Milestone

Last night was a major milestone. Embry was asleep on the floor after bouncing around like a crazy dog for the better part of 45 minutes. (Aside: One thing we've always noticed about Labradors: when the seasons turn from Winter to Spring, then Summer to Fall, the energy level of our Labs goes through the roof. They went absolutely crazy last night.) When I scooped Embry up to put her in the crate, her tail was soaked with urine. Depression ensued...

I somewhat wish our vet had never put the "ectopic ureter" idea into our heads. Now, every time Embry pees, I think, "Did she really need to go, or was that just the ectopic ureter? Did she pee in her sleep because the UTI resulted in a weakened bladder, or is it because of a ectopic ureter? Did she pee six times in a twenty-minute span because of a UTI, or is it ectopic ureter? Did the interest rate go up on my credit card because of the economy, or because of ectopic ureter?" It's just stuck in my head: ectopic ureter ectopic ureter ectopic ureter ectopic ureter

Anyway, back to the milestone...and why I think it's not ectopic ureter. As is typically the case, I let Embry out at midnight for a stroll on the deck. She peed, ate a leaf, chewed on a stick, then went back inside. We tugged on a rope, chewed on a bone, then I took her back outside after about twenty minutes, and she peed again. Back into the crate and I went back to bed. At 2:30am, the screaming began again, so I went back downstairs and let her out again, at which point she immediately peed on the deck. When I grabbed the paper towels to clean up her crate, I noticed -- much to my surprise -- the crate was dry.

I'm still pinching myself to make sure I didn't dream it, but from what I can remember, there was no pee in the crate. Of course, when I let her back out at 4:15am, she had peed on the mat, but still...the crate was dry at 2:30am. It's an overwhelming sense of relief, as if she did have ectopic ureter, the crate would not have been dry (...in theory).

Embry still has another week to go on the Clavamox, then we start house-training in earnest. Our friend Jill reminded me to start using a bell tied to the doorknob. That way, we can teach Embry to ring the bell when she needs to do out. The rule is to take them out every time they ring the bell, then reward them ONLY when they actually do business.

But I'm getting ahead of myself...

Number of Days Without an Accident: Zero

Today, I'm Bleeding From: The back of my right ankle.

Current Interests:
I'm digging this warmer weather! Yesterday, I took a long stroll around the entire back yard. It's a wet, soggy mess right now, and I can't say I enjoyed splashing through the puddles, but it's a big place with lots of interesting smells. I'm also not crazy about the steps. I can go up them fairly well, but prefer to just jump off the deck and into the yard instead of walking down the steps. Of course, being carried is still my preferred method of transport.

I also really like teeth. Teeth can be used to chew on shirt sleeves and buttons. And the corner of the couch. And the corner of the chair. And the corner of the hearth. And the table in the corner. And any corner of the Traz Dog. And the little girls who live next door. I like teeth. I think I shall use them more often.

The Other Dogs are Currently:
Darcy............*sigh* "Why can't I be enough dog for you?"
Sophie..........."See what big teeth I have...the better to eat you with!"
Tank Man......."I like it better when it's asleep and not charging at me."
Traz.............."You realize how much you owe me, right?"