Q-tips are off the menu!

I just want to let everyone out there know that Q-tips are not very digestible. I know, you'd think they would be... all cotton and paper. Have I mentioned how I love paper? I ate a rather large package of Q-tips on Sunday and they didn't agree with me. The problems may have been exacerbated by the fact that they were combined with the peel (and seeds) of a butternut squash that I pilfered from the prep sink mid-preparations. They only have to leave the kitchen for a minute or so. I'm that fast! Anyway, the next morning (Monday) it all came back up. Several times. And because of it, I didn't get fed yesterday! That certainly was a bummer. I was totally miserable and sad yesterday with my tummy all empty. I'll never do that again! Like I'm smart enough to remember such things:)

On the flip side, it was a good ploy to keep Daisy in town so that Denver and I wouldn't be alone. She was supposed to leave for Seattle yesterday morning. With Tim off vacationing in Puerto Vallarta, there was no one to watch us. A neighbor was going to feed us and check in on us, but the Vet said I needed more supervision than that (to make sure the Q-tips all came out one way or another). So, Daisy changed her flight (she leaves today) and Tim comes home tonight. I really hate being alone at night (the dark and all) so I managed to maneuver things so that I wouldn't be!

What I want for Christmas

I have blogged on how much I like Denver's awesome bed before. I just don't want to risk being too subtle: I want my own donut bed for Christmas! In MY size! Denver's just doesn't cut it for me, but at least she is nice enough to share.

yummy...

While Daisy was in Seattle, I noticed that the calendar was getting behind. I decided to help her out with that, an found out that it was yummy. I guess I got carried away.

Been Busy

Sorry that we haven't been posting in a while. Ever since we moved in to the new house, I've been really busy.


There are so many places to sleep and sun bathe in this house! It takes my entire day!

Clean Teeth and other stuff

Denver and I went to the vet to have our teeth cleaned last week. It was my first time. Now my teeth are pearly white again!

It didn't go quite so well for Denver. First, she is very protective of me, so she got upset when they took me away (to clean my teeth first). Then when her turn came, they pulled out 4 teeth! They were all in the front, so her smile is kinda cute in a Louisiana sort of way. The upper front tooth was expected, because she had broken it off, possibly trying to escape the crate which she hates. The 3 lower ones were not expected. The gums were receded, one tooth was really loose, and the others were so-so. They were going to be a problem, and since this is probably her last tooth cleaning, they took them before they got bad. The big news is that her ultrasound and biopsy went really well. The ultrasound showed that the kidneys and liver looked normal, albeit a little small. The liver wasn't all smooth and firm, but she's not young, so that's OK. The important thing is that there were no lumps or enlargements. Then the liver biopsy came back and confirmed that there is no indication of cancer in her liver! Yeah! We ran around in little circles at the news. The pathology showed mild vacuolar hepatopathy, which is really not that big a deal, and is common at her age. This can cause mild to moderate elevations in the liver enzymes, which she has. No big deal.

The bottom line, she will be able to boss me around and mess with me for a while longer.

Ruby Slippers for the Jackster

I got me some new shoes! They're tough -made by Ruff Wear. They've got vibram soles and a nice mesh upper. I can wear them in the lake and they'll dry out nicely. This photo is post play time, so I'm a bit out of breath.
Of course they felt weird at first, but then the chuck-it and tennis ball came out and nothing else mattered. I got good traction with my new shoes. I could stop on a dime. I always try, but my own bare pads don't hold the ground so well, and I slide leaving some flesh behind. I declare my new shoes a success!

Bathing Beauty

I love to bathe in the sun. Should I worry about getting wrinkles and age spots?

Big Trouble

Warning to all dogs: it is always bad to steal the labels from yarn. If you are caught, you'll be in trouble. Some yarns will get you into bigger trouble than others.

May

I thought May was supposed to be warm. Wouldn't that exclude snow? This is the second time in this young month that we've had snow. I 'm not a big fan of cold stuff.

Great Day for a Swim

Saturday was a beautiful day for a swim. It was sunny and warm and the lake was smooth. Tim and Daisy took us dogs down to the lake and threw the tennis ball for us. When there is a tennis ball to fetch, nothing else matters to me. See how clear this lake is?
The Tim tried to trick me by throwing a pine cone and a tennis ball out there. Yes, I am obsessed, so I brought them both back. The pine cone is a little prickly on the mouth, by the way.
Yep, I'm a dork.
Denver even got in on the fun. I guess that's good for her, but I don't like it when they hold me back and won't let ME get the ball!

Afterward, I had a nice time sunbathing to dry off. What more could a lab want in life? Food, of course!

Finally!

I've been trying to figure out how to fit into Denver's bed for months now. It was purchased for her, and the intention was for it to be too small for me. I always like the softest bed, so I nudge her out and take the spot. This bed was supposed to be for Denver only, because I wasn't supposed to fit. But it's the nicest dog bed I've ever seen! It just looked so soft and cozy...
and it is as soft as I imagined!

Laundry

I love a big pile of laundry just before it is sorted!

I am SOOO hungry!

Whining doesn't seem to work. Barking doesn't seem to work. I needed a new plan and here's what I came up with: I thought that if I lie on her feet, it would be hard for her to pedal the spinning the spinning wheel. Then she'd have to get up and feed me my dinner! At least I'd be between her and the wheel!

what i did this weekend, and what I do all day

Well, the big news this weekend was that I pooped! Yes, it really was big news, but I'll spare you the photos. First I had the runs, then the pukes. They tortured me withheld food from me for the entire day last Tuesday. Then I got rice and cottage cheese to eat, small amounts at first. By Friday I still hadn't pooped, and my sweet new Vet was concerned and said she was going to loose sleep if I didn't poop soon. So we went to see her on and she fed me this yummy caramel tasting goo (that's why she's my new best friend). It is called Cat Lax and will also help me with hairballs! Fortunately I pooped Saturday morning, cuz they were starting to talk about barium x-rays. That would have seriously cut in to my napping time. It didn't, so here's what I did all weekend:


Yep, I'm pretty cute!

