Today is a day that we have known to be coming for a long time, yet have dreaded the necessity of it ever since IT was decided.

Sadie is our (mommy’s, actually. she loves me too, but is devoted to her mommy) Dalmatian Pointer mix. Our Dalmointer, if you will. She came to us as a scrawny little girl, white with black spots, and a left eye that was clouded over and blind. Our wonderful vets at Acoma Animal Clinic got her on antibiotics and her eye cleared up. Sadie loved to cuddle with her Mommy, and even allowed her Mommy to carry her around even though she was much larger than would be comfortable. Her Mommy loved her, though, so Sadie got spoiled.

Sadie joined us in 2001, and we figured her birthday was going to be December 9, so we just celebrated her turning twelve. Over the years, Sadie turned out to be a loving and loyal companion. She took to her training very well and even though we walked her on a leash, she never really needed it. She would not leave Mommy’s side.

About four months ago it became apparent that something was wrong. Examination at Acoma would uncover a cancerous growth around her lower GI tract. It was constricting her bowel, and causing interference with her right rear leg. Surgery would have involved removing most of her sphincter muscle, causing more problems than it would have solved.

Cinnamon is our little brown dog we don’t know what she is. She looks to have a mix of retriever and cattle dog in her, and when our niece called from work saying she had found a “puppy” that needed to be rescued, Cinnamon was – well, the color of cinnamon. All over.

Not all brown anymore, is she? But, we were just going to “foster” her until we found her a good home. (we are still looking.) Cinnamon helped Sadie run the house. All other animals came after these two, and were loved and mothered by them.

Cinnamon developed a healthy nervousness of the Vet’s office after two trips to be sewn back up. Both trips were precipitated by Princess, who thought Cinnamon would be easy to dominate. (after the second time, Princess found a new home) Cinnamon was a real trooper, and her layers of protection, lovingly installed starting the first day we were looking for a home for her, kept her from being hurt too badly.

About a year ago, Cinnamon developed Cushing’s disease and diabetes. It was a tough call to find them, since they tend to mask one another’s symptoms. We decided to treat the diabetes. Cinnamon has been very patient and tolerant as we have learned to give a gentle and hopefully painless injection twice a day now.

As you can see in her picture, Cinnamon is ready to go home. She looks tired, she doesn’t have the energy to get up and move around with us anymore. It’ time.

You have both been very good girls. Please tell Sara and Logan hello when you get to the Rainbow Bridge.

Chat ya later…

Thanks for stopping by, In GOD We Trust, and Wear Red on Fridays!

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Saturday morning, I’m hopping on the “hitcharide” express bound for Anaheim and an industry conference/workshop/trade show. Yeah, bummer, I have to spend a week playing with and learning about toys. Some ‘job’, huh?

My biggest concern is our dog, Cinnamon, who has canine diabetes. Next Thursday, THMBWitW and MEG will be driving out to join me for a couple days of vacation, and our dogsitter is pregnant. I’m sure it will work out OK, but I’m still concerned.

My second biggest concern is the fact that TMBWitW and MEG are coming out to join me next Thursday. TMBWitW hasn’t driven long distances lately, and she’s not real fond of driving long distances in the first place, but I am certainly not going to subject them to the unconstitutional strip searches at the airports. The last thing anyone wants to see is a YouTube video of MEG being traumatized followed by TMBWitW going into Mama Bear mode. (maybe my concern is more for the safety of the tsa goons, knowing that they probably wouldn’t survive an encounter with MEG’s mommy)

At any rate, a distant cousin will be joining up with us for some catching up once the two of my ladies get out there.

I’m saying all that to say this: Blogging my be even lighter than my usual grueling two-or-three posts a week over the next couple of weeks. Please try to avoid going into any kind of withdrawal mode.

By the by, did you notice I’m on Twitter? over there in the sidebar – little blue button with a birdie on it … not that I tweet a lot, but in case you need to hear from me more often than I blog …

Chat ya later…

Thank you for stopping by, In GOD We Trust, God bless you all, don’t buy or breed cats or dogs while homeless pets die (spay, neuter & adopt a pet, one by one, until there are none), Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

No, not a good old-fashioned one where I run down the list of brilliant bloggers and share the latest sterling tidbits they have posted, but one of a more personal nature.

