Winter...NOT

 Winter seems to have come and gone..I feel sure it will be back.  But we are back in the 60s. NOT complaining..it is just odd.
But a quick health update..Shiloh's biopsy came back suggesting Sebaceous adenitis which is a fancy term for a genetic autoimmune disorder that causes the sebaceous glands to reject the hair..the good news is that the ONLY symptom/problem with this is hair loss.  so it may look funny but it doesn't mean other things are wrong or there is something bigger going on.  The treatment is oral fatty acids, vitamin A and daily baby oil massages..not kidding.  So now i have a greasy dog.

 

 at least she smells good!
And we are watching Beau and Belle for a bit.  and I was a bad mommy and let them out for a potty and didn't consider they may start playing.  Beau and Cali had a run in and again Cali got the bum end of the deal. It wasn't a big deal and luckily I have all the stuff to take care of minor cuts..so some time to shave, a few staples and some antibiotics..and we are good as new.

 

So she has to wear a coat until the staples come out b/c she will lick them out.  So she gives us the sad face..

 But crisis over and Beau muzzled, everyone played together well.  Even though the weather is great, it gets dark early so the lighting is challenging.  But I tried using my Nifty Fifty lens..which gave weird results b/c I am still learning the ropes on it..so these are great quality but interesting..

 To the victor goes the spoils

 One morning, we were all milling around in the yard and heard some red tail Hawks 'screaming' in the woods.  I grabbed my telephoto and waited.  Two came out and gave us a show! 

 Then I caught Cali and Henry smooching...

 I tried to capture the moon and Venus the other night..no tripod

 My sister came up to look at Phillip..the horse that she is thinking about buying.  I did get to take more photos of the goats!

 But my sister seemed to like him..so we shall see if he ends up in her barn.

Snug as a bug in a rug

 Winter has finally arrived in Richmond, VA..it was in the 60s for most of December.  But now that the frigid temps and freezing rain has arrived, we have moved the party indoors.
Dante loves sunbeams and fireplaces.

Henry prefers being covered with a down blanket..

 Kristen and Gyeong came down so we could celebrate Kristen's birthday.  since they live over an hour away, we make it a slumber party.  The next morning, Gyeong captures us in our 'normal pose'..on the computer in our pjs watching TV.  Jaime, Parker, Shiloh and Dante complete the 'black dog club' around us.

 

Gyeong was snuggling with Cali for a bit and then they left..and Cali didn't move.

  Sometimes we wonder about her..

 

She gives met the pout-y face

 Squinty eye face

 Cali is rotten..they all are..I know but this dog has that extra rotten-ness.  She laid like this for over an hour.  And I think would have still been there if we hadn't had to pull out the vacuum.  

 We bought some new furniture..hopefully it gets delivered soon. Especially, since I posted the old couch (pictured above) on Craigslist and sold it in an hour.  so now Jason's office couch is 'pinch hitting' until the new sectional arrives.  It should provide lots of lounging space for the dogs.  And THAT is exactly why we bought it!

Old Bones

A quick update on the pack's random health issues.  "When we last left the Stumpf pack.."

Henry has been diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma..so occasionally he gets skin tumors that literally won't stop bleeding.  Now some people think I mean a 'bleeding mole'..no..he has those.  They clot eventually.  The most recent ones he had were actually on the small side.  They are about the size of a marble.  The top one in this photo has 'popped' but I can put a pressure bandage on it to get it to clot temporarily.  But once it is removed..it starts to bleed again...and it drips constantly.

 Also..since most likely they are malignant..we really have no choice but to remove them.  Now..the kicker is that last time we did that ..he almost died from the anesthesia (malignant hyperthermia)..SO...this time..we got smart.  We had them removed without anesthesia. They used a local only..and he recovered SOOOO WELL!!!!  Post surgery..he always bruises so badly (you can see bruising pre-surgery..).

 But luckily..10 days later..sutures removed and he is doing great!!!  He is going to soon look like Joan Rivers with all these 'tummy tucks' (4 total so far)

 Now..Shiloh...Her hair started to fall out a few weeks ago and she stopped eating.  So after blood work, xrays and finally an ultrasound...she ended up a little more bald then when we started!!!  We also had a skin biopsy done ..so she had a boo boo foot too...