We've Been Under the Weather

I haven't been feeling very well since my visit to the kennel. I have always had a delicate constitution. My digestive system can handle gravel, bones, paper, and foil wrappers, but it can't handle a change in my dry dog food. Well, that was what we thought the problem was for the first few days. After I'd been back home a few days and eating my normal food, instead of improving, my digestive system was getting worse.
Yesterday, when I needed to be let out every 30 minutes, starting at 5 am, Daisy decided to take me to the Vet. About 2 hours before our appointment, I puked. That was bad. Daisy had been feeling nauseous and unable to eat for 2 days so, when she went to clean up after me, it was a problem. She puked too. She got it together and took me too the Vet. They were worried that I had a blockage, so Daisy had to watch me closely all evening. She had a class down in Truckee so she took me with and came out to check on me in the truck. When we got home around 10 pm, she let me pee off leash in front of the house. Silly Girl! Just cuz I'd had nothing to eat and had been feeling terrible, didn't mean I wouldn't run away! Poor thing, she'd been unwell, only had saltines and ginger ale all day. She wasn't thinking, but then she found herself walking all around the neighborhood in the dark wearing her headlamp, trying to find me. Obviously she did... eventually. And I'll never tell if I found something to eat, or if I threw up again. I'm doing fine, so no harm, no fowl.

I wasn't given anything to eat anything yesterday! It was a nightmare! I did get drugs, to fight whatever bugs might be messing with me and something to sooth my system. Today I got to eat a little cottage cheese with rice. I'm feeling better, but I'm still not like myself.

Working Through the Pain

I haven't been able to post in a while... paw trouble. Just to prove I'm not as wimpy as they say I am, I am posting despite my pain. First of all, I got a bit over zealous while fetching the tennis ball and tore up my pads pretty good. It turns out that you can't really slide on the pavement the way you can on snow covered roads. Oops. That had me limping a bit. Then, once it healed and my limp was gone, Tim took me and Denver for a hike. Well, Tim climbed up on a boulder to take a nice picture. Of course I had to follow him. I scrambled my way up, but couldn't really figure out how to stay there. I tried my best to get a good grip on that rock while slipping off it, bit I just couldn't get my nails into it. So much for those pads. I also hurt my leg in the fall. Now I'm limping even worse than before. Tim's been bringing us to work with him, so I'm sure he got advice from the medical crew as he palpated my leg for a break. There doesn't seem to be one, so I'm just favoring it these days. Tim has been working nights, and Daisy's out of town. Since Tim works at least 12 hour shifts (with 1 1/2 hour of total commute) we can't really be left at home. He thinks we'll pee in the house... and we might. Tim set up a nice cozy bed in the back of the truck, which has a top, and he even got a little heater for us. Denver and I have a nice warm little home on wheels, and we get to run around the airport too. It has been quite nice, even for a cold sensitive guy like me. Tomorrow morning we are going to a kennel. I've never been to one, but Denver knows this one well and says that it's like doggie camp. Sounds fun to me! Daisy is supposed to liberate us on Saturday, when she gets back from Washington. I probably wont have internet access at the kennel, so I doubt I'll post again before Saturday.

These boots are made for what?

While packing for our move, Daisy put these boots on my front paws. Well, how do you walk with such things on your feet? After she put the first one on me, and I just didn't use that paw. It isn't so hard to walk with only 3 legs/paws. But then she put the second one on me, and well, how do you walk without the front legs? I tried...
The humiliation of it! Daisy and Tim were laughing at me! How could they? I get no respect.

"sliding glass" doors

Did you know that there are invisible doors?! Well, I found out the hard way. My head is kind of sore. The little den we have slept in for the last few days has this crazy door. Sometimes you can run right through, and other times it stops you dead in your tracks. Ouch! The worst part is that Tim and Daisy seem to think this is VERY funny, and can't stop laughing.

I have been having a great time in the snow, though. I also like the fact that I spend a lot more time with out a leash!

I'm Healthy

Went to the Vet this morning to say "goodbye". She said I'm healthy and so is Denver (well, we have to wait for her "senior" blood panel to be official, but she's a healthy ol' gal). Now Denver and I are all ready for the big move to Tahoe. Daisy thinks I don't know what's going on just because I've never moved before. Denver told me all about it, but I'm not letting on.

The Vet kept calling me a goofball. I don't get it. And, another thing I don't get: why are people always suggesting that my tail should hurt? It happens when I'm obviously happy. Can't they see my tail wagging? I mean, it should be pretty obvious to them, cuz you can hear it smacking against the wall!

Apparently I have acne (blackheads) and Daisy has to go get Stridex Medicated Pads for me. She says its more evidence that I am like a teenage boy. I just don't get the comparison. Mine is on my chest. The Vet says that is something that is often seen in Greyhounds and Great Danes. Daisy loves it, because it supports her working hypothesis that I am part Great Dane. What is a "working hypothesis" anyway? Hopefully we can get my chest all fixed up with the Stridex pads. Otherwise, Daisy wants to wax my chest to prevent the ingrown hairs! That doesn't sound good at all!