The Zoo Crew helps everyone feel better

Wes went to the doctor this morning and they looked at him more in depth.  They found he had a blockage in his large intestine.  That's what's causing his pain and fever.  They are currently treating that.  They did more chest x-rays.  The nodule on his lower left lung is small and oval with smooth edges.  Those are all good signs.  Cancer is more likely to be irregularly shaped with rough edges.  Wes is going for a CT to look at it closer.  They are still pretty concerned about it.  Wes has been pretty dehydrated and that's what's caused the kidney stone.  He has received a few bags of fluids which will hopefully help him pass it. 

The Zoo Crew helps us stay happy.  Animals have souls.  I don't care what anybody says.  They do.  They understand us.  Honestly, I think animals can understand us better than people can.  That's why pet therapy is so effective.  Last night, Sweet Pea was Wes' therapy in making him feel better.

Sweet Pea loves her daddy.

The rest of the zoo crew has been their regular playful, goofy selves.  They have been...

Sleeping on their potty pads...



Sleeping nearby and babysitting...

Laying around the kitchen hoping for handouts...

Playing rough...

Topher is usually the referee, the moderator, the peace keeper, but he sometimes plays too.  I have video of this, but can't upload it right now.

In the mean time...


Neo plans attacks against the rest of the zoo members...

You'd think he would do something productive, like unload and load my dishwasher.

And Wes sleeps...

Wes goes back in the morning for a recheck.  He will probably have more x-rays done and maybe the CT of his lungs.  Thanks to all of you who have called and messaged checking on us.  We love our friends and family very much.

**Disclaimer:  Wes gave permission to post every one of these pictures.  Consent was given on May 19th, 2011 at 3:00 pm.  Topher and Bella are my witnesses.  Must post this so that these pictures don't come back and bite me in the butt later.**

Our crazy lives

Wes started feeling pretty yucky on Monday.  He gradually got worse and worse with abdominal pain and fever.  He started running a fever on Tuesday.  We had to take him to the ER Tuesday night.  He had a 102.7 fever with bad abdominal pain.  The doctor was convinced he had an infected gallbladder.  She thought he would be going to surgery and being admitted once all his tests were done.  Come to find out, that's not what it was at all.  She thinks his gallbladder is malfunctioning, but he has no stones.  He has a nodule on his lung, which I am really worried about, as is his primary care doctor.  He has a kidney stone.  All his labs came back normal.  We are waiting for his blood culture to come back.  The doctors are baffled as to where the infection is at.  He is still running a fever, but we've kept it down with Tylenol and Motrin.

With all this extra craziness added to our lives, the doggies are doing really well.  Topher and Tanker came with us to the ER.  Tanker needs medicine for his epilepsy at 9:30 at night and 5:30 in the morning.  I packed all of it up and brought them with.   The puppies stayed in a large crate at home.  They  had enough room to move around and play.  When I found out that Wes would probably be admitted, I sent out an e-mail to two of our good therapy dog friends and within minutes people were ready to come take care of dogs.  (This whole ordeal is made more complicated with the burden of me not being able to drive anymore.)  Thank you, Kris and Kelly, for being amazing ladies that I can count on.  Your friendship means more to me than you will ever know.

Topher and Tanker did fine in the car.  I went out and walked them when Wes was back for tests.  Tanker did not care for all the "flooding" we've had.  The grass was very wet with standing water.  Dogs should not have to swim through the grass to go potty!  I enjoyed having them there with me for my therapy as I worried about Wes.

The purpose of this post was really to post a couple of funny pictures.  I don't like to air out our troubles, but I am really worried about Wes and my way of de-stressing is to write.  I love to write!  Wes is my entire life and I couldn't imagine my life without him.  He has been my world since the day I met him.  I want everything to be perfect for him all the time.

On a brighter note, here are pictures of the puppies doing what they do best:



See the mess that we have made in the living room?  Making messes is sooooo much fun, but also so much work.  Time to sleep.



