Day 3389

I got up early this morning so I could walk Dash while it was still nice and cool outside. This seemed to help. Dash was still shaky on his feet and very slow, but he wasn't panting. Lately, each of his walks seems like it might be the last. Dash seems more confused and less coordinated with each passing day. I still think the walks are important because he seems to be at his best when he's outside smelling things. The smells seem to reconnect him with reality. There's a fine line between doing something that's beneficial and doing something that might cause further harm. Since Dash really seems to enjoy these walks even though they make him tired, we'll continue for a while, taking things as slowly as we can.

When I saw that Dash had settled in for his morning nap, I went out for breakfast. I'm starting to feel nervous about leaving him now. Usually he sleeps for a very long time after his morning walk, but you never know. There's always a chance that he'll wake up and be unable to stand up. There's always a chance that he'll poop on the floor too, but that's not a big deal anymore. I wasn't gone long this morning, but it was clear that Dash did get up while I was gone. He was in a different room when I returned.

I returned to the cool restaurant for Shrimp and Grits. The place is noisy and crowded, but the Shrimp and Grits are a winner. I'm not sure if this place is going to stay cool much longer. Old people have discovered the place. There were a lot of grandparents eating breakfast with their grandchildren today.

I have more art coming up for auction tomorrow in New York. There is a period of time before the auction starts where people can bid online. So far I have received no bids. There appears to be very little interest at all. Oh, well. Maybe things will improve at the live auction. Auctions are kind of nerve wracking. There are no guarantees and anything can happen. I think this is a great piece, but someone has to agree with me for it to sell.

I think I chipped a tooth. This sucks, because I was just at the dentist a few days ago. I'm tempted to ignore this because the damage seems very minor. The last time I ignored a chipped tooth though, I needed to get a crown. A crown is expensive and they don't feel natural to me. I don't want another crown

Dash has been very lethargic today. Janet says he's been lethargic for a very long time, but I've read so much about the Covenia controversy in the past several days that I can't help but wonder if the drug has something to do with it. Fatigue and lethargy are one of the most common side effects of taking this drug. Dash was already weak. Maybe the Covenia made him a little weaker. On a positive note, Dash's oral infection is already getting better. On the other hand, it's hard to ignore all those articles from people saying that Covenia killed their dog or cat.

We're supposed to have thunderstorms tomorrow. I'm not looking forward to that. I'd much rather have clear skies and a dog who felt like eating and walking again.

Angel is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3388

I'm glad I never had a parent with Alzheimer's to take care of. Now that Dash is showing signs of dementia, it's easy to see what a monumental task this could be. Sometimes it's hard to tell whether Dash's problems are physical or mental. I suspect that is usually a combination of both. Dash gets confused on his walks and sometimes reverses direction for no apparent reason. We end up walking in circles occasionally. There are no regular mealtimes anymore. Breakfast can be at noon and dinner can be at midnight. Dogs are creatures of habit and I think it bothers Dash that he can't always remember his old habits. I wish I could help, but I can't always remember my old habits either. I do what I can. I make sure he takes his pills, gets enough food, and has a little exercise. Most of Dash's day is spent sleeping.

I never realized that half of my blog readers came from Google+. Now that the platform is gone, so are the readers. I guess it all makes sense. I had over 30,000 followers on Google+ at one time. Most of these people were photographers or loved photography, but some of them must have become blog readers. I'd almost forgotten what a great place Google+ was for photographers in the early days. You could actually have conversations with and get tips from some very well known photographers. I learned a lot.

I think the Covenia is working. The open sores on the underside of his muzzle are already starting to heal. I think the loose flaps of skin on the sides of a dogs mouth are called flews, but I keep wanting to call them lips. I guess dogs don't really have lips. Since Covenia targets bacteria on the skin, I'm not sure how well it will work with Dash's periodontal disease. Bacteria under the gum line, especially under the teeth can be very hart to eradicate.

I'm getting discouraged with my attempts to liquidate my collections. I've spent so much restoring my vintage synthesizers that I probably won't make any money at all when they eventually sell. The same thing is true for an Ellsworth Kelly print I had an art conservator restore. She did a fantastic job, but the print is expected to go under the hammer at auction for about the same price as I spent restoring it. I thought the vintage guitars would go quickly, but that hasn't been the case. One guitar sold quickly but the buyer changed his mind and convinced the dealer to let him exchange it for a different guitar. I'm still waiting for the guitar to sell. The main problem with the train collection is that nobody knows what a train is anymore. Old men still buy these things, but there are fewer and fewer of them left. I've consigned my collection with one of the best dealers in the entire country, but sales are still very slow.

I wish sleep would restore Dash's energy. He certainly sleeps a lot. Unfortunately, he still seems to be getting weaker. We had a real problem on our walk this morning. He was determined to keep going, but I could tell he was getting tired. I tried several times to cut the walk short and return to the house, but Dash refused to turn around. He is very stubborn. It was almost like his brain and his body weren't on the same page. When we eventually made it home, Dash was exhausted.

Somebody parked their car where I usually take my trash on Thursday night. Little things like this bother me. I'm superstitious about the garbage truck and always want to make sure that my trash is in exactly the same place so the driver will see it. One more thing to fret about tonight.

Dottie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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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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