Mina Makes Me Melodramatic

Mina threw up brown bile this morning, after a few days of digestive woes and strenuous urination sessions.

I immediately took to the internet, which inspired nothing but a panicked call to the vet to make sure Mina was not bleeding into her stomach and dying right on the spot.

It was confirmed Mina was not going to expire at my feet, but I still made an appointment at my favorite vet office.

Who then siphoned a lot of money from me to declare that they didn't know what was wrong with her - that it was either IBD or cancer, but not likely cancer. Maybe a UTI, but urinalysis won't come back for a few days. At least I know her heart, eyes, ears, kidneys, and liver are all fine and dandy. Thank goodness for CareCredit.

She received a cerenia injection, which is apparently a miracle drug that cures all woes. JUST KIDDING. But it does make Mina feel less painful in her gut and helps stop vomiting. She also received a B12 injection. Low B12 is common, according to the vet, in older dogs with GI issues.

I was sent home with metro and sucralafate, both of which will help her gut. She is also supposed to be on a bland low-fat diet.

I've decided to see if Mina wants to be vegan like me. V-Dog is a great vegan dog food that is soy, corn, and wheat free. It's also GMO-free. Mina is allergic to strange things, like barley, but also regular things like soy and corn, both of which are very common in many dog foods. She is also allergic to cow flesh  (and baby sheep flesh) because she is part-cow and not a cannibal. V-Dog is also low-fat, and since she has some minor pancreatitis, this is a good thing.

She also lost 3 lbs since last year, bringing her down to 34 lbs. I need her to gain weight, like woah. I want her to weigh 40 lbs, because when she is REALLY ancient, she'll have that extra padding. Fact.

Mina's all twitchy-sleeping next to me as I type this. In a month, she officially turns 14. I cannot express to all of you how grateful I am that she continues to age with fierce grace. She does not have arthritis. Her heart is healthy. Her eyes are aging normally, and her ears and teeth are in fine condition. She has spunk and is a punk, when she feels appropriate. Each day, she looks forward to her afternoon cookie session with my boss and her two itty-bitty dogs.

While I still get frustrated with her irksome stubborn nature, I am cherishing each and every freaking second I have with her - even the annoying ones! For the past eleven years, she has been my constant companion. And I hope to share another five or more with her - showing her with kindness, cookies, food, exercise, snuggle-time, doggy play time...that I love and appreciate her.

MELODRAMA, stop.