Odds and Ends: Chase, Gravity and the Wreath

Poor Chase, our 12 year old mixed breed dog,  had to have surgery Tuesday to remove a lump on his neck. The biopsy suggests it is a sarcoma, but we will know more after the pathology comes back.  The vet is very optimistic and said that most of these tumors don't  spread in dogs until they are very large.  Chase's tumor was fairly small, but the incision is big, and it is on his neck, so he can't wear his collar.

This makes it hard to follow the post op instruction of 'leash walking only' for 10 days.  We went to PetSmart looking for the 'cotton harness' the vet tech suggested, but none of them were made of cotton, and all of them would rub on his incision, so for now, he is going collarless, and I'm going outside with him every time he goes out.  Since he can't wear a collar, he can't wear his electric collar, which means our electric fence is moot. I'm hoping he heals quickly!

For now, I'm keeping him doped up on Tramadol, not just for pain control but to keep him calm.  Chase is a very energetic dog. We walk 2 1/2 miles most days, and he'd be up for another walk or to if I had time.  He is usually enthusiastic about food and takes medicine willingly.  Not so now.  My usual trick of putting his pills in peanut butter didn't work this time, and he dug though his wet dog food, leaving the pills behind when I tried that.  Congealed turkey gravy is doing the trick, though.

My oldest son's birthday was yesterday, and he loved his new quilt.  He sent me this picture of it at 5:56 a.m., which meant he got up really early to open his b'day gifts and remake his bed.

Finally, I finished the new wreath for the front door.  The 25 year old wreath we'd been using was falling apart. It also was too dark for our black front door.  I really like the one I made. DH the traditionalist keeps saying it needs some red, but he had his way for 25 years.  Now it is my turn.   Just hoping it all stays together as I'm not an experienced wreath maker.

Linking up:  http://myplvl.blogspot.com/2016/07/tuesday-archives-122-floral-wreathes.html