Brussels sprout stalks make good dog toys.
Kendal
Dr. K is the same today. He ate not quite a full can of the I/R diet the vet sent home yesterday, which is unlike him. Faye went to Goderich to see her mom as well as brother Allan, Connie, and Keith and I stayed home. Walked him up to the corner and he had a smallish poop; considering that he hasn’t eaten his normal amount of foo that isn’t too troublesome. He’s still lacking in energy and his usual enthusiasm, and I did not have him join me and the cattle dogs outside. This photo was taken last month.
It’s concerning.
A fine day
It is a fine day, about 38F and clear, so the cattle dogs and I celebrated by spending some time outside. they engaged in a bit of play while I enjoyed a cigar.
Texas snow
I’ve been sorting photos and came aross this one taken in February 2004 just up the street from where I lived in Austin TX. Yes, Austin can have a measurable snowfall. Going through old photos is good, they bring back memories that at times are almost lost.
Kendal was unwell
Yesterday, Kendal began showing signs of not being himself. For one thing he was sluggish. During the evening he showed signs of discomfort – not getting up at the call to dinner and not inhaling the kibble we brought to him. We have fed everyone Acana Regionals for about two years, cycling among the four varieties. He lay down almost exclusively on his stomach and was uncomfortable, shifting position and groaning; breathing more shallowly and quickly than normal; trembling. He was aware of and interested in what was going on yet obviously not himself. We resolved to defer todays’ trip to Goderich and take him to the vet.
We watched him overnight (it was a long night). We had thoughts of bloat, a blockage, cancer, pancreatitis. He barfed at 5:00AM. Called the vet (Wallaceburg Animal Hospital) first thing and they said bring him right in. Kendal was perkier and positively jumped right up at the notion of a car ride.
After the initial exam the vet recommended a full blood panel, x-rays. Dr. Tracy Landry is a wonderful vet with a calm, factual, easy tableside manner. There was some difficulty with the x-ray setup which delayed those results. The verdict:
No pancreatitis, bloat, or blockage. X-rays revealed some gas buildup in his stomach and intestines and somewhat enlarged spleen. Bloodwork showed an RBC count below normal and sme liver values are elevated. The thinking is that this may be either a one-off upset or early signs of something more significant. Course of treatment: canned food for a few days, the antibiotic doxycycline to treat any infection, and Cerena as a stomach easer. I would not object too strenuously if Kendal blew a big stinky fart.
We are home. He’s alert and watching Faye, who is working in the kitchen. Kendal’s 12 years old, a good age for a Lab. We will watch him. After last night’s restless night, we may crash early.
Junco
The Dark-eyed Junco blends in to the scenery very well, which is its camoflague (sp?). We have a flock of about six which visits several times daily. They are ground feeders, gleaning what they can. I get amused watching them hop like little mechanical wind-up birds.
White Christmas
Life has blessed us with a fine, almost icing sugar dusting of snow today. Wonderful.
Back on the couch
Once I finished emptying the boxes of books which were on this love seat in the man cave, Achilles had his bed back. This is by far his favourite spot in the house. Kendal rarely uses this love seat, Stella never. He’s got my back while I compute.
A welcome splash of colour
This African violet is blooming on December 22. I have had potted plants for decades, never having luck getting African violets to bloom until moving to Canada, now it seems I can’t prevent them from blooming.
Its colour is very welcome on this gray and grismal day.
Puttering
This is one thing I puttered about today. We had some electrical work done and the prep work included unloading a bookcase. I re-stacked many of the books, roughly following the Dewey Decimal System, as well as found a restung place for a few of Faye’s gargoyles,
Faye recently found this bookcase at Sally Ann. It perfectly fits this space and is now loaded with our fiction collection, DVD and VHS (yes we will have VHS tapes!), and a few other things.
previouslytexan 