Bella and Tanker chewing on rawhide bones.  Shiloh is watching.  I am lucky they all get along so well.

Topher is sticking his tongue out at the puppies after reclaiming his spot on the couch.



Overview of week in pictures

Since Blogger was down some last week, some of my blogs were lost, and then our internet went out, I am just going to post a bunch of pictures with descriptions that I took.  With two puppies in the house, I don't have the time or patience to write out individual blogs for everything.  That was my intention and I even took notes so that I could catch up.  I love to write, and I have been stressing over not writing about some of our adventures.  

One adventure I wanted to write about was about Bella digging holes and baths.  One afternoon, we went ouside to read and take a break.  I wasn't paying attention to the puppies.  Tanker's medicine alarm went off at 5:30 and everybody came running except for Bella.  I called her and called her.  Finally, she came running up the stairs covered in mud.  I made everybody wait outside and I brought Tanker's meds out.  I then picked up Bella and carried her straight upstairs into the shower.  I found Shiloh and decided to bathe her at the same time.

We live in America.  We live in a pretty lenient country when it comes to punishments.  However, on bath day, I felt like we were living in a third world country where executions are witnessed by other people .  We have a stand alone shower with glass walls.  It sits next to a big garden tub.  While bathing the puppies, I looked up to find the rest of the zoo crew gathered around to watch.  Sweet Pea and Little Bit were sitting on the tub.  Topher was sitting outside the shower door.  Tanker was laying on the tile.  I felt like the village people had come to watch the execution of Bella for the crime of trying to escape to China through the backyard. 

Even worse, me, the president of this third world zoo, took pictures of the punished and am publishing them on the internet.  What kind of cruel home do we live in?






Would you look at me?  I am pitiful.  Don't you think that was cruel and unusual punishment for digging holes?  People think that the Foster Farm is a great place to live, but seriously, they are strict here.

I was punished too!!  I am only related to the offender!  I did not dig holes, yet I was punished with a bath too!  Ok, fine, I watched and did not report the crime. 

Please behave yourself, Bella.  I hate it when people get in trouble.  I don't like conflict.  Why can't we all just be friends?  You're digging holes.  Neo is terrorizing the house.  So much instability in this home.  Maybe if I sing the Barney song then everybody will be good.  I love you, you love me, we're a happy family...

Bella!!!  Please stop counter surfing!!!  You are going to get us in trouble again!  I don't want another bath!

There you have it, folks.  We take property crimes seriously here.  Dig holes and you are getting a bath.  No questions asked.

Define "mess."  What do you mean we made a mess?  Please tell me we're not getting another bath.

Enough about puppies getting in trouble.  Let me tell you the progress they've made.  They know sit and are proficient at it.  They know it by command and by hand signals.  They now know that they have to do something before getting rewarded.  They must sit before getting their food.  They must sit before going outside.  They must sit before getting turkey when Tanker gets his medicine.

Potty training is going well.  They get it 85% of the time.  We have been taking them out about every hour, after they eat, and after naps.  They go potty when they are outside, but haven't completely figured out they need to go outside to go potty.  They have had a few accidents, but overall, we are pleased with their progress.

Puppies need supervision all the time.  The downstairs has now been blocked off to only allow them in the family room and kitchen. 

This is puppy prison.  See the mess?  That's why they are in prison.

I hardly ever talk about the cats.  The cats are an integral part of puppy training.  We have had Sweet Pea for almost nine years.  We have had Little Bit for six.  They are used to us bringing other cats and dogs into the house.  We've had fosters, strays, neighbor's dogs when they went out of town, etc.  Overall, they are pretty dog friendly cats.  They have their boundries though and are not afraid to smack a dog across the face when it acts up.  Yes, they are declawed.

 Little Bit waiting for the dogs to come back inside.  Please ignore my filthy door.  Lots of puppy nose prints.  Cleaning doors and windows have not been a priority lately.

Back off, puppies.  I am not afraid to smack you!

