Category: dogs

Orion – 10/20/08 to 11/04/21

In July, Rion’s veterinarian discovered via an x-ray that Rion probably had a mass in or near his bladder. A specialist vet with advanced imaging equipment determined that he had a five cm inoperable mass growing from either his abdominal wall or his bladder. She very gently explained what we could expect as the mass continued to grow and how to keep him comfortable as long as possible.

Thursday morning, Rion ate his breakfast with his normal enthusiasm. Three hours later, something major happened internally, and Rion looked like a dog on the edge of collapse. He spent the rest of the day in what resembled a coma, and was euthanized by his vet late that afternoon, two weeks and one day past his thirteenth birthday.

Polly

Polly

We are taking care of Polly for a few days while her people travel. For her first few hours here, she followed our Boston Terrier Bandit around. She knew Bandit from when her people took care of him for a while. Polly doesn’t see very well, but it didn’t take her long to figure out where everything is our house. She is a cheerful little soul, despite her first few years of mistreatment before she was rescued than adopted. There is nothing quite like having two Boston Terriers snoring in stereo.

Blue Blankie

Blue Blankie

During winter, Rion spends a lot of time wrapped in his blue blankie. Occasionally, I will be doing something and look down and see Rion standing quietly beside me. Sometimes that means he has to go out. And sometimes that means that Bandit has stolen the blue blankie or Rion’s crate and Rion is waiting for me to fix the situation.

You may think, why not get Bandit his own blankie? However, Bandit is not interested in having his own blankie. If Bandit has his own blankie, he will try to steal Rion’s blankie and pile them together. Bandit also has his own crate but never goes in it during the day. He would much rather sleep in Rion’s crate.

BirthDay Boy

Today, we are celebrating Rion’s twelfth birthday. He was born to a bitch in a HSPPR foster family on October 20, 2008. Despite several chronic health conditions, he still bounces around an agility course like a much younger dog. I am grateful for all the vets who have kept him feeling great and allowing him to reach this milestone.