Today also marks one year since my sweet Paxil joined our family. The very first time I ever drove a dog team, Paxil was my leader.

This picture is of that team. That's me driving with my friend, Trish, in the sled. Paxil and Clarence are up front. Clarence is now at the bridge.

I told her owner at the time that if she never needed a new home, Paxil was mine! Last November 6, Paxil needed a new home. Paxil is a 9.5 years old now. She's adapted very well to being a part time working dog, full time house dog. She does love her spot by the wood stove!


Last January, she developed pancreatitis and became dangerously dehydrated. She spent a week at the vet on an IV and getting some intensive care. She lost so much weight that you could count her ribs from across the room. While she was there, the vet aspirated a lump on her back leg and found that Paxil also had cancer. A grade 2 mast cell tumor, the most unpredictable of the mast cell grades.

Paxil had to wait a couple weeks for surgery to take the tumor out. She was not strong enough to survive the surgery after the pancreatitis. The location made it difficult to get all the cancerous cells and still have enough skin to close the wound. The vet did the very best she could. This was not our usual vet as he was in the process of building his own clinic at the time. I was warned that there was a very strong possiblity that Paxil's tumor would return and her leg may need to be amputated.

Today, Paxil sleeps contentedly by the woodstove with her feline friend, Ivy.

The only sign that she was ever sick is a small patch of fur on her back leg. Right where the tumor was, the fur grew back differently, it's faded looking and the hair swirls in a circle. There is no sign that the mast cell cancer has returned.

Paxil still works on my sled team. She loves to pull. A sure fire way to get her off her doggy bed is to show her a harness. She's not as fast as she once was, but she's a solid, reliable leader who never misses a command and who still enjoys her job. She's full of kisses, she'd lick your face right off she could! She's a happy, healthy, silly mutt!

Happy Gotcha day Princess Paxil!

And just to make today more memorable--Sundin is supposed to be arriving later this afternoon!