Things aren't always interesting, sometimes their just part of the everyday grind. Still there is always something that can tweak my interest. Adventures don't always involve travel, anyone that has tried to put ear drops in a spooked puppy-dog knows that.

Speaking of which, Bear our Australian Cattle Dog (from Missouri) had his first visit to a vet since moving here from Ava Mo. He is a stray that showed up at Mom's place one day looking lost and hungry. No collar, and nothing showing up in the local papers looking for him, Mom wouldn't let him go hungry and he being a quick judge of character knew he had found a soft hearted and generous woman, and stayed.

So how did he become ours? No, Mom is still kicking fine, but she has Peppy (another stray) that she adores and Bear is an outside dog. After moving to Oregon she didn't have the room for both of them. So, my daughter adopted Bear and kept him for two years before she had to move into an apartment where unfortunately, there was no yard for him to frolic in. I didn't want to see him go to a stranger, and Sab (Sabrina) said she would like him back if she ever got another place where he could run free again. And so, we adopted him.

He is getting old. Well we don't know exactly how old, but his teeth are really bad, and he developed a limp on the right front that didn't seem to have an identifiable cause. I examined his paws, joints, and legs for injury or growths and he seemed to be fine. Still, when he walked, he favored the leg and so we made an appointment with the local vet.

You know you can never just have the vet check the main issue without giving a full examination, blood work, dental exam, etc... So $250 later we went home still not knowing why he limped, but now with antibiotics for his gums (infected) and ears (also infected).

So that brings me back to putting drops into ears. Bear's ears. He is a very passive dog. But, if looks could kill, I'd be pushing up petunias after putting drops in his ears. The first couple of drops went in ok, hey look someone with more hair in their ears than me but as they hit bottom, he got really excited and started struggling to get away. He weighs 50 lbs and is a lot stronger than you would think. I got them in, but I'll need help with the next dose as he is wise to me now.

The antibiotics are easier to administer. I took some hot dogs and sliced them into short segments and used a straw to bore a hole in the center of each segment. I can put one of the pills into the center and toss it to Bear. He doesn't chew anything smaller than a cow and it disappears quicker than an Oregon mole down it's hole.

We got the lab report on him and now need to give him even more medications. Seems his thyroid isn't up to snuff (no wonder he is fat) so he now gets two hot dog slices with his pills. Plus they gave us some doggie Advil to help with his joint pain. He has osteoarthritis and it is what is causing the limping. Poor puppy.

He was bouncing around in circles this morning when I opened the patio door to give him his pills. He hops on his front legs and then spins around and hops some more. It's really cute. He loves hot dogs.

Another two weeks and he has to go back for some dental work. Looks like he is going to lose some of his teeth due to decay and grinding down over the years. May be eating soft dog food for a while, or maybe permanently. We'll see.

Keep it in mind if you adopt an animal. Health costs are part of the deal. So is taking time to get to know your new family member. Bear is an outside dog. Never has been inside the house except by accident. He can't walk across tile floors and crawls when crossing the kitchen floor. Much happier in the grass or destroying Jo's plants. But that is another story.