Xmas 2010

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Day...

It's always difficult to pick up again, after a long time away. I often wondered, these past few months, when I would come back to this, tell my story and explain why I've been silent.

Instead, I need to warm into it, not be too serious now. So I'll start back humor.

Several nights ago, I was reading in bed when Bill came in to let Lu and Gus out before being put to bed. Gus was waiting anxiously by the French doors, and Bill was looking side to side, front to back, calling, "Lulu? Lulu?"

I looked up from reading, confused. I asked, "Are you serious right now?"

Bill replied, "Yes! Where is she?"

I giggled. Bill said, No, really! Where is she?" Then he realized that all the while, he had little Lu tucked under his arm.

Sent from my iPhone

Day...

Bill and I were fast asleep when I was suddenly awaken by the sound of the door abruptly creaking open and knocking into the wall. Startled, I immediately jumped up which woke Bill who asked, “What’s going on?” I thought there was an intruder, but no. It was Gus. He somehow managed to escape from his nightly confinement in the laundry room. He thought he’d get to stay with us since was there already anyway. Sorry, nope. He scared the life out of me.

Day...

Image by Denis Collette...!!! via Flickr

My rabbits were gone. We released them in the forest preserve across the river from my parents' house. I was only consoled by the fact that I was going to get my own dog.

My mom and I drove to Wisconsin one weekend to see a litter and we picked a black female Labrador Retriever. She was the runt of the litter. I named her Magic but she immediately followed me everywhere and my mom convinced me to change her name to Shadow. It suited her; Shadow was always a step behind me.

Shadow was a great dog. She was intelligent, loyal and eager to please. She was house trained in a couple days, and knew the basic commands: sit, stay, down and heal at 9 weeks old. As she matured, she honed her skills. I would walk her in the forest preserve off leash and she would stay at my left side until I gave her the command, "free." Then she would run ahead, sniffing and exploring. She would get about 20 feet or so ahead of me and then as if on an invisible lead, she wouldn't venture any further. Instead, she'd turn around and look over her shoulder. After a couple minutes, she'd come back to me. She always returned to my side in a perfect heal until I let her go again with a joyous, "Free!"

Day...

Image via Wikipedia

It's hard to keep track of the days now. It seems like so long ago that Lu was incapable of sitting, eating and urinating let alone walking on her own. She's certainly not 100% but she's improved greatly. It's hard for Bill and I to see the changes sometimes now that she's so much more like herself. Bill's mom was over Friday and she was surprised by how well Lulu was doing in comparison to where she was about a month ago.

We did witness a surprising improvement this is week. Lu has been able to jump up on the sofa on four or five separate occasions. The first time was a week ago today. Bill was moving towards her with the intention to pick her up to place her on the sofa. She was stubbornly trying to avoid him. See, she's grown weary of us picking her up. Much like a teenager, she's decided to defy us now that she's gained a measure of control. So every time one of us goes to her, she backs up or attempts to out maneuver us. So on this occasions she was doing just that when she found herself cornered and the only place to go was up. To all or our surprise, she made it! A day or two later, she did it again in order to get a better look at a person walking down her street. She was so excited to see Grandma, she showed off her new skill then too. While this is impressive, more often than not, she doesn't make it. Then she falls back on her bony backside with a horrible hollow thump. Poor thing. But she isn't deterred.

I returned to work this morning after two weeks of working from home. Lulu was not happy as you can see from the cold shoulder she gave me this morning.

Day...

I lost Shadow when she was only 8 years old. She was my first dog, really my dog. Not the family dog, she was mine and mine alone.


One summer the family dog, Wicket, part Labrador part something tall and lean and named after the popular Star Wars series, found a rabbit’s nest. Before we knew something was wrong, she killed all but two babies. The little ones she did spare were so tiny, only hours old. Their little ears were closed buds and their eyes were shut. My sister, Heather, and I were not going to let those babes die. So we each took one, fed them kitten formula with eye droppers, massaged their bellies to make them defecate and basically slaved 24 hours a day to ensure those little guys survived. But, this isn’t a story about rabbits.

Regardless, those two little bunnies thrived. They grew into fighting, thrashing, scared to death, I will fight to the end, I am wild, machines. And so, my dad confronted my sympathetic mother, my mother who championed my sister and me, who paid for nourishment for the little guys, and he said, “They have to go. I don’t care if you get her a dog (meaning me) but they have to go.” And so Mom arrived at my bedroom door and told me it was time. They were wild! My consolation prize would be my own dog. And so we found her in the paper several weeks after the teary-eyed release of the kicking, scratching, ready-to-go rabbits. That little black Lab was and always will be, my Shadow.

