I am tired of this...

You probably think I'm going to say I'm tired of all the painting and the house being in an uproar. While that is true, I have something else that I'm tired of -- and that's taking dogs to the vet. Don't get me wrong -- everyone who knows me knows how much I love my dogs so, when they're sick or hurt, I'm going to take them immediately if not sooner.

Before this last year, it seemed that I seldom had to take them in except for their yearly check-up. But, starting last December, with Butler getting sick and then having to put him down, it's been one thing after another. We had to deal with Spencer having multiple hernia operations, his blindness and, finally, the normal aging process which reached its end in October. Then, in July, we lost Darcy, the pug. On Monday, when I let the dogs back into the rest of the house (after painting was finished for the day), Neville (Boston Terrier) came in with a bloody and swollen eye. There could be multiple causes -- he could have poked something in there (like a stick out in the yard) or it could have come from fighting with the other dogs -- though there were no other signs of an altercation. It could have come from roughhousing -- he may have taken a tooth or claw to the eye.

With these bug-eyed dogs, the chance of eye injury is higher than for other dogs. We always keep eye antibiotic (for dogs) around because of that so I immediately put some in, called the vet and was off (they had to work us in and I had to wait a long time but I really had no choice). Anyway, I was told to continue with the ointment and was given some other drops -- which we are to use for a week.

By Tuesday, the eye looked better but, with a sinking feeling, I thought that he was not seeing out of it (on Monday, the vet said he could see). Today, though, he seems to be blinking if I put a hand in front of that eye so I'm hoping this was temporary and due to swelling and inflammation but I'm really not sure. It's not that he can't see out of the other eye but then I go into overdrive thinking if it happened once, it could happen again.

So, I'm tired of having dog problems -- injuries, sickness and personality conflicts. I guess I'm comparing things to how they were -- the peaceable kingdom we used to have is gone. This configuration of dogs is different -- they're more likely to spar, more likely to get agitated. It's something I'm still getting used to, though both Darcy's and Spencer's death taught me that you just never know.

So, I'm a little agitated myself. Waiting for the house to be finished, waiting to decorate for Christmas, waiting to see if Neville's vision will be okay -- though, if it's not, there's really nothing we can do.

So, send up a little doggie prayer as I, as always, muddle through.