(Woodinville, WA) I was the down. The Lacey trial was just too much for my body and I haven't been out of bed all week. I'm really tired of lying down and I'm really tired of daytime TV! Hurry up and get well body!
But the dogs had some ups! Wazzu had a chiropractor appointment this week and we got good news. The adjustments she's been getting are holding. She has much less pain in her mid-back. Unfortunately she's developed a mild compression in the sacral area but overall her back is feeling much better. Yippee for Wazzu!
Slugger had his eight-week check-up after his ACL surgery. Hip hip hooray - Slugger got his Romping Papers! He still has to work up slowly but he can now take short walks and best of all he's allowed to jump on the couch! That makes life so much easier. So the best news is that the surgery went well and we kept him still enough that the leg is healing well. Major thanks to Karen and Mega-Dogs! The swimming is what helped him heal so well. If you ever need to do rehab on your dog be sure to check out the pool at Mega-Dogs. It will make all the difference!
Poor Mike is working so hard to take care of all of us. He's waiting on all of us hand and foot, day and night. Fortunately he was able to take a little bike ride one afternoon to renew his energy and get a little break from taking care of all of us.
Here's to good health for all. And remember, no matter what your condition, you have many things to be thankful for.
Debbie
6/25-29/07
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Friday, June 29, 2007
Happiness is......
(Lacey, WA) Seeing Wazzu with a huge smile on her face.
Friday morning we moved from Rochester to St. Martin's College in Lacey, WA. Our club (Rainier Agility Team)is having their annual NADAC agility trial in Lacey this weekend. This year I am Co-Chair so we got there nice and early to start getting things all set up.
It was an extremely busy day for me and even though Mike helped me a LOT I was still up and around more than usual. By the time it was time to take the judges out to dinner I had to change the plans I had made as I really needed to lie down. Since both judges are from Montana, I thought it would be great to take them to a place right on the water with local flavor. The Olympia Oyster House is really famous and has been there forever so that was the plan. But by the time we were all ready to do dinner it was 7:00pm on a Friday night. I called and they said the wait was over an hour. That didn't sound like a fun thing at all - even for healthy people!
So we looked at the menu online and ordered take-out. After picking it up we went to my parent's house which overlooks the Puget Sound and has a nice view of Mt. Rainier. The food was excellent, the scenery was beautiful, and the company was great. A big thanks to Mom for letting us invade her house on just a few moments notice.
The trial ran smoothly and on Saturday the weather was fair most of the day other than about a ten minute rain storm. The first run of the day was Weavers. I pulled Wazzu from it due to her back but Sparkie ran, of course. Poor Mike was so busy helping me that he wasn't concentrating on the course well and Sparkie was wild as she hadn't gotten to do anything yesterday so they didn't have the best run.
The next run was Chances - the only thing Wazzu and I really need as it is our weak area. Wazzu ran like she was the fastest dog on earth and like she was the best distance dog in agility. It's really amazing what she can do when she feels good and the moon and planets are all aligned correctly. Ha ha. Go figure! Well, whatever it was, it was GREAT! How fun!
The next run was Regular and Wazzu acted like agility was the worst form of torture there was. I was so discouraged as I felt sorry for her as I don't want to make her do something if it hurts - so after a bit we left the course. Mike and Sparkie however had pulled it all together and had a fabulous run coming in 1st place!
I'm not sure what happened after that Regular run but suddenly Wazzu decided she felt good enough to do agility again. She wasn't super duper speedy but she did run fairly fast and acted happy. However, between runs she was totally conked out. People would pet her and she wouldn't even open her eyes. It was a very odd day and I was a bit concerned.
Sparkie ran well the rest of the day and had a couple really spectacular runs. As always, we got a lot of comments about how cute she is and how much fun she has. Fun is her middle name for sure!
Sunday was probably the most fun day of agility I've ever participated in - even though the weather was horrible and it poured quite a bit of the day. There were a few sun breaks too though and those were much appreciated. For Wazzu and I it was like the sun was beaming down on us the entire day - even when it poured.
Sparkie ran so nicely today. She was brilliant in all her runs. Unfortunately she had just one little problem on a number of runs with contacts which kept her from getting many Q's but she really ran perfect lines and was super fast.
I don't know what got into Wazzu but she was like a ray of sunshine all day. She was so happy! She ran fast and perfectly going 6/6. But it wasn't the Q's that made our day. Wazzu was happy and silly all day. Even between runs she was happy and wanted to play. There is nothing better than seeing Wazzu so happy and smiling - especially with all the health problems she is having right now. It truly was one of our happiest days ever.
Poor little Slugger spent all three days locked in the RV as he is still on bed rest. He was such a good little sport about it all. What a sweetie.
Unfortunately by late afternoon on Sunday my body rebelled. I guess I did too much all weekend since I was very busy helping to coordinate the trial and am now suffering a huge setback in my health. I'm sure hoping I rebound quickly. Poor Mike had to pack up both our stuff and help pack up all the trial stuff.
After all was said and done we crept up the freeway, along with what seemed like everyone else in the state, back up to Woodinville where Mike got us all settled in once again. Poor guy is pretty worn out.
Here's to dreaming about one very happy Wazzu!
Debbie
6/22-24/07
Friday morning we moved from Rochester to St. Martin's College in Lacey, WA. Our club (Rainier Agility Team)is having their annual NADAC agility trial in Lacey this weekend. This year I am Co-Chair so we got there nice and early to start getting things all set up.
It was an extremely busy day for me and even though Mike helped me a LOT I was still up and around more than usual. By the time it was time to take the judges out to dinner I had to change the plans I had made as I really needed to lie down. Since both judges are from Montana, I thought it would be great to take them to a place right on the water with local flavor. The Olympia Oyster House is really famous and has been there forever so that was the plan. But by the time we were all ready to do dinner it was 7:00pm on a Friday night. I called and they said the wait was over an hour. That didn't sound like a fun thing at all - even for healthy people!
So we looked at the menu online and ordered take-out. After picking it up we went to my parent's house which overlooks the Puget Sound and has a nice view of Mt. Rainier. The food was excellent, the scenery was beautiful, and the company was great. A big thanks to Mom for letting us invade her house on just a few moments notice.
The trial ran smoothly and on Saturday the weather was fair most of the day other than about a ten minute rain storm. The first run of the day was Weavers. I pulled Wazzu from it due to her back but Sparkie ran, of course. Poor Mike was so busy helping me that he wasn't concentrating on the course well and Sparkie was wild as she hadn't gotten to do anything yesterday so they didn't have the best run.
The next run was Chances - the only thing Wazzu and I really need as it is our weak area. Wazzu ran like she was the fastest dog on earth and like she was the best distance dog in agility. It's really amazing what she can do when she feels good and the moon and planets are all aligned correctly. Ha ha. Go figure! Well, whatever it was, it was GREAT! How fun!
The next run was Regular and Wazzu acted like agility was the worst form of torture there was. I was so discouraged as I felt sorry for her as I don't want to make her do something if it hurts - so after a bit we left the course. Mike and Sparkie however had pulled it all together and had a fabulous run coming in 1st place!
I'm not sure what happened after that Regular run but suddenly Wazzu decided she felt good enough to do agility again. She wasn't super duper speedy but she did run fairly fast and acted happy. However, between runs she was totally conked out. People would pet her and she wouldn't even open her eyes. It was a very odd day and I was a bit concerned.
Sparkie ran well the rest of the day and had a couple really spectacular runs. As always, we got a lot of comments about how cute she is and how much fun she has. Fun is her middle name for sure!
Sunday was probably the most fun day of agility I've ever participated in - even though the weather was horrible and it poured quite a bit of the day. There were a few sun breaks too though and those were much appreciated. For Wazzu and I it was like the sun was beaming down on us the entire day - even when it poured.
Sparkie ran so nicely today. She was brilliant in all her runs. Unfortunately she had just one little problem on a number of runs with contacts which kept her from getting many Q's but she really ran perfect lines and was super fast.
I don't know what got into Wazzu but she was like a ray of sunshine all day. She was so happy! She ran fast and perfectly going 6/6. But it wasn't the Q's that made our day. Wazzu was happy and silly all day. Even between runs she was happy and wanted to play. There is nothing better than seeing Wazzu so happy and smiling - especially with all the health problems she is having right now. It truly was one of our happiest days ever.
