1st January 1999
New Year, same places to visit... Still no Uncle Greg, but the nasty muzzle is out again, and this time the vet puts his hand right up my bum. Apparently I've got an enlarged prostate - for which the cure is castration... but that's risky because of my heart problems - so they give me a "chemical castration" which should help, and some anti-biotics and an order to come back and see Uncle Greg.
5th January 1999
A new surgery - as we go to visit Uncle Greg in Stortford. Its much quieter - but he's been talking to the other vets as the muzzle is out again. Malcolm and Becky have gone in with a list of questions, and we come out with a recommendation to up the dijoxin again, but only slightly, and Uncle Greg is going to get us some Potassium supplement as well, as the two heart drugs both reduce the amount of potassium in my system.
15th January 1999
All is well - although Becky has gone away again, so I'm a bit restless, and Malcolm left me all alone when he went to hockey training. The sooner this weather improves the better.
23rd January 1999
Oh oh, looks like I'm in trouble again. We went to class, and Socks came over and was bouncing all over, so I tried to warn him off, and ended up with a mountful of skin - if only he was a long haired dog. Anyway, Socks is OK after a vet visit, which Malcolm volunteered to pay.
27th January 1999
Now Malcolm has gone away - he left very early, and it looks like it might be sometime - so I've got to hope Becky walks me... She did :-) and very late Malcolm telephoned from somewhere called France - it sounds a long way away. He says he'll be back on Friday.
29th January 1999
Becky keeps trying to feed me, and I'm just not hungry - I'll eat chicken, and Schmackos but all this other food just isn't palatable. Oops, we're off to see Uncle Greg again - he thinks it might be the Digoxin, but just in case I'm on more tummy pills over the weekend.
Just as Becky has finished cooking the chicken for dinner Malcolm really did come home - he looks as pleased to see us, as we are to see him.
1st February 1999
Still not keen on food all weekend - except for special like tripe - so Malcolm decided I would get no food except normal stuff. We'll that's fine for him to say - so now my tummy is growling and I've woken him up. That'll teach him. He gets up as normal, but I don't want to go for a walk - he put my lead on, but when I just lay there I think he got the hint... I managed to eat some chicken and rice, and now I'm a bit better - so once again its off to see Uncle Greg.
Loads more questions, and then he goes for the jugular (literally), as he takes a blood sample. They muzzled me again, so I just had to sit there, but now my liver and kidney functions have been checked and they are OK - so tomorrow we await the phone call for the details of the digoxin levels...
3rd February 1999
Well I'm feeling alot better now - even eating Chappie now - although I much prefer Chicken, and Malcolm has taken to fighting me to put the pills down my throat, and I think he kind of admires the way I'm able to juggle the pills on my tongue, eat my reward Schmacko and then spit out the potassium. Anyway, Uncle Greg has said I'm at the top end of the normal theraputic levels of Digoxin, so he wants me to go down to half a pill twice a day, and then we'll have to keep an eye on things.
15th February 1999
Becky's been away for almost a week now, and after a lovely day at Grandma's yesterday I'm full. That bone was lovely, but now my eye hurts and I want to keep it shut. Malcolm noticed this, and took me to see Uncle Greg - turns out my right eye is very "angry" and he thinks I might have glaucoma - which is something to do with pressure in the eye. So armed with two little bottles of eye drops we went home and now I have to guess if its pills or eye drops.. Still the extra treats are nice.
17th February 1999
Becky came home :-) My eyes are much better now - so we'll keep to our scheduled visit to see Uncle Greg on Friday.
19th February 1999
Eyes are getting there now... I don't like the drops but they do seem to work.. Uncle Greg says go back to 2 times a day of the expensive ones.
26th February 1999
Now my leg hurts.... its my left front... so its back to see Uncle Greg... he can't see anything wrong, and neither could Malcolm, so they are assuming its arthritus... I've got more pills, but the eyes are up again, so we're back to three drops of the expensive ones again.
3rd March 1999
Check up day... good job really, as the expensive drops have run out... My leg is better, but the eye is still angry, so Uncle Greg says we've got three choices.. carry on with the drops, which help but haven't cured the pressure ... remove the eye - yes, that's what he said.... when Malcolm queried it, Greg said that if we can't cure the pressure, I'll be blind in it, and have pain, so not having it is a better option, but yeuch... or see the Optomologist.
