More on Angel

After I got Angel home yesterday I started to wonder about the doctor's diagnosis. I wouldn't want to second guess the vet, and I trust him because I have taken Angel and Jackie to him a number of times and he has always been the sort of doctor who listens to my concerns regarding the care of my pets, and he answers all of my questions completely. But I have some pretty nasty degenerative spine disease of my own, and I am very familiar what that looks like on film, (x-ray and MRI,) but what I saw on Angel's films didn't look like much of a problem to me.

What happens with some forms of degenerative spine disease such as what Angel is dealing with, is that bone grows on the vertebrae where it shouldn't. This condition is called "Spondylosis". One of the problems associated with spondylosis is that as the bone grows it encroaches on the spinal cord and/or the nerves that come off of the spinal cord. That condition is called "Stenosis". In my case where my nerves branch off of my spinal cord, and thread through my vertebrae in my cervical spine there is enough stenosis that the nerve is continually irritated, and that causes me to have significant pain in my neck, shoulders, arms and hands. In Angel's case this is supposedly the reason he had pain in his hind quarters.

My problem with the diagnosis, however, is that as hard as I looked, I couldn't see any stenosis anywhere in Angel's x-rays. I did see the osteophytes forming on his vertebrae, but the looked like little nubs on the part of his vertebrae where there should be a nice rounded radius. They didn't look large enough at all to be pressing on anything yet. I also didn't see any subluxation that might also cause any irritation to nerves in his back. (The doctor did mention he has a chiropractor who comes in and adjusts the spines of some of his patients, but I have seen a couple different chiropractors myself, and was wholly unimpressed with the results.)

But, x-rays are tricky things to look at, and it takes a trained professional to accurately report on what is in them. Nerves are soft tissue, and soft tissue doesn't show up real well on x-rays. I may have seen plenty of x-rays and MRIs of the damage in my neck, and I have even been able to see clearly what the doctors are talking about when they reviewed those films with me, but that still doesn't make me an expert, and I very well might have missed something.

Still, it is always better to question something when you have doubts. Especially when it comes to the health of someone you love. Perhaps when we see the doctor next month for Angel's follow up I will ask him to show me just where the problem is.

Now, here's some pictures of Papa and Jackie frolicking around this morning. Both appeared quite healthy, but I did admonish Papa to not play so hard because he is on doctor's orders to rest.

I found the following picture today, and thought it went well with the rest It shows Jackie as a baby, (she was three months old,) wrestling with her new big brother, Angel.

Not So Good News For Angel

Angel is five years, and three months old, and it seems the vertebrae in his back are already growing bone where they shouldn't. The condition is called "Spondylosis". Essentially Angel has arthritis in his spine.

This is the first time I have ever seen him act this way, and when I brought him home he seemed much better, but he still wants to be outside, and runs from me when I approach him. I am guessing he runs from me because he doesn't want me to pick him up, or do anything to hurt him, and he might want to stay outside for the same reason.

Right now he is in the house, and I have given him the meds the doctor wants him to take. The doctor also wants him to go for walks, which I have not done since we moved into the new house, and wants him to rest for now.

I guess there really isn't much I can do for him except to try to slow the bone growth, and follow the doctor's instructions to that end. But whatever I need to do to help him stay as healthy and pain free as I can, you can bet your last dollar I will do it.

Doggie Woes

It's been a rough twenty-four hours.

Yesterday I had to take Jackie to the vet because she somehow scratched her eye. I originally thought she had a tiny bit of soap in her eye as a result of a bath I gave her a few days ago, but her eye never got better, and so I took her to the vet to have it checked out.

It turns out she has a small ulcer, probably due to her scratching at her eye because the soap irritated it so. I have to give her eye drops four times a day, but the doctor said it should heal up fine.

But, Angel might be in more serious trouble.

Yesterday we had a barbecue with some of our family, and all day Angel seemed to be fine. In fact I remember when I took Jackie to the doctor I saw Angel, and he was acting like his old self.