Poor little Slugger spent all three days locked in the RV as he is still on bed rest. He was such a good little sport about it all. What a sweetie.
Unfortunately by late afternoon on Sunday my body rebelled. I guess I did too much all weekend since I was very busy helping to coordinate the trial and am now suffering a huge setback in my health. I'm sure hoping I rebound quickly. Poor Mike had to pack up both our stuff and help pack up all the trial stuff.
After all was said and done we crept up the freeway, along with what seemed like everyone else in the state, back up to Woodinville where Mike got us all settled in once again. Poor guy is pretty worn out.
Here's to dreaming about one very happy Wazzu!
Debbie
6/22-24/07
Thursday, June 21, 2007
More Tasting
(Olympia, WA) Today we did our final tasting before the upcoming party. We went to the Country Club to taste the items I had tentatively chosen to have at the party. Most of the food was very good and much better than I had expected. I must say though that I make much better deviled eggs - but I have no intention of making enough for this party though! Theirs will due just fine.
A bit of a funny story. Yesterday we did the cake tasting and I forgot to take pictures. Today we did the food tasting and I was going to be sure to take pictures. Well just as we were leaving I realized I had forgotten to take a picture. So I made mom go sit back down and had the guy bring back one of the empty trays so I could take a picture. So here is my staged photo.
Mom made one of my most favorite meals tonight. It was SO good. Mike has never cared for it so Mom made him steak and mashed potatoes while the rest of the family had rice and curry. Yumi was even home for a few minutes tonight so we got to eat a quick dinner with her before she was off once again.
Debbie
6/21/07
A bit of a funny story. Yesterday we did the cake tasting and I forgot to take pictures. Today we did the food tasting and I was going to be sure to take pictures. Well just as we were leaving I realized I had forgotten to take a picture. So I made mom go sit back down and had the guy bring back one of the empty trays so I could take a picture. So here is my staged photo.
Mom made one of my most favorite meals tonight. It was SO good. Mike has never cared for it so Mom made him steak and mashed potatoes while the rest of the family had rice and curry. Yumi was even home for a few minutes tonight so we got to eat a quick dinner with her before she was off once again.
Debbie
6/21/07
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Ouch
(Olympia, WA) Today was going to be a fun day as we had a cake tasting appointment at a really good bakery in Olympia to taste cakes for my parents 50th anniversary party that is coming up in a few weeks.
On the way, we had a few errands to do. We had just finished our last errand and were sitting still waiting for the traffic to clear so we could pull out when suddenly we were hit from behind. A guy in a truck didn't look before backing up (I guess) and hit us.
As you can see they hit us pretty good. It isn't just a little scrape.
In fact, when the guy hit us, he didn't stop. He just tried going a little more - which just scraped up his old truck even more.
Mike got out to check the damage and talk with the guy that hit us. They started exchanging information when I heard the other guy say "I guess I'd better tell you right off that I don't have insurance." It was at this point that I decided I better call to get the police to come out and make a police report. I learned this by watching Judge Judy. (And here I always thought daytime TV was a huge waste of time!) So after the guy mentioned he had no insurance Mike said "Isn't that against the law?" To which the guy responded: "Well, I didn't have enough money the last time the bill was due." Mike replied "I think that's still against the law." The guy then proceeded to tell us he'd never had a wreck in 20 years. I'm kind of thinking that if you don't have insurance you might want to be really careful and LOOK before you back up.
The ironic thing is that someone hit us just six months ago and we had this exact part of the car replaced. The guy hit the newest part of our car! Bummer.
So we waited about ten minutes for the police to show up. She took down all the information and got statements from all of us - amazing how long this all takes! We were started to get worried we might be late for our cake tasting!
After a while another police car showed up. This officer had a much fancier uniform. I guess the first officer just takes statements and makes police reports. the second officer is the one that gives tickets. As we left the guy was getting cited for not having insurance and getting both his license and his truck registration suspended.
Trying to figure out how to get your car fixed when you're always traveling is difficult. So we won't be able to get it fixed for another month. And since the guy isn't insured we have a deductible (even though we have uninsured motorist coverage) and there is no coverage for a rental car. It's really inconvenient to be without our car since it is specially designed to carry me. But it would be nice to have some sort of car so at least Mike and the dogs can get around.
So my suggestion is if you're ever hit make sure the people that crash into have insurance first! But the good thing is that the dogs weren't in the car and no one in either vehicle was hurt. And the best thing was that we got to our cake tasting in time!
Can you believe I forgot to take pictures at our tasting. Arg. Guess my brain was still a little off due to the wreck.
Anyway, we thought we were going to get just a bite of each cake to taste. But when the guy came out he brought a large piece of each cake for each of us. Even Mike got full. The rest of us (mom, dad, and me) couldn't begin to eat all our cake. But it was all so good. Even the one that wasn't my favorite was still good.
I am so full that I don't ever want to eat cake again....well at least until tomorrow anyway! Tee hee.
It was a beautiful day and we really enjoyed the view from the house the rest of the afternoon. This is the view out the front windows.
This was taken from out on the deck. What a beautiful day!
Debbie
6/20/07
On the way, we had a few errands to do. We had just finished our last errand and were sitting still waiting for the traffic to clear so we could pull out when suddenly we were hit from behind. A guy in a truck didn't look before backing up (I guess) and hit us.
As you can see they hit us pretty good. It isn't just a little scrape.
In fact, when the guy hit us, he didn't stop. He just tried going a little more - which just scraped up his old truck even more.
Mike got out to check the damage and talk with the guy that hit us. They started exchanging information when I heard the other guy say "I guess I'd better tell you right off that I don't have insurance." It was at this point that I decided I better call to get the police to come out and make a police report. I learned this by watching Judge Judy. (And here I always thought daytime TV was a huge waste of time!) So after the guy mentioned he had no insurance Mike said "Isn't that against the law?" To which the guy responded: "Well, I didn't have enough money the last time the bill was due." Mike replied "I think that's still against the law." The guy then proceeded to tell us he'd never had a wreck in 20 years. I'm kind of thinking that if you don't have insurance you might want to be really careful and LOOK before you back up.
The ironic thing is that someone hit us just six months ago and we had this exact part of the car replaced. The guy hit the newest part of our car! Bummer.
So we waited about ten minutes for the police to show up. She took down all the information and got statements from all of us - amazing how long this all takes! We were started to get worried we might be late for our cake tasting!
After a while another police car showed up. This officer had a much fancier uniform. I guess the first officer just takes statements and makes police reports. the second officer is the one that gives tickets. As we left the guy was getting cited for not having insurance and getting both his license and his truck registration suspended.
Trying to figure out how to get your car fixed when you're always traveling is difficult. So we won't be able to get it fixed for another month. And since the guy isn't insured we have a deductible (even though we have uninsured motorist coverage) and there is no coverage for a rental car. It's really inconvenient to be without our car since it is specially designed to carry me. But it would be nice to have some sort of car so at least Mike and the dogs can get around.
So my suggestion is if you're ever hit make sure the people that crash into have insurance first! But the good thing is that the dogs weren't in the car and no one in either vehicle was hurt. And the best thing was that we got to our cake tasting in time!
Can you believe I forgot to take pictures at our tasting. Arg. Guess my brain was still a little off due to the wreck.
Anyway, we thought we were going to get just a bite of each cake to taste. But when the guy came out he brought a large piece of each cake for each of us. Even Mike got full. The rest of us (mom, dad, and me) couldn't begin to eat all our cake. But it was all so good. Even the one that wasn't my favorite was still good.
I am so full that I don't ever want to eat cake again....well at least until tomorrow anyway! Tee hee.
It was a beautiful day and we really enjoyed the view from the house the rest of the afternoon. This is the view out the front windows.
This was taken from out on the deck. What a beautiful day!
Debbie
6/20/07
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Got Milk?
(Woodinville/Olympia, WA) This morning Wazzu had an appointment with the chiropractor. She had just received copies of Wazzu's x-rays and ultrasound as well. She took us into a room where she could show us the x-rays and try to explain them to us. As she showed us the x-rays she said Wazzu's spondylosis is "awful...well not awful, just really really bad." Is there a difference?! But she helped us with a plan on how to manage this as best as possible and to make Wazzu's life as good as possible as far as the spondylosis is concerned. I feel good that we at least have a plan. The only problem is how we are going to do that while traveling. We don't know how we're going to do that. If it is possible, it is going to take a lot of work on our part (which of course we are willing to do) and a lot of help from our agility friends around the country.
