Welcome to this week’s edition of Follow-Up Friday, the post where I highlight reader’s comments, answer reader’s questions and generally, just wrap up my week.

You Make Me Smile – July 24, 2016

Meagan Maher said, “Yes i would and do. Last night when i turned over i slipped off the bed. A yellow labrador decided to sleep horizontally across the top of the bed so i had barely any room.”

He he he, that made me laugh, but I hope you weren’t hurt. I’m not sure if I ever slipped off the bed, but there was that one time when the dogs had the whole bed and I laid across the top, with my head on a chair. 😉

Emma said, “My mom always puts up with discomfort if we furs are comfy. It’s what moms do.”

Yes, yes it is. It’s what moms do. 🙂

Callie, Shadow and Ducky’s Mom said, “I miss the days when Callie and Shadow tried to take over the bed. Shadow used to get too hot – even in the winter – and would get back down on the floor next to the bed; but Callie usually spent the whole night next to my feet. God, how I miss that girl!”

🙁 I know, but she’s always with you. Sampson usually gets too hot too and at some point will get off the bed, but that is usually only in the summer.

Genevieve said, “Would I??? I DO – every night of my life! And I wouldn’t have it any other way….”

It’s the best, isn’t it?

Jan said, “I know of no other way to sleep. But I try to stake out my position first.”

That’s key! Always stake out the real estate first. 

Hailey and Zaphod said, “Hailey is my leg sleeper and I will lie there until the pain comes!”

I can until I get a cramp, if I get a cramp, it’s all over!

Jen Gabbard said, “Do you feel guilty when you move, too? I think it’s sweet when Laika falls asleep on some part of me, but I always feel bad when I have to get up to pee or something.”

I do feel bad. Luckily, Sampson usually only stays that way for so long, then he gets up and move. Delilah will let you love/snuggle her, but when she’s done, she lets you know by turning away.

Cystocentesis a.k.a. A STERILE Urine Sample

Jan K said, “Having a vet that gets you has to go a long way towards making you more comfortable when going through these things….I also wondered if the location of the parts on a female dog had to do with this. Sheba has so much fur back there, things get stuck in it too, so I’m trying to do better at keeping that area clean (we’re planning to give her a bath this weekend but sometimes we just use wipes and trimming to clean it up).

See, this is something I’ve never thought of before. Dear lord, not only do we need to ‘landscape’ ourselves, now we have to worry about our dogs too! 😉

Sue said, “Poor Delilah and poor you! So glad you have such good vet! I wouldn’t have been able to be Zen at all through that – my nerves would be shot.”

Now that I know how well she did, I might consider it next time, but I’m really not sure how zen I can be.

Sand Spring Chesapeakes said, “Great explanation! We always try to get a sterile sample on the first urine sample, it really tells you a lot.”

Thank you! I was trying to remember it all. I’m glad I got it right. 

Jan said, “Great post Jodi. Funny and informative. I learned some technical terms too: pee-shooter and poop shooter. I can’t wait to use them.”

Ba ha ha, don’t you love it? I cannot wait until you use it either! Did I ever tell you how excited I get when I see ‘siriusly’ on your blog? 

Peyton said, “I am always amazed by vets. Not only do they have to deal with someone who can’t tell them where it hurts, they also have to deal do with frantic but loving owners.”

I’m pretty sure in most cases, it’s me that’s the worst. 😉

Monika and Sam said, “Gawd…I love your vet as much as you, Jodi. 😉”

Right! How can you not love a vet that says pee and poop shooter?

Dachshund Nola said, “And I’m sorry, but that visual of wiping off her bits is hilarious, haha!”

The funny thing was that she stood there and let me do it, then she took off like a bat out of hell, and don’t ever be sorry for laughing at something I wrote. That is my goal when I am writing.

Jen Gabbard said, “Right by the poop shooter… I need your vet, seriously. Glad to know they identified the infection, but holy crap coli is not something I would have ever expected.”

Yes poop shooter. I had all I could do not to laugh when she said it. And I’m with you, I was shocked when she told me what it was.

Lost Dog – Found Dog

Emma said, “My mom is terrified at the thought of either of us running way. We lost a cat and never saw him again and that was bad enough. This is such a wonderful story with a great ending.”

It is terrifying. My mom had a cat that was lost and it still breaks my heart to think of him.

Sue said, “That was a very, very long 12 days.”

It sure was.

Mary Hone said, “It is truly amazing how resilient they can be.”

They never cease to amaze me. 

Clowie said, “5 pounds is a lot of weight for a small dog to lose!”

Yes, it is, poor guy was very thin!

Jen Gabbard said, “The most shocking thing I learned about lost dogs is how quickly many of them start to adopt “feral like” behaviors. It can make getting them back so much more challenging since many of them don’t approach strangers, and sometimes they’re even skittish around their owners.”

I’ve heard that they adapt quickly, it must be their wild ancestors. As for being skittish around their owners, when Mel’s dog was missing I remember Mel saying that once she was found, it took a few minutes of her sitting quietly on the ground, before Lady sighed and recognized her. I think they are in that flight mode and can’t recognize anything else.

Jan said, “Small dogs seem to have wild animal instincts that allow them to survive for surprisingly long times in the wilderness or in urban settings. “Found dog” are two of the most beautiful words in the language.”

I think their size has a lot to do with that. And I agree, “Found dog” ARE two of the most beautiful words.

Jan K said, “I know of some people, through Granite State Dog Recovery, in your sister’s area who lost their dog and he was never found. I can only imagine the horrible feeling when this happens, and I’m so glad it ended well for Bandit!…It can be great to look for a group like GSDR because so many people who have been through it are willing to help. They’ve had a lot of success with traps too but you have to have sightings for that to really work. Bandit really went far – it is amazing (and scary) how far dogs can go sometimes!

I can’t imagine it myself. There is a woman in my area who had her house broken into two years ago while she was at work. In the process, her dogs either got out, or were stolen. 2 1/2 years later, she is still looking for them. And you are right, those groups are invaluable. I bet most animal control officers know of groups in their area that work on finding lost dogs.

Well that’s it for me folks, come back tomorrow for a very special post, for a very special boy who is turning 12.