Defying The Odds

This was the look Bacchus gave me as I walked him to the van down at WSU while Hub paid his bill and picked up another month's worth of pills.

"Ha! I don't have to kiss the cardiologist and you can't make me want to take my pills!" I could see the speech bubble hovering over his head. Well, he didn't and I can't but it's a battle of wills on the pill front.

How did he check out? Like the imp he can be. He was so exercised at being at WSU they couldn't get a good reading from his implanted "reveal". They could determine his heart rate is still too fast. I could have told them that without the fancy gadget in his side!

So the game plan is to improvise. They sent us home with our own remote to trigger the device three times before his next visit. Two when he's totally at rest. That shouldn't be too difficult since he's usually totally at rest, except he's usually sleeping on the device. Of course waking him and getting him to roll over is defeating the purpose so it will require some diligent observation. The other is right after a good romp. That may actually be the easier of the two!

The only remedy for his sporadic appetite is another pill. We've decided to hold off on that since he's holding his weight. He eats nothing one day and makes up for it with junk the next. He's learned the pill in the hot dog trick so now balks at that and is back to getting them the hard way. Neither Hub nor I are going to have hands left by the time this is over but boy, will we have chest and arm muscles from prying open a Saint Bernard's jaws! And he thinks it's a grand game! As soon as he's swallowed them and his droopy lips are checked for remnants he sits expectantly awaiting the hot dog and sausages as a reward! Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks!

We've added another blood pressure medicine to work with the one he's already taking. Hopefully he won't have a negative reaction to it like the last time they adjusted dosages. If all goes well he'll go to our vet for a blood pressure check next Friday.

His next trip to WSU is a month down the road when they will be doing x-rays of his lungs and testing med levels in his blood. We're to the point now of celebrating the victories as they come. The greatest, of course, is that we still have a not so saintly Saint which is the one we know and love so much. A smaller one is when he let's us sleep through the night. The wish list includes the medications continue to do their job and that he regains a taste for pill laden hot dogs. It's not that he won't eat; he just has no interest in dog food. When Hub or I feed him last bite of a burger or, as was the case this morning, the last bite of breakfast burrito topped with Habenero salsa he gobbles it right down. As I said, he's an imp!

I thought I was going to miss seeing the WSU raptors this trip since none were out and about during our wait, but as I was taking Bacchus back to his van one of the handlers was outside with another American Kestrel. This time a sweet girl named Kessie. I so enjoy seeing these birds and chatting with their handlers. Enjoy the clip.