After Wazzu's appointment we went back and finished packing the RV and headed off to Rochester where we'll be staying for a few days while we do some things in Olympia. After we got all settled in, we went to visit my parents in Olympia.
It was a beautiful day and we could see Puget Sound and Mt. Rainier so clearly from my parent's house.
While we were visiting we looked over at Slugger and noticed he had a perfect milk mustache. Not a one of us can figure out how he got it!
Debbie
6/19/07
After Wazzu's appointment we went back and finished packing the RV and headed off to Rochester where we'll be staying for a few days while we do some things in Olympia. After we got all settled in, we went to visit my parents in Olympia.
It was a beautiful day and we could see Puget Sound and Mt. Rainier so clearly from my parent's house.
While we were visiting we looked over at Slugger and noticed he had a perfect milk mustache. Not a one of us can figure out how he got it!
Debbie
6/19/07
Monday, June 18, 2007
Jam Time
(Woodinville, WA) After taking the girls on a short hike and swimming Slugger, Mike took Wazzu and I out to Remlinger Farms to get a couple flats of strawberries. It was a pretty (but cool) day for a drive.
While Mike was buying the berries, Wazzu and I walked around outside. There is a very pretty little pond there.
While Mike was buying the berries, Wazzu and I walked around outside. There is a very pretty little pond there.
It was full of many colorful carp.
The sides of the building are decorated with colorful artwork. And of course Wazzu wanted to pose for a picture! ha ha.
After we got back, Mike spent many hours making four (or was it five) batches of strawberry jam. He is a master jam maker and makes many different kinds of jam each summer. A huge thanks to Karen and Steve for letting Mike use their kitchen. That was so much easier for Mike than trying to do all that in the RV. It did make their house smell really good.
Karen was so nice. While Mike was busying making jam well into the evening, Karen took both her dogs and Slugger swimming. How nice was that!
Debbie
6/18/07
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Happy Father's Day
(Olympia, WA) Today we drove from Woodinville down to Olympia to visit dad for Father's Day. We had a fun time visiting and watching the U.S. Open golf tournament together. It was suspenseful until the last hole so that made it pretty fun to watch.
Dad's pick for dinner was mom's homemade chow mien. I haven't had this for at least 20 years. It was so good! Great pick Dad! For desert we had strawberry shortcake with fresh locally grown strawberries. Yummy!!
We had a nice view of Mt. Rainier today as well.
We were just so happy to be able to be together to celebrate our love and appreciation for Dad. We are also thankful to have Mike's dad in our lives too. So even though we couldn't be with him we celebrated him today as well. While we were watching golf, he was watching car racing. I think both dad's though would have loved to have been out playing golf.
Happy Father's Day to both dads! So - Happy Father's Day Dad and Dad! And Happy Father's Day Bob and Bob!
Love,
Debbie & Mike
6/17/07
Dad's pick for dinner was mom's homemade chow mien. I haven't had this for at least 20 years. It was so good! Great pick Dad! For desert we had strawberry shortcake with fresh locally grown strawberries. Yummy!!
We had a nice view of Mt. Rainier today as well.
We were just so happy to be able to be together to celebrate our love and appreciation for Dad. We are also thankful to have Mike's dad in our lives too. So even though we couldn't be with him we celebrated him today as well. While we were watching golf, he was watching car racing. I think both dad's though would have loved to have been out playing golf.
Happy Father's Day to both dads! So - Happy Father's Day Dad and Dad! And Happy Father's Day Bob and Bob!
Love,
Debbie & Mike
6/17/07
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Dock Dogs
(Woodinville, WA) Today we took Wazzu, Sparkie and Karen's dog Quickie to the Canine Classic in Kirkland at Carillon Point. This event is part of the Dock Dogs circuit. Dock Dogs is a competition where dogs run down a runway (which you can see in this picture just above the white sign at the end of the pool) and jump of into a very large pool of water that was over 40' long.
The goal is to jump as far as they possibly can. Another competition is to see which dog can jump the highest as they jump into the water.
There were many booths to visit there as well. We knew some of the people at the various booths so it was fun to visit as we made our way around. Many of the booths had food and they each had samples out for the dogs. Sparkie and Quickie were quite the team. They could clean out all the samples and treats before anyone even knew they were coming. They really were quite the dastardly duo - in fact they were the very cute dastardly duo!
At one location they had a 40' long runway. For a donation to Canine Cancer Research your dog could run down the runway as they clocked the dog with a radar run. So we decided it would be fun to do this with all three dogs. Wazzu went first. I put her on a sit stay and walked to the other end. I then called her hoping she'd set some kind of land speed record! She slowly sauntered down the runway. Poor Wazzu - everyone laughed at her.
Next was Sparkie's turn. Another very nice sit stay! Mike called her and she took off like a shot.
- but Mike was standing near the end of the runway with a treat so she had to start slowing down long before the radar gun clocked her. Sparkie ended up getting a speeding ticket for 23mph.
Mike was smarter with Quickie and after a nice sit stay Mike called him but as Quickie started coming Mike ran away a little bit. This kept Quickie at speed longer. Quickie got a speeding ticket for 24mph. The one thing we really noticed was that our three dogs had perfect sit stays, while all the other dogs had to be held by the worker and then just released to run toward their person.
Since Karen had a booth there to advertise her swimming pool, she was around early enough to buy tickets for totally novice dogs to try out the dock diving. She was kind enough to get one for both Quickie and Sparkie later in the afternoon. We got there in time to watch a few of the experienced dogs jumping. My goodness they are good.
Then it was time for the newbies to give it a try. It was hilarious to watch as the dogs would do anything possible to not have to get in the water. Dogs of all breeds were giving it a try and most weren't even close to successful.
Finally it was Sparkie's turn! We figured it would be hard to get Sparkie in the water as she doesn't really care for any toys enough to want to chase them - especially into cold water. But just before their turn I noticed Karen was just finishing her bottled water. Sparkie loves water bottles! So I gave Mike the water bottle to use for Sparkie.
Mike went to the end of the runway (nearest the pool) and started playing tug with Sparkie with the water bottle. She thought this was a lot of fun!
After getting her all revved up, Mike tossed the water bottle into the pool.
Immediately you could tell by the look on Sparkie's face, she was thinking "Daddy, why did you throw the bottle way down there?"
She tried figuring out how to get in without jumping.
But what she found out is that when you get this far down on the steep slope there is no turning back!
And in she went.
So, it was out the nice ramp and back to the runway to try again.
Once again Mike got her all revved up but she just didn't understand why daddy kept throwing her toy away. But even though daddy sometimes plays really silly games Sparkie loves playing with him so she gave it her all.
That darn bottle is so close......yet so far.
Okay, back up for one more try.
Whoo Hoo....SUCCESS!!!
Sparkie the Dock Diving superstar!!! Okay, so she didn't quite make it over 20' like the good dogs but not so bad for a scaredy cat (being part whippet) that has never done this and doesn't like cold water. But her head did go under water just like the real dogs!
And when she came up, she was totally focused on getting her water bottle.
She got the prize and was very proud of herself. Mostly she was just hoping that her daddy was proud of her!
We had a GREAT day. The only thing that would have made it better was if Slugger had been able to come. He's our real water dog! But Sparkie and Quickie each took a turn in his honor. We took him home some really nummy treats and then Mike took him swimming.
Wazzu was just so relieved that we didn't make her do any of the water activities today. And she had her fun while Slugger was swimming. She made friends with a little bunny rabbit. They sat about six inches from each other for over half an hour. The bunny was having a bit of grass for a snack and Wazzu just sat there watching. Every once in a while the bunny would put its nose toward Wazzu and sniff and sniff - and Wazzu would just wag her tail really fast.
So I'd say a good time was had by all today.
Debbie
6/16/07
The goal is to jump as far as they possibly can. Another competition is to see which dog can jump the highest as they jump into the water.
There were many booths to visit there as well. We knew some of the people at the various booths so it was fun to visit as we made our way around. Many of the booths had food and they each had samples out for the dogs. Sparkie and Quickie were quite the team. They could clean out all the samples and treats before anyone even knew they were coming. They really were quite the dastardly duo - in fact they were the very cute dastardly duo!