Lulu: it means crazy

Day 93

It's been a lazy weekend. With instructions to rest and keep my foot propped up, I've been stranded on the sofa with the kids, catching up on work. Bill seems to have taken the liberty to follow suit; he's been napping on the sofa or escaping to the garage to do "man stuff". But he did get around to bathing Lu and Gus yesterday. It was funny, he snatched up Lu and brought her into the bathroom, shutting the door behind them. Gus immediately followed, taking position at the bathroom door and grunting periodically to show his frustration in not being able to rescue his friend. Interesting how he fails to realize his turn will be next. Bill bathed Lu on the bath bench that was placed in the shower for me so I can sit with my bandaged leg dangling over the side. He said the bench worked out well. Lu sat on it while he was scrubbing her and she stood up when he was ready to rinse her off. Gus being quite a bit bigger than Lu didn't fit as nicely and had trouble keeping all four feet on the bench. Regardless, they are both clean and nicely scented, at least for now.

Day 91

Lulu and Gus are loving this working at home thing. While it's not so easy for me because they want to be near me no matter what I'm doing, we're finding interesting ways to balance a laptop with lapdogs. In the first picture, notice Lulu underneath the laptop as I'm trying to work. In fact, she's lying under the laptop now as I type. In the second picture, Gus is lying just behind the laptop. Lulu is sitting on top of him with one paw balanced on my lap desk. Good stuff.

Day 87

Surgery Day. This time, it's not Lu going under the knife; it's my turn. I'm about to have my third ankle procedure in 18 years. This one is relatively simple. The good doctor, Dr. Lowel Weil, will removing an implant he placed in my ankle to correct serve pronation last time around. He'll also clean up scare tissues and adhesions and perform Sonic Shockwave Therapy to my Achilles. I'm hoping for good results so I can begin to feel better and resume normal activities. Until then, Lu and I will be gimping around together. 

Day 84

So Gus has been asking me to devote another post to how charming he can be. Anyway, after a long day of work, I came home and decided to unwind with yoga. Normally, I practice in the office with the door shut so I can have peace and privacy; tonight, I decided to keep the door ajar for airflow. Just as I was beginning the session on the floor, Gus entered the room. Imagine me, lying on my back, getting ready to "fire up my core." He comes over and sniffs my face. Then ever so gently, Gus rests his chin on my cheek and just leaves it there. Why? I have no clue. A minute goes by, and he's still resting his chin on my cheek and I'm giggling and missing my clues from the instructor on Exercise TV. He really is something, what a goof.

Day 83

Day 80

Bill and I are big into food so it would stand to reason our French dogs would follow suit. This evening we're preparing gnocchi with extra virgin olive oil roasted chou-fleur de vert (French for green cauliflower) tossed with an exceptional quality prosciutto and fourteen-year-aged parmesan reggiano. Served with a little crust of French bread, we're in heaven.

Lulu and Gus do not get indulgences such as this. We keep it simple. They are allowed raw fruits and vegetable and herbs. Once in a while, they're spoiled with protein such as roasted chicken or pork maybe a little scrap of beef. But they appreciate fruit and vegetables more than any other dogs I've know. Here's a list of favorite foods.

Cilantro

Arugula

Melon

Pineapple

Parsley

Basil (Gus isn't so much a fan)

Mango

Spinach

Green Onions

Leafy greens

Chocolate (they aren't allowed to eat it but it's funny that they know they like it)

POPCORN (absolute favorite)

I'm sure I'm missing something they love but this is a start. So if you want to bring them something they really like, I suggest cilantro. Gus recently went through a bout of a stomach aliment and the only thing he found interest in was cilantro...not beef and rice, not dog cookies, not parsley, but cilantro.

Day 77

Dearest Kait,

Since you were kind enough to comment and ask, Gus's eye is doing very well, in fact much better than expected. We caught it early enough that it healed much more rapidly than cornea ulcer typically do.

Lu on the other hand isn't so well today. Yesterday, she had a big day meeting our friends' dog and is very stiff and hoping around instead of walking. It's a small setback and I'm sure she'll be fine in a couple of days but we had to tell our friends we couldn't dog sit for them due to Lu's condition. Sorry Jen, Russ and Kai! To be fair, we can't really say for sure it was due to the roughhousing but we can't take the chance that she'll injure herself further. We hope next time Kai needs a sitter, Lu's in a better, more healthy state.

