Tastes just like home

Nice to be back.

Jesus was a Cat Person

A belated Christmas comic, thanks to my good friend Tigre.

Even though Tigre is a cat, her's is one of the best blogs ever. In fact, Tigre's blog inspired Sophie's blog, so I demand you all go there NOW and leave hordes of comments. Just pretend Tigre is a dog. She can't help that she poops in a box.

Sophie's Check-up

Sophie went back to the vet yesterday for more bloodwork, so we can see where her live enzyme levels are at. We are still waiting for the results, but Kate, the other vet at Auntie Judy's clinic thought she looked really good.



While there, she met this cutie pie. His name is Jackson and he belongs to one of the guys in the band The Stills. Those would be his legs, for anyone who is a die-hard fan.



These two BTs were also there. They are brothers (actual brothers) and wouldn't you know it -- they are straining on their leash to get at Sophie's derriere. If you look into the distance, you can see their dad sniffing the bags of food.



Sophie watches as her blood is taken away to the lab by the courier guy. I imagine she is wondering if she will ever get it back.



RESULTS JUST IN!!!!
Her level enzyme numbers are good. They are still considerably higher than normal, but both numbers have dropped by at least a half. They were both in the 1800 range and now they are 980 and 418. I'd love them to be back in the 95 to 145 range, but hopefully, with time, they will be. Woosh! We'll run the blood work again in a week or two.

Sophie and Ethel know something the rest of us don't.

Always elevate the bum,
everly so slightly.

Tennis Balls

Nothing conclusive. I did read something that said if there is lead used in the colouring of the felt, it would be so minimal that it would not make a difference.

Sophie needs them.
What's a dog to do without a tennis ball?

Woah!

Freda told me that someone else told her about lead paint in dog toys.

Maybe even tennis balls!

N00000000000000000000000!



I haven't listened to this yet. But it might shed some light.
Things aren't looking so good for anything made out of anything.

Quick Update

Sophie is doing really, really well. You would never know she was sick. The anti-Bs and insanely expensive Hepato-Support vitamins seem to be taking care of any inflammation. She is going to see Auntie Judy tomorrow. Judy will run more bloodwork and I'm hoping it will be completely normal, but it's hard to say. Labbies like Sophie are pretty stoic beasts and don't go out of their way to show pain or discomfort. Hopefully, we will know more tomorrow or Friday.

An UPdate on the UPdate on the UPdate

Things are looking UP, but not in the UPchuck sort of way. We still have no idea what is at the root of her liver issues, but Sophie is doing great, eating well, behaving normally (more or less), and thinking about having a martini.
Bottoms UP!

Speaking of which, Sophie is on a new med called wallybumoxicillin. It seems to be making a huge difference. HUGE!!!



For more UP to the minute UPdates, check the Twitters on the side.

An Update on the Update

So this is where things get a little technical. Only a little, because I don't really understand this stuff. Hey, I'm a social scientist, not a medical one, so this is very much the lay take on things.

First, Sophie had a great night. She went through her usual giving love for scratches routine this morning (the only time she is ever affectionate) and had plenty of rolls in the snow on her morning walk.

Second, She has stopped drinking an insane amount of water and has a good appetite. She loves her mushy food and eats up all her anti-Bs and liver supplements without a second thought. There is still no indication of jaundice in her eyes or gums. This is all excellent news.

This is the technical bit. We got the results of her liver enzyme tests. The normal range is somewhere between 95 and 145. Sophie's are somewhere around 1825. To me, this says she should not be standing or even living, but the vets assure me, she is still doing both.

To the vets, it means this:
When her blood was drawn, she was either in a flare-up or she was in acute liver failure. The latter is acutely terrifying, but not likely since she is behaving so normally, is still standing and alive, and has a good appetite.

So, it is more likely that she was in a flare-up, which means that her liver was/is probably inflamed. Judy, her vet, said that the first day of vomiting, Sophie's levels could have been in the 3000 range. Given the circumstances over the past few of days, it seems likely that she was on her way back down, rather than at the high point of her flare-up.

