Adventures - Christmas Eve & Christmas

So we always celebrate on Christmas Eve and we prepare all of the Italian dishes from my family.

Orange Salad

Zeppole

Sous Chef watching over making knots

After dinner we opened up stockings.  We just did stockings this year, but hubby buy me more than just stocking stuffers.  He got a big present before Christmas.  Z was really excited for the stockings - his and both of ours.

We always have extra frozen bread dough, so a couple of years ago, we started making cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning.

When my aunt Helen was in the nursing home, we started ordering Chinese on Christmas Day.
We've continued that tradition since she passed away.

We hope your day was good!

Adventures for the week - December 20

So I really want to start getting more active on here.  I usually post to Instagram which is linked to Facebook for Daily Zed.

Tuesday, we went to see the lights around the neighborhood and then to Leesburg, Va where there is a house that has lights and music.  They also do this at Halloween time. - Edwards Landing Lights.  We decided that since we would probably just be in the car to bring Z.  He doesn't mind the car at all.  
He kind of freaked out because he slid off of the seat and we decided to just bring him up front.  He just FROZE.  Dan was like "maybe he thinks we are dropping him off."  Once he was upfront on my lap, he was fine.  We drove around then headed up to Leesburg.  We didn't know how big of an event it was going to be.  There were people hanging out all over.  We parked and luckily we had his leash with us.

The Daily Zed: Zed's health

Since May, we have been dealing with Zed and his health problems.  I have continued to post on my Facebook page (private) about his health and have posted #dailyZed pictures there.  Recently, I created a Daily Zed Facebook page and have posted #dailyZed there along with on Instagram.

At Zed's yearly check-up, it was suggested that we visit the cardiologist to see how his heart murmur was.  We have known about his heart murmur for awhile and it was given a 5 out of 6 rating without an ultrasound.

He did well at the appointment and was the perfect patient.  We were given two prescriptions to hold on to until his blood work came back.  His blood work came back and shortly after that (like within 2 weeks), he started to go into heart failure.  Basically, water in his lungs.  He was breathing really fast.  He also will start gagging and can't stop, then faints. It was suggested to put him on a couple of heart meds (like 2 meds and then a supplement for his liver since his liver enzymes were up).  The cardiologist mentioned that when a dog goes on heart medications, it usually extends their life about 2 years.

Zed had a couple of incidents during the night, but I thought he wasn't waking up in time to go outside to go the bathroom.  I also figured it might be the meds.  Then one day (August), I ran upstairs and Zed followed.  I turned right around and started back down.  Zed turned around and "fainted" in front of me.

I took him to the cardiologist and they did another ultrasound and said there was more damage to his heart so he was to take 2 more meds.  I asked what his life expectancy could be and it was now down to one year.

That's when I decided to create Daily Zed Facebook and Instagram.  I thought about how people had "bucket lists" for their dogs.  There wasn't any way that Z could do a bucket list trip, but a flat Zed could!  So a created a #flatZed and asked that people print it out and do selfies.

At least one of my friends has been having fun with it and Dan and I took Flat Zed on vacation with us to the Outer Banks.

Zed has been doing well since starting the two additional medications.  At first he was a little lethargic, but after 4 weeks on the meds, he started to become himself again and we found out that his liver enzymes were going down, so that was probably why he was acting much better.

Then last week, Z and I took a trip to NY.  I had noticed that he was hacking a little more than the once a day, but he seemed ok.  He ended up peeing in the house, but that could be because of the smells in the house AND mama slacked and didn't realize it was that time when he usually goes out.  That was Thursday night.  Friday morning, we were going to leave.  When we woke up, he had an episode.  Hacking and didn't stop until he "fainted".  I was so scared.  Here I have to drive with him for 6 hours - what if he didn't jump back like usual.

Luckily, he did.  He was quiet/tired on the drive home, but he was really good.  I added an extra Lasix to his meds to help.  We probably won't be doing any more traveling with him.

Today, I stopped the mid-day Lasix and now I'm wondering if I should have.  He has hacked a little more than usually, but still seems good.

Please visit Zed's Instagram or Facebook page for pictures of Daily Zed and see what we have been up to.

Adventures in Health: SlenderFX

One of the products that I tried with Youngevity is the SlenderFX French Vanilla.  I tried it straight with milk and used the blender.  It was kind of gritty, but good.

Awhile ago, I found a recipe on the Facebook group HBC30 that sounded good.

I decided to try this, but with strawberry yogurt and frozen strawberries.

Note: my blender was originally my mom's and therefore probably 50 years old, if not old.  It still works great, however I think this recipe is more for an up-to-date blender that can handle the "extracting" thing that is popular.

All mixed up - consistence wasn't what I expected.  It was crunchy (the crushed ice cubes) and the strawberries were still solid.  However, the SlenderFX was totally mixed in and no gritty taste.

