Bark for Life

Greetings all and happy Sunday. Today was the Bark for Life in Avon Lake. It was a special day because Mimi is a cancer survivor and a guest of honor. She even got a special shirt made for the occasion. It reads "Fight like a girl."

Another cancer survivor, Pumpkin, was the grand marshal and decked out accordingly. I wanted to leave the path and run through the woods but dad wouldn't let me. And Mimi wanted to wander around and eat grass.

So mom carried Mimi a little ways down the path and we came back. We received some wonderful goodie bags and have already dived into them. We were so tired when we got home that I passed out in mom's lap on the recliner and Mimi went to sleep in the snoozie. Ah, the life of a dachshund! Well, back to my nap. Until next time, good nite and good treats. P-dog

Updates: long time coming

Hello all. Remember us? It's been crazy and thanks to a computer meltdown, could not blog. On Mimi's last visit to the vet, her tumor had NOT returned and her kidney disease was stable. Mimi continues to feel good, thanks to a change in food and supplements. We had a wonderful vacation at Paws by the Lake in June. The people there are so nice and give us many, many treats. Today was the 15th Annual Dachshund picnic in Kent, Oh. We were really looking forward to this. We missed last year and with Mimi's chemo therapy last year, we didn't know if she'd be around this year. She is and we had a wonderful time. As usual, Mimi was the star attraction. But many people were noticing me too. People took lots of pictures of us, which we love. Mimi got a new Hug-a-Dog harness, it's pink camouflage. Very nice! .

We sniffed and met so many doxie friends. I was so very tired when we left that dad had to carry me back to the car. (I know, poor me) Now the picnic was fun enough, but then mom and dad took us to Bow Wow Beach. It was great.

Mimi walked on the beach sniffing everything and meeting other dogs. She stepped into the water, but it wasn't her thing. I don't swim, BUT I was chasing a whippet, yes a whippet, and ran into the lake. I CAN SWIM! Mom panicked, but I came right back in. I even went in two more times.

Mimi and I really had fun today. We are both exhausted, so after a bath from mom, we are going to burrow under covers and sleep. Hope everyone is well and enjoying the summer. Good nite and good treats. P-dog

It's National Dog Biscuit Day!

Our favorite day of the year...National Dog Biscuit Day!
Mom took Mimi and I to Pet People in Rocky River for some yummy biscuits. We just love it there. The nice people there always give us treats and in honor of National Biscuit Day, they were giving away dog biscuits.
Then we took a drive out to Vermillon and stopped at Paws & Pancakes Dog Bakery for more treats. We've never been there before and boy did it smell good in there. They bake some great treats. Mom bought us some bacon cheddar biscuits, doggie bark, salmon treats, banana and peanut butter goodies.
We had a wonderful outing with mom today, now it's time to nap.
Good nite and lots of good treats.
P-dog

Visiting Santa Paws

Merry Christmas everyone. Mimi and I got to visit Santa Claus this weekend at the Grateful Dog Bakery. There were a lot of dogs there so we sniffed many friends. We also received many treats from the nice ladies there while we waited for Santa. When it was our turn, we sat on his lap and mentioned all the things we want for Christmas: treats; snacks; food; etc. Santa did not ask if we'd been good girls this year but does he really need to ask.
We also got to see Grandpa G this weekend at the rehab facility. He was very happy to see us, as were the other residents. We got lots of pets and attention but NO food. Couldn't they see we were starving to death? Oh well, mom had snacks for us, I guess that's okay.
So now it's back to life as usual. Stay warm, good night and good treats.
P-dog

Our Fun Sunday

Hello again. First let me update you on my surgery. The lump that the doc removed was not cancer. Yeah! My hair is growing back and you can barely see the incision anymore.
Mimi and I were invited to a birthday party for our canine cousin Shelby. She turned one on Sunday. Mom and dad took us to the pet store to buy some goodies, little did we know that treat were not for US, but for Shelby. When we got to Aunt Jeanette and Uncle Tim's, Mimi and I investigated the whole house. You never know when a treat will be lying around. Shelby got lots of presents but she wasn't opening them fast enough so Mimi and I had to help her. Since we were so helpful, Aunt Jeanette gave us some goodies. We not only unwapped one present, we opened the bag of goodies themselves.Why waste time, right? Mimi and I got lots of treats and even some of Shelby's special birthday cake and ice cream. Mom would only let us have a small piece of cake and a little ice cream. She said something about Mimi and I waddling out of the house. Whatever that means. We had such a good time at Shelby's party, we passed out the rest of the evening. So that was our very fun Sunday.
I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving...Mimi and I are in store for some turkey this week! Until next time.
Good nite and good treats. P-dog