The Anti-B's (Amoxicillin and Metronidazole, for you medical junkies out there) and the Hepato Support should bring the inflamation down.
We also are having her blood tested today for Leptosporosis and Pancreatitis. She's vaccinated for Lepto, but there is still a small chance she could have contracted it. Neither of these are likely, but at least we can rule them out.

The plan of action is to monitor the beast and at the first sign of anything, rush her to emerg. If all goes well, she will go back in to see Judy after the holidays, for another round of blood work to see where things are at. Hopefully, it will be the latter.

In the meantime, thank you everyone for your kind words and support. Sophie has been deluged by the smooches I have been passing on from around the globe, and despite being annoyed by the attention (which is also normal for Sophie and a good sign), she seems to be doing okay.

Paws crossed!

Sophie Update
aka The Only Reasonable Conclusion

Well, the good news is, Sophie doesn't have the flu.
The bad news is, I wish she did.

Sophie has a very big problem with her liver. I'd love to be more specific, but it's all a bit complex and just a little confusing. We are still waiting for some test results to come back, and I have completely cut off the beast's access to the liquor cabinet.

Okay, that last bit was a joke. She gets all the vodka she wants!

But seriously folks .... my vet, who is also a friend and I trust her beyond measure, is fairly certain that Sophie has Cholangiohepatitis. She is also worried that she may have a gull bladder issue, but can't say for certain until more tests are conducted.

Sophie's liver enzymes are off the charts. She will probably be sent for an ultrasound tomorrow and she may spend the holidays on an I.V. Needless to say, I will not be spending the holidays in NYC.

The other good news is that Sophie appears to have no idea there is a problem and given the chance to roach in the snow, she roaches. She also still has an apetite, so that's a good sign too.

Last year, just days before Christmas, Sophie had surgery for a torn cruciate ligament. This year, it's her liver. The only reasonable conclusion I can draw from this is that Sophie hates Christmas.

Sophie has the flu.

I think.

She's going to the vet tomorrow to find out for sure.


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Meet Norman Bates

Sophie plans to pick him up the minute she does.

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Although Norm appears quite distinguished in this photo, don't be fooled. He is a crazy, insane, completely whacked-out kitty cat who likes to take running leaps at the wall for no clear or present reason. He is also incredibly snuggly. Sophie will likely never meet him face-to-face, but she smells him on me every time I come home from his house. Yes, that's right. I am having an affair.

It's my birthday today, and to ring in the joyous event, Sophie woke me at 4:30 a.m., sick as a dog. Better than sick as a horse, I suppose, and easier to clean up. She seems fine now, but its 6:30 a.m. and I'm exhausted and ready for a nap.

I don't put much stock in horrorscopes, but while sitting vigil with the beast to make sure everything that needed to come out of her, did, I decided to put myself in her paws and see what my horrorscope would be, if I were a dog.

Assertive, and active you need challenges to keep you busy. Relaxing and slowing down are not in your vocabulary. You need lots of space or lots of exercise. Companionship is very important to you. Loyal and dedicated you need to feel loved. Your inner self reveals a sadness that others may miss if they are not paying attention. This comes from loneliness. You seek peace and harmony and have a favorite hiding place. Proud and charming, you find it hard to believe the world does not revolve around you. Look to those born in May, June, August, September and November for extra attention. Good luck and changing circumstances are in your future!

A favourite hiding place? I wonder if I can fit inside Sophie's box.

32 cm = 1 foot
Good thing she rested up.

Snowstorm on it's way.

Dog and toys are ...

....preparing for action.

Random Fact 3 1/2

Sophie is car stupid.

That's right, the beast has never figured out that cars are, on average, 3000 lbs. a pop and the she, on average, is 68. It doesn't take a genius to do the math on that one, but then Sophie is no genius. She's a dog, and her preoccupations typically fall to the realm of raw bones and cat poop, not velocity and impact ratios.

What does this have to do with that, up there? Well, that is the reason this is a 3 1/2 random fact. Three and a half, because this post will largely fall to the realm of me bitching about Montreal drivers.

That, up there, is Parc Laurier, just part of the world that Sophie rules. It is a car free zone, and as well it should be. It is a public park. But today, it was a free for all. Today, along the linear stretch of grass to the left of the left hand baseball diamond, Sophie very nearly died.

