If you don’t care about dogs, just wait for my next blog post.
Well, it’s been a busy few weeks…not doing as much sewing, but I’ve sure been getting to know Kalee’s vet really well. Poor Kalee has had so many issues lately. She’s struggled with pancreatitis and gastritis since she was about two years old, and she’ll be 15 in July. That means we’ve been dealing with stomach issues for a LONG time—and we’ve seen more than a dozen vets between our regular office, three different ERs, and even two vets in Florida! Honestly, it’s probably more than that with all the vets who have come and gone over the years.
Her most recent symptoms—burping, gagging, not eating or drinking, and obvious discomfort—have been really worrying. It makes my stomach turn and makes it hard to even think about going away and leaving her. She gets very nauseated (lots of grass eating and drooling), though thankfully she’s only vomited twice…both times outside at 3 a.m.!
Last week alone I was at the vet Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday—and then again Monday. Even the vet said she looks so sick. At our last visit, Kalee curled up on my lap and fell asleep while we waited. For 15 minutes or more—with dogs barking, doors closing, people talking—she just slept. That’s how worn out she’s been.
Back in January, we switched her to a kidney-friendly dog food because of some elevated levels, and she loved it at first. But then she stopped eating again. I’ve been putting out three or four different options at a time—Rx canned kidney stew, chicken and rice, and my own ground turkey/veggie/rice mix (you’ll see that in the photo). Sometimes I even add a bowl of kibble, just in case. And still…nope.
That said, the past couple of days—I'm almost afraid to say it—she’s been more alert and has even played with her toys two or three days in a row! She’s still picky, though. I never know from one meal to the next what she’ll eat, so I just keep trying different options until something works. I just want her to eat and drink.
And then there’s little Gigi, who is an absolute doll. She has heart murmur 3–4 & congestive heart failure and is on liquid heart medication twice a day—10:30 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. These dogs take more medications than Bob and I! But honestly, I’ll do whatever it takes to keep them comfortable and happy.
So that’s life lately. When I do get a chance to sew, Kalee will lay on her mat on top of my sewing table, look out the window, and then drift off to sleep. Yes, that is snow outside—and my hex pieces are in the lower right corner. See? I am still sewing a little!
If you’re a dog lover, please say a prayer for our girl—that she keeps feeling better, or that somewhere, some vet figures out exactly what’s going on.
Thanks for reading. 💛