Topher is very in tune with me.  Australian Cattle Dogs are keen listeners.  They are bred to herd cattle and work very closely with their handlers.  Topher can read me like a book sometimes and he looks to me for direction.  I have never had such a sensitive dog in my life.  Lately, he has been noticing that I have been getting frustrated with the puppies.  Wes and I are both tired from all the volunteering we've been doing and raising two puppies.  Topher senses that and he has started to keep the puppies in line for me.  He has never herded cattle before to my knowledge.  Before getting puppies, I didn't think he even knew he was a cattle dog.  Now, when I call out Bella and Shiloh's names to quit doing something, Topher will run over to them, circle them, and herd them back inside.  He now keeps his eyes on them to make sure they are behaving.

Laying under the bay window and intently watching the puppies, ready to jump up any moment that they mess up.  He is such a cattle dog!



Life is not always serious.  We have fun too!  Being a dog is all about having fun!  We have been...

Chewing bones...

Taking naps...

Going for rides...

And going for walks...

To top it off, we got our new roof and gutters installed...

In addition to all that fun and excitement, Topher and Tanker volunteered at the Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon, volunteered at Snowden, and the puppies got shots.  Life cannot get any more exciting than that!

12-Week Check-Up and Shots for Puppies

Yesterday, we took Bella and Shiloh to get their 12-week update and shots.  I am proud to report that they did EXCELLENT!  We carried them into the vet as to not expose them to any sick doggy germs.  I have been diligent in keeping them away from sick dogs since they are not yet fully vaccinated. 

It was neat to see their different personalities come out at the vet.  It was thunderstorming, but neither of them cared.  Neither cared much about the many dogs and cats in the room.  Neither barked, neither growled.  I suppose it made a difference that we were carrying them as opposed to having them walk in on a leash.  Most of the other dogs in the room were pretty stressed.  Bella and Shiloh were the calmest!  Bella was a little more alert and aware of everything around her.  She squirmed around in Wes' arms a few times wanting to get down and check everything out.  Shiloh just slept in my lap.  Bella panted a couple of times when the other dogs were loud and stressed, but overall she was pretty calm.



Both Bella and Shiloh stood on the scale and were weighed.  Bella weighs 21.9 pounds.  Shiloh weighs 22.1 pounds.  They are growing up to be big girls! 
When called back into the examination room, Bella and Shiloh were still completely relaxed.  We had to wait a little while after being called back because they had a critical case come through that needed a lot of attention.  We didn't mind at all.  We were in no hurry.  Actually, they were very busy last night. 

Woodbridge Animal Hospital is a full veterinary hospital with an ER and several specialties.  It is where Blondie stayed when she had her heat stroke.  It is where Tanker was hospitalized when he had ten seizures in a row.  They took great care of Sweet Pea when she had her hepatic lipidosis, although Sweet Pea didn't stay there.  She had to be referred to a more advanced hospital in Springfield (South Paws) for ultrasound and NG tube placement. 

Once the vet came in to examine the puppies, they were so relaxed and comfortable that they didn't want to get up.  We had to pick them up and put them on their feet so the vet could examine them.  Then they layed right back down.  When it was time for the shots, Shiloh didn't even move.  Once the one injection was given, she lifted her head up when it burned.  That was all the reaction we got out of her.  Bella was a little more dramatic and she cried loudly when she got her shots.

We have to go back in a couple weeks for more shots.  The vet didn't want to give too much at once and overwhelm their systems.  Plus, they need one more booster.  Both puppies are being treated for hookworms.  Their litter mates had them and I know for certain that Shiloh does.  We have been picking up after them when they go outside, so the vet said that Topher and Tanker should be fine.  Plus, she said that the heartworm prevention they're on also protects them from other worms.  We may test Topher and Tanker in a few weeks just to make sure they don't get them, but the vet said we shouldn't have anything to worry about.



Everybody loved Shiloh and Bella.  How can you not love them?  They are so cute!  Vet visit #1 was a success!