Pupzilla and the Vet

Pupzilla on her couch

We moved houses last January.  The vet we have been using since arriving in SouthLite is now way over on the other side of town.  I began the process of finding a new vet after we moved but once I collected a few recommendations life got in the way.

Last spring Pupzilla had a run-in with a six-legged creature in the backyard that broke her out in lumpy hives.  It was a Sunday but luckily there is an animal emergency hospital just three blocks from our new home.  I took her there and they treated her wonderfully.  Again I thought that I should really find a new vet, especially since her annual visit occurs in June, but again life got in the way.

While I was yucking it up in our nation's capital this past weekend, b was home snuggling Pupzilla. He found a ping-pong sized lump on her neck.  It was not the usual kind of lumps and growths that she has been sprouting these last few years.  So I made an appointment with a vet that a good friend had recommended.

I came home from DC on Wednesday and the appointment was for Thursday morning.  I had not yet finished my grading and barely got my prepping done for my back-to-back classes on Thursday afternoon.  b had the day off and was going to take Pupzilla while I stayed home and worked.  At the last minute I decided to tag along so I could meet the new vet.  Really I was worried that this would be awful news and I didn't want b to hear it alone.

The lump turned out to be nothing more than a fatty benign tumor that does not need to be removed. The vet checked her various other lumps and moles and was not overly worried about any of them (although recommended we have one on her ankle removed--but no rush).  She was appalled by the state of Pupzilla's nails (our previous vet never offered to clip them and Pupzilla won't let us do it).  With two assistants holding Pupzilla down, our new vet managed a lovely mani/pedi.

The previous vet had mentioned Pupzilla has arthritis in her knees and we've been noticing her slowing down considerably.  The last time I took her for a walk it was a slow and difficult process. She sometimes stumbles going up and down the stairs to the yard and rarely gets off the couch anymore.  We assumed a lot of this was age.  The vet gave us a free sample of arthritis medicine and told us that we may see a difference.  According to her, many people assume age is the culprit when it is really pain.  It is very hard to see pain in a dog and Pupzilla is particularly stoic.

We gave her a pill as soon as we got home and then left for the afternoon.  When we got home last night she came to the door to greet us like in the old days.  She also wanted to play fetch with her bone and didn't stop after three throws (her usual pattern these days).  Today she is mostly on her couch but has been getting up and down with considerable more ease.  We are hopeful that things will continue to improve.

We love our new vet. 

Our Girl

Mostly she sleeps; on the couch, on her bed and, in the afternoon, on the sunny spot of the living room floor.  Some mornings we need to coax her just to get her to go outside.  She has many bumps and moles.  Her snout is almost completely white; she has arthritis in her left knee; and she no longer sees very well in the dark.  She is still quick to remind us that it is dinnertime and waits patiently for scraps while we cook.  Sometimes she forgets to leave the room when we're eating but eventually she goes, with a sigh.  She digs holes in her bed trying to get it just right.  Tonight we found her crawled inside one large hole with her face peering out of another--like a child snuggled up in a sleeping bag.  But throughout it all she's our girl and we love her.

Walking Miss Pupzilla

When we moved into our new home last January many things in our lives improved.  However the house is in a very "walking unfriendly" neighborhood and that has been a big disappointment to me.  I didn't realize that it has also been affecting Pupzilla.

For several years (and three houses) now, Pupzilla has made ample use of a backyard.  However in the old house I also took her on long walks to the park.  This was an activity we both enjoyed.  In the new house I drove her to the park once.  While there she bit another dog and she hasn't been on a walk since.

On Saturday it took her a long time to get out of bed and then she proceed to fall down.  One of her back legs just refused to work.  The vet told us that she had a "touch of arthritis" in that knee and the humidity was through the roof.  We figured that her arthritis was acting up.  Still it was sad and a little scary to see fall down the steps and not be able to get up on the couch.  In a few hours she was doing better but I decided we needed to be diligent about her exercise.

So we've been taking a constitutional after dinner every night.  Each night she goes a little further and tonight her step was jaunty.  We walk along the busy street until we can turn into a little neighborhood-y section.  There are no sidewalks but the streets are quiet there.  She walks as far as she likes and then takes a section of leash in her mouth to gently turn me around and lead me back home.  

