It's been an interesting first week at the library. Keeper is still trying to hold it and not pee or poop there, I'm still trying to convince her to go. It means staying late most nights, but that does seem to be our biggest issue with the work.
Shelving is interesting. I don't know where I'm going quite yet, and she likes to look between the books to watch other people. She's a bit worried by the big cart (I think I pinched her toe), but is fine with the little carts.
We've sat at all the desks for circulation, and the center one is the one that best hides her from the public. She does okay with people (especially little kids) talking to her, and is starting to ignoring them more often than not. She's adjusting much faster than I anticipated, given how much I'm still learning.
In less wonderful news, Duncan's got a partial tear of his right CCL. He's not super lame, but he's not sound, either. After his very poor reaction to the medications post surgery for his 2013 CCL tear, I'm electing to try conservative management. Several weeks of leash walks, and then slowly trying to build up his muscles to support the joint the way the ligament should. If that fails, we'll go on to a brace, if we need to. I'm hopeful. He's not 3 legged lame, he's just short-striding on the right. I don't know if the vet would have noticed if I hadn't asked for a drawer test. That means it's a more chronic issue, less of an acute onset. It's not ideal, and it breaks my heart that I can't fix him and make him 100% again. He's also got an infected anal sac and is on a two week course of antibiotics.
I try to take solace in the fact that he's a happy brat, still begging for food and love, or letting himself into my room to get to the super cushy beds (and away from the Setters). He's still got himself on debris patrol, and turns in things he finds for treats. I would guess he'd gladly go back to work, if I let him, but he's starting to (appear to) enjoy retirement. It might have something to do with Mom giving him honey straws after Keeper and I head out.
The good news from the annual exam is that he's still got a protective level of antibodies on his titers, so we don't have to put him through the stress of a vaccine (poor boy has almost as many health quirks as I have.) His fecal and 4 way check for heartworm and tick born diseases came back clear.
Keeper's also clear on fecal and is still showing as positive on anaplasmosis but clear on everything else. She's still happy, healthy, and sound, so I'm continuing to hold to the belief that it's a false positive. I may send blood off for a pathologist to look at in another year, if she's still showing positive on the snap test. I don't want to treat a disease that's not there, but I don't want to assume it's a false positive forever.
I spend more being conservative and double checking the anaplasmosis diagnosis and not vaccinating every year (it's $141 for titers) but I'm giving their best health my best guess.
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