Ana Photos

Ana and Trent, her new BFF

Bananasauras! Growl!

See how the caveman trembles at her mighty roar!

Xander and Mona take snooze

Ana-saurus says Happy Halloween

Ana was scared of her Halloween costume. So she tried to eat it. Unfortunately for her, our friends brought her a Santa costume. It is too small but we caught a shot anyway. She knows her Mama Ledcat is under the ghoul outfit so she's okay.

She did so good last night. Our first guest was very attentive to Ana so we decided to keep her out and see how she would do. She lasted the whole evening! She did run from the toddler, but once she found a welcoming lap, she was good. She also enjoyed chasing under my skirt and hiding. She ate one pretzel but didn't beg for food.

Simon had been penned up in the bedroom and was desperate to get out. So we let him. He wasn't expecting Josiah the 20 month old. LOL. He definitely tried to beg for food.

It was a fun night for the critters. About 11:30 PM, the boys barked twice to let me know they wanted outside. Otherwise, they were very good. No one got eaten.

Ana went with us today to buy a new coat and some booties. We found a nice quilted coat at Burton's, but no booties. The mgr said they are the most frequently returned item so they stopped carrying them. We tried Petco. We both sat down on the floor and tried to try them on Ana, but no dice. She fought like a banshee and we realized they would never stay on her feet. Makes more sense to put our own boots on and just drag her outside.

There was also the never ceasing battle to get her in her seat belt. She turns into an octopus and I'm on my hands and knees wrestling her to ground, stuffing legs everywhere. Nonetheless, she loves going in the car.

I sprayed all the dog beds down with febreeze so they are all sleeping on the floor. Now i think it smells like feet in here and i can't figure out why.

Happy Halloween from the crew!

Happy Birthday, Ana!

We don't know what date in September marks her birth, so let's just celebrate all month long.

The Banana is doing great. We took her to Cleveland with us for a long weekend and she was a real gem. Didn't like traveling in the crate in the car, but was super well-behaved in the hotel and fine with pottying in a new place. She was afraid of the new people, but did let some folks pet her. She was really good.

Her insistence on being at least partway under the covers is a bit annoying. I'll turn over at night and she's licking my nose while her bottom half is neatly tucked away. Or vice versa. I seem to have a touch of bronchitis so now I just get a schnoz full of dog fair every breath. Great. :-)

I think about Mona occasionally. Something will remind me of her -- a smell, another dog's bark. I cried a little bit the other night because I was sad and just wanted to come home and bury my face in her neck. I'm getting teary eyed right now. Ana is a wonderful dog, but there's never a replacement.

Never.

Untitled

The Banana is still struggling with housebreaking. She's found a spot closer to the deck that she'll use, but we have to watch her like a hawk in the house. Ledcat is pursuing the small dog obedience class so we can get some guidance.

Last night, I gave the boys and the Banana one of those giant dog treat stuffed bones ... it was almost as long as her torse. They all chowed down. She couldn't lift it, but once I set it on the ground she was ready to chow down. Xander finished his first and sat watching her. I guess he hoped she could give up and go away. Ha. Every once in awhile she would curl her lip at him and keep on chomping. He never touched it. Deus recognized a lost cause and went to sleep. Xander continued to eye her hopefully. When I took the unfinished portion off her, he licked her clean and then mopped up the crumbs from the dog bed. She enjoyed the grooming. THen all three dogs laid down near the mantle with the Holy Grail, willing it to spontaneously roll off in their direction. Hysterical.

Dog training is going well. I've been practicing my watch command and both boys have it down. They are very good on sit, down and have been doing well with "walk away" when our neighbor's dog comes out. Our trainer is right -- they do much better when we give them something interesting to follow (walk away and get a treat) than when we insist, fruitlessly, that they come to us and stop getting to look at the yummy dogs in the next yard.

We missed class this week because of babysitting duties. They did recalls on long leashes but we'll catch up next week. I'm almost ready to do some neighborhood walking with them. I'm still nervous. We'll see what happens. I might get inspired.

The Banana Sprays

My lord this little dog is a handful. She doesn't listen to us at all. :-( She'll come when she feels like it and has no response whatsoever to the command "sit" None. She just looks at you with tail a waggin or runs around in circles. Ledcat is taking her to small dog obedience classes in the fall. Good luck to us.

Yesterday, she discovered the basement. My fault. Because she promptly peed and pooped down there. Yikes. This after she's discovered how to get under the fence into our neighbor's yard. Thankfully, he's really nice.

Conclusion? Ana has no solo privileges whatsoever. The only place she can be left untended is her crate.

Sound bad? We love her! We want her to be better behaved so we are doing our best. She does know off and that she can't be on the sofa during dinner. She also knows "go lay down" means go lay with her brothers.

She loves her brothers. Especially Xander. Where he goes, she goes. They are like glue. With clickety clack little nails.

We are going to her reunion in August. She and I -- Ledcat has plans. She will be scared, but we'll stay for at least a little bit. She went to Grandma's yesterday -- her third vist -- and was only a little bit afraid. She likes Grandma and Grandpa, but Great-Grandma scares her. Plus, the cats smell a little bit like old lady. Still, there are crumbs.

Good night.

Vet Disappointment: Allegheny Veterinary Associates

I cannot describe how bummed I am by my (former) veterinary practice. I called to request an appointment for the weekend and was informed that -- once again -- they are shutting down for an entire three day weekend. To celebrate one day of holiday. Which is on a Friday.

This happens all the time. Well, all the time there is a weekendish holiday. Memorial Day Monday? Let's close on Friday AND Saturday, too.

I'm all for employee restfulness, but I can't wrap my brain around a vet practice that closes during the very times that are best for people who have pets to get services. Close on the holiday, for sure. But the day after the holiday?

It must be nice to be in such robust vet fitness that you can turn away a client.

I was pretty upset. Why? Because one of these surprise 5 day weekends came at the expense of Mona's chemotherapy appointment. She had her treatments on Fridays and I adjusted my work schedule to manage it. Then one day I get a call from the vet tech informing me that they are closing on Friday AND Saturday that week so my chemo appointment gets postponed to Tuesday.

In a post-Mona era, I can't help but wonder if she had kept her original appointment ... well, if she would have been with me for another day or another week. Would I have had the chance to hold and kiss her a little bit longer? I'll never know.

And I probably wouldn't wonder if the vet office wasn't closing for every major and minor national and state holiday. At what point does it cross a line?

My favorite is that I asked for a referral to another vet and the TECH called me to tell me that they don't know anyone well enough to make a referral. The vet never called. I spent thousands of dollars and wept millions of tears in that office and they can't even give me the name of another vet. It was like being bitch slapped. I guess once the American Express payment comes through, the personal touch isn't important.

So how do you find a new vet? I always asked John and he's dead. He's the one who told me to trust this particular vet -- she's the best is what he said to me.

Company

Sorry for the delay in posting. Things have been good. Just now I tried to snap a photo of Ana curled up with two of the kitties, but one of the kitties moved. Ana has been eating well and made playful overtures to her brothers. She'll play by herself once in awhile. Her worst sin is her incessant attempts to eat the cat food. Today we began switching the cats to almost the same food as the dogs (brand/flavor -- not species) so that should be fun. She's so teeny that we sometimes actually don't see her standing amongst the cats chowing down. Little bugger.

She's terribly fearful of thunderstorms. She will wake us up she's shaking so hard. With the 4th of July coming up ... sigh. We do still struggle to get her to pee and poop in a reasonable amount of time. Sometimes she's fine and sometimes we do a little dance.

The boys are good. We had an overnight guest and they were very well-behaved. She brought them treats so they were very happy. They start a new round of obedience classes next week. Well, Ledcat goes first and then all four of us attend the following week. It is being held in a park. That will be really nice.

Then we need obedience classes for the Banana. Her response to any command is to jump up on your legs and then whimper. :-)

Saying Good Bye

This article from the Post-Gazette's website really caught my eye tonight. It is about aging zoo animals and the new challenges they pose for their caretakers.

But by last fall, as Sheba neared her 27th birthday, it became clear that
pain and weakness were winning out. That left the zoo's veterinary staff,
managers and keepers with a very difficult choice.
"It's a lot easier to
second-guess yourself when you say, well, she probably would've lived four more
days, slipping slowly down the slope," said Victoria Milne, the zoo's
veterinarian.
They decided not to wait. On Nov. 8, vets anesthetized Sheba,
then administered a solution by intravenous drip that, in a few seconds, shut
down the big cat's body for good.
Then, as she lay there, keepers, vets and
other zoo workers gathered around the cat they'd cared for for 17 years. Some
whispered a few words, others reached out to lay a hand on her glossy black coat
as they wept.
Like many of the zoo's other geriatric animals, their girl had
lived a long, full life. But that didn't make it any easier to say goodbye.

Sometimes, days go by that I don't think of Mona and then I feel really sad. Tonight, my niece was looking at my cell phone photos and asked me about the white doggy. I teared up a little bit. I want to be the kind of dog owner who gets up every day and thanks her for being part of my life.

But I'm not.

Ana Banana

I pretty much call her the banana all the time. She's so wriggly and delightful. I'm amazed she can hold her bladder for like 14 hours at a time. She lives for belly rubs. She splits her time between us on the couch and the boys on the dog beds.

She met my grandmother this past weekend and was very delicate with her. Then we went with ice cream with my parents. Ana sat on my mother's lap and enjoyed licking some drips. They bonded.

We love her. Love, love, love.

Ana Snuggles

Yesterday, Ana was super chippy. When I went into the bedroom, I found her nestled on the dog bed between Deus and Xander. She got up to trot around the room and then ran over and laid down across Deus' paws. He nuzzled her and that was about it.

