well it's not something to take lightly, you need a very very good farrier. You need a dry lot where his hooves can be kept dry and clear. Call all the vets in the area and ask for farriers to deal with WLD-call the top three. I would proceed with caution but I would proceed.

TCG-I think we see things with the same eyeballs... I am seeking but I want to decide for myself if that makes sense. YOu feel like you're coming from the same place and I feel like I can identify with you... Agreed. I'm delving in a "willing suspension of disbelief"... I'm venturing off my shelf a bit which isn't to say I'm not spiritual which I completely am... and I have read Douglas Adams quite a bit; I have a BA of English Lit I completely want to hear all aspects, whatever people want to tell me. I can sort it, I have different churches to turn to... I have my heart and instincts that I trust... it was a very very genuine question that I hope wasn't too big...

I'm listening with both ears and discussing as we go with my old school Catholic raised husband. Much of what has been said here strikes a chord with him, it's making some sense to me. I come from a bit of a logical blank slate background...but honestly I feel more and more drawn to the church all the time and I feel like I need an answer to that question for me... it opens a door to me but I don't know which door, if that makes sense. I appreciate all the links and I will read them, have several open now. Let me just say too I love the discussion, I've been talking with DH about it all night. I learn from all of it and I'd hate to see the discussion get all squashed if it goes in the ditch but I certainly understand how important it is to people and how unique. I guess I would say that *I* am listening to anyone that cares to give me an answer and giving equal respect to all... I did not mean to start any arguments and I love the depth of the answers...

I think this is probably Christianity 101 but I wasn't raised in a church of any kind and my bible study has been sketchy. I just watched the pilot video and it raised a question that I've always had and never understood. How did Christ dying on the cross SAVE a person? Or me, specifically? I don't understand the nature of the sacrifice... Jesus giving eternal life, giving His life for us... I just do not get it. He gave His life for us.. how? Sorry I hope I don't offend with my ignorance and I'm aware that I could ask the question in a church... but right now tonight I'm asking here.

sounds about right-I was wondering b/c I remembered you had clay soil but when you say you fluffed in horse manure in that area it all makes sense! BTW I told my DH about your potato questions and he said amend the soil and water water water for a big crop! Potato harvest is about to start here-they killed the plants last week.

I assume you still can't water? What I would do, if you can, is bed the whole thing covered in peat moss and then water that whenever you can. Any moisture you can get on it, naturally or otherwise, will help and the peat moss will hold in the moisture as well as shade it from further sunburning and erosion. If you think you might be able to water it and maintain some moisture through the winter you can throw some grass seed on before you put on the peat and let it all fester through the winter. The peat will filter down to the soil by spring and condition the soil and the grass will happily grow up through it-if the peat is real deep just lightly rake it in the spring and start breaking it up so that grass can come through. The grass roots are still alive but they need some protection and any moisture you can give them, even an inch a month with the peat on top will keep it going.

:D

Don't feel bad-I'm one of those that was married by a judge and not in the church. MIL wanted DH and I to attend her very old school Catholic church one Sunday and the priest refused to acknowledge me when we were introduced b/c he told DH that we were living in sin and our son was a bast*rd. He told DH that he had to repent, do a bunch of hail Mary's, move out of our house and live as brother and sister until we could be married by a priest. THAT was a fun day at church! LOL I figured it would go that way but DH was very hurt and we never returned.

This country is a republic, not a democracy. It's a land of laws. There should be a legal marriage for anyone that wants to marry that is performed by a legal entity, Reverant Mother or whomever the law recognizes. For those that want to marry in a religious context there are legal religious figures. I think banning gay marriage is unconstitutional; there's no reason other than bias that it should be illegal. Immoral is up to the individual but there is no reason for it to be illegal.

I find it on cheap fabric also. I also discovered one of our cats has a laundry kneading fetish. She sneaks into clothes whereever she can and just kneads and kneads. She's responsible for a few shredded clothing items here...

OK, I'm sorry I hadn't read your post recently to know where she was at....I was just trying to find it. I would maybe try a towel sling on her chest and her abdomen and when you have her in a likely place, lower the support on her rear end to simulate squatting but hold her very steady, obviously, and give her a lot of time. She may be having to think about how to release. The drugs are clouding her as well. I would cut two holes in a towel to make a chest sling and then use another towel for her back half, use them to manipulate her body to as normal a situation as possible. Take her to her usual pee spots or make her one as I suggested above, with nice soft squishy landscaping materials. The towel sling will give her a more generalized support and give her more of a feel of normalcy. You probably never held her before while she peed and it's hard for them to be touched while they're supposed to go. And the towel slings will save your back! Good luck, I'll keep thinking about it too. You're doing a good job with her, it just takes time and ingenuinity!

To what degree? Are you taking her in a sling or can she stand on her own?