Patty-the Frankenweenie

What is this? No, it's not my Halloween costume as Frankenstein. It's the incision on the back of my neck from yesterday's surgery. Feel sorry for me yet?
My tale of woe...
I got NO breakfast yesterday so I was understandably upset. Then mom takes me to the vet where they poked me, cut into my skin, and polished my teeth. Once I woke up, I saw mom at the clinic and she ignored me! I bet Mimi had a much better day being with mom at Paws by the Lake. Finally at 6pm mom came and got me. She bought me a shirt to wear so I don't scratch at my sutures. Things started to look up when mom gaven me, and Mimi, chicken for dinner. Very yummy! I spent the rest of the evening laying with the parent that DIDN'T torture me, my dad.
Today I slept in my nice, warm cage, and I got chicken for dinner again tonight. Okay, maybe things aren't so bad. Good nite and good treats.
P-Dog

Long time gone

Hello everyone! It's been awhile since I've last blogged. Grandpa G went into the hospital in the beginning of September so things have been a little crazy since then. The good news is that Grandpa G is doing much better. He's not home yet so we haven't been able to visit with him but Mom did mention something about sneaking us in.

At the end of September, we all went to Findlay, Ohio for the National Dachshund Races. Mimi and I visited with lots of friends and enjoyed watching the races. (we don't run, thank you) It was a fun day and Mimi and I got to spend it with mom and dad.

Mimi's health had been good and she's been feeling like her old self. She will have blood work done in December when she has a dental. I was doing fine too, but I seem to have a growth on the nape of my neck that the vet wants removed...tomorrow. Yikes. I guess I'll be going to the animal clinic tomorrow and Mimi will go to work with mom. I heard mom say I was getting chicken for dinner tomorrow night, so maybe it won't be so bad. I'll update more tomorrow.
Good nite and good treats.
P-Dog

Mimi, the media star

There is some really fun news about Mimi. American Dog Magazine put out a casting-call for "special needs" dogs for a PSA they were doing about adopting "special needs" dogs. Mom summitted Mimi's picture and a short bio about her. Well, the magazine picked her.
It will be in the Fall 2011 issue of the magazine. We are all proud of our Mimi for promoting the joys of "special needs" pets!
Good night and good treats.
P-dog

Mimi's 6th (and final) chemo threatment

Hi, Patty here again. Today was Mimi's last chemo treatment. Mom dropped Mimi off at the clinic.
Everyone was happy to see Mimi, although Mimi was not too thrilled to be there. I went to daycare at Paws. I don't love it there, I like to stand by the fence and bark for my mom.


I was even more unhappy because I didn't have lunch with mom. Mom picked Mimi up, she was resting in her cage.


Mom came and picked me up and she gave us both snacks. Yum! Once home, we both passed out, it was a very long day for both of us. At least Mimi and I will not have to do this anymore. I think Mimi is happier about that than me. I guess Mimi will have to visit Dr. Lamb every 3 months to get a check-up. We all hope Mimi will continue to be happy and healthy for a long time.
Back to snoozing....
Good night and good treats.
P-dog

Mimi's 5th Chemo Treatment

Sorry for the delay in posting. Mom's been sick and I, as Nurse Patty, must take care of her. On Tuesday, I went to daycare with mom and Mimi had her 5th chemo treatment. I had lunch with mom and saw many of the nice ladies that took care of us over the weekend. Of course, they recognized me and gave me a treat. Mimi's day wasn't quite so fun. They told mom that Mimi came through the treatment well and Mimi cried when she heard mom come to pick her up. Mom took us both home and Mimi was jumping and barking at dinnertime, just like normal. The past two days Mimi has been acting like the happy dog she is. Yeah! So as the saying goes, "So far, so good." Until next time, Good night and good treats.
P-Dog

