I totally forgot that yesterday was Rio’s 7 month ampuversary.  I feel kinda bad that I keep forgetting to celebrate the milestones!

In my defense, though, Wednesday we had a Rio and Mom Day.  I took her to Petco and she was treated like visiting royalty.  No reasonable girl would say no to that!  Every time I take her someplace like that, though, the next time we go someplace and she has to stay in the car, she gets a little peeved.  It’s as if she thinks all stores harbor within them toys and cookies and food beyond any dog’s imagination and I’m the one denying her access to it!

On the way home, I decided to take her to the beach that’s just down the road from our house.  It was super busy there — lots of kids playing in the sand and moms taking in the sun.  She gets lots of compliments on how she gets around, and nearly everywhere I take her someone tells us the story of another three-legged dog.  I love how the kids especially respond to Rio.  The grown ups, I think are worried about asking to many questions or maybe they just don’t want to know the answer to the questions.  But the kids think she’s a rock star!  Before her amputation, most of them didn’t really pay too much attention to her.  Occasionally one would ask if they could pet her, and she’d search them for the treats they should be giving to her.  Now, they pepper me with questions about her.  One little boy asked if she’d grown up that way (meaning tripawd), and I explained that it had been fairly recent.  Then he wanted the full story.  A little girl asked about her skin — try explaining Cushing’s and calcinosis cutis to a child in a really brief conversation.   Anyhow, Rio loved all the attention, but did wonder when were these small people going to feed her.  After all, they gave her cookies at the last place she visited!!!

I found a little stick and asked Rio if she wanted to go get it.  She swam after the stick a few times and then we walked up to the grass to sit and dry before jumping back in the truck.  Just sitting there, with my girl, with the world going on around us…  Those moments —  those are the ones to be cherished and banked for later.

We’re doing another Rio and Mom thing today, although it won’t be nearly as fun.  Rio has a dr. appointment later this morning.  Nothing big, we are just getting baseline CBC, protein/creatinine ratio before we start her on the masitinib.  (Paws crossed that the medicine works and that it doesn’t have any of the potential adverse reactions.)  We’ll keep ya posted!