My new bathroom (aka the garage)

Hi everyone!  Many of you were curious about my Porch Potty and wanted to see some pictures.  (Minnie, there's a puggle on the website using the potty!)  Sorry the shots of me are a bit blurry, but mom didn't have the camera set for an action shot and I was busy finding the best spot to...well, you know.

My parents were worried that the porch potty wouldn't work for me because sometimes I scout the entire yard to find the best spot.  They got the big dog size so I'd have a bit more room to smell around, and at first, used the real grass option to train me on it.  After a few days I had the hang of it so they switched to the synthetic grass.  Although I don't like it as much as the yard, I'll take care of business on there any day it's raining or too cold.  So if you decide to give it a try, just buy extra "grass" to change out when one gets, um, dirty.  And I should probably warn you that it can get very stinky too.  Dad washes the grass in the tub with a diluted bleach solution to help it stay fresh and we usually keep a watering can close by to rinse the pee after I go to help it stay clean longer.

While I'm talking about the garage, I want to brag about some men in my life that helped me with some handy work.  My dad, mom's dad (Gampy), dad's dad (Grandpa B), and dad's sister's husband (Uncle Jeff) worked very hard on Saturday to insulate and finish the walls.  We don't have any in-progress shots because mom and I stayed over at Gammy's for the day to make sure I was no where near the mess.  Here's some before and after shots.

before

after

before

after

Didn't they do such a great job for a bunch of amateurs?  Already we can tell it's a lot warmer in there, so I'm going to be nice and toasty this winter!

Love,
Payton

PS.  Maybe you noticed the new green bar at the top of the blog (right under the header picture)?  I added a new page consolidating my PDE related posts that tell of my story so it's much easier to find.  If you run into a pug that may have PDE, feel free to send them to that page, "My PDE Story".

PPS.  Thanks to everyone for the great birthday wishes for my Gampy!  I followed your advice and gave him tons of extra kisses yesterday.  We had a blast!  In fact, he wrote all of you a short note (in the comments of my last post) to say thanks...check it out.

Silly side effects…paw hair

I know us pugs have been known to have some shedding issues, but the hair always grows back in immediately as if there is an endless supply (probably to the dismay of our humans).  But for me, some of the PDE meds have stunted my hair growth.  I’m not vain, so normally I wouldn’t mind, but I do get cold easier and because of it, so my mom insists on putting me in t-shirts and the like.  I hated it at first, but now I don’t really complain.  (I'll have to do a separate post on all my "clothes" later.)

But recently a strange thing has been happening.  I’m starting to grow hair in places that hair normally doesn’t grow.  I feel like an old man that has to trim his ear and nose hair!  Check out these pictures of my paw:

My mom has to trim it at least once a month to keep me from slipping and sliding because the hair just keeps growing and growing!  Strange, huh?

To get an idea of my hair loss progression, here’s a picture of me with a full set of fur:

Jan 2007

Here’s one where you can see the hair loss starting:

Aug 2007

Such weird patterns!  And here’s a couple more where you can tell my fur isn’t as thick as most pugs (you may need to biggify to get a better look):

Feb 2008

Look at that bare chest and neck!

Don't I look tough in my sleeveless coat, despite my bare shoulder and arm?

I insisted on posting that last picture cause I look pretty cool, but my mom wanted to make sure that you don't focus on her too much.  Both pictures were taken on our way home from Chicago (same trip) and she is just wiped out from the trip (as you can tell from the tired expression on her face).

When I first started going bald, we tried a bunch of things to include melatonin, but nothing seemed to work.  And now, completely out of the blue, I am actually starting to grow some hair back and am not quite as naked looking as in the picture above.  This is me yesterday:

I'm just not feelin' the camera today...but I still get the treat, right?

It’s not as thick as it was before I got sick, but it’s definitely noticeable and enough of a change that this warm summer feels even hotter than it usually is for me.  I hope the extra fur will stay around for the winter months.  Otherwise, I got this whole thing backwards!  I’m also shedding right now.  My mom seems so excited to do the extra vacuuming and sweeping.  Ok, not really.

The other thing that mom and dad have noticed is that my face has gotten much darker. Yeah, I'm a bit gray around the chin (who wouldn't be at 8 1/2 years) and have two white whiskers, but take a look at this side by side comparison to see how well defined my mug used to be and now it's like some of those black hairs are migrating to the rest of my face.

2007

2011

 My back is also darker.  It's as if I lost much of my tan colored hair and the black ones from my mug migrated to the rest of me.  I have always had darker undertones, but it seems strange to go dark in my older age rather than lighter (gray).  Guess I should be thankful in case I want to snag a younger man.  Just kidding, mom!

Love,

Payton

Flashback Friday...bath time

My mom still hasn't finished editing the videos and pictures of me having fun with the toys that Suki gave me.  So, in the meantime, enjoy this blast from the past of me NOT enjoying bath time.

March 2007

This was about 6 months or so after my PDE diagnosis, so you can still see the bald spot on my head/neck from the MRI and spinal tap.  It was quite some time, years I think, before that patch of hair grew back.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend filled with lots of fun and lots of naps!

Love,
Payton