So ... that's good.

Right now, everyone is snoozing. Who can blame them? I think I could use a nap, too.

Sunday

Things are really progressing nicely. Friday night was our first family night in one bedroom and it went swimmingly. Ana trotted around the room, plopped herself on the ned and that was that. In the morning, she trotted out and everyone was fine.

Today, all three dogs are hanging out together. They went outside as a unit and enjoyed the sunshine. Ana batted around a tennis ball; when Deus went to join in, she walked away. It is the first time she's played since she arrived. At one point, Deus was sleeping in the sun and Ana was curled up next to him observing activities in the yard.

Ledcat informs me that Saturday evening, she and Ana were outside when our neighbor's dog, Winston, came out into her yard. Typically, the boys go nuts and she runs back inside. Winston wasn't afraid of Ana and came out to do her business. Ana ran up to the fence, curled her lip and growled at Winston. It was, according to Ledcat, too cute.

I took Ana to the vet yesterday where she got a clean bill of health. Dr. Nikki has a chihuaha which I did not know so she was very fond of Ana. Ana was a little scaredy cat when we first arrived, but reacted very well to the vet tech and the vet. No trembling. She wasn't happy to be toted off for her microchip, but overall she was fine. Then we stopped at Burton's Total Pet to exchange her leash (lifetime warranty). That didn't work out so we had to pick a new you (she picked glow in the dark blue) and had a treat.

Now this was interesting. She trotted around Burtons with me just fine. When I was chatting with the manager about the exchange, he bent down and she went RIGHT up to him and even took a treat. No hesitation, no cowering behind me, nothing. It was great.

At home, Ana has become my second shadow - Xander is first shadow. Wherever I go, behind me trots Xander followed by Ana. It is very cute. Ledcat says I have a shadow and a half. More like a shadow and 1/10 of a shadow! They are both stretched out on the floor here with me while I type. Deus, being a dog of intelligence, is down in the cool living room on his dog bed.

Hot, hot day. I've been doing laundry and switching out the rest of my summer clothing. I seem to have lost a dress and not sure how I managed to do it. Anyway, we may take Ana with us to get some ice cream tonight.

I have noticed that I'm slipping and calling her Mona every once in awhile. She doesn't seem to mind.

Analicious

We've made a lot of doggie integration progress this week. Right now, they are all laying in the living room in various positions of repose. Including Simon the cat. We've had Ana in the living room with the boys off leash for three consecutive nights and all seems well.

Ana has been good if a bit whiny. Ledcat informed me that this morning, she tried to wedge herself through the babygate to get into the kitchen and had to be de-wedged by Ledcat. We can't tell her whines apart. In the morning and when freed from her crate, she runs through the house and down to the backdoor to go outside. The rest of the time ... she just seems to whine.

As for going outside, that's a treat. She still won't jump off the deck, so we have to carry her out into the yard. In the rain. And the night. So far, she's had two incidents in the house. She's pretty good about pottying if a little long winded in finding the right spot. I need to put my flip flops by the back door.

We discovered that Ana likes pumpkin, cream cheese and pears (sort of). Rather, she likes to lick the cream cheese off the pears. :-)

Her first vet visit is Saturday. I'm sure they will love her.

Happy ANAversary!

One week ago, Ana joined our family. Yeah!

Things have been going well. Yesterday, Ledcat and I tried some exposure time on our own. We were a little nervous because Ana just plowed right between Deus and Xander. Everyone was all about the treat. Just a little sniffing going on.

To make things more interesting, Simon the cat decided he wanted some treats so we were using all four limbs each to try and keep some order in the crowd. No one got eated so that's a victory in my book.

I put Deus outside and we had Xander on a loose leash in the kitchen with Ana. He followed her around, but just seemed curious. She sat down and allowed him to snuffle her ear and then her tail. That was good.

Tonight, I fed them as usual right beside each other with a gate in between. Deus and Ana both ate their dinners and then lay down sniffing each other through the gate. Ana actually laid on her side and gave a big sigh. Xander followed me around as I prepared dinner (salad with baked chicken).

We were going to try another round of introductions, but PennDOT got in the way. They are actually tearing up the road the runs adjacent to our street so there is a lot of loud noise and such making everyone nervous. So Ledcat took the boys outside while she cut the grass and Ana helped me do laundry and the dishes. She's not very good at either. Well, she's afraid of the basement where the laundry is so that's a strike.

Last night was my turn to sleep with Ana. She's very clingy at night which is going to get old very quickly when the humidity kicks in .. yikes! I woke up at 6ish and put her outside. I'm really glad we got our "need an escort right to the exact spot in the grass" dog in the late spring. And very hopeful we can convince her to make the leap off the deck on her own by winter.

Last night, we also took Ana to have ice cream with her Grandma and Grandpap. They had been warned about her anxiety and were very appropriate with her. She wouldn't sit in their laps, but she did allow to pet her without shivering in return. She wasn't interested in ice cream. It was a nice visit and will be a good intro for our actual visit to their house this coming weekend.

Ana is good in the car. She curls up in the back seat and doesn't move. If you put her in the front seat, she wants in your lap.

I was thinking about Mona tonight. She would hate all this noise and would probably bark a lot at the big machine that looks like a Brontosaurus. I worry about the outside kitties. And my route to work. What cha gonna do?

Ana has a boyfriend ...

Today was round 2 with our trainer from Pawsitive Reactions and we had some interesting results.

She and I each brought a leashed dog into the living room while Ledcat sat with Ana on the sofa. We simply began rewarding them for good behavior and good "looks" at Ana. She promptly got off the sofa and came over for some treats. She was essentially unthreatened the entire time.

We treated and treated and treated. Eventually, Deus laid down on his dog bed and I sat next to him. Xander was a little nonplussed at being handled by Debby, but very calm and laid back. Ana walked around unconcerned. She walked right up and took treats underneath their mouths. She actually leaped over Deus wiggling hind end to get to me.

Xander sniffed her, she lifted her lip. He sniffed again and she nipped his cheek -- he backed off. Many minute later, he sniffed her a third time and when she lifted her lip, backing off was he. He never barked at her and was fine with her coming and eating treats with him.

Deus, on the other hand, occasionally got what Debby describes at the Rotty "Lock and Load" look where he would get a little fixated on Ana. We can't quite tell what it means, but we think he really wants to play with her and just doesn't understand the size difference. He only does it once in awhile and he can be completely distracted with food or verbally.

Late in the session, Ana was pacing back and forth on the sofa side of the coffee table, Deus was standing next to me with leash in hand on the sother side. Debby was nearby with Xander. Deus made a move toward Ana; she didn't flinch.

But Xander immediately jumped between them and made Deus back off. It was really amazing and quite the opposite of what we expected to happen. Xander growled at Deus and nosed him away from the table, then he went over to sniff Ana to make sure she was okay. Mind you, the boys were leashed so Deus wasn't going to get Ana -- he might knock some stuff off the coffee table. But it was still the most interesting display -- Xander is protective of Ana.

Ana never flinched. She kept pacing after her initial start. Ledcat picked her up to avoid any further temptation.

Right now, the boys are having a bit of supper to fill the few inches of their stomachs not packed with treats. Ana is collapsed under my desk, snoring in a very undelicate way. We are heading out for a comedy show, so we anticipate everyone having a good nap.

What's next? We'll continue with exposure and having meals next to each other with a babygate in between. Tomorrow we'll do the living room thing again with high value treats. Monday, I'll probably bring Xander in and let him walk around the room with a loose leash and see how he does one on one with Ana. Then we'll go back to both dogs with leashes. Deus will take some more time until he can be off leash. We'll probably have Debby come back one more time to help us make that final transition.

We are continuing to learn a lot about Ana and wonder what is new behavior for her. She is not the least bit shy in our home, but scared in public. She whines more often than I'd like. Ledcat's tendency is to say "What's the matter, honey?" and shower her with attention which only reinforces the whine. I take her out to potty. She likes Ledcat's approach much better. :-)

She does not have any obedience. She's a good girl and is housebroken, but won't sit, lay down or get off. She's learned what "upstairs" and "downstairs" mean and we are working hard to teach her "back off" to keep her away from the doors. I think we are going to sign up for a small dog social class and then small dog obedience class. Debby gave me some tips on how to better train her so I'll start working on that tomorrow. I don't need her to be some show off dog, but when I say sit and she jumps on the sofa ... we start getting to that dangerous area where small dogs get excused for poor behavior b/c they are cute and that's not good. She's also getting a little jumpy and we want to keep that to a minimum.

Overall, a good day. We bought Ana an elevated feeding station last night at Burton's Total Pet. I hate that gummy residue from the stickers, don't you? Anyway, she really likes it.

I need to go spend some time with the boys, so signing off now.

Friday Night

I have nothing much to report tonight. Ana is eating like a champ --- it takes some getting used to when a dog eats one piece of kibble at a time. She does great in her crate. At night, she sleeps like a rock and is impossible to move without actual force; prodding does not work.

Tonight, she ate her dinner on one side of the dog gate and the boys had dinner on the other side. All three were engrossed by dinner rather than the other dog(s) which is a good thing. She came up to the gate to look at the boys, wagging her tail frantically. Then Deus barked and bowed at which point she decided to hotfoot it over to Mama on the couch.

Right now, she's up in the attic with me while the kitties have their dinner. She gets a little whiny when she isn't on the lap. And a little wriggly when she is. Unfortunately for her, I cannot type and keep her balanced so she's forced to sit on the floor. Awwww.