I'm glad to say Malcolm picked number 3, and we've got an appointment to see the Optomologist on March 19th. Until then, we're stopping the expensive drops, and monitoring, but if it gets sore we're to go and get more...
4th March 1999
Oh well - a day without drops, and the eye is swelling again, so Becky went back to the vets to pick up more expensive drops. And if that wasn't enough, now all my hair is start to fall out again.. although I enjoy the attention I get when they groom me.
19th March 1999
I've been off the drops for 36 hours now, in preparation to see Professor Bedford, the Optomologist. We arrived as normal, but all the other doggies waiting were to see the Professor too. Then, we were taken into the very depths of the surgery - there was a big table, but I stayed on the floor like normal. Malcolm and Becky filled him in with the history, and then that damned muzzle came out again.. although I guess its for the best.
Then all the lights went out, and the Professor shined a bright light in my eye. The good news is that the left eye is fit and healthy, but the right one has a detached retina.. in two places.. Its quite recent, so it might have caused the Glaucoma - or have been caused by it. There is no way to tell.
So, I'll never see from that eye again :-(, but we don't have to lose it.. the plan is to continue with the drops to reduce the swelling, and I've got some different anti inflamatory drops - which are absorbed better into the eye, and should stop it from being so hard. We have to continue them both for a month, and then check with Uncle Greg - then we might stop the cheap drops, but continue with the expensive ones..
The eventual hope, is that the right eye swelling will stop as the cells die off, and it will be comfortable again, but if I damage it, or the eye shrinks too much, some remedial action will be required...
21st March 1999
Its Sunday, and we are off to see Grandma again - it seems a very strange mood. We have some dinner, and watch more hockey, then just after a walk Malcolm and Becky got their things together and left.. leaving me. Grandma and Grandad were very nice, but it seems strange, and I just wanted Malcolm and Becky to come home, and when they did it was very nice. Apparently I'd just settled down to sleep for the first time, when they got in.
27th March 1999
What a busy day - first of all a long walk, then class, and then we jumped in the car to go to Grandma's.. no dinner or hockey this time, but after a walk they disappeared again. I hope this won't happen too often. This time Grandma did my eye drops and pills, as well as feeding me, so I was happy enough. But when Becky and then Malcolm came back I wagged my tail with all my might to show them how pleased I was - they must have been pleased to see me too as they fussed me, and played with me for a long time before we went home.
5th April 1999
I'm sure this is the second weekend, without a week in the middle. Or maybe Malcolm and Becky have quit work to stay with me all day... We've had fun in the garden - although Malcolm doesn't like me digging the mud he placed carefully in a hole on Saturday. Today we went to Grandma's again.. but this time they stayed with me.. Malcolm seemed to sleep all the time... he made an excuse about the fresh air tiring him out..
10th April 1999
Now its very early.. I'm sure its supposed to be the weekend, but Malcolm took me out at 7am and now we are off again to see Grandma.. I've got an eerie feeling and once again I'm proved right as they disappeared. I tried to let them know they'd left me behind, but they weren't listening :-(.
The day was OK - Grandma didn't realise how strong I can be :-), but it was very late and they still hadn't come home, so I asked Grandma, and she said it wouldn't be long... I tried to sleep, but it wasn't long before they really did come back... They'd been to Cardiff - in Wales - but I didn't care because they'd come home... We went to sleep in Grandma's lounge as it was so late.
11th April 1999
Its very odd sleeping somewhere different, so I kept waking Malcolm up, so we could go out... he gave in at about 9am and we went out for miles and miles (I think he got lost !!). A nice restful day, all together, although Malcolm and Becky kept saying that my team beat their's at hockey... I don't understand. We packed up, and went home soon after.
12th April 1999
Both of them were at home today, but when it came to walkies time, we had to go in the car... and see Uncle Greg at the vets... he was very nice though, and said I was good :-). We've got to continue the drops, but we don't have to go back for 3 months... that's an incentive to stay well if ever I heard one !!
30th April 1999
Yesterday, Becky and Malcolm had what looked like a bone - but it was yellow. They called it Corn on the Cob. They didn't leave me any :-( But today they had it again, and Malcolm left me half of the corn - they thought it was very clever the way I held it in my paws - and nibbled the corn, but its like a bone.. and I'd seen them eating the corn. I hope we have that again soon.
