The Skinny On Sunday Or Monday

Many of you won't read this until Monday, but I'm up late on Sunday trying to catch up on my week-plus of vacation.

Sadly, I report that my friend's two dogs, Nala and Champ, were both hit by cars and crossed The Rainbow Bridge soon after they escaped their yard.  When I posted here, the only information available was about Champ.  Thank you for your warm thoughts for the family.😢

Unhappy Chuck, at the vet's office

On Saturday, Chuck and I visited the veterinarian, who took radiographs of his chest.  There are shadows around his lungs, meaning fluid has accumulated. The Hubby had already increased his dosage of Enalapril (blood pressure), and the vet wanted an increase in Spironolactone (water pill) too.  She gave me her work email, to let her know how Chuck responds to these changes.  We made an appointment for a new heart and lung echocardiogram in a month.

Chuck has lost weight since his last visit, and after Saturday's appointment, he's been sleeping more and not eating much.  Perhaps my return to a regular work schedule will help get him back on track. And of course, Angel is hissing at him (and me!)

And yet, in spite of it all, we as a family had lovely weather to enjoy snuggles, walks around parks, and visits to outdoor farmer's markets and shopping.

Love these banks of flowers!
They are everywhere.

Sweetie actually posed for a photo

Crazy tree trunk at Stoney Creek MetroPark
in Shelby Township, Michigan

Angel, getting some summer whiffies!

Back to work!

Bacon Balls

"I want food, not pills!"

Chuck's daily medicine; these are little tiny pills!

Bacon Balls
The manufacturer knows NOTHING about this post!

Chuck gets a lot of meds each day:

1 capsule of Budesonide, an anti-inflammatory for his intestines

1/4 pill Plavix, blood thinner

1/2 pill Lasix, twice a day; diuretic

1/2 pill Enalapril, twice a day; blood pressure reducer

At first, we used those pill pocket things, but Chuck refused to eat them after awhile, so we ended up simply pilling Chuck.  Erm...um...The Hubby does all the pilling; there is no 'we' about it!  

Then, I discovered pill masker while reading a comment on a blog (thank you, whoever you are!), and ordered some online.  It is like edible Play Doh; you simply pinch off any amount, since it's really pliable.  Wrap the stuff around the pills, and you've got a nice brown bacon ball. Well, it SAYS it's bacon-flavored, and it certainly smells like it!  Voila!

Chuck loved his bacon balls; I'd roll everything up before each meal, and he'd chomp away (even the capsule!)  But then, one day, he bit into the Plavix, and he spit that bacon ball out and foamed at the mouth.  I tried again, but he was done.  That pill must be bitter.  So, now I make the bacon ball and hand it to The Hubby, who drops it down Chuck's gullet. Just to be fair, I make a smallish no-pill bacon ball for Angel to eat at the same time.  She eats hers.

I have no photo of a bacon ball to show; it looks like a piece of poop on camera!  I've also discovered that I can get pill masker at one local pet food box store; it's pricier than online, but no shipping.  And luckily, Chuck doesn't seem to hold his twice-a-day pilling as a grudge against The Hubby (or me, for that matter!)  He does get pretty elusive, however...see him hiding in the first photo?