SALON SATCHEL

Our Dear Satchel has developed a humongous issue with "hot spots" (a moist, raw sore on the skin of a dog or cat caused by licking or other continual source of moisture). Due to incontinence creating a need for many baths, we've made some adjustments to Satchel's bathing experience. We call it The Salon Experience at Salon Satchel.

First, we get him into the shower:

Soaped Up Satchel

He doesn't love it, but he's a very passive dog and will do whatever we ask...and he loves Jason.
We do our best to clean every crevice while keeping him comfortable and warm.
Because of his arthritis, it's difficult for him to shake, so we use a lot of towels and dry him off. Then we lie him down on something and get ready for the blow drying!


No, it wasn't made in 1875, but I purchased this in probably 1992 maybe...?

On the COOL setting, Satchel gets a VERY lengthy blow drying. His Labrador Retriever-like hair holds so much water, it takes ForEver to dry him. But if you've ever seen a hot spot on your dog and then you picture a 6-inch round one on poor Satchel, you'd blow dry him ForEver to avoid it. Sometimes I switch over to WARM, but it's mostly a cool Salon Experience.


Passive Satchel endures my attention once again

Satchel is growing more and more comfortable with this process and has started to actually enjoy it a little bit...
But it's Luna who really likes the WARM setting:

Luna says, "Ahhhhhhhh..."

After the Day at the Salon, everyone is worn out.

And it wasn't even Luna's turn at The Salon!

Sometimes Salon Satchel has to be open 24 hours, or there have been many occasions of The Night at the Salon, but this time it was just an evening of Salon Satchel.


Maybe he'll rest for more than 37 minutes tonight...

Casa Curtin-Hess is full-service. We haven't found anything yet that we won't do for each other.

Oh The Doggy Dramas

Oh, how much time has passed...
It's been a LOOOOOOOOONNNNNNG time since I thought I might even remotely have something interesting to type about...I mean, the days have been filled with the things normally attributed to new parents: no sleep, lots of pooping and peeing, lots of baths, being creative about keeping our lovey comfortable, and no sleep. Virtually Zero. ...and our days and nights have been filled with some carpet cleaning too. So even though I don't have anything that interesting to type, here's just a snippet of our last night/this morning.

Dearest Satchel has been improving in some ways and having a terribly hard time in others.
We've made a few changes that have helped him sleep at night:
1. One meal per day.
2. One-room sleeping quarters instead of being able to roam 3 rooms.
3. Jason sleeps with him in one-room luxury which includes a computer, a TV that stays on all night, a gas fireplace and Satchel's beloved moving blanket.
These changes have helped him sleep comfortably for up to 7 hours in a row. He usually has to go outside only twice between 12:30-ish and 5am and is reportedly comfortable...or so it seemed.

Last night seemed great until the poop explosion at 5am.
Jason was roused from his sleeping quarters by Satchel's wanderings...


Jason's sleeping quarters in the office!

Satchel was wandering around the room, stepping in lots of poop and taking it with him wherever he walked.
He needed a BIG Shower. There are issues with showering our Dear Satchel lately because he has developed a 'hot spot' issue. It is IMPERATIVE to keep his skin clean and dry. Very difficult on a dog who is 90% incontinent, but we've been doing pretty well...and Satchel needed a BIG Shower!!!
That means the Salon Treatment had to come out and Satchel had to be blow dried!
Now those of you who know me will be Absolutely Shocked to know I even OWN a blow dryer...and it's pretty deluxe for being about 20 years old or so. It's perfect for Satchel's needs right now because it has not just the High & Low settings, but COOL, WARM & HOT! Cool is ideal for Sweet Satchel's Sensitive Skin during this trying time...!


Satchel's feet were cold after his COOL Setting blow out...
and his beloved moving blanket was 'unfit' to lie on...
so here he is on an old comforter...comfort seems to be the word...

While I blow dried Sweet Satchel, Jason got out the new carpet cleaner. We just put it together last night! It was on sale for $140 at costo.com and you'd think it was as great as a new washing machine...oh yeah, our washing machine is broken as of yesterday...for the 476th time...it'll be hard to wash the moving blanket...oy...

So Jason filled up the clean water tank and got to work on the destroyed office.