At one location they had a 40' long runway. For a donation to Canine Cancer Research your dog could run down the runway as they clocked the dog with a radar run. So we decided it would be fun to do this with all three dogs. Wazzu went first. I put her on a sit stay and walked to the other end. I then called her hoping she'd set some kind of land speed record! She slowly sauntered down the runway. Poor Wazzu - everyone laughed at her.
Next was Sparkie's turn. Another very nice sit stay! Mike called her and she took off like a shot.
- but Mike was standing near the end of the runway with a treat so she had to start slowing down long before the radar gun clocked her. Sparkie ended up getting a speeding ticket for 23mph.
Mike was smarter with Quickie and after a nice sit stay Mike called him but as Quickie started coming Mike ran away a little bit. This kept Quickie at speed longer. Quickie got a speeding ticket for 24mph. The one thing we really noticed was that our three dogs had perfect sit stays, while all the other dogs had to be held by the worker and then just released to run toward their person.
Since Karen had a booth there to advertise her swimming pool, she was around early enough to buy tickets for totally novice dogs to try out the dock diving. She was kind enough to get one for both Quickie and Sparkie later in the afternoon. We got there in time to watch a few of the experienced dogs jumping. My goodness they are good.
Then it was time for the newbies to give it a try. It was hilarious to watch as the dogs would do anything possible to not have to get in the water. Dogs of all breeds were giving it a try and most weren't even close to successful.
Finally it was Sparkie's turn! We figured it would be hard to get Sparkie in the water as she doesn't really care for any toys enough to want to chase them - especially into cold water. But just before their turn I noticed Karen was just finishing her bottled water. Sparkie loves water bottles! So I gave Mike the water bottle to use for Sparkie.
Mike went to the end of the runway (nearest the pool) and started playing tug with Sparkie with the water bottle. She thought this was a lot of fun!
After getting her all revved up, Mike tossed the water bottle into the pool.
Immediately you could tell by the look on Sparkie's face, she was thinking "Daddy, why did you throw the bottle way down there?"
She tried figuring out how to get in without jumping.
But what she found out is that when you get this far down on the steep slope there is no turning back!
And in she went.
So, it was out the nice ramp and back to the runway to try again.
Once again Mike got her all revved up but she just didn't understand why daddy kept throwing her toy away. But even though daddy sometimes plays really silly games Sparkie loves playing with him so she gave it her all.
That darn bottle is so close......yet so far.
Okay, back up for one more try.
Whoo Hoo....SUCCESS!!!
Sparkie the Dock Diving superstar!!! Okay, so she didn't quite make it over 20' like the good dogs but not so bad for a scaredy cat (being part whippet) that has never done this and doesn't like cold water. But her head did go under water just like the real dogs!
And when she came up, she was totally focused on getting her water bottle.
She got the prize and was very proud of herself. Mostly she was just hoping that her daddy was proud of her!
We had a GREAT day. The only thing that would have made it better was if Slugger had been able to come. He's our real water dog! But Sparkie and Quickie each took a turn in his honor. We took him home some really nummy treats and then Mike took him swimming.
Wazzu was just so relieved that we didn't make her do any of the water activities today. And she had her fun while Slugger was swimming. She made friends with a little bunny rabbit. They sat about six inches from each other for over half an hour. The bunny was having a bit of grass for a snack and Wazzu just sat there watching. Every once in a while the bunny would put its nose toward Wazzu and sniff and sniff - and Wazzu would just wag her tail really fast.
So I'd say a good time was had by all today.
Debbie
6/16/07
Thursday, June 14, 2007
That's My Girl
(Woodinville, WA)
Today Wazzu went to Animal Medical Imaging in Kirkland for her ultrasound. When we first arrived, they had us pick Wazzu up and lay her on her back on a long foam bed that was angled on each side so it kind of made a long V shape. In other words, it kind of cradled Wazzu so that she'd stay on her back and wouldn't fall to either side.
This is a very unnatural and submissive position for a dog. And while Wazzu wasn't too sure about this she stayed very still. When we got her on the table they then asked me to put my hands on her knees to hold her back legs straight out so they could easily reach her tummy. Wazzu was such a good girl - she'd laid there completely motionless. While in this position, they gave her a nice cool summer haircut as they shaved her lower chest and tummy.
After finishing with the shave, they said Wazzu could be on the floor as we waiting for the vet to come in the room. As soon as Mike put Wazzu on the floor she kind of tucked her bottom under and slunk around in a little ball. I guess having no hair on your tummy feels really weird. She was not a happy puppy.
When the vet came in Wazzu had to go back up onto the table on her back. She wasn't happy about it but complied very nicely. They put this gooey gel all over her tummy and as soon as they started that, her back legs (which I was holding) started shaking and quivering. But she held so still - she was a perfect angel.
At one point during the ultrasound the vet said the next part would be very uncomfortable as he'd need to press really hard to see one of her kidneys. He really pressed hard but Wazzu still didn't move one bit.
From what the vet told us, her ograns looked pretty normal other than her spleen. I guess the spleen is supposed to be very small and just on one side of her body. Wazzu's however is very large and goes all the way from one side of her body to the other. Because of this it was decided they needed to do a guided aspirate of the spleen.
They had to take five samples from diferent parts of the spleen. To do this they put a different needle into Wazzu five times and wiggle it around a little each time. Sweet little Wazzu held so still but her eyes were as big as baseballs and I could feel her tense way up as they were sticking each needle in her.
What a brave girl she was. The vet and the tech couldn't get over how good she was. The vet said she was the best dog he has ever worked on in over 30 years. He wished they were all like her. He also mentioned that he'd like to use her in his classroom as he teaches new vets to do this. But Wazzu said a big "no thank you."
When they were all done they gave her a whole bunch of doggy biscuits as she hadn't been allowed to eat for the last 24 hours. She enjoyed the treats but we thought any dog that good deserved more than doggy biscuits. So on the way home we stopped at Dairy Queen and bought her a milkshake. She thought that was really good!!
All the rest of the day and evening she wanted to be right next to me. I couldn't move a muscle without her moving even closer.
I had taken a camera with me to take a picture of Wazzu getting the ultrasound done but when I got there and had to hold her legs during the whole hour long procedure I instantly went into concerned mommy mode and forgot all about the camera.
She's much happier now that she is home and has food in her tummy but she's not at all happy with her new haircut!
Much love to my sweet little girl who has had to endure so much during this past year.
Debbie
6/14/07
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Girls Day
(Woodinville, WA) Today was a GREAT day. There is not much better than when two friends can get together and just visit.
Shari came over this morning and exercised sweet Ozzie and Slick for a little while before coming in for a really nice visit. We worked on a scrapping project while we talked, and talked, and talked some more!
While we were visiting, Mike took the girls to Cougar Mountain for a nice long hike. Slugger stayed home, of course, and spent the day chewing on a nice juicy bone.
The only trouble was that the clock went so fast. It never goes that fast when I'm home alone all day.
Thanks so much Shari for coming over today. I enjoyed it more than you know.
We got a call today from our Valley Fever vet in Tucson. After doing a lot of research, she doesn't believe Wazzu's enlarged spleen has anything to do with the Valley Fever. However, she's very concerned about it and wants us to get an ultrasound done as soon as possible. She also wants the x-rays read again to make sure there is no infectious process going on in Wazzu's spine.
Hang in there Wazzu Puppy.
Debbie
6/13/07
Shari came over this morning and exercised sweet Ozzie and Slick for a little while before coming in for a really nice visit. We worked on a scrapping project while we talked, and talked, and talked some more!
While we were visiting, Mike took the girls to Cougar Mountain for a nice long hike. Slugger stayed home, of course, and spent the day chewing on a nice juicy bone.
The only trouble was that the clock went so fast. It never goes that fast when I'm home alone all day.
Thanks so much Shari for coming over today. I enjoyed it more than you know.
We got a call today from our Valley Fever vet in Tucson. After doing a lot of research, she doesn't believe Wazzu's enlarged spleen has anything to do with the Valley Fever. However, she's very concerned about it and wants us to get an ultrasound done as soon as possible. She also wants the x-rays read again to make sure there is no infectious process going on in Wazzu's spine.
Hang in there Wazzu Puppy.
