Aniak ("Annie") 1993 - 2009

Sadly, we lost another pet today. Two humans, three dogs, and a cat is now two humans & two dogs with the passing of Annie Kitty today and Chloe in January. I will retain the blog name in their memory. Here is my favorite photo of the two together.

Annie was in her prime in this one and Chloe was very young. In fact, I believe this was during her first week with us. Annie had been with us about a year and was two years old. They were good buddies, at first. But even sweet Annie couldn't tolerate the puppy grabbing her by the ear and spinning her around on the linoleum floor.

Dear Annie, we will miss you. Your sweetestness will remain forever in our hearts. Mama & Papa

My Candlelighting In Memory Of Chloe

I assembled some of Chloe's things since I do not have her ashes back yet. The online candle ceremony was nice. I appreciate the warm thoughts from everyone who was able to light a candle tonight. Hopefully Chloe is reuniting with her favorite kitty Tally and meeting my old pals Mooney, Kitty, Spencer, Nermal, and Yawnie. Oh, and my childhood dog Micky.

On the table is a pink party dress I bought for a function. She looked adorable in it. Her denim & leather fringe coat with Svorsky crystal butterfly that I made for her. Eddie & Daisey have coordinating ones as well. There is also the plaid wool coat made from wool that my Dad brought me back from Ireland. Daisey & Ed also have matching coats. The sinple Halloween costume that I jazzed up to make her devil dog, her leash and harness, and a Christmas and Halloween fancy collar. I know it seems a bit much but she was so cute dressed up.

Monday Night Candle Ceremony for Chloe

Please light a candle tonight at 10pm ET in memory of my little Chloe who crossed the Rainbow Bridge last Tuesday, January 27th. Since 1993, there has been an online group lighting candles on Monday evenings in memories of loved pets who have died. For more information, go here.

You can go online in a chat format here or perform the candle lighting privately. I've lit one candle already and will place and lite a candle on either side of my big candle at 10pm since the tradition is to light 3; however, if one candle is all you have available, that's OK too. Thank you to everyone who participates. I would love to read a comment that you participated in honor of my little girl.

I'm Alive And Well

Thank you all for your kind comments and telephone calls regarding the loss of little Chloe. I appreciate your support and words of encouragement. I'm getting past the "what ifs", regrets, and grief of losing a pal of 14 years.

Today I went shopping for our Superbowl party - a party that include me, Jerry, and my mom, LOL. Jerr works on Sundays but should be off in plenty of time for the game to start. Each year we load up on wings, fried mushroom, and other foods one would find at the local bar eatery Mugs & Jugs (kinda like Hooters but with a bigger fried selection). This year we are going a bit healthier. I went to Costco and bought a small tray of dim sum, which I will steam tomorrow, a plate of shrimp salad, and two large rotisserie chicken roll ups. Not traditional tail gate food but I also won't suffer Sunday night with acid reflux. Oh no! I just realized that the game might overlap the one of the only two television shows I watch - Big Love.

And yes, even though we live in the Tampa Bay area, we will be watching the game on TV. I'm not going anywhere near the city of Tampa this weekend. Two years ago Jerr, my Dad & I went to Orlando to attend the Capitol One Bowl (used to be called the Citrus Bowl) and it took about two hours to get through Tampa because the Outback Bowl was being played at Raymond James Stadium. We must have seen a thousand cars decked out with Tenessee Titan or Penn State flags, stickers, etc. By the time we were near Orlando all of that had changed to Arkansas or Wisconsin paraphernalia - we sported Razorback flags of course!

Oh, and you have to check back tomorrow for Green thumb Sunday. I have orchids blooming! One of them is quite unusual but you will have to wait until tomorrow to see it, LOL.

Chloe 1994 - 2009

Sadly, tonight we are "Two Humans, Two Dogs, and a Cat".

Chloe Update

It's such a beautiful day today I am almost hesitant to mention it. With all the bad weather other people have had I feel a bit guilty. I'm sitting on the screen porch in my bare feet, a tee shirt, and sweat pants sipping a Coke Zero listening to classical music on NPR "playing" on my laptop. I don't know what the temperature is but it is absolutely perfect.

