A LITTLE CHAOS

 Last night, well, yesterday afternoon, there was a crises and I had to leave.   Petey had his food but he said, “where are you going?”

This morning, all was normal and he wanted Beach Bits breakfast. I couldn’t believe he stood up on the chair to ask for some.  He’s some Peke! 💙

GIZZY AND THE PICNIC

 Gizzy was fostered and adopted from us by Tim and Colleen. 

 He's so excited to be coming to the picnic that he is making faces at his "exchange student" sister. 

 She adores him and makes him feel like a super hero! 

 He is resting after practicing his tennis and dreaming of all the treats that will be at the picnic.

 Maybe he thought about it so hard, it just wore him out.

 Are you excited!  I can't wait to meet your sister and see your mom and dad!

He may wear his Batman bandana to the picnic-- we will have to wait and see! 

MR. PETEY SAYS HAPPY SUNDAY!

Mr. Petey...

Look closely at Mr. Petey's tail-- his hair is starting to grow back.   He's wearing a thunder shirt, but his anxiety is much better.   He has a favorite place on the covered porch where he loves to monitor what is going on.   He can't hear and his front legs don't work well, but at this house, we're used to seniors (he's about 12 1/2) and physical issues.

He has been able to climb on the couch on his own a few times, but I did put him up here to rest while I worked at the computer.   I did NOT tell him he could climb over the stuffed animals to go to the table to see if there were any treats on it.  No, I did not tell him that.    😃

Wait!  Maybe he's just trying to get to the building blocks so we can build him a cart to run with.   I think that must be it.   Maybe Beach Bit can help me build one.   Or maybe we will just have to think about finding him a real one.   He has a lot of love and life in him and we want it to be the best! 💙

BATH DAY

 Scout wasn’t thrilled with her bath but with everything she gets into, it was a necessity.  She can run and roll and get covered in pollen balls.  It’s great fun!!   But, then... the bath!

 Ollie had his bath at the groomer.  His mom said she went s little crazy with his hair cut, but it will grow back.  Ollie thinks he is very handsome!  And he is.

And Scout is beautiful after her bath.  Don’t tell my group but they are headed for their baths today. It has to be done.  LOL

FAREWELL RICKY ROO

 Ricky Roo came into rescue in 2004. 

 He was a beautiful little man-- here more recently.

 Ricky Roo (his loving nickname) was about 2 years old. 

He was a beautiful, handsome boy. 

 And sweet!!!  There wasn't a mean bone in his body.  His tail wagged and he was happy.

 He was adopted by Carolyn, and we became friends.  She eventually moved to my area, and we were able to get together for coffee and lunch. 

 And I was able to see Ricky.

 He even came to visit.  My Scooterbug was one of his best friends here.

 Ricky was a joyful one, and he was adored by his mom.

 Did I mention his smile?  💙

 His best friend was LJ, a little Maltese who adored his big brother.  He also had a sister named Clover.

 Ricky was almost 17, but his body couldn't fight against the years.  He lost his mobility and couldn't move around much as all.  He was losing weight and his body was just tired.

 But, he still wagged his tail and was happy.   His mom realized his quality of life was gone.   He had no control of anything. 

So, we went to the vet, and gave him all the treats he wanted (he still loved those!) and he gently fell asleep with love surrounding him.  He was the best boy.  He was loved.  Run free now, Ricky.  Find your friend, Scooterbug, and give him a kiss for us!   ❤️

FAREWELL LULU BELLE

LULU BELLE 

 In May of 2012, we were asked to take in a 4-5 year old Peke from a shelter.  She was sweet, but nervous there, so they asked for rescue help.   Jeanne picked her up and fostered her.  But, she was quickly adopted.

 Lulu Belle was a beautiful little girl, whose smile lit up the room.   Amy and her family loved her.

 She enjoyed going to the beach-- those waves didn't scare her!

 The cool water felt great on her feet.

 She adored her kids.

 She was always so good with them, and was their little Nanny dog.

Lulu Belle was sick and her mom took her to the vet-- she thought it was a back issue and they gave her meds.  But, she died during the night, so something else must have been going on.   She was 12-13 years old and her smile and presence will be missed greatly.  Her family is devastated.  We are just never ready to say good-bye to them.   Run free now, sweet girl.  You are loved.  💜

MAX AND KIDNEY DISEASE

Max is almost 16 years old (August, 2003). 

We have called him Mr. Grumpy for years, because he could be grumpy especially if you picked him up.  😦

He could "do it himself" don't you know.

He is now called The Old Gentleman, because he has become gentler in his older years.   He was never really mean-- just grumpy.     He loved to get on the couch.

But, he hasn't been able to do that for awhile.

It's okay.  He has many soft beds to choose from.

Many!!

I do yearly blood work on all my dogs.  I do tick panels and urinalysis every year with their yearly visits (although most go more often than that!). 

He used to LOVE LOVE the ottoman in front of the window so he could guard us from squirrels.

He was even gentle with Sugar Bit. 

This year, I noticed him starting to slow down-- and he didn't want to eat as much. 

But, I thought, "He's getting older.  It's okay." 

I took him in for bloodwork and urinalysis, etc.  I wanted to make sure nothing was going on.

He is still happy, here with Chumley, just slower.   He still insists on doing the five steps up to the porch.  Just try to help him-- oh, he will be grumbly.

His labs showed that Max had kidney disease.   Not what I wanted to hear.

His numbers were not good at all.  With kidney disease, by the time you see symptoms, the kidneys may have lost 75% of their function.  I was so sad.   So, we checked him out again.  He has ulcers in his mouth, a rare effect of the disease.   Soft food is a must.  And a special diet-- I make it because he hates the prescription food for this.  The kidneys are critical because they clean out the waste in the dog's system.  They can't filter out the toxins in the blood if they have kidney disease.  It's not uncommon in older dogs, but it can hit at any age, even under a year.    If your dog will drink more, that's great.  If they won't, there is the option of IV fluids to help.  Many dogs are okay with this-- Max is not.  He hates it.   I saw the vet yesterday, and she said to let him be comfortable.   Don't make his last months hard, just do comfort care and I am doing that.  (I'm not giving up on him!)   I make his special food, and give him whatever he will eat.  He has already lost 2 1/2 pounds.   He has had almost 11 years of love here, and he has had a great life.  We just can't fix "old."
My Dog is in Kidney Failure, What Should I Expect?

When he was young, I fostered him and his sister, Maggie, who passed away in December of 2017.

Max (with Starlight behind him) is my boy.  And I will do all I can to keep him comfortable and happy.  When I can't do that anymore, I will gently let him go.   I love you, Max.