Valarie's Blog (9)

Sort of a rough night last night. Sophie was restless. She only drank if I held ice cubes for her. But today with the sunshine she is much better. Up and about, ate a little breakfast and just a tiny drink. I would like for her to drink more but she isn't very interested.

Her incision looks good but I was surprised by how large an area they had to shave on her tummy. They also shaved a spot on her leg for the IV catheter. That little spot seems to be aggravating her the most.…

Poor Sophie had surgery today. She went in at 8:30 this morning and was ready to come home at 1:00. She had pre-anesthetic bloodwork, her nails trimmed, microchipped and the spaying. Everything went smoothly. Her incision had a tiny bit of bleeding but looks really good. She is still really groggy right now! Not interested in eating but drinking a little with encouragement. Poor baby. She is still so good natured and sweet. She always hangs with us in the family room or follows me from room…

After our last Vet experience, I wanted to find a clinic with a little higher standards and a lot closer to home. So I asked all my dog-loving friends and was referred by several to a clinic in a nearby small town. I checked them out online and made an appointment. Sophie's feet had not gotten any better and in fact were more tender and sort of soupy looking between her pads. Also she had a slight rash on her abdomen. I was concerned that these things had not resolved with the grooming and…

My parents are animal lovers but they love animals outside. Growing up in rural eastern Kentucky we had dogs,flying squirrels, etc. But they were not indoor pets. My dad has had numerous dogs. All of which he loved and spoiled. His current dog "Ho" (I have no idea of the origin or meaning of this name) is a great dog. Ho is a mixed breed mutt that he rescued during a fishing trip, Dad and his fishing buddy put the boat in on a little island at the lake. Three little puppies had been dumped…

I called my mother-in-law - "What were you thinking? That place was a dump - it should be condemned", I say.

"I know" she says "but Dr W--- is very good and they are working on the building"

"How can you tell" I ask.

"I don't think the husband is too ambitious" she says.

"No kidding", I say.

But in the end I agree that the doctor is wonderful but I will not continue to seek care in the demilitarized zone. She…

Let me preface this post by repeating the words of Jeannie C. Riley from my favorite childhood song The Harper Valley PTA; "No, I wouldn't put you on because it really did, it happened just this way". Maybe I used just a slight bit of literary (I know this is a stretch) license.

I have worked in the medical field longer than I care to admit. Over the years I have honed a high but certainly attainable set of expectations for cleanliness that should be met by any establishment…

He didn't need treats to win her over!! She charmed his socks off. Resistance was futile. He was hooked the minute he saw those big brown eys and the golden blond hair. Love at first sight I'm sure, even though he wouldn't admit it. Maybe his love for our lost Clay made him hold back just a little - not wanting to be disloyal or not wanting to love and lose again. I had been teasing him that I was going to get a dog that loved me as much as Clay loved him. I jokingly told him that he would…

We left the story as we were on the way home. After the call to my husband, our vet was next on the contact list. Just my luck-no room at the inn. They were booked up for the next few days. Nothing left to do but call in reinforcements. My mother in law wrangled an appointment with her vet and groomer for early the next morning. This was no small feat since her dog is uh let's just say "well known" in local animal care circles. Daisy is three pounds of Mr Hyde wrapped in a pound of poodle…

We lost our wonderful Clay last year, suddenly after 14 years. He was a very aloof border collie/chow mix. We loved him dearly. He loved my husband and tolerated my affections intermittently. I had lately been surfing the web, researching different breeds, thinking that maybe we were ready to get a new addition. I really wanted to adopt a dog from a rescue or local shelter. A friend alerted me to an ad. It listed a female goldendoodle at a very minimal cost. The attached picture showed her…