Bertie is 12

Today is Bertie's twelfth birthday. He's doing great. Happy Birthday, old boy!

Bertie after surgery

Bertie after surgery
Originally uploaded by miner.

A while ago, we noticed a lump in the loose skin under Bertie's chest. The vet diagnosed it as mast cell tumor, a form of cancer that's common in dogs but rare in humans. On Wednesday, he had surgery to have the mass removed. He had a tough first night home, but he's doing much better now. If you want to see a close up of the staples holding the incision together, click here. The staples are scheduled to come out in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, he's taking a truck load of pills. We're optimistic that he'll make a full recovery.

Sparky

Sparky
Originally uploaded by miner.

Our neighbors got a Jack Russell Terrier puppy for Christmas. His name is Sparky. He's a quick little guy, who enjoys "turbo-ing" around the yard while playing with our big dogs.