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First, the bad news. Woke up this morning and went to wake up the kids. Came back into my room to find that dog had peed on my bed. On the new custom made coverlet thingie, which thankfully is washable. Realize that there is something seriously up with the dog, as if the events of the last 24 hours weren't enough to give me that clue.

Vet calls around 11:30. Sandy's bloods came back abnormal, with very low proteins. He needs to do more tests, but it appears this aggression might well be the result of a serious underlying medical condition. Here's what an internet search for low proteins in blood turned up as possible causes:

Low albumin levels may be caused by:

* A poor diet (malnutrition).
* Severe burns.
* Kidney disease.
* Liver disease.
* An autoimmune disease, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or rheumatoid arthritis.
* Gastrointestinal malabsorption syndromes, such as sprue or Crohn's disease.
* Hodgkin's lymphoma.
* Uncontrolled diabetes.
* Hyperthyroidism.
* Heart failure.

We can rule out the first two, because she eats prescription dog food and hasn't been burned. None of the rest are good options. I'm wondering how I would cope with a diabetic dog on top of a diabetic daughter, if that is the cause. She (the dog, not the daughter) is going back into the vet on Thursday, because I'm looking after my nephews, ages 1 and 3 this weekend, and I don't want to risk having an unpredictable dog around. Plus it'll give the vet a chance to do more tests.


Sandy, in better days

Oh, and any of you who are or know therapists? Tell them they are totally in the wrong field. Because I heard back from the Dog Therapist office, and do you know how much the dog therapist gets an hour? $220!! That's more than I pay for my kids' therapists!

There goes my winter vacation...

But it's not all gloom and doom chez Saraclaradara.

Because I came home today to these:



In the heat of all the dog related trauma, I'd completely spaced that today is the one year anniversary of my first date with The Webmeister! And he remembered! And I forgot!!!

To say this man is brave (foolish?) is an understatement. He took me on, baggage (of which blog readers will know there is plenty!) and all. He entered the Surreal Life of Saraclaradara, and instead of driving away screaming, never to return (which I wouldn't have blamed him for doing, in the beginning) he stayed. And boy, am I happy he did.

Webmeister, you are amazing, and I'm so grateful to have you in my life.

A very happy Father's and Grandpapa's Day to my father, and a happy Father's Day to Tom, with whom I'm also celebrating 13 lucky years of wedded bliss. He and the kids -- who made us a fabulous breakfast of homemade pancakes and bacon with whipped cream and fresh pineapple -- went out this morning to see our new bull, bought from a neighbor on Friday, and later today there just may be some