11th May 1999
Malcolm went away to play squash, so I went with Becky to see Grandma, but Becky left my dinner and pills at home, so we had to rush back.
14th May 1999
I think Malcolm's learnt what I'm barking at - Becky was out, and there was this little black buzzy thing at the door - it was stopping me sleeping, so I barked. Malcolm came down, saw the "fly" and swatted it. At the third attempt it was trying to climb up the door, so I ate it. It didn't taste very nice, but its stopped buzzing now. I'm glad I saved some dinner to take away the taste.
16th May 1999
Now I'm in the dog house again. They keep nagging at me to play with toys, and late tonight I found a toy in the garden. It was spikey, but when I tapped it with my paws it rolled from side to side. Becky saw me playing and came out to see what was happening, and tried to take it from me, so I picked it up and took it in the house, but it was heavy and spikey so I put it down. Becky then grabbed me, and told Malcolm to come and sort it out. It was still rolled up. At first they thought it was dead, but I was just playing with it, so they put it outside and thirty minutes later when I was let out again he had gone. They said it was a hedgehog, and I had frightened it, but I didn't mean to.
18th May 1999
Now Becky is worried about my breathing again, so its back to see Uncle Greg. He's increased the Lasix (to 2.5 pills twice a day) and Digoxin (to .75 pills twice a day), and we've got to monitor it.
26th May 1999
I'm not any better, so its off to see Uncle Greg again, and he took more of my blood to do tests. We have to wait a couple of days for the results.
28th May 1999
Back to the vets again, but its not Uncle Greg, its the nice eye Professor. Malcolm made me wear the muzzle, but when my eye had been checked, the Professor gave me a Schmacko (the one Malcolm had taken with him). He's taken me off the Maxitrol drops, but we have to stay on the Tru-Sopt. As an aside, Uncle Greg said that my digoxin level is right on the maximum, so we have to use another heart drug. This one is called Fortekor, and I have to talk half a pill once a day an hour before food.
31st May 1999
The new heart drug is working well... Malcolm and Becky keep getting worried as I am so quiet when I sleep. We have to go back to see Uncle Greg on Friday, but I feel much better.
1st July 1999
Now we are back from holiday - and its so boring. Malcolm and Becky are back at work and I only get my normal walks. We went to Shropshire, and visited all sorts of places, towns and countryside. We also went to Wales a couple of times, and I went swimming in a number of pools and they were very impressed when I fetched a stick.
I had a couple of problems whilst away though - a couple of fights/almost fights - but the only injury was a slight graze to my lip - so we went and visited the local vet. He gave me penicillin, but also a treat, which was nice.
It was very nice being with Becky, Malcolm, Grandma and Grandpa and Uncle Timmy all the time - although coming home is that much harder. Being a strange place, I was also off my food, which worried Becky and Malcolm, but now I'm back I'm eating as normal. I only do it to wind them up !!
22nd July 1999
Sorry for not writing, but not alot has happened... Its way too hot (yes even in Britain !!) I'm well, although Malcolm is a little confused that I've stopped fighting when he gives me my pills. They left me with Grandma and Grandad last weekend, but it was nice as I got Duck and Rabbit for dinner as well as extra Schmackos. I think it might happen again this weekend - something about Star Wars I think they said.
29th July 1999
I don't understand... I'm feeling fine - although I'm hot, and still we had to go and visit Uncle Greg - a checkup I think they said. Still, at least this time he just said hello, and after a little examination he gave me a Schmacko - maybe he's not all bad. We have to go and see Professor Bedford next week, but after that we don't have to visit until its time for my inoculations.
6th August 1999
We went to see Prof Bedford again today. He was very nice. He shined a bright light in my eye for a few seconds, and then while he was explaining what he'd seen to Malcolm and Becky, he gave me two whole Schmackos :-)
17th August 1999
Malcolm gave me an extra huge bone today. He said it was my official birthday. Really it was too big, but then he made it smaller by hitting it with a hammer. It was very nice... I hope I have birthdays more often now..
22nd August 1999
Grandma and Uncle Timmy came round today, and we went in the car to Aunty Pat's house. There were loads of doggies there. We talked to lots of people, and every so often we have to get up and stand in between some ropes. We didn't win the Most Handsome dog prize, but Malcolm and I were 4th in the "Best Six Legs", then we got 3rd in the "Most adorable eyes" (guess they didn't notice the blind one), then Malcolm told the judge my story, and we were 1st place in the Best Rescue dog, and finally, we got 4th in Best Veteran.