First, I apologize for not posting pics of the new store fixture. If you want to see it, you are welcome to swing by the store any time we are open – we’re in the Agua Caliente Center, 69th St. and Shea Blvd. M-F 10-7, Saturday 10-6, closed Sundays.*

Second, a word about Cinnamon:

Diabetes mellitus is frequently diagnosed in dogs five years of age and older. This is also known as Type II or adult-onset diabetes. There is a congenital form that occurs in puppies called Type I or juvenile diabetes, but this is rare in dogs.
Diabetes mellitus is a disease of the pancreas. This is a small but vital organ that is located near the stomach. It has two significant populations of cells. One group of cells produces the enzymes necessary for proper digestion. The other group, called beta-cells, produses the hormone insulin. Simply put, diabetes mellitus is a failure of the pancreas to regulate blood sugar.
courtesy of Drs. Burnham and McConaughey at Acoma Animal Clinic

Cinnamon has been fat and happy since we were called by TMBWitW’s niece, BoBanney. BoBanney found Cinnamon, thin as a rail and hungry, sitting on a street corner with no tags or collar near the Taco Bell where she was working about eight years ago. She called us, and being the kind-hearted animal lovers that we are, we came down and picked her up – and she hasn’t been lacking for love since then. About a week and a half ago, TMBWitW started coming home to a puddle on the floor every day – very unusual, since our furkids are very well house trained and haven’t piddled inside since they were puppies. After the experience of losing Sara, we (meaning, of course, TMBWitW) have become hyper-aware of changes in our now-geriatric dogs. We figured out it was Cinnamon since she was the one wanting to go out at night now, instead of being able to hold it until morning. A few tests at Acoma and the diagnosis was in – diabetes mellitus. After a week of insulin and a more regulated diet, Cinnamon has not had any accidents in the house for the last several days, and she is actually looking a little thinner. Dr. McConaughey told TMBWitW that the fact that we didn’t have a doggie door probably allowed us to catch this very early in the onset, which means a much better prognosis for treatment. Most cases they see the diabetes is so advanced that there is nothing they can do, because the dog had access to the yard throughout the day and the owners didn’t catch other, more subtle indicators. (Cinnamon had been drinking close to one and half or two gallons of water per day, by herself, which is one of those subtle indicators. with multiple dogs, unless you watch, you can’t really tell who’s drinking what. on the days we are at home, we were noticing that Cinnamon was hitting the water bowl pretty often.) Cinnamon is even getting a little frisky – she’s trying to dance for her treats again, and she is sassing us when we ignore her hints for treats.

Third – tomorrow, being a Friday, I’ve got a honeydew about a mile long. I don’t think that woodworking is anywhere on that list, however. I do have another work-related project, but it’s at the store, and kinda boring, so I won’t tell you about it. OK, if you insist – I’m rebuilding the “floor” above one of the stock closets so that a person could actually stand up there and move stock around instead of trying to reach four feet to the wall from the top of a step ladder. See? I told you it would be boring.

Gotta go – almost time to leave.

Chat ya later…

Thank you for stopping by, In GOD We Trust, God bless you all, don’t buy or breed cats or dogs while homeless pets die (spay, neuter & adopt a pet, one by one, until there are none), Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

* – this is not a compensated advertisement.

Cinnamon=vet visit. (picking up Sara while I am there)

Gotta get the screen doors finished today and out of the shop.

The GE repairman, who is apparently busier than the Maytag Repairman, will be here this afternoon between 1 and 5 to diagnose and, hopefully, fix the washer. Appliance that take unscheduled vacations are not making any points with the Household Six.

Chat ya later…

Thank you for stopping by, In GOD We Trust, God bless you all, don’t buy or breed cats or dogs while homeless pets die (spay, neuter & adopt a pet, one by one, until there are none), Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!