Happy Birthday, Dee Dee!!!

It's hard to believe that little Dee Dee is 4 years old. Time goes so quickly.

It seems like only yesterday we brought her onboard at just 7 weeks old. She learned immediately what it takes to be a good crew member. Her dad was very proud.

She's put a lot of miles under her keel since then. Always with her best buddy Dylan by her side.

There's been many adventures.

And, of course, some swimming. Always swimming...

We love our little girl, even as she remains our "problem child." And although Dylan may not always admit it, he likes her too. Happy birthday, princess! Looking forward to many more years of adventures!


Epilogue

Many of you have written to inquire about Dee Dee's colorful leg wrappings. We have been struggling with hot spots on her right forearm for months now. The wrapping served to keep the antibiotic salve in place, as well as, to try and keep her from licking it. Our girl proved too clever for that, as we fought a cycle of "it's almost healed" to "I found it" licking.

So we decided to take advantage of being in Jacksonville to visit one of our favorite vets on the east coast - and our various crew members have been to plenty. Dr. Tom Cox at Timuquana Animal Hospital took excellent care of Dyna 4 years ago soon before she crossed the rainbow bridge. We trusted him to help Dee Dee.

Dee Dee is now on a strong course of oral antibiotics, prescription antibacterial cream, and "doggy Prozac." Yes, after years (4 years?) of joking about our slightly high-strung girl, the jokes have become reality.

Dr. Cox also suggested the long-sleeve t-shirt method to keep her away from the spots. Mom discovered that finding a long-sleeve t-shirt in April in Florida is not easy - turns out they are "winter apparel." Snagged a couple on a clearance rack and then hit the jackpot at the Goodwill.

So now Dee Dee has a small wardrobe of cute tops, including this adorable one for her birthday.

It's been a hard week for her (and for Mom, who has handle this on her own as Daddy was gallivanting around Seattle). The drugs have made her very sleepy, sometimes not even getting up for a piece of ice! But we were told to expect this. Tomorrow we check in again with Dr. Cox and hopefully adjust the meds down.

The good news is she is well on the way to having her arm healed. The t-shirt trick really works - Thanks, Dr. Cox.