The Hoover Spin Brush Steam Vac with Clean Surge...
but it doesn't work! I have to take it back to the warehouse!!!!

Could one of us catch a break? I mean, we realize we are not in the devastation of Haiti or Afghanistan...we were just hoping something would work to clean and sanitize our home.
So we got out the old Bissel carpet cleaner that cost $60 from Big Lots a hundred years ago...still works, just not nearly as well as it once did.

Office cleaned and sanitized. Satchel cleaned and sanitized, and hopefully dry enough to not irritate the 7-inch-pancake-sized hot spot on the inside of his right leg, and hopefully dry enough to prevent any other hot spots. Where is the Precious Peanut? Sweet Luna asked to be in a place where she wouldn't be in the way at all...up on the bed...


My Angel Luna wishing she was asleep at 5:30am instead of in the middle of a cleaning extravaganza

She's so great.

So the washer's broken, the brand new carpet cleaner won't work, Satchel's stomach is bugging him and he has the potential to be one big red & painful hot spot, Jason's slept about 3 hours, I'm working on how to remedy all of these things, and there is Luna, Precious Wonderful Luna, simply trying to stay out of the way. How did I get so lucky to be the one to live with and care for her?

My Mentor-From-Afar, Cesar Millan, The Dog Whisperer, created a challenge on his new website for owners to walk their dogs for 1 hour each day for the next 2 weeks. January is National Walk Your Dog Month or something like that. Six months ago, Luna & I walked more than 1 hour each day. Over the last six months, Luna has had less and less of our essential time together: can't leave Satchel alone, temperatures too cold for her feet, treacherously icy roads, treadmill irritates her back...

I decided Today, that no matter what - no matter how tired I am when Jason is home to meet Satchel's needs, no matter how icy my neighborhood is - I will find a safe and fun place to walk with Luna for an hour every day again. If it's too cold for her feet, ok, but if it's not, we'll find a way. Luna deserves so much more than I can give her, so I will work to give her at least the very basics. Our walks together are a basic need. We've walked 25 minutes together so far today, and when I'm done working tonight, it'll be cold and dark, but we'll find a place to walk for at least 35 minutes and my Luna will be even more Perfect than she already is...as if that's possible...but she will be happier and that's what I want for her.

A DAY OR TWO IN THE LIFE

It's been over a month since your Dog Obsessed Girl has been able to find the time, gumption and topic to share with you the goings on at Casa Curtin-Hess. Since I am frequently asked how we're doing, I thought I could make a huge post about what a Day (Or Two) In Our Life is like right now. Most people don't care about the minute to minute detail of anyone's life, but we think we can make anything sound fun and entertaining...!

Envision, if you will, our simple life and how we get through our days with smiles and appreciation.

For fun, let me start on a Sunday night!

SUNDAY NIGHT
11pm
My goal is to get into bed by 11pm each night. I may not always make it, but I make a good effort. On Sundays, I have just watched Mad Men, and Satchel, Luna & I talk about the episode.
Jason stays up later than the rest of us so he is on Satchel Watch.
By now, Satchel is usually relaxing a bit by lying down in either the office or the bedroom. He usually chooses his moving blanket area. He just loves a moving blanket...crazy Satchel.

Sweet Satchel getting sleepy...

I close the doors to our bedroom and office to contain Satchel's wanderings to a safe area and so that I can hear him as he tries to get up in the night.
Luna gets to "cuddle up." I like her to be on "my side," but she often chooses the roomier-for-the-moment area known as "Jason's side." He's very accommodating to her sleeping needs.

Spacious Jason's Side


Ready to snuggle up with Me!

The dogs and I find a good sitcom and put the TV on a 30-minute sleep timer.

12am
Luna and I are asleep. I hear Satchel get up some time between midnite and 1-ish am because he needs to go outside. Jason usually takes him at this time then "suits him up" for the nite.
Satchie has to wear a doggy diaper I create out of a human Depends with a cut in it for his tail. It is the most effective when combined with a diaper cover or Belly Band. He doesn't like it, but he has grown more used to it and doesn't seem bothered by the apparatus anymore.

Suited Up Satchel

2 - 4am
Somewhere in here Satchel wakes up with a start and a struggle and needs my help to get up and stand. He has to go outside to pee, but he is sometimes sleepwalking. Literally sleepwalking. About 30% of the time, he is still asleep until we get outside.
Satchel likes to walk the yard for several minutes. We have spent up to 30 minutes outside at this time of night admiring the stars and trying not to disturb the deer that sleep in our yard.

