The Stairs are Lit

Mom lit up the stairs for Christmas!

 It makes it easier to see going up and down at night.  We like it!

 Mom says no playing on the stairs, Molly~~

 Christmas is coming and Santa is watching.   We gotta be good pups!

Today is our blogoversary!  We've been blogging for 9 years.  We have met so many wonderful friends and we treasure each and every one of you.     Thank you for being our friends.  We love you all♥


Mitch and Molly
 

Happy Thanksgiving

We're testing the pumpkin puree to make sure that it will make the bestest pie~

 The perfect garnish!  We can't wait to dig in!

 Happy Thanksgiving to all of our friends who celebrate!

Love ya lots♥

Mitch and Molly

My 9th Birthday

It's my birthday today!   I am 9 years old!

 My birthday cake  is Blue Dog Bakery's peanut butter softie treats topped with Frosty paws and 9 stars for me and only 1 star for Molly. 

 Are we ready to dig in?

 Birthday hat malfunction, mom!

 The hat is behind me and the elastic is stretched across my nose.  HELP!

 Do we get seconds, mom?

Look what mom did for me.   This is all of my birthdays starting with the most current and going back to my very first ☺

Love ya lots♥
The Birthday Boy - Mitch

Harnesses are Awesome

Way back in 2008, mom bought harnesses for me and for Maggie.  Here we are heading for a hike at Sleeping Giant.
I was only a youngster at the time and I "lost" my harness pretty quickly because I pulled way too hard.  Mom was afraid that I'd pull the ring right off my new harness and off I'd go never to be seen again.   

 At 8 years old (almost 9), I'm finally getting to wear my harness again because I no longer pull because I'm a good boy♥

Hey, Molly,  I see your arch enemy that gives you so much grief when you pass by her house.  

It's okay, Molly - she's not going to bother you.  You don't have to bite on your leash!

 We make a great team, don't we, Molly.  If you didn't pull so much, you wouldn't have to wear that pinch collar like I did for years.  

Check out the new tag mom bought me for my harness. I remember that day!

 I had so much fun at Barktoberfest 2014. 

 I sure do love my harness!

Today was my appointment with Dr S, the specialist at Central Animal Hospital.   
I'm not blinking my left eye  (I have no blinking reflex) and it has developed an ulcer so I will getting antibiotic drops and goopy cream 3 times a day.   I did get a prednisone taper but only by 10 mg once a day.   The long-term plan right now is that I stay on prednisone for the next 6 months and it tapers gradually.  As long as I'm on pred, I stay on the immunosuppressant, which means the blood thieves steal my blood to make sure these potent drugs don't damage my liver or any other bad stuffs.  

I'm still a happy boy and I still have tons of  Airedale spirit.   While we were in the waiting room waiting to see Dr S, some small peep had the nerve to ride some nasty looking green plastic pony over to see me and he tried to pet me.    I bark, bark, barked at him and told him this was not acceptable behavior.   He backed off ☺

Tonight is pizza night at our house!  Mom says I will most definitely get an extra crust for being such a good and patient boy!

Love ya lots♥
Mitch

My New Tennis Ball Tag

A most unfortunate thing happened a couple of weeks ago.   I lost my beautiful Molly tag with my amethyst stone.   I am heartbroken and so is mom.  We still keep looking for it hoping that it will show up one day.

 A couple of days ago, a jewelry box came in the mail for me from an Etsy shop called Hattie Rex. 

 A tennis ball tag!   And I should NEVER lose this one!

 Isn't it just beautiful.  Mom says that Hattie Rex made it especially for me~

 Is my mom the bestest or what!   I think she loves me♥

 Time to get rowdy and play, mom!

Thank you, mom.   I promise not to lose this one!

Love ya lots♥
Molly

Tricky Mitch

Can you do this?!

I'll do anything to make mom laugh and give me treats!

Love ya lots♥
Mitch

A Lucky Friday the 13th

Dr S called today. She's the specialist at Central Animal Hospital.    The test came back positive for the myositis - the myositis that can be treated!

I'm going to be okay.  She said that I have time left with my family~
We still have unanswered questions and we have another appointment with Dr S next Saturday.   She's going to help me for the rest of my life. 

 I'm a very happy boy!

This has been one very lucky Friday the 13th!
Have a wonderful weekend, everybuddy, and thank you, thank you for all of your support.   Blogville rocks!

Love ya lots♥
Mitch

Benebone

Miss Sydney at Chewy gave us lots of yummy choices to review for the month of November.   Molly and I both agreed that the Benebone sounded like the perfect choice for us.  Both of us love to gnaw on chew bones and this one is peanut butter flavor with real ingredients and made in the USA by a small family business that produces top-quality dog chews.  

 This company donates to animal welfare causes and animal shelters.   We think that's pretty awesome!  Benebones come in other sizes and other flavors.   Miss Sydney happened to send us the peanut butter and who doesn't love peanut butter!

 The problem - there was only one Benebone.   Mom went to the bandsaw and sliced the bone in half.  Voila -  two Benebones☺

 Don't be bummed and don't be selfish, Molly.  We can share, right?

 Mommmm - she stole my Benebone!  You are so stingy, Molly!

Thanks, mom~

 Thank you so much for letting us try out this yummy Benebone, Miss Sydney!   This treat will keep us busy for quite awhile!

No call from the specialist doctor yet but I'm holding my own and doing okay!

Love ya lots♥
Mitch and Molly

An Apple A Day

An apple a day plus all of the POTP that you are all sending me is working!

 We haven't heard from the specialist yet but I'm feeling so much more chipper than I was!    I only missed walkies once and not again.  yay!

Mom and dad have been collecting leaves and Molly and I have been supervising.    This pretty purple violet sure did put a smile on mom's face. 

 The beauty berries are still here~

 And there are even a couple of small mums that haven't disappeared. 

 Molly and I thank you BUNCHES for all of the love you are sending.   Thank you, thank you, thank you ♥ ♥ ♥

Love ya lots♥
Mitch and Molly

My Visit To Central

The fact is that the prednisone was not the miracle drug that mom and dad thought it should be so they decided that it was time to have a consultation with a specialist at Central.

 The first thing they did was to weigh me.  I have been a 70 pound boy for as long as I can remember.  At my vet's office only a little more than a week ago, I weighed 65 pounds.  Not any more.  I now weigh 63 pounds, which is very concerning. 

After much discussion, Dr S decided that she wanted to do x-rays and an ultrasound.  They were looking for cancer and they didn't find her.  YAY!    They also did bloodwork and it will be shipped out to California for analysis and it will take time for results.   The doctor wants to be absolutely certain that it is myositis. The first test that was done back in April was not conclusive.  Dr A says there is a good kind of myositis that is very treatable and there is a not so good kind.  We don't want to hear about the not so good kind so paws and fingers are crossed here that I can be helped and live a good long life with mom and dad and Molly. 

 My prednisone has been reduced in strength and I have been prescribed another immunosuppresant while we wait for the results of the test to come back.

Do you see that my collar and my bandaid wrap are color coordinated!   Those techies are good but mom says they will never make it as Airedale groomers.  They removed way too much furs from my tummy!

 I refused to go on walkies with mom and dad and Molly this morning.   I just wasn't feeling up to it but mom did take me on a fun walk around our yard. 
I feel an unusually slight breeze on my belly.  

  Maybe we can go on a longer walk later on today.  We'll see~

Love ya lots♥
Mitch