shot.  I gave her one on Wednesday and yesterday, Friday.  She is getting .1ml every other day.  On Sunday, I up it to .2ml every other day.  When it gets up to about .5, I will be taking her to the vet to get her shots.  I have seen a reaction to allergy shots and I am afraid I would fail her and lose her.  Anyway, they seem to be helping.  According to the vet, it will take 4-5 months to really see and improvement and she will have to take them for at least a year.  My experience with allergy shots, if they are working, you take them for life.  Hopefully, this will not be the case.  Up until yesterday, I was still cleaning blood from my cabinets where she had brushed her nose against them.  Not a lot of blood, but blood smears.  She is still having some bleeding, but not as bad.  I am so hoping this works. 

Fall is here.

I took down my hummingbird feeders today.  I haven't seen them in about a week, but I still cleaned and replace the feeders just in case.  Well, I guess I will put them away until about April.  Time to fill the bird feeders with seeds and put out corn and nuts for the squirrels.  Not that that will stop the squirrels from raiding the bird feeders.  They raid those feeders with me standing there watching them.  And I have several of this year's crop of squirrels in my yard.  They are really cute. 

Daisy

I had to call the vet tonight.  Daisy has a swollen nose and is having trouble breathing.  I had been giving her Benadryl twice a day and it had been kinda keeping her allergies in check.  Not great but better than nothing.  Well, a front blew in and she got so much worse.  I had some steroids on hand that I had been given (don't ask) so I wanted to know if I could give Daisy those.  Dr. Schmidt said yes it was a good idea since the Benadry was not doing it for her.  I feel so sorry for her.  She was laying on the floor in the kitchen while I washed dishes and I could hear her trying to take in air through her nose.  She seems better since the steroid kicked in.  I sure hope that antigen comes in soon.  I did not know a dog could have this many allergies.  Poor Daisy. 

Daisy

I am still waiting for the antigens for Daisy.  She is having a lot of trouble with her allergies.  I am giving her 10ml of benadryl every day and it is helping but not controling them.  Jock has some allergies, but nothing like Daisy.  My goal is to remove all the grass from their yard, and it is a big yard, and replace it with river rocks and decks.  I think they would like this.  And besides nothing grows under the Bradford pear anyway.  The Turks Cap shrubs stay.  They love playing in them.. And I love watching them..

Duncan

It never ceases to amaze how resilient dogs and cats, well all animals are.  When Duncan came to me, he was a mess.  He was scared of everything.  He only weighed about 3 pounds.  He was scared of people and other dogs.  However, it did not take long for him to attach himself to Jock.  Now he wants to be with Jock all the time.  When he goes outside, he wants Jock with him.  His favorite place when the grandkids are here and it is kinda noisy, is on a bed I made for him in my bathroom.  It is at the back of the house and quiet.  He likes quiet.  He does not like a lot of activity.  And he is definitely my little guy.  If we are in the yard, he will lose sight of me.  He will wiggle through the fence and head for the side fence to get out and go look for me.  I make sure I am always out with him and that I always have my eye on him.  I don't think he can see well because when I am calling him, he will be looking around for me and not seeing me.  I have to get within 5 feet of him for him to see me.  No matter.  He is home and here he will stay. 

Saving seeds

I have been saving the seeds from my native plants.  I have a ton of seed for lemon mint and Turks Cap.  I am also saving seed from my 4-o-clocks.  There are different colors of 4o'clocks, but I have only managed to get the yellow ones.  I have seen them in red and pink and would love to have some of those, but the yellow will do.  I am planning to get started on an herb garden this week.  I have the perfect spot.  My neighbor runs his sprinkler every day.  It runs to my yard, so my yard along our fence  is always damp.  I can add some rocks, soil and have it built up enough that the herbs will not have wet feet, but will have enough moisture.  I think it will work great.  And there is a low spot between our yards where the water  stands.  The mint is going in there. 

I am also hoping that the English Thyme that I broadcast under the oak trees in from takes root.  I would love to have English Thyme as a ground cover under those trees.  Grass is very sparse under oak trees and I need a ground cover. 

My creations

In addition to my little guys keeping me busy, I find time to do various needlework and sewing creations.  Here are some of those examples.  This is done with finger crochet in the new Sashay yarn.  This one is shades of silver, black and gray.

This one is done in shades of silver, brown and gray,.

And this one is done in shades of purple.  All have some sparkle to them.

Missy

We had thunderstorms last night and Missy was so agitated.  I finally got her on the couch with me and in my lap.  Every time the lightening would flash, she would jump.  I think it is because she has lost most of her sight.  She doesn't seem to have any night vision and now she is so scared of thunderstorms.  She can still hear and she can chase those squirrels.  Here she is in Duncan's bed.  Keep in mind Duncan is all of 4 pounds. 

She is convinced she can fit into that bed.  Daisy can.  Somehow Daisy can curl up into a very small ball and she can actually fit into this bed.  They never cease to amaze me. 

Nightlife

I just saw the most beautiful moth feeding at my 4-o-clocks in the front.  These are the flowers that open around 4pm and stay open all night and give the night a heavenly scent.  These are by my front walk and there is a reason for putting them there.  I  love the soft, sweet scent and apparently so does the moth. 

I had the hardest time actually getting a shot of him.  I hope you can see him.  He is in the middle of the flowers right above the "hope" in this post.  He was just flitting from flower to flower and he was beautiful.

