The other day, Bubbey commented that I’m good at things that drain me. Ain’t that the truth! I mean,  project management for my parents, travel planning, relationship management, doggie care…

Sweet little Ramona went home on Friday afternoon. She was booked to stay with us for 18 days while her family traveled through Japan. In the end, the time together was still too short.

Sure, she has all kinds of problems: skin rashes, eye issues, ear infections, snoring problems, food sensitivities, trembling issues… but she is so damn cute!! Bubbey is right: indeed, I’m damn good at taking care of doggies. There’s just something so rewarding to me to be responsible for them, from tracking the meds, to monitoring the poop/pee, to grooming/feeding etc… Honestly, I feel like we did it for so long for Remy and Martin, and it always gave me such a strong sense of purpose. And there was so much good that came out of all my time and effort.

For example, Ramona was on new ear drop meds and when I took her to the vet, the doctor said her ears looked better than they’d been in many months. Sure, it was probably the new meds but heck, part of that was also the proper and consistent administration of the meds, you know? Man, I gotta say: that pup is one. tough. cookie. For reals. Those Lhasa Apso breeds have lots of health issues. Like the ear canal is L-shaped and super prone to infection. The vet cleaned and flushed her ears and then as part of the preventative maintenance, she and the techs plucked out all the hairs inside her ears. Basically, the doc put on a pair of rubber gloves and just started ripping out the fur inside Ramona’s ears. OMFG, it was like waxing but without the wax and without any numbing agent. Then, a tech supplemented by using scissor-grip tweezers to rip out hairs deeper in the canal, and she accidentally grabbed a nubby of Ramona’s inner ear! Poor baby flipped the fuck out. I was like, “Uh, you accidentally grabbed her ear!” Jesus people, be careful! It was a weird experience the whole thing… it reminded me of how much both people and animals hate going to the hospital. I mean, ultimately, all of the procedures and treatments are done for their own good and well-being, but fuck, there is a ton of pain involved! And Ramona was so incredibly tolerant given what was being done.

As much as I loved having Ramona, I didn’t get the best sleep. She would wake up in the middle of the night… I think she had a bit of that nighttime restlessness that I saw in Marty. In addition, between Bubbey and Kidney Bean, I had snorberts on BOTH sides of the bed. In all honesty, by the time her family came to get her, I was pretty damn exhausted. But that didn’t stop me from crying up a storm. 🙁

Her family was so kind and sweet. When they showed up at the door, they had a big bag chock full of gifts for us: all brought back from their time in Japan. From paper crafts to candies to tea and incense… it was just too much! I’m glad that they appreciated how I took the time during all the chaos to interview/hire/coordinate a substitute sitter. I was very moved by their gratitude. That said, the thing is, once you go through the experience of scrambling last minute seeking care for your senior, high-maintenance dog, you never forget the stress of it. And these transitions are also so difficult for the old doggies, you know? Anyway, I’m relieved that all the pieces fell into place, and now I have another in-home sitter to add to my arsenal. Always gathering my contacts, you know.

After Ramona went home, I was really sad, bc once again, the Houseboat felt empty. She’s also almost 14 y/o. Who knows when, if ever, I’ll see her again. But I suppose the most important thing to remember is that she’s in a wonderful, loving home. No matter what, she’s got a great family.[FAG id=7504]