In the winter, that left hand baseball diamond is used as a skating rink, and a makeshift roadway for rink maintenance is cleared through the snow from the street. Today, as Sophie and I were walking through the park, a stupid driver in his stupid, stupid car flew full speed across the linear stretch of grass and came to a sliding icy halt beside the outdoor rink. He came so close to hitting Sophie as he flew down the makeshift roadway that I could see her fur ruffle. I'm talking millimetres!!! from my beloved beast.

Despite the fact that Sophie is car stupid, this had nothing whatsoever to do with her car stupidity. It had to do with the driver's stupidity. Sophie was not gallivanting about, nor was she standing on the makeshift roadway. She was, in fact, just off the roadway, on her leash, at my side. F%#$@ing jerk!

I was mad as hell and I wasn't going to take it!

I stomped my way through the snow toward the rink and the stupid driver and I yelled at him as loud as I could that he is in a park and that he almost killed my dog. Expecting an argument that in this town, typically begins with an order to speak in French (as if killing my dog is somehow secondary to the language issue), I was raring to go. Bring it on!!!! But the stupid driver simply said, "Oui, Madame, you are right."

Damn it! I wanted to tear a strip off that guy. When your dog comes so close to being shmucked under the wheels of a car in the middle of a fricking park, I can't tell you the height to which your anxiety level rises. I just hope this guy wasn't patronizing me. I hope he knows how close he came to killing Sophie.

And had he killed Sophie, I think I would have killed him back.

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Random Fact #3

Sophie keeps her teeth shiny white by indulging in a nice, greasy turkey neck every two or three days. In the early days, I used to heave them from a cookie sheet into the backyard, but now I am a seasoned turkey neck handler and actually serve this thing to the beast, complete with filtered water and linens. Oh my god!

And speaking of God,

While searching the internet for photos of turkey necks, I came across numerous interesting representations, but none quite so perplexing as the "Virgin Turkey," pictured above. I don't think this one requires any further comment. At least, not from me.

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Random Fact #2

Even though she is 8 1/2 years old, Sophie's teeth are as white as a puppy's and she has not a spot of plague on her gums.

*

She also likes to chew on Cha Cha's head.

That's a bonus fact.

Our friend Amanda just released her new video.

She totally rocks!
And she loves dogs too.

Random Fact #1

The older Sophie gets, the more pronounced the waves down her back become.

This is what she got from Chesapeake Bay Retrieving papa, along with her aloof yet genteel personality.

On a recent walk, Sophie spotted Santa.

This inspired in her, a creative moment, and she felt the need to express herself artistically with the chubby little man.

That is, until the woman who lives there came home and wanted to use her doorstep for other purposes.


The life of an artist is hard.


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CORRECTION: That should read 31.6 cm of snow, NOT 13.6. Yeesh.

Cats are definitely a growing problem for beasts like Sophie. Thats why things like this make her smile.











Update: This cat's name is Chicken. Ironically, one of Sophie's most frequently used nicknames. hmmmmm. Weird, don't you think? A cat conspiracy, perhaps.

Yup, we got some snow. 13.6 centimetres, to be sort of exact. That's about a foot or so to those of you still using the imperial system.

That big lump in the background is a car.

The lump below is a car too, but at least you can tell what colour this one is.

*****

But can you tell what this is?

Here's a hint.

This is nothing short of heaven for the beastie girl.

Wondering what she's digging for?

It's Sophie's favourite orange kitty!

She found it one day on a walk. It looked like it had been abandoned during a rain storm. She rescued the poor thing and it's remained dear to her heart ever since.

Sunday morning TAILS of woe

Remember Cha Cha?
Cha Cha is Sophie's best friend in the whole world. She loves Cha Cha like a sista.




Cha Cha's mom called this morning to say that Cha Cha broke her tail.



As you can well imagine. Sophie was beside herself. She insisted that she be beside Cha Cha as well, so we headed straight over.



She got straight to work, giving Cha Cha some of her super healing, Sophie sista loving.

Cha Cha is feeling much better already.

Note: These pictures were take much earlier. Cha Cha's tail is currently not flying quite so high, but she is recovering quite well. She even felt well enough to have a little play with Sophie, but she doesn't really want to sit down.