 The ultrasound/xrays showed no tumors..which is good news.  Didnt' explain her symptoms..however.  We have to wait 14 days for the skin biopsy results.  That should be this week.  She has started to eat a little..but the list of what she will eat is very short.  But her back legs are still loosing hair

  And her ears/muzzle and front legs also have bald spots..(the blood work showed mild anemia, mild kidney failure..nothing to cause significant symptoms..she is over 14)

 I don't know what is going one with her..but she is at least eating enough to keep us both sane.
But for now..we are all staying warm and enjoying life..

 Our friend came over with her greyhounds and her Yorkie, Tank.  He was pretty cute.

Now, my kids got wind of Gyeong's recent blog post concerning the marrow bones we received with the half-cow we shared with them.  Since we only had our dogs this weekend..we thawed a few and let them have at it. 
Cali knew just what to do...

 Shiloh wasn't as good at it but she enjoyed it (with her bald spot between her eyes..)

 Cali nibbles the good stuff

 Dante has historically been EXTREMELY aggressive with 'good bones'..so we put him in a greyhound crate with a fluffy bed and he was able to enjoy his bone with no growling, biting, or fuss. 

 Henry tried..but he didn't get it.  He prefers his steaks medium rare cut in to bite size cubes.

 So eventually he gave up and to my surprise walked away..

 Which inevitably led to this..hold one down while chewing on the other..

 Group chew.

 Synchronized chewing

 

 And yes..I am a germ-a-phobe of sorts so I let the dogs enjoy their bloody, greasy bones until they were passed out from chewing exhaustion.  then all beds were washed and the carpet steam-cleaned (and the 'bone day' was planned on a 'steam clean' day on purpose!)  Henry hates steam clean day!

Now Shiloh found a more creative way to make steam clean days more comfortable.  (and another prime photo of her bald hind legs...)

Dana and Cali just realized the beds in the kitchen were the best option on days like this..

It is a new year

Happy New Year!!  We spent the New year's day weekend with greyhounds galore. 
Henry and Cali did a little galloping prior to the Park's arrival.

As you can tell, Cali is still running fine.  Her results came back not osteo!  So she has Tendinopathy which is basically a calcification of the tendons in her shoulder, which is painful but not deadly.  She will just be on pain meds for life, but she seems to flourish on them!!!
She decided to show how great she felt before dinner one night...while I wasn't watching she was being naughty.

The Parks arrived and we played in the yard a bit.

We went to dinner, came back and hung with the fur kids, played Rock Band, drank a lot of wine and Scotch and brought in the new year with good friends.  Ok..so some of us brought in the new year..some were sleeping.

 

On New Year's Day, Gyeong and Kristen spend time with his family.  So the Park fur kids get to spend some time with their cousins while Aunt Trina spends time on the couch. ;-)

But it was a beautiful day (60F in January??)so we spent some time outside.

Miss Roo Roo Pants enjoys the sunshine

 Dana smells Jaime..Jaime seems perplexed

 Jaime..so pretty!!

 And Parker joins the crew

 And we can't forget about Stella...

Then we assume the position on the couch. 

 Parker likes to roll around and look cute

 Or viscous..or not..

 And Stan...being Stan..

And update on all the health issues.  Cali is doing great as I updated above.  

Henry had his hemangiosarcoma removed a few months ago.  Another one has popped up..due to his malignant hyperthermia we cannot surgically remove it.  But it won't stop bleeding.  i currently have a call in to the vet to see if we can remove it with a local..I will update when I know more.  The cutaneous ones are 'better' than the internal ones..so I guess there is a silver lining.  And belly bands have become a great pressure bandage..who knew!

Henry showing some love to his favorite bush..

Shiloh..who is 14 and 1/2..is definitely having some problems.  She is losing hair, not eating, vomiting and anemic.  She will be going back to the vet this week..last week her kidneys looked OK and she didn't have any 'skin mites' that would cause the hair loss.  I am hopeful that it is something 'fixable' or fleeting.  

But for now..I try to get her to eat anything and give her lots of love.  

2012 will most likely have its ups and downs....