Then sometime during the party he started acting odd. We thought it was because there were a lot of people in the house, and he was just afraid. (He has not been around that many people at one time before.) But after everyone left he still acted a little skittish, and wanted to stay outside.

Angel likes to be inside, so that in itself was weird, but when I reached down to pet him, and pressed lightly at the base of his tail, he snapped at me. In fact, if I tried to touch him at all beyond his ribcage back he would try to stop me by lightly grabbing my hand in his mouth.

I took him to the emergency animal hospital last night around 8pm, but it was going to be a very long wait, and when I took Angel out of his crate and tried to duplicate what happened at our house, he was fine. Hoping he was now OK, I took him home. Unfortunately, he again tried to bite me when I grabbed his hind quarters. So, this morning I took him to our vet, and that is where he is right now.

The doctor ran his thumbs along Angel's spine, and Angel seemed to be fine until he reached a spot where Angel sort of jumped a little. The doctor asked if Angel liked to jump, and I said no, that the only time Angel jumps is when he jumps off of the couch. Otherwise, his four little feet stay firmly attached to terra firma.

Angel walks fine, and even runs. He eats, goes potty, and in every other way seems to be OK, but for some reason he is tender in his hind end. The doctor noticed that his belly is "tense", and mentioned pancreatitis, but after finding the spot on his back that made Angel jump, the doctor was more inclined to believe Angel has a back injury of some kind.

The doctor said that Angel could have a degenerative disc problem, (like father like son!,) but he also said Angel could have hurt himself somehow. He ordered a couple of x-rays for Papa, and so I had to leave my boy at the vet's for most of today. They called a while ago and asked if I could come pick Angel at 2:40 this afternoon. I asked the receptionist if she could tell me anything about his condition, but she said I would have to talk to the doctor when I come in. She did say, however, that she could tell me they would be sending Papa home with me, and that there is some medication he will need to take. She said also that the doctor wants me to keep him quiet for the next three weeks, and then bring him back for a follow-up at that time.

I think that is good news. I think Papa some how hurt himself during the party, or that one of our guests may have inadvertently hurt him.

Either way, I don't care, just as long as Papa is OK.

Disneyland Ticket books

You know, if there is one thing that takes me back to the good old days at Disneyland, and makes me feel like a child all giddy with anticipation at the thought of going on a trip to the park, it would have to be the old Disneyland ticket books.

I remember being eight or nine years old, and going with my parents to my grandparents house on the eve before the Big Day, the day we were going to go to Disneyland! It was one of those times when you are a kid and time just seems to move at a snail's pace. My parents had told us we were going to go about a week before the actual day, and it seemed to me after a while that I just couldn't wait any longer... I HAD to go to Disneyland!

The usual trip started off with us staying the night at my grandparent's house in Azusa. My family lived in Ventura at the time, and Ventura is a good hour and a half drive to Disneyland. By staying with my grandparent's in Azusa my wise old man knew we could get to the park inside twenty minutes, and there would be no bathroom breaks necessary along the way. He could sleep in a little longer, and we would get maximum hourage at the park.

The night before Disneyland at my grandparents house was worse for me anticipation-wise than any Christmas Eve. Seriously. That is how much I loved the place. While waiting for my bedtime, (which was the only time as a kid I wished would hurry up as well,) I would plan my day at the park by looking at the inside back cover of one of the many partial ticket books my parents would bring from past trips.

On the inside back cover there was a list with every attraction at Disneyland, and next to each attraction was a little box that I assumed was a check box. I would look at that list, and put a mark in the little check box to mark each ride that I wanted to go on. Even s a child I knew that it was pointless to go through this exercise because I already knew what I wanted to go on, and I even knew where each ride I wanted to go on was located inside the park. But, what my little planning of my day did do for me was let me imagine going on each ride in my head. It was sort of like going to Disneyland before going to Disneyland. A "pre-trip" of sorts.