Debbie
6/13/07
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Old Times
(Woodinville, WA) This morning we were informed that Wazzu's Valley Fever titer came back at 1:4. That's good as the lower the number the better. We'd been at 1:4 before but it had gone up to 1:8 on her last titer. Of course we're really glad that it went down this time instead of up. It's nice to have a little bit of good news in the midst of all the other things going on with her right now.
Then it was off to do a few errands and have a little fun. We went to Issaquah - our old stomping grounds. After doing a couple errands (including a much needed haircut for me) we went to Tiger Mountain to take a nice little hike on some flat trails. Unfortuantely the road leading up to the trails was closed. There were lots of cars parked at the bottom but it's quite a long and steep road up to the trails so that sealed the deal for us. No hike today. Big bummer.
So we went to one of our favorite restaraunts in Issaquah and got take out from which we ate in the car with Wazzu and Sparkie. They thought that was really fun.
Since we couldn't hike, we went to the off-leash dog park at Marymoor Park. We've seen a lot of dog parks around the country but there are none that even come close to Marymoor. This park is over 40 acres and is situated on the very slow moving Sammamish River. In fact, you can't even see any movement of the water. There are many trails, huge open fields for ball throwing, treed areas for shade, gathering areas,a doggy and human food/drink vendor, a doggy bath area and much much more.
When we lived here, we used to go to Marymoor four or five times a week. We started going there when we had only Wazzu and continued on for many years after that. It was a great time each and every time we went. The memories are numerous and great.
Today was nice but oh so different. The girls are now much more mature. It used to be that every time we went, Sparkie would start screaming and barking about four miles before we got to the park. Today she didn't start all the commotion until about a half mile before we arrived. But as usual they were very excited to get out of the car and into the park.
Both dogs were very well behaved (as always) but didn't really care to interact with the other dogs - which is totally fine with us. But they didn't really even do much running. They just kind of sauntered around together enjoying both the outdoors and being together. They truly are good pals.
There are numerous benches around the park where you can sit and watch your dogs play. When Slugger was just a baby this park was just way too big for him. By the time we'd get to the first bench (which is not even a tenth of the way into the park) he'd be tuckered. So I'd sit on the bench and he'd jump up on the bench and lay with his head in my lap while we'd watch the girls play. Even as time went on and he got stronger he'd still want to jump up on that bench and either rest or kiss anyone that may be sitting on the bench. Since Slugger couldn't come with us today we had Sparkie sit on the bench for a second in honor of little Slugger.
There are six different swimming spots along the river that span hundreds of feet. So if one is a little busy you can just continue on to the next one. Here Sparkie is casually checking out the first swimming hole - mostly she is trying to see if any of the people may have treats they don't need.
Both girls did a little bit of swimming but since it wasn't very warm out they weren't interested in staying in for more than just a few minutes.
You'll notice Wazzu is on her way out yet already has a ball in her mouth. She doesn't really care to chase balls out into the water but she likes taking her ball out into the water with her. A little backward compared to most dogs but that's my girl.
Wazzu loves carrying her ball around the park - always has. And we actually like her to do so as she tends to be the fun patrol. If she thinks dogs are getting a little too rowdy she'll go over to let them know to be polite. I think she seems a little less threatening if she has the ball in her mouth. Who knows what the other dogs really think though!
It was a bit of a rough trip for me. While there were SO many great memories there it also reminded me of the many many many trips I had made there with the dogs on my own. So today's trip there just reminded me of how I have lost such a great deal of my independence. I used to really love the long outings Wazzu and I would have there together. It was a very special time for the two of us. I used to take all three dogs there toether as well for nice outings together. But no more........
Wazzu's so happy and up on her toes that even her floppy ear is almost up!
Debbie
6/12/07
Then it was off to do a few errands and have a little fun. We went to Issaquah - our old stomping grounds. After doing a couple errands (including a much needed haircut for me) we went to Tiger Mountain to take a nice little hike on some flat trails. Unfortuantely the road leading up to the trails was closed. There were lots of cars parked at the bottom but it's quite a long and steep road up to the trails so that sealed the deal for us. No hike today. Big bummer.
So we went to one of our favorite restaraunts in Issaquah and got take out from which we ate in the car with Wazzu and Sparkie. They thought that was really fun.
Since we couldn't hike, we went to the off-leash dog park at Marymoor Park. We've seen a lot of dog parks around the country but there are none that even come close to Marymoor. This park is over 40 acres and is situated on the very slow moving Sammamish River. In fact, you can't even see any movement of the water. There are many trails, huge open fields for ball throwing, treed areas for shade, gathering areas,a doggy and human food/drink vendor, a doggy bath area and much much more.
When we lived here, we used to go to Marymoor four or five times a week. We started going there when we had only Wazzu and continued on for many years after that. It was a great time each and every time we went. The memories are numerous and great.
Today was nice but oh so different. The girls are now much more mature. It used to be that every time we went, Sparkie would start screaming and barking about four miles before we got to the park. Today she didn't start all the commotion until about a half mile before we arrived. But as usual they were very excited to get out of the car and into the park.
Both dogs were very well behaved (as always) but didn't really care to interact with the other dogs - which is totally fine with us. But they didn't really even do much running. They just kind of sauntered around together enjoying both the outdoors and being together. They truly are good pals.
There are numerous benches around the park where you can sit and watch your dogs play. When Slugger was just a baby this park was just way too big for him. By the time we'd get to the first bench (which is not even a tenth of the way into the park) he'd be tuckered. So I'd sit on the bench and he'd jump up on the bench and lay with his head in my lap while we'd watch the girls play. Even as time went on and he got stronger he'd still want to jump up on that bench and either rest or kiss anyone that may be sitting on the bench. Since Slugger couldn't come with us today we had Sparkie sit on the bench for a second in honor of little Slugger.
There are six different swimming spots along the river that span hundreds of feet. So if one is a little busy you can just continue on to the next one. Here Sparkie is casually checking out the first swimming hole - mostly she is trying to see if any of the people may have treats they don't need.
Both girls did a little bit of swimming but since it wasn't very warm out they weren't interested in staying in for more than just a few minutes.
You'll notice Wazzu is on her way out yet already has a ball in her mouth. She doesn't really care to chase balls out into the water but she likes taking her ball out into the water with her. A little backward compared to most dogs but that's my girl.
Wazzu loves carrying her ball around the park - always has. And we actually like her to do so as she tends to be the fun patrol. If she thinks dogs are getting a little too rowdy she'll go over to let them know to be polite. I think she seems a little less threatening if she has the ball in her mouth. Who knows what the other dogs really think though!
It was a bit of a rough trip for me. While there were SO many great memories there it also reminded me of the many many many trips I had made there with the dogs on my own. So today's trip there just reminded me of how I have lost such a great deal of my independence. I used to really love the long outings Wazzu and I would have there together. It was a very special time for the two of us. I used to take all three dogs there toether as well for nice outings together. But no more........
Wazzu's so happy and up on her toes that even her floppy ear is almost up!
Debbie
6/12/07
Monday, June 11, 2007
Diving
(Woodinville, WA) A large portion of the day was spent consulting with various vets on Wazzu's condition. Mostly what was determined was that it's going to take a few days to figure out exactly how we should proceed.
Slugger however wasn't too concerned about any of that. He just wanted to swim! We figured it would be another session just like all the rest. But today when Mike threw one of the toys it went a couple feet under water. Instead of waiting for it to float to the top, Slugger decided to dive under the water to get it.
It's hard to get under water with a life jacket on.....
but that didn't stop him from trying!
He got much further under but I was unable to capture it. I think he thought it was fun though as he'd dive under every time the toy was under water.
Of course all that diving gets water in your ears.
Silly Slugger!!
Debbie
6/11/07
Slugger however wasn't too concerned about any of that. He just wanted to swim! We figured it would be another session just like all the rest. But today when Mike threw one of the toys it went a couple feet under water. Instead of waiting for it to float to the top, Slugger decided to dive under the water to get it.
It's hard to get under water with a life jacket on.....
but that didn't stop him from trying!
He got much further under but I was unable to capture it. I think he thought it was fun though as he'd dive under every time the toy was under water.
Of course all that diving gets water in your ears.
Silly Slugger!!
Debbie
6/11/07
Sunday, June 10, 2007
FUN Agility
(Auburn, WA) What a difference a week makes. Last weekend we attended a trial here at Argus and it was in the 80's. This weekend we're here for a FUN-raiser and it's only in the 50's and rainy.