Here's a photo of little Chloe. She's well enough now to where she wants to be where I am and even well enough to make that desire known. She BARKS and BARKS until I move her. Luckily we have dog beds in everyroom of the house and even outside. Here she is on the screen porch soaking in some rays. What I've read about Vistibular Syndrome says to expose her to bright light. She's actually in dappled light so maybe she'll turn into an orchid! LOL

*update* I checked the temperature and it is 74. Perfect for being lazy on the porch. Also, in case anyone is thinking I am looney for having plants that unable to live outside in the winter, most of the orchids would do just fine in the screen porch during the very few cold days we have here in central Florida. In fact, many are native orchids. The problem is I don't remember which ones are the tender ones and most labels are long lost so I just bring them all in.

Flea Battle, Chapter 2

Today I went through their fur and found no fleas on either dog. That was a great feeling, especially after I got 2 off Eddie and 4 off Daisey last night! Next I bathed Eddie in flea soap. I scrubbed it in with my fingernails for 5 minutes and then gently rubbed him for another 5 so that the stuff could stay on him for 10 minutes (direction said let it sit for 5 minutes). Then I used the WaterPik handheld to rinse and then turned it on the massage setting so that it would part the fur and I could see his skin. I found nothing on Eddie. Yippee!

Next I did Daisey. I got three dead ones of her due to the shampooing but the WAterPok massage showed nothing. Great! Or at least I thought......I wrapped her in a towel and held her for a while before I went to towel dry her. When I lifted the towel there was a LIVE flea on her back. Ugh. So I used a comb on them both and raked and raked but found nothing. Cross your fingers it's over.

I moved my orchids back outside today. What a big job that is. I chased a few lizards out of the house as a result of the orchid hotel. They didn't look well. Hopefully they will spring back to life after a nice meal outside. Hey! I wonder if lizards eat fleas! Tomorrow I will post photos of all the little flower buds I saw when moving my plants. I am thinking that in about a month I will have lots of flowers :)

Chloe is feeling good enough now where she wants to be in the same room as me at all times. I took her out to the screen porch today and when I went in for a phone call she actually got herself back into the house. That meant she somehow got herself up about a 6 inch step. I missed it so I have no idea how she did it. She made it across the tile kitchen floor but was stopped by the wood floor in the dining area.

Chloe Update

Chloe is improving but admittedly it is a slow process and she may never be "normal" again.

She's eating & drinking with little help, which is good, and I do physical therapy with her twice a day. Her body still tends to bend to the left but no longer in a full-blown C position. She also cannot stand up on her back legs. With the help of a sling, I am able to lift and sustain her back end up so she can walk some. She's very wobbly even with the support of the sling. She walks best on concrete and the grass. The tile and wood in our house is difficult for her.

She does manage to get around on her towels covered dog bed quite well. I am using big, flat beds as opposed to those with sides that she can get stuck on or fall over. She is able to access a ramikin of water near her bed so that is good. Her digestive functions are working again if you know what I mean ;) Taping a diaper on her 3 times a day keeps everyone happy.

The jury is still out on her future. The emergency vet and everyting I have read about VS says the recovery period is three weeks. Several articles mentioned that people put dogs in this condition to sleep after their episode without knowing how far they might recover. I do not want to do that to Chloe; however, I am also aware from my experience with Mooney that I might have a hard time acknowledging when quality of life is not "good enough".

Doggie Updates

Noodles the rat terrier is still missing; however, the local newspaper ran a great article on her so hopefully that will get her home. Click here to see the article online.



Chloe had a miraculous, temporary, partial recovery while we were at the vet's office. She was alert, noisy, moved around, tried to walk, ate food, etc. Not the same that was sleeping with her head in runny poo the day before. Sorry for the graphic description but that is just how bad she's been. An online friend suggested they get an adrenalen rush at the vet so they do better there. The jury is still out on the quality of life debate but we are going to see how she's doing after hopefully taking nourishment for a week.



Eddie went to the vet today too. He's been scratching and biting his back end like a crazy person for about a week. He even had broken skin & scabs from all his "work". Turns out he had two fleas on him. I was shocked that a) that he had fleas when he is on Frontline Plus, and b) that two tiny little fleas could cause that much discomfort. Turns out when he gained weight I didn't switch him to the larher dosage - I just kept buying the same box. Second, vet said that a dog that is not used to having fleas on it could get that crazy about it.

Chloe got Liquids!

