Mook Predicts: There Will Be Blood

Yesterday we were out of the house for a good long while helping Big Table move into his new ocean-view estate and when we came home it looked like someone had been slaughtered in our house.

OK, it wasn't that bad, but there was blood on the kitchen tiles, on the living room wood floors, the living room rug, the sofa, and most lovely of all, on our bed. The odder thing was both dogs seemed more or less fine.

The problem is Mookie hasn't been fine for a bit. It sort of seems that turning 10 meant he had to start acting old. Starting this calendar year he developed some weirdness with his paws--we at first joked he had gout--and the vet keeps testing and trying and even dragging out big books to look things up. Our unique dog has opted for a unique malady. Seems in addition to a new thryoid problem, which requires pills, he's got some auto-immune disease in which his body rejects his own nails. So his feet get swollen and red, and that's the best part. For so far he's lost 3 nails, which have pulled up off the quick, leaving tender, bloody little nubs. And, at times, a true mess all over the house. Because if you're a dog, there's no medicine like your own saliva, liberally applied with your own tongue.

The vet prescribes other things, of course. Mook's been on steroids for the auto-immune problem, and was on an antibiotic, and has to get a 10-20 minute foot soak in medicated water once a day, too. All the pills leave him extra-thristy, so he's drinking a ton of water, which means his usually voluminous bladder fills mighty fast, so he wakes up twice a night needing to go out.

But in some ways saddest of all, there's a greyhound who is gimpy. This is a magnificent machine meant to run, and he sort of just hobbles about, a true tenderfoot.

So there's yet more reason the blog has been a bit neglected of late--the combo of doing more for Mookie, feeling ever-anxious and unsure of what's the best way to help the poor guy, and not wanting just to blabber on about an unhealthy dog.