Heather's Health Update

[caption id="attachment_453" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Heather says, "Hey Mr. K - did you hear? I'm getting better!"[/caption]

Today, I got a call from the vet. Turns out, little Miss Heather's blood work came back. One liver value (named ALT, which can be indicative for liver disease) is now a completely normal 33 - last time was nearly 1,000. The other (named ALP, which tends to go up with gall bladder disease) is still up around 900, the normal value being about 150.

And so, the plan to help Miss Heather stay healthy is to keep her on antibiotics for another two weeks and bring her back to the vet for a recheck at that time. They'll do another ultrasound to check out the gall bladder and, of course, make sure those blood values continue to normalize. This little girl may not be entirely out of the woods yet but there is definitely some happy healing going on in that body!

You know your dog is spoiled when...

[slideshow]

As a responsible Scottie Mom, I really try my best not to go overboard with my pups and sometimes, it is so incredibly hard to NOT shower them with everything and more, as I'm sure the other Scottie Moms and Dads out there can agree. Alas, despite my tough no human food and minimal treats rules, I've come to the realization that somewhere down the line, my Scotties have become very accustomed to a certain kind of lifestyle. I knew my dogs were spoiled when:

10. You schedule your entire day around potty breaks and extra walks.

9.  You have to refill an already full water bowl because Heather will sit there waiting, staring at you with those big eyes, asking for a fresh bowl until she gets one. (She thoroughly enjoys being the "first" to drink out of the water bowl when it is placed on the floor.)

8. They see the building's cleaning lady who likes to give them a treat from time to time and automatically, they forget about mom, rushing over to sit at the feet of the other woman - regardless of whether or not she actually has a treat for them. Then, it is impossible to tear them away!

7. Entire vacations are planned around the dogs and the availability of pet-friendly accommodations. If there aren't any available, too bad - trip canceled because no pet-sitting arrangement of any kind will suffice.

6. You prefer to be home with your dogs or out on an adventure with them over anything else in the world.

5. They own way more than they need to, be it a dozen toys at a time, more than one doggie bed per dog or the abundance of Martha Stewart Pets accessories.

4. The couch seat cushion is no longer enough. Now, it is time to go for the good stuff like the decorative pillows.

3. You have more photos of them than your closest friends and family members, vacation spots and commemorative moments...combined!

2. You celebrate every holiday with your dog. They get their own gifts on birthdays, a stocking at Christmas, treats on Halloween, etc.

1. You dedicate an entire blog to them!

The Road Less Traveled

[caption id="attachment_430" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Heather takes the road less traveled.[/caption]

Every rescue Scottie has a story. And Heather is no exception. I believe Heather carries her experiences with her everywhere she goes. You can practically see it in her eyes when she glances your way...the depth behind her 'stolen' looks at you and those all-knowing gazes when she lets you cuddle close every now and then give her away readily. There is no sadness from what I can tell...just a profound understanding and acknowledgement of the wayward journey she took to find her happy home.

The important part, I've realized, is that though Heather indeed carries her experiences with her, she doesn't appear to let those experiences control how she lives her life now. That's an important lesson we all can learn from her. While she is all-the-wiser for going through the things she has (aren't we all?), she still has love in her heart to trust people and be compassionate to those around her, even the strangers she encounters on a daily basis. Sure, she still has habits from her 'past life' like going after those garbage cans but to come through all she has emotionally unscathed, that's an accomplishment!

They say experiences on the road less traveled help define a person's character. Well, I believe the same holds true for dogs. Heather can channel that inner street dog when she needs to, for life has taught her to be strong, but she also recognizes the importance of relationships and companionship. She doesn't hold back from expressing her emotions toward people and opening up her heart to them. In fact, it is this very trait that draws so many to like Heather instantaneously - especially since 9.9 times out of 10, that wagging tail and crooked smile is expressing just how happy she is that you've joined her on her extraordinary journey through life.

The Good vs. The Evil (Blanket)

[slideshow]

When he's not destroying toys, Mr. K has to get creative and find other ways to keep himself (and his hoomans) entertained. Sometimes, that means stealing a sock. Sometimes, it calls for a dramatized Scottie 'flop and roll' with legs in the air to invite belly rubs. And sometimes, that means taking on a blanket that doubles as an evil attacker of Scotties.

