Spring is Nearly Here!

Today was sunny and the temperature hit 50 degrees F.  Jake had to celebrate!

Rollin, Rollin, Rollin

Keep them doggies rollin

Too bad his happiness didn't last.  He got a bath and nail trim after this.

Cute Sleeping Jake

ZZZZzzzzZZZZ

For some reason, Eclipse the cat loves sleeping in Jake's bed.  Jake is taking the chance to catch some zzz in it while he can.  Jake's doing really well in case you wanted to know.

Whatcha Doing?

Hey Mom

Whatcha doing?

That's nice.

Pet me.

My...er Jake's New Sheets

Having a basset hound that I allow to sleep on my bed, I've learned one very important lesson.  White sheets turn basset brown.  I have a set of regular tie-dye sheets but I'm so used to sleeping on flannel and t-shirt sheets, they aren't very comfy.  I was able to get the person that made the regular sheets flannel tie-dye.  Jake of course, had to try them out.

These sheets don't smell like me.

Uhm, I had a cookie over here...what did you do with it?

Will you stop taking pictures?

It is nap time.

Can I have another piece of elk?

This be my sexy pose.

Jake the Helper

 I'm doing a 365 Photo Challenge and I needed my bed to set up today's shoot.  Jake decided he wanted to participate...

I smell liver.  I want it.

(Apparently there was liver treats in the pocket of my hoodie.)

Really Mom, I make your photos better.

Why can't you 365 Days of Jake??

Jake at the River

Hi all!
Jake had a busy busy day today.  He went to Columbia Bottoms Conservation Area and waddled around. Then he went to the Chain of Rocks Bridge and waddled to the middle of the Mississippi River.  Lucky for  me, Jake didn't find any deer poo.  Lots of scents.  He walked with his nose glued to the ground for the most of the trip.

Where are the eagles?

I thought we were going to see the eagles?

I see a fishy.

(Jake is looking at the Missouri River.)

Turtles.  Mommy was talking about turtles.

Where are they?

There are beavers?  Really? Where?

At the Park

Jake and I went to a different park today.  Here's Jake looking at the ducks.

That one looks tasty.

So does that one.

Mommy, catch me one!

Note:  no ducks or geese were harmed in the making of this post.  :)

Jake's New Bed!

Jake got a new self-heating bed for the kitchen this week.

Doesn't it look lovely and warm?

It's a little bigger than I expected.

Here's Jake on his new bed.

ZZZzzzZZZzzzZZZ

Here is the cat on the new bed.  The cat, Eclipse, likes to lay wherever Jake has laid before.

Eclipse.

She belongs to my sister.

Now we are having disagreements about whose bed it really is.

What is this *dog* doing in my bed????

Compromise has been reached!!!

Jake: zzzz

Eclipse:  I suppose I can share.  But does he have to snore so loud?

Jake:  OMG! There's a cat in my bed.

Is that the one that likes me?

Eclipse:  zzzzzzz

Close Up of Jake

I'm practicing my photography and I have to say, a sleeping Jake is a great subject.  Since he is deaf, he can't hear the noise the camera makes.  I was reading some photo tips and one of the suggestions was to fill the frame.

Jake's Interesting Habit

Hope everyone is having a great new year!  Jake is!  He got a new bed to start the new year.  He wishes it wasn't so cold so he could go on more walks.

Jake has an interesting new habit or behavior.  I'm a night owl, so I'm up at 12:30 am or later... Jake has now decided to mother hen me.  At around 12:30 am, he starts giving me dirty looks.  Apparently, he's decided I need to go to bed early.  If I get out of bed, he gets up and follows me around until I go back t bed.  Now, he's decided to sleep in the doorway of my room.

It's time to go to bed!

Turn the computer off and let's go!

Merry Christmas!

Jake and I hope Santa Paws brings you everything you wanted!

Thursday Update

Hello all
Sorry for the light posting.  Jake is being somewhat difficult.  He's gone on a hunger strike.  I've tried just about everything to get him to eat and to take his meds.  It's been very difficult.

Today Jake had his stitches taken out!!!! YAY!!! His ears are healing nicely.  However, it looks like there could be some permanent facial nerve damage as Jake still can't blink properly.  Also, Jake is having some trouble eating on his right side.  It could be facial nerve damage or it could be some underlying jaw issue.  In other words, although the surgery solved his ear issues, it may not have solved his jaw problem.  The latest on the jaw problem is that it could be arthritis in his jaw.  We are going to try metacam for a week to see if that helps.

I really feel like Jake needs House.

As Jake and I were discussing his medication problems, I ran into his dermatologist, Dr. Metry, who is totally awesome and she gave me a big hug telling me that it was great news.  I'm like, yeah, Jake got his stitches removed.  She's like they didn't tell you?  Tell me what?  The final biopsy results came back.  The mass in Jake's ear is not cancer!!!!!!  It apparently was something that became a necropsis in his ear and became surrounded by pus and other goo.  Because his ear was so calcified, the medications could never get to the mass.

Here is Jake in the exam room!

He's got Christmas collar cover on!