Daisy

Daisy is having a real problem with her allergies.  I have her on 10 mg of Benadryl per day.  This helps but does not control her problems. Hopefully, we will get the antigen soon and more hopefully it will work.  I feel so sorry for her.   Jock also has allergies, but his are not as bad.

More plants

I have a few more plants to share.  The Butterfly Weed is a milkweed and is vital to the Monarch butterfly.  They are easy to grow and like full sun.

There are many types of milkweed.  This happens to be the one that volunteered in my yard and has come back and multiplied.  I love it. 

This a an old fashioned 4-O'Clock.  They are hardy and somewhat invasive.  Where ever a seed falls, it will grow. Hummingbirds and bees love them.

They really do open about 4 o'clock and stay open all night. They close up in the morning after the sun gets up in the sky.  They have the most amazing scent.  A few of these will scent your whole yard.

And don't forget about herbs.  They are a great addition to your garden and do not require any special maintenance.  Rosemary is a great one for Texas gardens.  It loves the heat.  During the epic drought of 2011, mine thrived. 

It has little blue flowers.  Butterflies and bees do love it.  Another good one is onion chives.  They are very hardy, useful in the kitchen as is rosemary, and attract tons of bees. 

I am probably going to populate the neighborhood with these.  But they won't be allowed to grow.  My neighbors are yardners, not gardners.  They want the well manicured St. Augustine grass lawns with a few boxwoods stuck around and a few crape myrtles maybe.  God forbid a wildflower should make a stand in their yards.  And the sprinklers go every day. 

My little world

Yesterday I was in the front and I was walking around the yard, looking at how sparse the grass is under the oak trees.  I have a Texas Yaupon tree at the corner of my house between a water oak and a post oak tree.  As I walked under the Yaupon tree, I heard activity above me.  I looked up and just over my head was a young squirrel.  It had to be this year's crop.  He was fussing at me.  I had apparently disturbed him gathering acorns.  So I calmly moved away from where he was.  He fussed a little more and went on about his business.  I moved over near the humming bird feeders.  I have Turks Cap under the feeders.  There was two humming birds fussing over the feeders.  They would fuss awhile then go to the Turks Cap.  This went on for at least 45 minutes.  I love nature. 

Anyway, I have a few more plants you need in your garden.  The more plants that are not water hogs you have the lower your utility bill will be and the better your yard will be for birds, butterflies, and bees.  And bees are an absolute necessity to our food production. 

Beautyberry bush.  They are beautiful shurbs.  The prefer to grow in partial shade.  They provide food for birds.

Notice how the berries are bright colored and they develop along the stem where the leaves grow.  And the leaves are nice and a pretty green. 

Toxic Plants

I don't have pictures of these, but if you have dogs in your yard, do not plant Sago palms.  These are deadly for dogs.  Also Oleanders.  Every part of the Oleander is poison not only to dogs and cats, but to humans as well.  If handling an Oleander bush, be sure to wash your hands afterwards and do not put your hands near your eyes until you have washed them.  These are only two of the poison plants for your dogs.  Oh, and Elephant Ear is another one. 

My dogs will run through shrubs and play in them.  There is nothing in my huge dog yard except trees, two crepe myrtles, and Turks cap shrubs.  I take no chances with my furry friends.  And I won't have Oleander anywhere in my yard.  I love the flowers, but I have grandkids.  I did have some in my front yard in South Texas, but when I lived down there, my prize was the poinsettias that grew in my yard.  No, they don't bloom at Christmas.  They usually bloom in March and they will make a shrub around 3-4 feet tall.  And contrary to popular belief, they are not poison. 

I will be posting more plants that are safe in the yard and garden.  I have most of my plants in the front because I don't ever have the guys and girls in the front unless I am taking them to the vet.  I have more leeway with my plants there. 

Have a good weekend.

For Texans

Every Texas garden should contain native because they take less water and as everyone knows, Texas has very little water.  There are lots of natives that give you a spectacular show of blooms and that feed bees, hummingbirds and butterflies.  I have a few natives in my yard.  I also have a very shaded yard so I can't grow a lot of the natives I want.  I do have native Lantana.  It is beautiful and I love the candy colored blooms.  A word of caution.  Don't expect and exotic, sweet odor from the blooms.  They have a crappy smell, but the beauty of the blooms makes up for that.  This is an example of the native Lantana.

Notice how delicate the bloom cluster looks.  It is a very hardy plant.  I love it.  The next picture shows you the actual shrub.  This one is still small.  It is only two years old and was planted by the birds.  They will get about 3 feet tall. 

My Lantana lived through the drought of 2011 when most everything else died including my grass.  What survived, stayed.  What did not survive, I did not replace. 

 Another native Texas shrub that every garden should have is the Turks Cap.  It is a hardy shrub and has a really cute bloom that actually looks like a turban. 

Notice the little stamen on the top of the bloom.  These plants are usually upright shrubs and get about 3 feet tall.  The next picture will show you what they do when dealing with dogs in the garden.

These are flat on the ground because Missy and Daisy use them for their "hunting expeditions."  The shrubs adapt and just grow along the ground.  They are really hardy.  You can cut them back and they will just grow again.  And hummingbirds love them.  I also have them in front.  I can sit in my living room and watch the hummer out my window as they feed at these beautiful shrubs.  They also survived the 2011 drought.  And I have yet to see any bugs on them.  Mine were all planted by the birds so they are under the trees in the shade.  I am told that when planted in the sun, they are smaller and more bushy than those in the shade.  I have got to try that and see.  But they are a must if you are interested in feeding the hummers, which I am.