When Disney realized the obvious, and eliminated the cumbersome, wasteful ticket book format in favor of a single pass wherein the guest pays a large fee for regardless of how many attractions they go on, I really didn't mind much. It's funny, and true, that you don't really appreciate what you have until some one takes it away from you.

When I became an adult I inherited all the partially consumed ticket books my parents had collected through the years. In those days Disney was pretty cool about bestowing an unlimited life to their ticket books. You could use the tickets out of a book you purchased in 1966 to gain admittance to an attraction in 1976. Even today, if you have a ticket book that still has the admission ticket attached you could present it at the gate and get into the park. It is still valid. You would be foolish to do so, though, because Disneyland ticket books are hot collectibles, and a full book with the admission ticket still attached is the holy grail of ticket books.

I not only have the ticket books my folks gave me, but several that friends and other relatives have given me as well. And I do have a few with the admission ticket still attached. I really cherish these scraps of paper.

I have a problem, though. See, I have a ceder chest that I keep a lot of that sort of ephemera in, and while it is safe there, it isn't the best way to display them. So, the other day I went to a local crafts store and bought a nice frame, and here is what I did with it..

So there are a few of my ticket books from the good old days at Disneyland. Next time maybe we will take a look at some old souvenir maps of the park.

The Pirates of the Caribbean In My House

Yesterday I briefly mentioned my Disneyland collection. I have in the past posted pictures of some of the cooler things I have in my collection, and I figured since I just happened to have some pictures with me of my latest acquisition, I might as well post those for you...

So there ya go, another wonderful item from my small Disneyland museum. While I like the newer things such as the Olszewski sculptures, I also enjoy the older collectibles that I have. In fact, I prefer them. For me, Disneyland isn't what it once was. When I would go during the sixties with my parents, and even on into the seventies and eighties as a young adult, you could easily see the strong influence of Walt Disney. It was his hand that made the park so unique, and so, well, magical. Today the park just doesn't feel the same to me, and I guess I try to recapture some of that old nostalgia for myself by preserving items in my collection that hark back to that golden era of the park's history.

Next time I will share with you some of that older stuff.

Tiki Thalia

There is one room in the house that is strictly under my control. Sort of like what the men of the fifties and sixties would have referred to as their "den", my room is something my wife felt I should have because she wanted me to have a place where I could display my extensive Disneyland collection. She also wanted me to have a place in the house to call my own because she is a wonderful person, and she loves me very much.

My room is what was originally the living room of our new house. The previous owners added another large room with a fireplace, and that room is my wife's room. We each are free to decorate these rooms as we see fit. As it turns out, we both like each other's rooms, so it has worked out rather well.

Over the years I have collected what I think is a pretty impressive collection of things associated with Disneyland in California. People often confuse my obsession passion for collecting Disneyland related items for a love of all things Disney. While I do enjoy a lot of different aspects of the Disney Company, I am most enamored with the original Disneyland, and that is the focus of my room.

Anyway, there is a wide variety of things to be found in my room ranging from tickets and souvenir handouts and programs, to maps, attraction posters, vintage souvenirs, and collectible sculptures.

One of these sculptures is a replica of a Tiki God that is part of the "Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room" attraction at Disneyland. The attraction is one of the oldest in the park, and was the first to use audio-animatronics. Last year, as part of the Disney company's celebration of Disneyland's fiftieth birthday, Disneyland offered a plethora of collectible souvenir merchandise. Among the many coveted treasures was the Tiki God I have in my room. I honestly thought my wife would hate it, but she asked me if she could put it in her room!

Thalia loves all my Disneyland stuff, and the Tiki God has become one of her closest friends...

More cats can be found at the Friday Ark at The Modulator, and the Carnival of the Cats this Sunday.

