Maggie on Monday

This past weekend we celebrated Christmas at Mum's. So I loaded Maggie into the car on Saturday morning and drove to Luray to Mystic Pet before heading over to Mum's.When she walked in the door, she headed straight for the groom room where she usually stays. But it was rather busy with grooming and dogs. So we took her back outside and took her thru the cat room.  She was desperate for a bath, so when I got back on Sunday afternoon, she was all nice and fluffy:

Here she is when I came back to pick her up. See her blurry tail wagging? 

We started her on a raw diet. Lena says her senior dog is doing really well on it, and Maggie ate it right up.

Anytime Gareth is in the room, that's where she goes.

Hullo.

Behind the counter, settled in.

Gareth calls this his "Fireside" pose. Just imagine his elbow on a mantle. 

Gareth went to feed the other dogs in the kennel, and Lena and I took Maggie outside to load her up. She wandered around and then sat down:

What are you looking at Maggie?

So alert.

Of course. She saw Gareth in the kitchen doing food prep!

Lena said that Gareth misses Millie, but that she was grumpier than Maggie. Maggie is ever cheerful!

Loading up:

Saying goodbye to Lena. 

Back home, this morning:

On the front porch, overlooking her domain. Life is good. :-)

M&M Monday

It's been a busy week for the girls. I dropped them off at Mystic Pet when I went to Yogaville on Monday, but I got back in time to pick them up at the end of the day.

Gareth leading the pack. Lena carrying out the dog beds. Millie saying Hullo to dogs, Maggie circling back to join her.

Hullo.

Then Maggie gets in the car . . .

And Millie plops down. Where she stays. *sigh*

But with the promise of treats from Gareth, Millie gets up when she hears Lena opening the bag!

Back home, on the way up the driveway:

SO SWEET.

Here's Mama.

Breakfast:

Bookends.

Lena gave me a coupla pig ears for the girls:

Millie happily gnawing away.

Nom nom nom from Millie. Maggie just watches.

And never eats hers. Then Millie will come over to try to get Maggie's. I think Maggie does it to taunt her. Lena said, "Whenever I give the girls a treat, one of them eats it right away & the other one doesn't . . . "  "Yeah, that's Maggie," I said. Silly girl. So I'm stuck with one pig ear.  Eeewww.

Tuesday we had a vet appointment with Dr. Clark. He comes out to the car and does the whole exam & everything in the parking lot so that I don't have to maneuver them in to the office. He answered all my questions and essentially the answer is: Benedryl. I noticed that Maggie is breathing heavily. At first it was just when she was going up the ramp, and then when she's walking, and then! ALL. THE. TIME. Except when she sleeps. But if she gets up in the middle of the night, she wakes me up with her breathing. Dr. Clark said as long as there's no coughing, that she's OK. He said he sees it in older, large dogs. He said that Benedryl will help her to sleep thru the night and will help with her breathing.

She also has a bit of a foot licking thing going on. He said it could be allergies or it could be behavoural. I'll think I've got it under control, and then I look over, and she's licked another spot! "If it's allergies, Benedryl will help. Some dogs go on Prozac if it's behavoural, but really, Benedryl will help with that, too." Benedryl it is! He gave me a topical anti-itch spray for her, and a new eye ointment for her eyes ( goopy in the a.m.).

Millie, on the other hand--no foot licking, or anything! They're both on the Deramaxx for arthritis and are getting around pretty well for a coupla old gals. And that was our exciting week.

M&M Monday

Last Monday, I went down to Richmond to do some more house hunting. The girls know we're going to Mystic Pet as soon as I wheel my suitcase out the door. I shut the door so that they wouldn't come out before I could move the car to get them loaded. And so they sat by the door:

Millie waits against the door.

Maggie stands beside her, waiting to come out.

Car is backed up against the hill, ready for them to load up.

Maggie gets in first, Millie follows.

Heading down the road. 7 miles of dirt 'n' gravel.

And then I was in Richmond, bought a house, and came back.

Lena brings the girls out to the car.

We get back home . . .