She has learned the backdoor routine pretty easily. When you open the crate, she trots right down the hall and down the steps and across the kitchen without hesitation. She'll go out the backdoor onto the upper deck, then about 50% of the time she'll trot down the 4 steps to the lower deck. The other 50% of the time, we have to coax her. She'll scamper across the deck and stop. She does not like the quasi-step we have in place to get from the deck to the sidewalk. I can't blame her. The other four beings who regularly use it can step right down, but she needs a little assist.

Then there's the grass issue. She likes to pee on the far side of the yard, but wants us to carry her there. Grass length isn't an issue with rottie/shepherds, but I suppose I wouldn't want to be poked in the ass either. Well, to be honest, we have a more weeds than actual grass. This is the Northside, after all. So she will pee. Eventually. She does share Mona's propensity for sniffing the entire yard to find just the right 4 square inches for pooping. That's something I'm really looking forward to come November. Carrying a small dog into a poorly lit backyard to find a weed free place to pee and poop.

I'll save the whole sweater debate for another day.

My new goal is to socialize Deus enough to attend Animal Friends' Howl-oween. I'll dress her as a wolf and him as a sheep with our niece dressed as Bo Peep. Cute, huh?

Well, I have to tend to some email. Will post more Ana photos soon.

Ana Hangs with Johnny Mac and Gab Bonesso

Tonight was Ana's big night with local celebrities John McIntire and Gab Bonesso. We hung out on the stoop of Hoi Polloi and chatted. She sat on my lap, shivered in fear and slowly made friends with John. She sniffed Gab's shoes a few times, but there wasn't a lot of love going on there.

I worry that Ana is making me her person. She cries when I leave her and very much wanted on my lap tonight. Of course, my lap is more ample and generous due to the fat factor so that could be part of the issue. I want Ana to be Ledcat's dog. Tonight is her night to sleep with Ana. I'm kind of glad b/c that dog is like a little rock ... if I'm gonna sleep in the second bedroom, I should get to stretch out.

The boys kind of ignored Ana tonight. That was good. I'm not sure when we are getting to the living room introductions, but stay tuned!

Being Ana plus Deus and Xander, too

Our second Anafull day has been adventurous. This morning we did the switcheroo as everyone had to get out to pee and all that jazz. That was fine. Breakfast was uneventful. Ana and the boys had some contact through the doggie gate... Xander barked a little bit.

Then into her crate she went with only a little complaint.

Fast forward 9 hours. Ana seems afraid to go outside and I realize that most of the time she's out there, it is either dark with wet grass or filled with large dogs that want to sniff her hoo haa. I'd shiver, too.

Then we entered chaos. We have 15 minutes until our trainer from Pawsitive Reactions shows up. For some reason, Ledcat puts a pizza in the oven. Our handyman calls and for some reason has transported our brand new fence posts to his house. The boys are wondering what's going on. I'm talking with our neighbor about his new roommate. Debby arrives. The smoke alarm goes off. Great. I come in the house to find Ledcat poking at the smoke alarm with a broom and Ana quivering under the kitchen table. "Oh Debby, she's not shy at all!"

Finally, we get the noise toned down and training begins in earnest. First up was Xander. He was won-der-ful. No barking, just some sniffing. Very responsive to treats. Very obedient ... sitting and lying down while still watching Ana. Ana was lacking in the fear. All good. Debby is pleased.

Then Do-Do. He wants to play with her sooooo badly. The body language was very playful, but he was intent on her. He even ignored the treats. He sniffed her a bit, then he began a prolonger series of "play with" barks that must have really pissed off the neighbors. It was LOUD and our backyard is an echo chamber. We waited him out. One last sniff of her butt (from aloft in Ledcat's arms) and then back into the house with him.

Tonight, the boys have been enjoying Kongs in the kitchen while Ana has her bitty kong in the other room, separated by a baby gate. They are doing really well. No barking. Deus again really wants to see her and is a bit frustrated. I just sent them downstairs so Ana could go out to potty and I can hear Deus settling down.

Tomorrow, we are supposed to rinse and repeat. Then somehow leash everyone in the living room. I don't think there is any furniture that is capable of restraining Deus and I'm only so strong. So we'll have to see about that step.

I have to meet a friend to pick up tickets to her all-female comedy show on Saturday night. Friday is dinner with some friends. So we are taking baby steps at this point.

Right this very minute, Xander is still fixated on his Kong. Simon is laying under the kitchen table. Deus is hoping that if he stares at the babygate enough it will magically melt away and let him lick the puppy. A ha!

I wonder what Mona is doing?

Ana's Peeps: Starfish to the Sea Animal Rescue

We want to give a shout out to our new friends at Starfish to the Sea Animal Rescue. Check out their page and see what cool things they are doing.

They have a special need for foster homes and families looking to adopt guinea pigs. If you are interested in guinea pigs, please consider working with this group to help the little critters find loving homes.

Ana says "Hey!"

Today was a low key day in the great dog merger: 2008. I rotated the boys and Ana to each have time in the living room/downstairs, outside and in their crates. All seemed to go well. Xander was very good so I let him walk into Ana's room and sniff her through her crate. She seemed okay with that.

Then, of course, Deus wanted a sniff but being more of a bumbling type he overwhelmed her a bit. Then back to the outside they went. Xander watcher Ana through the window but she was unfazed.

At dinnertime, Ledcat sat with Ana on the steps outside of the kitchen doorway which is secured with a babygate. Ana was on the steps, free to leave, enjoying teeny bits of a bacon strip. I brought Deus and Xander into the kitchen for their dinner (enhanced with illicitly good yumminess) and was thrilled that they both dove into dinner after a cursory glance at Ana. She snuggled a bit closer to Ledcat, but stood her ground and peeked around the corner.

Once the bowls were licked clean, I sat on the floor in front of the babygate (on the kitchen side) and slowly gave them teeny pieces of a treat in return for them sitting upon request. They were much more into the food than the Chihuaha. She continued to sit there and eat her own treats. Xander sniffed at her through the babygate, but I did not let him push it to the point that he would scare her or work himself up. After the treats were gone, I took the boys back outside in a very low key manner. Ana lept off the steps and went over to sit on the sofa.

I'm not a trainer, but it does seem like our maintaining a low key vibe and not "over"reacting to their inquisitiveness or hesitancy makes a difference. It certainly gives both of us a sense of control and that has to ooze into the canine vibes.

Just to be on the safe side, we have our trainer from Pawsitive Reactions coming over for a few sessions to help us along the path. We'd rather invest a few dollars on the front end to do things right rather than wait until we have an issue.

Right now, Ana seems to be fine. She's enjoying a Kong up in her room right now. She seems to be the most afraid of Natasha the Calico Cat and will walk big circles to avoid her. Natasha is not imposing so that's very amusing. Deus and Xander are asleep on their dog beds in the living room. Ledcat is going upstairs to hang with Ana and I'll stay down here with the boys.

Pet integration is challenging. It requires a lot of patience, extra rooms and creativity. But we love our pets and really want to make this work. We are resolved, however, that if Ana's welfare is not at its optimum here, then back to the rescue she will go.

I continue to be amazed at how not timid she is. She eagerly greets both of us, comes when we call her and walks right through the cats (except Natasha). She doesn't seem afraid of the dogs, just a bit indifferent. She was fine when our friend Julie came over. So there's lots of room for optimism.

I listened to the song that makes me think of Mona .. Pink's "Who Knew"... and it was the first time it didn't make me cry. Which made me cry. I'm tearing up thinking about it. Ana isn't Mona, but she does fill a teensy bit of the void.

And, oh the kisses!

Ana Takes a Poop

Yep, that's big news. She pooped in the backyard after what seemed like 3 hours of sniffing. Definitely like Mona. Definitely.

Ana slept through the night with no problems. She preferred to curl up on the comforter on the floor in front of the window than on the bed itself. This morning, she was in furl energy mode -- walked right outside with me and sat there wagging her tail, waiting for something. So back in we came. She helped Ledcat get ready for work. Then she ate Simon's cat food right out from under him. Ha.

She did eat some of her kibble so that was good. She also ate a dog treat someone left behind from a Kong. Now she's sleeping off all that good eatin'. :-)

Ledcat discovered last night that reading bed with Ana is impossible. She busts through the paper or book to lie on your lap and lick, lick, lick.

We'll see what happens next. My allergies are in overtime so I'm going to take a nap.

Ana's Big Day

Well, I am plum exhausted. First, we spent the early part of the day doing Ana-prep work ... cleaning up cat litter, scrubbing Mona's old crate and all that jazz. Then we hit the road -- oh my god, does Route 22 go on forever or what -- up to the outskirts of Clymer, PA. I had forgotten to tell Ledcat that Ana's foster mom had this really cool outdoor pen for her macaws so that was a big startling for her as we drove into the lane ... she thought peacocks were about to attack the car.

Ana had her big foster-brother with her during out meet and greet which seemed to go really well. She slept for a bit on both of our laps and allowed us to pet her as much as liked. We stayed for quite awhile and then headed home. I felt sad for foster mom, but she was very cool about it and very low key and I give her a lot of credit for making the transition smooth for Ana. Very cool. Plus, macaws.

So off we drive into the sunset. I'm in the backseat with Ana who, surprisingly, doesn't fit into the $40 carrier we bought at Target (20 lbs my ass). She shivered for awhile, but had just nestled down when ... bam ... we hit a deer. Ledcat swore, I screamed and Ana got scared again. Thankfully, no damage to car or passengers. Not so good an outcome for the deer. Ledcat was very shaken because she saw the poor thing's face right before the smash. We pulled over to catch our breath. The first person who stopped to see if were okay turned out to be the game warden's sister so she assured us she would have him come down to remove the deer from the road. The next guy who stopped (we had a lot City angst to work through) actually pulled the deer out of the road and then checked on us and our car.

