Wonderful news for you, Barclay and Chester. Just to know he feels better is a blessing. After all, he doesn't know the diagnosis, so just feeling good is what I know you want for him in whatever time there is left. Hopefully it is a massive infection which can be treated. He's a lucky dog to have such a good home.
__________________ Judy and Bob
At Home in Oklahoma
I am so sorry to hear the diagnosis. It seems like cancer is invading everyone we hold dear these days. Hang in there and be strong for Chester. From all of your posts concerning Alki's illness, and now Chester's, it is evident that they have a good and loving home with wonderful parents.
__________________
Kathy
Chattanooga, TN
Air #2757
It's Time To Rally!
Falluminum '08 - Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds
Hiawassee, GA
November 7-9, 2008
A wish that we may be the person our dog thinks we are.
Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.
Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:
* When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
* Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
* Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
* Take naps.
* Stretch before rising.
* Run, romp, and play daily.
* Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
* Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
* On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
* On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
* When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
* Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
* Be loyal.
* Never pretend to be something you're not.
* If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
* When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.
Good news for Chester the Dalmatian - he has fully recovered from the lung congestion problem, and the vet even managed to find a new artheritis medicine that is helping him. He seems to be feeling great and is playing with Barclay again. It's great after thinking he was at the end. Looks like he's got a bit more left in him!
Also, I'm attaching what is possibly one of the cutest pictures of Alki ever, doing her one-paw beg She is also doing great after the cancer treatments, and every checkup has been fine. Notice baby Barclay behind her, who at 4 months is now as big as her, just not fluffy.
I haven't updated for a while. Alki has been doing very well. This week we decided we could no longer put off having her teeth cleaned. She had a major blood test two weeks ago and everything came back fine, so we decided it was time. I hated to do it to her, she's been through so much! Lately her eyesight and her hearing has been failing her a little, and it makes her nervous about what's going on around her sometimes. Also she is a big wimp when it comes to any discomfort. So I think those things combined last night when she came home from the vet, still a little groggy after the teeth cleaning. Things were a little scary to her, and she was unsure and nervous. So she spent the whole night staring at me, like she wanted me to do something about it! I mean, I woke up in the night several times to find her nose to nose staring at me. I don't think she got much sleep, and neither did I! Today things have been much better. She's starting to look like her bright eyed self again. I think it just took longer for the meds to wear off than usual, and she was stressed out. Hopefully we won't have to put her through that again. I mean, I certainly want her to be with us as long as possible, but I don't want to put her through anything like that unless it's absolutely necessary (which it was, this time).
Chester the dalmatian is still hanging in there, but just barely. As long as he can still get up and down and walk outside to go potty we're working around his occasional collapses and other little accidents in the house.
The new pup Barclay is an absolute delight. He is such a doll, cuddly and sweet, and pesky and sneaky too, like all good puppies! He has started showing some interest, and some natural talent, at herding the sheep! I had no idea, but I emailed the breeder and she said some eskimos earn titles in herding. What fun!
Here's a picture of crazy Barclay after a morning of chasing sheep and playing in the pond. You can just see by his look why he's such a joy, and will help cushion the blow of losing the other dogs when their time comes. Even just the time I've spent working with him and training him has taken my mind off of obsessing over Alki and her problems, which I think has been good for all of us.
Sad news, today we had to have Chester the Dalmatian put down. He had heart, lung, and artheritis problems, and had a dead leg and lost control of his bowels. We helped him as long as we could, but he had some sort of attack this morning that told us it was time to let him go. We're all very sad. It seems very quiet without him.
Alki is still doing fine, and she has just passed one year since her cancer treatments ended. She has gotten a little hard of hearing, and her vision might be a little dim, but she's happy and playful and just like her old self. The only nice thing about going deaf is she doesn't hear every little thing that goes on in the neighborhood so she doesn't bark as much!
Barclay is a great little guy, full of joy and playfulness. Last weekend I took him to a sheep herding lesson, and he did great and had a great time at it. The teacher had never worked with an eskimo before and she loved him! So we're going to continue that. They were encouraging us to work towards doing competitions with him, but I will be happy if he can just learn to help round up and move the sheep around the farm.
Stephanie and familly,
I'm so sorry to hear the sad news about Chester. Memories of good times will trump the sad ones every time.
Thank you for letting us know.
Quick Links
Judy and Bob
She is also doing great after the cancer treatments, and every checkup has been fine. Notice baby Barclay behind her, who at 4 months is now as big as her, just not fluffy.
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