The Ten Thousand Dollar Dog

This is not a normal post.

If you read last Monday's blog, you may recall that I decided, after not one, not two, but three landscapers failed to give me a new garden, that the universe was trying to tell me something.  Such as, perhaps, "don't put in a big garden right now -- maybe you're not ready for it."

Well, what the Universe was actually trying to tell me was, "don't spend thousands of dollars on landscaping right now -- you're about to be hit by a huge vet bill."

This is poor little Pippin.  On Wednesday morning he started dragging his back legs, a warning sign for spinal disc disease, which is common in dachshunds.  I am very familiar with it, and got him to the vet immediately, where they determined he needed surgery. Had to drive him to Seattle for that.

He had a laminectomy for two herniated discs that were pressing on his spinal cord.  Everything went smoothly and his recovery was so fast that they were able to discharge him Friday afternoon, and we were back home on Saturday.  He needs to be confined for 4-6 weeks.

Truman is tuckered out, too -- I had taken him over to Pullman on that Tuesday to the vet hospital there for a scheduled cardio workup to see what was causing his murmur (a mitral valve disease, fairly mild stage).  He came to Seattle with us, of course, and he is very happy to be home again, as am I.

Hopefully, my regular posts of art and nature and whatnot will resume next Monday.  

Until then, stay safe out there!