Debit passes along these updates:
1.
Quick Walter update before I head out to work: he’s doing great. He’s just a happy guy who likes to eat, sleep and get scritches. His mobility seems to be better and (fingers crossed) he’s scratching less at his ear, so hopefully the meds are working. This morning he barked at the back door to be let in from his potty break, a perfectly Walter-ish bark; deep and gruff, just like his namesake.
I’ll try to get some video of him moving so you can tell me if there’s an improvement.
2.
One more bit of news. I was checking out the U of M’s vet clinic physical therapy options and saw they had some clinical trials going on. Walter is scheduled for an evaluation appointment with this one: http://www.vetmed.umn.edu/centers-programs/clinical-investigation-center/current-clinical-trials/steps-study-effectiveness-and-safety-ia-injection-osteoarthritis-dogs on September 15th. If he’s not a good candidate for it, or if he does poorly off the Rimadyl, there is another trial coming up for stem cell injection that allows Rimadyl. Either way, he gets the full medical work up, xrays and evaluation that he would need before he would start the physical therapy anyway.
She sent me those this morning, and I called her around noonish and told her basically that she’s not going to get away with text only updates because I’ll have a damned riot on my hand and poor Anne Laurie and Betty Cracker clean up enough of my damned messes as it is. This showed up a little bit ago.
I can tell you he is walking about 300% better than he was when I got him, and better even than when he left here just the other day.
raven
Go dudes!
Baud
Heh. Squirrel.
Denali
Good Walter.
Bobby Thomson
Squirrel!
Well, that created more value than Cheeto Jesus has all year.
gogol's wife
Walter looks great! He actually broke into a run there at the end.
Hilfy
Thank you, thank you. Water, Ellie and Debit will save our sanity from hypertrumpism.
Old Dan and Little Anne
Good doggie.
Auntie Anne
Yay Walter and Debit! He looks terrific, and is obviously feeling good if he’s reacting to squirrels. Debit, I really appreciate your sharing these updates. Thank you.
skyweaver
Hi, Walter! And Ellie and Debit! Oh, so waving hello from my house! That was great, John. So much better than anything to do with Trump.
Jeffro
OT but I’m sorry – “We will build above AND below sensors…a big, beautiful wall…I’m talking tunnels…and I know Mexico will support this and pay for it, especially after meeting with their wonderful, wonderful president today…we are going to end ‘catch and release’…”
This guy is unbelievable
“And we’re not dropping them right back across the border…great distances not just across the border…”
Cole has it right – “we’ll just drop them in the middle of the ocean” is Trump’s policy, basically.
Jeffro
He’s back in rare form…8 anti-Obama comments already (is Obama running?)
Jeffro
The combination of teleprompter-info (actual numbers and actual names) coupled with Trumpian ranting is starting to cause a crack in the space/stupid/time horizon
Oh and he just called for deporting Clinton.
Baud
@Jeffro: The thread below this one is about Trump’s speech.
Mary G
Walter and Ellie on a walk! And a little friskiness at the end. His coat is looking better every time I see it. Thanks debit and John.
CaseyL
A Walter post! Just what I needed. All’s well with me, but the political news is getting me really down. A Doggie Update makes everything better.
Loved it when Walter broke into a shambling run. Laughed at the “squirrel!” moment.
And this:
…is amazing. Walter might get into a research study! Another adventure!
…also sounds interesting. Didn’t know they’re using stem cell therapy on dogs.
SiubhanDuinne
That video clip is 1,000,000,000,000,000x better than anything coming out of Sessions’ or Giuliani’s or Trump’s goddamn pieholes.
Botsplainer
The old guy looks pretty mobile, given what he’s been through.
Good on Cole, good on debit.
Mnemosyne
Awww. I can already see that wherever Ellie goes is where Walter wants to be, too.
Percysowner
So glad to see how well Walter is doing. He’s a happy dog in a good home. Thanks to both John and Debit for taking care of the old guy.
Joy in FL
Debit,
Thanks so much for the video. I loved seeing those dogs.
Walter’s story is so happy-making : )
SIA
It’s like Ellie and Walter have been best buds all their lives. Thanks for the updates debit. Made my day.
eemom
Can we substitute Walter pix/stories for Trump pix/stories on this blog, the rest of the blogosphere, the entire internet, twitter, teevee, radio, print media and all other forms of communication now existing or hereinafter to be invented, for the rest of eternity, plz? kthxbai
J
Cubs beating Pirates! Go Cubs!
