Yearly Exam Good news

Duncan's fecal was clear (no surprise Giardia this year), and the voicemail from the vet was that his blood work is all normal range.

I can hope that the x-ray was a fluke and we go three for three on good news and all clear... but he's still licking the leg every so often, and I'm still worried.

However it goes, I'd do my best by him.

Long, good, day

This is my "am I bleeding on the outside?" face.

Keeper and I put in a full 8 hour day at work, then headed off to a friend's house for dinner and a hang out. On our last break of the day (just before going back on the circulation desk) Keeper popped up in play and nailed me in the lip with a tooth. I tasted blood, and the lip felt fat, so I took a photo to see what was going on. Usually it's a nose or tongue she hits me with, no harm, no foul. I went in with a spot of blood from a small puncture and a fat lip.

Sasha would like a plate and food, please.

Visiting at the friend's house after work was a lot of fun. Lucy, the resident BostonX, ran right up and greeted Keeper. Sasha the cat wandered past, as if the sudden appearance of a giant dog was totally normal. Keeper did try to chase Dexter the cat. Dexter hopped on the back of the couch, and then Keeper hopped on the couch seat to see if he'd run more. Dexter was having none of that, turned and hissed. Keeper didn't chase him again, but she kept hoping he'd run.

I thought that Keeper's single minded hope that a cat would play with her was funny as Lucy was all over her, but Keeper didn't try to play with the little dog for the longest time. Lucy got revved up, and she when bouncing from one end of the couch to the other. Keeper tried to chase and self-handicap for the tiny dog and tight quarters all in the same span. Once it warms up, we might have to invite little miss Lucy over and see just how much fun the TerrierTude and the Fluffy Monster can have in a fenced in yard.

Picture from a friend's phone of the size difference. One of Keeper's toes is as big as Lucy's whole foot.

Yearly exam

Duncan thoroughly enjoyed his trip to the vet, aside from us all being weird and lifting him onto a table with no traction. He saw his favorite vet, and squeaked at her in greeting, and was an all-around well trained butthead. Ignored "heel" a couple of times, but did all the right behaviors for the exam, the x-rays, and the blood draw.

It was time for his yearly exam and blood work, plus he's been licking his right forelimb a few inches above the wrist every so often. Explaining to the tech why I wanted x-rays almost felt like a circular argument.

"So he's limping?"
"No, but he didn't limp when he broke his toe and tried to walk using his bad leg 12 hours after completely blowing his cruciate."
"So it's swollen?"
"Not that I could find."
"But you want x-rays."
"Yes, because he was working the same area."
"So he's licking it a lot?"
"Not really."
"So it's tender?"
"I wouldn't know, he lets me poke open wounds, and sometimes the blood trail is the only reason I check to see if he's hurt."
"Oh-kaay."
Frustratingly stoic dog!

Waiting in the lobby with the hated Halti on.

Vet, who saw him prance in on his broken toe, squeezes his leg all over. Duncan doesn't flinch, doesn't whimper, but he stops wagging for a tiny bit. Might be because it hurts, might be because he's confused as to why she's only petting one leg.

Took an x-ray with him on his side and his leg stretched down, then one with him sternal and both front legs on the plate. Vet said there's often a fuzzy spot on the side view where the radius and ulna cross. The top down view showed the spot again.

We go back in a couple weeks to see if it's maybe a tiny fracture that's healing, a bone bruise, a bone infection, or something worse. I'm scared it is cancer, but last time I was scared it was cancer, he'd broken his toe. I hope it's nothing serious. (At least there *does* seem to be something going on. There were times he made me doubt myself because he's still out playing and merrily trotting out to the mailbox with me.)

Waiting for x-ray results.

Regardless of the outcome of his fecal exam, blood work or the x-rays, I'm sure he had a good day. He got all the treats and attention because I left Keeper home. I'll hurt tomorrow, but she can help me then. I wanted to focus on Duncan and his current issues and Keeper still needs emotional support at the place where everyone seems to poke her with a needle. He didn't bark at the small dogs- neither looked much like a rabbit- and while I had the Halti on in case we got rushed by children in the lobby (like last time) I didn't need it. Once the emergency nose-turner was off, he behaved much better. Dork.

He's 9.5yrs with two bum knees and this is his right front. He's ridiculously sensitive to most medications. There aren't too many options if it's something serious. I hate "wait and see," and hope that our Feb 5th appointment is even less exciting than this one.

Too bored by waiting. Nap time. Duncan hasn't lost the ability to
fall asleep pretty much anywhere, any time we're still very long.

New Year review

This last year with Keeper has been one of many firsts- first time giving a presentation on flower drying, first time she'd been with me for a presentation and a workshop, first job interview, first new job, first Rally show, first museum, first living history farm, on and on.

There's a saying in the horse training world that what any green horse needs to become a good horse is a lot of wet saddle blankets. Translated, that means taking a critter from "sort of knows it at home" to "does things when you need them done" is to put in the hours and the miles. Well, 2015 was putting in the hours and the miles. She's becoming a very nice working partner. She's not my ideal, because I want a dog with more "let's DO THINGS!" get up and go, and Keeper's very content to take naps... but when I've been sick, as I've been sick the last couple of weeks, it's nice to know I don't have to push myself to do things, that she's content to hold down her part of the bed and wait for me to be interesting again.

We've done our second interview together- I'm hoping to go full time where I am now- and she gave me such a look when it was over. Apparently, if I was just smart enough not to go into that room, I wouldn't be scared and she wouldn't be concerned on my behalf. She's growing up to have Opinions, and has a disapproving school marm face that makes me grin every time I see it.

Ocho, the oldest of our English Setters, passed on Nov. 30, 2015. He was a sweetheart, and he'll be missed, but it was time. He went peacefully, surrounded by the people who saw him come into this world, at the place where everyone gave him cookies.

Duncan's been licking his right front leg a little more than normal, so he goes in for an old man exam and probably x-rays tomorrow morning. Since he walked around on a broken toe without limping, I'm a bit nervous as to what might be going on, though at nine and a half-ish, I'm hoping it's just arthritis. He's still happy and tries to wrestle with Keeper in the yard and plays bitey-face in the house.

Twist has a histocytoma on her belly, about an inch behind where her thighs meet her belly. That's not such a worry, but she's tried to pull the thing off, so she's wearing shorts or a cone collar. She is not amused.

Sunny continues to be crazy.

It's looking like it will be an interesting year with the garden club, with a number of tours I hope I can make, and a flower show. I've also started another 365 project, so I'll hopefully be posting more here. It's a hard habit to build, but I'm trying.