Happy Birthday, Country Club, Treatments & Family Time

                                              Saturday May 2, 2015

On May 2 we got to celebrate Mallery's 14th Birthday. I remember when she was 12 and I just wanted her to make 13, because that is my favorite number. God blessed me with another whole year to boot! God is so Good!

With Mallery's treatments of fluids being put under her skin daily, we saw improvements with eating and energy. She started taking long walks she has not done in a very long time.

On one walk, a squirrel sat in a tree and antagonized her with his chatter and scolding. When we lived in our home on Willowbend Rd in Cedar Rapids, we had a squirrel who visited our bird feeder on our deck and loved to antagonize her as she barked wildly at it. On this day she didn't even seem to notice the teasing.

One night Kay (92) took us to the Cedar Rapids Country Club for dinner.

This has always been a treat for us when we come home to see Joe's mom.

The main room after you climb the stairs from the entrance door.

The dining room has large windows over looking the golf course.

The golf course is beautifully green already. Mallery would love this place if dogs were allowed. Joe and Kay are planning on golfing a few times before we head back to Northern Michigan.

There is also an outdoors dining area, but Joe liked eating inside better, plus by evening it is starting to cool down too much for dinner.

I love Iowa in the spring. All the crab apple trees, red bud trees, and lilac bushes are a treat to the eyes and nose!

After bringing Mallery home from the hospital, I found the Pet Wellbeing supplement, Kidney Support, online. It had almost 25 or more excellent reviews for kidney failure success. Of course I had to give it a try.

More long walks for Mallery around the Blair House while enjoying the beauty and aroma of the trees and bushes.

Kay lives on the 3rd floor on the back side of the Blair House facing the pool. Too bad it's not after Memorial Day, so we could use the pool during our stay here.

When Mallery first came home from the hospital, all she did was crawl into her kennel and sleep. After the fluid treatments under the skin and the kidney support I found online, she started to want to sleep with us again. This is a picture in the morning of her leaning her back against Joe's back, with the covers over her lower half and her sticking her head under the pillow. She like to bury her head under things for some reason.

Lately we have found her watching TV, something she has never done in her entire life. Joe thinks it is because the TV, for the first time, is down to her level. Our TV's have always been much higher up. Not sure what she can really see as she is 80% blind. Joe also though that she was looking for me. She seems to have a hard time finding me even when I call her name.

Come Saturday evening, I took over giving Mallery her treatments. The vet office was closed for the weekend, and the office tech's had been training me for this task. Can't say that I enjoy it, but Mallery tolerates it really well, probably better than myself. Joe's holds and comforts Mallery as I place the needle under the skin behind her neck. When I was a hygienist, I occasionally gave anesthetic. Never really liked it much back then either. The thing that seems to be the hardest part for Mallery is that it cools down her body temperature and she starts to tremble considerably. We have to put on several layers of cloths, so she can get warmed back up. I am hoping that the Kidney Support supplement will help enough so we can stop the fluid treatments. I just don't think I can do the treatments too long as it is too stressful for me. The vet tech said she knew of a cat owner who has been giving it to her cat for two years. The biggest problem is that after several injections around the same area, the skin develops callouses making the injection harder to push in. Mallery has lost almost 2 lbs. Her all time wight has always been 7 lbs give or take an oz or 2.She now weighs 5.2 lbs. We have been feeding her what ever we eat. Last night she had hamburger and green beans The night before she had chicken, green beans, and potatoes. On her birthday we went to my mom's home, and she got banana creme pie. She just loved that. We just want to get some fat back on her boney body. Don't think we will ever get her back to plain old dog food.

Today Joe and I took my mom, June (88) down to North Liberty to see her brother Keith (84) and his wife Patty (84). It was so good to see them! I have not seem the two of them for 3 years and they are the best Aunt and Uncle ever! Patty and Keith had a Yorkie that I fell in love with, when I was in my thirties. After that I knew I had to have a Yorkie someday.