Merry Christmas from Olive

 

When Olive had her surgery in October of 2021, the surgeon instructed me to keep her in a crate and see that she got plenty of bed rest. I immediately went out and bought a large wire crate, or kennel, from a pet supply shop and set it up in my living room in a spot that I knew she liked to nap in. I was apprehensive that she would not take to being confined; she surprised me by going right into the crate onto a dog bed I placed there and laying right down. I made sure to give her lots of TLC and kept her until she was well enough to roam the house.

Now, more than a year later, she still likes to nap there and occasionally will even eschew her usual bed upstairs near me to sleep downstairs in the crate. If Olive likes having the crate, as she seems to, then I do not want to take it apart and store it in my garage as I had originally planned. The drawback is that the location of the crate blocks access to my liquor cabinet and my stereo set. If I want to access either item, I must pull the crate out of the way then put it back.

The things I do for that dog. She is, however, more than worth it.

 

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At fiddle camp last summer an impressive film was shown that, I am told, was animated entirely by one artist. Call “Crack” (the sound a tree made when cut down at the beginning of the film) The story is seen from the point of view of a homemade wooden chair traversing Quebec history from the 1800s until contemporary times through many changes. Although not strictly speaking a Christmas story, it does depict some holiday celebrations including Christmas and Easter.

One feature that may need to be clarified: the seemingly non sequitur appearance of indigenous Americans at various points through the story. It was explained to the audience that in Quebecoise culture indigenous Americans signify the arrival of a child, as storks do in American culture.

 

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Despite having the dog crate in a place that is inconvenient for me (though not for Olive) I was able to get my Holiday tree up and decorated. It has never been easy to get her to pose in front of the tree, but here is what I was able to photograph.

 

Okay, George, I posed. Now can I have that treat you promised?

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Some dog humor I have collected over the past few months.

I may have been fortunate that Olive was older than 24 months when i got her.

That is something Olive would do.

Good advice to stay clear of any potential partner who doesn't like dogs.

If a border collie can't keep the sheep together, nothing can!

Happy Birthday Olive!

 

Short posting this time.

Olive was born on a wool farm in Maine on August 1, 2011. To celebrate her birthday, we went for dinner at “Lucky Lou’s” restaurant in the nearby town of Wethersfield, CT. As I mentioned in the last post, the restaurant welcomes dogs in their outdoor dining area and even has a special menu for dogs. My sister and cousin Donna joined us.

It was a hot afternoon, with temperatures in the 90s, but we found a table in the shade. We humans all had light salad-based suppers, while I ordered Olive grilled chicken with a side of carrots and celery. Olive enjoyed the chicken, but when I tried to get her to eat some of the vegetables, she actually spit out the carrot and celery. I could almost hear her thinking “the heck with this—I want some more of that delicious chicken!” She barked up a storm, which must have annoyed some of the other patrons, but was otherwise well behaved. I took her for very short walks from our table to try to get her to stop barking, to no avail.

We were also visited by a number of yellowjackets. I had to wonder if we were somewhere near a nest, though Olive didn’t seem to be bothered. Because of the heat, we decided to skip dessert and get back into our air-conditioned cars

I think that Olive did enjoy the outing, but I will not be taking her to Lucky Lou’s again at least for another year.

My cousin and sister help celebrate Olive's birthday. Olive is more interested in her chicken dinner.

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Here are a few bits of dog humor that I have collected since the last posting:

No surprise here!

That last one is definitely Olive.

Any dog person knows this.

No explanation needed.

Why, go to work with her, of course!

Getting Back to Normal

 

It has been a few months since I reported on Olive’s surgery last October.

I am happy to say that Olive is doing quite well since her surgery. There was a spot where the fur wasn’t growing back, but even that seems to have grown in. There are a few signs that Olive is starting to get older; she seems a bit more reluctant to go up and down stairs, but otherwise she is acting like she is still a puppy.

I have even started letting her play just a bit with the foam rubber Frisbee, giving her very gentle easy tosses to catch out on the grassy field behind my unit. She seems ok without the challenging tosses I used to give her before the problems began last fall. She seems more interested in the other two games she would play: the “chase me” game (which seems more like a “follow me” game as she is not going as fast as she used to) and the “ha-ha you can’t have it” game in which she will put the Frisbee down as if she wants me to toss it, then grabs it and moves off when I try to pick it up. The whole series doesn’t last as long as it once did; she is ready to go inside after just a few gentle tosses and goes in when I tell her to.

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I had lunch with a friend recently at a restaurant in the historic section of a nearby town called “Lucky Lou’s”. Yes, that sounds like the name of a cheap bar, but the place is upscale, has a very nice outdoor dining patio, and though the food is very good and the prices are reasonable it is not particularly cheap. While having lunch I noticed some people who brought their dog onto the patio with them. Then the dog ate out of a bowl the waiter brought. When I inquired, I was told that the restaurant offers a special menu for dogs!

