The time has come, but this time, it's good news!

The boy in the blue collar, henceforth known as Leo, gets to come home tomorrow! I'm terrified, but elated. We're ready. Well, as ready as we'll ever be, and will take each day as it comes.

Leo is the one on the left. Here he is sitting calmly while his sister chews on his ear.

Happy birthday, Lilith

Lilith would have been 17 today. Every day I had with her was a blessing, and I am so thankful. Happy birthday, little friend. I love you. 

 

Changes

I'm able to think of Lilith and smile now. I still miss her, but I can look at her pictures and blow kisses at them without crying now. Ophelia has stopped meowing at the door every time I come in, but I think she's still kind of lonely, and would like a furry friend. 

I got to meet the puppies a couple of weeks ago, and will get to see them again soon. There's one in particular that stole my heart, and since I get second pick of the litter, the odds are good that he'll be able to come home with us. I'm so excited, but really scared, too. I've never been responsible for a puppy. I've had them, but as a child, so it doesn't really count. My mom isn't even alive for me to ask advice, so I'll have to muddle through as best I can. 

The puppies at 2 weeks old

I've got a puppy kindergarten program picked out, and just bought a lock for the garbage can today. I've read everything I could get my hands on about raising puppies, and now, all that's left is to live it. Just like caring for a senior pet, I'm sure there will be curveballs, but if I learned anything from Lilith, it's that I'm stronger than I ever thought possible, and I can adapt when necessary. Wish us luck!

The purpose of a dog

A friend of mine forwarded this to me, and I had to share because it's utterly perfect:

 

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog’s owners, Ron, his wife Lisa , and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.  I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn’t do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker ‘s family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Belker’s transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker’s death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.
Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, ”I know why.” Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I’d never heard a more comforting explanation. It has changed the way I try and live.
He said,”People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life — like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?” The Six-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long."

Nuff said.

P.S. I found a source online. It's not the original, but it's better than nothing:
http://bayintegratedmarketing.wordpress.com/2012/03/18/a-dogs-purpose-from-a-6-year-old/ 

Grandma O

Our puppy was born on Monday, which means that in less than eight weeks, Ophelia will be an adoptive grandma! I think she'll enjoy having a little pup around. She's such a cuddler that as long as the puppy doesn't attempt to entice her into play, they'll get along just fine...I hope. It remains to be seen, but I'm optimistic. 

It'll be quite a change of pace from having a senior dog to having a puppy. Some of it will be the same though, such as the nocturnal potty excursions and the sleeping on the floor in case he needs comfort, the special food, frequent trips to the vet for immunizations and whatnot, etc. The main difference is that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. No, not THAT kind of light. In a few weeks, he'll be able to make it through the night, and then we'll be able to go on long walks and play fetch. Yay! I'm so excited!! 

The puppy's senior years are far away, but when they come, I'll love him right through them. By that time, I hope the good people at dogquality.com have a dog stroller suitable for large breeds, hint hint...

Our puppy is in here somewhere :-)

Things are looking up

Ophelia has started gaining weight again. I think she was stressed about losing Lilith. She tested negative for hyperthyroidism, and her xrays showed no signs of lymphoma, so we changed her food back to kibble and decided to wait and see. She just weighed in at 10 lbs, and I hope this trend continues. She looks much better with a little fat on her bones, though she still needs a bit more. 
 

Oh no...

Ophelia's lost a lot of weight lately, so I took her to the vet. They tested for thyroid problems and a worsening of her already present kidney disease, but those values came back normal. During her exam, the vet said her abdomen felt odd, and he was concerned about the possible presence of lymphoma, so today, we're going in for an x-ray. If she's got lymphoma, the prognosis is really grim. We're talking 4-6 weeks. I don't understand because she isn't acting sick, but my mother died of lymphoma, and she acted fine for quite some time, too. They could do surgery to remove the mass, followed by chemotherapy. However, at 15 1/2, I'm not going to put Ophelia through either. The writing is on the wall, and I can't believe how cruel a fate this is, especially so soon after Lilith's death. Ophelia and I have been together since she was about 6 months old. I have shared my pillow with her for 15 years! I've pulled her toothbrush out along with mine every morning, and haven't had an empty lap in a decade and a half. I haven't had to walk into an empty house after work in so long that I just don't know how I'll cope.