Day 2123

Everyone seemed tired today. Dash wasn't eager to leave the house and just slept on the bed for most of the day. Dot was slow on her morning walk and even slower in the underwater treadmill later in the day. I was tired too, mostly because I didn't sleep well last night. Dot had an accident in her bed during the night, but that wasn't really what kept me awake. Occasionally, I just don't sleep well.

There was a medical emergency when we went to the vet for Dot's physical therapy session and we had to wait a while to get started. It was OK though. We sat in a quiet room on Dot's acupuncture mat and I almost fell asleep. We had to slow the treadmill down a bit today, which was a bit of a disappointment. Dot did so well last week that I was hoping her improvement would continue. You've got to take things one day at a time with an old dog though. Some days are better than others.

When I mentioned Dash's recent problems with his rear legs to Dot's vet, she thought it might be more serious than I was initially led to believe. Of course, Dash wasn't even there, so this diagnosis didn't really mean much. I might not have even been describing his condition accurately. It was good to learn more about a luxating patella however. This floating kneecap condition can result in temporary lameness when the kneecap slips laterally out of position. The condition is often self correcting and the kneecap snaps back into position in a matter of seconds, but in severe cases it can get stuck out of joint and surgery may be required. If your dog has a floating kneecap, it is important to keep them moving, because strong leg muscles help keep the kneecap in place. Glucosamine and Fatty Acids can help lubricate the joint. Sometimes Adequan injections help as well. Dash has another appointment next week to see if the inflammation has subsided. Like everything else in our life, we'll just take this one day at a time as well.

The days go by so quickly now. Each day has a little ritual that acts like a placeholder. Today it was taking Dot to physical therapy and getting the week's trash hauled out to the curb. Tomorrow I have my breakfast outing and Saturday I stock up on groceries. There are monthly rituals as well. Pretty soon it will be time to sent out my October invoices. Every night before I brush my teeth I run a test print to keep the large printer from clogging. My morning smoothies have become a ritual and unfortunately, so has cleaning up dog poop in the house. People have learned that it's usually not a good conversation starter to ask me what I'm doing this weekend. Usually, they already know.

I hope Dash's condition improves. One lame Dalmatian is enough for anyone. It's good that slow walks are actually beneficial for dogs with a floating kneecap. Dot enjoys having a companion to walk with and slow walks are all she's got left. The walks are definitely a ritual. The dogs keep their noses to the ground looking for interesting things to smell, while I keep my nose in the air, looking toward the sky. Today the Moon, Venus, and Mars formed a tight little triangle in the eastern sky. I'm still hoping to catch a glimpse of Mercury.

Madison is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day