The home for geriatric dogs

And now we have Abby Jo, for a week. Abby Jo is one of Lo's dogs. She has a brain tumor, though she had gamma knife surgery a year ago and is doing very, very well. Since then, though, she has also developed kidney disease. (But oh golly she is cute.)

She brought with her, for her visit, special kidney disease kibble (not to be confused with Boscoe's special diabetic kibble); antiseizure medications; medication for the thyroid; and some other mysterious pharmaceuticals.

One pill (fragment, actually; these are tiny shards of pills because AJ is so tiny) must be administered 90 minutes before eating. The second must be administered 60 minutes before eating. So the kitchen timer is getting a lot of use these days, and each time it buzzes I leap up from my computer, where I am trying to finish the last chapter of my book, and try to remember which pill it is summoning me for now.

She also brought with her two syringes of valium, which we are to administer if she has a seizure that lasts more than five minutes. (More timer possibilities.) She has not had a seizure since January and we are counting on her not having a seizure during her six days with us. But the valium is there, in its light-proof envelope in the high cupboard of our kitchen, and we are pretty sure we know how to use it if necessary.

Boscoe, of course, continues to get insulin precisely at 6:45 a.m. and 6:45 p.m., and metacam in the morning, and tramadol three times a day.

AJ, because of the kidney problems, must go outside and pee pretty much all the time. (She peed on the back porch yesterday. But so far not in the house.) Boscoe, because of his high-fiber diet, poops pretty much every time he ventures into the yard.

As you can imagine, all of this excitement keeps me pretty well tied to the house, if not to my manuscript.

And as for Riley, you could hear him muttering earlier today, Ah, geeeez! A house full of dogs, and nobody to play with!

And me? I'm thinking that valium looks pretty good right about now...