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Rest in Peace, CuCullain. We love you...

January 22, 2004

We found out that CC was ill with Mycobacterium Avium after all. He must have gotten ahold of an infected bird carcass while on a walk one day. It turns out that the Mycobacterium Avium can survive in the environment for as long as two years. Here is a link to more information about this horrible illness. CC's symptoms matched the ones described in this article to a tee.

October 10, 2003

Our beloved CC was put to sleep this afternoon at about 2:30. After consulting a specialist about the horrible Mycobacterial infection he's had since the summer, we concluded that there was no hope that he would recover and enjoy life the way he used to. The disease he had is also a potential health risk to humans. Rather than keep him alive for weeks to find out exactly which type of organism he had when we knew that he was going to die eventually anyway, we decided the humane thing to do was to just allow him to exit life peacefully. We will miss him terribly and have already shed many tears at his passing. This page is a dedication to him. I know I speak for Bill when I say that I hope that right now he's in heaven chasing squirrels and eating table scraps to his heart's content and waiting for us to join him on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge.

Prayer For Animals

God Our Heavenly Father, You created the world to serve humanity's needs and to lead them to You. By our own fault we have lost the beautiful relationship which we once had with all your creation. Help us to see that by restoring our relationship with You we will also restore it with all Your creation. Give us the grace to see all animals as gifts from You and to treat them with respect for they are Your creation. We pray for all animals who are suffering as a result of our neglect. May the order You originally established be once again restored to the whole world through the intercession of the Glorious Virgin Mary, the prayers of St. Francis and the merits of Your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ Who lives and reigns with You now and forever. Amen.

Saint Francis of Assisi

Rainbow Bridge

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...

The following originally appeared on Epinions.com, but don't worry. I'm the unfortunate author.

Bill and I made the heartwrenching decision to put our beautiful blue-eyed beagle, CC, short for CuCullain, to sleep today. We'd only had him for about a year and a half. Ironically, we got him twelve days after we moved to Fredericksburg, Virginia. In twelve days, we'll be moving from Fredericksburg to Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

We found CC on the BREW website. BREW stands for Beagle Rescue Education and Welfare . He was on the first page, which usually means that the dog has been around awhile. When I first saw him and his big blue eyes on that website, I was a little freaked out. But I found myself going back to his page over and over again. Bill and I went to an adoption day five days after we moved to Fredericksburg. We got there just before CC did and told his foster mom we were interested in adopting him. She handed me his leash and at that moment, he was pretty much ours.

At first, CC didn't seem to want to have anything to do with us, but after we adopted him (we passed our home check with flying colors), he latched on pretty quickly. It wasn't long before we were dealing with separation anxiety. He'd bark pitifully when we left him alone. One time CC tried to convince Bill that it would be fun for him to take CC with him in the car. He got a goofy look on his face as he danced around, begging to go along. Then we'd see the funny side of our dog. He'd grunt in a certain way when he wanted food, tell us when he wanted to go outside, tell me when he wanted me to join Bill and him on an evening walk. Sometimes he'd get downright bossy about it, giving me an exasperated growl when I didn't immediately comply with his demand that I accompany him and Bill.

He'd get into things. Last Halloween, he chewed the face off of our Jack O' Lantern. A week before our wedding, he chewed up one of my wedding shoes. I had to replace them, of course. That was the one and only time that dog was ever destructive to anything besides food. He also ate about two pounds of chocolate wedding favors one night. Sometimes he'd binge on garbage if we weren't careful, or he'd counter surf. Sometimes I'd find him napping on the couch when I went out for awhile.

But most of the time, he was just a sweet dog who knew when I was sad or sick. Last spring, I got sick and CC stayed with me the whole time, like a canine nurse. He was also protective. When a life insurance nurse came over to do a physical, CC was very suspicious. He stayed right by my side the whole time. He also guarded the door when we had strangers. When we went on our first trip to Memphis together, CC barked joyfully when he realized that both Mommy and Daddy were coming. Another time, I came home to him and Bill after going to my hometown for some doctor's appointments. Evidently, I was able to sneak into the apartment without CC's knowledge, because he settled next to the door for a second after I had already entered the living room. When Bill pointed me out to him, CC bounded over to me and literally hugged (not humped) my leg, welcoming me with all the affection I would expect from any long lost friend.