Day 75

Sad and pathetic because mommy's leaving on business. Isn't it funny how they know?

Gus shares Lu sentiment.

Day 73

When your own mother points out that your slacking on blogging you know you have to step it up.

It’s not lack of material. These two make it easy as they’re always up to something funny. I was just outside with Lu and Gus watching their antics. Before Lu’s surgery, Lu was fast, really fast. She would show off her superior ability by running laps around the yard with Gus after doing their business. Lu was at least 50% faster than Gus and was happiest being chased rather than being the chaser. So it was interesting to see how she would adapt to her new clumsy gate and reduce speed. She cleverly compensated by decreasing the size of the circles she was running so she was always within Gus’s circuit. When Gus would approach she’d lunge for him and bite playfully. It was as if she was giving fate the finger. Hell no was she going to chase. Instead she found a new way. That’s my girl.

I took a few pictures earlier today of Lulu on the patio under a chair. I’m not sure why she was hanging out under the chair but she looked serene on a late August day.

Day 72

We celebrated my 32nd birthday today. Lu is pooped out and so am I. We shared the day with our families and friends. It was a nice way to commence a new year.

Day 71

After returning home from a long evening with girlfriends, Lulu and Gus decide it's playtime. While it was nice to see them play, it was late and time for bed.

Day 66

This is why I love living with Frenchies. Taking a soak in the tub this evening, all alone in the house, Gus is impatient and wants me out. You have to hear the sound on this clip for the full effect. Right after I stopped recording, he put his paws up on the tub ledge and started barking. He's now lying on my wash cloth on the floor after giving up.

Day 65

Feeding time at the zoo: Lu tap dances as she waits for us to serve dinner. What a character.

Day 64

Bill and I went to Chicago for the evening to visit with friends. Of course as we were getting ready to leave, Lulu sat forlorn in the bathroom with I was getting ready and Gus lounged on the bed looking very sad with Blue Bunny. Lulu made me laugh as I was preparing to go; I had used a new body oil and while I was putting makeup on at the mirror, she delicately sampled the product as she licked my legs. I had to go put on a pair jeans to make her stop.

Our niece Abigail, who is 13 years old, agreed to come over and feed the dogs and take them outside. She left a note and indicated she had to return several hours after she fed them because they wouldn't "pee" the first time. I'm sure Lu and Gus were just excited to see her. They love their Abigail.

Day 63

In most ways, she is still Lu. Her hair is growing back. The scar is flat. She still wants to be near. But, there are differences. She's smaller for one. Less than 23lbs. She was 28lbs. She's not as playful or reliant on Gus. Not as bold nor is she as content. She has anxiety she's never had before. But, I love her, maybe more than ever before. She's my Lu.

Day 59-61

Image via Wikipedia

Since surgery, Lulu has had trouble keeping food down. She tends to vomit minutes after eating her dry dog food, which we wet with water to avoid blot. After an episode, we switch back to feeding her a mixture of rice and boiled ground beef. On this diet, Lu never vomits. I asked Dr. Wood what she thinks it could be but she wasn't sure. She did not think it related to surgery, rather a coincidence that it occurred since surgery. She suggested we either try feeding her the food dry or switching formulas. Since we received this advice, Lu had the opportunity to gobble up some of Gus's food that had dropped from his bowl. She only got a couple kibbles but it was enough to cause her stomach to be upset. So now we're certain that she can't tolerate this food. It's strange because she's been on the formula since she was weened. I looked into different types of food and found a Whitefish and Potato formula made by Fromm that has 11% fat rather than 15% fat as in the Sweet Potato Duck formula with which she's having trouble. A happy bonus of this blend is that it is naturally high in glucosamine, which is recommended as a supplement to keep Lu's spine healthy. In the meantime, we've been cooking for her. She's happy, Gus is jealous.

Day 58

These are some of my favorite "crazy" pictures of Lu. They were taken last summer on a lazy weekend. Something about Lu's brindle coat, the zigzag pattern of the rug and her goofy expressions and body language makes me chuckle. She is a character. Lu is usually really happy and hyper or very moody and sulking. If she's outside in the sun, she's happy-go-lucky Lu. If I'm getting ready for work, she's sad Lu and hides in the bathroom near the toilet. It's like having a teenager with a mood disorder except half the time she's acting like a baby but maybe that's consistent with teenage behavior...anyway, in dog years she's older than me. If she wasn't so darn cute, I wouldn't let her get away with half of this.

