Monday, October 3, 2011

I'm Back On Restrictions

Mama and Daddy both said I need to stay quiet. Nothing bad has happened, but Mama figured out why the vet gave her instructions for taking care of my sores. She thought he was talking about the sore she saw on my foot. Well, I have others. She was telling Daddy that the vet didn't have a lot of padding around my foot area and she started looking at my foot by bending it down and looking inside the cast and discovered that I have sores on my foot that are covered by the cast. His instructions now make sense. He told her to use a Q-tip to apply the Neosporin but to be careful to keep the cast dry. She thought she would have to be pretty messy with the Neosporin to get the cast wet on the sore she saw, but she didn't question the vet because Daddy gets tired when she asks question after question. That also explains why I have to take antibiotics again. Mama said my sores are looking a little better today though, so that's good.

I heard Mama tell Daddy that the vet said I can get on the couch, but she doesn't want to encourage me. She is scared I will get hurt. I took matters into my own paws though and climbed on the couch yesterday. It was easy and so nice. I do still like my crate though and that's where I like to stay if I'm not zipped in there. I like to have the option to come and go as a I please.

We are going camping next week, so Daddy says I need to stay quiet this week so that my sores heal up. It doesn't sound like we will do much walking on this trip. I'm going to just hang around the campsite. We are going trout fishing. Grandpa and Grandma are going to join us for a few days. I think it will be fun even though I will just be laying around.

Joey
The Greyhound Who Has To Be Quiet This Week :::sigh:::

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Do I Look Different Today?

I look different today. Do you see it? Yep, I have a new cast on my leg. I was supposed to get a new cast on Monday. Last night, I started limping really bad and Mama noticed that my toe was bleeding. The cast was pressing on my toe when I walked and it caused a sore. OUCH! Mama called the vet and he said to bring me in this morning. Mama was nervous last night, but she felt sure that it was a sore caused by my cast and not a pressure sore. My leg has gotten smaller with the cast on it and the cast came down a little more on my foot over the past three weeks and that caused the sore. It still hurts a lot and now I have to take antibiotics again.

We thought I would only be at the vet for an hour, but I was a "drop-off". I had to stay for four hours. It took the vet 45 minutes just to get my cast off. Then, he took an x-ray and put my new spiffy cast on.

Guess what? The vet said that my leg is almost completely healed! We are so excited. He said he thinks it's the best work he has ever done. Mama and Daddy saw the x-ray and said it looks really good. I have to wear the cast for three more weeks though. Mama said it's probably for the best because we are going on vacation soon and she doesn't want me to hurt my new leg. Daddy said I will probably get a lot of sympathy from the other campers. I think that means a lot of petting. The cast will be good protection for me. The vet said I can get on the couch now. He said I can walk more and this new cast gives me a little more flexibility to work my leg. It's still a hard cast though. I guess it's supposed to move a little more than the other one.

My appointment to get my cast off is three weeks from today! Mama is so happy that I'm doing so well.

While I was at the vet, Mama washed my blankets. She said Scout was nervous that I wasn't coming home. You should have seen how happy Scout was when she saw me. She was jumping around and then she kissed me all over. Blah! She got my ears all wet.

I'm exhausted. It was a long day for me. I don't mind the vet's office though. I know everyone there. Mama says it's like my second home. I was there three times this week alone.

Well, that's it for now. I'm probably going to sleep until morning.

Joey
The Greyhound Who Is Almost Healed!!!!

Friday, September 30, 2011

My New ID Tag

Yesterday, Mama told me that the Cardinals made it to the playoffs. I don't know who the Cardinals are and I don't know what the playoffs are, but I know that I have a new ID tag. Mama ordered it earlier in the week and it arrived yesterday.

I look good, don't you think?

My Crate Fever is getting better. I stayed in the office all day with Mama on Wednesday and slept. Yesterday, I slept in my crate outside the office, but Mama left my crate door open. I was a good boy and stayed in my crate, but it sure was nice knowing that I could get out if I wanted to.

In the evening, I lay in my bed waiting for Daddy to get home.

Sometimes he doesn't get home until late, but I still wait for him.

Daddy is worth waiting for even though sometimes the wait is a very long time.