Hummers

I don't just concentrate on my little guys.  I also have a lot of wildlife in my yard.  I wish that I could move to the country because I would have more wildlife.  I have lots of hummingbirds and it is wonderful to watch them fighting over the feeders.  They are amazing.  I have two feeders hung now.  I had five and they would only use two of them so I took down three and I have discovered that they really do not like the red feeders.  They prefer the clear ones and ones with a base for perching.  I have two of those up now. 

I also have about 10 Rose of Sharon shurbs.  If you are not familiar with them, they are a part of the hydrangea family and come in several colors.  They get about 6-8 feet tall in my area of Central Texas.  They are prone to mold and will have to be treated if they get it.  I use Dawn to spray mine.  I mix a couple drops of Dawn with some compost tea or tobacco tea and hand spray them.  It works for me.  Mine, however, have bugs.  So Dawn is all that I will need and that chore will be taken care of asap. 

These are Mexican petunias and you will probably not find them outside of Texas or the Southwest.  They are very hardy, invasive, and will keep you busy keeping them under control, but there are not many bugs that will bother them.  Except for keeping them contained, they are an easy plant for your garden.  The come in the the smaller version as well and the smaller ones only get about 5 inches high and they too form clumps.  I have found these smaller ones to not be as invasive as the larger one.  Maybe it is just in my yard.  Don't know. 

This above bloom is the Rose of Sharon, or Althea, They are not native to Texas and do take more care than the Mexican Petunia.  They need more water and nutrients.  I love them, but am more partial to natives.  Research the natives in your area and you will be much happier with them.  Using natives in a garden make for a fuss free garden and gives you more time to enjoy your garden. 

Daisy

Daisy is getting 1/2 steroid pill every morning and 5ml of benadryl every night.  But it is still not taking care of her allergies.  The vet is supposed to be getting allergy shots for her.  I hope they work.  Several mornings I have had to clean blood off my cabinets from her nose.  I feel so sorry for her.  Most of the time she is just full of energy, but I can tell when she is not feeling good and today is one of those days.  She is lethargic and I know it is from the allergies.  Poor Daisy.

Missy

I talked to Dr. Don yesterday.  We are going to put Missy on Metacam for her arthritis.  She seemed to do great on it and she needs to be on something.  So Metacam it is.  She is doing great for 16 years old.  Love her to pieces.

Missy

My Missy is having some trouble with joint pain now.  She is 16 and fine except for some arthritis.  Her heart and lungs are good.  She can't see much now, but she can still hear.  She seems to see only light.  But she is my baby.  She will be with me until she tells me she is ready to join Abby and Max.  And I will cry my eyes out when that time comes. 

This is Missy making herself at home on my grandson's bed.  I had to separate her from Daisy.  I guess Daisy realizes Missy is getting old because she has now tried to bully her a few times.  Daisy got time out in the crate, but I will not trust her unless I am right there.  Missy deserves to not have to be afraid.  And Daisy deserves to not be allowed to be a bully. 

My guys and gals

I just realized today that my furry friends are the only ones that have never tried to take advantage of me, never tried to manipulate me, never lied to me.  They are the only ones that I can really count on, well, except for my kids of course.  They are there no matter what.  If I need to cry, they are there to comfort me.  If I am happy, they are happy with me. I much prefer the animals that are not homo sapiens. 

I have two hummingbird feeders out front.  I have two hummingbirds that spend the day fighting over them.  I hung one in back thinking it would help.  Not.  They fought over it.  They are very aggressive.  On a lighter note, I have noticed the bees drinking from the feeders.  I sat out a pie plate of sugar water and it was covered with bees.  Tomorrow I will put out some overripe apples and oranges for them.

Duncan

This is Duncan now.  He is healthy.  He is happy.  He no longer crab walks when there is someone here.  He no longer hides when someone is here.  He sleeps with Jock and me.  He is a totally different dog from the one that came to me in 2011.  That little guy was scared of even being picked up.  He did not know what a bed was.  The first time I made him a bed on the floor, I folded blankets and soft towels for him.  He stood and watched me fix it and did not make a move to get on it.  I picked him up and put him on the bed.  He was so scared.  I turned away like I was leaving the room.  I heard him scratching on the bed.  He was making it his.  For months, when someone would walk down that hall towards that bedroom, he would run ahead and get on his bed.  It was the first bed he had ever had.  Well, he needed that bed only about 2-3 months.  Then he was on the big bed with Jock, Abby and me.  Abby has since gone on to the Rainbow Bridge and it is just Jock and Duncan as my little guys. 

He is no longer shy.  He is no longer scared.  While I am working around the house, he sleeps on the big bed.  When he wakes up and wants down, he barks for me to come and get him.  He went from a throwaway that had no social skills at all to one really spoiled little dog.  And I love him.

Daisy's results

Finally touched base with David yesterday and Daisy is allergic to everything under the sun.  Bermuda grass, Bahaia Grass, ragweed, dust, dust mites, mold (3 types), mildew, human dander, cat dander, other dogs.  So, now he wants to try allergy shots.  These will probably continue throughout her life.  She has been the most expensive throw-away dog I have ever had.  Oh, well, it's just money. 