Further Misadventures in the Land of Dirt and Rocks

Today is an amazingly beautiful day.  The type of day that would convince you spring was not just around the corner but actually here if you didn't have a calendar telling you it is still January.

I've been wanting to explore our new neighborhood since we moved in and thought today would be a perfect opportunity.  There is a large park right near us that I have visited once or twice since I moved to SouthLite.  It looked too long (and difficult) to walk to (although it will be an easy bike ride) especially with Pupzilla, so we set out in the car.

As I expected it was a busy day in the park, since everyone had the same idea as me.  However we did manage to find a parking space without too much trouble.  Pupzilla was beside herself with joy.  She has been cooped up in the house for too long.

I had been fooling around with some new apps earlier in the day and figured I'd continue to play with them on our walk.

 Pupzilla on the couch (pre-walk) shot with Instagram

 My living room shot with Pencil illusion

My lounging feet shot with Pencil illusion

The park has roads and bike trails and walking trails criss-crossing through it.  It is also an historical sight so there are monuments to see as you walk.

We were having fun but work was calling me back at home and Pupzilla has looking pretty tired and in need of a thirst-quencher.  I realized that one of the things I liked about walking in the park instead of on one of the many trails nearby is that everyone kept their dog on their leash.  There were a lot more dogs (and people) then we ever see on a trail, but no one was off leash and this put my mind at ease.

As we headed back to the car, we saw a small family coming towards us with a dog and I decided to step off the path, put Pupzilla into a sit, and wait for them to pass.  The path was very narrow and the dog looked young and frisky and I thought it best to be prudent.  However, as they slowly made their way towards us, a single gentleman with an older dog walked up behind them.  So as both groups passed us the young dog was on left side of the path (furthest away from where Pupzilla was patiently sitting) and the older dog passed on the right, right in front of us.  I already had Pupzilla on a very short leash and when I realized the dog was passing right in front of us and putting his or her nose near Pupzilla, I pulled her even closer.  Unfortunately it was not close enough.  

As many of you know, Pupzilla is not good with other dogs and we do everything we can to keep her away from them.  She has been in several fights but always the dog has done something that set her off.  I've never known her to attack without provocation (not always deserved provocation but at least I know what to be wary of).  This time she just attacked this poor dog's snout with no warning and no rhyme or reason.  I pulled her off and the whole thing was over in less than a minute but she did have this dog's nose in her mouth and bit him or her.  The dog seemed fine and the two of them were over it but I was shaken.  I apologized the minute it happened.  The man looked me straight in the eye with pure hatred before walking his dog down the road.

I don't blame him.  Neither he nor his dog did anything wrong.  I would hate a dog (and its owner) who bit my dog without provocation.  I know enough to cross to the other side if I see someone holding their dog off trail but that is because I know what dog-aggressive dogs can do.  He obviously didn't.

So I feel awful for the dog and for him.  I am also worried about what this means for taking Pupzilla on walks in the future.  Is she getting worse as she gets older?  What if we were on a trail with an unleashed dog?  I want her to get exercise and I know how much she enjoys being out of the house but the anxiety of not knowing what she will do if another dog approaches makes me want to keep her home. 

White Christmas

A Camping Interlude

Somehow the stars and planets aligned this week and b and I had 48 hours where no one required our presence.  And so we went camping.

Of course we took Pupzilla.

There was much needed rest and relaxation around a campfire.

And the occasional light refreshment.

There was also reading by b and grading by me.

Pupzilla spent most of her time sleeping in the tent.

She did go on a nice long walk with me on Saturday.

The fall colors in SouthLite are nowhere near as intense as UpNorth but they are pretty nonetheless.

I think the blue skies make up for it.

Regardless of where you live, it is always pleasant to walk through the leaves.

Of course, no camping trip is complete without b's scrumptious dinners.  This time he made ribs in the dutch oven.

At The Beach: A Photo Essay

A very busy weekend.

A foot fetish (for Drax)

Some scary stores

Pupzilla on the beach.

Beautiful sunrises

Lovely sunsets.

Flora and fauna

The long road home.