Joey
The Greyhound Who May Be Getting Cardinal Fever Now

Thursday, September 29, 2011

It's My Gotcha Day....Again

Scout here reporting on a very important day. It's my 4th Gotcha Day! This past year has been crazy. Last year, we were busy will trying to sell our house and then in November we did sell it after we took it off the market. We packed and moved in two weeks. We lived in a hotel from December 23rd to April 7th. Living in a hotel was quite an adventure. It was small and we had to be walked in all sorts of weather. We learned about city life and some of it was not good. We had a lot of snow last year and I wanted to run and play in it, but I couldn't. We thought we would have a wonderful year in our new home, but then Jack, my big brother and best friend, died just three months after we moved in. I was so lonely, so we decided to find me a new brother and in July, along came Joey. Well, as you know, Joey has been an adventure. He was here a week when we learned that he would need to have surgery. We have never really been able to play together, but I do like him...sometimes. I will be happy when he is able to run and play and doesn't get so much attention.


The Story of How I Came To My Forever Family

Four years ago today, I packed my bags in Tulsa, OK and headed to St. Louis to meet my forever family. My foster Mama, Debbie, told me that my new family saw my picture on the Internet and decided they wanted me. I never knew I was being "advertised" on the Internet. It made me feel a little cheap, but foster Mama told me that my new family had been carefully screened and I would be very happy.

Here I am after I first got out of the car. I'm wearing the blue muzzle. Jack is behind me.


Here I am meeting Daddy for the first time. I'm nervous, so I'm not looking at him.


Okay, the Daddy man might be okay. I'm the one in the front. I know, Jack and I looked alike back then. Jack developed more grey over the years, but so did I.


Here I am ready to start my new life. I don't know why I was scared, but I was.


Jack wasn't happy that I was coming home with him. He was told he was getting a sister, but he thought a sister was a new toy, not another hound.

So, after four years of living with my forever family, I have to say it's working out quite well. Mama and I had a few bumps in the beginning. She wanted to call me Katie. Do I look like a Katie? I'm a huge girl, I'm not petite. I don't like pink. I'm a tomboy. Katie doesn't work for me. My name is Scout and that's just the why it is. Scout in To Kill A Mockingbird was a tomboy, so maybe that's why I was given the name. I don't know, but it's my name and it suits me. Mama does call me Scoutie from time to time and that's okay, but Katie is a big NO for me.

Scout
The Greyhound Who Is Celebrating Four Years With Her Forever Family

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Crate Fever

Hi Everyone,

It's me, Joey. It's been four weeks since my surgery and now Mama says I have Crate Fever. It's like Cabin Fever, but it's Crate Fever because I'm stuck living in a crate. I'M BORED PEOPLE!


Mama has been moving my crate around the house to give me a different view. I like sitting in front of the front door, but even that gets boring when Mama is in her office. I don't like being in the office with Mama anymore. I don't have to be in my crate in her office, but I have to stay quiet and I don't want to do that. Yesterday, after I got bored in front of the door, Mama put me in the hallway so that I could see her in the office. I liked that. I slept there for three hours!

Scout thinks it's fun to lay in my crate. She better be careful or she will get Crate Fever too.


Joey,
The Greyhound Who Wants To Run

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

We Love E-Mealz!!!

A little change of pace today. This is Mama aka Patty. My husband, Jeff, is really on a saving money kick. I know that is a good thing, but he really wanted me to trim our food budget. :-O I think I do pretty well because I only buy meat that is on sale and I clip coupons, etc. He recently came across E-Mealz and wanted us to try it. I looked at the sample menu and I was not sure at all, but I decided just to try it to shut him up.

Last week was our first week on E-mealz. You pay $1.25 a week for the service and what you receive is a menu for the week, along with the shopping list and the directions to prepare the food. You choose the plan you want and if you want low-fat, low-carb or portion control, there are plans for you, too. We chose the Walmart plan for two. There are other stores to choose from depending on your location or you can just use the any store plan. We receive a menu for five days along with the shopping lists that includes the prices. Their prices have been a little off, but I guess that's because prices change so often. I think you are supposed to spend $40 or less for the week. It only includes dinner though. There are also plans for larger families.

I really was not sure I would like doing this because there are foods that we normally do not eat. However, I have to say that I have loved everything that I have fixed including all the vegetables. I did not think I would like the cajun zucchini, broccoli salad or bacon spinach Caesar wraps, but it has all been so good! I loved the broccoli salad!

I was so excited after our first week and couldn't wait to see this week's menu. I was disappointed when I saw this week's menu because cooked cabbage was on it. Again, I thought for sure I would hate it, but to my surprise, I liked the cooked cabbage. Tonight's menu is beef tips and vegetables with white rice and Texas toast. It sounds good. I am fixing the beef in my crock pot instead of the way they recommend. I know it will be tender in the crock pot.