People are really nice in Indiana County.

The drive home was a little tense. Ana was fine, even when we stopped for gas. We bought candy bars to make ourselves feel a little better. We were a bit worried b/c our friend Julie who runs a beagle rescue had offered to come over and help us with introductions. As the wind blew and the skies darkened, we worried.

Not to fear, Julie showed up at 9:00 and stayed until 11:00 to help us out. Ana trotted confidentally into the yard and the kitchen. The cats were very intrigued. She made Natasha and Boris look like giants. Simon was like "eh, another dog, whatever." No problems at all.

We took Deus out into the yard and brought her out, both leashed of course. Deus took one look at a play companion and was all about inviting her to play. Forgetting, of course, that he weighs 110 lbs more than she does. He bowed and stretched and did everything possible to engage her, including barking his play bark which echos really loudly in the rowhouses. At 10 PM. He got a few sniffs, she yelped at him and overall, it went pretty well. She was not afraid or cowering or anything. We all suspect that a few more rounds of introductions will take car eof that relationship.

Then came Xander. He was afraid, but curious. He sniffed her butt a few times and she ignored him. He barked, but didn't growl or anything. He's going to take more getting used to for her. He was very attentive to my responses to his behavior. We are working in tandem so he doesn't perceive me as Ana's person.

Ana really likes Ledcat. She is fine with me, but she does not like when Ledcat leaves the room.

Oh my god is she cute. Deus and Xander have investigated her toys. Okay, they chewed on them. But we have a lot of toys. And plenty of Kongs to keep her busy.

The challenge for the next few days will be keeping them separated until we can devote some time to togetherness. Deus is incredibly strong so Julie showed me some shelter tips to maintain better control. The good weather should help. The poor door knob on the second bedroom does not help. Thank god she's crate trained.

All in all, it went well for a first day. No biting or growling on the part of the boys. Minimal growling on the part of the little one. She's not afraid of them, but she's not interested in having her ass sniffed either. Would you?

She does like Xander's former wing chair that was banished to the second bedroom which is her new space. It might be a bonding resource.

I thought about Mona a lot to day. Ana isn't really like her in terms of personality. She is a bit more withdrawn and certainly quieter (who isn't ?). However, Ana doesn't really obey so much as deign to comply. That is definitely a treat she has in common with Mona, god rest her soul.

I wonder if Debby thinks we have what it takes to get her to obey. The cute factor is very hard to resist. Very hard.

I think we are going to fail. However, our challenge is to socialize Ana and take her to obedience classes. So that's what we are going to do. Probably Ledcat will take her.

I was thinking it would be cute to get a panier for Xander to carry Ana around the block. Instead of a dog stroller. What do you think?

Today is the day

Sigh. We are getting ready to leave. I came up to make sure the Parkway East is open (yep). The crate is assembled. The dog treats are ready. The dog carrier has been aired out. All that is left for her to like us, Xander to like her, her to like Xander and Deus to just be Deus.

Whew!

I had the boys outside for some playtime in the yard. I can't help feeling a little sad ... as if Ana's entrance into our lives really and for true means Mona is never coming back.

Well, I gotta make up kongs and stop at the ATM, so enough blogging for now. Keep your fingers and paws crossed.

A Tough Month

The past month has been really hard on me. I've been very depressed about Mona's death. Like stay in bed depressed. Don't do anything after work but watch television depressed.

And try to find another dog depressed. I knew in my heart I should wait for the right dog to come to us (which may work if things go well on Monday). But I kept searching the shelter websites and Petfinder.com

Let me tell you ... trying to adopt a young female between 25 and 40 lbs into a multi-pet home is like a competitive sport. We found a dog Friday night on the Animal Friends website and she was adopted by the time I called Saturday morning. We found a dog at the Western PA Humane Society, but she was quarantined due to diarrhea. I thought that meant we had a few days. But apparently, it meant they would adopt her to a no-dog home, but not a multi pet home. So we were outmaneuvered on her, too.

I say that out of frustration, because I am very glad those dogs all found homes (there were more). But each time it didn't work out, I would get more depressed.

Finally, I posted about my frustration on a local dog email list sponsored by http://www.pghdogs.com/.

That's when Ana came to our email box. Her rescuer, Crystal, took a chance that we'd go smaller than 25 lbs and sent us her story. Ana was in a home that couldn't meet her needs. She had apparently been kicked and ended up with a broken pelvis that had to heal while she was crated for a month. That's remarkably similar to Mona's story.

So we'll see what happens. The sticking point is how Xander reacts to her. We have a doggie person coming over to help us with introductions. I admit that I have a rosy image that they'll get along fine once she adapts to the new environment. I want to be able to take a picture similar to this one of her in her foster home.

So keep your fingers crossed for us. Especially for Xander.

Life Goes On ...

Sigh. Went to see Dolly Parton the other night and she sang this really really sad song about a poor little neglected girl and her little doggie. The last few lines were about God taking them both together so the little girl wouldn't be lonely in heaven. I just cried buckets over that song. I barely caught the rest of the show. I kept thinking that Mona might be lonely in heaven and that's not a happy thought place to go.

There is still no sense of back to normal. I think I'm deliberately resisting it. Our grocery shopping is off, our cleaning, everything.

I've stopped thinking about putting puppy pads down now when we go to leave the house, but I still look for her when I come back home. There's the big moment of gulping.

The boys are doing okay. Still very clingy and out of sorts a bit. They don't play in the back yard.

Ashes, Ashes, We All fall Down

Mona's ashes have been ready since last Friday. I don't want to go and get them. Ledcat is forcing me to go on Friday. She's afraid they'll somehow get thrown out. I'm afraid to cry some more.

Me 'n the boys had some fun time outside tonight. I was able to park behind the house and came in the back gate. They were outside with Ledcat "helping" to cook dinner on the grill. Xander likes to play a run back and forth game. Deus prefers to watch. Then I had them so interested in a tennis ball, that I forgot I was wearing work clothes and wiped my muddy, drool covered hands on my nice pants. Ah, well. It was fun. They both ate rather quickly. Xander is under my desk right now and Deus is laying on his dog bed. He's afraid of the new steps to the attic.

I'm so glad they have each other. I can't imagine having one dog left behind, especially as there was no good-bye.

Mona is everywhere in my life. She's my computer wallpaper at work and home. She's my icon on gmail and Facebook. She's everything.

I just want to fill this hole in my heart. With anything. Just something.

Sweeping Mona Away

I miss Mona. I told the whole story to my therapist today and didn't cry. Almost, but not quite. She kept asking me questions until I put an end to the conversation.

Things haven't changed a bit around here. Amadeus and Alexander are still behaving the same. They lay together most of the time and Xander still tears through the house looking for her.

I have to get my car detailed. I may have to help transport some of the children at work and I need to make the car a bit more .. well, clean. That means all of Mona's traces will be removed. It feels like I'm erasing her. Irrational, perhaps.

Plus, her ashes are in at the vet's office. I don't want to get them. I'm just too sad to cry.

Continuing

I worked really hard today .. I almost forgot lunch so-hard ... trying not to think that tomorrow is a one week anniversary. I guess I just blew that, huh?

Coming home is so lonely even though we have a host of other pets. I open the door, pick up the mail, check the voice mail and just go through those motions. A big part is missing. But what continues to kill me the most is Xander racing through the house looking for her. I just can't make him understand. His behavior has changed ... he sleeps up against his brother when we watch television, even though the spot underneath my feet is fully available. He's very clingy to Deus.

Another hard part is flashing back to the final moments. She struggled and it hurts me that maybe she wanted to live and I made that choice for her. Then leaving her body behind ... oh my god, that was horrid. I would have stayed all night if Ledcat allowed me.

I hope I did the right thing.

Tis a Hard Sunday

I had a hard time getting up. I kept thinking that last Sunday, we -- Mona and I -- had a good day together. I spent Easter home alone with the pets. We had breakfast, played outside a bit and then watched Buffy videos all afternoon. It was grand.

Today, I'm moving like a slug. I scooped one litter box and did two loads of laundry. That has to be a success b/c I don't think I'm capable of anything further.

Xander continues to be super bonded to me. I can't move without him underfoot. Poor baby.

Saturday Weepies

Today has been a little bit better. Ledcat and I have not weathered the storm well, having had a lot more arguments. I guess grief can create some pretty big chasms. We are trying not to take it out on each other, but being snide is just second nature to my pain and anger. Sigh.

The boys are still lost at sea. Every time he comes in from the backyard, Xander runs frantically through the house looking for ... I can only presume, his sister. Deus doesn't seem as worried and just sits to wait for the petting to commence. Having dashed, Xander comes to find me and just seems puzzled. I walk him over to smell her collar, but I'm not sure he understands anything about this at all.

Today, Ledcat and I took a drive down to Hancock County, West Virginia to visit two sister dogs, Marta and Natasha. I found Natasha on petfinder.com and after calling, learned she had a sister from whom she is inseparable. Ledcat doesn't want two new dogs. She went along for the ride, we argued and then arrived to discover that they had sent the girls out to the local home expo for the day. So we sat for another 30 minutes. I was covered in mud from visiting all the other puppies. Then they arrived. Natasha looks like a taller, leaner Mona. Marta is all Mona personality ... like a mini-husky who loves belly rubs and makes grunty sounds. They are really sweet girls. Very gentle, no jumping. Very bonded (kept looking over shoulders to eyeball the other). They need some obedience training, but it wouldn't be hard.

Could they adapt to the boys? Why do I want another dog so quickly? Are these the right dogs for us? I don't know.

