The View from Here

Coops from adorable puppy to big lug. Where did the time go?

I took Coops and Sophie in for their mid-year check-up recently, and showed the vet a place on Cooper’s chest that we were concerned about. She suggested that we bring Coops in for a biopsy to be safe. She will be eight at the beginning of March (our best guesstimate after finding her as a tiny puppy that had been dumped in the alley behind our home). She is the only dog that I have ever had since puppyhood, and I have to admit that she has me wrapped pretty tightly around her big paw. The thought of something being seriously wrong with her was unsettling. Dan and I don’t have children, and so our two dogs and cat, Kasey, take the brunt of our maternal and paternal proclivities. 

   
Our first sight of Coops as Dr. Claytor brought her to us….fashion queen…a pretty drunk fashion queen!

 Waiting for her dinner- she was hangry after not eating all day. (Just kidding- she’s happy whenever food is involved.)

Dr. Claytor told us that the growth was pretty deep, and she removed all the appropriate areas to be safe. She also said that these types of growths are often benign, and so we are hopeful that our girl will be just fine. I have taken my animals to Dr. Claytor since I moved to Birmingham, and trust her completely. She has such a true passion for healing animals- I will never forget her staying up all night with my sweet Doberman, Bailey, when he had a stroke….and looking up from my place on the floor with Bailey when it was time for him to leave us, seeing tears streaming down her face. I know she will always be straight with us, always tell us what is best for our animals. 

Post surgery….the colors, Man, the colors…:)) She couldn’t stop staring at the Christmas tree lights. For hours. 

 Our vet chooses to have dogs wear a tee shirt rather than a cone, thankfully. While it felt weird to have to buy a pack of children’s tee shirts at Target for my dog, it’s much more comfortable than the dreaded cone, I have no doubt. The shirts were a big hit at Chez Gainey- in fact, Sophie wanted in on the action, so we let her wear one, too. She felt the need to stand in solidarity with her sister…but then she seemed pretty embarrassed by it. There’s just no pleasing her.  

 I am grateful for the joy and laughter that our animals bring into our lives every day. My Christmas wish is that Coops will be just fine for many years to come, Sophie, too. They are so strongly bonded…as we are to them, the big goofballs.  A true part of our family.