Traversing the yard at night...

Sometimes Satchie has pooped in his diaper. He's neat about it and a swipe with a baby wipe or Clorox wipe makes him perfect again. Maybe once a month he needs an extra shower due to this event.
We get back inside, put on a new diaper, Satchel drinks a ton of water, and we go back to the bedroom where Jason is usually snoring and Luna is usually sprawled and stretched out on her back - Totally Asleep.
"Why not limit his water?" some ask.
"Because it's good for his kidney function and digestion," I say.
On good nites, this process will take about 30 minutes. On rough nites, when Satchel's intestines are working slowly, it can be a 2 Hour Tour.
On a good nite, Satchel will lie down and go back to sleep. On a rough nite, after pacing and panting in the yard, he needs some snuggle time and massage. His upper back around his shoulders can get very fatigued. With a little bit of luck, and about 15 minutes of massage along his spine, upper back and tummy, Satchie might be relaxed for another couple of hours.

4 - 6am
Either Satchel & I are outside again, or I'm helping him walk around a bit to find a comfortable position.
Jason and Luna are deeply asleep.
On a good nite, this awakening may not even happen. On a rougher nite, Satchel is up for an hour or two.

Monday mornings I have a massage client 7-9am.
I'm stressed on Monday mornings because Jason leaves for a client's house at about 6:45am which means no one can attend to Satchel's needs. We have found he rests well and safely in the basement.

MONDAY
6am
Luna and I get up. Satchel sometimes wakes or is already awake.
I get dressed, and if Satchel is awake, Luna and I go outside with him first, then get him settled in either the bedroom or massage room before we go for a 30-minute walk in the neighborhood.

Luna has her Flasher on and we're ready for our walk in the dark

Doesn't it sound like the last 7 hours have been sooooo exciting!?!?

6:30-ish - 7 am
Luna and I have breakfast.
Luna gets her medicine.
Jason takes Satchel into the basement and gets him comfortable and settled while I try not to panic...

7-9am
Work.

9:10am
Shove client out the door so I can check on Satchel!
He is usually fine...on occasion I need to clean him up from some sort of mishap...
I'm still feeling stressed because every other week I have to leave by 9:20am to get to an appointment which means I have to pack 40 minutes worth of needs into 10.

Get Satchel upstairs - he walks the yard first of course!
Come ON Satchie! I've got to GO!
Hold Satchel up while he eats.


Helping Satchel eat

If there's enough time, give Satchel all his meds.
Suit Satchel up and leave.
Work really hard at not feeling panicky.

9:25am
Leave 5 minutes late.

9:35-ish am
Arrive at my friend's Korey's house.
She is a massage therapist too and we trade!

9:45-ish - 11:30 am
Work on Korey.

11:35-ish am
Leave Korey's house and head to dog walking client's house.
Talk to Jason on the way, confirming that he will be home by noon.

11:45-ish am - 12:30-ish pm
Walk my client's/friend's 3 miniature greyhounds.
So cute!

Honey, Tredder & Blaze

12:30-ish pm
Race home hoping I won't get a ticket.

12:40-ish pm
Arrive home.
Satchel is often just fine!
If I haven't had time to do it already and Jason forgets, I give Satchel his meds.

1pm
Feed myself some lunch!
I have until 3pm to be with my dogs and do household tasks.

2:30 - 3pm
Take the dogs out for a jaunt in the yard.
It is a project to get Satchel outside and then he hates to come back inside.
He seems to think he has a bit of Rudolph in him because he acts as if he's taking off to fly. He hippity hops down the ramp and attempts to jump off the end of it like it's a dock. It is very hard on my back, knees and wrists...


Helping Satchel get down his ramp


Continuing down The Ramp That Jason Built

And he's off...to wander the yard!

Once inside, I suit Satchel up because he has to be alone for about an hour and half.
I work at not being stressed about Satchel's safety and not being worried that I'm not meeting Luna's needs...

3-ish - 4pm
Drive to client's house and set up for 4pm massage.
Text with the kids in my life about their days. On average, I tell them I love them & miss them 100x/day.


