Otis's Photos – Otis and Tess

I have held off on washing this window – those are Otis’ and Tess’ nose prints.  It was their favorite place to look out.  Gator, for some reason, never looks out this window.  But, it’s window washing time.  😔  Some things really do not need to be saved.

This, by the way, was one of the first days Otis started acting ‘normal’ after his amputation.  I was so happy to see him taking an interest in his normal doggie duties.

Just got back from the vet, with one new lipoma (the size of a peach as per the vet) and a second lump on his muzzle that turned out to be an infection, likely from sticking his nose into places where small critters live.  Perhaps into small critters themselves.  I think you all know where my mind had been going – once a cancer dog mom, always a cancer dog mom.  So happy to walk out of the vet with my little bottle of antibiotics!

I was going through old photos on my work IPad and came across these – still very bittersweet.

I miss all of you, and wish I could be of help to all of the new members joining.  Still just really hard to visit the site, but I am loving the Tripawds calendar!

Just wanted to give a quick update on Mr. Gator.   He loves the snow, and still loves chasing critters.   He will sit, as still as a statue, waiting for a squirrel to come too close.  Fortunately, they never do.  But, possums really do play dead quite effectively.

My bed is his safe place, and where you will find him much of the time.  His first dental revealed that many of his teeth are worn in such as way that it is likely he spent much of his life in a cage.  He continues to be terrified of abandonment – I have kind of given up on trying to change that and am focused more on just minimizing situations that trigger his fear.  And, he still suffers from skin allergies, which get worse when he is under stress.  Even more reason to just stay in bed!

We never found the ideal companion – he seems to have bonded with Enzo the cat, which is good because Enzo missed the dogs horribly.

Gator’s foot is on Enzo, and neither care a bit.

Very hard to get out of bed and go to work some days!