ruh-roh

Since my return home our skies have been gray and the weather has turned raw. I am grateful for the recent memories of sunny Florida days and breezes at a time like this! It's cloudy here at home as well. Our dear Mr. Grumpy (affectionately named), better known as Dooley, has congestive heart failure. He'd been hacking and wheezing for a few days before I went to Florida, and a trip to the vet yielded a diagnosis of bronchitis and a dose of antibiotics. Since I left the next day I couldn't monitor any changes with him, and though in some respects he seemed better, this morning he was definitely feeling punk. Our vet isn't open on Saturdays, so we headed elsewhere for care, an x-ray, blood work, and so on. An exam indicated a heart murmur, and the x-ray showed an enlarged heart and pulmonary edema. Poor Dooley. He received an injection of lasix and two sets of pills for treatment. He is glad to be home, and I am glad to have him on his way to better health. Time to put on some Christmas music, turn on the lights, light some candles, and inspire a cheerier mood. Who knows, we might even bake some cookies!