The Bitter and the Sweet

Here is another batch of pics of Katy and Lucy. Lucy will be one year old in a couple of weeks...how the time does fly! She remains tiny and puppy like, her name means "light" and she really has brought such light into our lives. Ever loving, sweet and playful and beautiful.
Katy, our 12 yr old Sheltie is not doing so well now. She has bladder cancer (I think she first showed signs of it last January), and is on medication and wears doggie panties with pads 24/7 because she is constantly leaking blood and urine from the tumor. We took her to a couple of vets, and they said at her age the surgery is quite risky. So we are taking care of her the best we can. She is in no pain, and has a good appetite and even plays a little and can go for a very short walk sometimes.

The main problem is that she feels like she has to "go" often because of the pressure of the tumor in her bladder. I've done some research and found that this type of cancer is common in Shelties. I'm a firm believer that over breeding increases the risks of these types of illnesses...Katy comes from famous lineage and has had various problems in her "back end" her whole life. Lucy, on the other hand, doesn't have a famous background and this is in her favor for a longer and healthier life.

So, we have the bitter and the sweet at the same time. I'm so glad we have two puppies...that's the way we always like it so that we are never without our furry friends...they are so much a part of our lives for the last 28+ years. I know that they don't live as long as humans, but it doesn't make it easier each time we say good-bye. We don't know how much longer Katy has on this planet, but we love her and enjoy each other's company while she is with us. We love you so much, Katy buggy.