Bootsie Update

ABY BOOTSIE BEAR

(don't let that cuteness fool you, this little angel is TONKA TUFF)!

A HUGE HUGE THANK-YOU goes out to ALL who have been praying for my little girl!!! I cannot even begin to find words that adequately express my gratitude to you for such a caring and selfless act. In a world where the news floods our living rooms with images of war and unrest, sickness, and poverty..........I always try to remember that although these things do exist, there is also much GOOD to be found, and I have only to look toward people like you. that pray for a dog you've never met outside of an electronic journal. When I count my lucky stars, you are among the brightest for me. Thank you!!!                          

Bootsie has been making up for lost chow time the past 2 days, lol. Every 15 minutes or so she voices "the need for feed", lol! Anyone who has had a pet that lost an appetite from illness knows what a joy it is to watch them enjoying their meals again.  This little dog of mine thinks that I am the best darned cook the eating world has ever known, lol.

Today will br the first day that I am not giving her any Amforal to prevent diarreah, and to be honest, I'm a bit nervous about it. Bootsie, for the most part, has been doing much better since seeing the vet on Monday, but there are moments here and there when I feel as though something isn't right.

One thing that I wish I could understand is this: Bootsie still will not jump up onto the sofa to sit with me, nor will she bound up the three porch steps when she comes in from the backyard, as she did before last Sunday. I cannot understand this......(if anyone has an opinion, please share it with me).  Last night, Bootsie clearly wanted to get onto the sofa to assume her customary place at my side. She had her front paws up on the sofa, and would lower her back legs and make a "little leap". This really only served to make her seem taller for a split second...never got her anywhere near her target though. She did this over and over and over again.

Now, like anyone else, Bootsie can get downright frustrated when things are not working out as they should. Take for example, the spot that Bootsie chooses to lay down for a nap. It has to be "just so". lol.  And if it isn't, she will fret over it until it is! Sometimes, this is not as easy thing! Bootsie will begin by sniffing, then she will do a bit of a circle dance around the spot as she surveys all that needs to be "worked on", then she goes about the business of scratching the site with her paws, as if she were a little chicken, lol. Most times, this solves the issue, and she plops happily down, pleased with the nest she's made. Then there are those days when Bootsie "can't get NO satisfaction" though she tries, and tries, and tries, lol! After awhile, she begins to growl with annoyance as she paws away at the spot.....scratch -growl -scratch- growl....Well, who could keep from laughing at such a thing!?!?!? I have to tell you, it's just not possible for me to keep a straight face when this goes on, lol. Needless to say, Bootsie will stop, look up at me, and give me "a look" as if to say, "Yeah? You think YOU can do any better??" Lol.

But back to the sofa....as I was saying, Bootsie hasn't been able to make it up here, try as she might. And hence we have another dilemma......you see, Bootsie is a dog with an independent spirit. She honestly takes pride in being as self-sufficient as possible. (I would wager a bet that she would use those words to justify her love for garbage scavenging forays....but we won't go there right now, lol).  When I try to give lil Bootsie a helping hand and end the struggle, she gets angry! Bootsie is a sweetheart of a dog, but when she feels you deserve a nip or a full fledged bite she'll be sure to reprimand you accordingly, lol. (Can't type that without adding that Bootsie is QUICK with an "I'm-so-sorry-I-love-you-i-love-you-i-love-you" apology, afterwards)!

I do have to pick Bootsie up and carry her outside......(she has a couple of discs in her lower back that are very close to each other, and since I learned of that, I have limited her jumping activity and her running as well. Jumping UP has never been a problem, just jumping down).

I have to walk over halfway toward the patio door and bend over and wait for her, and that's the only way she'll let me pick her up to put her on the sofa. lol. I feel like a quarterback waiting for the football (Bootsie) to get into my hands, lol. It workd for us, though, lol.

At any rate, there's this inability to jump up anymore, and Bootsie has not been acting like she wants to go outside at all, which is HIGHLY unlike her and VERY worrisome to me! She is such a happy dog outside, and this sudden change has me concerned. She seems to walk with a stiffer gait as well.

I am keeping a close watch over her, and will continue to let you all know how Bootsie is doing.

 

I had hoped to write much more, but I need to stop for now. Today is the 7 year anniversary of my dad's passing. (or it will be in less than an hour). I want to go and light a candle for  him now.

 

Thank you all again SO MUCH!!!

Please rememeber my Bootsie in your prayers today. I will be remembering you in mine and thanking God for you. 

                                        (((hugs)))

  This beautiful rendering of Bootsie was created for us by our dear friend, Jo, in England. (We LOVE U, Jo)!!

 

Update on Bootsie

Bootsie slept right beside me all night long, under the blanket, head on my pillow, lol.

Although she didn't exhibit any direct sickness, I still felt uneasy about her state. We missed the scheduled 10 am appointment with her vet, but I was able to reschedule it and bring her in at noon.