Doesn't he look awesome!

I Do Not Like the Cone of Shame

Happy St. Nick's Day!  Jake is home and currently eating rice and hamburger, he had baby food appetizer laced with pills :).  He's doing really well, although there was some facial nerve damage, as Jake can't blink really well yet.  He gets eyedrops until he can blink!

Jake gets to wear a cone!  So far it hasn't been all that great.  Jake keeps running into stuff.

Here's Jake the Flower.

This is the cone they gave him at the hospital.

He steps on it.

Here's Jake modeling his new cone.

It's soft and padded.

It also folds so that he doesn't step on it.

Thanks for all your special prayers and wishes as Jake was sick and in the hospital!

UPDATE: Jake's special bud Mike composed a poem for Jake:

I would not wear it in the shower

it makes me look just like a flower

I would not wear it in the park

I would not wear it in the dark

I would not wear it in the yard

I can not walk it is too hard

I would not wear it on a walk

I look so silly folks will gawk

I do not like this cone of shame

I do not like things that are lame

Basset Sphinx

Before recorded history, before they worshipped cats, the Ancient Egyptians worshiped basset hounds.  They made many monuments to the bassets and the earliest sphinx were not lions, but rather bassets.  Sadly, all of the quantifiable evidence of this has been lost to time (or to someone's lack of organization).  However, the basset hound still retains his noble bearing and sphinx-like appearance, to share with us his past (and still) total awesomeness.  The basset hound (Jake in particular) is to be worshipped and adored.  One day, they will reclaim their place of pride.  Until then, the noble basset practices his pose for that day of adoration.

You must worship and leave offerings.

Jake's New Duds!

Hello all,
Jake is feeling almost normal!  Some kind soul sent Jake an early St. Nick's Day and Christmas Present, a new collar, harness and leash!!! Doesn't Jake look so bright and cheery?

Jake Update

Hi Everyone!
Jake is back to his old self!  He's can sort of yawn and his appetite has really improved.  He's even hiding in the closet when he sees me with his medicine syringe.  I never thought I'd be happy to see him run the other way.

I'm ready for Christmas Cookies!

Turkey for Me, Turkey for Me....

Since Jake's been feeling better and can open his mouth up around 2 inches, I decided he needed a treat!

Uhm, can I have some?  Please?

TURKEY!!!! TURKEY!!! NOM!!!

(see how little the pieces are?

That's the biggest size Jake can currently eat.)

Jake says hope everydoggie had a Happy Turkey Day!  Remember, cooked bones are bad for dogs and too many special Turkey Day Treats can give doggies Pancreatitis.  

Today's Jake Update

Hi all.
Jake was able to be seen by the dental service at the vet hospital.  The dental vets don't think he has the doggie MS disease.  They think the tumor in Jake's ear has grown or that the pressure in the ear canal is what is causing him not to be able to open his jaw fully.  The vet brought out a doggie skull model and the ear area is really close to the jaw bone and joint.

The moral of the story is that Jake needs ear surgery sooner, rather than later.  As in Jake's surgery is scheduled for Thursday, December 3.

I'm not sure what the prognosis is at this point.  I think if they can get the mass out, everything will be okay.  It all depends on whether or not the mass is cancerous or not (the vets aren't sure) and what happens when they start operating.

I do know Jake will be in the hospital for 3-4 days and most likely will have a cone.  Don't worry, I'll take pictures of that.

I gots a chewy to hide, stop following me!

(This was taken early Sunday afternoon, when Jake could still chew.)

Update on Jake

As you know, Jake has been feeling ill.  Jake's bloodwork came back indicating an inflammation or an infection.  He's been prescribed antibiotics.  He was doing better until Sunday.  He didn't want to eat, but I thought his tummy was upset from the antibiotics because it has happened before.  The twitching/shaking started back up as well.  Jake then decided he wasn't having any of his pills.  Hot dogs, velveeta, the pb from a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, Jake wasn't buying it.  I was like fine, I'll just pry your jaws open and jam the pill down your throat.  Jake screamed when I opened his mouth.  Needless to say, pill attempts came to an abrupt halt.  I then noticed the left back side, where the jaw joint is, was swollen.

I was able to get Jake into his vet on Monday.  She was not able to get Jake's jaw open either.  She prescribed liquid meds (we have a pharmacy here that can compound meds!) and referred me back to University of Illinois and Jake's vet there.

The vets at University of Illinois Vet Hospital don't think it is the mass in Jake's ear growing.  It is unheard of for that kind of tumor to act that way.  The vet suspects Jake has masticatory myositis, which seems to be some kind of doggie MS.  Hopefully the vets can pry Jake's jaw open to take radiographs.  If not, a CT will have to be done.  They need to check to see if his jaw has fused shut.  If it has the prognosis is poor.

He is doing better today.  His appetite is back and he's eating lots.  Jake has an appointment with the dentists on Wednesday, 11/25, at 9 am.  I'll keep everyone updated :)

Do Not Disturb

Jake is till not feeling up to his normal self, but he seems better.

Here is Jake napping.

Love how he sleeps with his ear covering his eyes.