How are you holding her, in a towel sling? In my experience, having to help dogs like this they really don't like having the person so close. I've had to drop the towel sling and step away to give the space/privacy even though the dog sometimes will fall or stumble. If you're using a sling try to ease the pressure on her belly if you can, we've used another sling under the ribcage to offer stability without interfering with their abdomen for a moment while they go. We've had luck taking them to tall grassy areas where they feel more sheltered to pee/poo. We had one dog that liked to lean against a wall to go. So do keep taking her, try to take her when you know she needs to go obviously. She is either wanting to be discreet or she wants to be able to squat. I can't remember if she had injuries to the rest of her body to prevent her squatting? I know she had the head injury.. If you aren't supporting her with a sling definitely do, help her to squat just a little. It's the motion that she wants, it's not necessary but in her mind it is. She wants to feel stable and lower her rear to pee and possibly have some privacy while she does... so anything you can do to help that. Bring the ground to her, if you can pile some landscaping mulch deeply so she doesnt' feel like she has to squat so far, deep sand/soil, grass... take her there with support and help her to stay upright, she may be afraid of falling... ETA if she can hold it until she can't any more she's not incontinent.

I see such a clear difference between my religious beliefs and the laws of the country as they apply to everyone...I can't comprehend legislating your religion onto others. Is it illegal then to go to other religious institutions? Jail for adultery? Gah, how frustrating.

My teen hasn't had a chance to do many stupid things yet but my day is coming. According to my mom, I'm due some headaches. :D He sounds like a great kid and you sound like a great mom. He took a walk on the wild side and found out it's not much fun. Support each other, everyone makes mistakes and teenagers don't always think past what's in front of their faces.

I know several gay people and none of them come from anything but solid happy families. I know a girl whose father is a minister and she had a terrible time of fear and doubt before she finally admitted who she was. Her best friend is my SIL raised very old-school Catholic. SIL had to do a lot of soul searching on how to handle the situation and though I don't know how that went for her I do know they are still friends. I've loved the bravery and sense of self I find in my friends that are gay. I can't think of a reason why it would be a sin and I can't fathom a God that I would worship that would renounce a person for it. ETA I'm not a Christian though I feel drawn toward the church, I'm more spiritual...I love a lot of things about church but these are the things that I can't align in my heart. If I continue my interest in the church I would study the issue wanting to find support for gays in the Bible, not prosecution for them. I just can't see how being gay hurts another... to me, if it were that important, it would have been in the Ten Commandments, not in the Bible... my being very simplistic about it. This isn't in-depth discussion from me but maybe it counts for something because it stops me at the front door of many churches.

Ketosis (to use the term loosely) can cause bad breath, he couldn't have blood sugar problems, could he? Maybe he has tooth problems that aren't apparent, too? Just throwing things out there!

Yes, the Zyflamed has tumeric in it.

Wow, I hadn't heard of Zyflamend before but now I'm very intrigued with it! Where do you get yours? My mom had surgery for two blown discs and now the two above the original blown discs are going out. My brother has a blown disc but has a wonderful PT that keeps him sound.

Absolutely-do the best lower calorie eating plan that works for you and start working out a lot, some good cardio intervals and weight lifting. Then don't fuss too much about the numbers b/c they will do what they do but you will look like a million bucks if you stay on plan until then! Body for Life is a good combined program that I found pretty easy to stick to if you have access to a gym. WW for meals works well, especially with a low carb leaning.

It's hard to let them go! I've been terribly upset when we've sold any of ours, even when I know it's for the best. If it's any consolation I usually feel better when it's all done and not hanging over me. When it's all done would be a better time to appreciate not having the extra expense and work. Maybe slip DH a note and let him know that! My DH would be the same way and occasionally finds himself the target of an emotional overflow. :D

You don't need to exercise to lose weight. Definitely seek out your pain management ideas but weight loss would help as much as anything else, whatever you can manage. ETA I'm in about the same boat, or headed that way. I have a bad back and need to lose weight also; I know from times in the past when I have lost that my back pain, along with a lot of other aches and pains, were greatly diminished. and I also understand that it's hard to make positive measures when you feel horrible. Hang in there!

I've had to temper it today-I woke up to the Today show and the children of victims that I think was mentioned here already. I woke up crying, it blended with a nightmare and I woke to that poor 10 year old boy crying for his dad. good heavens what a way to wake up. But I expect it to be out there-that whole day was played out on media and we had east coast feed on our tv that day though we live in MT-we saw much more than we could even relate to. It was a media event and of course the media outlets have to recognize it. Some of it is on a theme but I understand where the producers are coming from, it's expected. YOu can't NOT acknowledge it. So I know when I tune in that each program is going to recognize it and if I'm ready, I'm ready. I talked with DH on the way home tonight about it and was in tears again, it is so clear and so sharply sad after ten years. One of the girls this morning said about her father, when asked if this day is difficult for her: "he's gone every day so this day is no worse." It's hard for everyone, we all go through stages where we want to see and we don't want to see, want to remember and then we need a break. I do think it's important that it's there for people when they seek it out. There is a lot of solace in shutting off the media and hugging the kids and playing with the dog and doing what grounds you. I know we took a drive tonight in the beautiful fall night and were just glad to be here. Respecting it all.

Looovvvee Tommy Lee Jones.... and Robert Duvall too for that matter. And Danny Glover. OH and Tom Selleck.

my kids are flying on the 13th and it scares me if I think about it too much. But I have faith in God and what may be, and our system that is in place to protect them and us.... it's frightening but when push comes to shove I believe in our country and its ability to protect its people, especially now that we have a heads up.