2 of my favorite people in the Entire Universe

4 - 5pm
Work.

5-ish - 5:20pm
Pack up and head home to the puppies!

6-ish - 8pm
Arrive home. Feed puppies. Take them out.
Feed myself.
Try to work out in some way. Treadmill. Weights. Something. It's all downstairs.
Text with kids if they're not too busy.


Me trying to workout with the puppies nearby

Satchel will usually stay downstairs with Jason and his clients.
(Jason is a personal trainer and works from home some hours during the day.)
Maybe have a shower.

8-ish - 8:30pm
Set up massage room for 8:30 appointment.
Text kids that I miss them and love them.

8:30 - 9:30ish pm
Work.

9:30-ish - 10pm
Straighten massage room.
Laundry.

10 - 11pm
Go outside with the dogs.
Feel lucky that I have the time, energy and money to take care of my family like this.
Do dishes or fold laundry or something like that.

11pm
Try to be in bed!
Sometimes I take the laptop into bed with me to read emails and my favorite gossip sites!


Luna & I cuddled up
Luna had been cuddled up for over an hour when this picture was taken...I just hopped into bed for the picture and then needed to switch out some laundry...isn't that too often the way?! It would have been so nice to just stay there...

11pm - 6am
See Sunday night!

Snuggled up & getting sleepy with Jason in the office

The day has quite a bit of Satchel pooping and peeing and needing clean up, but I'll keep that detail sparse. What I will tell you is that just because a dog becomes incontinent does not mean his quality of life is poor. Satchel needs all kinds of support and I'm happy to give it all to him. He's a happy dog. Of course dogs don't want to poop or pee where they live and sleep. It goes against their instincts. But if Satchel was in the wild right now, his pack would have either killed him or abandoned him to die. He's not in the wild. I will not kill or abandon him. He's my domesticated pet who is an essential family member and I am honored to take care of every bit of him.


TUESDAY
Don't have to get up until 8am!
Sometimes Satchel will be up earlier, but sometimes he'll sleep even later than 8am.
Jason has clients that come to the house at 8am on Tuesdays so Luna and I are awake!

8am
Luna hears people in the basement. She waits for me to get up. She's so awesome in that she doesn't wake me up, but since Jason's alarm goes off at 7:30/7:45, I'm already up - we're usually talking about our day. Yeah. Luna & I. We talk!

8:05am
Luna and I, and sometimes Satchel, go outside.
Depending on whether Satchel is with us or not, it can be a quick yard jaunt or a lengthy one.
If Satchel is up, he will want to go see who is in the basement, and Luna and I can go for a walk and not worry about Satchel.
If Satchel is not up, Luna and I wait until he wakes up, then we take him outside, then into the basement, then Luna and I go for our walk.
Walking, feeding, and medicine can take 2 hours!

10am - 11:30am
Workout and shower.

12pm
Take puppies outside.
We walk around and around and around and around the yard.
The dogs lift their noses and discover many things from the air.
Luna finds fun things in the leaves. She sometimes does a crazy tear around all the yards which perks Satchel's ears up as he watches her insanity. It's fun!
I suit Satchel up and leave for client's house.
Work at not worrying...

Now why do I worry so much? Satchel seems fine every time, you say.
Wellllll, for several months, when I've returned from having to be away from him, I have found my Sweet Satchel in some stressful situations.
More than once, I have found him sprawled on the floor in an odd location as if he got stuck and couldn't get out and just fell from fatigue.
We have many light/dark sensitive night lights throughout the house to light our way when we're up at 2am. They are plugged into sockets near the floor. It's sad for me to see these nightlights twisted and sometimes unplugged as Satchel has fallen against walls when I'm not with him.
Even when I sequester him in what seems like a safer place with carpeted floors, I have found my lovey tangled in his poopy diaper, or worn out from trying to get up on his own.
I hate to think of him struggling or hurting or both and not having his magical humans protecting him. We make food appear and doors open and nature open up for him. We make getting up and walking around easier. We love and adore and need him, just as he does us.
So I worry about him, and I wake up with him, and I take care of him, and I smile at him, and I love the funny-ness of him, and I stay home with him every possible second that I can. And when I have to leave him, I envision him being more than fine when I return. It takes some work, but if I can be confident, I can leave my Satchel & my Luna with the energy that they are safe and secure and I will always come home to them.

