It is inevitable when you have old dogs that they will have health issues. Just as inevitable that your own bones will begin to protest things you used to do without thinking, and injuries you could ignore before can last and last now. Kenya has been having peeing issues of late. It's been hard to afford to get her in to see the vet, but there's just some things you gotta do. Tentative first diagnosis was a UTI, because that's where you start. I was thrilled to get a urine sample- I never have been adept at convincing a pet to give me one before. I recommend anyone trying also use a pan lid. Leash the dog, and as soon as she squats, shove a pan lid under there. Hopefully the lip on the lid will keep the wee in the container until you get back in the house. And hopefully, she won't try to poo on the pan lid. It's a very similar pose after all. But last night's 3 AM potty run had her impatiently wee on the kitchen floor, and there was definite red in it. The joy of the kitchen floor instead of her preferred carpet is that it's so much easier to clean. So I was happy and really depressed at the same time. We called the vet again this afternoon. She goes for an ultrasound and blood work on Wednesday morning. I am thinking it may be kidney stones or something like that. She still has good quality of life, but peeing apparently hurts. This week, she's started objecting to food. Tomorrow, I'm going to the Good Pet Store to buy some spiff food, and I hope she will be tempted to eat it. And we're going to have to hide her pills in something besides cream cheese now- she won't eat the cream cheese unless we wrap it in lunch meat. (Which I'm happy to keep doing!)

Why is it our pets feel their mortality more in the winter? I don't want to bury Kenya if we have to make that fatal choice. I think I'm going to opt for the cremation if we have to. I can keep her on my desk. It's easier than the back yard- because eventually, we'll have a rather full yard if we keep that up. Even the Basset is no spring chicken, and he'd take up a lot of real estate. Our yard is too tiny.

I'm good at worrying. I wish I was this good at sleeping.  ¶ 11:20 PM