Thank You All!

I just wanted to thank all of you who reached out and offered your condolences. It means alot and helps us through the process of mourning our beloved bulldog. I will continue to blog even without Ozzie because I know he would like that and it's important to share information about bulldogs to other bullie parents and prospective future bullie parents.

In bulldog news today, a new generation of the Marine Corps mascot made his debut. It is 9 week old Pfc. Chesty XIV who is replacing Sgt. Chesty XII. He is adorable and is in training to step up to his new role with the proud and the few! Semper fi Chesty my boy!

http://now.msn.com/chesty-new-marine-corps-mascot-is-an-english-bulldog-puppy

The Passing

How do I begin? Our big beautiful boy is gone, the laughs and smiles he brought us are gone too! This week Ozzie was starting to go down hill. Any exertion would be a strain and his breathing became troubled. His appetite had changed. He was not eating his kibble and would practically eat only food I gave him by hand. When I spoke to the vet on the phone she suggested that perhaps a single round of IV chemo may help but that was no sure thing. Tuesday night we struggled to get him out to go potty. My husband had to carry him down the stairs to the garage door to the yard. When he put him down his legs collapsed from under him and he was just gasping for air. I was sure that was it. It took him a while to calm and catch his breath and eventually we get him back in the house though he never went potty.

That night my husband slept with him in the living room. Ozzie did manage to get up on the couch to snuggle with him. The morning brought the situation into light. He would not go out and though he seemed interested in the food he could not eat. We called the vet and unfortunately neither Dr D or Dr Tracey were in. There were other vets all very competent to examine Oz but not the same when you are in panic mode. We brought him in and his breathing was intense. The vet we saw Dr S had a phone consultation with Dr D and based on his condition there were no more treatment options. The only one was euthanasia. We looked at our wonderful boy lying on the floor of the examining room panting, his tongue bluish from the lack of oxygen. Why did this happen so soon, why were we not going to have more time with him?! As the vet explained the procedure we struggled to get our heads to accept that we had reached the end. 
We decided we wanted to be there when they inject the lethal dose of sedative into him to put him down. They first brought him in the back to put a catheter in his arm and give him a dose of Valium like sedative to calm him. Then they brought our beautiful boy back in the examining room with us. We sat around on the floor with him and held our breath as the vet gave the final injection. It happened quickly and quietly. Our big boy was asleep forever. It was the last loving act of mercy in exchange for his suffering and pain.We thanked the vet who had tears in her eyes too and walked away with an empty collar. 

In memory of Ozzie our beloved bullie boy. 7/31/07-02/07/13

We are still walking around our house in disbelief. Where did he go? Why did this have to happen? I cannot bear to put his toys away yet. I know we need to focus on the love and happiness he brought us no matter how short the time was. I know we will adopt and love another dog again, though there will never be another Ozzie. We miss him something awful but know that we will see him again and that he waits for us over the other side of the rainbow bridge.

Simply Sunday and Coming in 5th Makes you Try Harder

Ozzie's week was okay in terms of dealing with his illness. The predinsone has been lowered to10mg a day from 20mg's since his breathing has become so exacerbated from it. I brought the big box fan out and I have it pointed at him most times to keep him cool and comfortable. In this winter weather of freezing temps he spends time laying out on the deck, I guess he likes chilling out, literally. Our vet is still waiting on the oncologist to see what path we should be taking at this point.  I will call her again on Monday morning to see what the status is with that. In the meanwhile we are doing life as usual.

Friday night is pizza night at our house. This is a favorite of Ozzie's who will do anything for a piece of crust! Yes we grovel, beg and howl for some of that tasty stuff.

"Come on! Drop it already!"

Saturday we took a ride to Wholistic Paws and bought some bullie sticks and assorted treats. They were all happily greeted with with jowel smacking delight! It makes me feel happy that Ozzie still appreciates chomping down on a good bullie stick!

"No pictures please, can't you see I am busy here!"

As the Westminister Kennel Club dog show nears (February 11th & 12th) the American Kennel Club has come out with its list of popular breeds for 2012. Guess who made number 5 upsetting the Yorkie to number 6 on the list?! Yes that's right folks the loveable bulldog. Because of their preference for a couch style existance they have apparently become popular in New York City. The Labradour still remains number one but thats okay let those Labs have it! As bulldogs we only try harder to be number one and will suceed one day!