Someone was jealous and waiting to see if he was getting anything.

Of course he did! And of course he loved it.

Adventure: Sick Puppy this Week.

We know that Zed always starts itching whenever we are traveling.  I don't know if it's just the environment change that messes with his system or what.  Usually, I give him some anti-fungal medicine and it keeps the itching at bay.

At the end of July, we went to NY to see family and Z started itching up there.  Unfortunately, we were running low on the med so we had to wait until we got home to get a refill.  So that following Thursday(we got back on Monday), I started the medicine daily.  He was itching but not too bad - maybe a couple times a day. 

This last Tuesday, his itching got out of control.  So much so that he was whining and wasn't able to relax to fall asleep.  So, we took him to the emergency vet.  We just assumed he was having some sort of allergic.  The vet assumed so too.

She ended up giving him a steroid, benadryl, pain medicine, and a sedative.  Needless to say, he was out of it by the time we left the medical center.  Unfortunately, he woke up at 4:40 AM and immediately started scatching.  So I called the emergency vet and the vet tech said to give him a benadryl a little early since the medicine was still in his system.  He ended up sleeping a little.

Our vet (who is a good friend of ours), called and said that if the steroid isn't working then obviously it was probably mites.  So Wednesday afternoon, she stopped by with the medicine and checked him out.  He was so red all over his belly and he was whining so much in pain.  

I gave him his first dose and changed from his daily Benadryl to Zyrtec.  Yesterday he was a little better.  He stopped itching as much, but his belly wasn't that good.  So our vet told me to cook some rice and chicken.  

Today, Zed is so much better!  His belly isn't red and he is almost back to his normal self.  We were able to go for a mile walk this afternoon and his tummy is better.

He'll continue his parasite treatment for about 6 weeks.  Hopefully that doesn't come back.

The Daily Zed: IPad Holder

My new iPad holder

The Daily Zed: Running Errands

We did a family trip to Petco today. 

Z FINALLY needed food.  We had a 30 lb bag to go through which I bought in November. Since Z only eats 1/2 cup a day if he does eat, it was slow going compared to the 2 1/2 cups we were going through with 2 dogs. 

We then stopped at Giant to grab one thing, and Dan went in while Z and I sat in the A/C.

The Daily Zed: Mama is a Good Pillow

Mama's knee makes a good pillow.

The Daily Zed: Will Sleep In Any Position

We call this "one-eared pup sleeping with chin pillow" 

The Daily Zed: Cuddle with Me, Mama!

Trying to do work and all Zed wants is attention.  This doesn't happen very often., but of course it happens when I have things to do!

The Daily Zed: Watching the Storm Pass

Crazy pup!  While sitting on the porch watching the storm pass, he decided to sit on the table instead of on my lap. 

The Daily Zed: Mini-vaca

Zed stayed with his Aunt Donna and Uncle Bill this weekend while Dan and I went to the M3 Festival.  It was really weird not having him around, even though we weren't home that long on Friday night or Saturday.  Sunday, we had brunch with Donna and Bill before picking Zed up at their house.  We got to the house before Donna and Bill so I went around back to the glass door to peek in on Z.  This is what I saw....

What an awesome watchdog.  I was even tapping on the door.  He probably would have had a fit seeing me through the window and not being able to get to me anyway

The Daily Zed: I got into Daddy-o's Bag

No need to go geocaching, we can just have the snacks!

This is what I came home to after getting groceries.  I was gone less than 2 hours, and Dan's bag had been sitting on the couch for days.  Sunday, we were gone for about 6 hours and nothing.  Plus, Zed ate his breakfast this morning too!

So, the extra snacks were two peanut butter granola bars and a strawberry cereal bar.  He did leave one of each in the bag.  Oh, that pup.  Good thing they weren't chocolate!

The Daily Zed: More Construction

Today was day two of pounding and the house out of order.  Poor Zed - just wants mama when he is scared.  So much for me doing work on the computer!

The Daily Zed: Construction in the House

Poor Zed- scared to death of the nail gun  Dan is using to put the crown molding up.  He crawled up me to the back of the couch, onto the sofa table.  

Most of the day, we stayed on the office. This evening, Z and I went downstairs and when Dan needed help, Zed stayed downstairs. I figured he would be right at the bottom of the stairs, but no.  He was laying on the couch. :)  I took a picture, but for some reason, it's not coming up on the phone and I am unable to import it.

The Daily Zed: Helping Out

Helping mama with making dinner.

The Daily Zed: Swaddled

Swaddled

The Daily Zed: Comfy

Two blankets, one pillow and mama's two feet = comfy

The Daily Zed: Dog Co-worker

I'm sure he would rather have me cuddle with him than work.  Me too, Zed, me too.

The Daily Zed: Will Work for Food

Finally eating his breakfast at 3 pm when we put it in a food puzzle.