I was relieved to learn they won't be put to sleep anytime soon. Also, that, sadly, the kennel is the nicest home they've ever had -- they were found battered and abused about 6 months old and weren't expected to live.

I'm very tired so I can't make sense of this right now. We've agreed to table the conversation. And we had a lengthy chat about Mona tonight without crying. Our vet sent us this wonderful card that everyone wrote in which made me so happy. My friend's 4 year old daughter signed her family names in a condolence card send to Mona. That definitely brought a lump to my throat. Then tonight a friend called to leave a message on my voicemail because our neighborhood barista told her! How is that for community!

The hardest part of any day is walking through the front door to ... nothing. Sometimes Simon is downstairs, but he now tends to remain upstairs with his siblings. He used to share the couch with Mona (and the window perch).

I think we have a chance to give two lost little girls a new home. If not them, I suppose there will always be another dog that need a home.

Good night.

Friday

I can never keep the order of the states of grief straight. Today, I'm just sort of numb. Our dog trainer stopped by with some Kongs, 50% of which are useless to me know as they are too small for the boys. Deus and Xander were happy to see her ... she always comes bearing treats.

Yesterday, she advised me to sit down and talk with the dogs about what happened, swearing they might understand. So I gave it a try. They've been pretty consistent today. Don't want to go outside without me, though. Poor babies. I gave them a treat in a Kong before Debby arrived. They knawed individually for awhile, then Xander collected them in a pile. He sat on one and chewed on the other. I took it off him and gave it to Deus -- the little idiot took it again. I guess he's asserting some take-charge attitude. We'll see what happens.

I'm supposed to go shopping for my friend's baby shower gift this afternoon. I think I'd prefer to stay home and watch Buffy videos. I know which is the healthier option. Sigh.

Kitties are doing good. Simon keeps laying on Mona's bed. Deus has been sleeping in the spot he shared with her at night -- he slept in it when she was on the bed. Deus has also been getting on the couch more frequently.

I think the most difficult thing for me is reliving the final moments. Mona was struggling against the injection and then -- poof -- it was over. Part of me feels like she was telling me she wanted to live, but I know she couldn't breathe and that had to be taking a toll on her. I keep trying to remember if I held her right or said the right things so the last thing she knew was my voice and I can't remember. I can't remember. Eleven years and I just don't know if I let her go right.

Sigh.

Thursday

Today was pretty rough. Ledcat had some sad moments getting ready for work because Mona typically laid on her pillow each morning and watched, all the while thumping her tail as if to say "ha, i'm staying right here." I cried my eyes out in the car when Pink's "Never Again" came on, especially the lyric about cherishing the last kiss. I'm scared that I didn't kiss Mona good-bye enough for her to remember and that she was afraid.

The boys are confused. When I let them in from the yard, Xander went tearing around the house looking for ... something. Mona's collar is hanging from a bookcase and he finally sat next to it, sniffed and pawed at it. My heart broke. Deus seems less concerned, but he's a lot more laid back. They aren't eating. I don't want to eat either.

I've been looking at other White Shepherds for adoption on petfinder.com. I found two, one is pretty close in Hancock County, Maryland. She's a cutie. Ledcat thinks I'm moving too quickly. But I think rescuing a dog in need is a good thing. She gets a loving home and we get to start healing that hole in our hearts. I don't know. I know she won't be Mona, but at least she won't be ... no Mona at all.

Does that make me a bad pet owner?

A new day ...

(crossposted from www.pghlesbian.com)
Yesterday, I thought, was a tremendously sad day. Our beloved Mona who had fought cancer for 10 months and three days reached her final day. All the way to the vet, I kept hoping there was some alternate explanation, but no. We put her to sleep and I have all the usual comforting thoughts about her being "across the Rainbow Bridge" with her best friend Jack and her beloved veterinarian, John. She only had one bad day out of 10 months and three days and that wasn't painful, just her way of telling me it was time to let her go.
Today is a tremendously more sad day. There are reminders everywhere, in the most unexpected ways. The thump of her jumping off the bed. I didn't hear it today. Playing "Our Lady of the Bedcovers" (she made a cute Madonna) when I make the bed. The 300 minutes in the backyard deciding exactly which spot needed a spot-o-Mona. Her unparalled excitement, just quivering with anticipation, at the leftover canned catfood -- even if the cats were still eating the pre-leftover portion.
She fought a really good fight. She kept her weight up (even gaining a few pounds) through the whole chemotherapy. She was her usual self 99% of the time. She visited with her goof friends, Brenda and Michelle, last Friday and snagged some salmon.
Mona was a stray dog that had been hit by a car and taken to the vet clinic where John worked. Her hip was broken, but not her spirit. She came to be a foster with my family while I was in grad school and living with my parents. She "moaned and groaned" a lot because she was crated -- hence, Mona. She was a very vocal dog. I came home from class one day to find our family dogs locked in the backyard and Mona laying on my Dad as they ate some Saltines and watched the Cooking Channel. She was there to stay. And she never got over her fetish for saltines. Thanks, Dad.
Miss Mona had a brief career as an advice columnist and then became a blogger http://pghmona.blogspot.com. My dog behavior friend urged me to keep blogging about the adjustments of the other pets. So I'll try to do that. Amadeus and Alexander are confused. I let them sniff her collar and my clothes that I wore during the procedure. I know that gives them information, but they really are quite lost. Mona was definitely top dog. Debby (behavior friend) doesn't think either one will want to assume leadership so we are hoping that Simon Le Bon, the cat, is up to the challenge.
Considering he stretched out on the dog bed and wouldn't share with Deus, we might be on to something. Simon has now taken over Mona's bed in the corner of the room.
I had Miss Mona for nearly 10 years. She was the brightest, bestest dog ever. I hope everyone experiences that type of love and loyalty. I gotta go now.

R.I.P.

Miss Mona Dunhoff Kerr

1997-2008

Much beloved by her human and furry companions. She will be greatly missed.

A Month Later ...

Wow, I can't believe it has been over a month since I posted.

Mona is doing well. She finished her weekly rounds of chemo several weeks ago and has been taking oral meds since then. It is very odd regimen ... 1 pill on every Monday and 7 other pills every other Wednesday. Lymph nodes are fine thus far. She goes back for her first round of monthly chemo this Tuesday.

Behavior wise, she's acting very normal. She occasionally has some issues with vomiting which I treat with pepcid per Dr. Rogers' orders. Usually, it happens at 3 AM, of course. :-) Her appetite is a bit down, but she tears into her Kongs with complete abandon so I've been sneaking extra protein and fat in that way. Her favorite is roast beef and cream cheese.

Yesterday, I must have made the cream cheese plug a bit thicker than normal. She licked away at it for a few minutes, then began to pick up the Kong and drop it repeatedly to get the stuffing out. Only the plug was still there. The expression on her face when she realized nothing was dropping out was priceless. Still, she finished it off in an hour.

Yesterday morning I began to cry as we lay in bed. I convinced myself that the vomiting meant she was going to die very soon and got very worked up. This is probably due to our recent sad news that breast cancer is back in one of our kitties, Tabby. Tabby is a 15 year old tiger striped girl who just wants to curl up in the linen closet and have a snooze. She had a lumpectomy last year, but it appears that this bout would require such extensive surgery that we can't put her through it. Her recovery last time was long and she was distraught at being left alone at the vet over night. It hasn't impact her quality of life yet. She's still meowing, eating and asking for petting. No sign that it has impacted her breathing yet.

Still, it is only a matter of time. We'll learn this week how extensive the tumors have become so we may have a better idea of how many weeks we have left with her. I really like sweet little Tabby and it certainly resonates with my struggle to keep Mona healthy so I am very sad. Hence, the crying. I lay in bed thinking back to all of the animals that have either died or been put to sleep and it was like the collective anguish of each of those experiences just washed over me. I was distraught.

Mona came to comfort me and I pulled myself together, realizing that all I can do is appreciate the moments we have left. She's been a trooper these past few weeks -- they all have, even Tabby -- as we've had the bathroom renovated and lots of other invasions of their space. Mona is fast friends with the workmen and even handles the noise well. I'm going on vacation in two weeks and I've promised myself that I am going to take her for a ride or a walk in the park every single day. She loves to go places. Almost as much as roast beef and cream cheese.

The worst part is the waiting. I feel her neck every day, many times. I monitor her breathing. I anguish about the inevitable time when the cancer returns and begins to impact her quality of life -- will I recognize when the time has come? And how will I get through it? When I put Jack to sleep, I knew he was sick and unhappy even if I didn't know what was wrong. But I relive that last day over and over in my heart which breaks a little more each time. Sometimes I'll go months without thinking about it, but Mona and Tabby have reminded me even though the situation is different.

Sometimes I think about getting another dog and immediately the guilt washes over me. I can't replace Mona, I think. But I can fill her space with another woofer who needs a home. I don't know. Sometimes that's comforting to me.

Right now, I'm just crying so hard over something that hasn't happened. Mona is upstairs sleeping with Ledcat ... she loves when there's only one person in the bed so she can have a pillow. She'll be happy today because we'll be home for most of it. That has to be enough.

Another week passes by ...

Mona finished a round of chemo yesterday. She had no side effects, thus far. She did lose another half pound, but the vet says that isn't a concern. The plan is for a week of rest and then she starts oral treatment. In four weeks, she returns for injectable chemo and we see what happens.

Her appetite was good today. She had green beans and kibble for breakfast, a kong with roast beef and cream cheese for her midday snack and then kibble with yogurt for her supper. I gave her a forbidden processed stuffed treat this evening.

