Stampy the Biter

Stampy bit Odin again - on the other ear. It wasn't as bad as the first one, but he seems to have pierced Odin's ear in two places. Yet another reason to try splitting them up during the day. Unfortunately, I can't leave Stampy in the yard, not only because I'm gone about 13 hours a day (and there's not that much daylight right now), but because he stamps all over the sliding glass door when he's out there alone and I think eventually he's going to break it.
This morning when I was gone for about 4 hours, Stampy chewed up a can. Like a can of beans. There were TOOTH HOLES piercing the can.

Odie Vet Report

Odin is getting the following pills, rolled up in two pieces of sliced ham, which leaves (for you non-meat eaters) a disgusting slime on your skin that is hard to wash off: Enalapril, Carvedilol, Glucosamine, Coenzyme Q10, and Fish Oil; plus, on his food, some "Platinum" dog supplement; for a grand total of $70/month. That is not nearly as much as I feared it was going to be, but the twice yearly echocardiogram, x-ray, and blood draw are $500/each.
I got his Carvedilol filled at Costco, which was an interesting experience. I had to fill out a form for him (not me), that had his birthday, gender (Male?), address, phone number, and allergies to other medications. I wonder if he'll get mail from Costco or phone calls, like that time I won a ham.
Odin is NOT exhibiting the "clinical signs" yet - those will be the external symptoms that will mark (usually) 2-3 months to live. But Dr. Westcott said there is no way to know when the clinical phase will start, like it could start tomorrow. The medication is supposed to help postpone the clinical phase (but it just slows it down; it still comes).
I also had Odin's records sent down from his old vet (who was fabulous), Dr. Jeff Mayo. Dr. Westcott is going to look at them to see if Dr. Mayo heard the heart mumur when Odin was a little puppy, like I remember. Since I didn't remember him peeing on the floor for an entire year, it's possible I'm mis-remembering that too.
Odin seems to be feeling pretty good, even with all the new medication. He has been sleeping on my bed more than normal (i.e. instead of on the couch), but I think that has to do with Stampy being energetic, bratty, and pushy. And unfortunately for all of us, now that spring is on the way, the idiot City of Lacey decided to do away with the informal dog park as of this weekend. So you can still go out there and walk, but it has to be on leash, and that doesn't get Stampy tired enough.
However, ham appears to make Odin fart up a storm. Whichever room he's in basically reeks of fart. I think it is probably killing brain cells while I sleep. But it's too cold at night to have the window open.

Doppleganger Odin & Stampy

We went to the dog park on this stunningly beautiful February afternoon. The sun was out (and warm), the sky was blue, 800 other dogs were there, and we met another Odin (a lab looking Odin), learned that there is a great dane Stampy's age and appearance named Bella, and learned about another ridgeback who does not look like Odin but IS another ridgeback. I already forgot his name. Stampy played and played, but at lap 2, Odin started to seem like he was dragging extra, so Odin and I stood in the sun while Stampy played and played more.

Also, Poppy likes to eat dog food. She is kind of a weirdo cat.

Odin has heart problems

He has something called DCM. He went in on Friday and got an echocardiogram, x-rays, and blood work. The blood work is normal and healthy. The x-ray shows his heart is enlarged and misshapen, but not "grossly" so. The echo showed the DCM.

DCM is "dilated cardiomyopathy" and there is a good article on it at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/ if you put that in the search window.

Odin is getting two prescriptions: one for "cervac", a human drug to reduce his blood pressure; and Enalapril Maleate, which thins his blood.

He is also going to get Coenzyme Q10, fish oil, and glucosamine daily. Right now he is getting Platinum instead of Missing Link, but I might switch them up to keep Odin on his toes.

Both Odin and Stampy are loving it so far because to feed him his pills, I have been getting him a $1 double cheeseburger at McDonald's (and thus, Stampy gets one too) and putting the pills inside. But starting tomorrow I am going to hide the pills in squishy dog food.

The vet said that he is a healthy weight, does not need diet changes, and shouldn't have his exercise restricted. There's a chance that he'll have a heart attack while he's running and playing, but the vet thinks it's the best way to go. I agree, but I still don't want it to happen.

The side effects I'll be watching for are Odin acting loopy, tired, taking a longer time to recover, breathing fast or other abnormal changes in his breathing, coughing - especially soft and at night, or turning blue.

He doesn't have any fluid in his lungs yet, but he will be getting echos, x-rays, and blood work every 6 months.

I don't think I'm going to be able to prepare myself for what it will feel like to lose Odin. He is my tail.

In other news, earlier in the week, he stepped in poop in the yard (the day after I did poo patrol), and I tried to clean his foot, couldn't stop feeling gross about it, so I made him wear a sock around the house, with vetwrap on the top to hold it up.

Stampy ate my mango today. He has been a bad dog the past week. He also blasted past the dog crate (blocking the bedrooms, office, and bathroom from the rest of the house, which he is free to roam in) earlier in the week and chewed on my crocs and pajamas.

The cats are all enjoying going out into the garage and hanging out in there for a few hours. Poppy has gotten especially pushy about trying to get out the door into the outside. Kappa and Peony seem to be content to be inside. Kappa likes to sit in my "to shred" box and watch me when I'm on the computer. I'll attach a picture.

Oh yeah, and Odin recovered from Stampy's attempts to overthrow the King.

Picture also attached from that (a gross one).