In July, he picked up a nasty bug. Mycobacteria is very rare in dogs, but somehow he got it. Some strains can cause tuberculosis-- we're not yet sure which type he had-- that may be clearer in a few days. It was clear, though, that he wasn't going to get well. All we could hope for, if we decided to treat him, were little victories, then the inevitable relapses that would come when the bacteria became resistant to each antibiotic until there were no more left to try. He would probably never be the energetic, funny dog that he once was. We'd have to give him pain medication and worry about him infecting other dogs.

So we decided to put him down today. My husband and I showed up at the hospital where he was staying and visited him once more. He had been cleaned up and given Fentanyl and Morphine for pain. He was happy to see us and seemed to wonder why we were crying so much, but then he started to pant in that cool room and I knew that there was still some discomfort despite the heavy duty drugs. He looked at us both, his ears pricked up. We hugged and kissed him. The vet and staff were all wearing masks and gloves because they were worried about exposure, but it was too late for us. We'd been with him since the very beginning. We petted him and told him we loved him and that we'd miss him. The vet explained what would happen, although I had already seen it before. I used to work for a vet. Bill had never witnessed the process of euthanasia.

The vet warned that CC might have muscle spasms, but thankfully that never came to pass. When the needle filled with the clear pink fluid that went into his catheter, CC looked a little groggy, then put his head down. It was all over. Our sweet, blue-eyed angel was gone.

We took a few minutes to say goodbye, then washed up. CC has gone over the Rainbow Bridge, where there is no more pain. One day, Bill and I will be with him again. In the meantime, I'd like to think that he's up there looking down on us, feasting on table scraps and curling up on his very own couch, grateful that he's finally free of the dreaded Mycobacterium Avium.

We'll get another dog someday. One will catch our eye and we'll know that he, she, or they were sent by CC to keep us company until we meet again.

Below is a journal of our brief time with CC... We miss him so much.

My fiance (now husband), Bill, and I adopted an awesome beagle from BREW :(Beagle Rescue Education Welfare)just days after we moved to Fredericksburg, Virginia. Our dog is very unusual in that he has bright blue eyes. When we got him, he had been named Sinatra. Before that, he was called Bubbles, which we knew was not a fitting moniker for such a fabulous dog. We liked the name Sinatra just fine, but decided that we would rename him CuCullain (CC for short). CC has been a big help to me as I have been searching for employment. What does he do to help me? Well, mostly he just passes out on the floor behind my computer chair and snores up a storm, but sometimes he entertains me by going into warp spasm. In fact, on some mornings, right before his daily walk, CC decides to freak out. He runs around the apartment, jumps up on our bed a couple of times, and snorts profusely in an apparent attempt to engage me in some canine play. In reality, he's probably just hungry and about to split a gut from needing to pee. Here are a couple of pictures of our beloved CC.

As you can see, CC is quite handsome. We're hoping to find him a girlfriend soon, to keep him company if and when I finally get a job. Of course, there will be no "children" because CC is neutered and his girlfriend will be spayed. Let's just hope they have more passion than Helen and Stanley Roper did on Three's Company. I often wonder if there's a way you can teach a dog to use a litter box. Ah well... some day, we'll have a nice fenced in yard and a doggie door, so CC and his bride can relieve themselves and exercise at will!

At the end of August, Bill and I took CC to Memphis with us. As I was leading him down the steps to my car, CC looked up and saw Bill following behind us. He let out an excited bark when he saw that he was going to spend the day with both "Mommy" and "Daddy"! We had booked a reservation at Microtel, in Kingsport, Tennessee because pets were allowed. We found out when we checked in that only pets under 10 pounds were allowed! We checked in anyway, even though CC weighs about 3 times the 10 pound limit. He behaved like a real gentleman, even though the room was hot, stinky, and stuffy (air conditioning didn't work very well).

After several days in the Memphis area, CC made friends with Bill's dad, sister, and stepmom, their dog Ginger, and all of the other family members who came in and out over Labor Day weekend. We had to be on our way back to Virginia. On the way back from Memphis, we stayed in a Jameson Inn in Greeneville, Tennessee. Unfortunately, Jameson Inn also had a 10 pound weight limit for canine guests! I doubt many people have dogs that weigh 10 pounds or less... how ridiculous! Again, we ignored the rule, and checked in anyway. The Jameson was MUCH nicer, with a great breakfast and an air conditioner that worked great! CC only barked a couple of times, to tell me that Bill was at the door, waiting to come in! All in all, we had a great time, and what's more, CC provided an excellent excuse for Bill and me to take walks together!