I also discovered a down side to the veggies when I went out to give the yard a very overdue scoop ... nothing says fun like a yard full of undigested lima beans and carrot shreds. Wet. Ewww. I got about 2/3 of the way through the yard when I had to just quit. I'm hoping it all freezes quickly tomorrow. Anything would be an improvement.

So, we are back to our usual routine. Lots of love, good food and more love.

A little down, a little up

Mona began vomiting this morning around 6 AM and continued into the morning. She wasn't vomiting violently and she did not have the dry heaves. I spoke with her local vet and the oncology specialist. They had me restart her anti-naseau meds with some pepcid thrown in for good measure. No food until tomorrow morning.

She thoughtfully puked onto various pieces of her bedding which was easy to clean up. ;-)

She vomited only one time further after receiving the meds - no sign of the pills in the vomit so I'm fairly sure enough time had passed for her to absorb them. Other than a few blades of grass, she hasn't consumer anything else.

The remainder of the day passed quietly. She slept on her bed. We went out for a few hours this afternoon and came home to find her snoozing on the sofa. No sign of vomit. She did manage to snag Ledcat's lunch bag and lick clean a clean dish. That was helpful. Her energy level was a bit back up to speed. We had to deceive her when it was time to give the boys their dinner -- she thought it was special Mona-belly-rub time.

Tonight, she seems fine. She did break through three baby gates so we are unsure if she consumed any cat food. As she has not vomited, we aren't fretting about it too much. Her bedding is freshly laundered and ready ... for bed.

Tomorrow, we'll start her on some boiled chicken and take it from there.

The vet told me her bloodwork is great and she's still in remission. I think this was just a blip. I hope.

A little up, a little down

Today was another round of chemo. I dropped her off around 8:40 and discovered she has lost a pound since last week. :-( She tolerated chemo well, but only ate half of her treats. I was very late picking her up due to work and she didn't get home until after 6 PM. On the ride home, she was more chipper than last week and took a few licks of her Kong.

Tonight, she's been pretty okay. More animated than usual after chemo. She ate her entire dinner, but she's had gas and been barking to be let out every 40 minutes or so. It is very funny when she farts because she surprises herself and looks at her ass quizzically. It is very cold and wet - Mona's two least favorite climate characteristics - so our thought tonight is to lay down puppy pads in the bathroom for everyone's peace of mind.

The boys are good tonight. They polished off her chemo Kong and enjoyed dinner. Both think she's nuts to keep going outside so frequently and much prefer to snooze in front of the coffee table. Xander will give her a commiserating escort to the back door, but Deus just rolls over.

We hung out tonight to keep her company. I am tired so that was a good choice. Today at work my colleagues asked about her which is really nice. I'm surprised more people don't think I'm crazy for spending all the $$ on a dog.

I wonder what George Foreman thinks?

Mona 1, George Foreman 0

Earlier in the week, I came home to find that Mona had kidnapped the George Foreman grill from the kitchen counter and tried to bury it in her dog bed. After chewing up the corner.

I am not making this up. I almost had a heart attack when I found it ... my first thought being that she had hurt herself. My second thought (once I found her safe and sound under the table) was that she had hurt the floor. The floor was safe and sound.

What I don't understand is why she chewed on the actual grill and not the little plastic dish. It was neatly set aside on the dog bed. She has never pulled something off the counter like this (except for the odd loaf of bread), certainly never an appliance.

Thank god she doesn't like coffee.

CELEBRATE

Mona gained almost 4 lbs in two weeks! Yahoo. She had dropped half a pound prior to that, so I've been feeding her a lot of good stuff to keep her appetite stimulated (and keep her busy during the day).

I was so happy. I've been down and out the past few days. Deus was sick on Weds, Mona got sick early this morning. Nothing like dog vomit in the bedroom to start your days off right. Then I got the call from the vet that the chemo doctor was there and I needed to get there ASAP. Thankfully, to day I felt well enough to shower and put on fresh clothing. I gave Mona a treat to keep her busy and she promptly dropped it into the little space between the seat and the door. Then, she whined piteously for me to stop and retrieve it for her. Ha.

So the good news about her weight and the vet's pronouncement that she's in full remission makes me very happy. My retrieval of her bone made Miss Mona very happy. She'll probably spend the rest of the day asleep which is okay with me.

Ledcat told me this morning that it bothers her when I make droll comments about Mona's impending death. I don't want to upset her so I'll try to stop. But sometimes dark humor helps me cope. Last night, I was dragging her away from the cat food and said "You are dying and cat food won't help." Ledcat thought that was unnecessary. I can see her point of view, but it feels less horrid if I can make some jokes about it. Mind you, I'm doing everything possible to keep her alive -- chemo, lots of veggies and wholesome foods, lots of love and a real belief that she is going to battle this thing right to the end.

But there will be an end. And from all accounts, it won't be pretty or quiet or peaceful. She'll go downhill and I'll have to know when her quality of life is impaired beyond what's fair or decent. There's no objective measure to that and it scares me so.

It scares me, so ...

Tomorrow

Well, I'm annoyed. I think Mona has another chemo treatment tomorrow, but my vet didn't give me a reminder call so I'm not 100% sure. I am irrationally angry about this. I've been home sick for two days and don't feel any better. I know my Mona sadness is part of the problem. I cooked her chicken for dinner tonight. She spent most of the day on the sofa with me. I hope she enjoyed it.

It is hard to walk through a loss with someone else. My way of coping isn't the same as Ledcat's way of coping. I want to talk forward and she most decidedly does not.

I couldn't get through this without her.

I'm sick of it all ...

Sunday evening, Ledcat and I went to see The Savages, one of those sad and uplifting movies about coping with aging parents. I was fine until the very last scene involving a dog (a good scene, don't worry) when I broke into a frenzy of sobs. This character saved the dog and I just wanted to cry because I'm not sure I can do the same thing for my Mona.

Today, Simon went to the vet for what appears to be allergies. I'm so sick of the vet. I'm sick of the drive and the tedious traffic and the poor line of site to make a left turn from the parking lot. I'm sick of waiting. I'm sick of obsessing over every single bite she eats and worrying about any abnormal sound she makes.

My freezer is filled with green veggies, my 'crisper' is packed with lunch meat and carrots, apples are rolling around the counter. I chop and measure and stir. I caress and stroke and comfort. Then I see another dog survive disease - in a movie- and I fall apart.

I feel so guilty for being miserable. She's happy and playful and hungry. She can jump on the bed and take the tennis ball off her brothers. She has a good quality of life. So why do I feel so angry?

This is our by week

Mona gets a week to rest. No chemo for her until next Friday. She celebrated by chewing a hole in the blanket she sleeps on and eating 100% of the treats I left to keep her fattened up. She hasn't polished off her treats in days.

Her eating patterns have turned a bit to grazing. She ate about 1/2 of her supper (dog food and green beans), but she's back out there now chowing down on dog food about 4 hours later. I was never big on free feeding b/c of housebreaking, but I'm totally into it with her. If she eats, I'm happy.

Her disposition has been good. She's playful and energetic. Ledcat says she woke her up when she walked in the door. She gives you this sleepy eyed look as if she doesn't know who you are. Meanwhile, her tail is beating a million times a minute. Some watch dog. Thank god for her brother and the ever vigilant kitties.

I'm going to continue trying to pack on the pounds in a healthy way for Miss Mona. Gonna grill up some chicken to stuff in her kong now that the turkey is gone. She loves chicken.

Speaking of Kongs, my friend is putting in another round of orders and I'm debating what to get. Ledcat thinks we have enough of "those gross things" as she puts it. I like sales. And they do get kind of stretched out with giant monster dogs sucking on them. Nothing in this world is as disgusting as a 125 lb dog nursing a XXL Kong like a pacifier. Ick.

We plan to hang out a bit this weekend so Miss Mona should get plenty of TLC. I even bought her a new fleece blanket at Penneys tonight.

Another Dog Poop Post

Mona's poop has turned green.

Dog owners spend a lot of time talking about poop. The woofers can't tell us what's going on so we have to look for cues and poop is a great source of information. I always look at it and compare it and monitor it.

So it was green today. Well, more "greenish" than actual green. I'm not sure what that means. Too much on the green veggies?

Mona ate a decent breakfast this morning even though she really does prefer green veggies to the yogurt/canned dog food mixture. She had a Kong with cream cheese, turkey, a teaspoon of wet cat food and a carrot. She also had a prepackaged gnawing bone as a treat. Both were consumed during the day. I got home a bit early and she was anxious for her dinner (dog food with brocolli). They ate all three bowls in about 7 minutes around 5:00 PM. I watched her eat so I know she got a full serving, but she was whining a few minutes ago and licking the bowl. So I put out some more dry food and she crunched a few mouthfuls.

Her behavior is very typical .. playful, watchful. For the first time in weeks, she's gone into her little corner to curl up in a ball. She loves snow, but only in the daylight.

Essentially, another uneventful day filled with precious moments I want to keep close to my heart forever. Mona rolling on her back for stomach rubs. Mona curling up with her head on my leg. Mona nipping at her brothers in the backyard. Mona skittering around after me as I change the laundry.

How do you drink in enough of those moments to sustain you through the bad times? It dawns on me today that I'm plowing so much energy into Mona that I'm sacrificing time with the other critters. That's not a satisfactory trade off.

Ruminating ...

Pack On the Pounds

Mona went in for another round of chemo on Friday. I had to drop her off while I was at work so I sent her with a Kong to keep her busy. Everything went fine. The vet didn't admit it, but I discovered she had barked the entire day -- she was completely hoarse. Her bloodwork is good so far.

