Waltzing Matilda Update (Monday Evening)

I spoke with AnnieElf a while ago (she is a sweetheart) and I realized that I should do an update for this afternoon.

There is not much to report since the visit to the vet. We don’t have answers. Her labs were fine and she showed no indication of tumors or growths upon palpation (given her gaunt stature, it is fairly easy to feel her abdominal organs.) Her temperature was normal although her gums were slightly pale.

Our vet administered a steroid combined with an antibiotic. At this point, we are to give her some tablets to help keep her stomach calm; call him in the morning. We are taking things in twelve to twenty-four hour gulps. Madders will either begin to recover or continue to waste away (the latter would not happen; we would not permit her to suffer.)

Mads and I spent the early afternoon on the front porch. She enjoyed watching the birds at the feeder. We returned to the porch once we came back home. I lounged with a book and kept an eye on her as she snored on the cool concrete. Her new medication may give her diarrhea so Jeff and I will take shifts tonight in order to keep an eye on her in case of distress. I think I’ll light the citronella candle and take to the porch again, weather permitting.

It may seem like a lot of effort for “just a dog” but this companion is worth every ounce of love. I wept as I left the vet's office: he refused to charge us for the lengthy exam, injection and medication. During a week when the world is crashing down about our ears, this act of kindness moved my very soul.