September 30th, 2002 CC came with us down to Lexington to make some more wedding plans. As usual, he had a great time in the mountains, smelling all the rabbits, squirrels, opossums, chipmunks, beavers and skunks. Every time we go somewhere, CC gets more and more playful. He's been a big hit wherever he goes, too. Unfortunately, he got a little too happy while he was playing with us and strained his back.

Last Wednesday, I thought he was better until he jumped up in a vain attempt to get his morning rations. He strained his back again. CC spent all of the first week of October recovering from his little mishap. He seems better today (10-7-02), but we're keeping the pain medication around just in case!

October 31st, 2002 Here's yet another medical bulletin about our beloved troublemaker, CC. As those of you who have explored this website know, Bill and I are planning to marry very soon. As a result of the wedding, we have a lot of chocolate around for wedding favors. Last month, I made over 100 favors for our guests using Dove milk chocolate and Hershey's Kisses. Until a few days ago, I had them stowed on a shelf in the office, well out of the dog's reach. However, during my wedding preparations, I got careless and left them in a heavy duty bag on the floor, along with several gifts I had prepared for friends and family.

Bill and I went to bed Tuesday night (the 29th), blissfully unaware of what was about to happen. I turned the light off at about 11:30pm, but couldn't sleep. Apparently, neither could CC. He was acting nervous and barking. I heard him get some water a few times. About two hours later, I heard him vomiting in the dining area. I got up to see what was wrong with him. When I turned the light on, I saw that he had vomited chocolate, plus knocked over a plant I had just re-potted with fresh soil and took a big crap in the dirt that had spilled out all over the carpet.

I started cussing up a storm and frantically cleaning up the mess, hoping nothing would stain too much. Then, noticing that he had drained his water bowl (which he usually does after a binge), I went into the office and saw where he had found the chocolate. Favors were strewn everywhere; my friend's present was unwrapped and the chocolate had been eaten. Bill got up and called an emergency veterinary hospital nearby. The vet told him what to expect, but didn't seem too alarmed, since CC had already starting emptying his stomach and he's a good sized dog. By this time, CC was acting really weird, pacing around aimlessly with glassy eyes. He wasn't irritable and didn't have diarrhea, but he had vomited all over his bed.

The next day, I found that he had also puked under our bed! I took him out at about 4:00am to see if he needed to relieve himself. He peed, but didn't vomit until I had opened the door and leaned over to remove his leash. The vet told us not to feed him or give him water until 7:00am. By that time, he seemed much better. I offered him some, which he accepted enthusiastically, then put the water out of his reach until 8:00am. He recovered all day Wednesday, and I was with him most of the time, except when I had to go have another gown fitting. When I returned, he greeted me with extreme excitement, running around the apartment at top speed. When Bill got home that evening, he greeted him with more enthusiasm than usual as well.

CC seems fine today (Halloween), after the three of us got a good night's sleep! Believe it or not, he's STILL hunting for chocolate, which is once again, stowed out of his reach! We realize how lucky he is to have survived his ordeal, especially without veterinary care. But he remains to be a most destructive pet! The other day, he destroyed our jack o'lantern when I left the room for a moment. He chewed up the face I had carved, and its top, so I ended up carving another one on the other side and discarding the top. Bill said staying up during CC's chocolate crisis reminded him of being with his children when they were sick.

We washed CC's bed and when it had finally dried out, brought it back inside. While his bed was out of commission, I "loaned" CC an old blue blanket that was on the couch. Some nights, when Bill's a little too "active" in our full-sized bed, I end up sleeping on the couch with that blanket. Anyway, after using the blue blanket, CC didn't want his bed back. He kept jumping up on the couch when our backs were turned. I finally took the blanket off the couch and gave it to him, laying it over his bed. He promptly started using the bed again and we haven't caught him on the couch since he got the blanket for his own private use. When CC goes to bed now, he seems to be in heaven, all curled up on his big fluffy bed with his blue blanket (which smells like me, no doubt). Every day, he seems more like a human and less like a dog, right down to requiring us to beagle-proof the apartment and needing a "blanky"!

November 10, 2002 CC's latest escapade took place in our bedroom yesterday while Bill and I were watching a DVD-- the 1977 psychological thriller Audrey Rose, starring Marsha Mason and Anthony Hopkins. I had picked up my dress, veil, and crinoline from the seamstress the other day. My shoes, a pair of white satin pumps with beads on the toes that I picked up in South Carolina for $14, were lying near the dress, which I had hung up out of CC's reach.

