Turtle Girl

Great news! I just got back from the vet that did Turtle's surgery. At this point, if she doesn't get any worse, the best option is to keep her on the Rimadyl and just avoid activities that cause soreness on a regular basis. She does well with our current activity level, minus the route where there's a large downhill chunk. So, while the Rimadyl costs a fair chunk of change each month, at least she doesn't need more surgery! Rimadyl is like Advil for dogs since dogs can't take Advil - it's an anti-inflammatory. If she happens to be under anesthesia for some other reason, we should get x-rays of her right elbow and shoulder.

She also got weighed at the vet and, much to my disappointment, remains the exact same weight as always. Below is a table of her lifestyle comparisons. I ask you, why on earth should I deprive her of more food when it doesn't seem to matter?! She does look more svelte than before, so maybe it's that fat has become muscle? I really should have done a body fat percentage on her so I could compare, because I am clinging to the fact that she must be healthier with all the changes. Damn it!

Unhealthy Turtle: Weight = 73 lb Free fed Frequent dog biscuits Lots of people food Rare walks

Healthy Turtle: Weight = 73 lb Strict 2.5 cups of food per day Less than 1 biscuit per week Virtually no people food Daily 1.4 - 2.2 mile walks

I have also decided that having a more plump dog is a sign that my dog is balanced. See, Eddie keeps weight off no matter what we feed him, but he has a lot of nervous energy. Turtle has almost no nervous energy. She never whines, never frets, doesn't pace, and is really just the all around perfect dog. Eddie's a great dog, too. D says I only talk about his negative qualities, but I think anyone who has met Eddie knows that he's a very unique and special dog.

Example of why our dogs are the best dogs ever: the other day, I decided to sleep in before I took them on their morning walk (note: I got up and feed them, let them out to pee and then went back to bed). They both just let me sleep and didn't make a single sound until I was out of bed. The moment my feet hit the floor, they were both right there ready for their walk. But I was so grateful that neither of them would dare to wake me up. Thinking about this a bit more, it does take a brave being to wake me up, so I bet they just sense that it's not a good idea to ever wake me up. I have got to be one of the scariest people when I first wake up, mostly because no matter what that day has in store, I would almost always rather sleep in than get up. But I digress. If this blog has shown people anything it's that I love a few key things in life (obviously D, my family, my friends...but let's not get sappy, people): T&E, TiVo, and sleep. Sleep, glorious sleep.