Still waiting

I have sat by the phone all day.  I'm still waiting for David to call me.  Maybe after hours he will call.  I am really anxious to find out what is wrong with Daisy.

I did find a flea on Duncan this morning.  They are easy to see in the white hair.  I was hoping to control them with Adams flea spray.  I don't like putting chemicals on them.  However, I would rather use the chemicals than allow the fleas.  Guess I'll talk to David and see what he recommends.

My guys

This is Daisy in Duncan's little bed.  

                                            THIS is Duncan on his big bed.  Duncan does not use his little bed.  He demands to be put on the big bed.  Daisy is not allowed on the big bed, so rather than use her bed, she tried out Duncan's bed.  Duncan is a far cry from the sad, scared little dog that came to me in 2011,  He eats homemade food, sleeps on my bed, sleeps on the couch.  He has landed in Heaven.  And I love him.  Jock was not interested in keeping me company last night.  There was too much going on in the cul-de-sac and he was sitting in the living room window watching it all and making sure that no one bothered his house. 

Today is the day

I called the vet's office yesterday.  David was off.  The results were back and he would call me on Wednesday.  I have anticipated that it may be the food.  I started cooking for them last night.  Missy has been chewing on her legs and tail.  She has no fleas.  My only guess is that she is allergic to the food.  Ergo, me cooking.  We'll see.  She can have whatever she wants.  She is 16.  And it could just be hotspots because of hour heat and humidity, but she is in air conditioning all the time.  Anyway, I'll know soon if the problems are something besides food allergies.

Daisy again

Well, I should find out this week what is causing Daisy's allergies.  I have mixed feelings about this.  If it is grass, guess, I will have to dig up all the grass in the yard, put in rocks, mulch and shrubs.  That will be kind of expensive.  Hopefully, it will be food.  That will be easily fixed.  Guess we'll see. 
She can be a really sweet dog some of the time, but most of the time, she is downright obnoxious.  My couch.  Every time I turn my back, she is on it.  My counters in the kitchen.  If I leave anything, even a plastic sack on the counter, she steals it.  I have had to tape shut the drawer that I keep the grandkids snacks in.  She has stolen graham crackers, soda crackers, cereal, chips, dried fruit, whatever is in there for the kids and this drawer is well above her head.  She is a good mouser though.  When I was invaded by mice from my neighbors when he took out flower beds and a garden shed, she and Missy had a wonderful time catching and killing the mice.  Thank goodness that that has been taken care of.  I couldn't figure out why I was suddenly having mice in my yard since I keep the grass cut very close to the ground.  I didn't get any in the house much to the disappointment of my cats. 

Little Bitty

I have a friend who is a sucker for animals, more so than I am.  About a month ago, she found a small kitten in her yard.  It is a tortise shell calico and at the time she found it , it weighed about a pound, was very malnourished and loaded with worms.  She took it to the vet, spent $400, brought it home and bought kitten replacement milk and canned kitten food.  She has nursed it back to health and it now weighs in at about 2-2 12 pounds.  It is sassy.  She has a 12 year old Great Pyrenees.  She has a bed down next to her bed for the Pyrenees (his name is Moose) If that little speck of a kitten is on the bed, then Moose will not get on the bed and the kitten will walk around on the bed spitting at Moose.  The kitten is not even as big as Moose's paw.  If Moose is already on the bed, then Little Bitty just marches up on the bed and curls up next to Moose.  Animals are so much fun and they have distinctive personalities. 

Ongoing saga

Daisy is on steroids.  Jock is on benadryl.  I am going nuts.  It will be at least two more weeks till I find out what is causing Daisy's allergy.  Jock is allergic to dust, grass and God know what else.  But he seems to do ok with the Benadryl.  My free dogs are really costing me money.  Daisy is doing better.  I took her to David last Monday.  I did not give her any benadryl on Sunday night nor Monday morning.  David told me to start the steroids on Tuesday morning.  By Tuesday morning she was in bad shape.  Her nasal passages were so swollen she was having trouble breathing.  By Wednesday morning she was better, but a long way from well.  I hope this is a food problem, but David does not think so.  He is thinking a grass allergy.  If so, I will be spraying their huge yard with roundup and spending a ton of money on rocks. Don likes pea gravel, but it tends to get between the pads on their feet and it hurts, so I will go with Arkansas river rock.  The rocks are larger but have no sharp edges.  All edges are rounded.  Like I said, the most expensive free dogs I have ever had. 

Duncan is doing fine since I spent the $400 on his teeth.  He doesn't see to well.  I figured that out when he was failing to find me in the yard.  If I am across the yard, he hears my voice, but can't find me.  He isn't out much.  And never without me and the big dogs.  I have a hawk that visits my yard and it could definitely pick up Duncan.  It could hurt Jock but he is too heavy for the hawk to pick up.  And Daisy just knows if she plays it right, she can catch that hawk.  So I watch the little ones really close. 

Daisy

I was waiting at the door when the vet's office opened yesterday.  Daisy was so happy to see everyone and especially the clinic cat.  However, when we were called to the back, I had to carry her.  She would not go through that door to the exam room.  So here I am picking up a 64 pound wuss of a dog.  David checked her out, put her back on steroids, and took blood to test for allergies.  She will have to stay on the steroids until we get the results back which will take around three weeks.  He seems to think it is a reaction to some type of grass.  I hope so because that will be easy to fix.  I'll just hit the dog yard with roundup and put in gravel.  She was not in real good shape this morning, but tonight the windows were rattling while I was fixing their food.  Yep. The bark is back.  But I can tell she does not feel good.  I hate it when one of my animals is sick. 