Miss Bianca
Funny – Walter’s huffing and puffing while he walks sounds so much like my Stella. Who is sitting quietly at my feet right now, rather than huffing and panting. And that little shambling run after the squirrel is priceless!
Jean
The whole series on Walter from John’s rescuing him to his new home with Debit has been wonderful to read. My granddaughter even asks about him after I told her the story.
DanR2
Hey, what’re you sniffing? Meh. Hey, what’re you sniffing? SQUIRREL!!!11!
PaulWartenberg2016
SQUIRREL!
We love you Walter.
SgrAstar
Debit, too cute! Ellie and Walter seem perfect together. Thanks for contributing so mightily to the emotional well-being of the Balloon Juice community in these troubled times! :)
stinger
@eemom: Hear, hear!
Love the Squirrel moment! Some day, after one of these therapies works, FSM willing, Walter will be able to go after that squirrel!
Pogonip
Thank you, Debit and Cole!
Mai.naem.mobile
I think Hillary needs to get involved in some animal rescue story to seal the deal with the American people. Also too somebody needs to ask Dumpy Lumpy Trumpy about his illegal model hiring agency. Are American women not good enough for Lumpy Trumpy?
Gbbalto
Debit – thanks so much for giving Walter a happy time after such a long time of neglect. He looks real good!
Sarah, Proud and Tall
I really can’t watch any more of the speech. He’s unhinged.
Thankfully I have the soothing embrace of a vermut on the rocks.
And Walter, who I could not adore more if he were my own doggy.
geg6
LOL!!! Squirrel!
This the remedy for the poison that Trump speech has injected into my system. Horrifying. Just horrifying. Love Walter and Ellie and debit!
planetpundit
Walter! Thx for the update debit and John; I love me all the walter.
Sarah, Proud and Tall
@stinger:
He probably wants to clean its ears and give it snuggles.
Randy P
Love the squirrel moment. It’s great that evolution produced a species whose sole ecological niche is to entertain dogs.
TaMara (HFG)
Squirrel! So awesome. Walter (and Ellie) look great.
Had coffee with friends tonight and they informed me that they just had to put their 16 yr old dog on puppy cannabis. Seems to be working. Welcome to Colorado.
rikyrah
Awe….
good to see you, Walter :)
Miss Bianca
@geg6:
Whether I am far away or near you
If there is SQUIRL
I not hear you.
Miss Bianca
@TaMara (HFG): There’s puppy cannabis? Is it good for joints (not the roll-up kind, the other kind)?
Asking for a (doggie) friend.
rikyrah
Walter M. Kimbrough@HipHopPrez
Speech vs reality: Between 2010-14, 121 Americans killed by released illegal immigrants; in 2015 alone 258 blacks killed by police.
Patrick Thompson
Good video, truly, and not to complain, but, I think we all need one of Walter pooping to one-up Cole’s fecal stills.
Aleta
He really likes having a friend. The sight of them sticking their noses into a patch of flowers together…I feel so much better now.
amk
@Patrick Thompson: Any chance we can get Walter to do it on the orangehead?
Kristine
“Squirrel!” made me laugh out loud.
So happy for Walter. If he can get into a clinical trial that helps him, that would be icing on this big ol’ puppy cake.
Mike E
A squirrel a day helps keep the vet away!
redshirt
He’s a good boy, no doubt about it.
Tissue Thin Pseudonym
@CaseyL: The University of Minnesota’s vet school is fabulous. After the way they took care of Eddie his last several years, starting with actually diagnosing the sore that turned out to be a tumor, I never take my cats anywhere else. They’re more expensive than your corner vet, but they’re worth it, for everything from annual checkups to euthanasia. They’ll do well by Walter.
The people at the Small Animal Hospital are not only great as vets, but they were the only people on the St. Paul campus that understood the concept of tipping back when I delivered pizzas in that area. (University folks all over are notoriously bad tippers.)I love them so much that my will has the Small Animal Hospital getting half of whatever money is left after settling obligations like my mortgage. I love them so much that my favorite character in Becoming Phoebe goes to vet school there.
