[Dailydrool] Written by a vet, animals' abilities, and Bel's continuing testing

[Pam McQuade]

<<who did not envy or covet or steal, who never betrayed and never took 
pleasure in the pain and despair
of others,>>

Well, I guess this leaves out my hounds. Jane used to be a really awful 
counter-cruiser (stealing), and Bel may not cause physical pain, but he has 
surely wanted to humiliate Abner, to prove to our last-in-the-pack that I 
belong to Bel and only Bel. I also wonder if Abs likes to cause me pain, 
since he has bitten me three times. Whose dogs is this vet talking about?

I don't know if anyone else caught the TV program (the name of which I do 
not remember) that talked about the discoveries scientists have made that 
indicate that animals have greater abilities to think, plan, and emote than 
was previously thought. I left the program about the time when they were 
showing some apes on a killing spree, so I didn't get all their conclusions. 
But the part I did see appeared to be in line with all the things we've 
discovered about our hounds. They can think, plan, and use tools, at the 
very least--at last the scientists catch up with the folks who are with 
animals every day!

Belvedere is going to continue with additional testing, since my vet does 
not seem to think that Cushing's is the source of Bel's peeing problem. I 
have to take Bel in to have his blood pressure taken and put him on a 
low-salt kidney diet--oh, what fun it will be to try to get him to eat that! 
Though, according to my vet, it does not seem to be kidney disease, the salt 
could be a problem if the blood pressure is high.

Then, if necessary, we will do some diabetes testing. We are trying to avoid 
an ultrasound right now. I sure hope something gets figured out soon. Vets 
seem to have endless tests to identify a peeing problem.

I have ordered a couple of blankets from Plow and Hearth that are supposed 
to be 100 percent waterproof. At least I'm hoping that they will help us out 
until Bel's troubles are under control. One will go on the bed, if it's not 
too uncomfortable for the humans, and the other on our much-abused couch. I 
am glad that taking Bel out almost constantly has kept his accidents under 
better control, but I do need to be able to work, and maybe the blankets 
will help me out there.

The belly band I bought was not a whole lot of help, since Bel just soaked 
it through. I was wondering if it would help to get some women's pads that 
hold more than the dinky ones that I bought for the belly band. Has anyone 
tried this? Any brand recommendations that will fit the Simple Solution 
belly band? (You can always e-mail me privately, if you prefer.)
Pam, food slave to the Dashing Bassets