Yeah!

Sassy is home!

She came trotting up the front walk with pep and enthusiasm. She was...well...sassy! :-) Thanks to everyone who kept Ms Sass in their thoughts this week. We may not have her with us for much longer, but we are loving each day she dances her happy dance for us.

Sassy Update

Sassy is still at the hospital. Her ultrasound today showed that part of her pancreas is REALLY swollen. The vet and radiologist put it at a 60-70% chance that this is a large mass (about 2in by 3in). There is a fair chance that it is just pancreatitis, however. This second diagnosis is bolstered by the fact that Sassy seems to be feeling much better. Because she seems to be back to her old self, we decided to see if we could take her home for a few days to see how things go. They are going to take about 24 hours to wean her off the IV fluids with the hope that we can bring her home tomorrow. Her mobility is still really impaired, but Chris and I think that once we get the IV out of her front leg she will be about to move about with no more difficulty than usual.

SSSOOOO, in essence a 24 hour reprieve -- we will really know if she can come home tomorrow. Thanks to everyone who has written and called with words of support. Please keep Sassy in your thoughts and prayers for a bit longer.

Remember This Beautiful Lass?

Nope, I don't mean the pregnant whale... I mean the cute one peaking out from behind mount Gabrelias...

This weekend out older basset Sassy had to be hospitalized. Friday afternoon she was fine -- dancing her little shuffle-dance for cookies and attention. Then Friday evening she was having trouble walking, seemed listless and unsure where she was. She was also sick in about every way you can be sick. We took her to the vet first thing on Saturday -- by that time she could only walk a few steps. She is still at the vet's office there hooked up to IV fluids and medicines. They are doing a bunch of tests on her, but as of this morning, the vet seemed to believe that her bloodwork indicated a tumor or some kind of severe abnormality in her stomach or intestinal lining. We will know more after she gets an ultrasound tomorrow.

In the meantime, please send Sassy all your good vibes/kind thoughts/pink light and keep her in your prayers. She is a sweet old girl who has been a loyal pet through a lot of changes in our lives. As you can see from the photo above, she was the boys first playmate -- tolerating their kicks to her pillow very patiently. Since the boys arrived, she has kept to herself as much as possible but, despite all their poking and prodding, she has never even growled at them. That is more patience than Chris and I have been able to consistently demonstrate.