Here's the summary of where we are today:

We don't really know WHY Bootsie was so ill yesterday. It could just be because at Bootsie's age, she will have days where her body just doesn't behave as it should. Since we just had bloodwork done no more than 2 weeks ago, the vet thought it best that we just treat Bootsie symptomatically for now. I was given some Amforal, and just now I added 2.5ml of this to her food (chicken with rice, yummmm)! That will help settle her tummy down and return her stools to a more normal consistency. When they ARE normal again (about a day or two) I can stop giving her the Amforal.

Right now, Bootsie is laying on the floor in front of me, doing that unnerving "staring thing" that she does. Lol, I don't know why she does that, but every once in a while, she will just sit in front of me and STARE! Her eyes will start to droop, and sometimes she falls asleep like that......it's funny, but sure can be unnerving, too!

I am so glad and thankful that she is beginning to feel better, and I'm so hopeful that this will only be a fluke-kind of thing, and not indicative of a bigger problem!

Bootsie has a lot of friends online as well as off, and I am so thankful for all of you who care about my dog! I would be so lost without the support of our friends, all of whom understand how I feel when it comes to Bootsie! Thank you  for always being positive and never saying things like, "Well, Bootsie is old...." I appreciate that like you would not ever believe! And for all of the people who pray for Bootsie....I can't begin to tell you how powerful I believe the collective prayers of others are.....I strongly believe that it's because of those prayers that my Bootsie is still with me today, and has come through so many adversities! Our friend, Br. Adrian, has always been quick to pray for my Bootsie's intentions, and I am most grateful to him for that! Believe me, this past Thanksgiving, we had many, many blessings to count and be thankful for, and each of you were among the top of the list!

I will write more to update you all as soon as I can.

(((hugs)))

Paula & Bootsie

 

PS..You should've seen Bootsie this morning. She has a little pink fleece scarf, whipstitched on the sides with frayed ends and a Christmas tree embroidered on it, a matching fleece cap for her head-(which has a tassle above each ear), and little pink fleece mittens for her paws, lol! It's a whole winter ensemble! (She only wore the scarf to the vets, lol).

I bought her the cutest little coat a couple days ago....here's an exact pic of it:

Unfortunately, it's a size too big! She needed a small, and this is a medium. But it sure is cute!!! And it's warm too! Fleece lined, lol!

 

   

Animal Blessing Ceremony

Here are a couple of photos from the Animal Blessing Ceremony that Bootsie and I attended! I am SO GLAD that we were able to go to this!! Seems that we remember too late every year!

This was held at the United Methodist Church of Edmonds, WA.

In the first pic, you see Bootsie scampering up the hillside toward where all the other dogs (cats, too)! were gathered together with their owners.

And this is Bootsie and I before we left:

Please Pray 4 My Girl

Please pray for Bootsie......she's been sick since this morning, and I don't really understand why.  I just had her in at the vets office for her blood test, to check where her liver enzyme levels are (she has liver disease). I always dread these tests, fearing that I will be returned results that spell out something I really cannot take. I was happily surprised though: her test results came back with one level still high (but no higher), and one that was high last time had went down. This was wonderful news!

But this morning, Bootsie woke up sick. I took her out to go potty, and she had a bout of diarreah...her stomach has been cramping up so badly that she literally shakes from it. I hold my arms out to her and she literally sinks into them and goes limp as she shakes, needing me to support her. When this wave of cramping run through her, she can't even walk. I watched her fall a few times while she was sick out in the backyard.

I called the vet right away this morning after she was first sick. I was told the standard directions of: withholding food for the next 12 hours, and then if her stools begin to seem like they are returning to normal I can give her small amounts of bland food (chicken with rice, oatmeal, cottage cheese).

Thing of it is: I needed something to help her feel better, NOW. I asked if I could give her some Pepto, and they said I could. Being a 14.5 lb dog, Bootsie can have a pediatric dose, which is 1/3 of a caplet, or 1 tsp.

Well, poor Bootsie, she wanted no part of ANYTHING going into her little mouth, and as sick as she felt, she wanted no arguement about it. I tried to quickly pop that 1/3 pill in there, and she promptly spit it out. So then I tried to half "toss" the pill in there, to which I recieved a good chomp to my finger, lol. (It's a little funny now, but it hurt than. Bootsie meant business about wanting no meds, lol.

Had to outsmart her, and that's not easily done. I took the pill and smashed it to powder, then dissolved that in 1/4 cup water to which I added a splash of that ever-helpful chicken broth.

That did the trick. Bootsie drank it all up, and soon after she stopped shaking and had herself a nap up next to me on the sofa.

At 5:00 pm, we repeated the whole process, with Bootsie being ill. It's heart wrenching for me anytime Bootsie hurts....and believe me, with each one, I pray to God to not let this be "the one".......you know what I mean? Not going to spell it out, because  that feels too much like I am tempting the fates.

Anyway, I brought Bootsie back in after round 2 and carried her to the sofa. She sat next to me, shaking, so I put my arms around her and held her.....she just kind of leaned into my arms and wanted me to hold her up. When she finally let me lay her down, her brown eyes looked so tired...she layed there with her eyes closed. If I tried to move back into a sitting position, her eyes would open up and she'd get a worried look, as if to say, "No..hey! Where are you going?"