1 - 2pm
Work.

2-ish pm
Pack up and head home to the puppies!

2:45-ish pm
Arrive home and see that my puppies are ok.
Take them outside.
Feed myself some lunch.
Pack up new massage stuff to prepare for next client.
Check email, dishes in the dishwasher, laundry in the dryer kind of stuff.

3:50pm
Take puppies outside one more time.
Leave for client's house.
Work at not worrying.
Text with the kids about their days if they're not at soccer practice.
Tell them I love them and miss them.

4:30 - 6ish pm
Work.

6:15-ish pm
Head home to the puppies!
If I have some errands to run, I do that now because Jason is home and has fed the dogs and is taking care of them.
I miss the dogs, but am thankful to have the time and money to buy groceries and other things we need.

7 - 9pm
Arrive home some time in this range.
If closer to 7pm, I'll get household tasks done after I reunite with the dogs and text with the kids.
If closer to 9pm, I do pretty much the same thing, just for not as long.
Sometimes there is an opportunity to do NOTHING!

9 - 11pm
Go outside with the dogs.
Maybe fold laundry, clean a bathroom, vacuum, work on the computer.
Sometimes there is an opportunity to do nothing and I get into bed to do more nothing!

And so it goes through the week, and I feel lucky every day, even though I'm tired.
There is a lot of love and a lot of life at Casa Curtin-Hess.
We've cultivated a lot of happiness here, and I thank God for it all!

A Happy Jason With A Happy Satchel

VITAMINS + SUPPLEMENTS = HEALTH

It continues to be a bit rough for the dogs and people at Casa Curtin-Hess.
We're all tired right now, and have one ailment or 10, and we all take a lot of vitamins and supplements to maximize our health. While up in the night with Satchel, I decided to figure out how much the dogs' vitamins and supplements cost per day. This is just an estimate because sometimes I can get a supplement during a buy one get one free kind of sale, and we just got some more added to the mix from today's vet visit, but here we go:

SATCHEL:
Duralactin for arthritis = $1.00
Fish Oil for brain health = 4¢
Multivitamin for mature dogs = 4¢
Acidophilus for digestion = 5¢
Glucosamine w/Chondroitin for joints = 24¢
Benadryl for Severe Post Nasal Drip = 8¢
Vitamin E for healthy skin = 5¢
Sotalol for heart arrhythmia = $1.00
Deramaxx for arthritis = $1.74
Glutamine powder for digestion = 25¢
Healthy Powder concoction for overall health and nutrition = Not Sure, but in the 50¢ range
-------------------
= $4.99/day
Newman's Own Dry Food for Senior Dogs = $1.17/day
______________________
= $6.16/day to feed and nutritionally support Satchel each day

~$2/day for doggie Depends and incontinence support
We're also going to begin an additional supplement regimen to help him more with his geriatric insomnia and nighttime discomforts. This will probably cost in the $1/day range.

Of course treats and an occasional other supplement or aspirin or Heartworm treatment add a bit, but in general, Satchel costs a little over $9 a day!
He's worth oh so much more!

We had to add on a few more meds and a shampoo and conditioner after today's vet visit.
Here's a peek at our vitamin & supplement organization.

LUNA:
Multivitamin = 4¢
Acidophilus for digestion = 5¢
Glucosamine w/Chondroitin for joints = 24¢
Benadryl for allergies = 8¢
Vitamin E for healthy skin = 5¢
Fish Oil Gummy Vites for skin and brain health = 12¢
------------------
= 58¢/day
------------------
Newman's Own Dry Food for Senior Dogs = $1.17/day
------------------
= $1.75/day to feed and nutritionally support Luna each day

Luna has strained her lower back and right knee recently and has new medicines to help heal her.
Together they cost 88¢/day.
She may need to take one or both for a few months.
She is of course worth much much more than money to us!

The happiness I feel because these canine creatures are loves in my life is honestly indescribable. They're just fun and great sources of energy for me. When Satchel and I are up at 3am I'm tired and wishing I was in bed and sleeping, but the years of constant smiles he has provided can't be matched by my nighttime devotion. Comforting him and continually researching ways to improve his days and nights are the least I can do to give back to this angel named Satchel.