Here's wishing you all a happy Super Bowl Sunday!

Simply Sunday and the Circle of Life

 Ozzie went to see Dr. D on Friday. She was very concerned about the size of his lymp nodes under his neck and appartently there are some in his shoulder area too that have her worried. They are quite large.  Other than that he seems to be in good health. His weight is steady at 79 pounds and he eats like a horse and poops like one! She was going to talk with the oncologists and see if going forward with further chemo was worth it or not. My fear is she is thinking that this is the end cycle of his disease. The pill we give him is Lomustine 75 mg and we do not give it until we hear from the vet that his blood work is normal, which it was. It has very toxic propeties so we must wear rubber gloves when admineristing it to him. Of course slipping it into a piece of turkey bologna works like a charm!

Where do we go from here? I have been feeding Ozzie things like broccoli and organic chicken and giving him vitamin e supplements and eating bananas and oranges together. I was hoping that supporting his immune system with all this good food would help in his battle against the cancer. He was diagnosed last June and he is still with us and that is more time than many dogs who have lymphoma last. Most don't survive the first round of chemo!

I know that we all have our time to live and die but I am really mad that Ozzie is being cheated out of some of his best years to come with us! On the other hand we gave him the best home and the most love we could and I try to find comfort in that. Most of all he is still here and well and it's just life day by day that we can expect to enjoy him, each moment more special than the one before it!

Here is wishing everyone a wonderfu week ahead!

"Just waiting for dinner. So what it's only 2:00 PM!"

Rotten Clementines,Burnt Rice and Life

We just returned from a fabulous week long trip to Kitzbuhel Austria with our ski club. The Austrian Alps couldn't be any more stunning and the apple strudel any more delicious! Though the whole time I worried about Ozzie and how he would miss us so, but Grandpa took good care of him and he greeted us home with his usual stubby tail wag and deep growl of "where the heck have you been!"

Vacations are always wonderful and a true break from it all but back to reality my friends! It seems that Ozzie's lymph nodes have gotten larger since we were away and he seems a little more lethargic than usual. He goes for his next round of oral chemo therapy on Friday so we will see where we medically stand then.

Yesterday I bought a box of Clementines,  you know that sunny citrus small orange like fruit. They looked good from what I could see on the top of the box. When I got home and opened them I was in for a surprise. There were 5 rotten pieces of the fruit on the bottom of the box. One more mushy with green mold than the next. What a rip off I thought! Later that evening I was making some rice for dinner and I accidentally turned up the flame under the pot. Yup you guessed it burnt rice!
Life's little annoyances are sometimes an analogy to the bigger picture. Life may look good from the top but you have to beware, you will run into something that is rotten from time to time and watching your pot more carefully can result in less burnt rice.

Anyways it's good to be back home and I will let you all know how Ozzie does at the vet on Friday!

The Austrian Alps in all their glory!

Simply Sunday and Picky Pooch

Here we are another weekend about to go by! This week was an abbreviated one with the New Year holiday and all but the 3 work days were very concentrated if you know what I mean! 

Ozzie had his first chemo pill with an injection of that Elspar drug. He was fine afterwards even thought the vet warned he may feel a little "punky" afterwards. His biggest side effect is from the steroids since we increased his dosage. It makes him huff and puff and pant more. For a dog with compromised breathing apparatus this is tough at times. Ozzie's new bothersome behavior though is his finicky appetite. I have perhaps hopelessly spoiled him by making special food for him and he expects it every time! This morning I refused to make scrambled eggs for his breakfast and I just served him up his kibble. He immediately turned his nose up at it and walked away. I guess if he gets hungry enough he will eat it?! 

We are gong away soon for a ski vacation and Grandpa and brother will be taking care of our boy and I am worried about his eating. I guess I am going to have make a big batch of the chicken meatballs and freeze them, so he will have something special to mangia on!

"Really? You expect me to eat dog food!?"

I am adding in Ozzie's meatball recipe in case you have missed it, or interested in making them for your own picky pooch!