After the lake

Little Things

Day 54

Image via Wikipedia

So it's official; Gus has a corneal ulcer on his right eye. The vet said it was superficial and we caught it early so it should heal relatively quickly for an ulcer. But while superficial in depth, it's fairly large, about 3/8" in diameter. We received instructions to treat the ulcer with an antibiotic gel twice daily. We're told that because the cornea has little to no blood circulation, his eye will respond by growing more blood vessel to the region to speed healing. All in all, we're looking at two or three months before his eye is completely healed. There shouldn't be any long term issue though may develop a dark spot on his eye.

My search for information on the condition revealed an informative article from the American Shih Zu Club website. I found the following excerpts to be of particular interest. http://americanshihtzuclub.org/corneal_ulcers

"Corneal ulceration, also known as ulcerative keratitis, occurs in all breeds of dog, but brachycephalic breeds with pushed-in faces, such as Shih Tzu, Bulldog, French Bulldog, Lhasa Apso, Pekingese, and Pug, are more commonly affected. Age doesn’t seem to play a role in development of corneal ulcers, although most cases occur in young to middle-aged dogs...


The cornea is the transparent layer in the front of the eye that covers the iris, pupil and anterior chamber. When a dog develops a corneal ulcer, it first affects the epithelium, or the protective outer layer of the cornea. The epithelium prevents water and infectious agents from entering the cornea and holds the tear film in place...

Corneal ulcers usually result from trauma to the eye. In the case of Stern’s dog, Ledger, he experienced irritation and eventually pustules formed from the rubbing of the abnormal growth of eyelashes, caused by distichiasis, on the cornea. Ulcers also can be related to decreased tear production, eyelid abnormalities or nerve damage...


Signs of an ulcer include blinking, squinting or rubbing the eye. Most of the nerves in the cornea are on the surface, so as the ulcer goes deeper into the eye, the pain may lessen though the condition is worsening. Brachycephalic breeds are less likely to show signs of pain than other breeds because their corneal sensitivity tends to be decreased..."

The described sign of ulcer are consistent with what we observed with Gus. Upon arriving home last night from work, Gus greeted my but only briefly before rubbing his face again the edge of the open door. I looked at him and he gazed back, one eye open, the other shut. Of course our first though was that he had something in his eye so we tried to flush it with saline solution. After two attempts and no sign of improvement we decided to take him to the clinic. Our experience with Lulu has left an impression. We are really the "wait and see" kind of dog parents anymore.

The vet thought Gus's condition was likely caused by dry eye since he hasn't been getting much "play time" with Lu so injury was unlikely. He said it's common in certain breeds like the French Bulldog to sleep with their eyes partially open which lends to the dry eye issues. Even after the numbing treatment at the clinic, Gus was still clearly uncomfortable and kept the affected eye pinched shut. At home when he finally fell asleep we saw that true to the vet's assumption, the left eye was partially open in sleep. Unconscious, the right eye must have been irritated then as it was closed all the way.

Lulu is grumpy today. I'm not sure if it's the new attention Gus is getting or if she's not feeling well. She has a little bit of a runny nose anyway. Maybe she's trying to the turn the table. Usually it's Gus vying for attention. In fact, when Lu had surgery to remove the scabious cyst on her neck, Gus pulled out a nail the same day she was released. The little rascal.

Another day...another trip to the vet. This time it's Gus. We think he may have scratched his eye.

Day 52-53

Image via Wikipedia

Lu's progress continues to surprise. I arrived home yesterday from work and was greeted by Lu and Gus as they were in the backyard playing; Bill was finishing up the lawn. Bill followed me in the house, Lu under his arm, knowing that her old routine would have included bounding up the patio stairs and into through the French door to greet me as I come through the side door. She always took pride in beating me there and I'm sure she will do so again very soon.


Later as we were preparing dinner, we heard rustling around the “toy box” we keep for Lu and Gus. Bill asked which dog was clamoring around, it was Lu. Her interested in toys since surgery has been slim so this is a very good sign. She was interested in a particular toy; it’s a ball with batteries and when it’s turned on, it rolls on its own. Bill flipped the switch and at first Lu just stared. Moments later it was like a light bulb went off and Lu bounced after the ball, puppy-like. She can be so playful and cute. I wish I had caught it on video.