Daisy

Well, it looks like I am finding that money for Daisy now.  She popped an infection last night.  She did not wake me up this morning.  I got up at 6am to let them out, wondering why Daisy had not gotten me up at 4am as usual.  I found out.  She did not even want to go outside.  She finally did, but did not stay out to bark or explore.  When I fixed their food, she just looked at it.  That just does not happen with Daisy.  I usually fix the food with her ratteling the windows with her bark.  I usually have to fight her off Missy's food.  Not today.  Her nose is swollen, she won't leave her crate.  She would not even leave it to get on the couch.  Definitely not Daisy.

I called the vet.  He wants me in tomorrow morning for blood work and to get her on an antibiotic, but I really think I will take her in today.  It will cost me an emergency visit, but I really think she needs to be seen today.  My four legged friends always get sick on a weekend after noon on Saturday because that is what time the clinic closes on Saturday.  The vet seems to think it is an allergy to grass.  Maybe.  I keep the grass cut really short in their yard and there is  not much grass to begin with.  There is no grass under the Bradford Pear tree and that tree covers most of the yard.  The shade under that tree is really dense.

All my pets suffer allergies.  Duncan sneezes all the time and Jock has to have Benadryl  almost every day.

Me and my guys.

It has been a rough month for me.  My guys are doing pretty good.  Still trying to get the money together to have Daisy's allergy testing done.  I think I may instead use that $300 to remove all the grass from the back yard and put it in river rock.  Maybe that would help.  Anyway, the $300 went to fix Duncan's teeth.  They were horrible. The vet had to remove 9.  He is doing great now.  He was pretty miserable with all those bad teeth.  I consider that money well spent as is any money spent on my animals.  Now I have to go get some meds for Duncan for whip worms.  I have been treating him for 3 years and cannot get rid of them.  Luckily none of the others have ever tested positive for them.

Daisy AGAIN

The entire bottom of my cabinets in the kitchen are drawers.  Great.  Love it.  Yeah, well, Daisy can open those drawers-a total of 12.  I had snacks in one.  She ate two bags of potato chips and a box of cheezits.
Cleaned out the snacks, moved electrical appliances to that drawer.  I had already taken the recycling bags and garbage bags from the one below it.  Well, next day she got into the condiment drawer.  I found salt all over my kitchen floor.  Moved the condiments to top of cabinet, where I have to have a ladder to reach.  Yesterday, I came in to find a half eaten raw sweet potato, a well chewed russet and the bag of potatoes in her crate.  She threw up the sweet potato.  So no more storing potatoes in the drawers.  Cleaned out the potatoes, removed the plastic ware from another.  Removed the wooden salad bowls.  Now all those wonderful drawers are housing nothing but dishes, pots and pans.  My pantry is stuffed with stuff I had neatly organized in those drawers.  She wasn't finished.  She managed to, by pushing on the bottom, open the pet gate that is even hard for me to open.  I don't dare leave anything on the counter,  Dish towel.  Yep. She steals them.  Spoons, plastic bags.  If it is not nailed down, she gets it.  I think she would even pull the nails if she had to.  That dog tries my patience like no other dog has ever done.  But gotta love her.

My guys

My friends (4 legged) keep me sane, if you can call it sane.  Without them, I would just drive off into the sunset.  I have more than I can handle right now, but they help me keep calm.  Jock had to make a trip to the vet for impacted anal glands.  He hates that.  He was so glad to get home.  He ran in and hid for about 2 hours.  He is such a sweetie.  Duncan didn't know what was going on.  When I left with Jock, he was in the window howling.  I guess he thought I was taking Jock away for good.  Never gonna happen.  Daisy, however, maybe.  That dog drives me nuts.  She is feeling better and she barks so much demanding attention and her bark can rattle your teeth.  I sure wish I had her energy.  Love them all.

Duncan

Duncan would not eat tonight.  I need to get some more panicure for him.  I can't seem to get rid of the whipworms in him.  I have been treating him now for almost three years and he still has them.  I'll wait a little while and try him on a scrambled egg.  I'm going out tonight and get some chicken and fix some food for him.  I had to stop cooking for them because of an allergic reaction to some blood pressure meds.  My hands, arms, neck, and back are raw hamburger and itching like crazy.  So, needless to say, I can't cook.

Best Friends

I have been dealing with my own medical problems and trying to take care of my little friends and they have been wonderful.  Duncan follows me around all the time.  I cannot make a step without him.  And Jock, well if I sit down on the couch, Jock is in my lap and I have all 4 cats on me.  Daisy and Missy at my feet.  We'll get Daisy allergy tested this month.

Allergies

Apparently Daisy is not the only one of my friends that have allergies.  Jock's eyes are crusty.  Don had mentioned that he thought Jock had allergies when I took both him and Daisy in.  Well, he does.  His eyes are always crusty in the morning.  After being outside, he is coughing and sneezing.  He is getting a small dose of Benadryl every night.  Hopefully that will help.  Daisy will get her allergy testing done this month.  Just gotta get the money together to do it.  But not doing it is not an option.

Still missing Abby.