Luna's strained back caused her much pain recently, and I couldn't do enough fast enough to relieve the sadness and stress her pain caused her and the entire family. If our Luna isn't happy, our entire family is out of balance and suffering. Her health is essential to our family's health and well-being. When she radiates her Luna-ness, everything feels right at Casa Curtin-Hess. We are not Us without our Perfect Peanut.

MISSING KOKO

I did something today I've been dreading...
I returned a bag of Koko food to PetSmart. I had purchased it in mid-July because it was on sale and we never opened it...
Taking it back solidified the empty space in my life. It hurts to live without her.


Oh, Sweet Koko...

And during my workout tonight, I started to cry when I did an exercise that she loved. With an exercise ball used for back support against a wall, I do my squats. Koko loved to stand behind me, between the backs of my legs and the wall, while I squatted. Don't know why she loved it so much, but she always came over to me and stood behind me while I did that exercise. Because I miss her so much, I want to both stop doing that exercise and do it all the time.

Just had to let some of the sadness out tonight...

GOODIES FOR GOOD DOGS

I'm so excited about the packages I sent to a K9 unit in the United States Air Force.
I listened to the book, "Cracker! The Best Dog in Vietnam" by Cynthia Kadohata, a fictionalized account of a human-dog team that found booby traps for troops during the Vietnam war. It inspired me to find out if there are still human-dog teams in the military. There are!
http://thehousehound.net/_wsn/page4.html

Through the Bruno Packs program, I was given an address to an Air Force Unit in Iraq consisting of 10 men, 2 women and 12 German Shepherds. I had so so much fun gathering goodies to send them!

I tried to take a picture of all that I sent, and I tried to get a lot of things from the wish lists of the soldiers. Luna helped me think of some stuff, buy some stuff and we wrapped and packed it all up into 3 military boxes from the Post Office.
We sent:
Travel sized shampoo, conditioner, soap, shower gel, hand sanitizer gel and wipes, and Kleenex packets
12 pads of paper with a penny taped on each one - Penny For Their Thoughts!
17 ball point pens
7 magazines / doggy catalogs
22 citrus flavored Emergen-C packets
Black tea bags
baby wipes
11# of dog treats, some of Satchel's Cinnabones!
8 plastic frisbees that we wrote sweet things on like "You're Such a Good Dog!" and "People in Commerce Township, Michigan Love You"
12 doggy rope toys
LOTS of Ziploc bags in gallon and quart sizes
razors
lip balm
Q-tips
Strawberry Halls

gum

Mini First Aid kits
pony tail holders
panty liners and tampons
emery boards
Furminator dog brush

I was encouraged to send a letter so I did that too. I have no idea how long it will take for the packages to get to them but I hope we get some notification that the boxes were received. I know they are very busy, but we had so much fun doing it that I hope I get to know that there were HUGE smiles opening up all the goodies.

"Of course you're good for Satchel. He's over 15 years old and on this Earth."

When you have love in your life, it's easy to see the sweet side of things.
Take Satchel's increasing incontinence. There's a lot of carpet cleaning and Clorox Disinfecting Wipes in our home, but there's also outside time. Even if he says he doesn't need to go out, I get my Satchel down the ramp, and headed toward the grass, and he becomes an artist on the driveway...

Walking as he pees, Satchel makes a pretty pattern

I worry and wonder about Satchel night and day - if I'm meeting his needs; if he needs to go out, but is too tired to get up on his own; if he's comfortable - I just want his days to be stress free, and for him to feel I am able to speak dog and know what he needs before he even needs it.

I ask Jason to tell me how I am good for Satchel, and his usual response is, "Of course you're good for Satchel. He's over 15 years old and on this Earth."

I try to remember that, and I try not to say out loud or in my head, "But just being here isn't enough. I want him to be enjoying his day."

Then Satchel will lift his head and look at me, and I know he wants me to massage his neck and back. I ask/tell him, "You enjoy this don't you lovie?" He lays his head back down and is relaxed, and with that, he answers me. Our Satchel enjoys Us, and after all these years, we speak a little bit of Satchel and Satchel speaks a lot of English, and we know. We know there's good in every day because there's Satchel in it, and when Satchel's getting a massage....aaahhhhh, all is good.

Satchie enjoys a cool weather outdoor massage.
Isn't he delicious?!