Day 51

Bill and I are still recovering from a weekend of celebrating. Lulu and Gus are happy we're home. Melody was a lifesaver for agreeing to stay at our place the "babysit." Thank you, Mel! If caring for them wasn't enough, Mel entertained us with a commical note from the kids regarding their time with her.

transcribed by Bekka:

Dear Mom + Dad.

We missed you. I wasn't sure where you were so I watched the garage from the bed for a couple hours but then Aunt Mel fed us and we were okay. Lulu got sick and threw up all her food. It was gross + I think it grossed out Aunt Mel having to clean it up. She cooked something, gave it to Lulu and she was all better. We got to be outside for a half hour. I think Aunt Mel was afraid Lulu might throw up again but she didn't, yay! We saw a bunny outside the fence. Hope you had a nice time. Can't wait to lick your face.

P.S. Aunt Mel is comfy. I laid on her lap a lot.

GUS

Missed you. I slept after you left for a while. Gus was going back + forth + sat on the guest bed staring out the window. I think he's silly sometimes. Aunt Mel was nice. I'm sorry but I got sick after I ate + threw up everything! Aunt Mel cleaned it up but it was pretty gross. My food came out whole with a bunch of water. Aunt Mel cooked for me and let me eat it outside. It was good + I didn't throw up! She let us stay outside for about a half hour. It was fun + we saw a bunny! Aunt Mel carried me everywhere + helped me on + off the couch. Hope you had a nice time. I'll kiss you lots when I see you.

LULU

P.S. I think Gus + I were good

P.P.S. Aunt Mel took us to the beach but don't worry we didn't go on the beach. But if we had tails we'd be wagging them.

Day 49-50

Day 48

Friday morning we took Lulu back to Buffalo Grove Specialty Center for her check up with Dr. Wood and got a clean bill of health! Dr. Wood indicated that nerves in Lu’s hind legs are responding normally which is the last function to come back after the type of surgery she had. We were advised to gradually get her back to a normal routine over the next six weeks and to “let her enjoy being a dog again.” Therapy is to be kicked into high gear. We should take her swimming every other day until the weather turns. This will help improve the lost muscle tone in her legs. While Lu has already come a long way, Dr. Wood said that she can continue to improve until 6 months post-op. We have our work cut out for us to make sure she does.

Gus got to come with us to the clinic for moral support. As usual, the pair of them drew oos and aahs. A nice lady in the waiting room couldn’t get enough of them and spent time talking to them and complimenting their good looks. Hopefully they maintain their charm this weekend. My good friend Melody is watching them at the house Friday and Saturday while Bill and I are out of town for a wedding. They’d better behave.

Day 47

Lu's big appointment with Dr. Wood is tomorrow and we hope everything goes well and we're given the green light to allow her to be more active. Gus will of course, be joining us at the clinic to put in his two bits and charm all the ladies. More on this tomorrow...

Day 46

Day 45

36 mosquito bites and two tired dogs later, we’ve accomplished Lu’s first street walk since surgery. It wasn’t epic nor was it stupendous but she was finally allowed to wander unaided by the stroller past the neighbor’s house and ours. It was maybe 15 human paces, but it was something for Lu. She sniffed and snorted and soaked up the humid August night. Yay, Lu. Gus is tired too.

Day 43-44

I’m in the shower after a good old-fashioned power walk, pondering what to blog about today when some innate sense of self-preservation tells me to peek out the curtain and check on el puppos, as I affectionately refer to our bulldogs. Alone in the house, I left the door to the bathroom open so that I could keep an eye on Lu who I left sitting on the sofa. I thought maybe my intuition would lead me to discover Lu in some kind of danger, in peril of leaping from the sofa or perhaps keyed up due to a neighborhood disturbance like someone strolling down the street with small children. But no, the issue wasn’t Lulu. It was Gus. There he was in the bathroom tearing into tiny pieces an industrial-use bathroom cleaning towelette he pulled from the trash.

This wasn’t Gus’s first offense of the day. Earlier, as Bill sat perched on the sofa ready to dive into a heavenly slice of homemade double chocolate zucchini cake, Gus decided to take a little nibble, just a tiny little taste. Bill said it all happened so quickly. He was reaching for the remote, his attention removed from the ready dessert for mere seconds when the incident took place. Bill chastised him immediately and harshly; Gus’s response was to slowly push the remaining cake from his salivating mouth disdainfully as if he never wanted it in the first place. What a sucker.

