We're Joining Facebook!

I post sporadic updates about Matilda on my personal Facebook page a lot.  So much so that I'm sure some of my friends are sick of hearing about my dog.  So today I am announcing The Tildy Spot's Facebook page.  I'm excited to have a place to talk about Matilda when I just don't have enough to write a whole blog post.  So join me and Tildy on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thetildyspot.  Hope to see you there!

My Partner

Matilda and I are a lot a like. 

She likes to sleep in and so do I.

She does not tolerate the sun and heat very well.  Neither do I.

We both have chronic diseases.  She has Addison's Disease.  I have lupus.

She loves sweet potato pie.  So do I.

She loves to lounge on the couch and watch television or stare out of the window.  So do I.

She's my partner and I love her dearly.  I'm glad we found each other.

"This is so you won't pee on me. One, two, three!"

Matilda is getting old.  The best estimates have her between 77 and 84 dog years old. (That's between 11 and 12 people years.)  In the past couple of years, we have started to battle incontinence.  It started with little dribble drops on the sofa while watching television.  Then we started have minor "oops" moments while settling in for the evening.  That's when the vet prescribed Proin drops to help her with bladder control.  At first it was a struggle getting her to take the drops.  Eventually we got into a good habit of taking the drops after going for a walk.  But the only way she would open her mouth for the drops is if I sing-songingly said, "This is so you won't pee on me.  One, two, three!"

Every now and again, I would go stretches without giving her the medicine and she would do well without it.  But then the dribbles would start again, so we would start back up with, "This is so you won't pee on me.  One, two, three!".

When the pharmaceutical company stopped manufacturing the drops we had a slight problem.  Matilda refused to take the tablets for quite awhile.  Once I figured out that she would eat anything that was covered in peanut butter, we were back on track.

We recently went through a very long successful stretch without the medicine, but incontinence came back with a vengeance.  This time, there were no dribbles or "oops".  This time, she emptied her bladder three times in one night, while she was sleeping...on my bed.  What's worse is that right before going to bed that night, I had decided to change my sheets.  After the third accident, I was praying that there would be no more because I had no more clean sheets.  During that same night, she woke me up three separate times and asked to go outside.  Two of the three times, she squatted for almost a minute.  The third time, we smelled the presence of a skunk, so she decided that she wouldn't handle her business at that time...which was 4:30 a.m.  But at 5:50 a.m., five minutes before my alarm clock sounded, I rolled over to find a guilty face staring back at me.  Yes, another wet spot in the bed.

We're back to medicinal peanut butter treats, but we're still having small incidents.

Matilda is getting old.  Sigh...

Dog Teeth are Worth a Vacation?!

I have had Matilda's teeth cleaned three times in the past 6 years that I've had her.  When I first adopted her, she had the worst doggie breath you've every smelled and her teeth were green.  Two years later, during her cleaning the vet discovered a few problems and had to surgically extract four teeth.  This latest cleaning turned my vacation into a stay-cation.

I had been putting off setting an appointment for this cleaning because I knew it was going to be a huge financial hit, but after noticing her favoring one side of her mouth more than the other when she crunched on a Milk-Bone, I decided I couldn't put it off any longer.  I dropped her off that morning and headed to court.  After leaving court, I noticed that I had missed back-to-back phone calls from the vet.  I knew that meant trouble.  When I returned the call, I learned that Matilda needed SIX teeth removed.  My stomach dropped.  I felt like a horrible dog mom for putting off the cleaning for so long and I felt sick because I had no idea how I would pay for this bill.  The vet was still talking, explaining what she saw and what she did, but all I heard was "Blah, blah, blah, guilt.  Blah, blah, blah, bad mom.  Blah, blah, blah, way more than you can afford.".  Thankfully, she summarized her actual words in a document for me.
"Matilda had moderate tartar and periodontal disease.  There were multiple loose teeth which were elevated and the gum sutured closed.  Tooth 207 had a cavity and distal root resorption and was surgically extracted." 

This cleaning/extraction didn't cost as much as the last time, but it definitely cost me my vacation that was scheduled for the following week.

Loss and Tumbleweeds

Matilda sheds. And not just a little bit. Her wiry fur is all over the place! In the car. On the sofa. In the bathroom. On my bed. In my bed. On my clothes (and I like to wear black). In my hair! It's really quite irritating, especially for a person who named shedding as the number one reason never to get a dog.

Everyday she has to mark the couch and my bed with her scent by rolling around on it like she's lost her mind. She lays on her side and scootches around in a circle, then flips on her other side and scootches around in the opposite direction. Then she stands on all fours, does the shimmy-shake, and then lays down. It's as if some crazy doggie spirit has possessed her because this craziness is not a part of her normal Tildy charm. It's absolute insanity for about 30 seconds. Everyday. Twice a day.

Between her fur and my hair that falls out whenever a comb or hairdryer gets anywhere close to my head, there are always fur/hair balls all over the house. They're like little tumbleweeds. Somehow, as much as I hate having fur all over the place, I've grown accoustomed to it, because she's my girl. And I love her so much.

Paparazzi, no pictures, please.

Matilda and I take almost the same path on our walks everyday. The park that we go to is right next door to the local hospital. During our early morning walks, we get passed by hospital personnel on their way to work.

Same people. Every day. For almost three years.

There have been a few that have stopped to talk to us. There was one nurse that rolled down her window in the rain to tell me how much she enjoys seeing Matilda every morning. Another met us in the parking lot to tell me how much Matilda reminded her of her late dog and that she looks forward to seeing Matilda because it brings back such great memories.

The woman that drives the bus that comes through the area has stopped to tease Matilda on a few mornings. (Matilda likes to bark and run after buses and large, loud trucks.) The only conversation directed at me was "What's the dog's name?". After that, whenever she stops, it's all about Matilda. "Whatchu gonna do now, Matilda? You've caught the bus. Whatchu gonna do now? Hahaha. See you later, Matilda! Bye!"

All of the hospital folks that pass us in the morning wave at Matilda, and THEN look to me and wave. Some folks that we've never even met have learned her name through the grapevine and will roll down their windows to speak to my dog. Matilda has become somewhat of a neighborhood celebrity.

No one knows my name. I'm just the lady that walks Matilda twice a day.

Quote of the Day

I had to take Tildy out early tonight because I have dinner plans. As we were cutting through the hospital parking lot, I observed a child exchange - you know, parents that don't get along or don't want the other anywhere near their house or new "friend" meet in a public place to exchange the children for the weekend. This woman was dropping off her two children to a man driving a refridgerated truck. The baby was handed off in her car seat. He just put it on the seat. Didn't bother to strap it down. The mom got two bags out of the car at the same time as she was escorting the second child that appeared to be about four years old. As she was passing off the bags, the man said, "You don't need all this shit for a baby!". All I could do was shake my head.