Thursday Jan.28

Thurs Jan.28
Another good day with a few ups and downs. When I had Ginger inside last evening, she was fine, sleeping at my feet, then she started becoming very agitated and restless, panting, wanted to go out, ran around the yard, quivering with nervous energy (and not a 'good feeling energy', I can't really explain it but quite different.)
I let her run, then put her up in her kennel for the night, this AM when I went out to let the dogs out she had wet herself in the night. I was in a rush as had to get to an 830 meeting, so I brought her inside, cleaned her up, gave her her AM meal and meds and fixed the food for the rest of the dogs so my husband could feed them. Missed our AM run. After the meeting and some other work I was heading to another town to work there when my husband called and said she'd been asleep on the couch and wet herself.

Clearly something had to be done. Fortunately it was warm out today, so I told him to leave her out with the other dogs (and him and his worker) ; I then got doggie diapers, piddle pads etc. Also called the oncologist about reducing her prednisone (because of last night's agitation and the peeing in her sleep, he said to cut evening dose in half. He asked if she was still happy and enjoying life, and I said yes... ) Took off work early (around 330) and returned home, had a good couple of hours with the dogs, Ginger is now RUNNING (not far, not long, but her beautiful cantering lope), the other dogs are still very respectful and gentle with her. (I think this is what is impressing me the most, how kind and gentle the other dogs are with her. And the Damcat too ... doesn't swipe at her when she walks by, shares food with her (I put Ginger's bowl down and give the Damcat the spoon to lick ... before he'd have been swatting her away from the bowl, now he doesn't.)

We (the other dogs and I) spent time watching her wade in the drainage ditch, sniffing for who knows what, tail wagging madly, alerting to birds, loping around enjoying the beautiful day. I took her in after awhile, put her diaper on her, and gave her a late afternoon dish of eggs and (cooked) liver water. A neighbor came by with a child's sweatshirt for her, we all went down to the gate to greet her. Around dark I fed and put all the dogs up went back and got her at 8 PM for evening meds, and small meal, let her out for a pee and then put her in her doggie diaper, she's now curled up at my feet in the computer room; the couch is now piddle proof, her dog house now has piddle pads. Hopefully this will alleviate the wetting in her sleep problem. Tomorrow its supposed to start raining and turn much colder, so she'll have to be inside more .... and I wont be here during the day; hopefully the diapers (I got the kind that's a wet proof pants you put a pad in) and piddle pads (I have both kinds, the disposable and a kind that is washable) will make it possible for her to be inside with my husband, or if he has to leave, warm and dry in her doghouse.

Hanging in there .... Thanks to your continued prayers and support