Dogs in the Hall

When we lived in our modest little condo there really wasn't much room to play a good game of fetch with the dogs. The longest semi-unobstructed stretch of flooring was the downstairs living room and dining room area. The whole of the downstairs was comprised of one large rectangle that was more or less divided in half; one end was the living room and the other half was the dining room. There was a small kitchen off of the dining room, and other than a very small bathroom under the stairs, that was all there was to the downstairs portion of our condo.

The living room and dining room area stretched about twenty-five to thirty feet, and was a pretty good place to toss a toy for the dogs, but the legs of the dining room table and chairs made a jungle out of much of the dining room area, and the whole floor was a slick surface that didn't lend itself to quick doggie acceleration and deceleration. The dogs never did seem to enjoy chasing after a toy much in that environment, so it wasn't a game we played much.

Now we have a long, carpeted hallway, and it has proved to be just the thing for a good game of fetch with Angel and Jackie. They tear through that hallway at mach speed trying to be the first to reach whatever item I have tossed down there. Even when I haven't thrown anything they chase one another down the hall! Sometimes Thalia will join them, and they all come screaming down the hall, into the living room, and pile up in the middle of the room! It's a riot. I am trying to capture some of that on film, but haven't had much luck with it so far. Usually I don't have the camera with me, and if I do have it handy, it all happens so fast that that the action is over before I can even get the lens cap off.

Until I figure out a way to get THOSE pictures, you will just have to settle for these...

After they bring the toy back to me I have to play tug-o-war with Angel to get it back. If Jackie ends up with the toy, I have to chase her down to get it back. Either way, once I have it, I toss it down the hall again, and we keep doing that until no one wants to play anymore. Fun, huh?

So there we have another installment of The Adventures of Angel and Jacqueline. Until then, please go check out the Carnival of the Dogs at Mickey's Musings, and the Friday Ark at The Modulator for more interesting animals.

Dogs in the Hall

When we lived in our modest little condo there really wasn't much room to play a good game of fetch with the dogs. The longest semi-unobstructed stretch of flooring was the downstairs living room and dining room area. The whole of the downstairs was comprised of one large rectangle that was more or less divided in half; one end was the living room and the other half was the dining room. There was a small kitchen off of the dining room, and other than a very small bathroom under the stairs, that was all there was to the downstairs portion of our condo.

The living room and dining room area stretched about twenty-five to thirty feet, and was a pretty good place to toss a toy for the dogs, but the legs of the dining room table and chairs made a jungle out of much of the dining room area, and the whole floor was a slick surface that didn't lend itself to quick doggie acceleration and deceleration. The dogs never did seem to enjoy chasing after a toy much in that environment, so it wasn't a game we played much.

Now we have a long, carpeted hallway, and it has proved to be just the thing for a good game of fetch with Angel and Jackie. They tear through that hallway at mach speed trying to be the first to reach whatever item I have tossed down there. Even when I haven't thrown anything they chase one another down the hall! Sometimes Thalia will join them, and they all come screaming down the hall, into the living room, and pile up in the middle of the room! It's a riot. I am trying to capture some of that on film, but haven't had much luck with it so far. Usually I don't have the camera with me, and if I do have it handy, it all happens so fast that that the action is over before I can even get the lens cap off.

Until I figure out a way to get THOSE pictures, you will just have to settle for these...

After they bring the toy back to me I have to play tug-o-war with Angel to get it back. If Jackie ends up with the toy, I have to chase her down to get it back. Either way, once I have it, I toss it down the hall again, and we keep doing that until no one wants to play anymore. Fun, huh?

So there we have another installment of The Adventures of Angel and Jacqueline. Until then, please go check out the Carnival of the Dogs at Mickey's Musings, and the Friday Ark at The Modulator for more interesting animals.

Angel Gets Groomed

I mentioned at the end of last week that Papa, (my nick name for Angel,) was going to the groomers, and perhaps I would post some before and after pictures. Well, here they are...

