My Monthly Diary Entry for July

Well, if you look below you will see that this was a very eventful month. For those of you not used to blog formats, the older stuff is on the bottom, so if you want to read about all my trauma this month, read from the bottom up. Anyway, to sum up the month. Mommy had planned for us to go up to Grandma and Grandpa's house in Wisconsin for the Fourth of July because she got a three day weekend because of the 4th being on a Saturday and she also had some business to take care of up there. Then we were thinking we might go to Auntie Naomi and Uncle Fred's place last weekend and Mommy had taken some time off for that. She never even got to ask Auntie Naomi and Uncle Fred if a visit would be okay because of me falling and breaking the vertebra in my back and then having the bad meds reaction and throwing up blood. Luckily I made it through all that even though I had to spend two nights at the emergency vet's. Mommy says that my vet bills cost a fortune and I am not to do such a thing ever again. I don't plan on it, but you don't know about those evil bunnies.

So, I got no fireworks show and no visit to Grandma and Grandpa's house for the Fourth of July because the vet said we couldn't travel up there because the closest emergency vet was 100 miles away and I had to be much closer to an emergency vet just in case. So we stayed home and I took medications and felt sick and Mommy talked Grandma and Grandpa into taking care of some of the business. I had my check from my regular vet (see below) and while Mommy was pleased with how well I was doing, I was not pleased with the restrictions she had given me. No swimming until AUGUST??!! Only two 1 mile walks a day??!! No treats from the feed store guys??!! No visits to the feed store guys anyway because they are more than a mile from the house??!! This was not good. Mommy and I had arguments on many walks because I wanted to go into town and she said no. Finally we reached a compromise that once a week I can walk into town and Mommy can mail letters and I can see the feed store guys and NOT get a treat...grrrr...but then I don't get a second walk that day. This is working out okay and I like being pet by the feed store guys even if they won't give me treats. The vet says that stairs are no and that wouldn't be a problem at our house because we only have basement stairs and I don't go down there very often unless I want to paint. Well, since my food is limited to one small dog plain milkbone a day now I decided I wanted to paint so that I could get treats. Therefore, I ran downstairs into the basement when Mommy went down to take the laundry out of the washer and tried to get her to let me paint, but she said no. Then, when she was carrying the wet laundry upstairs to hang on the line, I tried to run up the stairs ahead of her and my back end gave out and I fell. Mommy dropped the basket of laundry and caught me so she has her priorities straight. I was a bit sore after that and Mommy limited my walks down to one 1 mile walk for a few days, which made me mad, but by this weekend my back was feeling better.

The vet did say that if my tummy was better and my back was healing I could go to Grandma and Grandpa's house, but I couldn't go to Auntie Naomi's house because they have stairs and I would also want to hike and walk up at Auntie Naomi's house, but might be better and Grandma and Grandpa's. So, my back was feeling good and I'm still on high doses of Pepcid, but I took my heartworm meds and didn't have a setback and I'm not eating yucky rice anymore so Mommy decided I was well enough to go up to Grandma and Grandpa's house last weekend. The drive seemed very long and I was rather sore when we got there, but I forgot about my sore back when I spotted the chipmunks. Mommy had thought with my sore back I might restrict myself, but I didn't and I kept charging the windows and running back and forth and pulling the leash out of her hand to chase the chipmunks in the wood pile and stuff. She also had no idea that I would get on the dock and suddenly jump off the shallow end trying to catch the fishies. I NEVER JUMP OFF THE DOCK!! I also tried to jump back on the dock, but that didn't work so well and she had to pull me up on it. She had only planned to be up there for two days, but then said since I acted so stupid on my first day we'd stay an extra day because I'd already done the damage. Mommy got her business done and we spent our second day just sleeping on the dock and Mommy took me for a 1 mile hike on my favorite trail up there. I wanted to go farther, but she said no. We camped out on the great room floor with our sleeping bags, which I didn't like the first night because I wanted to go upstairs and sleep on the bed, but stairs are still no.

When we drove home yesterday I slept the whole way. I had trouble getting out of the car when we got home and this morning I tried to poop without squatting (which doesn't work very well). My back is very sore, and Mommy hopes I didn't overdo it too much. I had a little tummy trouble this morning, but we are hoping that that is only because I had stolen a bit of Mommy's dinner last night and not something more serious. I think with a couple days' rest I will feel better. Keep those paws crossed that things keep healing.

Hopefully I'm Done with the Meds

Saw my regular vet yesterday. She said she was surprised how good I looked considering all the info she had faxed to her from the emergency vet. I have finished off the icky meds so I don't have to dodge Mommy three times a day and can now have kibble mixed with rice and eggs. This I like. The bad news is that I am not allowed to walk more than one mile twice a day. I walk five miles a day thank you very much. One mile isn't even a warm up! I also cannot get on the couch or bed, run, jump or swim until THE END OF AUGUST!! Mommy and I have arguments on every walk now though because I want to go into town, or all the way through the park and Mommy says no because all the way into town is two miles and through the park is a mile and a half. Waaaah! It is a good thing Mommy spoils me. She has moved her mattress onto the livingroom floor so we can sleep together and I can sleep on it when she isn't home too. Also, I'm tall enough that if I stand on the mattress I can see outside and I can reach the window with my nose so I can sniff at what is passing by. Everyone keep your paws crossed that I continue to improve because I don't want the icky meds to come back and I really really want to be able to take long walks again.

Well, I'm Home for Now

Things went from bad to worse in the past few days. After the pooping incident I stopped eating so Mommy took me to the emergency vet and they gave me something to calm my stomach down. About two hours after we got home I threw up blood, tons of bright red, rotten smelling blood. Mommy rushed me back to the emergency vet and I had to spend two nights in the hospital on IVs and all sorts of meds. The vet says the Deramaxx gave me bleeding ulcers which is why I was puking blood. I still don't feel well. I don't feel like eating and I mostly just want to sleep. Mommy says I have a general bloody smell about me although my breath doesn't smell bloody which is good. I finally pooped today and, while it wasn't diarrhea it wasn't normal either and it was a black in parts, so there is still blood in my system. I have to take a bunch of meds, including one awful chalky one that Mommy has to squirt down my throat. As sick as I am I have enough energy to dodge her when I see the syringe and make her chase me down and trap me in a corner. We are just hoping that I get better and don't relapse or anything. Keep your paws crossed for me.