The Long Version

Cloud Covered

Christmas Steve

Oh Christmas Pee

Merry Me

Head Count

The Sweet Spot

Come Clean

Empty Leash

We lost another friend today. Willow, who had effortlessly overcome losing a leg this summer, has crossed over the rainbow bridge.

She hadn't been right for the last week, starting with a limp when I returned from Florida last Friday. We assumed she had been bullied down the stairs by Sandy in their combined excitement to greet me. She had a similar injury about this time last year which was healed by rest and some anti-inflammatory drugs. Her treatment this time included some painkillers that made her so loopy we had to discontinued them.

Once she had stopped taking the painkillers she still remained lethargic with no appetite at all.  This morning she was so reserved Kathy opted to stay home with her and comfort her. We both feared the worst and when I took her for her appointment this afternoon the Dr first noticed her jaundice and her distended belly which confirmed what we already suspected. This was to be her final vet visit.

Losing someone you love does not get any easier the more you do it. Zappa left us in July at the same time Willow lost her leg to cancer. Thoughts of him can still bring Kathy and I to tears and Willow will do the same. Our comfort now comes from believing she is reunited with her buddy Z-Dog and her errant leg.

She wasn't a great dog. Sometimes she wasn't even a good dog, but she was as loyal and loving a companion anyone could ask for and she will be dearly missed.

Winners and Losers

Holy Hell

Dress Down

Dinning Out

Eat Smarter, Not Harder

Cone of Silence

Cry Baby

Bad Granny

Not Out Of The Woods

Compound Fractured

Fighting Words

Prep Position

Kathy Did It

Okay, we got another third dog, but it wasn't me this time. Someone Kathy works with has a mother-in-law who was going into a home and couldn't take any of her three dogs. We got the runt of the litter. A 13 year old Staffordshire terrier named Maimi, as in Eisenhower. It doesn't really matter what you call her because she can't hear a damn thing. She's also blind in one eye and is missing teeth on one side so her tongue is always hanging out. She's also a little over weight, but who isn't, and she's very sweet.

Willow was not immediately a big fan, but she's getting better around her. Willow's just not crazy about anyone who may draw attention away from her. Sandy is fine with her but spent the first couple days trying to mount her. The problem was their size difference made in impossible for him to do anything but stand over her. It was kind of funny.

Our plan is to make her feel warm and welcome for the rest of her days which is pretty easy since mostly what she likes to do is sleep. She's too short and lame to deal with the stairs at our house so I've been sleeping on the mattress downstairs, at least until she's completely comfortable with where everything is. I even had to modify the doggie door since she was too short to use it, but now she's doing okay.

Bitch Fest

Kitchen Sync

Craptacular

Watch What You Wish For

Bad Dog Idea

She's not wrong.

Pant By Numbers

Lighten Up

Going Up

Old Joke

The Longest Day Of The Year

June ended this year in the worst eventful way possible for us at the hound compound. We had tried surgery to remove the cancer from Willow's leg. Two weeks and many bandage changes after the surgery it became apparent that, not only did they get all the cancer, but the large wound that was left behind was having issues healing. Originally, we had wanted to save her leg even if they didn't get all the cancer because we already had growing issues with Zappa's terminal bone cancer and the thought of dealing with two in-firmed dogs did  not seem like a viable option.

Of course, as someone one said, everything goes at once and that seemed to come true. June 22nd I took Willow in for a bandage change and the vet basically said that the time had come to take off her leg for her sake and ours. The healing would be faster and since there was still cancer, she was going to lose the leg anyway. Why put her through the trauma of bandages and cones more than once? It all made sense so I brought her in the next morning and left her there. Surgery didn't take place until the afternoon and it all went well, but she was going to spend the night (again) in their care.

Wednesday morning I called to arrange a pick up time for our little tripod. When I first saw her hop in I was heartbroken by her loss, but surprised by how well she got around. This wound was large, but very clean and neat and instead of bandages, she just had on a pink Nike Just Do It tee shirt on with one sleeve tied off and it was cinched around her waist. She looked very snazzy and could not get out of there soon enough. She did end up with a cone because we stopped at McDonald's on the was home and I got her some Ice cream.

I got her settled in at home so she could rest. We'd turned my basement studio space into our canine oncology ward so she wouldn't have to deal with stairs since the vets orders were to keep her calm and secluded for two weeks until it was time to take her staples out. Kathy and I'd been taking turns sleeping down there with her for the previous two weeks so we already had the routine down. I was resting with her and Zappa when he started making the kind of noises that signaled he was in pain. he was up to date on his meds, but I figured maybe it was time to take him back in for an adjustment and maybe something stronger.

I call and may him an appointment for the next day, but his cries of pain became more frequent persistent so I loaded him up in Kathy's car when she got home and took him right in that afternoon. We didn't have to wait long in the waiting area because his heart rending moans  made everyone aware of his immense discomfort. The Dr was the one who originally diagnosed his cancer examined him and we discussed more treatment options. They could give him increased doses of the painkillers he was already on, but they would more likely just make him loopy and not really do anything to help his suffering.

The only real option was obvious, but I didn't want to make that kind of decision without talking to Kathy first.The Dr gave me a few minutes alone so I could call her.  I could barely speak I was so choked up, but she knew what I was trying to say and she gave me her blessing to end his suffering. I spent a little more time with just me and Z-Dog telling him what a good boy he is. When the Dr. came back I told her what we needed to do. Ideally, I would have liked to have him put down at home surrounded by his family and fellow dogs, but it was not to be. They asked if I wanted to be there at the very end, but like a coward I declined and left it to the professionals.