Saturday, Mike decided he was just going to use the day to really push Sparkie for speed to get her confidence back – and not worry about Q’ing. Sparkie had a blast. She really went fast – they only got two Q’s but they were super fast – they beat all the really fast dogs – two of the runs she even got 1st place even though she didn’t Q. She was so fast and beautiful to watch but just had one knocked bar in each run. The courses were deceivingly difficult all weekend. It was VERY common for there to be NO Q’s at all in the Elite 20 and 20+ divisions.
Today (Sunday) Mike and Sparkie had a great day going 5/5 with a lot of first places. On the Regular run she was 10 full seconds faster than the next fastest dog. There were a lot of good dogs there too! I think yesterday's goal of just working on speed and fun really seems to have paid off.
Wazzu had a weird weekend. Sometimes she was happy and really wanted to run. And on the very next run she would act like it was torture – so on those runs we would do two to four obstacles and leave the course. Saturday she only wanted to do one of the Regular runs and part way through Hoopers she decided that was fun. The rest were walk-offs for us. Today (Sunday) she seemed to feel a little better. But I felt there was no need to push her more than necessary. So the second we would have an off course we would just leave (happily). It really seemed as though she wasn’t listening to me today. She usually responds to both my voice and body so readily. But in Jumpers and Regular it was like she took an off course on purpose. However, Wazzu was so fast and happy that she actually got a Chances Q today!!!!!!!!!!! Can you believe it?! Many small dogs got today’s Chances but the only big dogs to make it were Wazzu and Sparkie! Whoo Hoo!! Our other Q today was in Tunnelers – Wazzu was super duper speedy. And when we finished and I went to put her leash on she was huffing and puffing so hard. She really gave that her all. The other weird thing is that she is drinking a lot of water. She is not a big drinker at all so this is a big change for her.
Overall, I’d say this was a good weekend for the small dogs. Large dogs had a LOT of trouble with these courses. They didn’t look that bad when you walked them but there so many off courses as the big dogs strides took them to the traps. I don’t think I’ve ever seen results like this where it was so lopsided between the big dogs and little dogs. Very interesting.
We’re back in Woodinville now and little Slugger finally got to do something! Swimming!! He’s using his leg more so I’m encouraged at this point anyway that he is recovering as he should.
Debbie
6/9-10/07
Saturday, Mike decided he was just going to use the day to really push Sparkie for speed to get her confidence back – and not worry about Q’ing. Sparkie had a blast. She really went fast – they only got two Q’s but they were super fast – they beat all the really fast dogs – two of the runs she even got 1st place even though she didn’t Q. She was so fast and beautiful to watch but just had one knocked bar in each run. The courses were deceivingly difficult all weekend. It was VERY common for there to be NO Q’s at all in the Elite 20 and 20+ divisions.
Today (Sunday) Mike and Sparkie had a great day going 5/5 with a lot of first places. On the Regular run she was 10 full seconds faster than the next fastest dog. There were a lot of good dogs there too! I think yesterday's goal of just working on speed and fun really seems to have paid off.
Wazzu had a weird weekend. Sometimes she was happy and really wanted to run. And on the very next run she would act like it was torture – so on those runs we would do two to four obstacles and leave the course. Saturday she only wanted to do one of the Regular runs and part way through Hoopers she decided that was fun. The rest were walk-offs for us. Today (Sunday) she seemed to feel a little better. But I felt there was no need to push her more than necessary. So the second we would have an off course we would just leave (happily). It really seemed as though she wasn’t listening to me today. She usually responds to both my voice and body so readily. But in Jumpers and Regular it was like she took an off course on purpose. However, Wazzu was so fast and happy that she actually got a Chances Q today!!!!!!!!!!! Can you believe it?! Many small dogs got today’s Chances but the only big dogs to make it were Wazzu and Sparkie! Whoo Hoo!! Our other Q today was in Tunnelers – Wazzu was super duper speedy. And when we finished and I went to put her leash on she was huffing and puffing so hard. She really gave that her all. The other weird thing is that she is drinking a lot of water. She is not a big drinker at all so this is a big change for her.
Overall, I’d say this was a good weekend for the small dogs. Large dogs had a LOT of trouble with these courses. They didn’t look that bad when you walked them but there so many off courses as the big dogs strides took them to the traps. I don’t think I’ve ever seen results like this where it was so lopsided between the big dogs and little dogs. Very interesting.
We’re back in Woodinville now and little Slugger finally got to do something! Swimming!! He’s using his leg more so I’m encouraged at this point anyway that he is recovering as he should.
Debbie
6/9-10/07
Friday, June 08, 2007
Enough is Enough
(Woodnville, WA) Today was planned to be a leisurely carefree day. That plan went all to heck by 9:00am.
We got a call from the vet saying that the radiologist had looked over Wazzu's x-rays. The radiologist agreed with the spondlyosis diagnosis. However, they also noticed that Wazzu has an enlarged spleen. Gads, I was still busy learning all about the spondlyosis and how to manage that.
But this is more of an immediate threat so I need to switch my focus to that. I put a call into our Valley Fever vet down in Tucson but she's out until Monday. So it will be a long weekend as we wait to learn what all this might mean.
We did however confer with a couple vets and it was determined that it is safe for Wazzu to do agility this weekend if she feels like it. So I'll just watch her carefully this weekend and let her do just what she wants and no more.
So after spending over four hours researching enlarged spleens and conferring with different vets, we finally got ready to leave for Argus. The traffic was horrible! What should be a 45 minute drive (no traffic) took us almost three hours. Good thing we weren't in a hurry.
We finally got settled into our spot at Argus, played in the field with the girls, and visited with a few friends. I'm really glad we have a trial this weekend to keep us occupied until we can talk with the specialist.
Hang in there Wazzu Puppy.
Debbie
6/8/07
We got a call from the vet saying that the radiologist had looked over Wazzu's x-rays. The radiologist agreed with the spondlyosis diagnosis. However, they also noticed that Wazzu has an enlarged spleen. Gads, I was still busy learning all about the spondlyosis and how to manage that.
But this is more of an immediate threat so I need to switch my focus to that. I put a call into our Valley Fever vet down in Tucson but she's out until Monday. So it will be a long weekend as we wait to learn what all this might mean.
We did however confer with a couple vets and it was determined that it is safe for Wazzu to do agility this weekend if she feels like it. So I'll just watch her carefully this weekend and let her do just what she wants and no more.
So after spending over four hours researching enlarged spleens and conferring with different vets, we finally got ready to leave for Argus. The traffic was horrible! What should be a 45 minute drive (no traffic) took us almost three hours. Good thing we weren't in a hurry.
We finally got settled into our spot at Argus, played in the field with the girls, and visited with a few friends. I'm really glad we have a trial this weekend to keep us occupied until we can talk with the specialist.
Hang in there Wazzu Puppy.
Debbie
6/8/07
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Not Again!
Once again we got up and headed off to the vet. Wazzu was not at all happy - afterall this is her third day in a row to go to the vets office. She always is such a good girl as she never wants to do anything wrong but she really didn't want to have to see the vet again.
First we tested three different cysts we'd found on Wazzu and all of them were just fatty tissue so that was good news. Next it was time for the x-rays. We all thought Wazzu would stay still so there should be no reason to sedate her. Of course she obliged and was a very good girl.
The x-rays showed that she has spondylosis in her spine. It's not real severe at this point so hopefully we can manage it with supplements, exercise, chiropractic, and accupunture. We'll know more after we go back to see Dr. Deleeuw in a couple weeks.
It was suggested that we cancel Wazzu's herding appointment for this Friday to give her a little more time to rest after her adjustment. Shucks, we were really looking forward to that but we can always do that at a later date.
On the way home from the vet, we stopped by to meet someone I met through the raw food list that I run. We have become very good friends via email so it was so nice to meet Matt in person. We had a very nice visit!
Of course, we're now educating ourselves about spondylosis so we can treat Wazzu in the best way possible. Only the best for my sweet girl.
Debbie
6/7/07
First we tested three different cysts we'd found on Wazzu and all of them were just fatty tissue so that was good news. Next it was time for the x-rays. We all thought Wazzu would stay still so there should be no reason to sedate her. Of course she obliged and was a very good girl.
The x-rays showed that she has spondylosis in her spine. It's not real severe at this point so hopefully we can manage it with supplements, exercise, chiropractic, and accupunture. We'll know more after we go back to see Dr. Deleeuw in a couple weeks.
