What’s a perfect way to celebrate Labor Day?  By relaxing!  Have a fun and relaxing holiday!

You know how it goes when you get caught doing something you shouldn’t have done?  You have that guilty look, because the evidence is overwhelming that you committed an oops and you knew it was wrong, but you couldn’t help yourself and now you’re busted.  The oops look on your face is a dead giveaway.  Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to control that darn oops look?!

Wen took Sadie and me to the vet yesterday.  I needed a vet visit to have my bloodwork rechecked two weeks after I got so sick and spent two nights at the emergency hospital. Sadie thought she was just along for the ride, but surprise, she got a distemper vaccination.

After they drew my blood, Wen decided to wait for the results, so we hung out in an exam room until Dr. Nina returned with good news.  Everything looked fine and my bloodwork was normal!  Now we have to wait another two months to do a recheck ultrasound of my liver and gall bladder to compare with the ultrasound that was done at the emergency hospital.  Cross your fingers and paws that we’ll get good news then also!

 

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Much to our surprise, an email popped up yesterday from Up Country advertising their Up For Stardom photo contest for their 2024 catalog.  Whose picture was featured on the ad?  It was me, Riley!

Has it been a year already since we found out about the contest and Wen entered a photo of me?  It seems as if it was October when we were notified that my photo received the most votes and I had won the contest.  Then Wen had to find a pet photographer to do my photo shoot for this year’s catalog, which we ended up doing up on Lookout Mountain on a frigid December day with Kris Phillips of Furever Friends Pet Photography.

The catalog with my pictures finally came out last March and they used one of the catalog photos to advertise this year’s photo contest yesterday in Up Country’s email.  What a nice surprise to open their email and see me!  The entire process was a memorable experience, thanks to all the wonderful people who voted for me and we are grateful and proud to have participated!

The Colorado Pet Pantry held its annual Raise the Woof! fundraiser on Saturday night at the X Denver rooftop.  There was live music, food and drinks, and live and silent auctions to benefit Colorado pets in need.

Since I earned the most votes for Week 4 of the Pet Pantry’s Colorado’s Next Top Pet Model 2024 calendar contest, one of my prizes was two tickets to the fundraiser, so Wen took a friend to the event and they really enjoyed the party and seeing the rooftop deck with its multi levels, swimming pools, and great views.   The party was the icing on the cake for those of us who participated in the calendar contest and raised money for such a good cause.  Hopefully, the fundraiser ticket sales and auction donations will help lots of Colorado families in need to be able to feed their pets!

 

 

 

 

🎼 Private eyes are watching you.  They see your every move….

It’s been a week since Wen took me to the emergency hospital and although I have recovered well, a sudden health crisis makes both humans and dogs appreciate each other even more.

People love their Scotties and Scotties love their people.  As Wen likes to say, “Every day with your Scottie is a gift!”

After my hospital stay, I’m doing better every day.  My temperature is back down to normal and my appetite is back with a vengeance.  Then, early this morning, I threw up a four inch hairball with pieces of mulch in it and now I really feel better!  Wen has always said that if we Scotties weren’t part goat, we wouldn’t have nearly as many issues. Once again, I seemed to have proved her right, but I had to get rid of that thing!

Now that I am home from the hospital and improving every day, things are starting to get back to normal.  One way you can tell is because I am once again doing one of my favorite things:  relaxing on the couch and using Sadie as a pillow!

Well, it’s been a strange and totally unexpected 48 hours.  Two nights ago, we Scotties were lounging on the couch after our dinner and we ended up snoozing while Wen watched TV and answered emails on her iPad.  Later on, when it was time for us to go outside before going to bed, I felt weird and I didn’t move, so Wen picked me up and took me outside with my sisters.  They did their business while I stood like a statue.

Wen knew that something was wrong, so she carried me inside and checked my neck and back for any pain and I wasn’t painful.  She flipped my feet over to see if I could place them and then looked at my eyes and my gums and my mucous membranes were nice and pink and there were no signs of jaundice.  Then she took my temperature and it was very high:  104.8, which really concerned Wen and she called our vet who made recommendations, but the more they talked, it became apparent that I needed to go to an emergency hospital.  I wouldn’t even show any interest in my favorite treats, which was a big red flag.

Wen put me in the car and off we went to the ER, where they gave me a thorough exam and other than my fever, which was now 105  and reluctance to move, nothing specific was diagnosed, so they recommended bloodwork and x-rays.

Wen sat in the lobby while they drew my blood and took films of my whole body and then the doctor told her that my bloodwork was normal, except for elevated liver values and the x-rays didn’t show anything concerning.  I was admitted to the hospital, where I was given IV fluids and antibiotics to lower my temperature and treat a liver infection.  After saying good-bye, Wen left for the night and they continued my treatment until the next afternoon, when they did an ultrasound of my abdomen.  The doctor called Wen to tell her that my liver and gallbladder had inflammation and she recommended that I stay another night at the hospital for more treatment, although Wen was encouraged to come and visit me, especially since I still wasn’t eating.

By the time that Wen arrived to see me though, they had offered me food and I ate ravenously, so that was good news.  We had a little visit in an exam room and Wen was very encouraging, but then she left and they took me back for more treatment.

Fortunately, I looked and felt much better in the morning, so they contacted Wen and told her that I could be released and go home on antibiotics.  She came and picked me up and took me home, where Molly and Sadie were happy to see me after 48 hours.

All in all, it was probably the scariest 48 hours of my life, not feeling well and having to spend two nights in the hospital, but I guess it was all worth it to figure out what was wrong with me and make me feel better.  The staff at the ER told Wen that I was really sweet and very cooperative for them.  It was partially because I didn’t feel well, but mostly because I am a good boy!  And now this good boy is grateful to feel more like myself and be back home where I belong!