I called the E-Vet and they suggested using an oral syringe to get liquids in Chloe and it worked! I considered it before calling but was afraid I would choke or drown her. Silly me. She's still wobbly headed and can't stand up. The vet says when you are dizzy it feels like you are standing still and everything is whorling around you. With Chloe's condition it's like everything else is standing still and she is whorling around. I just can't imagine. Here's some photos from this morning:

The mystery bruise I found on her abdomen when I picked her up from the E-Vet yesterday. They hadn't noticed it until I brought it to their attention.

Resting. You can see the bruise in this photo too. Also you can see her right paw which they first used for IV/bloodwork.

Her face shows just how miserable she must feel. Hopefully the meds will get her back to normal. She just tried a couple little barks while I was uploading photos so that might be a good sign.

The other paw. They accidentally cut her a little while shaving it for IV fluids.

Finally the only way to get liquid down her. She's eating but not drinking. Someone suggested some chicken broth and I may try that. I did give one syringe of milk last night at my Dad's urging.

Chloe Update

All the dogs, including Chloe, are chewing the meat off the rib bones from Christmas dinner. She's doing a really good job considering she's a little short on teeth! What I haven't been able to do is get her to drink water. I am trying to figure out how to force it down her at this point. This dog normally loves water but she is not at all interested.

Chloe Home From Hospital

She's not the same dog but she is back. She still has a head tilt but the body bend is improved. She's got two shaved areas from blood draws & IVs. Plus, she has a large bruise on her tummy that no one can explain. She stinks! She's been peeing on herself. They said they tried to clean her up for me but I could smell her a foot away. Poor thing.

The important thing is to continue meds and to get her to eat & drink. I asked if they were able to feed her and they said only if they hand fed her baby food. She suggested the meat types as long as there is no onion or garlic in them. I didn't want to leave her in the car to run into the grocery store for baby food so I made due with what we had on hand - Christmas prime rib. Not only did she eat every bit I gave her and gave me those big brown eyes that said "more please", but it seemed to bring her out of her stupor. She seemed alert and was following me with her eyes.

I just went to check on her and she had peed on her big bed so I changed beds. She has a dressing on her leg because it didn't want to quit bleeding when they removed the line. In fact, they had to redo it while I was there because blood soaked through. Anyway, point is that I want to bath her but thinking I should wait a little longer. Maybe tonight or tomorrow. They said I could take hte bandage off in a couple hours. She's a mess but she is home.

Chloe Is In The Hospital

Chloe has had what appears to be a stroke. She's being hospitalized for today and tonight at the emergency vet. Will post more later.

*** 7:35 update: spoke to vet. says she is still in a "head to tail" position, can't stand, will soon be trying to get her to eat/drink. She's had IV fluids and they've done bloodwork. She is dehydrated, anemic, something with liver count, and has pancreatitis. This is all in addition to her stroke/seizure episode. I will call them after 6:0am tomorrow.

Found It!

I found the thing that plugs into the thing on my digital camera and then into the USB on my laptop. I have photos again - Yippee!

It's been getting cold on and off here in Florida and I ended up getting sweaters for my fur family. Here's Eddie both modeling a sweater that looks really good on him and acting as though he is not the person responsible for the destuffing of yet another toy (notice the fiber fill on floor and sofa).

Daisey's is a velour hoodie. Jerry took it off of her and set it on the piano. Later she was pacing around the piano & looking up. I picked it up and she jumped on the chaise lounge and danced around. I came near here with it and she extended her neck and closed her eyes. She likes to get dressed - she is a material girl!

Chloe the chi looks quite cute in her $2.50 sweater from the bargain bins at Target.

Final Post Tonight, I Promise

Last year Jerry brought home those fancy party collars for Halloween from his store. I've seen really expensive versions in pet boutiques for all occassions but frankly I believe these guys would be annoyed by all the stuff and fluff on those. These weren't too bulky. I bet they would prefer these over Halloween costumes!

Ed responding to the "down" command for an oatmeal treat.


This photo started out as Ed & Daisey then when I put Chloe up on the chaise Eddie jumped down. I took Chloe away and then Daisey jumped down as Ed jumped back up. It was a nightmare trying to get a group shot and I had to settle for the ratties - even though they are not sitting next to each other. I guess I could photoshop in the chihuahua, LOL.

Chloe kept getting in her bed and I kept dragging her out. she wanted nothing to do with the photoshoot.

Daisey's cute little underbite!

This pose is a volunteer pose they assumed when I turned y camera off. I grabbed it really quickly but Daisey had already stood up and was contemplating jumping down about 3 seconds later.

