More Mouths to Feed

While I continue to dread the moment when my daughter leaves for college, it wouldn't be completely accurate to say I am facing the prospect of an empty nest. The management of the ever-expanding stable of family pets will be my undoing, I can just feel it. My wife's kitten has become fully assimilated into the family. This scene of domestic tranquility should tell you everything you need to know.
The idea that the dog has befriended the little beast isn't so farfetched. Our Golden Retriever has a gentle demeanor. She's seven years old and I think I recall hearing her growl twice. On the other hand, getting tacit acceptance from the queen of the universe here is quite an accomplishment. Yes, the Old Fat Cat has begrudgingly embraced her younger counterpart. They generally keep their distance, competing for the dog's affection. The distance is gradually getting smaller.
Our son, out on his own in the fabulous bachelor pad, doesn't live alone. He has one of my wife's kitten's littermates, so he's grappling with the responsibilities of caring for a kitten, too. Everybody comes by the affection for pets honestly. My wife grew up in a double-dog house. Her mother carries on the tradition, presently managing two Goldens of her own.
Today, the latest furry family member made his first visit to our house. My father has adopted a stray dog. This is really a positive development, because it means my father is forward-thinking, even at 83 years old. He took the dog to the vet for shots and a necessary surgery (sorry, Big Guy) and the doctor estimated the dog's age at less than a year. So, he's a puppy. It's easy to believe, because he's showing puppy tendencies including a lack of discipline and a certain destructiveness. Of course, that may tell us why he was a stray.
Do the math with respect to the average lifespan of a dog. As awkward as it might be to think it, chances are this guy will wind up living with me someday. So, it's good he's getting to know his furry cousins here during the holidays.

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Worried About Our Puppy

RAY OF HOPE
Originally uploaded by Darrell

Our sweet puppy, the Best Dog Ever, is sick. She may be gravely ill. Today, she had surgery to remove a golf-ball sized lump from her neck. It's an inflamed lymph node and the worst-case scenario is lymphoma, which is always fatal.
She's too young to be sick, just six years old. We're on pins and needles awaiting the results of a biopsy.
She's a member of the family and we love her intensely, but we must face the reality that she is a dog. I made the mistake of doing internet research of possible treatments for canine lymphoma. It seems that chemotherapy might be able to buy us a year. The question is, do we want to go through the heartache and expense? Do we want to put her through it?
If it's a child, you know you would spend your last dime and exhaust your last ounce of energy to fight this all the way. For your beloved pet, how far should you go?
Hopefully, all of this will be moot. The biopsy could come back negative and everyone will be okay. There's nothing profound or creative to say. For now, we nurse her through her post-operative discomfort and just hope for the best.
I can't bellieve how sad and worried we are.

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