Another Update and More

So much has happened lately with our baby boy dog, He's actually doing so much better.  We do have daily trips to the vet to change his bandages and Friday I really got a good look under the bandages...EGAD!  His once closed up surgery incision is a wide open gap and very deep, although the tissue looks quite healthy and it's not bloody.  This brave tough guy lets the vet probe and touch and never moves or makes a peep.  And a sure sign he's healing is that he actually JUMPED up on the couch twice and, because dogs like to dig to make a bed and he's a dog, he tried to dig in his bed.  It was really kind of cute when he made the motion with his left side and head like he was digging, then with the right.  Oh man!!!  He's getting better.

On a good art note...

I entered this painting, "Fishin' Hole" in an online show, on a website called Light, Space and Time Gallery and was notified that it got a Special Merit Award.  What that means is that our of 572 entries from 22 different countries is that I was recognized.  They awarded 10 top and the next 60 were awarded Special Merit and that is where I fell.   

THEN.....

I had entered these two, "Jackmani" and "Pink Is The New Black" in another of their competitions, AND was notified that I won more things.  Granted it is just online with certificates but it does mean something.

This competition had 1,165 entries from 30 different countries as well as 34 different states including the District of Columbia.  My friend Linda took a first place and second and an honorable mention!   

For "Jackmani" I placed in the top 20 and with "Pink Is The New Black" I took another Special Merit award.  Wow, talk about good for the ego. 

 .  Then I finished this sweet one yesterday and after the response on Facebook, it will surly be entered in some more competitions.

"Morning Glories" 

Short Update

He WAS home but yesterday had to go back because the drainage and infection.  

It's still going to be a long road to recovery.  He seems to be getting the hop down and was very excited yesterday to have a treat, until the rush back to the vet.  He will be there for a few days, hopefully not long.  

The Tale of Clayton

About 9 years ago The Hubby and I were given the opportunity to take this little guy into our lives, our hearts.  He belonged to a friend of ours at the cabin retreat place and as it turned out was also a neighbor in town.  Anyway, at the time she was traveling way too much for this young lad and he needed to have a more stable life.  When we would see Clayton we would jokingly say, "Rose, we're just going to take Clayton." He was the cutest and friendliest little guy and we loved him, everyone did.  

Then one day the phone call came where she asked us if we would like to have him.  Oh GOSH!  We thought and thought and decided we would make him a part of our world.  Clayton was a young, 3 year old puppy.  This photo is the day we said yes.

The next two photos are bringing him home and me trying to capture his picture.  I thought we had made a mistake.  He was manic and it scared me.  

 

Very, VERY quickly it was determined that we did indeed make the RIGHT decision.

This face... 

This personality... 

The love... 

Clayton has melted our hearts and we couldn't love him more.  

He so loves our granddaughter and any little child that comes through the door. 

He especially loves his daddy. 

...and me. 

...and occasionally he has overnight guests, Mondo the Wonder Dog, Snicklefritz's companion. 

Oh MY he loves Mondo. 

Clayton is a huge part of our life, even breaking bread with us on a nightly fashion. 

 Sadly, about 2 years ago things took a bad turn for little Clayton.  He developed a connective tissue tumor on his hip and another on his left front leg, the one that is short from birth.  

The hip one was successfully taken off.  It was baseball size!  

Then we went for the one on his leg.  The vet said he didn't know if he could get it all because there wasn't much fat or skin on his leg and the likelihood of it coming back was very high.  He was right because about a year after it was taken off it was back very quickly.  We again tried to take it off and that time around the surgery was so stressful on our little guy I didn't know if  we could stand it.  Poor baby cried and cried when we got home.  I was heartbroken for him.  

The second surgery for the leg was just in September and about 3 months ago that dang thing was back with a vengeance.  At the time The Hubby took him back to the vet for a consultation and he said that if it ruptured (abscessed) to bring him back and they would try to cut down some but short of amputation, there was really not much chance of getting rid of the thing.  In the past month that mass started growing at a rapid speed and we made an appointment to get him in but had to wait two weeks as our vet was booked.  Well, this past Memorial Day weekend, it abscessed!  BLECH!  It was a horrible weekend with a trip back to town at 2 am to the emergency vet and yesterday we were told by our vet that amputation was our only option.

So tomorrow (if the surgeon can get in schedule) our little Clayton, our heart, will go through major surgery to lose his leg.  I am absolutely distraught over the decision we have had to make.  If it was a back leg there would not be a hesitation but with it being a front leg the learning to walk again is much tougher, and the vet said his recovery will be much slower not only because of that but because he is 12-1/2 years old.  He's an older dog.  We will not put him down because he is in great health and this is the only thing wrong but I fear that he will not weather this well and that we will go down that road.  I DO NOT want to make that decision.  

Please say a LOT of prayers for our little Clayton.