I’m getting better from the cold. Now just trying to figure out where I left my energy. Joy is having her ups and downs though, and I’m worried about her. There’s been loss of appetite (which just never happens with her), vomiting, and lack of energy, besides that cough. At other times she seems to feel great. We will definitely be visiting the vet in Blyth on Monday.
Here I’m in Q and the big weeks are upon us, and my truck has not moved since I first arrived, which will be a week tomorrow! We have only walked.
There isn’t a lot to say, so I’m going to show you some pictures I’ve taken over the last few weeks, of….cactus. When I see Saguaro they always seem so…other-worldly to me. All cactus seem funny/interesting.
Saguaro often start out as babies under the shade of a Mesquite or Palo Verde tree. It takes a long time…like probably 100 years for them to grow this big.
Cholla. Ugh. These are wicked!
Prickly hearts!
You see Picky Mickey Mouse?
Saguaro at sunrise.
Lots of arms.
Interesting life forms. This is such a miraculous world we live in.
Wandering Spirit 
Glad to hear you are better! And I hope you find out what is going on with Joy!!
Thanks Patty. Went to the vet today so will write a new blog post in a little while. Hopefully have at least one answer.
Keep me posted on Joy and how she is! I remember when you got her. Sending white light and positive thoughts and oh yes, love!!
Hi Carmen, will write a post soon. Yes, 12 years ago I got that wiggles little bundle of…Joy. ☺️🐶
I am so glad to hear that you are feeling better. My prayers are for Joy, I hope that Vet can find a simple explanation and send her on the road to recovery!
Thank you Jeanne. Might have at least one answer. Will write about it shortly.
I remember when you got Joy, too. All best wishes from us that she feels better very soon.
Hi Maureen, yes you know they had a ‘baby’ shower for me at work when I got her. Such sweet women.
micky, merlin had me very worried the beginning of dec, same symptoms. vomiting, coughing, lack of appetite, no energy, then other times he’d seem fine. i eventually found an abscess on his neck which i tried to clean for several days. one day, out popped a segmented white larvae! i was horrified. i’m working this winter at bardwell lake, bardwell, tx and reported to the rangers what i’d found. we think it was an “ichneumon wasp”, which likes to live in wood and the ground. there is wood/gravel at my campsite here and grass just beyond the wood timbers, so i’m pretty sure a wasp stung him and laid an egg in the wound.
i’ve had dogs all my life and never had such a thing happen to one of them. don’t know if something similar stung joy, but you might do a thorough search for any abscesses or wounds on her. it won’t be easy to see, merlin’s was probably growing for several weeks til it got big enough for me to find in his poodle hair.
my vet didn’t find the abscess on dec 23, but found his liver enzymes were elevated, otherwise all seemed normal to her. i found the abscess on dec 29, but i think he actually got stung around dec 10, because i saw a wasp flying around my campsite when i moved in.
hope joy gets better soon and that you find the source of her illness. hope all is well in q. i cancelled my trip there because i want to be close to merlin’s vet in case he has complications from this wasp incident.
safe travels……………….claire and merlin, excellent schnoodle
Oh my gosh Claire, how awful that must have been. Well we’ve sure been around enough bugs. I read your comment before I had to leave for the vet so I gave Joy a really good going over. I’ve been brushing her daily too. But thank you it’s certainly something to watch for. My golden girl before Joy, by the name of Bonnie, got sick one time and I took her to the vet. Couldn’t find anything. Later I found a place where she was bitten by something near her neck…big awful spot. Took her back to the vet. As I remember he thought it was some kind of wicked spider bite. Don’t remember the treatment. Must have been close to 20 years ago. She healed, but it sure made her sick.
I’m sorry you’re not coming to Q. We need to email. I’d like to hear about your job.
Hi Micky! I’m so glad you are recovering from your cold. Sorry to hear Joy is feeling crappy–it’s so unlike her. Sammy’s been sick on and off for 6 months. He was recently diagnosed with diabetes, has had pancreatitis… and has chronic inflammatory bowel disease. I’m giving him insulin and he’s doing better tho’ it’s up and down. He’s had those same symptoms Joy is having but, of course, that doesn’t mean Joy is similarly sick. I hope the vet visit is helpful and Joy heals quickly. Keep us posted. Much love to you, Joy and Shiloh.
Hi Marian, I’ve been thinking about you. Oh poor Sammy! My goodness, good thing his mommy is on the ball and found all this out. And he’s had such excellent care all the years you’ve had him too. I know you have always been careful about what he eats.
Well we’ve had our vet visit so we have ‘an’ answer. Will post a blog shortly and tell what I learned.
Much love to you and Sammy too.
Hope everything turns out great with your big baby.
Me too Pam. She’s doing ok right now, 1-13-16.