Update >> Bubby is a Wonder Dog!

I realized yesterday that it's been months (literally) since I posted a Bubby update.   Many of you have asked about him, and I've been meaning to make an official update post for a while. For new readers, Bubby (real name Leary) is my devastatingly handsome Black Lab/Chow rescue dog mix.  He is my furry soul mate, my best buddy, and a constant source of inspiration.  I even named this blog and my line of art after him! 

Bubby is also old.  He'll be 16 years young in March.  For a dog of his size, he's like 103 in human years - at least according to the chart at the vet, where he is a regular.  Remember the television show Cheers?  When Norm would walk in the bar, everyone would yell "Norm!" as he entered.  Well, that is what it's like when Leary walks through the doors at the vet.  He's kind of a big deal.

Back in April, Leary was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer.  He was given a few days to 6 weeks (max) to live.  Robbie even flew home from the band's spring tour that day because we thought we'd have to put him down immediately.  A few days passed.  6 weeks passed.  3 months passed.  And this Saturday, it will be 6 months.  Yes, months. Now do you see why I call him a wonder dog? 

He hasn't shown any signs of the cancer progressing, but he hasn't been without problems.  Just click here and you'll find all sorts of posts about them.  My last update (which was in August - bad updater, Melissa) talked about how Leary had been having seizures.  We tried him on Phenobarbital, but it made him appear to be perpetually wasted drunk.  We weaned him off, and he immediately had another seizure.  At this point we were fairly certain (again) that it would be best to put him down.  He was happy and appeared healthy, but at his age, we figured seizures equaled suffering.  As a last resort, we tried him on another seizure medication called Keppra.  And guess what?  Not a single seizure since!  For 2 whole months! Go Bubby, go!

Since starting the (very expensive but so worth it) Keppra, our little dude has had no issues.  By "no issues," I mean nothing out of the ordinary for a geriatric wonder dog.  He still has all the quirks that come along with old doggy-dom, like Arthritis and some vision and hearing loss, and of course, an insatiable need to be lazy.  He has an insatiable appetite too, but he's had that his entire life.  This dog looks at food like the rest of us would look at a winning lottery ticket.  When he hears the sound of the can opener, suddenly all of his wildest dreams have come true.

That's it!  I'm happy to report that Bubby is doing incredibly well.  He's even gotten more handsome.  And that's hard to believe, since he was already the cutest thing I'd ever laid eyes on. 

Wedding images by Bliss Studio.