It was suggested that we cancel Wazzu's herding appointment for this Friday to give her a little more time to rest after her adjustment. Shucks, we were really looking forward to that but we can always do that at a later date.
On the way home from the vet, we stopped by to meet someone I met through the raw food list that I run. We have become very good friends via email so it was so nice to meet Matt in person. We had a very nice visit!
Of course, we're now educating ourselves about spondylosis so we can treat Wazzu in the best way possible. Only the best for my sweet girl.
Debbie
6/7/07
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Rest
Today we got up nice and early and headed out for Wazzu's chiropractic appointment. We met with Dr. Deleeuw and within just a few minutes she found the source of Wazzu's problem. Right in the middle of Wazzu's spine was very sore. All Dr. Deleeuw had to do was try to move Wazzu's spine and all the muscles in her back would crawl all over.
We were very relieved to have found the problem. Dr. Deleeuw was very gentle and kind to Wazzu. By the time we were done she felt she had been able to make a nice adjustment to Wazzu's back. She wants to see us back for a follow up in two weeks and would like Wazzu to rest for a couple days. Additionally, she'd like us to get an x-ray of Wazzu's back just to make sure there isn't anything going on that we don't know about.
We feel very encouraged and are excited for Wazzu's follow-up appointment. We called the regular vet back and were able to get an appointment for the x-rays tomorrow. In addition, we were informed that Wazzu's blood test came back and all the important numbers were within normal range.
So now we have two dogs that need to rest! What an exciting bunch we are....
Debbie
6/5/07
We were very relieved to have found the problem. Dr. Deleeuw was very gentle and kind to Wazzu. By the time we were done she felt she had been able to make a nice adjustment to Wazzu's back. She wants to see us back for a follow up in two weeks and would like Wazzu to rest for a couple days. Additionally, she'd like us to get an x-ray of Wazzu's back just to make sure there isn't anything going on that we don't know about.
We feel very encouraged and are excited for Wazzu's follow-up appointment. We called the regular vet back and were able to get an appointment for the x-rays tomorrow. In addition, we were informed that Wazzu's blood test came back and all the important numbers were within normal range.
So now we have two dogs that need to rest! What an exciting bunch we are....
Debbie
6/5/07
Monday, June 04, 2007
Ouch!
Wazzu has only slept on the bed during one period of her entire life - that was when she was recovering from her lung surgery. So it seemed extremely odd to me when she slept on the bed all night.
As Wazzu was lying on the bed this morning, Mike very carefully slid a hand under her shoulder and under her hip and proceeded to slide her over just about six inches. She screamed so loud! It really scared us.
I take no chances with Wazzu due to her Valley Fever so I decided I needed to get her to the vet right away. I really wanted to take her to our favorite chiropractor but unfortunately she moved and instead of being three hours away she is about 15 hours away up in Canada. So this just wasn't possible.
I didn't really want to take her to a regular vet as they usually just tell us to go home and rest the dog for two weeks and if they aren't better by then to come back. I can do that without paying a vet to tell me that! After thinking a little bit in dawned on me that we know a vet that does agility with her dogs too, so I figured she'd be better able to help than the average vet.
They were so nice to fit us in today even though they were very busy. We really appreciated that. Wazzu was none to happy when she realized we were at a vet office as her experiences there recently haven't been pleasant at all. But the vet was extremely nice to Wazzu and gave her lots of treats so all was going well. Next they took some blood for Wazzu's bi-monthly blood test and titer test.
Wazzu has to get Adequan shots in her muscle to help with her arthritis so I've been doing that myself. But I'm always worried each time I do it that I'll do it wrong. So I brought along the Adequan and the syringe and needle. I thought I'd have the vet watch me just to make sure I was doing it correctly. So I got everything out and ready to go. But I couldn't get the cap off the needle. I pulled and pulled and suddenly it came off and the needle jabbed into my finger about down to the bone! Now it's bleeding and I'm feeling so embarrassed. They're running around trying to find gauze and a bandage. Oh brother. Now the needle is contaminated and of course I can't use it for Wazzu. Gads! And of course I didn't bring another needle.
But they were very nice and brought me another needle - and as you might imagine they took the needle cover off for me. This time it all went fine. I think I'll feel more at ease with all her future injections.
After all was said and done it was decided that they couldn't really find the source of her problem and they thought we should see a chiropractor. What a great idea....wish I'd have thought of that! Ha-ha. So they gave me the name and phone number of a good place to go. I called to make an appointment but they couldn't get us in for a couple weeks. But the other vet there had just happened to have a cancellation just moments ago for an appointment first thing tomorrow morning. What luck!
Here's good luck to all of you too!
Debbie
6/4/07
As Wazzu was lying on the bed this morning, Mike very carefully slid a hand under her shoulder and under her hip and proceeded to slide her over just about six inches. She screamed so loud! It really scared us.
I take no chances with Wazzu due to her Valley Fever so I decided I needed to get her to the vet right away. I really wanted to take her to our favorite chiropractor but unfortunately she moved and instead of being three hours away she is about 15 hours away up in Canada. So this just wasn't possible.
I didn't really want to take her to a regular vet as they usually just tell us to go home and rest the dog for two weeks and if they aren't better by then to come back. I can do that without paying a vet to tell me that! After thinking a little bit in dawned on me that we know a vet that does agility with her dogs too, so I figured she'd be better able to help than the average vet.
They were so nice to fit us in today even though they were very busy. We really appreciated that. Wazzu was none to happy when she realized we were at a vet office as her experiences there recently haven't been pleasant at all. But the vet was extremely nice to Wazzu and gave her lots of treats so all was going well. Next they took some blood for Wazzu's bi-monthly blood test and titer test.
Wazzu has to get Adequan shots in her muscle to help with her arthritis so I've been doing that myself. But I'm always worried each time I do it that I'll do it wrong. So I brought along the Adequan and the syringe and needle. I thought I'd have the vet watch me just to make sure I was doing it correctly. So I got everything out and ready to go. But I couldn't get the cap off the needle. I pulled and pulled and suddenly it came off and the needle jabbed into my finger about down to the bone! Now it's bleeding and I'm feeling so embarrassed. They're running around trying to find gauze and a bandage. Oh brother. Now the needle is contaminated and of course I can't use it for Wazzu. Gads! And of course I didn't bring another needle.
But they were very nice and brought me another needle - and as you might imagine they took the needle cover off for me. This time it all went fine. I think I'll feel more at ease with all her future injections.
After all was said and done it was decided that they couldn't really find the source of her problem and they thought we should see a chiropractor. What a great idea....wish I'd have thought of that! Ha-ha. So they gave me the name and phone number of a good place to go. I called to make an appointment but they couldn't get us in for a couple weeks. But the other vet there had just happened to have a cancellation just moments ago for an appointment first thing tomorrow morning. What luck!
Here's good luck to all of you too!
Debbie
6/4/07
Sunday, June 03, 2007
ZAP
This weekend's trial was put on by the Zooming Agility Pups - aka ZAP. It was a nice trial on a hot weekend. I'm not really sure which Wazzu hates more - hot weather or getting sprayed down with the hose to cool her off.
The first run of the weekend was Weavers and went pretty much according to par. Wazzu, although very happy, was a few seconds over time and Sparkie was well under time.
From there we moved on to our first Regular run. Wazzu was very happy but had a tiny bit of trouble but Sparkie was true to form and had a fabulous run coming in first place in an excellent field of dogs.
There were two Chances runs schedule for today so I was optimistic that we'd make some progress toward our goal. But as soon as I saw the course I knew there was no chance. However I didn't realize how hard it was going to be for everyone else. Only four dogs, out of a large and talented group of dogs, Q'd. One of those very talented dogs that was successful was Sparkie! Way to go - that was tough!
The next Chances round wasn't as difficult but at first glance I knew it was too hard for us. And sure enough, it proved to be a little beyond our skill level but Wazzu had fun anyway. It definitely was doable for Sparkie but just before the run started Sparkie's IBD (intestinal bowel disease) flared up and she just couldn't run right the rest of the day as she was in too much pain.