Daisy again

Well, Daisy finished the steroids last Sunday.  I called David.  I was so happy.  Her nose had cleared up and she was normal. Well, I was calling back on Tuesday.  She had a slightly bloody nose.  David thinks it is an allergy to something growing in the yard.  He mentioned purple flowered thistles, which are very common here.  Well, I have been fighting them since last fall.  I have been digging them up and putting them in the garbage.  However, I live near the freeway and the medians are covered with these plants.  David says she can just inhale them, so I guess I am stuck.  By Wednesday, she had a white spot on her nose.  She is losing pigment again.  David put her back on steroids for a month, then allergy testing to the tune of $300 to see what she is allergic to, then treatment.  My goal now is to have noting in the back but much and rocks.

My guys

I just made a batch of dog food.  I have to make it about every two days.  They do seem to do well on it.  Jock used to have coughing spells and throw up.  He does not do that now.  And Daisy has had no problems since I started making their food.  But man is it labor intensive.  I have to boil 6 chicken breasts. Peel and chop about three pounds of sweet potatoes and a pound of carrots.  Chopping the chicken is what takes so long.  Maybe I can get a food processor to do that?  I think I'll try that.  It would cut down on the work it takes.  I am amazed at how well they are all doing.  No more eating grass.  No more scratching. Before I started making the food, Duncan was always scratching.  I though he had fleas, but I could not find any on him and he is solid white. I would see them if he had them.  No fleas.  But he was always scratching.  No more.

I was shocked when I realized that Daisy was having trouble with the food.  Apparently Nutro has changed something in their food.  Or maybe Daisy just developed a sensitivity to something that had been there all along.  Whatever it was, she had a bad allergy.

All is right with my babies

My kids are asleep.  I however, have insomnia.  Jock and Duncan demanded bed at 8pm.  That is their bedtime and I am supposed to be with them.  However, when I can't sleep, they will gladly take over my pillows while I play on the computer.  Jock seems to have recovered from his ordeal with the grass with no permanent effects and his eye is fine.  I was really worried about him.  And Daisy, what can I say about Daisy.  She got into the garbage today while I was at the grocery story.  And Missy counter surfed and stole some broccoli.  I was so mad when I got in.  I'm over it now.  Daisy is her old self and Missy, for being 15, she is very active.  Can't hear anything and can only see light, but she has a good time.  I have a huge skink in my yard.  He lives in back near the Burr Oak under the Turks caps.  Daisy and Missy shoot out the door and head for that part of the yard.  They just know they are going to catch him.  He has been around for years and they haven't caught him yet.  Hope they never do.

Daisy

It looks as though the homemade food is going to do it for Daisy.  She is finishing the second round of steroids on Saturday.  So next week I will take her back to Dr. David. Hopefully, we have found what she is allergic to and the change in food will take care of her.  She has not thrown up any of the homemade food.  She is full of energy and her coat is shiny.  So, I have got my fingers crossed.  She woke me up at 5am as usual.  I got up and Jock stretched.  Duncan did not move.  He was asleep on his pillow on my bed and he had no intention of getting up.

Daisy

Fingers crossed.  I made food for the critters last night.  Daisy seems to be doing ok with it.  We will see.  If it works, I will have to keep it up although it is labor intensive.  I will have to cook for them about every two days.  I cooked 4 sweet potatoes, one pound of carrots, 2 apples, and 6 pounds of ground turkey.  That will last me through Wednesday morning.  So I am cooking again tonight.  Maybe I'll just do it on a daily basis and cook for them when I fix breakfast and dinner.  That might work out better.

Jock's eye is alright.  He is looking good.  Needs a bath but I can't do that right now.  I have to wait until my reaction to blood pressure meds runs it's course and that reaction is boiled lobster hands and arms.

Update

Daisy and Jock went back to the vet on Friday.  Daisy is better, but Don says she is still dealing with the allergy.  He put her back on steroids.  I put her back on Nutro Lamb and Rice.  She did ok for about a week.  Last night she didn't want to eat it.  I cooked for her.  Well, sometime during the night, she threw up everything.  Guess I will be cooking for them.  I will use boiled chicken, boiled sweet and white potatoes, boiled carrots, finely chopped spinach, and a can of pumpkin.  I will add fish oil.  Hopefully, this takes care of her problem.  Don't know what else to do.
Jock is fine. His eye has healed and no more problem with that, thank goodness.  I did not know where I was going to get the money to do surgery on his eye if necessary.

My money pits

Well, Daisy is off the meds.  We go back to see the vet on Friday.  Jock got a piece of grass in his eye last week,  It was a piece of switch grass and has a hook on it.  It hooked Jock's eye.  He has been on meds since last week and he also goes back to the vet on Friday.  I have an appointment with Dr. David for Daisy and one for Jock with Dr. Don.  I wish they would go public.  I would so invest in that  business.  Might as well.  I am supporting it anyway.  Wish me luck.  If Jock still has a tear in his cornea then we will have to do surgery.  If not, then he is ok.  I really need that ok.  I am broke and need time to recoup.  But if need be, I will find the money.  They are my babies.  And I am still missing Abby.

Daisy

Daisy does not have cancer nor does she have an auto immune disease.  What she does have is a severe allergic reaction to something.  She has been on antibiotics for almost 4 weeks.  The vet called me on Monday.  He put her on steroids.  He said this should clear up her problems. And I think I did it to her.  A few months ago, I chaged her food.  She loved the new food, but I don't think the food loves her.  Ayway, I have her back on Nutro.  She seems to be improving.  Got my fingers crossed.

