HoundBlog

We got back from Lake Waccamaw around 4 yesterday which was a bit earlier than we had initially thought we would. Ken finished watching the race and then we unpacked the camper, fed dogs and cleaned kennels. I had already started laundry, so that was going as we did the necessary chores around the house.

We had a good weekend. Saturday we swept Whippets with Oscar taking Winners Dog and Best of Winners, Nikki taking Winners Bitch and Best of Opposite Sex and Tigger taking Best of Breed. Payne was a disappointing second in her class and got ignored for reserve, but Max was Best Adult in Match Saturday night. Sunday the points all went to other Whippets which was OK as they were nice dogs and Ken didn’t want to stay for Groups anyway.

Ken and I have worked out a schedule for the gym. I’m going on Mondays and Wednesdays while he’s going on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We both agreed that we need to get into a routine.

Placed Maggie in a new home Thursday. The gentleman came highly recommended by one of my other Whippet owners and he and Maggie really fell for each other when he came to visit. The gentleman is retired but not old or infirm. He has a panic disorder that Maggie is helping him deal with.

Haven’t heard from Eddie lately although Yvonne friended me on Facebook 🙂 Is it just me who feels awkward having both her granddaughter and daughter-in-law as facebook friends??? 😆

Now you know all there is to know that’s new in our lives.

Love to all,

Margaret

Here it is Tuesday and it already feels like the week should be over. It was a LONG day yesterday!

We had fun at the Columbia Kennel Club shows this past weekend. Ken and Oscar were Best Adult in Match Saturday night. Max was Winners Dog and Best of Opposite Sex Sunday and Payne was Reserve Winners Bitch on Saturday. We leave Friday for Lake Waccamaw, NC and the  Myrtle Beach Kennel Club shows.

I had a Blue Jay in the yard this morning. I don’t usually see them this close to the house for some reason. The house finches have already started feeding bbies — seems like they started early this year. Although I have a fair number of brown headed cowbirds I haven’t seen any blue grosbeaks like I did last year.The hummers are back and one has built a nest on the light fixture on the side porch. I keep having to fuss at Ken about leaving that door open. He’s decided it needs to stay shut because Tiffany keeps sneaking out and then runs away.

I have a kennel club meeting tonight that I really don’t want to go to. Too much bickering between people lately and I’m tired of hearing it. But I’ll go anyway.

I have to get my schoolwork done by this afternoon for the week too since I’ll be busy the next several nights with different things. This weeks’ assignments are very time consuming to do. It’s all about suggesting upgrades and systems for different scenarios. We have to research where to find the components on the web and post where to find them and what they cost. Gives me a headache just thinking about it.

Two more weeks and this session will be over and I’ll move on to another subject.

Well, I need to get back to it.

Love to all,

Margaret

Ken went to the doctor yesterday — it was a routine appointment to check his sugar and stuff but he used the opportunity to get drugs for his malaise. It was not on the $4 list at Walmart, so he’ll get the prescription filled today at work. Overall he’s feeling better for the most part, though which I’m glad of.

I don’t really think it’s something contagious as I feel just fine. Normal sinus drainage for this time of year due to pollen, but even that’s not too bad as the rain has kept the airborne levels down to a reasonable one.

I hate that Ma had to go through at the doctors what she did. I don’t know why they can’t figure out less debasing ways of checking things like that. Just like I can’t figure out why they can’t figure out how to do a mammogram without crushing the life out of you.

We leave Friday afternoon for Aiken and the Columbia Kennel Club show. Normally we would just drive back-and-forth to a show that’s this close, but I’ve been asked to judge a match Saturday night and so Ken doesn’t want me driving home that late at night. I’ll take another half day off from work. Ken will also work a shorter day Friday.

Well, I guess that’s really all there is to tell you about our week so far.

I need to finish getting ready for work.

Love to all,

Margaret

Today is the last day of the Whippet Nationals. We’ve sure seen some gorgeous dogs! And we’ve seen some inspirational dogs.

There is Zoey the whippet who was poisoned at a show and suffered nerve damage. Despite having to have a hind leg amputated and the other hind leg not working correctly, Zoe’s owners have purchased a canine wheelchair for her so she can still get around. Her spirits undaunted, this plucky girl greets everyone with a smile and a tail wag.

And then there is Grandma the 19 year old who gets carried everywhere by her owner and falls asleep at the drop of a hat, but hey! She’s 19!

The rainbow bridge table was simply awesome. So many lovely dogs and lovely people remembered and honored.

Ken and Tigger didn’t make the cut, so we came on home. The weather was bad last night and we were worried about the dogs left here. They are all fine, but were glad to see us home. Sabrina appears to have grown quite a bit while we were gone.

Ken seems to have caught a cold or is having an allergic reaction to something blooming because he’s all stuffed up and sneezing. I’ve given him some Dayquil and put him to bed.

Guess I should go see if he needs anything else.

Love to all,

Margaret♠

Monday was not a very good day. I had Ken take Tazz in to Dr. Martin to see about the abcess on his hip that wasn’t healing. Dr. Martin cleaned the abcess out and gave Ken a bottle of stuff to put in the wound and a bottle of antibiotics to give him. Ken gave him the prescribed dosage when he got back home. When he went to feed Tazz later that afternoon, he said Tazz ran off and collapsed in the woods. Ken brought him in the house and fed him. By the time I got home from work, Tazz was breathing heavily and was very disoriented.

I called the emergency vet because it was already after hours and they wanted me to bring him in, so I left to take him to Anderson. It seems that Tazz had an allergic reaction to the medicine that set his body off to destroying his red blood cells. He was so anemic when we got there that the vet took nearly an hour and a half to get a catheter threaded into a vein in his leg. After doing some blood tests and checking his abdomen (because I reported it being swollen and “mushy” feeling), the vet discovered blood in his abdomen also indicating the vessel walls themselves were compromised. After some discussion of treatment and prognosis, we decided that the outcome was not promising enough to try and let him go. He was 12-1/2 which is pretty old for a standard poodle, but still too young for me to let him go.

When I got home, Ken had already dug a grave and we buried him with the other dogs that have passed away during the nearly 11 years we’ve lived here.

Ken left the next morning for Atlanta and the Whippet Nationals. Nikki made the cut in her futurity class of 16, but didn’t get a placement. He shows her tomorrow in breed. Butterfly is having health tests done today and tomorrow in preparation for her being bred in the very near future. So far, everything is checking out fine.

Keep your fingers crossed for us in our respective classes. Ken in 9-12 month bitches and me in brace with Oscar and Butterfly. I’ll let you know how we did.

Love to all,

Margaret