Shyla Saturday

Our world had about 4 days of gray skies and snow since last Saturday. I'll admit to some unhappiness about the further delay of springtime. Shyla and I spent time outdoors together every one of those days but we had the most fun on the day when the sun finally broke through.

The world was gorgeous that morning with deep blue skies, a thick layer of fresh snow, and a happy Shyla.

 

I think that the one thing that Shyla doesn't like about deep snow is that it's hard to find sticks. She dug deep into the snow to find this one and then she wanted to show it to me.

 

After this fun session in the snow, we headed down to the flatlands for Shyla to have some blood drawn. I was so glad that we'd had such a glorious morning prior to the vet visit!

Her tests showed that something is not right but didn't pinpoint the cause. Now we are testing her for leptospirosis, a hidden unknown infection, thyroid issues, and cancer. My impression is that cancer is pretty far down the list but that didn't stop me from tossing and turning in worry. As we are doing all of these tests, we'll try a strong antibiotic to see if that reduces her need to drink so much water. That would help with either leptospirosis or a hidden infection.

Shyla is nine years old, and I am hoping for many more years with her. It feels as if she's still in her prime, especially behaviorally. It's wonderful to see how she is an outgoing and happy dog despite her rough start in life.