Olive’s eleventh birthday comes on August 1. I just may take her there for a birthday dinner. She seems to like salmon and chicken; when I grill chicken, I usually put a piece aside without seasoning then cut it up so she can have some. When I grill salmon, I save the skin for her after cutting it up, checking for bones, and letting it cool.

I think I will have to draw the line at ordering a glass of chardonnay, rose, or cabernet for my dog, however.😉

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Some neighbors have recently acquired a golden retriever puppy they named “Apollo”. Olive seems to have taken a liking to Apollo, which I am pleased about. While Olive is not a quarrelsome dog by any means, she has in the past shown some annoyance with puppies. A few times I thought I saw an “oh, no, not that puppy again” look to Olive, but Olive seems to understand that I want her and Apollo to be friends. She has been polite to Apollo, for which I have been praising her.

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On a sad note, Olive’s friend Lenny, a cattle dog mix, has passed away. Olive and Lenny got along very well, so well that her people and I used to joke about them being boyfriend and girlfriend. I think Olive misses Lenny in that she still looks toward the unit Lenny lived in as we walk past. I regret that I don’t have any photos of Lenny.

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Here are a few bits of border collie humor I have collected recently:

Border collies ARE creative!

If that answer isn't a definition of heaven, I don't know what is.

I hope that this doesn't give Olive any ideas for when I take her to "Lucky Lou's".

Happy Holidays from Olive and George

 

I am happy to say that Olive has made a remarkable recovery since her surgery. She seems as energetic as ever and seems to think she is back to normal. Of course, I know that she should take it easy for a while; for that reason, I have been keeping her from jumping around, chasing geese, and rolling in the grass. I have avoided playing Frisbee with her and have been indulging her strictly with easy gentle tosses of balls and sticks.

Olive's crate is still set up in the living room, but I lock the door only when I go out for some errand or other. She seems to actually like the crate so that I often find her napping in there with the door open. I am wondering if she will be upset when I fold up the crate and put it away. I plan to leave the bed there in that spot, but the crate does get in the way of access to my liquor cabinet and stereo system.

A few people have told me they think Olive is walking strangely. I have been watching and have not noticed anything being off. If she is walking differently, it is very subtle. I will ask the vet for an opinion the next time I bring her in for a shot, which will be in January.

Olive's fur is filling in nicely except for a spot on her lower back, which I believe is slowly starting to grow back. In all, I think she is well on the mend and has come out of the whole ordeal very well.

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A few bits of dog humor that I have been saving:

Olive is a better watchdog than that, though not by much.

Of course, 1000 love.

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After minimally decorating for the holidays last year, I put up my tree and other decorations for this year. The decorations include a dog Advent calendar that someone gave us with twenty-five cardboard doors that each open to reveal a doggy treat. I coordinated the openings so that Olive will get #25 on Christmas Eve.

I hosted a holiday roast beef supper with a few close friends that Olive knows well, not wanting to get her too excited with too many people. Olive has already gotten several nice holiday gifts, including a box of gourmet dog treats, a few toys, and an electric dog biscuit maker. The biscuit maker is similar to a waffle iron or donut baker, with indentations in the shape of dog biscuits. I am looking forward to making some spent grain biscuits with a quantity of spent grain that a person who home brews beer gave me. I have in the past made such biscuits in my oven with peanut butter from a simple recipe; Olive loved them.

I had a 100 year old suitcase that belonged to my grandfather. The suitcase is a bit beat up and doesn't even close properly, so I didn't think it would be worth much as an antique. I had thoughts of junking it, but then thought it might make a nice holiday accent piece if I filled it with gifts under the tree. So far the reviews have been positive, and I think of it as a way to include my grandfather (a very kind and intelligent man) in this year's holiday celebration, some 39 years after he left us. 

With that, Olive and I wish all a happy holiday and a good new year.

So when are you going to make those dog biscuits you mentioned?

Olive doing "fantastic".

 

I brought Olive back down to the hospital in Middletown for a progress checkup today, October 26. I am happy to report that the veterinary surgeon told me Olive is doing, in her words, “fantastic”. Olive’s surgical staples were removed and we were sent home with instructions on tapering off all of her meds. After about two weeks Olive will be down to the thyroid medicine that the local vet prescribed and Olive has been taking almost a year. That will mean I no longer have to buy roast beef at the deli to hide Olive’s meds in.

OK, They took out the staples. Now can I get out of this crate?

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Olive will need to be kept calm for a few weeks, as there is still some healing to take place. No jumping, no stairs, no Frisbee or catching sticks. After a few weeks I can, according to the surgeon, ease her into a more normal routine. That would mean walks around the circle and allowing her to go up the stairs to her doggie bed at night. That was good news for me as although I am getting used to sleeping on my living room couch near Olive’s crate, I would like to go back to my own bed and quilts as the weather gets colder. I think Olive would like to go back to her doggie bed as well. The trick will be to get Olive to understand that she has to get back to her old routines GRADUALLY.

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A few pieces of border collie humor I have been saving:

Olive is Home!