One of the best things about this plan is that they plan the meals so that you use some of the ingredients in two-three meals, so nothing goes to waste.

I do have to say that there is a chopping of vegetables and that's something I'm not use to doing. The recipes are easy to follow though, but it does take me a little longer than I'm used to due to the prep work. I may figure out short cuts to that after I get more experienced. The portion sizes have been good for us. We may actually loose weight without really trying. I know the foods we are eating on this plan our healthier than what we are used to eating. I am forced to try recipes that I would have never tried before, but I'm really enjoying it. I just thought I would pass this along since we are having a lot of fun with it and if you can't tell, I'm very excited about it. LOL

If you are interested in trying them, I have a link to their site on the right-hand side of the blog and they are also on Facebook under E-mealz. They do have sample menus so you can check those out before ordering. I used a coupon code of DAVE when I signed up. I'm not sure if that is still available, but you can try it.


Patty
Mama to Greyhounds Scout and Joey Who Think Our Kitchen Smells Really Good

Monday, September 26, 2011

Vet Visit, Company and Reunion - BUSY!!!

Hi Everyone,

It's me Joooey! We had such a busy weekend. We got up early for my vet visit on Saturday. We were disappointed to learn that the x-ray machine was broken, so no x-ray for me. The doctor did look at me and said I looked good. He said I could stay at the greyhound reunion all day on Sunday and I no longer have to use the sling all the time. Mama was very happy about not having to use the sling all the time and so was I. I hate using it when I do my "business" and sometimes I hold "my business" for 16 hours. I have a good bladder according to the vet. Well, now that I don't have to use it, I do my "business" quite often. Mama says walking me now is so easy and if I want to go under low branches that's fine. She used to have to crawl under the low branches with me and they would hit her in the face and leafs would get in her hair. LOL She did it because I like to do my "business" in that area and she said whatever it takes. Yes, Mama does talk about my "business" a lot. If Daddy takes me out and Mama asks if I did my "business", he won't tell her and just tells us it's my "business" and not hers. It drives her crazy not knowing what is going on with my "business".


Yesterday, was our Greyhound Companions of Missouri reunion. It has been our goal to have me better in time for the reunion. Mama was happy that I was doing well enough to attend. I met all the people who have been doing all they can to give me the best medical care and who sent us the soft-crate and the x-pen and just everything we need. I meant to thank them in person for the soft-crate because it's my favorite, but I forgot.

My cast was signed by lots of people. Mama will have to take a close up photo of my cast later to show you. Scout wore out long before I did. She didn't want to shop or walk around. She just wanted to lay on the blanket. Several people thought she was a boy because she's so big. She doesn't mind because she's not a girly girl as you know. There were lots of raffles to participate in, but we didn't win anything. We received a nice bag when we registered and it had lots of fun things, like treats. Mama bought a calendar and a few sweatshirts. The calendar has a lot of our friends in it that we have met online. Two dogs that we know from our group, Skye and Rocket are the August models. We were thrilled to find them in the calendar.

I met Jack's foster Mom. She didn't know that Jack had died. Mama told her that she thinks all dogs should go through her "boot camp" because Jack was so well trained when he came to them. She didn't think she really trained him, but Mama said he was definitely well behaved and he had to learn it from someone.

There were a lot of bees buzzing around at the reunion and I tried to catch them. Mama caught one in her soda. She took a drink and felt something in her mouth and it was a bee. Yikes! She said it was a strange feeling having a bee in her mouth.

We had a lot of fun and we stayed for the entire four hours. Mama at first thought we would just stay an hour, but the vet said it was fine for me to stay as long as I wanted even if I stood on my leg the whole time. I ended up laying down for a while, so Mama was fine with us staying. We mainly stayed in one area and people visited us when they passed by, so it worked out well for us.

I did move to the blanket after a while. Yikes, I look huge in his photo. I haven't gained any weight since my surgery. It's the camera angle...really it is. Plus, you know that white doesn't hide anything. Scout, at least has stripes.

Mama thought I would sleep on the way home, but there's no way I'm going to miss the scenery passing by the window. I slept good once we got home though.

Yes, of course, Scout slept good. It's her favorite thing to do after eating. She slept through the entire night, which is rare for her.

Joey
The Greyhound Who Had A Very Fun Weekend

Home Again - Part 3

 Well, we just realized that we didn't finish telling you about the rest of our trip home.  I don't know if we even remember the res...