And Your Little Dog, Too

The little old lady who left Canasta by herself for ten days to howl at the stars and bark at swooping owls officially transferred guardianship of the rare Blue Chihuahua to us a month after her return from Who Knows Where. We've since learned that Canasta's real name is Bridget, and that she's five years old. Why anyone would leave such a darling and highly sociable beast alone with only a dumb teenager to come over for five minutes a day and pour out some kibbles (which the raccoons promptly gobbled) we'll never understand. But Granny raised her right, at least, because Bridget is the sweetest little doggie who ever lived. And right now she needs your healing thoughts! I took her to the vet a couple days ago because she started yelping with pain in mid-air for no apparent reason. The X-ray revealed that she has a slightly bulged disc in the lumbar area of her back. Evidently, the pound or so she's gained in her time with us equals more than 10% of her ideal body weight, and puts undue strain on her skeleton. So now she's on a two-week course of NSAIDs, and a strict diet to trim down to 7 pounds. She is also no longer allowed to take our steep stairs, tear around like a midget rocket, or, worst of all, jump up into our laps. That's why I'm sitting on the hard floor with a numb butt to type this post, as she lolls safely beside me for belly rubs.