Now, CC has never, in the 5 months he's lived with us, given us reason to think he would be destructive to anything other than food. But sometime during the movie, CC entered our bedroom and decided to sample one of my shoes! As Bill and I were getting ready to go to bed last night, I noticed that one of the shoes was lying askew. I picked up the box they were in and saw that the left shoe had been chewed at the heel. In fact, the leather was still damp from his saliva. I tried it on and found it to be too big-- CC's teeth had stretched the shoe so that dancing in it would be dangerous. The shoes had never even been worn! He had dented the satin irreparably in his quest for a chewtoy, so it looked terrible to boot. For a split second, I thought about wearing them anyway, not wanting to spend more money on shoes I'll probably never wear again. They will, after all, be hidden under the volumes of organza and tulle that make up my wedding dress-- at least until we get ready to toss the garter! However, even though the shoes will be under the dress, I would know that one of them was damaged, and I didn't want that for my wedding day. I was plenty pissed off about this development that had occurred a mere week from the wedding and let Bill know in short order, but since it was past midnight, we had to just accept it and go to bed.

So this morning, we decided to go out to the mall to find a new pair of white satin shoes. It was too much to hope for another pair of $14 white satin shoes that matched my dress as perfectly as the ruined pair did. When we opened the door to leave the apartment, CC made a break for it, running down the steps and ignoring our cries for him to stop. He must have felt drunk with freedom for a few seconds to run outside--free-- with no leash to restrain him from fulfilling his beagle fantasies. Anyway, Bill captured him and took him back inside.

We got to the mall, and I managed to find a pair of white satin shoes, size 6 1/2, and paid twice as much as I did for the first pair. Actually, that was a blessing, since white satin shoes in normal sizes seemed to be in short supply today. The store had several styles of white satin shoes, but they were all sizes 5 1/2, 9, 10, and 11. The off sized shoes were also on sale, of course. So I got a new pair of shoes that weren't on sale. The heels are higher, the toes are pointier, and there are no (sob) beads on the toes! Damn dog... he's too cute to stay mad at, though. So I guess we're stuck with him as we struggle with each new day, trying to keep beagle-proofing our apartment so other calamities like this one can be avoided! One thing is for certain, however. As soon as this wedding is over, our beloved CC has a date to attend "doggie basic training".

November 25th, 2002

Things have settled down here at the old homestead... sort of. CC ate some more chocolate last week, when my new mother-in-law inadvertantly left a block of milk chocolate on a shelf that was low enough for CC's snoot to reach. He suffered no serious ill effects. There was no huge mess for us to clean up, and we didn't watch him wander aimlessly for a few hours, hallucinating that he was about to be attacked by something or someone that didn't exist. CC is still as entertaining as always, and manages to make us laugh at least once a day. And so far, he has stayed out of my closet, so none of my other shoes have been chewed to a pulp. I'm sure it's just a matter of time before CC entertains us again with more drama or comedy.

January 8th, 2003

CC's latest trauma has to do with his digestive tract. Yesterday, I found two piles of dogshit, one normal and one soft, in the dining room. I thought he was just being lazy, so I yelled at him, cleaned up the mess, and thought nothing more of it. Then in the afternoon after his walk, he barked and gave me a hopeful glance. It was a hint, but unfortunately I ignored it which is why later on, I found another nasty, soft pile in the dining area. I cleaned it up and let him go back to sleep.

I could tell that CC was feeling guilty because of the way he looked at me. He kept his distance all day with his tail between his legs, until I finally offered him a chewee. A peace offering of rawhide, or anything edible for that matter, always seems to perk him up. I thought he was better until about 8:30 pm, when he found me again. This time, his big blue eyes were bright and eager. I asked him if he wanted to go outside and he ran over to me, his tail wagging furiously. So we went out and he dumped again.

When Bill got home at 10:30pm, he took CC out again for another dumping opportunity. I don't know when this happened, but somehow I developed a "mother's ear". At 4:00 this morning, over the roar of our heating system, I heard CC stirring in the dining room. I knew Bill was going to be getting up at about 4:20, so I asked him to check on CC. He got up and didn't find anything amiss. Then he promised me he would take CC out before he left for work. Bill took his usual shower, then found another pile in the dining room. He cleaned it up and took CC out, but it was too late. I couldn't get back to sleep. An hour later, CC roused me from bed for another outdoor jaunt... and this morning, we've been out about 5 or 6 times! It's not even 8:00am yet! I heard him in the other room, rooting around, so to keep him out of trouble, I brought him into my home office with me so I can keep an eye on him. Whatever's wrong with him has not affected his appetite at all, so this sickness is, at this point, nothing but a damned nuisance. But I sure hope, for CC's sake, for my sake, and the carpet's sake, that this little episode will just.... run its course soon!

