I Love Schnauzers   My life with Schnauzers

Hi all! Well, it’s been a rough week for Miss D and Mommy. After Wed’s nightly neighborhood patrol, Miss D started favoring her right front leg. The leg carrying that nasty naughty tumor. By Thursday morn, “favoring” changed to “don’t touch it!” And Miss D went off her food. 

Now, you know Deita. Nothing is bad enough that a good cookie can’t cure! So Mommy and Vet added Gabapentin to Miss D’s pain management regimen. 

The next 48 hours were unpleasant and crushing to Mommy, who spent the night trying to make D comfortable and helping to stand or squat or sit. By Saturday Miss D was sleeping quite a bit, but Mommy decided to sleep on the sofa in case. 

Mommy was considering letting Miss D go, which made her very sad. But then Sunday dawned and the new pain meds kicked in!

Sunday was wet and cool, but that didn’t stop Miss D from exploring her surroundings again. She could be found wandering the yard (without Mommy’s help) and curiously fascinated with the neighbor’s mechanical project in the driveway. Miss D gave him much advice, but I guess he doesn’t speak Schnauzer. 

Anyway, Monday dawned cold and rainy but we’re feeling pretty sunny around here. We’ve got some more time together! Maybe we’ll both make an entrance at SchNovemberFest this Saturday

And now for some gratuitous selfies!

Cuddling is underrated. It is most enjoyable. Especially after a chilly, and shortened, patrol of the neighborhood. Miss D started on Rimadyl this evening for the pain. After about an hour, I was restless and ready to hit the road! So Mommy brought the old pet stroller down from storage and we were on our way! We walked to about the 3rd trash can (we used to try for 5) before we turned around. Mommy followed with the evil stroller, in case Miss D decided she’d gone far enough. Not gonna throw out her back carrying me home, she said. As if!

And now I’m feeling a little sleepy, because of the Benedryl. Apparently this type of tumor causes the body to produce a lot of extra histamine so it can be quite itchy! Prednisone is out, due to the Cushings, so Benedryl is an okay substitute. At least, I don’t lick my elbow as much after taking it.

Bonus! downside, it makes me sleepy

Nighty night

Miss D woke up limping. 😦

Doesn’t want to put weight on that bad leg. And yet… the moment she heard the neighbor dogs outside, she made a beeline for the door and ran along the fence line with them barking up a storm as usual. AND she licked her breakfast bowl clean then begged for more. So we’ll call Vet in the morning about starting some medication for the pain. Meanwhile, it’s just another lazy Sunday afternoon. (Her tummy was shaved for the ultrasound, hence the funny-looking hair line on her chest)

just another Sunday

i have a hard time believing she’s really comfortable, and yet … She’s snoring.

Today is our three year blogiversary! That’s crazy! How time flies!

One thing we’ve learned in these three years is how to meld our morning routines. Neither of us is a morning person. I get up and turn on the TV then go back to bed and hit snooze 3 or 4 more times. Then it’s time to stop procrastinating and face the day. I get up and Miss D watches me. I say, “start thinking about getting up.” She cocks her head like she’s listening then heads over to claim my spot on the bed and goes back to sleep.

When I return, I say again, “start thinking about getting up.” She takes 10 minutes to do her version of yoga—frog-leg stretch, cat pose, downward dog, frog-leg, repeat. Eventually she’s ready and stands near the foot of the bed. This is my cue to lift her off the bed (with her degenerative joint disease and previous medical history, I do not want her to break a hip jumping down. This was our compromise and it works pretty well for both of us).

So I lift her off the bed and set her on her feet on the carpet runner. Then she does her morning shake, another downward dog and she’s ready to sit in the bedroom doorway and stare. I think she’s afraid of the punching bag I store in the next room. Or maybe it’s the hardwood. Either way, she waits for me to cross the threshold first, then she slips and slides across the hardwood to the back door. While I get ready for work, she runs the fence line barking at her doggie friends on the other side and waking the neighborhood.

As soon as I leave for work, she heads to her chair in the window to begin her day of guarding the house/napping. My favorite time of day though is coming home. To see her little face pop up in the window when I pull into the driveway.