The Routine Continues

~A pretty but obnoxious Starling on my porch rail~

It has been a week of all work and no play with a change in our daily routine. I just don't adjust well to the changes of getting up and going to bed earlier.  I should take my cues from the dogs who never seem to notice or really mind--As long as they're being fed of course.

~Charlie~ 

Beau is one dog that is really a creature of habit. At hour house, we have a routine. The dogs always go outside first thing in the morining, and we go for a walk.  Then shortly after, they're fed their breakfast and onward with the day we go.  When Beau first came to us last summer, he would have no part of that routine.  We would have to literally drag him outside in the morning because he refused to go. I'm not sure how long this went on, but I dreaded trying to get him outside. At some point I realized that he would go out willingly AFTER he'd eaten his breakfast. I could only guess that was the routine that he knew before he came to us in July. Life became so much easier when I didn't try to change him. Now six months later, his routine is woven into part of ours.

This week Beau changed his routine and didn't want to go out at all. When he finally did go out he was struggling on the two steps to get back into the house, and not eating as much if any of his morning or evening meals. I'd hoped that it was just the strong medications that he's been taking for his ears affecting his appetite. Unfortunately,  it's not.  A trip to the vet and x-Rays show that he has 3 masses in his chest. If there is any good in this news, it's that there appears to be no evidence that he's bleeding internally. (Note: I hope I've pointed out the masses correctly on the photo below)

It goes without saying that I'm saddened by this news. I hope that our plan to put him back on a steroid, discontinue the ear medications, (and treat topically) will give us more time with Beau. And our goal will be one that never changes despite whatever our daily routine may be, and that's to keep him comfortable and happy for as long as possible.

~Beau and Gus~