February 8th, 2003

CC had another accident today, but it was my fault. At 6:30 this morning, he barked several times. There's a lot of snow on the ground and I was pretty groggy from sleep, so I ignored it. CC came into our room and stared at me for a minute, then left. I got suspicious and went into the dining room. Sure enough, there was a big, fresh pile of dogshit on the carpet. I cleaned it up and visited CC in his bed. He looked very ashamed of himself. I was kind to him and gave him some love because he did try to warn me. After his little accident, I went back to bed and CC came into our room and napped on the floor next to Bill.

Bill took CC out again a little later and said that CC took another big dump. Hopefully, this is not a repeat of last month's illness. At least now, I have some medicine to give CC. Last month, I ended up taking him to the vet just to save our carpet.

The other day, CC was so cute. He's taken to folding his paws under himself when he plays because they're ticklish. It's just too funny to watch him try to engage in play without the use of his front legs! Usually, he ends up getting frustrated and takes off running around the apartment at top speed. Such a good boy.

March 21st, 2003

CC has taken to checking on me in the wee hours of the morning. The other day, Bill was getting dressed and the rattling of his belt buckle must have startled CC. Bill said CC started charged into the office barking at him angrily, then realized it was just Bill. CC glared at him, nosed our bedroom door opened, peeked in on me, and stalked off to bed. Bill says that if CC wakes up in the early morning when he gets up for work, CC will check on me and then go back to bed. I think he's motivated by food, but it's awfully cute just the same. The other morning, I got up at 4:30am to go to the bathroom and CC woke up. After Bill left for work, CC joined me in our room and stayed there until after I got up after sunrise. He's awfully devoted these days.

I also took CC to visit Bella, a friend's lab/Golden retriever puppy the other day. She's eight months old and outweighs CC by about 30 pounds. She's also really hyper! When they first met, CC didn't have a chance to even determine what she was, let alone whether or not she was friend or foe! But once he realized she didn't mean to tear him limb from limb, they had a wonderful time playing. I also got to see first hand how faithful CC is. Even off the leash outside with plenty of opportunity to run off (in a fenced area), CC stayed right by my side. What a great dog!

July 21st, 2003

CC has swollen nodes today, and I think I know why. Last week, we were walking down the street and there were two old geezers (a man and a woman) sitting on the street with two dogs, a dachsund and a big hound of some sort. Neither of the dogs was acting aggressive as we approached. As CC, Bill, and I tried to pass, the two dogs started barking loudly. The big hound was held in check, but the dachsund was not restrained so well and it jumped forward and nipped at CC. Bill thought that CC had been bitten, but I couldn't tell. There didn't seem to be any skin broken and CC didn't cry out. The worst part of the incident was, neither of the geezers even bothered to apologize on behalf of their ill-tempered and poorly behaved canines! And I'll bet you anything that little nip is the reason CC has glands the size of golf balls right now! What rude people! I wish now that I had rebuked them when I'd had the chance.

Back in June, the USAA nurse came over to give me a physical for a life insurance policy. I still haven't heard weather or not I'm going to be approved for the insurance or not (Note- I did get the insurance!). Anyway, CC was very wary of the nurse. It was something to see. When she knocked on the door, he looked at her very suspiciously, like she was going to attack me or something. He followed us into the dining area and stayed right by my side the whole time. He finally started to warm up to the nurse towards the end of her visit, but I've never seen him act so protective. It was the weirdest thing. I am continually amazed by CC's connection to us. He knows when I'm sad or sick, he's very loyal to both Bill and me, and he has an amazing intuition about people. It's great having him around.

August 24th (here's a former Kitchen Table column about CC and his testicle-like nodes)

I've had a stressful weekend. CC (my beagle) has swollen lymph nodes on his neck. I think it's an infection and he's already seen the vet, but I'm worried because swollen nodes are also a sign of lymphoma-- a common type of cancer in dogs. This type of cancer is quite virulent. Without treatment, it kills most dogs within 4-6 weeks. With treatment, most dogs only live about a year.