Then, after a little rest we queued up near all these obstacles.. some other dogs went through them, but I just followed Becky, and let Malcolm do the tunnels. He seems to enjoy that sort of stuff :-).
Next up, was something that made all the owners laugh... The dog with the biggest balls... I think the judge was training to be a vet, 'cos she said hellow nicely, then tried to grab my bits... so I tried to bite her hand... we didn't win.
Finally, we had the Team Obediance, and we were with Aunty Karen from class and we won... the prize was some fizzy drink which was nice, but they wouldn't give me too much..
28th August 1999
For the first time in ages, I found a spikey ball - it was very big and heavy, and it stabbed me when I tried to pick it up... and after I yelped Malcolm and Becky came running out. They took it out the front, and then its baby came looking for it... so that had to go out the front too.
29th August 1999
The baby didn't learn... it came back, so I took it in the house to show Malcolm and Becky... they didn't seem impressed and sent it out the front. Don't they realise I'm just trying to get them to help eat my Chappie.
5th September 1999
It was a strange day - we went in the car to a place called Tunbridge Wells - and like we did on holiday we went for a nice walk and then sat down at a pub. But this time, Malcolm's Mum and Dad and Barney arrived. It was their anniversary. Everyone had a nice meal, and Barney and I were both very good. I hope we can go there again.
6th September 1999
Becky went away today - she says she'll be back, but Malcolm and I did a good deed. One of those spikey balls fell down a drain, and Malcolm rescued it - and I let it have some of my Chappie.
7th September 1999
Eventful day again... Malcolm and I were out for a walk on the field when this greyhound (it was brown actually) appeared in front of us. I tried to chase it off, and it ran and ran and ran. Malcolm called after me to stop, but I wanted to stop us being harrassed, so having dodged him I chased. It ran very fast that I had to stop for a rest, and Malcolm fell over and hurt his knee. Then I started again, and Malcolm seemed very surprised when I got to the greyhound and just sniffed it. Did he think I would attack it ?
Malcolm was confused.. his knee hurt, but he was cross I'd run, but pleased I didn't attack... but I had to stay on my lead. The rest of the day was calm, but at night I found another spikey ball, and was trying to tell it to go away when it started to screech.. so loud that Malcolm was woken up - he said he thought it was me... isn't that sweet. Once again it was taken out the front so I couldn't get it... Malcolm doesn't seem to realise how far they have to walk to go home.
16th October 1999
Sorry its been a while since I've written... but I'm feeling quite well. Becky and Malcolm just had a week off and we went for walks and tidied up the house. Apparently I'm getting noisy (not barking, noisy when I breathe), so we went back to see Uncle Greg today, and he's given us more pills.. a top up of the Fortekor - apparently I'm nearly maxed out on drugs without untried experiments.
25th October 1999
After a week I'm still noisy - but I'm much more bouncy... so we are staying on those drugs.. only a month until we have to get my vaccinations - no-one thought I'd last this long... must be something to do with all the love I get :-)
6th November 1999
Its a whole day since Becky went away, and I'm missing her already. Malcolm and I went to class today, and a horrid little mutt called Blue bit me. It was such a surprise - and when I turned to get him I was in such pain I bit on the first thing I found - which it turns out was Malcolm's hand... oops. I had to do class with Baby Max's Dad until Malcolm came back - but he wasn't mad with me which was good.
9th November 1999
Becky is still away, so I'm not eating... think its worked though 'cos Malcolm has started to defrost a chicken... guess that means we get nice dinner tommorrow.
19th November 1999
Malcolm forgot to take me to see Uncle Greg... it was for my vaccinations, so he's making the excuse that he forgot 'cos I'm not ill.
20th November 1999
Oh well, I didn't get away with it for long... we went to see Uncle Greg and he was very surprised I'd made it this far... if I had fingers I'd cross them that I shock him again next year.
14th December 1999
Malcolm went away early... and then Becky left today too... so when the door bell rang I had to guard the house... imagine my surprise when Grandma opened the door. That was a nice surprise.
15th December 1999
Today Becky was with me at home all day - but she took me to see Uncle Greg as I was noisy again. They said something about me needing more drugs as I've put on weight, so I now have to take an extra Lasix pill every day. It wouldn't be as bad if I got extra treats... :-(