Back From Vacation

Well, we just got back from vacation. Mom & Dad were gone for a few days, so we stayed at our own resort, Paws by the Lake. We let Mom & Dad think we missed them (and we did), but in reality, it was dog heaven. We brought our bed & our Snoozy with us, as well as our blankets. We were kinda bummed that we missed out on the Dachshund Picnic in Kent, but we will definitely go again next year. We got a ton of attention, and scored mucho treats. We weren't thrilled about getting a bath before we went home yesterday, but such is the price of being spoiled. While it was really nice to be away for a little bit, we really did miss being home with Mom & Dad. The good news is that Dad's off today, so we got to spend quality sleeping time with him all day.
That pretty much wraps up our weekend. We hope yours was just as good. So until next time, good night and good treats!

Patty Dog

The Cat Burglar

Hi all! We had an excellent day today - went to Pet People with Mom, Dad & Mimi. The really nice lady there gave us some treats, which were awesome. She even gave us a doggie bag to take home. We bought a bunch of stuff to munch on - well, actually, mom bought it for us, 'cuz we don't have pockets to hold money or credit cards.
Funny thing was, I was wrongfully accused of thieving a bagel snack from one of the bins. Apparently, there's something called "security cameras", and allegedly there are surveillance photos of a dog that certain people claim resembles me, trying to snag a freebie. As you can see from these photos, the suspect looks nothing like me, becuz I'm a red dapple, and this dog is clearly black and white:




Also, it appears that my sister may also have been implicated in this alleged heist:

The good news was that nobody got charged. Thank goodness for that, because my dad said he wasn't gonna post bail if the cops were called. Also, one of our friends, Bliss, showed up, so getting cuffed would have been embarassing.
All's well that ends well, as they say. At least, I think they say that. So, as always, good night and good treats!

Patricia Ophelia

Mimi's 4th Chemo Treatment

Today was Mimi's 4th chemo treatment. Mom dropped Mimi off at the vet's first then I went to daycare with mom. Daycare was okay; I don't like to play with the other dogs, but I do love when the ladies carry me around. I had lunch with mom and she shared her yogurt with me. Later in the afternoon, mom picked up Mimi from the vet's and brought her over so we could all go home. Mom said that everything went well for Mimi. Her tail was wagging and she was even jumping and barking when mom was making dinner tonight. I hope she continues to feel good, although mom and dad are prepared if Mimi does get sick. I'll be sure to keep everyone posted, until then Mimi and I will snooze on mom and dad's bed, buried in all the blankets.
Good night and good treats.
P-Dog

A Day at the Park

Happy Saturday to everyone! We had a great day today - Mom & Dad took us out to a doxie picnic outside of Toledo. It was a fundraiser for DRNA (Dachshund Rescue of North America). Mimi & I met a whole new bunch of dachshunds - they were all pretty friendly. One even had a pattern of a heart on her butt!

We met another doxie who was deaf and partially blind. He liked to bark a lot, but was actually pretty nice. I think he barked himself out - by the end of the day, he was sacked out in his mom's arms.
There were also weiner races - it was more for fun than anything else ('cuz let's face it, doxies aren't gonna run just for the sake of running!)
Best of all, we got new Hug-A-Dog harnesses from Dachshund Delights. Mimi's is pink and mine is brown. They look great! No question but that these are the best, most durable harnesses out there.
We were pretty tired by the end of the day. We didn't even bug Mom too much when she brought back some chili & chips when we stopped at Tony Packo's.
Well, I've gotta go, so we hope everyone has a great weekend and a Happy Father's Day.

Good night, and good treats!

