Jimi and I on a hike this last weekend.

edit

My sweetie is in ICU with a severe case of pneumonia. I'm devastated.

^ Don't worry: your sweetie will be fine soon! xo

She's beautiful!!! Sending out the good vibes for her speedy recovery.

My very best wishes to you and your little girl. She is so adorable. I sincerely hope for a fast and full recovery for her.

Bad news - she has heart failure. She's stabilized, and we're hoping she can come home tonight but that's still up in the air - she needs to be able to breathe without the aid of an oxygen chamber first. And unfortunately heart failure means that the rest of her life is likely to be measured in months rather than years - she's only 9.

That is heartbreaking to hear, man. I had tears well up in my eyes from reading that. My girl is my best friend in the world so it is impossible not to empathize.

I hope she can come home to her family's comfort and caring tonight. Stay optimistic for her. She'll be happy for as long as she's with you, and hopefully those months keep coming and coming.

Thanks. This is definitely the toughest and worst thing I've had to deal with. She means the world to me.

Hang in there, its one of the toughest things to deal with. Been through it, just keep the good times in mind!

I am sorry to hear this. Our furry companions are part of our family and I completely understand.

I hope she is well enough to come home soon.

I'm very sorry to read that. Hoping the best for her.

I hope she gets home soon and feels better with all your love and care.

Thanks, everyone! Brought my baby home tonight - it's good to have her back in the house...it felt so lonely without her here. This is the first step on her new, calmer life...and hopefully a much longer one than they estimate. There's lots of monitoring to be done, diagnostics and imaging, and finding a medical routine to stabilize her heart. My wife and I are taking turns working from home so that Penelope is never out of our sight for the next week.
I feel so sad that we can't play fetch anymore...especially because she won't understand that I'm refusing to play for the sake of her health. Definitely feeling bittersweet - but at this point I'll take it!
I'm just happy so see her at home - for a little while we weren't sure if that was going to happen.

No more of this...


And a lot more of this...

^^ That's really good news . . . I'm glad you are past the worst !!

Here is a picture of Floyd . . . . he's a Miniature Schnauzer that my brother will be taking home in two weeks.
We went to visit him in Wales where he was born with his eight brothers and sisters.

Floyd is a name of Welsh origin. The meaning of Floyd is "grey-haired".

I will be looking after him when my brother and his family are on holiday etc . . .
I cant have my own dog because my Landlord doesn't allow pets where I live

@nt: so happy your girl made it home! (and that running on the beach snap is awesome!)

@moog: floyd! i don't think i've ever seen a schnauzer pup, but he is certainly a handsome
little devil, innit he? (and boo to landlords that don't allow pets.)

as for my bit of sharing, here's something the missus emailed to me yesterday... i laughed
al lot, teared up a little bit, and completely identified with everything here:

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/dog_paradox

Floyd is adorable! Mini Schnauzers are definitely one of my favorite breeds (behind Boston Terriers, obviously!). Looks like he's going to be well loved!

We had a scare this morning with a rapid and abnormal heart beat - I took her back in, and her heart rate is back down. Once I got her there I wondered if I overreacted - taking her back to the hospital surely increased her anxiety and heart rate. But now I have a better understanding of what to look for and what to be concerned about. We'll be seeing the cardiologist on Friday, and hopefully things will smooth out after that.

So happy to hear she is back home with you

Really great shots too! Is that a reflection, or are her eyes blue?? She's beautiful.

My girl is turning 12 in January, with no complications as of yet, and still acting like a puppy. I have no reason not to be optimistic, but of course I find myself wondering how long we'll have together. Hoping for plenty of years to come.

NT - She is an amazing dog and I know she'll be strong for you, dogs do that when you love them as much as you.

Loved that Oatmeal link Chris. Hit me right on the soft spot, I have a great appreciation for dogs. I see them as companions rather than just pets.

Now incorporating the term "HORSEBEAST" in my vocabulary.

^ my faves are also "horsebeast" and the schedule, especially the time frame around 12:05 and 12:06.

Her eyes are indeed blue - a light blue surrounding a much darker blue. Of course I'm biased, but she's the most beautiful dog ever.
Everyone take care of your four-legged companions and give them all the love you have!

NT, i'm so glad your dog is back home with you and your wife! Unfortunate that hard play will no longer be an activity, but i'm sure you guys will supplement that with loads of love and affection!

Amusing and touching comic about dogs:

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/dog_paradox

I caught my dog boozing the other day:

Helpless animal + alcohol= awesome How old are we???

Otherwise...
Awesome and enjoy every last moment...