However, she did lost a half a pound. So I've ramped up her food intake .... tons of green veggies and two Kongs every time we leave the house. She's being finicky about the Kongs. I usually stuff them with her chicken strips, a few biscuits and some cream cheese. Now I mix a teaspoon of wet catfood into the cream cheese, just to get her going. Today, she got a few carrots and a piece of turkey lunch meat. She had green beans for breakfast. Dinner featured lima beans and green beans. She inhaled them. She loves green veggies more than the canned dog food. I am not exaggerating.

I also bought some store treats for her to have at the vet this coming Friday. I figure the tradeoff of her making herself hoarse is not acceptable, especially if she isn't going to take an interest in the Kong.

Her weekend was better than last. She was energetic and playful. She got a few car rides -- she rolled with me to help Ledcat drop off her car at the shop and then again Saturday night when we had to go back to the Southside to pick up Ledcat's glasses. She was tussling with her brothers and completely underfood during Xmas Tree Take Down 2008. It was great.

Today, she's been perky. We had chicken for dinner so she was very attentive to that. I diced up the last few bites and mixed in with her remaining dry food to get her to eat. Sometimes I feel bad when she doesn't polish off the same dinner as her siblings, then I remember that they weight three times as much as she does.

Our freezer is packed to the gills with bags of frozen green veggies. I meant to get some spinach to try. The lima beans were like candy. Deus and Xander were scooting all over the floor to scarf up the few that I dropped.

I have a lot invested in the veggies. Not money, but hope. I tell myself that if I can keep her eating well, we are winning. Those green guys are warriors in our cancer battle. I've got my mind set on her making up that lost half pound this week. The good thing is that she is eating and she hasn't had any problems with diarrhea or vomiting at all.

And it gives me something immediate that I can focus on --- a sense of control. I'll spend half an hour preparing her dinner if I get the payoff of her eating 3/4 of it. I can't see the chemo working and it scares me anyway to think of her poor body struggling with it. I can see the impact of the veggies - her allergies aren't as severe, her poop is ... interesting. :-)

Today, I was thrilled to come home and discover that she had burst through the babygate, broke into the cat litter box and left me a big steaming pile of poop on the attic floor, a pile that Ledcat left for me. Ha. I was happy to clean it up b/c that's Mona behavior we haven't seen in a few weeks.

In other pet news, the boys have been doing good. They both seem to have this allergy thing going on -- some coughing and wheezing. I dosed 'em with Benadryl and its better. They, too, love the green veggies. Deus has two more weeks of post-operative recovery until he can begin exercising again so the extra bulk in his diet is good. Kitties are good. Simon needs a nail trim (ouch). He tried to eat a lima bean tonight, but Mona took it from him.

So that's it for tonight.

Squeaky Girl

Mona is laying on our new entryway throw rug squeaking her new tennis ball. She ate a good breakfast and dinner. Had some carrots in her Kong. She did manage to poop over 5 separate puppy pads without overflowing onto the bathroom floor. I'm both impressed and appreciative.

Her energy level is good, but she has been a bit whiny. I don't see any source of discomfort so I hope there's nothing internal going on. She goes in for her third chemotherapy treatment tomorrow. I have to drop her off in the AM. I hate leaving her there all day, but the upside is that she'll have puh-lenty of human company. I'm sending her with a doggie bag. :-)

The rest of the crew is doing well. The boys apparently have allergies. I hope it isn't a cat allergy cause that kind of irony we don't need. :-)

Gravy with those beans ...

I'm home sick today. I was up all night just not feeling well. I slept in until 10 AM and am trying to rouse myself.

Mona has been a picky eater today. I fed her this morning, but she refused to eat until I put a bit of gravy in with her beans and dogfood. Personally, I think it is the weather. I think the dog's know that something is amiss. They like being outside, but there's an air of uncertainty about them. They know they should be playing in snow and relaxing by the fire. Not sleeping on tile floors to keep cool and comfortable.

All three dogs have been doing this hacking thing that sounds like a cross between clearing their throats and hacking up a hairball. Indigestion? Lack of vacuuming? Too many green beans?

I think it is time for a Kong ...

Mona French Kisses the Plumber

He didn't seem to mind. At $169.0, he damn well better not mind if she cops a feel, too.

We had some junk in our pipes and its all gone now. The plumber told me that today is his cat's birthday. He also let Mona sniff his hat and his paperwork. Plus, he dragged the giant snake thing through our underground passageway so I wouldn't have to dismantle the dog-gate. He won my heart. As much as a plumber can.

Mona is pretty much her usual self today. Sniffy, hungry and looking for love. I worked from home this afternoon (see plumber) so she joined me on the sofa and kept an eye on my paperwork when I got up for a fresh drink or a stretch. I was very impressed that she resisted the temptation to sit on it (or roll on it). She ate a moderate breakfast, inhaled her Kong and ate most of her dinner (spaghetti sauce helped tempt her).

The warm weather throws them for a loop. They are all sleeping on the bare floor instead of their beds. Mona kept trying to strip the covers entirely off the bed last night, regardless of how the rest of the bed occupants felt about it. There's nothing like paws raking your covers away at 3 AM to start your morning.

She must know I'm blogging about her. She just came over to the sofa, ejected the cat and assumed her spot in between Ledcat and me.

She better keep that tongue to herself.

Sunday

Last night, Mona was a bit worn down. She vomited around 4 PM (on the freshly laundered dog bed) and pretty much spent the remainder of the evening on the sofa, snuggled into her blankets. She ate some dinner and didn't get ill again. She was very interested in the chips and dip we enjoyed during the game, but we didn't succumb to her charms.

She slept most of the night on our bed, but I found her curled in the dog bed early this morning.
We have bolstered every dog friendly nook and cranny with extra blankets. I can tell she doesn't feel good when she lets me cover her with a blanket ... she typically prefers to snuggle on them, not under them. She was shivering a bit so I took a shot and she eventually stopped shivering.

She was responsive to go out to potty and spent her usual amount of time sniffing around the yard (we have some stray kitties that take a shortcut out there).

Her overall food intake on Saturday wasn't great. She did eat breakfast, but only half of her kong snack and less than half of her dinner. I gave her some chicken strips later in the evening and she ate those enthusiastically. This morning (Sunday), she again turned her nose up at breakfast and only picked. She's a bit more lively this morning, so I hope she's turning the corner. I did speak with her vet yesterday and he told me to give her until Tuesday to perk up.

Our neighbor must have gone out (or not come home) because his poor dog wailed the entire evening. We sleep through it, but it keeps our woofers a bit restless. Poor girl ... she's just lonely. Our crew occasionally give out some empathetic keens.

We are planning to go to Target today. I feel kind of guilty about going somewhere I cannot take her. She enjoys a car ride, but makes me crazy with her racing around from window to window. I spend the entire time "Mona, lay down." "Yesssss." Four minutes later, "Mona, lay down." "Yesssss." And so forth. The only way to keep her settled is to give her a treat to distract her.

Once upon a time, we tried a dog seat belt. She was very subdued and we foolishly assumed it was doing the job. Until we got about halfway there (Hartwood Acres for a concert) and Laura caught of glimpse of Mona practically strangling herself to chew it apart. She pulled over and I jumped out to free her. She had crewed the dog seat belt, the actual seat belt and most of her harness. The rest of the trip? "Mona, honey, lay down." "Yesss."

Mona is terrible at concerts. She's great with the kids, the other dogs and the music. She just wants to be petted the entire time. We bought some low slung chairs and toss down a blanker for her, along with a Kong. After she finishes eating, she begins to bark until someone pets her. The trouble is that our chairs are just a bit too high to pet her without leaning over. So by the end of the concert, we are in discomfort from leaning over for an hour or from sitting on the ground to keep her quiet. Kind of defeats the purpose of a relaxing Sunday evening in the park.

Ah, that Miss Mona.

Saturday. In the House. I wish it was the 4th of July.

Mona didn't necessarily have a bad reaction to the 2nd chemo treatment, but she is a bit more subdued today than usual. She ate less than 1/2 of her breakfast, but went back to pick at it later. She polished off her chicken/Evo treat/cream cheese Kong, but turned her nose up at extra cream cheese. Mostly, she laid on the sofa wrapped up in "her" fleece throw and snoozed.

She was very perky when our new handyman arrived to repair the fence. She was equally responsive when we returned from a quick trip to the library and grocery store. Hint: avoid the Brighton Heights Giant Eagle at all costs ... it was as if someone smashed yinzerfest into geezerfest with the requisite amount of poor driving (both carts and cars). Shudder.

She'll be thrilled that we are staying home to watch the game and enjoy some homecooking tonight. Ledcat cracked open the chicken cookbook which bodes well for dogs on a heavy meat diet. And the kitties that love them. Sort of.

The boys are having a good day. They helped me clean the yard. Xander and I played fetch. Deus laid on the deck and supervised. Xander rejected his apple slices, but Deus ate them up. Both were very intrigued when Ken the handyman made an appearance and were prompt to inspect his work upon completion. Ken hurled himself against the fence a few times to prove to me that it would withstand the impact of a 120 lb dog at a full run. I believe him. Ouch.

Boris went to the vet. He is in good health and actually gained weight.

For a rainy playoff Saturday, that's the report. I'm going to go down, crack open the latest Mystery of Ancient Ireland and invite various pets to drape themselves about me.

Asparaginase or Round Two

This morning, I jumped in the car with my moms
and drove off for what was surely to be a fun adventure. Mom's car was at the shop b/c someone ran into her so I got to ride in a rental which was filled with cool smells and scents.

