Oh, man, I've got a SISTER?

I wondered why Mom and Dad were gone and coming back smelling like strange dogs, then got suspicious when Mom set up my old nursery.  Well, here's why - Keira, my half-sister, daughter of my Dad Logan and Lady G of Maine. 

Sure, she's cute.  But tell you what - she's really a punk.  She jumps on my head when I'm sleeping, barks at me all the time and eats my food. 

I like it better when Mom puts her "away". . ..

Keira's been here about a month and what a month it's been!  I'm pretty sure it's a month Mom will NEVER forget - it was the timeframe she likes to call the ERA OF THE PARASITE. . .  (insert dramatic drumroll here. . . .)

Friends of mine on facebook may recall that I used to like to drink from the birdbath in the back yard?  Well, I exhibited absolutely no symptoms of anything other than some seriously soft stool and Mom decided to get me checked out.  Guess what, my friends, squirrels poop in and around birdbaths and they can spread something called Giardia, which of course I tested positive for.  Now, Giardia is a very persistent and nasty little gut bug that makes dogs poop soft serve ice cream, which is a real treat for Mom (who is a responsible pet owner that picks up after her critters)!   Mom would double-bag when we went for walks and even Heather, who is a very tolerant friend, would wrinkle her nose when it came to cleaning up after me!!

Then along came Keira.  Rhea advised Mom that Keira had been tested for various parasites as a matter of course (all results are negative) and while she had some stool softness, it should clear up pretty quick as she was being treated with Panacur and some chicken and rice added to her diet should take care of that. 

So - Mom's got two dogs, both pooping a smelly, nightmare-like version of soft serve ice cream and a countertop of powers, pills and liquid syringes.  Don't know about Keira, but I can eat the cheese off of a pill and spit it right back out, which makes giving me meds a wee bit of a challenge!  And, due to the contagious nature of Giardia (which can be transmitted if a dog steps in Giardia infected poop and then licks their paws - or in the case of Keira, who early on was exhibiting an interest in CONSUMING poop), Mom was a ninja in the back yard with a toy shovel from the Christmas Tree Shop and it was oftentimes frightening how quickly she'd swoop in and remove our droppings!

The above picture is us in the back yard, which is fenced in, and a largely poop-free zone.  Just have to be careful where you toss the shovel full - there's a couple of trees back there that try to throw it back!

The good news - Mom got us both tested, we're both now Giardia negative.  We've also been systematically decimating Mom's forsythia bushes in the back yard and are clearly getting enough fiber!   I bust off the big branches and Keira's taking care of the small stuff. 

I think we're past the rough stuff now.  Keira and I are having a blast with all the snow - Mom can't get us back into the house half the time and while I sink in the 3' of snow in the back yard, Keira just walks across the top! 

Ok, not all is perfect - we fight over every single toy!  Mom says the living room floor hasn't been this cluttered since Steph and Jeff were toddlers . . .

Stay tuned - and ~ CHOW, BABY ~