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Monday, August 12, 2013

Dog Days


Yesterday we discovered that sometime in the past couple of days, Gibbs ate a sock. Not a little sock, not an ankle sock or even a knee sock... but one of those long stretchy, slouchy, over-the-knee socks. How was this discovered? The usual way, he was having a heck of a time completing an outdoor transaction.

Mom to the rescue (?)... Oh Joy! The things we do for our sweet doggies.

I tried to assist with a little "midwifery" of sorts-but only caused him discomfort, pain, anguish, and made him cry... yeah. mom to the rescue my hiney.

So, the length of sock (which was shocking) was cut so that we could dispose of that... and we left him to his sad self for a thorough hand-washing. When I tried to clean him up... it was not terribly bad, but he didn't like my attention on his hind end ANY MORE. I managed nonetheless.

My poor big boy was so lethargic at that point, I felt not only bad, but scared. Enough to call emergency vet numbers. almost 6 of them! Only one had an identifying message (so that I could be certain I was actually calling a pet care facility) so that's the one I left a message at). I was relieved at the speed the doctor called back and he reassured me by his calm suggestions that we try a number of things: Kitty hairball remedy (goopy stuff to lubricate his insides); gentle OTC laxatives and milk-and-or-pumpkin.

We might have gone overboard by trying all of the above, but there was no terrible night. No mess to clean up and at some point in the night or early this AM he managed to finish his task. He was much more like my "Gibbys" than he was for much of yesterday. SO... I think I'm in love with my vet, who I've never met. And I'm so happy my Gibbys is feeling better. I hear (since I'm working today) that he's running up and down the stairs and playing, so I'm feeling much better myself.

Be careful where you leave things like tights, socks, pantyhose, etc. these things can cause blockages and cost thousands of dollars in emergency surgery. I'm just so relieved that this guy seems to be getting back to his regular self.

On to Sheldon. He's going down the stairs like a 90,000 year old. Ok, exaggeration... but he's definitely hobbling the stairs a bit, so I am thinking he's overdone it again. I rubbed him down, checked his paws and legs and the rear left seemed to be tender upon flexing, so I'm hoping a dose or 2 of his pain meds will have him back to the springy, spunky guy (even though that's probably exactly why he's feeling this way) he's always been in no time!

Oh, can I just repeat, the things we do for our sweet doggies...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Friday, August 2, 2013

Garden Party - Birthday Memory

Today's my birthday. I always tend make a big deal out of my own birthdays because no one else really does. I mean, they don't have to, I'm an adult. But there was a time that I thought my birthday was a pretty big deal, for about 5 minutes.

Way back, when I was 5, I remember being at a get-together, a birthday celebration for a friend of my mom's and my uncle's. Jack and I shared a birthday so I felt it was my party too.

It was an outdoor gathering, I don't remember if it was a bucket o' chicken and beers or a BBQ and beers, the one thing I do remember is the song Garden Party coming on and how I excitedly thought that the song was a personalized anthem for the night. My mom dispelled my thinking.
"Mom, he's singing about us, we're having a garden party"
"No, Sherry, that's not what the song is about-go play"
Queue the first time I thought my mom didn't know what she was talking about!

OK, so she was right. I know this now. But when I heard the song this morning on my drive, all I could do was smile and think... 40 years later, Rick Nelson was singing Garden Party for me, for my birthday... then AND this morning.

Celebrate my birthday with me, listen to Rick's sons performing Garden Party, choose the original, or enjoy both: