My new business cards

Since people are always asking Mommy and Daddy about me (mostly because I'm so cute), Mommy decided to order some business cards for me to hand out. It's got my title, Cutest Dog Ever, an the address to my blog. I guess this is as good as incentive as ever for me to keep up a little better on updating my blog.







Since I last wrote I have had something exciting happen: I was interviewed and photographed for my part in a book. This wonderful lady, Yvonne, called up Mommy and Daddy and asked if they would be interested in having my story written up as part of her new book. She has already written one book called, Blind Faith, and is now working on her second. My whole family had such an amazing time spending a couple of hours in the backyard talking with Yvonne. Instead of showing off, I decided to play it cool and just lay on the blanket with Mommy and Daddy. I did get into my wheelchair for a little while, but didn't walk around a whole lot. I was a little shy about all the special attention I was getting. I'm not sure when the book will be coming out, but I will let you know when I do. I'm also excited to see the pictures that she took. I always enjoy looking at pictures of myself since I am so cute. :)

Here is a link to Yvonne's first book. When the new book comes out I will put a link to that as well. http://www.buybooksontheweb.com/product.aspx?ISBN=0-7414-5496-3


My health has been pretty good. I still have a slipped disc in my back, so I have to take pain pills for that. The pain pills make me sleepy, but take away the pain and the related crankiness. Mommy really appreciates this because it means I won't bite her when she snuggles me. (I only do that when I hurt really bad).

My bloodwork continues to improve. Each time I go in for a blood test, about every 12 weeks or so, my good levels continue to stay good and the bad levels continue to improve. It's all kinds of technical, medical talk, so I can't be expected to remember it all, but Dr. Kifney always tells Mommy and Daddy that things look Great! This makes them so happy they usually give me an extra treat or extra snuggles.


Over this past weekend I spent a really long day with lots of my extended family. Eleven of us piled into Uncle Ron's motorhome and headed from Mt. Vernon down to Shelton. Normally we would have taken the ferry across from Whidbey Island, but it was cancelled due to low tides. We had such a fun time, though, that I'm glad we spent the extra time in the motorhome. Mommy played games with all her relatives and laughed and told stories. I got to nap for most of the ride, which I always enjoy. Once we got to Shelton I got to meet lots of Mommy's other relatives, some of which she hadn't seen in over 20 years. It was a beautiful warm day and I spent most of it lying down in the cool grass in the shade. I got to have little bites of the cake that was served, and Mommy even shared some of her vegetables with me. I did get a little overwhelmed towards the end of the day and bit two of the kids that were playing with me. Mommy told them not to put their faces right into mine, but I guess they didn't listen very well. I felt bad afterward, but I tried to warn them with my growl and my "LuciFerdi" look. (That's what Mommy and Daddy call it when I get upset and show all my teeth). We all had a really good time and I got to sleep all the way home, too. Mommy even let me snuggle on her lap a little on the ride home instead of in my little bed. We were all really tired and slept in pretty late on Sunday.

Now that Mommy and Daddy are on summer break (at least for a few weeks) I am hoping that they will take me on lots of car rides, walks, and bike rides. I love exploring new places and trying new things. Mommy was given her Grandma's old bicycle and is fixing it up so we can go for some family bike rides. Now she just needs to hurry up and get a basket so we can go for our first ride together.

It's way past my bedtime, so I will stop for tonight. I'll do my best to update the blog each time something fun or exciting happens. It may be once a week or once a month. Until then, enjoy your life while you can. You never know how long or short it will be. :)

--Ferdinand

2010

Hi everyone!

I guess it's been a while since I've written, but that's because my life has been pretty "normal" lately. At least normal for me. :) Although I did get some good news from the vet recently. I went in for a routine blood test to check my liver enzymes as well as all my other levels. The test was done on a Thursday and mom and dad had to wait until Tuesday to hear what the results were. But, the results were definitely worth waiting for. I don't remember all the technical stuff, but I do remember the vet saying that there was one level that was up around 6,000 and it is now down under 1,000. All in all, my levels are almost normal, compared to other dogs my age and size. This is great news, and hopefully it means that i can go off all my medication pretty soon. I don't know that for sure, but I am trying to be optimistic here.

I started off taking a full 5 mg tablet of prednisone in the morning and another at night. I am now down to 1/4 tablet once a day! I am also off all the other medications i was taking. I am so happy to be taking fewer medications. They always make me feel yucky and sleepy.

Mommy and Daddy changed the food that Moxie and I get to a brand called, Before Grain. They bought the salmon flavor which Moxie and I both love. I get that at every meal (about 1 tbsp per meal) along with some kind of fresh food. Usually I get peas/carrots but sometimes i get rice or pumpkin mixed in. Moxie is a much pickier eater than I am so Mommy and Daddy give her that yucky stuff from the cans. I like my peas and carrots so much better than that stuff.

I don't really like to be out in the cold weather and this has made my exercise time pretty difficult. Mommy and Daddy would love to get me a treadmill, but they are SO expensive. Mommy and Daddy are struggling just to pay my regular vet bills, so I don't think this will be an option. Besides, I don't even know if I would like it. I might be too scared to use it. I'll do my best to exercise as much as I feel comfortable, but it's hard when it's so cold and wet outside. Oh, how I long for warm, summer days!

Happy Birthday, Sis!

Today my big sister is 8 years old. I can hardly believe it. I have learned so much from her since Mommy and Daddy brought me home to live with them. I learned that if I bark and look cute at Daddy he will give me almost anything I want. I also learned quickly that it doesn't work with Mommy.
Today is Halloween and I am wearing my new sweater from my friend Jen. It is bright orange with a big black bat. Mommy forgot to bring the camera home so she could put the picture on my blog, so that will have to come later. Moxie is wearing her glow-in-the-dark skeleton t-shirt. I have one of those, too, but Mommy thought I would be warmer in my sweater.
Last Halloween I was at the vet having some major tests done because of my encephylitis. I am so glad that I am feeling much better these days and don't have to go to the vet all the time. I love the people that work there, but don't like all the needles and that awful thermometer.

As you may be able to tell from watching my latest video, I am walking much better now. I am healthier and I am a very happy dog.


An update: When I first went to the vet and had blood taken because my liver enzymes were too high, they were up around 850. Since I am not taking as much prednisone anymore, my enzyme level has gone down to around 300! This is a huge leap and I know that it will help me to live a long and healthy life!!! (Normal levels are at around 100)

Doing well.....

My life has gotten into a pretty good rhythm lately so I haven't had much to tell you about. That's the reason I haven't posted any new blogs in a while. I am walking in my wheelchair every day, at least 3 times a day, for a minimum of 10 minutes at a time. Most of the time Mommy and Daddy put me in my chair in the yard and walk around tempting me with treats. I walk in a big square around the whole backyard at least once every day, or until I am so tired that I lay my front paws on the ground to rest. :) It is really hard work to walk so far in my wheelchair, but it is making me much stronger.
Mommy and Daddy have been really excited because I have been trying to walk on my own a little bit. My back legs are still not strong enough to hold me up, but we are all hoping that they will be pretty soon. I can sort of scoot myself around a little bit, especially if there are treats left on the floor.
I will continue to work hard, with Mommy and Daddy's help, to get the strength back in my legs so I can walk again. As soon as it happens you will all know about it because Mommy will help me post video of me walking. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers that I will continue to get stronger. In the meantime, I have to go walk in my chair again, so we'll talk soon. :)

August

I just realized it's been almost a month since I updated my blog. I guess there hasn't been a whole lot of excitement in my life this past month. I am still using my wheelchair several times each day to get stronger so that I might be able to walk again. Mommy and Daddy started putting me in it out in the grass and they make me stay in it and walk around the yard until I'm so tired that I lay my chest on the ground. Then I get a yummy cookie and get to rest in my bed for a while.

I haven't been doing as much swimming as I should because Mommy's routine has been off for a while. Mommy and Daddy would love to be able to get a hot tub that I can swim in every day, because the bathtub is just too small. But, unfortunately, Mommy and Daddy don't have any extra money to buy one. Oh, well. In the meantime Mommy is keeping her eyes out for an inflatable pool that she can put on the deck with a cover so I can swim more often. She is also hoping that maybe she and Daddy will be able to afford to buy another package deal for me at Lap of Luxury. I love going up to there to swim with Carrie! But, at this moment I only have two more visits with her before my package runs out. Maybe Santa will bring me a package deal for Christmas. :)

I hope everyone is doing well, and I will post again when I have more news to report. Take care!

Oregon and California

Wow! I just got back from the biggest adventure of my life. The last time I wrote I was telling you all about the trouble I have been having with my liver enzymes. The day that we were leaving for our trip, Mommy and Daddy took me to see an internal medicine specialist at VCA Veterinary Specialty Center in Lynnwood, WA. I saw a couple of really nice doctors who poked and prodded me for several hours. They took my blood, did an ultrasound of my liver, took more blood, and finally decided that even though my health is not perfect right now that it would be fine for me to go on vacation. YIPEE!!! Mommy was so excited that I thought she might explode.

We left the Seattle area about 5pm and drove, and drove, and drove until we finally reached Sunriver, OR around 11 or 12 at night. We were all really tired and went right to sleep.

For the next several days I got passed around and loved and snuggled by three very sweet girls. These are Momma's third cousins; Ellie, Claire and Olivia. I had lots of fun with them.









I also got to meet lots of other relatives, but I spent the most time with these three lovely ladies. I got spoiled rotten. :)

We said goodbye to everyone on Saturday night and headed out early Sunday morning to head down to our next stop: San Francisco, CA. We stayed in the city with my Uncle Justin's dad and his wife, Priscilla. We spent two days and nights there and had lots of fun exploring. We spent an entire day in Haight-Ashbury and saw some very interesting people and shops. It was a little too busy for me, so I just hung out in my bag on Momma's tummy. We hiked up to the top of the hill in Buena Vista park and the view was beautiful.

On Tuesday morning we left again, this time we were bound for Pinecrest, CA. We made several stops along the way, including a lengthy one in Danville, CA to visit Justin's grandma, so we didn't get there until just after dinner time. We arrived, put our luggage in the "cabin" and then walked to the amphitheater to watch the new Star Trek movie. It was great. I especially enjoyed watching the bats flying past the screen during the movie, since it was an outdoor theater.

We woke up late the next morning and walked down to the lake. It only took about 2 minutes to walk to the spot where we spent the whole day relaxing in the water. I swam every day, for short periods at a time. It was pretty hot there, so Momma kept dunking me in the water and making me swim, even when I was trying to relax. It was lots of fun. I swam with and without my life jacket, but mostly with. I even did so well one day that I towed Momma in to shore on her floatie. She and Daddy were so proud of me. :)

The last picture is one of me after a day of swimming. I was sooo tired that I got a little bit grumpy when anyone tried to snuggle me too close. After some rest I felt much better, though.

We spent over a week in Pinecrest and then left last Thursday, the 23rd of July. We drove to Davis, CA where Justin's Mom lives. We stayed there for one night and then the plan was to drive to Portland, OR to stay with Cousin Mary. Along the way the car started acting really funny. We ended up stopping in Grants Pass, OR and taking the car to the dealership to get it checked out. They were able to find the problem, a broken fuel pump, but wouldn't be able to fix it until the next morning. That meant that we couldn't stay in Portland, and we would have to stay in Grants Pass, instead. We found a mediocre motel, but they did say it was ok for me and Chica and Moxie to spend the night there, too. We went to sleep early cuz we were all really tired. The next morning Mommy and Auntie Kirstin took the van to the shop. The men there worked real hard and got it fixed pretty fast. We were able to leave town by about noon. We stopped for a quick snack and got on the road.

Mommy drove for a while, then we took a quick break to use the bathroom. Then Uncle Justin drove for a while. We stopped again two more times, and were able to make it to the Anacortes ferry terminal by 8pm, just in time to drop off Auntie Kirstin and Uncle Justin for the ferry home. We got back in the car and drove home, with only one more little stop along the way. It was almost 9:30 by the time we got home for the night. Mommy and Daddy were exhausted, and we all went to sleep early. As much fun as our vacation was, we were all glad to get home and sleep in our own beds.

I am signing off for the night as I have had another long day. But, that is a story for another time. :)

Blood Test

Dear Friends and Family,
My mommy and daddy are getting ready to take me and Moxie on a long trip, so they took me to the vet for a well check before we leave. They wanted to check with the vet and make sure that I am healthy enough to be gone for over two weeks. The doctor did a general exam and said that I look healthy, which I think really means I'm getting too fat. Then they took me into the back to take a little bit of blood. I moved a little while they were taking the blood and now I have a big, purple bruise on the side of my neck. It doesn't really hurt, but it looks pretty gnarly.

The next day the vet called with the results of my blood test. She said that my liver enzymes are pretty high. I don't know what this means, but it has mommy, daddy and the vet pretty worried. See, I started taking some new medicine for my encephalitis a few weeks ago, and the doctors think that this is what is making my liver enzymes so high. The vet in Bellingham, Dr. Brita Kifney, talked with my neurologist in Lynnwood, Dr. Kline. They decided that even though the new medicine might help my neurological issues, it is not worth the risk to my liver. I am now off the new medicine and taking some good vitamins that should help to fix my liver. The vet wants to see me again next week to take a blood sample and do the test again. If everything is good with my liver again, then we know for sure it is my new medicine making the enzymes high. If the test is not good then it means that the new medicine is not the issue.

When Daddy got off the phone with Dr. Kifney he looked very sad and worried. I heard him telling Mommy that the vet said that I am a very special boy and that all my doctors are learning from me and the difficulties I have had. They are in "uncharted waters" with my condition and my issues and are doing their best to take care of me. Despite all that they are doing for me the doctors don't know if my issues are temporary or permanent and if they are leveling off or if they are getting worse. All in all, I am living on borrowed time. Nobody knows if I will live for 20 days or 20 years. I know that Mommy, Daddy and I all hope that it will be closer to the 20 year mark.

For now I will keep fighting and Mommy and Daddy will take the best care of me that they can. Mommy says that she will help to give me the best life she can no matter how long or short it is. I like that, and as long as they love me and give me cookies, I will fight each and every day to get stronger and healthier.

Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers!!!

Love,
Ferdinand