So I’ve been thinking a lot about living life to its fullest and spending quality time with my Yorkies – Artie, Buddy, and Coby (ABC). When it comes to family, which includes my little guys, I don’t want to have any regrets. I want to know that I gave them a life full of love and experiences. There are so many little things that bring ABC joy…which in turn makes me happy.

I’m calling this post “Bucket List for Buddy” because Buddy was recently diagnosed with bladder and kidney stones. Unfortunately, this is not his first case of stones. He’s had two surgeries to remove his bladder stones in the past (October 2017 and January 2018). Now 9 months later, he’s once again been diagnosed with stones.

Dogs can have two different types of stones…one can dissolve and the other can not. Buddy has Calcium Oxalate stones which do not dissolve. They require surgery, or an act of God, to remove. Although it’s a difficult decision, we’ve decided against surgery because his stones come back so quickly. Since his last surgery, we added two medications to his diet to prevent the stones from returning, but those measures were unsuccessful. As his doctor said, “He’s a stone maker”. Some dogs, just like people, are more susceptible to stones (it’s in their DNA). This is the case for our little Bud.

We do not know what comes next for Buddy. On September 9, he will turn 10 years old and Yorkies usually live to 13-16 years of age.  Our concern at this time is his comfort and happiness. Although, as I’m typing I selfishly want it to be about me…I don’t want to lose this happy handsome little guy.

All this brings me to this post “Bucket List for Buddy”. I’ve been thinking about the things that bring him happiness. He is such a loving and sensitive dog, and it doesn’t take much. Dave and I just need to remember to put aside the phone, tv, and other distractions to spend quality time with him and the other two. So here it goes…an ongoing list of things that bring Buddy (and the other two) happiness.

Bucket List for Buddy

1. Morning snuggles – Buddy loves to snuggle in the morning. He seems to have pain first thing. I think it’s because his urine is more concentrated and he’s been holding it all night. To help with that pain, I’m going to try to snuggle (hold) him every morning, even if it’s just a few minutes.
2. Walks – Right now, Buddy still loves to go for walks. Walking three dogs alone has never been easy, so we love it when daddy joins us. If not, I’m making more of an attempt to walk them daily.
3. Petting – Buddy loves attention, more than the other two. He loves when we pet his neck area. In fact, he will flip over in our arms so this is possible.
4. Brushing – Buddy could sit and have me brush him all night. I suppose it’s like a massage for humans. I hope to brush him more often to help him relax and take away any pain.
5. One-on-one attention– When there’s three dogs, it’s hard to share the attention. Luckily, Artie is content with sitting on mine or daddy’s lap. So most of our attention goes to Buddy and Coby – who crave it more. Whether it be by petting, brushing, or cuddling, I intend to give them more attention.
6. Fresh air – All three dogs prefer fresh air over air conditioning! They love it when the storm door is open so they can sit and look out the screened door. They also enjoy being in our sunroom. Therefore, on days when it’s not scorching hot, I leave both doors open.
7. Adventures – All three dogs are love adventures. As long as it doesn’t involve the vet or groomer, they are ready to head out! I’m personally hoping to visit the dog park more. Dave loves to hike and take photographs of wildlife, so he plans to individually take the dogs on trips such as this.
8. Dog park – Our community dog park is just minutes down the street. Now that the weather is cooling off some, I hope to take the dogs more often.
9. More time at home – I’m a busy beaver, so one of my goals is to spend more time at home with the boys. This is especially important for Buddy who needs to drink more water so he will frequently urinate.
10. More outside time – ABC love being outside! Hopefully we can be outside lots before winter. Vitamin D is good for them too!

So here it is…my bucket list for Buddy. As I said, this is an ongoing list so I may add more ideas as time goes on. Lord willing, Buddy will be healthy for some time.