On the dog topic, we are really relieved that the dalmatian has had a good couple of weeks in terms of her mobility and apparent pain level (since dogs won't just tell you if they have pain, and in fact will hide it instinctually) -- a quarter-tablet of Rimadyl twice a day seems to be helping her mobility, but isn't making her sick (half a tablet twice a day was making her sick).

We have lots of carpet squares so she can get her feet under her, and a ramp off the back porch (from a U-Haul truck; we are PURE CLASS), and while she isn't running around like a puppy (or, frankly, like she was just a year ago), she's doing a lot better than she was a few weeks ago.

She's eating well again and has put on some weight -- she could stand a few more pounds, but she's looking much better.

She's old, and we know that she won't be around for many more years, but for right now she's sticking around and has a good quality of life.

Kato (the black-and-tan coonhound) is, as always, a brilliant, good-natured, hilarious FAT CHUNK of a dog.

Here they both are being cute: [link]

So when she really wants to go for a walk, she'll come up and stand there with the one leg already pulled up against her body.

Oh, my heart. What a sweetie.

And she's thinking, "Pfft! I thought humans were supposed to be SMART!"

We will not speak of MGG.

He needed a hairbrush more than a haircut. CK and JP were at least groomed. But he does look cute with the new do.

CK frequently has two fingers on his right hand bandaged. It may be a guitar thing?

Bandaged fingers are cute. Not sure what that's about.

I'm so glad to hear she's doing better! Lucy had Metacam in a liquid for arthrits/joint issues and did really well on it. I don't think we ever tried rimadyl.

awww.

While we are on the subject of cute pets, Dita finally had some interaction with people who aren't me today. She hid for a while, but then came out and, , true to her name sake, flirted with Matt a little, from a distance.

Hah! We also tried the booties, but Lu hated anyone touching her feet so they lasted about a second and a half before being ripped off. Too cute.

I don't think we ever tried rimadyl.

It's carprofen -- I think it's also called Novox.

When she was acting really disoriented after we started the 1/2 tablet dose, the vet told us that when he had been on a high dose of ibuprofen (since carprofen is an NSAID, just for animals, not humans [although The Boy took it accidentally one day]), the high dose of ibuprofen made him feel all loopy.

It's a sad sign of how often I take 4 ibuprofen that I honestly thought he was kidding. (Really? Ibuprofen can make humans feel loopy? I perhaps need to cut back.)

We will not speak of MGG.

He always needs a haircut! Boy's regular all the way!!

Please do reach out brenda. I'm here for ya.

That 'out now?' behavior sounds adorable! How great that she is so acclimated to her harness.

smonster is very wise with the hotdog suggestion. I swear, hotdogs, are like God's gift to dogs. You might want to consider the chicken kind that are low sodium because some of them are like 30% salt. If you chop them up small, like she suggests and nuke them for a couple of minutes, it makes them easier to carry and less sticky for your fingers.

I'm going to recommend something that is going to seem all whoo-wooey, but despite not knowing how or why it works, I just know that it does.

I was at my wit's end with a rescue client who was being fostered and basically unadoptable due to anxiety issues...which, thankfully Darby does not have. I asked her people to do it, just because I asked them to and, being at the end of their own ropes, they went for it. Within a week, the dog was completely cured and ended up being adopted shortly there after.

I'm finding it to work on separation anxiety, noise aversion and several other fear responses. The best part is, it can't hurt anything.

It's called the push exercise.

Chop up some hotdogs and see what happens!

Steph, I know Lori had paw..mittens?socks? for Bear for clambering around in the mountains. I wonder if something like that would help for traction for the dalmation.

ION, my dad's retirement career seems to have become geothermal energy and the county water board. He's presenting to the state on a kinda ginormous venture-capital-seeking geothermal plan, roping in the uni, electric company and feds, and not as some freakshow off-the-street type. To my amusement, they have BP consultants. And with water, they're expanding and...yeah, I shoulda known retirement wouldn't mean dad quit working. Just thankful he found causes to manage.