Chloe the Evil Chihuahua and Annie the Cat Dress Up for Halloween

Chloe, the evil chihuahua, dressed as herself (Devil Dawg) for Halloween

Annie the cat as a Hawaiian tourist - an unhappy tourist I would say by the puss on her face, LOL.

A Visit From Sarah

Sarah, Erica, and Lea came over this morning for a belated birthday. Lea is my cousin, Erica is Lea's daughter so my first cousin once removed, and that makes Erica's daughter Sarah my first cousin twice removed. Not second and third cousins as most people think.

Except for Chloe the evil chihuahua, the pets behaved beautifully. Eddie loved allt he petting and scratching. Daisey like the oportunity for red velvet cake crumbs.

Easter Sunday

Today we took MIL Marge to the Colonnade restaurant in Tampa for Easter dinner. This is probably Marge's favorite restaurant and I am all for it because it is primarily a seafood restaurant so there are lots of things on the menu I like. Plus, we all like the basket of mini muffins they put on each table:) Mom decided to stay home and rest this weekend because she will be working Mon - Sat next week. I am attaching photos of the inside and outside of the restaurant from their web site as well as a photo along Bayshore Blvd

We started with crab cakes as an appatizer. Their menu today had many additional items due to it being Easter. Which reminds me, we were expecting to wait but our timing was perfect. The first rush was ending and the second hadn't started yet. We even got a good parking space. Jerry & Marge ordered the leg of lamb dinner and I had scallops. The view is fabulous! Even leaving the restaurant it is gorgeous because of all the beautiful homes on Bayshore Blvd. In fact, HGTV has featured homes from that neighborhood on different shows. It's fabulous ata Christmas time.

Chloe seems to be improving. Ed is very playful like he has spring fever which is probably due to the awakening of hundreds of lizards. Daisey is my sun goddess and will actually leave her pack just to sunbathe on perfect days like this. I am getting blood all over the keyboard as I type because Edward broke a candle holder and I cut myself cleaning it up. Jerry and I were trying to work on a project to install more hooks and PVC coated chain for hanging orchids in the screen porch. Some of the old hooks from 4 years ago have rusted and broke off causing orchids to crash - I already have Eddie for that! Turns out the Makita had no charge so I have a little break while it charges.

Florida squirells and Chloe home from hospital

Went to breakfast this morning and then picked up Chloe from the vet. Chloe came walking in on her own and seeming much better - still off from normal self but much better. No more hung head and wild stare into nowhere. She actually seemed to notice things around her even though she didn't bark at the other dogs or people (yet).

They took four x-rays so I could see her enlarged heart. Is the size of tangerine but should be smaller than a ping pong ball. The x-rays confirmed what I have always thought - she has a collapsed trachia. She came to us with that & bad knees and, of course, her bad attitude that apparently there is no medication to cure.

Life is going to change around here on Monday. Vet says ok to let her still snack from the open food bowl over the weekend but by Monday try to have her eating mostly her new perscription dog food. She has 3 meds. I'm gonna have to get up an extra 15 minutes early each morning!

Anyway, we are home now and she is/was snoozing on my lap until a squirell attempted to get sunflower seeds from the bird feeder near the window and she actually barked! That is probably the first time in two week. Sure sign she has improved. Had to chase Daisey down to the end of the street. Was taking Eddie out for a closer view of the squirell when she got through the gate and ran off on me. Whew - she is in much better shape than me, plus she has 4 wheel drive!

Vickie

Friday

Went to dinner with Mom tonight but not exactly girls night out but more on that later. Need to catch up on Chloe. She spent the day and is spending tonight at Vet. They heard somehting in her lung or heart so she had an xray and turns out her heart is quite enlarged. She is now going to have to take meds for heart, arthritis, and her infection. Add to that perscription dog food. This will be the end of free feeding in our house - hopefully will help Eddie with weight loss as well.

Dinner tonight was fun and different. Instead of going into a restaurant we picked up dinner at a Philly Cheesteak drive up (yummy) so that we could dine al fresco with the rat terriers. We ate at a covered picnic bench in the park then went into the fenced dog area where Daisey and Eddie could run and play off leash. Another fellow there was telling us that his dog killed a wild rabbit in the park one time. A rabbit in the park would make Eddie's year!

We can't call it girl's night out because Eddie was with us! Oh, the photos are my sick Chloe in her western wear along with photos of D & E in thiers. I made these denim coats a couple years ago.

Vickie