Tabby Bobcat says hello Maggie. The camera didn't capture them touching noses. So cute!

Come on, girls! Time to get out.

It took 15 minutes to coax them out. You can't be in a hurry with these two!

 Here are a few pix from Saturday--Gorgeous & green:

Maggie trots out to the woodshed.

Tabby chillaxin'

Hullo.

*sniff*

Maggie

Maggie heads back up the ramp, Millie hanging out.

"It's good to be me."

"What's that?"  Could be a train, a canoe on the river, a car, a deer, etc.

Hullo.

*yawn*

Zzzzzz . . . .

Meanwhile, back on the porch . . . 

Maggie & Tabby

 Maggie has a hot spot on her foot that she has periodically been licking. I'm trying apple cider vinegar (1/2 ACV, 1/2 water) & dabbing it on the spot. Will let you know how it works. Also, she positions herself under my feet to get rubbed and yesterday she maneuvered her ear onto my toe. This is how I discovered she has ear mites--with a waxy, tarry build up. So I gloved up and got some olive oil and cleaned out her ears (Millie's, too). I read somewhere that olive oil is soothing and also smothers the mites. Today I did another application but used chickweed oil to help with the itching part. You just gather the chickweed, chop it up, & saute it in olive oil & let it cool. I put it in a container & put it in the fridge, so it becomes more of an ointment. According to herbalist Susun Weed, you can make chickweed pesto. I've not had it, but I'm sure it's yummy. Chickweed is really good on bug bites, or itchy things.Once, my dog Barkley got poison ivy on her belly (her fur wasn't as thick as M&M's & she had very little on her tummy). I crushed up some chickweed & rubbed it on her and  the rash cleared up. Internally, chickweed is a remedy for constipation, so you don't want to eat too much--altho, I'm not sure what constitutes as "too much." I guess you would find out soon enough!

I've been also sprinkling powdered nettle on the dog's food along with their salmon oil, to help with any allergy stuff. Here's more info on nettle. So the girls are doing well; enjoying porch days and grassy days and essentially, just being dogs.  :-)

M&M Monday

The girls greet me at Mystic Pet upon my return after a coupla days:

We've had nice weather & they love it outside. Gareth put their pillows out for them in the yard.

Gareth & Lena, AWESOME friends at Mystic Pet. I can't remember what we were laughing at, but I snapped a quick pic!

Gareth said, "No matter what happens with these girls, you know you've done a good job. You've given them a good life." A few years ago, he & Lena had a German Shepherd that they rescued. He came to them balding & with some health issues. He mended up & they had him for 2 years.

I don't know how much more time I have with them, but I am so grateful for our time together. And it was nice of Gareth to say. He & Lena go above & beyond just a kennel. It really is a pet spa & resort!

Back home; Maggie with Tabby Bobcat. She's friendly with her when Tabby's not around the food & water bowls.

Maggie plops down & hangs out.

Another pic of Maggie plopped down in front of the woodshed.

Millie is more of a porch girl:

Yeah, I know. Window cleaning is in my future . . .

Millie in her spot. She slipped off the bed the other day and was stuck on the slippery floor. She doesn't panic like she did when I first got her, & she knows that I'm trying to help her get back onto the Land of Carpet. (So she doesn't growl or snap at me)! But it still takes some maneuvering. So I stuck some other beds along side just in case . . .

Lena gave the girls a bath when they were at Mystic Pet & they came back all fluffy & soft. MOST of the Winter Shed Fest is finished. Pioneer Sister's kiddliewinks came for a vizzie this weekend & the Eldest said how much better they looked than last summer. I think it was the baths! Haha Both M&M are good around the kids, but the kids are cautious when M&M get growly over their food dishes. And Maggie is snappy at Tabby Bobcat & it's a bit disconcerting when you first see it. I reassured the kids that it wasn't at them. And M&M were very good at settling in on coats, etc. dropped on the floor. You'd think that would be an incentive not to drop your clothes on the floor, but no!

I was going to say that it's been a quiet, ordinary week. It was except for the weekend with the kids; a whirlwind of activity, but M&M took it in stride.  :-)