Day 3387

I should have learned by now that there is little to be gained by looking up symptoms and side effects on the Internet. Dash got a Covenia shot this morning to help with his infected mouth. I wasn't familiar with Covenia, so I did a little research on Google. Unbeknownst to me, there is a raging controversy about this drug. Some people say it has killed their dog or cat. On the other side of the coin, many veterinarians say that the drug is safe, effective and that complications are very rare. All drugs can have complications but the problem with an injectable antibiotic like Covenia is that once it is in the body, you can't get it out again.

I trust our veterinarian and Dash seems to be tolerating the drug well. Nevertheless, it makes you nervous when you listen to sad YouTube videos from people who are convinced that Covenia killed their pet. In fairness, I've read some terrible things about meds that I take myself. You ultimately have to make your own judgement about just about everything. Another person's experience is not necessarily yours. Often Internet accounts can be very distorted. If someone has had a bad experience you will almost always hear about it. Good experiences tend to be considered normal and are often not reported at all.

I'm hoping that the Covenia injection will help clear up the infection. If this doesn't work we can always try the Clindamycin. I have a feeling that no antibiotic will completely cure Dash's peridontal disease. When the antibiotic wears off, the plaque on his teeth, especially under the gum line, will just cause the infection to reappear.

When I got my monthly statement from the dealer who is selling my train collection, it appears like several trains have been sold twice. I hope this isn't the case, since I'd hate to return the March payments I've received. I'm hoping that this is just a data entry error. Honesty is still the best policy. I told my friend about the mixup and we'll see if he wants the money back. You can't keep selling the same thing over and over again.

I'm glad we don't have to take Dash to the vet very often. It has become a nightmare transporting him in the car these days. We always take an emergency clean up kit with us now. Amazingly, Dash didn't poop in the car this morning. He waited a few minutes and then pooped inside the vet's office. We managed to get a few nails clipped while we were there, but after his exam and the shot it was clear that Dash wanted to go home.

I sent invoices to my few remaining clients today and wrote a letter to my sister. It's weird that going to the post office is such an important ritual to me. Nobody else I know goes to the post office at all. Nobody else writes a daily blog either. To each his own I guess.

Lexi is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3381

The vet called me back and said that the warnings I'd read about Clindamycin were mainly intended for people and that dogs tolerated the drug well. That's good to know. Dash is still going to need some sort of an antibiotic for his mouth. A friend suggested feeding Dash a cod and sweet potato recipe her vet recommended to cure his diarrhea problem. That's good to know too. She even gave us a sample for Dash to try. The meal she fixed looked delicious. We'll see how our picky eater responds.

There were no accidents in the house last night. I had to take Dash outside around 2 AM to pee, but he slept pretty good for the rest of the night. I actually got some sleep as well. I wish I could count on nights like these, but I've learned you really can't. Every day is different. If there was a formula that worked, I'd have it memorized by now. I'm happy when Dash has a good walk and eats his food. I'm worried when he stumbles a lot and wakes up during the night with a bad cough. Often I'm pleased and worried at the same time.

One of Dash's vets called to ask if we had any recommendations for dog boots. I guess we've inadvertently become the dog boot experts. I was kind of amazed at the detailed knowledge I had about just about every brand of dog boot and sock. I recommended a few brands and told him about the benefits of multiple layers and how to repair boots when they became worn. I hope the information was useful. I think we've done a pretty good job of protecting Dash's feet. He definitely wouldn't be able to walk far without the boots.

My taxes are done. I signed an amended return today and shifted some money around so I'll be able to pay the IRS. I'm curious what makes electronic signatures official. They certainly don't look very official, but that's what everyone is using these days. I haven't signed a paper document in a long time. Forms for just about everything are completed online now. If you didn't have a computer in today's world, you would be at a serious disadvantage.

Just about everyone on Google+ is saying goodbye now. In less than a week the platform will be gone. It's remarkable how many things I like disappear. It doesn't matter if it is a furniture store, a brand of clothing, or an Internet platform; if I'm fond of something, it's a pretty good bet that the general public won't be. Maybe I'll go back to Usenet. Amazingly, Usenet is still around after all these years. For a writer, text based forums are just fine. I never missed not being able to share pictures anyway. Usenet worked just fine on a 300 baud dial up connection. Try that with Facebook.

I'm going to have to go out this weekend and take pictures of wildflowers. They're starting to bloom. It's become just about impossible to take pictures while I'm walking Dash. I've got a leash in each hand. There's one for the front part of the Help 'Em Up Harness, and another for the rear. It's a full time job to keep Dash upright. I couldn't even get my phone out of my pocket today. When worse comes to worse, there are always houseplants. There are definitely no orchids growing in the park.

The trash has been taken to the curb, Dash has taken his evening meds, and I'm ready for bed. I've got to think about what I want for breakfast tomorrow.

Doc is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3380

The smallest change in Dash's routine can cause havoc. We definitely shouldn't have changed his diet. He had another bad case of diarrhea last night. I think the canned food we fed him was too rich, because the last time we tried this brand the same thing happened. Our options are getting smaller. Dash is getting extremely picky about food again and we've got to keep him eating.

Things are better today, but I feel like I've gotten no sleep for the past 48 hours. Life is beginning to seem like a perpetual boot camp. We were initially happy when Dash chose to sleep on the floor last night but it turned out to be a bad choice. He slipped off his dog bed which was protected and ended up pooping all over the carpet. It's a lot harder to clean the carpet than small things you can take outside and hose down. One of the things we hosed down last night was Dash. He was covered with poop.

Maybe I got a little sleep last night. It's hard to tell. There was lots of laundry to do and a liberal amount of Nature's Miracle was used to sanitize the carpet. Dash got another bath this afternoon and the carpet is drying out. Dash is eating the food he rejected a few days ago and we had a nice walk. Basically, all is well. I'm still tired though. Very tired.

One of Dash's vets recommended clindamycin as an antibiotic to treat his gum infection. I guess I failed to tell him about Dash's diarrhea problems. Clindamycin has an FDA black box warning saying that it can cause severe diarrhea and even colon damage. Hmm. Might not be the best drug to take at this time. There's got to be another alternative without all the side effects. For the time being we'll continue the oral rinse we use every evening. I'm not sure it works, but it's better than nothing.

I went up on the roof today and was pleased to discover that the warmer weather is causing the standing water to evaporate faster. It was fairly easy to clear away the remaining standing water from our recent rains. The only problem with Spring is that pollen from the trees mixes with the water and creates an ugly brown mess. The sticky brown water stains the elastomer coating, making it harder to find potential tears that could cause a leak. Nothing is easy these days.

I've got another auction coming up in early April. I was all excited about the first series of auctions in New York last year, but now I just wish the whole process was over. I can't decide whether to put a reserve on this lot. I don't want this stuff to sell for nothing, but I don't want it back either. The auction house has been encouraging me to tell my friends about the auction. Not very likely. It's been years since I've had any art buyer friends.

Dash has been sleeping like a baby all evening. This probably means he'll be awake later tonight when I'm trying to sleep. I'll be happy to take you outside to pee little buddy, but I'm not looking forward to cleaning up diarrhea again.

Chloe is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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