The mystery has been solved

It's been nearly ten years since Cosmo joined our family. Her previous family didn't know what kind of dog she was. Over the years, we have been asked many, many times and always answered with a shrug and a sheepish "we have no idea."

This pup is too pooped to party

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, COSMO!

11 years old and still keeping up with her 3-year-old sister...when she's not recovering from knee surgery, that is.

We spent the day celebrating my mom's birthday out of town and this lucky pup got to go with us. She was all done in by the time we got home.

The Return of the Airplane Ear

Cosmo is finally e-collar free!

She got her stitches out yesterday. Doc said the incision healed very well and that everything inside the knee feels "wonderful." I like that word. Wonderful.

Oh, and we confirmed that the shaved patch on her back was for the epidural. Mystery solved!

Paging Dr. PeeWee

We need 10 units of cuddles, stat!

Fur Family Holiday

Mike's and Cali's stockings don't look nearly as exciting as the dogs'. I promise there's stuff in the cat stockings, too!

 

It's a good thing pets don't understand stockings. Or presents. Or Christmas, really. Because PeeWee's gift doesn't come close to fitting in his stocking.

Today is the day

The Cosmutt goes in for surgery to repair her torn CCL today.  It's always tough when a pet has to be hospitalized, even though we have a great vet.

UPDATE 12:40 PM: 

Cosmo is out of surgery. Doc said the implant went well, they got all of the pieces of the torn tissue cleaned out of the joint, and that she didn't have a meniscus injury.

She stays overnight at the vet and then we bring her home for a loooong twelve week recovery process before she can slowly start doing her normal stuff again.

Even with a torn ligament, this dog wanted to play every morning. It's gonna be rough on her.

UPDATE 12/22 8:15 AM:
Our regular vet called this morning after he checked on Cozzie. He said she's doing really well - her incision looks good and she doesn't have a fever. We should be able to bring her home this afternoon. Yay!

UPDATE 12/22 4:30 PM:
COSMO IS HOME!!!! Pics below the cut...

Triple the fun

I've been to the vet each day for the past three days.

Cosmo developed a limp just before Thanksgiving. She was getting better, but then she just...plateaued. Got her checked on Tuesday and took her back for x-rays today. Turns out the poor pup has a torn ACL, so she goes in for surgery next week.

PeeWee the snot master had an appointment sandwiched in on Wednesday. More antibiotics for him, plus his kidney values were off, so he gets to go on K/D food now.

The joys of a fur family.

Gratitude

I have so many things to be thankful for today and every day.

I am so very appreciative of Great Plains SPCA and similar organizations that provide shelter to homeless pets without the looming euthanasia deadline.

TNR is catching on, so we will eventually be able to bring feral cat populations under control.

In addition to the shelter aspect, I'm so very thankful for GPSPCA's Hero Team for providing education and resources to the families of at-risk pets so they don't become homeless in the first place.

I have unending gratitude for the opportunity to foster sweet PeeWee. He has brought so much love into our lives.

And, of course, I am lucky to have an amazing, loving human, canine, and feline family to share my life with. Today and all days, I am most grateful for them.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Purr-sonality

When talking with potential adopters at the shelter, I'm often asked questions about some variation of the 'rules.'

"Can two male cats really get along?"

"Are female cats too territorial to live together?"

Over and over I give the same response, that it's really more about the personality of the animal than the gender. I feel like this often frustrates adopters, and I get it. It would be so much easier (for all of us!) if there were a set of rules to follow to ensure a smooth addition to your fur family.

Frazzled

Living with five pets is often like living in a house full of exceptionally gross toddlers:

Mike is hungry. Starbuck needs to go potty. Mike is hungry. Cosmo wants to play. PeeWee has a gunky nose. Mike is hungry. Cali is hitting! Starbuck is hungry. Mike pooped all over himself. Cali is taking stuff. Cosmo wants to play. Starbuck needs to go potty. Mike is hungry.

The Mike poop is underrepresented, there. It's probably about 1/3 of the time he either gets it on himself or steps in it and tracks it all over the bathroom. Spouse says it's like he's trying to teach us really crappy dance moves (yes, the Dad Jokes are strong with that one).

just imagine that second one created with poopy pawprints...yeah

There are definitely moments where I envy fur-free households. But then I come home and the dogs are so darn happy to see me they nearly wag their butts off. Or PeeWee curls up behind me in bed and his purr rumbles through my entire back. Or I see something like this

and I'm reminded to appreciate the love and companionship of my pets. Even as I'm scrubbing the bathroom floor for the fifth time in a week.

Fuzzy Face

I just wanted to share how much I love my Cosmo girl.

The daily dance

Add a couple of dogs and this is pretty much my life.

Gratitude

I have many, many things to be thankful for. I have a roof over my head, plenty to eat, an amazing family, and my own copy of Fallout 4. (Seriously, there would be blood if we had to share. It would not be pretty)

Even as they wake me up in the middle of the night, decide to vomit right in the center of the floor, and get under my feet a thousand times per day (especially when I'm cooking. OMG), I am also so, so grateful for my fur family.