Wazzu was able to put together a nice run (even though her weaves were a bit slow)for her second Regular run and earned her only Q of the day. The last run for Saturday was another Weavers run. It's really unusual to have a day with five runs utilizing the weaves but that's what happened today. The last weavers run started with tunnel, weaves. Wazzu did the tunnel really fast but when she saw the weaves she totally stopped in her tracks, put her head way down, and slunk toward the ground. I have never seen any dog react this way to the weaves. This to me was as clear a sign a dog could give that they didn't want to weave. So I decided that we'd just skip all the weaves and just do the tunnels so we could end the day on a fun note. Wazzu liked that idea and ran really fast and happy.
In the evening they had a nice potluck dinner so Mike made some really good cookies and off we went. It was a nice but short evening as we were all tired and needed to get a good night's sleep to be ready for another day of fun with our dogs.
Today was another scorcher - which meant I was nice and comfortable! Sparkie was feeling all better this morning - what a relief. Today there would only be two runs with weaves so that meant today should be better for Wazzu too. And what a difference a day makes - although it didn't start off very well.
In the first run of the day, a Regular run, Wazzu seemed to be doing fine until mid-way through when she uncharacteristically knocked a bar. Since we hadn't come to the weaves yet I decided to skip the rest of the course so she wouldn't have to do the weaves due to her reaction to them late yesterday afternoon. Sparkie was back in fine form now that her tummy troubles were over and she turned in a very nice run.
The second Regular run started with jump, weaves. Wazzu did the weaves in a record breaking slow speed of 12 full seconds! I've never seen a dog walk so slow and deliberate through the weaves. But due to Wazzu's unusual reaction to the weaves yesterday I wasn't going to try and rush her. The second she finished the weaves she took off like a shot and still finished the course well under course time. Sparkie made the course look so easy and she had a great time barking all the while.
Wazzu easily Q'd in both Jumpers runs making it look very easy. One of the runs had a few too many sharp turns for Sparkie's liking so she managed to Q in one of the two runs.
All that left was a fun Touch N Go course and an even more fun Tunnelers run. Both girls had a great time and Q'd in both runs. So after a tough Saturday for both the girls they each went 5/6 today.
Overall, we had a great weekend with our dogs and with our friends. It was the first time in a very long time that Shari, Pat, and I got to be together at a trial. You know how I sometimes call our three dogs the Three Mutt-keteers. Well I think Shari, Pat, and I were the Three Musketeers this weekend as we had a great time together.
As soon as the trial was over we rushed back to Woodinville as poor Slugger had been left alone pretty much the whole weekend. He was very excited when we got back and Mike took him for a nice swim. Finally some attention for a very patient sweet little boy.
Now it's time to let Wazzu rest as it was really hot for her this weekend. Sparkie even acted hot although certainly not tired!
Debbie
6/2-3/07
The first run of the weekend was Weavers and went pretty much according to par. Wazzu, although very happy, was a few seconds over time and Sparkie was well under time.
From there we moved on to our first Regular run. Wazzu was very happy but had a tiny bit of trouble but Sparkie was true to form and had a fabulous run coming in first place in an excellent field of dogs.
There were two Chances runs schedule for today so I was optimistic that we'd make some progress toward our goal. But as soon as I saw the course I knew there was no chance. However I didn't realize how hard it was going to be for everyone else. Only four dogs, out of a large and talented group of dogs, Q'd. One of those very talented dogs that was successful was Sparkie! Way to go - that was tough!
The next Chances round wasn't as difficult but at first glance I knew it was too hard for us. And sure enough, it proved to be a little beyond our skill level but Wazzu had fun anyway. It definitely was doable for Sparkie but just before the run started Sparkie's IBD (intestinal bowel disease) flared up and she just couldn't run right the rest of the day as she was in too much pain.
Wazzu was able to put together a nice run (even though her weaves were a bit slow)for her second Regular run and earned her only Q of the day. The last run for Saturday was another Weavers run. It's really unusual to have a day with five runs utilizing the weaves but that's what happened today. The last weavers run started with tunnel, weaves. Wazzu did the tunnel really fast but when she saw the weaves she totally stopped in her tracks, put her head way down, and slunk toward the ground. I have never seen any dog react this way to the weaves. This to me was as clear a sign a dog could give that they didn't want to weave. So I decided that we'd just skip all the weaves and just do the tunnels so we could end the day on a fun note. Wazzu liked that idea and ran really fast and happy.
In the evening they had a nice potluck dinner so Mike made some really good cookies and off we went. It was a nice but short evening as we were all tired and needed to get a good night's sleep to be ready for another day of fun with our dogs.
Today was another scorcher - which meant I was nice and comfortable! Sparkie was feeling all better this morning - what a relief. Today there would only be two runs with weaves so that meant today should be better for Wazzu too. And what a difference a day makes - although it didn't start off very well.
In the first run of the day, a Regular run, Wazzu seemed to be doing fine until mid-way through when she uncharacteristically knocked a bar. Since we hadn't come to the weaves yet I decided to skip the rest of the course so she wouldn't have to do the weaves due to her reaction to them late yesterday afternoon. Sparkie was back in fine form now that her tummy troubles were over and she turned in a very nice run.
The second Regular run started with jump, weaves. Wazzu did the weaves in a record breaking slow speed of 12 full seconds! I've never seen a dog walk so slow and deliberate through the weaves. But due to Wazzu's unusual reaction to the weaves yesterday I wasn't going to try and rush her. The second she finished the weaves she took off like a shot and still finished the course well under course time. Sparkie made the course look so easy and she had a great time barking all the while.
Wazzu easily Q'd in both Jumpers runs making it look very easy. One of the runs had a few too many sharp turns for Sparkie's liking so she managed to Q in one of the two runs.
All that left was a fun Touch N Go course and an even more fun Tunnelers run. Both girls had a great time and Q'd in both runs. So after a tough Saturday for both the girls they each went 5/6 today.
Overall, we had a great weekend with our dogs and with our friends. It was the first time in a very long time that Shari, Pat, and I got to be together at a trial. You know how I sometimes call our three dogs the Three Mutt-keteers. Well I think Shari, Pat, and I were the Three Musketeers this weekend as we had a great time together.
As soon as the trial was over we rushed back to Woodinville as poor Slugger had been left alone pretty much the whole weekend. He was very excited when we got back and Mike took him for a nice swim. Finally some attention for a very patient sweet little boy.
Now it's time to let Wazzu rest as it was really hot for her this weekend. Sparkie even acted hot although certainly not tired!
Debbie
6/2-3/07
Friday, June 01, 2007
Return to Home?
Today we headed south for an agility trial this weekend to be held at Argus Ranch. We lived here for six months while we were waiting for our home to sell and for our new RV to be ready. So when we arrived today it felt a little bit like returning home. The dogs definitely remembered it here as they immediately went to check out all the feral kitty hangouts. They weren't disappointed as there were plenty of cats and teeny tiny little baby kitties. This is one reason there are too many cats without homes. But that's a whole other subject!
We had a great time greeting so many friends we haven't seen in close to a year. And what nice weather - at least for me. It was in the low 80's - just perfect for walking around visiting. I don't know why so many people were complaining about the heat. Wazzu tried to explain it to me!
Wazzu thought it was perfect weather for relaxing in the large grass field while Sparkie ran hither and yon.
She laid there for at least a half hour just enjoying the nice day. She was just so content.
Our good friend Will tried to rest in the field as well but he was very alert listening for one particular word....B-A-L-L. And when he'd hear that word he'd cock his head to the side. Too cute.
After a nice time in the field we walked around and talked to other friends as they arrived. We did have one moment where Wazzu got herself into a little predicament. But after a bit she figured it out.
We all had a relaxing afternoon so we should be all set for a fun weekend.
Debbie
6/1/07
We had a great time greeting so many friends we haven't seen in close to a year. And what nice weather - at least for me. It was in the low 80's - just perfect for walking around visiting. I don't know why so many people were complaining about the heat. Wazzu tried to explain it to me!
Wazzu thought it was perfect weather for relaxing in the large grass field while Sparkie ran hither and yon.
She laid there for at least a half hour just enjoying the nice day. She was just so content.
Our good friend Will tried to rest in the field as well but he was very alert listening for one particular word....B-A-L-L. And when he'd hear that word he'd cock his head to the side. Too cute.
After a nice time in the field we walked around and talked to other friends as they arrived. We did have one moment where Wazzu got herself into a little predicament. But after a bit she figured it out.
We all had a relaxing afternoon so we should be all set for a fun weekend.
Debbie
6/1/07
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