CC had a scrape with a dachsund about two weeks ago and the dachsund nipped him on the nose. The people who owned the dachsund didn't even apologize, but since CC didn't react and there wasn't any blood, I didn't think any harm had been done. A few days later, CC started yelping when I touched certain spots on his neck. Then I noticed the big nodes. I took him to the vet who was appropriately concerned, but not hysterical. She checked his other nodes and his spleen, which were normal. After advising me that an infection was probably the culprit of the enlarged glands, she sent me off with some antibiotics.

After a week on the drugs, CC still has big nodes but there's been no pain. I still don't see any other enlarged nodes on him, but I can't keep that thought of cancer out of my head. We've had him just over a year and he's my baby. That dog has been the light of my life. I still have serious doubts that he has cancer, but I can't rule it out and I'm about to go nuts. What's more, I would like to wring the necks of the people who didn't control their dogs for letting their dachsund nip him in the first place.

I just hope he's okay...

Update

CC was checked out by the vet and he doesn't have lymphoma. We were sent home with more antibiotics and reassurances that it's just a nasty infection that will take awhile to clear up. Of course Bill and I are very relieved that CC is going to be okay, but we can't help but think about those other dogs that aren't so lucky. If you ever find swollen lymph nodes on your pet, be sure to get him or her to the vet right away. If it turns out to be cancer, the sooner treatment is begun, the more possible remission will be. For a good article on the subject, click here.

Update #2

CC now has a big plastic cone on his head, otherwise known as an "E collar" or "Elizabethan collar". I put it on him to keep him from tearing at the abscess on his right hind leg. I have no earthly idea how he got that one, but it opened up yesterday and is draining all over the place, along with the right lymph node. The left one has just reduced quite a bit in size and is weeping a bit. He's a real mess. We put him on some really heavy duty antibiotics that have knocked the crap out of the infection, but he's in some pain and I'm sure all the drainage is making him miserable. Watching him try to sniff with that cone on his head is pretty sad, too. I just hope it's over soon.

Update #3

CC has a neck again. The lymph nodes have reduced back down to their normal size, although they're pretty much bald with holes in them and they continue to drain. His leg is better, too. It just has a hole in it where the mess has been draining out. He still stinks and I've been cleaning him every day because he's still oozing. I took the E collar off of him because he was keeping us up at night, bumping around with it. He's a pretty tame beagle anyway and doesn't grab at himself too much. I'm hoping he heals up more in time for our trip to Memphis next week. One annoying thing that has come of this episode is that CC has become very finicky. He used to take medicine without sniffing it. Now I have to wrap pills in cold cuts for him to down them. He used to gobble his food down dry. Now he wants me to wet it down. I've stopped doing that, since he's not exactly fading away, but I have to keep wrapping the pills because he has to keep taking antibiotics. It'll be nice when this whole thing is behind us.

September 6th, 2003

On the way to Memphis, CC decided to scratch his neck, which was still healing. He ended up ripping a big gash on the right side, causing it to start bleeding. We had to make an emergency stop in Abingdon, Virginia, where a vet took a look at him and asked why his infection hadn't been cultured. She wrapped up his wounds for us and we tried to keep him comfortable while we were on our trip. It wasn't easy. This year, CC didn't enjoy his ride in the car. We had to take Bill's because my car was broken into and still needs to be fixed.

On the way back to Virginia, CC threw up in the car. I guess the twisty roads didn't agree with him. The poor thing had a really rough time, although we kept him on antibiotics and gave him some aspirin to minimize the pain.

Bill took CC to the vet this morning for a check up and a refill of antibiotics. His lesions are still healing and he has an internal abscess on his right side, which I discovered last week. I'm taking him back to the vet on Wednesday for a biopsy. When it rains, it pours... I just hope we finally find out what's wrong with him and get him well soon. I miss having the old CC around.

October 8th, 2003

CC is in pretty bad shape these days. We found out the source of his infection is mycobacteria, which is a fairly rare and tenacious bug in dogs. He's also managed to pull his shoulder muscle, so he's having a hard time moving around. Last night, we ended up taking him to the emergency vet for some painkillers. Next stop is a specialist. I hope they can help him.

For more pet stories, check out my tribute to Rusty, the pony who got me safely through high school.

See my tribute to our newest addition to the family, Flea .

Here's an interesting book that I've found very helpful as I've adjusted to losing CC.