Have a good week ahead all!

Ozzie's Chicken Meatballs

• Two 16 oz packages of ground chicken
• flat leaf parsley
• turmeric  ( healthy spice that dogs can consume safely)

Chop up parsley and add to meat along with a generous sprinkle of turmeric. 

Make small size balls, little bit smaller than a golf ball.

Get a big pot of water boiling on the stove and drop in meatballs. Should take no longer than 20 minutes to cook through. Remove meatballs to cool. Break up and mix with their favorite kibble.

Store batches in freezer bags for future meals!

Simply Sunday and Almost 2013

We had a few inches of snow here in New Jersey yesterday. Today it's sunny and cold but it looks scenic and right for the holidays! Ozzie enjoys tracking through the white stuff and being a connoisseur of snow was engage in some tastings of it in the back yard this morning!

Right before Christmas Eve I was petting the Oz and found a lump right under his jaw line in his neck. I knew it had to be the lymphoma rearing it's ugly head but was hoping for something else to be diagnosed. I took him to the vet on Friday and sure enough he is coming out of remission. Dr. D suggested a new treatment that would be in pill form once every 3 weeks. They would do some blood work each time prior to the pill and he would be on that for at least 5 pills. She also suggested a injection in conjunction with the pills of a drug called "Elspar" which is given intramuscular with a total of 2 injections. This treatment may make him feel a little "poopy" for a day or so but she feels it works well and helps to extend remission. I am all for it!

Ozzie is in good health otherwise and he gained 2 pounds over the holidays. That is mostly due to all the extra treats and goodies that have come through this house! Also Uncle Fred shared way to much food with Ozzie on Christmas day ( I know he means well) but it resulted in some first class diarrhea 2:00 AM that morning! 

I will keep you posted on Ozzie's treatments and progress and pray for the best out come. 

I want to wish you all a very happy healthy prosperous 2013 and peace for the New Year!

"I detect notes of plum and a smooth finish! Yummo!"

Simply Sunday and Almost Christmas!

I can't believe it's almost here! So much to do so little time it seems! If I wasn't sick for weeks with some kind of mystery virus I would of had a better start at the whole thing! Though who am I kidding I probably would be in the same boat! Last minute me! 

Ozzie feels no sense of urgency at all! He simply lounges among the madness and waits for the party to begin! In the meantime I better get going! Still have food shopping to do for the gathering on Christmas day and some last minute gifts! 

I want to leave you with a recipe that Ozzie enjoys and is something you can make and freeze in portions for your pooch. Why shouldn't they get some home cooked meals over the holidays?!

Ozzie's Chicken Meatballs

• Two 16 oz packages of ground chicken
• flat leaf parsley
• turmeric  ( healthy spice that dogs can consume safely)

Chop up parsley and add to meat along with a generous sprinkle of turmeric. 
Make small size balls, little bit smaller than a golf ball.

Get a big pot of water boiling on the stove and drop in meatballs. Should take no longer than 20 minutes to cook through. Remove meatballs to cool. Break up and mix with their favorite kibble.

Store batches in freezer bags for future meals!

Wishing you all a joyous Christmas!

"Isn't Santa suppose to give me cookies on Christmas Eve?!"

Simply Sunday and Grid-Lock Alert!

Oh my goodness there are only 9 more shopping days left and I still have a lot to do! I know that Ozzie could care less about Christmas shopping, he is just looking forward to Christmas day and presents from Santa Paws and Uncle Freddie feeding him under the table!

Speaking of food, Ozzie is rejecting his kibble as of late. For the last several months we have been cooking for him special meals to help supplement his immune system while going through the chemo. His Pop was giving him table scraps on top of it all because he felt bad for the Oz. We have created our own little Frankenstein. He will have nothing to do with his kibble and he barks for organic chicken and steamed veggies and the like. I told him he has to eat his dog food but you know how stubborn bulldogs are!


We went into the city last night to the see the tree at Rockefeller Center and it was the usual madhouse, gridlock alert scenario! The weather was good though, with temps in the 40' so we didn't freeze our tuckus's off. The tree this year is an 80 foot Norway spruce from Flanders, NJ. Though I have seen the Rockefeller tree many times over the years, and it always awes me! It's part of our Christmas tradition and I wouldn't want to miss it for the world!