P-Dog

Mimi's doing better

Good news, Mimi is doing much better. Last night she starting getting out of bed by herself and even ate and drank some. Today she is much more like her own self. She's been excited to eat and go outside and her tail is back wagging again! We are all very happy about this. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers. P-Dog

Mimi update

It's been a rough couple of days for my sister Mimi. This round of chemo hit her even harder than the last. We went to work with mom on Thursday and Friday so mom could keep an eye on Mimi. Lots of people came to visit us during our stay, but Mimi wasn't feeling very social, not even wagging her tail. She's had vomiting and diarrhea and hasn't wanted to eat for awhile. Mom even tried chicken! Mom gave her some medicine to help with both but this morning Mimi is still sleeping in her bed. I check on her every once and awhile, hopefully she'll feel better soon. I'll be sure to keep updating everyone. 'Til then...good day and good treats. P-Dog

Mimi's 3rd chemo treatment

Hello all. On Friday, our newfoundland neighbor below us gave Mimi and I a ride in her cart. Her name is Chili and she's just a tad bit bigger than us, but she a sweetie and we like her and her mom.
Saturday Mimi and I went to the vet so Mimi could have an echocardiogram on her heart. They wanted to make sure her heart was in good shape for the next round of chemo. The doctor said her heart was good, but it looked really strange on the screen to me. Yesterday was Mimi's third chemo treatment. Mom dropped Mimi off at the vet's and I went to daycare with mom again. It's not my favorite place but it beats being home alone. Aunt Robbin trimmed my nails and mom gave me a bath. (I was too clean so today I had to roll on the grass three times to smell good again) The vet said Mimi's chemo went well and she was lively and wagging when mom picked her up in the evening. I was happy to see her, but even happier to be home. Mimi felt good all evening and even this morning. Yeah. Her next chemo is in three weeks. 3 down, 3 to go.
That's all the exciting news from here. Good night and good treats.
P-dog

Mimi's 2nd chemo treatment

Here we are again, chemo day. Mom dropped Mimi off at the vet's this morning for her second chemo treatment. I got to go to doggie daycare again. My favorite part is when the ladies carry me around, I look so sad they can't help it. My least favorite part was falling in the pool, which wasn't filled with water. One of the ladies had to get me out because I couldn't jump out with my little legs. Dad came to pick me up and we all went to pick up Mimi from the clinic. She was still sedated so I just got a couple of sniffs in before she was put in the car. The vet told my mom that Mimi did fine, everything went well. (next treatment in three weeks) I guess Mimi had lots of visitors at the clinic all day, that was nice of them to visit my sister. Mom made chicken for Mimi again and this time she made some for me. It was really good, I ate mine all up. Mimi even ate all of hers once she woke up.
Mimi and I are both really tired from our day so sleeping has been the activity this evening.





That's all the news for now.
Good night and good treats.
P-dog

Happy Anniversary to Us!

It was three years ago Friday that Mom and Dad adopted us. And since we don't know when Mimi's birthday actually is, (please don't tell her that) Mom and dad made it the day they adopted us, so Mimi's birthday was Friday too. She's 10 and doing well. FYI-her next chemo is the 10th.
Yesterday was Bark for Life, for the American Cancer Society, at Bur Oak Park in Elyria. We were so excited and the first thing we saw was a sponsor sign with our dad's name.
Mimi and I both received a purple bandana and we walked with our Aunt Jeanette, Uncle Tim and our cousin Shelby.




There were so many good smells along the trail that Mimi and I took our time on the walk. We only walked to the half way point and turned around to walk back. Hey, our little legs can only go so far. We had fun visiting with all the other dogs, some were alittle too friendly, if you get my drift. After the walk, we went to Doggie Luv Bakery and the Grateful Dog Bakery for some treats. Mom found Mimi a lot of grain-free treats to enjoy and Mimi even got a "pupcake" for her birthday. She did share some with me.


Needless to say, Mimi and I were exhausted last night. Even today we are still tired. Thank goodness we can just lay around all day and watch some IndyCar racing.