Gus is three years old. This is not normal behavior for him. He’s usually quite well mannered. In fact just the other day, I ran out to the garage for a soda with Lu tucked under one arm, leaving a tasty sandwich on the coffee table well within his reach and temptation. I came back to an untouched sandwich and a very doleful Frenchie who received an appreciating pat on the head. So, I have to believe his conduct today is a ploy for attention. I mean, I understand that the double chocolate zucchini cake is divine but chemical towelettes? I see no attraction there.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chocolate-and-Zucchini-Cake-355911

Day 42

Image via Wikipedia

Today Bill and I walk for Relay for Life (American Cancer Society) so Lulu and Gus are getting ready to go to Grandmas. Bill tells me she's somewhat nervous about caring for Lu but it really is pretty easy now.

Being that we are both walking for several hours tonight, we're taking it easy today. We were relaxing out in the sun with the kids and captured this cute video.

Day 41

Bolder and bolder she gets. Twice today I caught her in mid-leap off the sofa. First when she heard the Asian Bowl delivery person at the door and second when I opened the drawer of the coffee table where we keep her beloved rawhide bones. She appears bent on destruction.

Day 40

We’re starting to plan for life after recovery with Lu. Her post surgical follow up is next week and she’s likely to be released from the surgeons care. We want to safeguard her from another episode. Alternative medicine could help; I’d especially like to explore chiropractic care as it helped me with my own spinal issue.

I mentioned Lu’s case to Dr. Dan at Combined Care in Libertyville. While he prefaced the discussion with the fact that he doesn’t treat dogs, he did tell me that his career did include the chiropractic adjustment of a miniature poodle that jumped out of a moving vehicle and another small dog that presented with disc issues. Both dogs fully recovered after the therapy to live long happy lives. I asked Dr. Dan if he would check Lu for any potential disc; he politely declined. But, he said he could refer me to a colleague of his whom at one time treated people but was now working with a vet is Des Plains treating dogs. The funny thing is that the Des Plains doctor is the brother of the vet that owns the Fox Lake clinic where Lu is normally treated. Small world.

After hearing so many stories about dogs that have recovered from disc issues without surgery using only conservative care, it’s been in the back of my mind that maybe we didn’t have to put Lu through all this and that maybe we could have saved a boatload of money. I’m happy to say Dr. Dan put my mind at ease. He said no adjustment could have led to recovery if the disc ruptures leaving debris in the spinal column, which is exactly what happened in Lu’s case. While there’s no going back, I feel better knowing we did the right thing. Now we can move forward with a plan to protect her from future injury...if only she was always sleepy and sedate like in this picture from this morning taken with brother, Gus.

Day 38-39

I had a terrible dream about Lulu two nights ago. I came home to find her in her bed in the laundry room bleeding copiously from her nose, mouth and eyes. I panicked and insisted to Bill that we take her to a vet right away. It was very early in the morning, maybe 3 or 4 a.m. Bill was in no rush and I couldn’t understand why. We made our way to the car and Bill began driving aimlessly around. I suggested the Grayslake Emergency Treatment Center, but Bill said it was too expensive. We ended up there anyway and while sitting in their waiting room, we called other vet clinics. The whole time Lu is just bleeding and bleeding. We can’t tell from where the blood is coming; I’m covered in it too. I can’t believe she has this much blood to bleed. I’m afraid she might die. We reach Fox Lake Animal Hospital and I’m surprised they’re open. After some confusion with the receptionist we decide to take Lulu there instead. I look down and the plastic bag we have under Lu is pooling with blood. I look up and all of a sudden, my mom’s with us, out of thin air, you know how chance dreams can be. Anyway, my mom somehow slows the bleeding and determines that the blood is coming mostly from her nose which we can now see is half missing. It’s been bitten off and that’s not her only injury. She was alone with Gus when we found her. I’m disgusted and alarmed that Gus has done this to her. I can’t believe it. Then I wake up.

Day 36-37

Yesterday we brought Lulu back to the lake for water therapy. I can't say she enjoyed it any more than the first time around, but she did seem more capable and we did get lots of attention. Adult and children alike wanted to know what's going on with the funny looking dogs in the water. Regardless of her lack of enthusiasm, she did well. She was able to swim for 2-3 minute stretches and preformed 4 or 5 reps. Gus underwent water therapy as well; not because he needs it but because he insists on being treated equally. We happily complied.

Day 35

Several days after surgery, I half-jokingly suggested we shave Lu and cleanup the not so wonderful haircut given to her at Buffalo Grove Specialty Center. At the time, Bill wasn't sold on the idea. Well, he was inspired today. Lu was patient but unimpressed. I have to admit, it does look better.