A rainy December morning

Happy Sunday everyone! It's very quiet in our house at the moment. We've been up for a while, the pooches are having their pre-breakfast nap. It's dark outside and very mild. We are expecting lots of rain today.

This past week was not the best for us. Cooper's appetite has diminished and it is concerning. We now feed him smaller amounts throughout the day. His loss of appetite makes him more picky with food so I've had to become very creative in preparing his meals. The administration of his meds has also become a bit of a challenge but we are managing it. Missing a dose is not an option.

As for our little girl Spicy, she is going through a rough patch. We started noticing some balance issues when walking as well as a distinct tilt of her head and body. Her appetite has also been poor and her spark is just not there. Following a thorough consultation with Dr. Stiles last week, vestibular disease and ear infection were basically ruled out.  We are getting a referral to see a neurologist. We are waiting for an appointment.  Until then, Spicy is on Cerenia, an anti nausea medication which has helped restore her appetite, somewhat.  She also gets small meals throughout the day. We make a point of getting her to walk around in the house to keep those little legs moving. She won't jump up and down on the bed or couch on her own. She also no longer sleeps on her back. We are keeping track of all changes that we are noticing, however small. Needless to say, we are very distraught by this and are taking it one day at a time. Each day with both is a gift 💝

Despite all this, we are trying to get into the holiday spirit. It's hard to believe that Christmas Eve is two weeks away. My brother and nephews will join us for Christmas dinner. I have to start thinking about that. 

Russell had his physical last Monday and all is good. He really likes his new doctor. He is very thorough. It looks like it's time to get the other knee replaced. Russell will get an x-ray today then make an appointment with the surgeon. The wait time is most likely at least one year away. 

Our friends from the park are coming over for lunch on Tuesday. It will be nice to see Pauline and Errol again. Cooper & Spicy will also be happy to see them. Yesterday, I went to the park with the Coop for a stroll. It was our first walk in well over a week. He enjoys his walks no matter what so I plan on walking with him often. The Spicy girl is too wobbly right now for walks. She will stay home with her daddy and snuggle. 

That's my blog for today. Starting Tuesday, we are in for a good stretch of sunshine. That will do us some good. I find there is nothing worse than lack of sunshine in the Winter. I leave you with a few photos of our two little munchkins from our November 11 holiday shoot. I also include a photo of our "doggie tree" with those precious ornaments. Have a great week everyone!

Cooper and Spicy are natural at posing for
photos...happy smiles all around.

Spicy says, is this my best side?
She is such a princess.

Cooper is always ready and alert,
such a handsome fellow.

The Doggie ornament Christmas
Tree...so precious!

A snowy view on the walk with Cooper at
Edgewater Park yesterday.