I recognized the place when we arrived, but I really had to pee so I ran off in the other direction before we went inside. Some of my favorite ladies were there to lavish me with attention UNTIL someone brought in a P-U-P-P-Y. Ick. Ick. Ick. It kept licking me and covering me in baby dog drool. Gross. Apparently, this little thing was also there for chemotherapy which makes me a little sad. He may be annoying, but he's kinda young to go through this.

The picture is me sitting in my favorite chair inside the exam room. The floor was still a little damp from the last visitor so I made one of my Moms stand. I hate wet paws. Eventually, Dr. Rogers came in and gave me the pettings I so deserve. He felt my neck and confirmed that those nasty little nodes were gone. I am a very strong dog because the nodes shrank in less than 24 hours AND I have no side effects. Take that, cancer.

I hate puking. Not only does it feel gross, but those stupid brothers of mine try to eat it before I'm done. It is bad enough they try to pee on me in the backyard. Can't a girl get a little privacy around here? Sheesh, I told my Mom they were a bad idea, but she insisted on letting them live with us. Stupid boys.

Anyway, Doc took me back for another injection of Asparaginase. I'm not fond of needles, but he smelled nice so I acquiesced with no complaint. I like men who smell nice, especially when they pet me in a Mona-approved manner. In a matter of minutes, I was outside in the waiting room with my mothers. First, I stopped off at the reception area b/c the little stinker was still in the back (he has bad veins) and allowed the ladies to adore me. Then, after a quick pee in the parking lot, we headed for home.

We did make a quick stop at Healthy Pet Products to pick up some dog food and a new chew toy for me. I let Xander have it when we got home. I'm a little tired from all this hullabaloo so I'm gonna go take a nap on the sofa. The Moms bought some new fleece throws just to make a comfy nest for me.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

She never met a rug she didn't like ....

Mona's secret is that she cannot be left home alone with rugs lest she pee on them. Throw rugs, bathroom rugs, wall to wall carpeting ... she pees on it all. She has clammered into the bathtub to pee on the bathmat (which actually is really easy to clean up).

She's certainly able to hold herself and will inform us if she needs to visit the outdoors. In rainy weather, she will go up to 12 hours before setting foot outside to pee. There's no particular routine to her rug peeing ways. She'll go for days without an 'accident' and then bam!

So we use puppy pads in the bathroom which works our fine most of the time. Well, there is the small problem of our cat Simon trying to 'cover up' Mona's dirty deeds and creating quite a mess with what he must think is very large cat litter. And Mona does have the uncanny ability to find the one small space where the pads don't overlap. Plus, there are those days when Ledcat or I come racing into the house to use the loo and have to hopskotch our way through the bathroom (especially fun in slippers and/or stocking feet).

We are having the remaing carpeting in the house torn out in the next few weeks and replaced with hardwood floors. There will be a carpet runner on the steps, but that should be relatively safe. She's never touched the entry way mats/rugs (we try to say mats around her).

What does this have to do with cancer? Well, I admit that sometimes I get angry when I have a particularly unpleasant mess to clean up or discover that Simon "The Humper" LeBon has dragged my favorite blanket across Mona's latest conquest. I'm a yeller and when I yell, Mona and her brothers run to hide. Then I calm down and they come back out. We all have a treat and move on with the day. Ledcat thinks we should stop yelling because Mona has cancer. I'm more of a 'lets treat her naturly" mentality.

Honestly, I can't keep this mantra of "Mona has cancer" going in my head at all times. I get annoyed when she does stupid shit and I am displeased when she disobeys. I'm not saying I don't want to apprecite her, but sometimes I enjoy that an entire hour goes by without my thinking about the fact that she's dying even if that hour includes the theft of a cookie, tin of cat food or wet paw prints on the sofa. The normalcy is a blessing itself.

Mona is a willful creature. Our dog trainer, Debby from Pawsitive Reactions, sized her up and the informed Ledcat and me that neither of us had what it takes to break her bad habits. Essentially, we failed obedience school on the very first day. It probably had something to do with Mona's perch on the couch and theft of the training treats while we were working with her siblings. Go figure.

When you instruct her to take action with which she disagrees, she gets a far off look in her eye and affixes herself like a giant adhesive onto whatever surface is handy. That could be the couch from which she is supposed to remove herself to the floor under the kitchen table from whence she should trot out into the wet/cold night for a potty break. Sometimes in a strange bout of crazy, her eyes roll up into her head and she looks at me over her shoulder like I am about to rip her unborn fetus out of her. I tend to wait until the "Marlena is possessed" stuff is over until I address the situation.

When she pees in the house, rug or puppy pad, she sits on the sofa and observes us as we "find" it. Then, even if we say nothing, she runs under the kitchen table. Those are her two favorite vantages from which to observe our wacky behavior, I guess.

Hurrah for no rungs!

Siblings and guilt

From the moment I knew something was wrong, I have wanted to hold Mona in my arms every possible moment to comfort her and me, too. The trouble is that Mona has multiple siblings, most of whom also want their own share of laptime and attention. Juggling all that love is a bit overwhelming.

Today, we cleaned. Xander aka "The Shadow" has been in the attic with me 90% of the day. While typically clingy, he has reached some new heights of annoying me over the past few weeks -- I turn around and bam! he's right there. The rational part of me knows that I have worked a kajillion hours of OT since Thanksgiving and that Xander is well aware that something isn't right with his brother and sister. Amadeus, I may have mentioned, had arthroscopic shoulder surgery two weeks ago. All of this amounts of even more confusion, nerves and clinginess on his part as he tries to sort out what's going on. *He* needs us just as much as Mona or Deus.

I know that in my head, but my feet are frustrated when I keep tripping over him.

The same holds true for the cats. If either of us sits on the couch for more than 3 minutes, there's typically a 16lb black furry thing on your lap. Stay there for five minutes and Mona crawls up, too. Another moment of two, the black furry things siblings are there and Xander is laying under your feet. Then we endure countless rounds of one cat on, two cats off; one dog on, one cat off as the pets shift positions on what is in fact a rather small sofa.

Thankfully, Deus prefers his dog bed and only joins the fracas if he senses food is being exchanged (willingly or not).

Xander suffers there, too. Deus is on highly restricted activity because of his shoulder -- he can go out to pee and that's pretty much it. No walks, no roughhousing, no playing, nothing. He feels good, but we've got another four weeks of restrictions to enforce. So Xander is tossed into the backyard on his own. He'll be ecstatic to play only with me for a few moments, but soon starts looking around and eventually drops the ball. Essentially, he'd rather be inside with his brother even if it is kind of boring.

Mona always prefers to be where the people are so winter restrictions are nothing for her. She goes out a few times to sniff the yard and catch up on the news, but that's about it. However, she has been known to antagonize her brothers into playing chase so she also can't be left unattended with Deus.

You just do the best you can. I pet everyone throughout the day. I try not to feel guilty when I clear all critters from the sofa and actually have room to move. I provide lots of blankets and comforters.

And I kind of look forward to getting back to our usual routine. I think everyone is happier.

Diets

When Mona was diagnosed, she had dropped nearly 5 pounds in a few months which equated to more than 10% of her bodyweight. I did some research and ascertained that a diet high in protein and low in carbohydrates was a good idea. Apparently, as they say, carbs feed the cancer.

She and her brothers were already enjoying a higher end food because of Amadeus' ear gunk issues. They were eating an oatmeal infused kibble made by Bil-Jac with an occasional can of food. I was big on using Kongs with delicious stuffings, typically involving peanut butter and real dog treats.

So I switched her to Evo which is a completely grain free diet. I almost fainted when I realized it is the most expensive dog food on the market. Then I nearly fainted again when I realized I was going to have to switch all three dogs or lose what was left of my sanity at meal times. Deus and Xander have this whole bowl switching/growl like dinosaurs ritual that would scare anyone unfamiliar with our feeding patterns.

The transition was smooth -- what dog wouldn't love food chock full of the meatiest meat morsels available? And it worked ... Mona regained the five pounds and a few more. Her vet commented that she had never had a dog add weight during chemotherapy.

She has kept that weight on even with the relapse. She continues to eat her Evo, but talked me into heating the canned food in the microwave b/c she doesn't like the chill from the fridge (I use half a can at a meal divided between the three dogs). Yes, I am the dog owner who heats food up in the microwave. For her dog. I use Ledcat's cereal bowls, but let's keep that between us.

Mona also has had a switch in her Kong stuffings from peanut butter to lowfat cream cheese. I add a few Evo grain-free biscuits and one Plato organic chicken strip. Mona enjoys the cream cheese, the chicken, and the occasional carrot or apple chunk. She does not like the biscuits too much and has made several furtive raids on the tin holding the carb laden MilkBones leftover from her previous life. She occasionally makes a snack of the dry cat food when the cats aren't at the bowl to defend their morsels.

The final change has been the addition of green veggies to her meals. I primarily use green beans. Heated in the microwave of course. I also use green peas. Deus and Xander get a lot more carrots and apples than Mona. They are both under doctor's orders to drop some weight which is a special challenge for Deus who is recuperating from shoulder surgery and is very restricted activity wise. (Try telling him that!).

Today, she ate her breakfast with heated canned food dollops. She had two Kongs with an apple slice, two carrots, chicken strips and cream cheese. She licked the cream cheese off the carb-free biscuits and daintily set them on her dogbed for her brothers to consume later. She just now polished off another bowl of food mixed with green beans. Later this evening, I'm going to give her a chew treat (high-protein).

Oh, and apparently right now she's "cleaning up" the leftover canned cat food. Such a helpful little miss is she.

ps: while I typed that sentence, she came up on the couch to curl up next to me and tuck her head onto my knee. at this moment, it is worth every penny and every sacrifice and every challenge to keep her healthy and safe. totally worth it.