Had to postpone

Had to postpone Daisy till Friday.  My vet got sick.  I am really scared for her.  Her nose is horrible and this afternoon, she was trying to scratch it, not the end of the nose.She was scratching up under the eye like it really hurt.  If she has cancer, I will not treat it.  I have done that before and tortured my friend and still lost her after 5 months and had to put her down on Christmas Eve.  That was a horrible Christmas for my children.  I won't do that again.

Daisy

I'm taking Daisy back to the vet tomorrow.  The meds did nothing for her nose.  The vet is now going to do a biopsy on her nose.  I am really afraid she has cancer.  I haven't said anything to the kids yet.  Not ready for this again.

Missing Abby

Took Jock out front yesterday.  I was going to let him sniff around the front yard.  Well, I turned my back to check on Duncan and when I looked back, Jock was gone.  He was halfway down the cul-de-sac head up just looking.  He wouldn't come when I called him.  He was looking for Abby.  I had to go get him.  This is the first time that he has left the yard since he came to me in 2009.  I may have to get a small puppy for him.  He wants to play, but Duncan does not know how.  He found Abby's sweater and carried it to the couch and had it tucked under him.  I feel so sorry for him.  I know how he feels.

Looking much better

This is Duncan when he first came to me.  Notice the duct tape on my couch.  Cats are hell on leather.  Duncan came in August of 2011. He was afraid of everyone and was so scared of being touched and cuddled.

This is Duncan now playing with Jock.  Totally different dog.  He demands to be held and cuddled.  He can't jump n the couch, so he reaches up and pulls the quilts off so he can sleep on it.  He is standing in the window with Jock when I come home and you can hear his bark all over the cul-de-sac.  He anxiously waits for the grandkids on the weekend.  And both he and Jock miss Abby so much.  When I take them out front, they go looking for her.  They have to look inside the car.

Update on Daisy

Daisy is doing much better, but I can tell she is still not her usual self.  I so hope that this is manageable.  I don't think I can take another hit  right now.  It has been over a month since I lost Abby and it does not hurt any less.

We finally have some sunshine and warmer weather and all my critters have been out in the sun all day.  Even Duncan has been enjoying laying out in the sun.

Daisy

I have been pretty worried about Daisy.  I hated to take her out in the cold to the vet, but last Wednesday I did just that.  She loved the car ride.  She has has a really chapped nose and mouth all winter.  Well, Wednesday morning, she had a bloody nose.  So needless to say, it freaked me out.  Off to the vet we went.  We saw Dr. David and David is familiar with her.  He is the vet that repaired her hip when she was only about 7 months old.  She could hardly walk and was in constant pain.  She has a metal bar with pins in her hip and it does bother her when it is cold.  But, back to Wednesday.  I has assumed that the chapped nose was due to the cold weather, but she had not been acting herself all week.  And all she wanted was to be held and petted.  Not at all like Daisy.  Usually she is so full of energy that no one can keep up with her.  David examined her and told me he thinks she has an autoimmune disease.  He put her on antibiotics because he said she had  a bacterial infection in her nose and he wanted to clear that up before he ran any tests.  Well, she is definitely feeling better.  No completely up to par, but much better.  So I guess next week we will have tests run to see what is wrong with her.

Cold

We went from warm to really cold, well, for us cold.  Abby hated this weather.  She would have to be carried out then she would do her business and run back to the door.  Duncan heads for the diveway and dances around because his feet get cold.  The cold does not seem to bother Jock as much.  Daisy, on the other hand, hates it.  She will go to the door and look out then look back at me as if saying "Make it warm."  Love my family of critters.  Life would be so miserable without them.

Big hole in our lives

I don't think I realized what a big hole Abby's leaving would leave in our lives.  I still see her everywhere.  She would sashay down the hall in front of me stopping to look back over her shoulder to make sure I was coming.  She would sit on the back of the couch and wait for me.  Big hole.  And Jock and Duncan have become very clingy.  They miss her too.  I know I will learn to live with it.  It just becomes a part of you.  It has been 4 years and I still miss Max very much.

Paradise

My guys and I are dealing with allergies today.  Poor Jock is taking Benadryl twice daily for his allergies.  He coughs and coughs.  I'm not sure what is wrong with Daisy.  She will be going to see Dr. Don tomorrow.  She is not her usual vibrant self.  She has no fever, but she does have a runny nose and I have had to put vaseline and vitamin E oil on her nose all winter.  Maybe she is having allergies also.  I hope that is all it is.  We'll see.  And my little foundling Maltese, Duncan, well he has made himself right at home.  He is asleep on the daybed right now.  That's his favorite place.  Gotta go give Jock his allergy meds.

Jock knows how much it hurts

Jock has apparently appointed himself Abby's successor.  He chases the cats now.  He never did that before. Abby would not let them get on the couch.  Now Jock will not let them get on the couch.  He seems to know how much I hurt because he now sleeps right against me at night.  He never did that before and most nights, I could not even get him to stay on the bed all night.  He gets too hot.  He prefers the small day bed.  He would always get in bed with me and snuggle up to Abby, but he would always get off the bed and move to the daybed.  And he really misses Abby.

The price we pay

The hurt we go through when we lose a beloved pet is the price we pay for their unconditional love.  And does it ever hurt.  And it is not getting any less.  I see her everywhere.  When I am washing dishes or doing something in the kitchen, I look behind me to make sure I am not stepping on her when I turn around.  I look for her sitting on the back of the couch when I come in.  I just miss her.

