Lambiedog

Was it my breath?

    The party broke up virtually as soon as we got to the bluffs last night.  Above is a photo of everyone leaving.

Was it coincidental that they all took off as soon as I arrived?

    I tried to act like I didn't care.

Medical report

    I've had a mixed bag of medical developments this week.

    First of all, on Wednesday I went to see my doctor.  The issues on the table were:  (1)  My weight and (2) My anti-seizure medication.  Also: (1.5) My bone.

     The weight discussion was a complete triumph for me.   Dr. Galea said I am not overweight. And upon seeing a sample meal we'd brought along for him to evaluate, he exclaimed, "He must be starving!" -- uncannily echoing my own sentiments. 

 

 

 

    To my critics -- As Richard Nixon used to say, "Let me say this about that."  I don't want to hear any more catty comments about my body size.  I am not fat -- it's been stated decisively by an expert.  Go find some other dog to pick on.    

    The bone discussion was more sobering.  Dr. Galea is not a fan of bones.  He says that he often sees dogs who have broken teeth on their bones.  Also, he said that bones can cause constipation, which, without going into details, let's just say struck a nerve with me.  So bones may be off the table. But I can handle that if I can at least get decent portions of my regular meals.

    As to the seizures, Dr. Galea took a blood sample to test my sodium bromide level.  Depending on the results, he'll either increase my dosage, or switch me to pheno barbitol, which has a lot more side effects. 

    So that was four days ago.  I ate like a king, and was much relieved by my good report and happy prognosis.   

    But then, two days later, I had another seizure.  It came out of nowhere:  I was barking at a solicitor who'd come to the door, and then suddenly I was falling over and arching my neck and my paws were stiff. 

    It took me a couple of hours to feel like I might be recovered from that seizure. Then we took a walk out to the bluffs. But once we got there it turned out that I was still exhausted.  

     

 

I stopped in the shade of a bench, underneath a stranger who was reading her book.  For ten minutes I just sat there, collecting my strength and reflecting on my medical travails.

 

My family urged me to get up, but I thought it prudent to stay put.  Not to be dramatic, but I needed the time for reflection.  What did it all mean?  Why me?

                

    Eventually I pulled myself together and went home.  Sometimes the only answer is to just put one paw in front of the other and keep going.   

Screen door tale

    

As I was coming back from the bluff the other night I heard noises from Willy's home.  I raced across the street, and there was my friend, on the other side of his screen door.

       

We were like Romeo and Juliet.   Or Romeo and Romeo.

Finally the door opened, and we were reunited.

Final solution for the squirrels

    New intelligence on the squirrel situation just in, and my conspiracy hypothesis  actually turns out to be correct!   Apparently the government is engaging in squirrel eugenics.

    It seems that the county has set poison distribution centers below the bluff because of concerns that the extensive squirrel tunnels were contributing to the destabilization of the hillside.

 

The photo above, taken yesterday shows a poison distribution center placed on the hillside between the bluff top and the fire road halfway down the bluff.

The photo below, taken in May, shows some of the tunnels that the squirrels made in the hillside.

 

Below is a photo of a squirrel enjoying the ocean view from the bluff on a lazy afternoon back in May, before he was targeted for extinction.

I can only hope that he or she enjoyed that day to its fullest. 

Deconstructing Adonis

    Interesting graphics from Doctors Foster & Smith may help to resolve the ongoing question of whether I'm fat or just "built".  In each group the top drawing is of a dog as seen from above, and the bottom drawing is a profile.

 

                                                 

Very thin                   Thin                   Ideal                   Overweight                   Obese

Body score = 1            Body score = 3         Body score = 5           Body score =7           Body score = 9

Now let's see how I score according to this index: 

                                                            Overhead                                            Profile                                        Less Flattering Profile

    It looks like my body score is about a 6, placing me somewhere between "Ideal" and  "Overweight."    This may seem worrisome, but please refer back to my post regarding Stump, the winner of "Best in Show" at this year's Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.   Stump would have a body score of 9 (Obese!)  if the Foster & Smith schematics were applied.  From this we may conclude that Ideal weight appears to be a moving target.

    The graphics and accompanying explanation can be found here, on the Doctors Foster & Smith website.

Party dog

    There is nothing more rewarding than meeting with fans of my blog.  Last night a party atmosphere prevailed here, as Thomas' friends Maggie,Mina, Melanie, Shaly, Ben and Dustin came over. I already knew Maggie and Dustin, of course, but the others were new friends.

     We had a great time hanging out together in an informal setting, around the fire pit and in front of the dinosaur fountain.  I am always amazed that college students would be so nice to me, a humble dog without even a high school degree.

    Bottom line:  The language of friendship and humor transcends culture, species and socio-economic status.  We had a special evening discussing art, politics, bones, religion and travel.   At the end, we posed for photographs to remember our special night together.

    I know this is a crazy fantasy for a dog without any formal education, but I wish I could go to NYU with them.  Perhaps I should look into getting my G.E.D. as a first step.  Of course, I'd also have to look deep into my heart to see if I was really ready to leave my home and the bluffs.

                

Weight again

 

    I was in a funk for the past couple of days, due to a confluence of related factors.  

    First of all, there has been some very unkind criticism of my physique.  Not unexpected, given a small but statistically significant recent increase in my weight -- but still hurtful.  Some unfortunate photos did not help matters.

                                              

    Does my family have nothing better to discuss than my size and what it portends for my long-term health? Apparently not.  The house seems to be swarming with experts.  Their consensus is that my tiny meals need to be cut back even further.

    Then, the most unkind cut of all -- these so-called experts got nasty about my bone and the fattening nature of marrow.   I was already feeling down about how the size of my bone had dwindled over the past couple of days to the point that it was really too little to gnaw on.

    Last night they finally did the right thing:  They gave me a new bone.  I bonded with it for a couple of hours, and then I took it outside to bury it for the night.  

    I will say this:  I slept much better knowing that I had a bone outside.  

    Yes, under the latest regime my meals are miniscule -- a few crumbs of rice and ground turkey -- but I can handle that as long as I have the bone.  I appreciate my family members' trust in me, and I will not let them down by overdoing it with the bone.  I will enjoy it judiciously, so that it lasts for at least two weeks, like the last one did.  I will even try to act enthusiastic about the exercise program that they've been developing for me.  

    Because they do have a point about my weight gain.  I'm still young, and this middle-aged spread is unacceptable, particularly since I'm already dealing with a serious health risk from my seizure disorder. 

     I have a lot to live for.   I'm going to slim down, with my bone by my side.

       

The girls are back in town

    Yes -- that's Winnie and Trudie, just back from their Colorado vacation.  They said that Trudie had had some health issues while they were gone.  As Nelson Mandela's wife commented the other day, it's hard to deal with the indignities of extreme old age.  At Trudie's age, just showing up is a real accomplishment.

 

    Winnie had missed the ocean, so I went with her and a bulldog named Buddha to check out the view.

The ocean air seemed to have restorative power.  I think I saw an added buoyancy in Winnie's step as we returned.

Naturalist theory

Maybe the squirrels are hibernating.

Problem with this theory:  Animals hibernate to get through a long cold winter, not a temperate California summer.

Welcome Finney!

One of our most esteemed bluff group members, Sadie, died tragically in May after a brief illness.  Her family and her sibling, Harry, were blindsided with grief. 

Now comes the happy news that they have adopted a puppy named Finney.

             

I met Finney for the first time last night.

Here is a photo of us sniffing one another while Harry stands by with his ball.

Finney, welcome aboard!