The Spaniel Annals

Since December my focus has been on getting my house ready for sale, in hopes of down-sizing to a more manageable property and mortgage amount. Beyond that, my goal is to find a property with a shop/garage that I can use as a training building. Needless to say, this has turned my life and my dogs’ lives temporarily upside-down, with contractors and cleaners in and out of the house, and now real estate agents and open houses.

The dogs have handled the changes with good nature, but meanwhile life goes on. Kani’s recent blood test on 2/20 continues to show disturbing numbers. Here’s the breakdown of the worrisome numbers with comparisons to the last two tests. All of them are above the normal range:

BUN
2/20: 63
12/21: 46
11/21: 47

CA (calcium)
2/20: 12.4 (this has stayed steady for 4 months, but it’s still out of range)

PHOS (phosphorus)
2/20: 9.2
12/21: 6.8
11/21: 6.9

CRE (creatinine)
2/20: 4.5
12/21: 3.9
11/21: 4.1

From 11/21 to 2/20, Kani’s PCV has lowered from 41% to 35%. This percentage shows the amount of red blood cells. 20% is the danger level, and it’s scary that we’re heading in that direction.

And yet, Kani seems to feel great! She’s happy, bouncy, and with a good appetite. My vet just shakes her head, smiling. I’ve made a point of getting Kani more exercise lately, with frequent short walks and running with her little springer pack after a tracking session. I just try to be grateful for every tail wag and every good day. Right now, life is a joy with her.

Now that the house is actually on the market, I’m trying to get us back into a training routine. Reardon and Journey are preparing for a go at Utility at the Seattle Kennel Club shows in March, and Rozzie is making good progress with her tracking, now progressing to two corners per track. I also made the big decision to send Gael off to a field trainer for a few months while everything is so unsettled. Next week I’ll head to Kennewick for a visit, and I’ll be posting pictures!