So there you have another fascinating chapter in the exciting adventures of Jackie and Angel. Please also check out the Carnival of the Dogs at Mickey's Musings, and the Friday Ark at The Modulator for more interesting animals.

Athenamama Hits the Big Time

Athenamama is mentioned in an article in our local paper this morning. You can read the story here. I think you might have to register, but like most online versions of newspapers, it's free.

The article touches on a variety of issues people face when they get involved with animals. There is a couple mentioned, Peggy and John Russell of Ojai, who share their home with 300 animals! I thought I was pushing the envelope at six! They live on an eight-acre piece of land in the Ojai Valley, and there are no restrictions on how many pets you can have there. Here in Ventura where we live I think the maximum number of dogs you can have is three. We hit that limit when we got Jackie.

The section of the article that mentions Athenamama focuses on Athena and her story. When I spoke with Jeffrey Dransfeldt, the author of the piece, we talked about Angel and Jackie, and the rest of our pets, but we did spend some time talking about Athena. I was hoping that would be the thrust of what he wrote about, and I am glad with how the article turned out.

The rest of the article is great. In fact, I am going to go read it again.

For more cats, be sure to visit Friday Ark at The Modulator every Friday, and the Carnival of the Cats this Sunday hosted at Pets Garden Blog.

Foot Bowl

My weekday morning routine has essentially been the same since junior high school. I get up at least an hour before I leave for work so that I have enough time to relax and read my morning paper over coffee while watching the morning news. After that, I head out for work where I arrive about a half hour early so that I can peruse some blogs, and sometimes prepare an entry for Athenamama.

All that time in the morning sometimes allows for other activities, and this morning in between the news, the newspaper, and my coffee, I took some pictures of Jackie, Angel, Thalia, and Ebby for today's post. Unfortunately I forgot to bring the camera with me to work, so now I can't share these wonderful photos I took of my lovely pets!

Fortunately, I took a few pictures of Jackie eating her dinner the other day and had those on my flash drive. So, at least I have those to work with.

Now, you might be saying to yourself, "Jeeze, doesn't this guy get it that we can only read about his dogs eating their dinner/breakfast only so many times?" I know, I post a lot of pictures of my dogs with their food, but these pictures are different! You see, Jackie and Angel's dinner bowls are located in the kitchen area of our new house, and the floor their is a smooth laminate. If you have ever tried to eat your dinner out of a bowl on the floor using only your mouth you know your dinner bowl has a tendency to scoot across the floor. Jackie has developed a solution to that problem...

Well, next week, or maybe even earlier, I will post the pictures I took this morning. Until then, please go check out the Carnival of the Dogs at Mickey's Musings, and the Friday Ark at The Modulator for more interesting animals.

Breakfast with Angel and Jackie in the New House

Those of you who are of above average intelligence may notice a theme in my recent posts. For those of you who aren't sure what I am talking about, you need to pay better attention!

I wonder when it is no longer proper to refer to our new house, as our new house? I suppose I can get away with it for quite some time, especially given how much it costs me to live in that new house.

Anyway, we are still finding places for all the stuff we have accumulated over the past seven years, and though the house now looks furnished, I still have a garage full of boxes. Every day I try to get one box at random from the garage, and put whatever is inside of it away in the house. In between that I am receiving repair-persons, delivery-persons, and installation-persons. This of course leaves little time for photographing our little friends, Jackie and Angel. And believe it or not, I still do not even have Internet service in the house. I am going to look into that today, and so I should have it in the house by next week.

But, you don't care about that, you come here primarily to see cute pictures of cute doggies doing cute things. So, lets get on with that.

Before we do, I would like to say that I will be affording the cats equal time here as soon as we get them better situated in the house. I have yet to install their pet-door into the garage, so the three of them aren't really available for photo ops. When they are, I will post a few.

So there you have another fascinating chapter in the exciting adventures of Jackie and Angel. Please also check out the Carnival of the Dogs at Mickey's Musings, and the Friday Ark at The Modulator for more interesting animals.