I cannot say enough good things about everyone at Huffard Animal Hospital who helped us through this. Everybody was so kind and understanding, saying and doing all the right things. They left me to grieve by myself after they took him away. They asked if I wanted his ashes but I decline that too since we already have so many photos an painting to remember him by.

It was a quiet ride home that evening, When I got home, Kathy was down stairs with Willow, crying like I was. The first thing she said to me through tears was "he was such a dick" and he was, but he was out dick. He was the loudest dog of our three, always announcing our comings and goings with incessant barking and keeping us abreast of who may be passing our house. I asked Kathy the question about his ashes, knowing what here answer would be, but she surprised me. She said "I don't even want YOUR ashes". That's love.

happier days

It's a lot quieter around here now, and that's not a bad thing, but for a while it hasn't seem much like coming home without his relentless trumpeting of our arrival. At the very least, the neighbors can finally get some peace. It's been two weeks now, and Willow just got her staples out and she's doing fine. She's going to have a scar showing until her fur grows out for her winter coat this fall, but she's getting along well, using the stairs and the doggie door like a champ. We've even been out on a few short walks to build up her strength but now as I'm walking her I can't get the Lynard Skynard song "Give Me Three Steps" out of my head. 

pre-op

 Sandy has always wanted to be the top dog in our house, and now he's got his wish. At least until Willow is at her top 75%. Willow was looking for Zappa for a few days after he left us but I think even she has moved on. I've learned a lot from her these past few weeks. Her life seems to be a simple three step plan (no pun intended) 1. Live 2. Love 3. Adapt.

someone new to push around

Thanks to everyone for their help and well wishes these past few weeks. It has really meant a lot to us and has aided us in this ongoing grieving process. I only hope that soon I can move on like Willow and start trying to make this blog funny again. At least funnier than this.

seab....

Sick As A Dog

That has a new meaning for us here at the Hound Compound. Last month we found out that Zappa (11) has bone cancer. It's a very aggressive cancer and the Dr said he has maybe 4 months left. That same week we discovered a lump on Willow's front passenger side leg. After having it tested it was found to be cancerous but it was determined to be localized and would not be spreading like Zappa's is destined to.

Last Tuesday Willow underwent surgery to try to remove the lump. The operation went well, but was not a complete success. Although they believe they got most of the cancer, they don't think they got all of it, which means that the lump will most likely grow back. The surest way to get rid of all the cancer would be to remove her entire leg. At first, this did not seem like a very good option, but after seeing her recovery from the first operation, in which she has no use yet of that leg, we now think that she would easily be able to adapt to being a tri-pod. The good news would be her new access to handicap parking, but the down side would be she would no longer be able to drive a standard.

For now, Zappa's Pain management drugs seem to making him more comfortable, but he's not up to the long walks he's loved so much for the last 11 years. We've found a work around though. When ever we go for a walk now, I bring along my neighbor Shawn's wagon and when Zappa gets tired (or after he poops) I put him on the wagon and we roll home. It adds an upper body work out for me to our daily walks, and I can tell that Zappa is thinking that we should have started this years ago.

Needless to say, I haven't found a lot lately to laugh about so my cartooning has been put on hold for a couple weeks. now that things are progressing with Willow and Zappa seems to have stabilized, I want to start looking for the funny side of life again.

Saved By The Smell

Not Hot Tee

Bye Bye Bonnie!

About a year ago I got a call from a woman who was looking for a dog walker.  Since that's one of the things I do, I went to meet her and her Australian Cattle Dog, Harvey. It turned out that on top of owning the smartest dog I've ever met, Bonnie is also a very skilled pet photographer.

So for the past year I've been walking Harvey as needed and getting to know Bonnie and her husband Jason, who is in the Navy. Of course the US Navy doesn't like you to get too comfortable so now Bonnie, Jason and Harvey are moving to Hawaii at the end of the month for his next assignment.

Since Kathy's birthday is also at the end of the month I enlisted Bonnie to do a photo shoot with our three dogs, Zappa, Willow and Santana (aka-third dog). She was wonderfully patient and creative, and spent several hours with my three wild mutts, making them and my yard look much better than they really are. My biggest problem is to narrow down all the great photos she took to just a few for Kathy's present.

As I said, Harvey and family will be leaving shortly for other shores. Bonnie has been a supporter of my cartooning and asked if I could do a cartoon of Harvey before they left. Now, my goofy cartoon style is far simple to capture a dog as complex as Harvey, but I gave it a shot anyway, if for no other reason than as a thank you to Bonnie for all her hard work and photographic skill. It came out pretty good and since it's really the only cartooning I've done this week, I present it here as a fond farewell to Bonnie, Jason and Harvey. Good Luck, and God speed and Aloha.

Chip off The Old Blockhead

Hang Time

Enlighten Up

I hope the Buddhists are more forgiving than some religious groups.

Oh Deer

Hang Out

BassAckwards

When I found this out, this really happened.

In Space,No One Can Hear You Listen

The Truth Is Out

Maybe this is why Kathy has wanted me to stop looking for CDs at garage sales and flea markets. She was afraid I would find the awful truth. Despite a clever name change and a disguise I found the CD she made in the 1990s. I've played it for several including Kathy and it has been declared "alright", "okay", "horrible" and "the worst thing I ever heard".  Part of the problem is the song selections which includes the title song (must be about me) and a very vanilla version of "Me and Bobby McGee" which my friend Chris assures me has Janis Joplin spinning in her grave.

Her cover photo does little to reflect the magnitude of her talent since the faux Stevie Nicks wardrobe shows a distinct lack of air movement under her wingspan. My biggest complaint with the whole enterprise is the fact that she snubs me in the credits. That being said, rock on, girl!

Fool For Thought

                             For what it's worth, I had this idea before I saw this:


I can't help it, I'm a dick.