Smaller household

Everytime I open the back door for my guys and girls, I keep looking for Abby to run out with them.  I still sometimes cut three carrots for the little ones.  I dreamed about her last night.  I know from experience that the hurt will lessen somewhat with time.  I also know from experience that it will never go away.  Am now going to get Duncan and Jock neutered.  I have held off on Jock because he had heart worms so bad when I got him.  Well, he has been on Heartguard Plus for for 4 years so I feel safe in having this procedure done.  Duncan,  I don't know.  That will be Dr. Don's call.  We don't have a clue about Duncan's age.  He is in good overall health and is finally putting on a little weight.  I have been trying to keep enough weight on him, but he has, in spite of my efforts, remained just so skinny.  Finally, I have put him on Nutro Small Breed Puppy food.  For the first time since he found me, he is eating kibble and loving it. And he has put on a little bit of weight, about 1/2 pound and I want to hold him at that.  Jock, on the other hand has put on a little too much.  Thanks to getting into the cat food every chance he gets.  I don't think that neutering them will stop Duncan from urinating on everything.  Some days he is not a problem and other days it's like he has to cover everything.  I am so glad he is a small dog.  Anyway, we'll see if it helps if Don will do the procedure.  He may not want to.

I played with my little friends this morning.

I played with Jock and Duncan this morning.  Jock wants Duncan to play with him like Abby did.  They would start a running game and run through the house.  Duncan does not know how to play.  So now Jock does not have a playmate.  Duncan has gotten real clingy since Abby left.  Maybe he is afraid I will get rid of him.  Who knows.  That is not even a remote possibility.  Still hurts.

Still lost

Well, it has been 1 week and one day and I can now get through the day without crying a lot.  I am lucky.  I am out in the field most of the day and do not have to interact with people.  But I still see her everywhere.  She would sit on her blanket on the cedar chest and demand that my son come and pet her when he came in.  She was truly a princess and this handmaiden will always be looking for her.

Jock and Duncan have finally stopped looking for her.  For several days, they would go out front and run around the car jumping up on it.  The just knew she was in the car.  Jock would walk around the couch and look for her.  There is just a hole in our lives now.  And nothing can ever fill that hole.

I see her everywhere

Every where I look, I still see Abby.  I see her prancing down the hall in front of me.  I see her on her blanket on the couch.  I see her bouncing on her hind legs and barking while I fix their food.  I will never stop missing her.  As usual, a relative said "Get another little dog."  She cannot be replaced.  She took a part of my heart when she left, but she will be waiting with Max at the Rainbow Bridge.  I believe that all the animals that have loved us will be waiting for us.

My best friend

Been almost a week since I lost my best friend.  Does not hurt any less.  She has been with me through every crises over the last 7 years.  When life got to be too much, I would come home, sit on the couch and just hold her.  She had such a calming effect.  Now I just hurt.

The hurt goes on

It has been 5 days without my best friend.  It does not hurt any less.  Sometimes, I think I can feel her sitting on the cedar chest on her pillow behind me while I am on the computer.  When I cut carrots, I catch myself cutting three small pieces.  Maybe the hurt will lessen with time.  I don't know.  When I lost Max, well it still hurts.  I guess it will always hurt.  Rest in peace, Abby.

Day two

It is 2 days without my baby Abby.  It hurts so very bad.  Duncan and Jock and the cats are all missing her.  I have to sit on the couch with Duncan and Jock when I get home from work.  I did not ever imagine that Duncan would miss her like this.  He and Abby did not really get along, but he is just lost.  And so am I.  The sad part about loving an animal is knowing you will not have them a long time and that you will have to let them go.  I'm not real good at that.

Abby-Rest in Peace

I have spent the last month worrying over Abby.  I knew I was just buying time.  Time ran out yesterday.  I had to give her up.  She was 14 years and almost 2 months and it broke my heart to let her go.  I took her to Dr. Don.  I knew when I left with her that I would not be bringing her home.  I knew but would not admit it.
Don told me her kidneys were failing and it would be a very painful death.  I could not let that happen to her so I had him put her to sleep.  I can't stop crying.  I brought her home and buried her beside Marie.  I will miss her forever.

Trying to update

Happy New Year to every one.  I hope this new year is better than the last one.  Doc decreased Abby's meds back to what she was doing.  She seems to be doing ok.  I am just enjoying one day at a time.  My daughter was home over the holidays.  Jock and Duncan slept with her and Abby slept with me.  That is until I got up at 5am. Then she headed to my daughter to go back to bed.  She does like a warm bed.  The couch has a quilt on it for her during the day.  Duncan starts out on the couch, but when he gets down he can't jump back up.  He cannot jump at all.  I have a small, 6" step going out the back door.  He cannot even jump up that.  He just never learned.

On another note, Daisy's squirrel is back.  I hung two bird feeders in the front.  I walked out the morning after hanging them and right outside my door, a huge squirrel, red squirrel, was hanging from one branch of the Crepe Myrtle tree and holding the feeder with his front feet and eating from it.  He just looked at me like "What are you looking at?"  went right on eating.  He had no fear at all.  Of course he cleaned both feeders.  Of course I refilled them.  I have spotted small chickadees in the yard so I will have to get some food for them.  I will also get some squirrel food, not that it will encourage him to leave the bird seed alone. I love watching animals.