 

Olive had successful surgery on Tuesday, was kept at the hospital Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. The hospital was kind enough to send me a photo of her resting comfortably after her surgery.

Olive resting comfortably after surgery. Looks like she got some very good care!

Finally, I got the call to come and pick her up at 2:30 on Saturday. The reunion was unceremonious; a technician brought Olive out to me at the hospital entrance with some written instructions and a bag of meds. Olive basically looked at me and said “you’re here. Let’s go home”. The tech helped me get Olive in the car in her usual space on the floor in front of the front passenger seat, and we were off. I have to make an appointment for a checkup in one week.

In the car and ready to go home.

At the vet’s recommendation I went out and bought a wire crate to keep her from roaming around, especially to keep her off the stairs. I had concerns that Olive would not take to being confined to a crate, but as soon as we got home, she went straight into her crate and lay down on the bed I placed there. I can take her out for short walks to pee or poop, but have to bring her in right afterward. After a few weeks I might be able to keep her out to walk around a bit longer, but probably none of her usual walks around the circle (about a third of a mile) for a while.

Her home for the next 4-6 weeks.

I have a regiment of medications to give her. She gets her Prednisone, Omeprazole, Cephalexin (antibiotic), and her thyroid medication twice per day, 8:00 am and 8:00 pm.  She gets Gabapentin three times per day, at 8:00 a.m., 4:00 p.m., and close to midnight. She also has a fentanyl patch (a sedative and pain medication) that I will be removing Monday. I am supposed to wear rubber gloves to remove the patch.

Olive ate well both Saturday night and Sunday morning. She wants a lot of petting and attention (who can blame her?) but mostly is content to stay on her bed in the crate. At one point she did clearly want to get up the stairs to her usual doggy bed at the top of the stairs, which is strictly out of the question for the next few weeks. I may bring that bed down to the living room. It would be a bit large for her crate, but if she wants to lay in it while I am there to watch and make sure she doesn’t get up and wander off, I suppose that would be ok.

I stayed in the living room and slept on my couch last night so that she wouldn’t feel alone. She did whimper once during the night, so I got up and petted her. She went to sleep and was fine after that.

4-6 weeks of bed rest and intensive care is what the vet ordered. It’s going to be a challenge for both of us. Then again, Olive is getting breakfast in bed, meals brought to her, even her water dish is next to her bed so that she need not so much as get up for a drink. She just might get used to that.

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I'm sure Olive would love to be doing this, but I'm afraid it won't be for quiet a while. Sorry, Olive.

Olive to the Emergency Room!

 

Olive has been low energy for the past week and was not eating. Two visits to the vet got us nowhere. Last Saturday (yesterday) I noticed some limping and took her to the vet again. This time an X-ray indicated that she had a ruptured disc in her spine. I was directed to Pieper Memorial, an animal hospital in Middletown CT (about a half hour away) and took Olive straight there.

After getting to the hospital around 8:30 a.m. I had to wait with Olive in my car for what seemed a long time. Finally, I got a call to bring her to the entrance (the hospital is following strict Covid precautions) and returned to my car for more waiting. A general vet called me on my cell phone and informed me that a veterinary neurologist would be looking at Olive.

I was not about to leave my girl, so I moved my car from the emergency spaces to a space further from the building. Along about 1:00 I decided I should eat something and took a run to a nearby Dunkin Donuts for an egg & bagel sandwich and a small decaf coffee (I was already on edge; I did not need any caffeine). I drove back to the hospital and ate there in the parking lot. To pass the time I texted some friends who I thought would want to know what was happening.

Finally, I got a call from the neurologist around 3:00. I could take Olive home for the night and was directed to bring her back on Monday evening where she will stay for the night and get an MRI on Tuesday morning. After that the best course will be determined, likely to include surgery.

I was given three medications to make Olive more comfortable: prednisone (an anti-inflammatory), Gabapentin (a pain medication that some humans take for back pains), and Omeprazole (a stomach medicine).

When I got home, I first ran out to the deli for some roast beef to hide the pills in, then gave Olive her first round of pills. She gobbled the roast beef rollup immediately, then a little while later ate more food than she had eaten all day Friday. So far, Olive is back to eating normally and a bit more active.

As Nanne and others advised, no more jumping for Olive. I hate to think that she cannot chase a Frisbee anymore, something she loved doing, but it may be necessary to take measures to keep her calm and quiet. At this point she seems to know that she cannot run and jump as she used to. A little while ago, however, I had a friend on speaker phone asking about Olive. My friend made a remark that Olive was now an “old lady”. At that it looked as if Olive was laughing. “Old lady? Who are you talking about” she may have been thinking? Nonetheless, her jumping days are likely over.

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No cute pictures of Olive being Olive this time. Sorry that this post is not as upbeat as usual, but I wanted Olive's friends and blog readers to know what is going on. So many people have been very supportive and encouraging.

I have heard nothing except high praise for the Pieper memorial veterinary hospital. It seems to be the premiere place in Connecticut for pets. I, of course, wouldn’t want anything less than the best for Olive.