Let me set up the scenario: Mr. K is sitting peacefully (or so we think) on his special blanket on the couch. He sighs. Obviously, he is displeased with the lack of attention. Then, out of nowhere, the evil blanket launches a surprise attack, jumps up and covers him. His eyes dart from side to side, waiting for the blanket's next move. Suddenly, there it is! The evil blanket moves, growling at him as it does.

Now, Mr. K is on full alert. The evil blanket has just challenged him to a dual. A poke in the side here, a couple of pats on the bottom there and then, even some head petting (how demeaning that blanket can be!). Mr. K scoffs and wiggles around in the evil blanket's hold, thinking how silly that evil blanket is for daring to challenge the great and powerful Mr. K.

He breaks free from the blanket's hold, jumps down from the couch and grabs one of his toys, shaking it from side to side with such force as if to warn that evil blanket: "This is what I'll do to you if you try that again!" Then, he leaps on top of evil blanket, who launches a counter attack. Mr. K snaps away at the evil blanket with his teeth. The two roll around. Mr. K whips part of the blanket back and forth like he did with the toy, but the evil blanket smacks him in the face. Revenge is imminent!

Alas, there is only one winner of this game and, without fail, Mr. K comes out on top each and every time...literally. For when he's done showing the blanket how it can be destroyed like his other toys, the evil blanket ultimately surrenders and Mr. K takes his rightful place atop of it. Then, as he settles in, a slight smile comes across his sweet Scottie face and you notice that while the hero realizes he must recover from his valiant battle, he attempts to do so with one eye open...just in case.

And so we wait...

[caption id="attachment_405" align="alignright" width="225"] Heather cuddles with Scottie Dad while she waits for her results.[/caption]

When Heather got sick, she was extremely lethargic. The amount of water she drank increased a bit and soon, she began having accidents every two hours. Thinking it was a mere bladder infection, I took her to the vet on a Saturday morning, only to discover we had a much bigger problem on our hands.

Fast forward three weeks and Heather is still on four different medications twice a day. Her liver values (at last count) were around 700 and 2000 respectively. While she was still out of the normal range (around 100), the vet seemed optimistic her values would continue to lower with time and medication.

Today's visit with the vet went relatively smooth. We were in and out within an hour and the vet said she looks good. The blood work was sent out this time instead of being processed in-house (not sure why) and the vet said it usually takes a few days to get the results back so we should know something definitive soon.

The good news is that the vet believes after a full month of medications, there is a possibility Heather's values will stabilize and we won't need another checkup for another three to six months. The bad news is we still don't know the cause or how to prevent another occurrence. So, keep your fingers crossed, everyone - we should know more in a day or two!

The Dark Scottie Rises

Fierce, loyal and true to the core, this little superhero guards his home from all the evils of the world...especially those wicked vacuum cleaners. Whenever one approaches, he is quick to show that its evil ways will not be tolerated and peace and quiet will be restored in the household no matter what.

Careful not to use any lethal weapons on his opponent (namely, teeth), the dark Scottie warns the evil vacuum to back off with a growl or two...or else! Occasionally, our little superhero takes to a dark corner for a minute and launches a surprise attack on the evil vacuum in an attempt to put it in its place.

In due time, the evil vacuum cleaner dies down and retreats to a secret hiding place where it will rest awhile and come back with renewed strength and a vengence to challenge the dark Scottie in yet another epic battle of the century. Whether the dark Scottie will rise to the occasion and defeat the evil vacuum once more, only time will tell...

A Walk in the Park

[slideshow]

We live in the city, so it isn't every day that we venture far from our condo but today, we took a short walk down to a little dog park we recently discovered less than five or ten minutes away. Complete with lots of grass (for Heather to roll around in) and not one, but TWO fountains (for Mr. K to admire), this little nook might just become our stomping grounds on our night walks.

Heather and Mr. K get four walks a day. Two short ones in the morning before I leave for work plus a bathroom break during my lunch hour or the minute I get home from work for the day. The fourth walk is usually the longest and occurs as late as possible in hopes that I don't get any wee-hour-of-the-morning wake up calls from a Scottie in need of a potty break.

Mr. K could walk for hours, if you'd let him and we used to walk in circles around my old apartment complex in Columbia, S.C. over and over again. I'm looking forward to finding a home in a more traditional neighborhood in the coming months so we can take up that habit again - walking does wonders for Scottie Mom fitness. (And it doesn't hurt to keep the little ones active, either!)