August 13, 2021

White Dog, like Zsofia, Roman and Opal, has been sneezing a lot this past week. But when I held her last night to wish her sweet dreams and I could hear wheezing followed by a slap-crackle cough, top of this morning's list was a call to Dr. Julia.

Jackie immediately made room for us on the schedule and early in the afternoon White Dog was unhappily standing on an exam table.

"You would not believe the number of brnchial and pulmonary issues I have been seeing," Dr. Julia told Steve. "Do you think it is from the smoke we are gettng from the wildfires?" Steve asked. "You know,I am sure that plays a part in most, but..." she removed her stethascope from hr ears, "I am hearing something in the lungs. So let's do a CBC, get x-rays of the lungs and heart and we can figure out what is making your girl so uncomfortable."

Meanwhile back at home, the rest of the White Dog Army and I tried not to think of all the possible, not good, discoveries the tests could yield. "Come on, everybody! How about a little faith in how tough we White Dogs are," Opal said. "Momma has the same cough and we didn't all freak out about her."

Steve texted us shortly after. "Heart is excellent, there is no enlargement or congestive heart issues." We cheered. "Blood work is all normal; we caught this at the very beginning." Paws up passed around our at-home group. "dr. hears gunk in the lungs; might be pneumonia so she is prescribing antibiotics." 

"Wow, momma, gunk must be a medical term. Isn't that what YOUR doctor called what she saw in your x-ray?' Roman asked. "I wonder if White Dog will have the same drugs you do," wondered Bai.

"Not to be a THAT girl," Zso said, "but will ths mean we must cancel my Gotcha Day Dinner?" i threw my arms around my worried, sensitive one. "Oh Zsofia, now we have TWO reasons to celebrate." 

And no, I am on doxacycline ; White Dog on amoxicillian.