Not to fail to mention that my heart goes out to the victim's families of the school shooting  in Newtown Ct today. I am sure we all will keep them in our collective prayers over what will be difficult days ahead.


 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you"  (John 14:27).

Simply Sunday and a Visit with Santa

Yup its that time of year when Santa Paws comes to visit the veterinarian's office. Ozzie was there yesterday with his usual casual attitude towards the whole thing. He was more interested in the tray of cookies they had out for the humans than anything else!

Ozzie behaved perfectly when it was his turn to sit with Santa Paws. I think he asked for bullie sticks and a flat screen TV but I am not totally sure. 

The staff was thrilled to see him and all remarked how well he is doing! Our Christmas wish for Ozzie is more quality time with us!

I have to get hopping, there is so much to do this time of year and so little time. I am off to fight the crowds in the mall, wish me luck!


Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

"Again I have to wear this ridiculous collar?! What I do for my humans!"

Simply Sunday and Check up News

This past Friday, Ozzie had his check up to see where we stand with his lymphoma diagnosis. He had completed his five round single drug protocol of chemotherapy that was stretched out over a period of five months. His lymph nodes are back to normal and he is in overall good health. The vet declared Ozzie was in remission and this could last several months or several weeks. When it does return the chemo is not as effective. She told us that Ozzie is a delightful patient and that most bulldogs are difficult to work with but not our Oz. It was a good boy all the time. Dr. D gave us some hopeful information as well, that some dogs live out their normal life span in remission but it is rare. I am praying that Ozzie will be one of those dogs! In the meanwhile we will enjoy him as much as we can! 

Christmas is on it's way and we need to get our lights up outside our house. We are probably one of the last houses without some kind of holiday decor, oh wait do have our scare crow and pumpkins out on the porch, but that's the wrong holiday! 

We will be taking Ozzie to see Santa and have his picture taken with him. I think when Ozzie is asked what he wants for Christmas this year he will probably say "good health and more bully sticks!"


Have a good week ahead all!

Simply Sunday and Countdown to Turkey!

I can't believe that Thanksgiving is almost upon us! The national holiday where we all give thanks for nature's bounty and the family and friends that we share it with! This year may be more dear to those who have had their lives turned upside down (literally) by Hurricane Sandy! We are having the holiday here at Ozzie's house with a good size group of family and friends.

The menu is pretty much predictable, turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes, green beans etc. There are "no bones about it" though that the menu presents some dangers to our pets. Once again the food of the holidays will present perilous situations, and we really have to be on guard!

Turkey bones are a major no-no, they can puncture, scrape or cause blockages to their stomachs/intestinal tracts. The skin from the bird is very high in fat and eating that can lead to pancreatitis  in dogs. Here is a list of 10 things to avoid giving your dog and or cat during this feast of thanks.

So what can we give  our canine pals to enjoy while we are all noshing away on Thanksgiving dinners?! I came upon this recipe from Rachel Ray who regularly whips up cuisine for dogs. It's called "Who are you calling turkey?!" Patty. It can be made from your leftovers and sounds like a winner to me.

As usual keep an eye out for Uncle Fred who is constantly giving hand outs when your back is turned!

To follow are Ozzie's obligatory pictures with the turkey hat! Sorry about this Oz, but your so darn cute in it!

"This totally takes away my dignity! Besides, I hate turkeys! They are big fat stupid birds!"

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Simply Sunday and Saluting Veterans

It's been almost 2 weeks since Sandy has hit the North East and there are still people without power and heat. I think that it turned into such a massive storm that the utility companies were not prepared enough?! I know that I would be really upset if I was still sitting in the dark! Especially Ozzie who wouldn't be able to watch his favorite TV shows..."Dancing with the Stars", "The Dog Whisperer" and "Fox News". Hopefully everyone will back on the grid this coming week! 

Ozzie and I would like to thank all the Veteran's out there who have served, who are still serving and those who made sacrifices beyond what us civilians can imagine. For those who made the ultimate sacrifice, our condolences to them and their families!  

"I was thinking about joining the Marines but somehow my weight was an issue!"