Update on All the Furbabies

I’ve had a few folks asking about Herc and how his recovery is going.  So, instead of the Christmas blog being next, I decided a furbaby update was more important. Tomorrow Herc heads to Knoxville for his bandage removal and his first of four chemo treatments.  We are praying that he handles the treatments well.  As of yet, he has not eaten any actual dog food.  However, Al bought a rather large roast and has been feeding him chunks of it each morning.  It’s the only way to hide his medicine, too.  He is currently taking an anti-inflammatory and a pain pill.  We have reduced the pain meds in half and he seems to be tolerating that dosage.   He’s alert and moving around pretty comfortably.    He jumps up on the couch and bed with ease.  We had a small set back about a week ago.  We have attributed it to him trying to overdo it. He seems to be doing great now.  From what others have told us a setback is very normal.  He’s figuring it out.  I think we stress more than he does though.  We try and keep it cool but, damn, it’s hard when you think he is going to topple over or fall off the couch.  So, I guess we’re learning, too. In addition to the tall food and water bowl stand Al made, we’ve added rubber stair treads to the steps (there are 14) to and from the basement. We have added a gate and steps (there are 5) to the back of the left side of the cabin. Rubber stairs treads will be added to these steps as well. We needed to do this project anyway so, it went from number 1250 on the list of projects to do to number 1.  As soon as the ground dries up Al will grade and smooth it then, lay some gravel. Herc will move from the basement to the main floor and back again using this new route.  It’s less strenuous for him and less scary for us. We also purchased a new harness.  We believe it will give him better stability and give us a better sense of control. Al joined a forum of people with tripod dogs and it has been such a tremendous help to us.  Al will blog on Thursday and let everyone know how his doctors appointment and chemo went.

Now, Teenie on the other hand, has been very vigilant at protecting the cabin with her brother under the weather.  She gives him a wide berth and handles alllllll the barking.

The labs, well, they are labs.  They keep the perimeter safe and sound ALL NIGHT LONG.  They do work hard for us. Then, they become solar labs during the day.  Sleeping almost anywhere soaking up the warm rays of the sun.

The kittens are loving their freedom.  Sort of.  They spend their outdoor time mostly at the front door or the front windows crying for me to come and play.          They are still learning. They will be eight months old March 1st.  Still young but, I believe they will figure out that this freedom is a good thing.  Heck, Tag killed a field mouse today right in front of my eyes.  Like, why Lord, must you let me see these things?  I’m getting tougher with this whole circle of life thing.

Your continued prayers for Herc are so much appreciated.  I travel to Georgia for a few days tomorrow.  And, as promised, Christmas and December are coming up.  December was a very busy month!

Thanks for reading!

Elisa