Until next time, good day and good treats. P-Dog

Mimi's first chemo treatment

What a day! Mimi and I are both exhausted but for different reasons. I went to doggie daycare where mom works. Lots of very energetic dogs, and although I don't play, I never sat still. Except for the few times the ladies carried me around the room. Everytime I heard my mom's voice I barked to tell her I wanted her but she must not have heard me. I mean, she wouldn't ignore me right? I did have lunch with mom, she shared her banana and yogurt with me and Aunt Robbin shared her apple.
Mimi's day wasn't quite as fun as mine. Mom dropped her off at the vet's this morning for her first chemo treatment. The vet gave her a sedative so she would relax and be still for the IV treatment. The vet said she did fine and Mimi was very happy to hear mom, so much so she cried and wagged her tail. Mimi was acting funny when mom brought her home, mom said she was still sedated. She must be feeling better now because she barked at the pizza delivery guy and polished off some boiled chicken for dinner. (Hey, I didn't get any chicken)
Mimi looked funny when she returned home, both her front legs where yellow with green hearts on them. Weird! Mom removed whatever those were before Mimi had a chance to chew them off. Her next chemo treatment is in three weeks. I guess that means more doggie daycare for me!
Time to curl up with Mimi and nap.
Good night and good treats.
P-dog

Mimi's next step

Mimi went to see the vet on Saturday so mom and dad could discuss chemo therapy for Mimi. I went along for moral support...and the treats. First the vet checked Mimi's incision because she got all her stitches out (no wonder she was so restless in the cage). Next, he put 3 staples on Mimi's incision and believe it or not, Mimi got all those out too!
Mom and dad decided to try chemo therapy for Mimi and it starts tomorrow. I guess Mimi will be gone all day, and mom said I will be going to Paws by the Lake with her. That should be fun for me, but not so much for Mimi.
We all have our paws and fingers crossed that this works for Mimi and that she doesn't get too sick from it. I love my sister and want her to be well.

For now we are both resting, as usual.
More updates to follow.
Good night and good treats.
P-dog

Mimi's back!!!!!!

Yee-hah! Mom brought Mimi back from the hospital today! She's doing fine, bouncing around and wagging like crazy. I, on the other hand, have been a wreck. Although I got to sleep in the Big Bed last night, I was very stressed out today, alone in the cage. I was so upset when Mom and Dad went to work that I tried pulling the blanket on top of the cage through the cage itself. Plus, I must've barked and cried all day - so much that I'm hoarse and wheezey. Anyway, I'm just glad my sister's back and OK (but don't tell her that). Mom & Dad were saying something about Mimi getting Keno, but I don't know - she's not really into gambling. In any event, I'm glad things are getting back to normal here. I'll keep you posted.
Good night, and good treats!
P-Dog

Mimi's surgery

Mimi's surgery was today. Mom dropped her off early this morning so I got to spend the whole day alone in the cage. (And although I loved having the cage to myself, I do miss my sister)
Mimi's vet did a wonderful job with the surgery. This tumor was located on the colon, thankfully not through the colon wall. He removed the tumor but they cannot get all the cells so there is a good possibility that it will grow back again.
Mom stayed with Mimi while she woke up from the anesthesia and mom was very sad to leave Mimi at the vet tonight.
We will all go to the vet tomorrow evening to pick Mimi up and bring her home.
Thank you for all the good thoughts and prayers for Mimi.
Good night and good treats.
P-Dog

Mimi update

Mom talked with the vets yesterday. Mimi's bloodwork looked good so surgery has been scheduled for Tuesday, April 12th. Mimi and I appreciate all your good thoughts and comments.

I will update again after surgery.

Good day and good treats.

P-dog

Our trip to see the vet

Yesterday Mimi and I went to see the vet for our yearly check-up. We love going to the vet. We get treats from the receptionists when we come in, more from the vet in the exam room, more from the receptionist in the exam room and yet more from the receptionist when we leave. What's not to love?! We got some good news, and some bad news from the vet. Good news is that I don't need a dental cleaning this year...that means I won't loose any teeth this year. Yeah, I want to hang on to the few I have. The bad news is that Mimi's cancerous tumor has returned. She had an anal gland carcinoma removed last March but it seems another tumor has grown in its place. This one doesn't seem as large as the last one and this one will be removed as well. They are running blood work on Mimi and we'll know more on Tuesday. Please keep my sister in your thoughts and prayers. She has wonderful doctors and we hope she comes through this as well as the last time. But right now we are both happy and content to sleep the day away, being buried underneath the blankets. Until next time, good night and good treats. P-dog