Lol, back down I went. And back Bootsie went to closing her eyes.

I am so scared about her getting dehydrated. I know that it's all too easy for a dog to get that way when it has diarreah or vomiting. Plus if they have to be hospitalized, any dehydration makes the pet take that much longer to recover.

This was a problem, because now, even my chicken water wasn't tempting her. I went in the kitchen and took a little silver gravy ladle from the utensil drawer. Looks an awful lot like a deeper version of a soup spoon, but I'm pretty sure it's for gravy boats.

It was the only way I could get Bootsie to take in any water: I had to spoonfeed it to her, lol.

I did call the vet a second time. I asked if I could redose the Pepto, and was told "no".

Well, guess what?

I did anyway. I thought it over first, weighing the pros and cons as I saw them:

Give her the Pepto~

PROS: SHe will feel better and this cramping in her tummy will go away and give her some rest and relief.

I will feel better when Bootsie feels better.

CONS:

She does have liver disease, and meds are not a big plus there....

But what settled it in my mind was this:

If I didn't do SOMETHING to help her, there is no doubt in my mind that we would be going to the emergency vet right then and there. Once there, Bootsie would go through a lot of poking and prodding by a vet that while I am sure is well-qualified, is one that Boots has only seen once. They would without a doubt keep her for more testing and observation.

I'm telling you, no way is she better observed then she is right here at home under the watchful eye of yours truly.

In the end, they would HAVE to administer something to control the diarreah.

Bootsie HATES staying there.(No offense at all to the clinic and staff.....it has nothing to do with them, Boots is just happier and more at peace when she's home).

So. Here it is. It's now 10:43pm.

Bootsie is feeling better. She is searching every corner of the house for a crumb of anything to eat because the poor little thing is now famished. I relented and gave her a small spoonful of cottage cheese. (By the way....strange thing about cottage cheese...I only like Darigold brand, but sometimes it tastes, well, WEIRD. At other times, it tastes "right". Lol. Everytime I open a new package I test it out, and if it's good, I tell Bootsie it came from a "happy cow", lol. Which leads me to this..Does cottage cheese come from cows? Lol)!

Bootsie is trotting about barking.....I better go see what mischief she's getting up to. Say a prayer that she will stay feeling better....

Paula & Bootsie

Gone to the Dogs: a new British comedy film
Click the link marked "game" to find out what kind of dog you are.

Super Model Dog: Bootsie!

As some of you know, Bootsie is no stranger to the camera. I am proud to announce that Boots is once again basking in the spotlight's warm glow, lol!

 

Please click the link to be taken to Bootsie's latest publicity shots!

Dogs of the Wonderful NW!

Scroll through the slideshow until you see Bootsie! She is in the middle. Not only is she seen once, but TWICE! lol!

(I know, I know......I'm being boastful, and pride is not very becoming on anyone....but I can't help myself! I'm like a proud stagemom! lol)!

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It occured to me that I don't have Bootsie's other "claim to canine fame" listed in her journal!

Several months back, I entered Bootsie in a contest at the Deramaxx website. The contest was in preparation for Pet Arthritis Awareness Month. I submitted some pics and a short essay on why Bootsie is a "Deramaxx Dog". The dogs that were chosen were featured on a mosaic that appeared on billboards all across the United States of America!! Bootsie made it onto the billboard, lol!

This is the pic that made it in: 

Here is the Mosaic that she was part of. We were sent this as a full-size poster (suitable for framing, lol)!

Can you find her? Lol, I'm being a brat. I know you can't, lol.   Here's the mosaic "in action"!   This first pic shows the billboard up on the Hyatt Regency Hotel on the Sunset Strip, Los Angeles, CA     Here's the billboard in Times Square, NYC:   And here it is again, in Dallas, TX:   Have you found her yet? Lol.   She's just below and to the left of the left eye (your left, not the dog's left), in about the vicinity where a tear might fall from an eye. Here's a close up :    

How You Can Help Pets In Need!!

Those of you who pay visits to Bootsie's online journal are without a doubt fond of pets in general! If you could help a pet in need every single day, wouldn't you want to do it? How about if I said that you could, and it would only cost about 1 minute of your time? Would you be further enticed if I assured you that your help would cost you nothing in the way of money?

 

Sounds pretty good, eh?

Well, you CAN help in this way! By clicking the links below, you will be transported to websites where you can help to feed a pet and provide it healthcare at absolutely no cost to you! In fact, you would in no way be obligating yourself to a single thing! Just click, and voila! You have fulfilled your mission!

I have been visiting these sites on a daily basis for sometime now. I found a very easy way to remember "my click", too! I added the sites onto my AOL Toolbar. I gave them both the kitty-cat icons, and labeled them as "FeedMe" and "FeedMeToo", lol!  One of the sites even allows you to keep track of how many pets your clicks are helping!

I hope you'll embrace this easy manner of helping pets in need, and that you'll make a daily click at these sites. Please refer your friends so that they can participate, too!

Thanks!!!!