TaMara (HFG)
@Miss Bianca: I see what you did there.
He’s been in a lot of pain and suddenly terribly anxious because of it. This seems to be helping a lot. Prescribed by the vet. I just told them about WaterGirl’s experience with adequan and they’re going to look into that, too.
Aleta
I may be imagining, but to me there’s something in the expression of his body that reveals the joy of no longer being intensely lonely.
HRA
I am so glad I came back to BJ and saw Walter’s progress and happiness before going to bed.
Thank you Debit and Ellie!
.
trollhattan
Walter! The big lug looks great. Squirrel! Also, too.
Damned at Random
@Aleta: A happy dog is pretty much the purest expression of joy in this world. Cole and Debit should be so proud of what they accomplished with this deserving little soul
dexwood
@Aleta:
I agree. He radiates happiness. Walter has a girlfriend, Walter has a girlfriend.
MomSense
Squirrel!
Debit this makes me so happy. Walter and Ellie look like they’ve always been together.
amk
debit – why can’t you let the boy have his squirrel?
Mnemosyne
Okay, I’ve gotta link to the scene.
Loneoak
I’m nominating Walter for the front of the calendar this year.
laura
@Miss Bianca: high CBD’s, low or no THC.
It’s the pain relieving cannibinoids vs. the mood altering cannibinoids.
LongHairedWeirdo
Thanks for some completely good news. It is appreciated. And *I* appreciate it, too.
Sandia Blanca
The world needs more Walter updates and I am so grateful to Debit and John Cole for providing this one right now.
Booda
Dare I say Walter looks almost jaunty in this video? He’s a cheeky one I can tell. They are both black lab beautiful – my favorite dogs! Walter videos until the election please. I need some way to lower my blood pressure and calm my nerves
Adam L Silverman
Shiny new open thread with music is up!
seaboogie
Any possibility of having a “Your Daily Walter” vid/pic/comment? If we chipped in for MARC maybe?
We need a serious antidote to this election season, and I think Walter and all those good feels are it.
Thanks to debit and John for the Walter pupdate.
Steeplejack
@gogol’s wife:
LOL. I think that was more of a fake “Hold me back!” run. But points for style.
Walter and Ellie seem to have hit it off. I wonder how Walter is doing with the cats.
Manyakitty
That’s a couple of happy pups right there! Thanks for this-it’s clearing out the stink of the day before I try to sleep.
“Give me life, give me love, give me peace on earth” GH
TaMara (HFG)
@Mnemosyne: Yup, that’s what I thought when I saw the video, too.
Run, Lillian!
Walter update! He looks so happy with his new family, out exploring the world. And now I have the warm fuzzies which is such a relief after the cold horror shower that is the Trump show.
Walter updates always always welcome! Thank you John and debit!
Coin operated
+1 on chipping in on the daily Walter updates. I have to enjoy my pets vicariously, and Walter has become something of an obsession ;-)
jenn
Wonderful, thank you! Squirrel!
bluefish
So sweet that Walter has Ellie as his walkies companion. Four legged. Thanks for these.
JR in WV
I don’t know which was more encouraging, the two dogs sticking their heads into the wildflowers to sniff intensely, or the dogs trying to go for the SQUIRREL!!!
wonderful stuff!
Thanks so much John, and Debit, and all the great Vets and Tim the dog trucker, for giving Walter this happy time after his suffering in the foreclosed house.
Aleta
From the front, Walter Matthau. From the back, you could say Walter Brennan.
satby
He’s really bounced back from what he’s been through! Thank you debit, that video was awesome, and Ellie looks like a dear too. The people who rescue senior animals deserve a special place in heaven.
KlareCole
Walter and Ellie were having such a nice time. So easy with each other. Thank you debit & John, & Tim too. Their sweetness was an antidote to the Trump horror show. Updat appreciated.
Jim
Thanks, John. We need this to keep our minds out of the gutter of Presidential politics, and to remind ourselves that there are truly good people in the world (all dogs and cats are good by definition).
arrieve
Thank you.
Walter and Ellie, sittin in a tree
K-I-S-S-
Squirrel!
Exit 135
@Botsplainer:
Walter is more mobile than Cole because Walter did not fall thru a wood floor.
Also any word on the rat bastard who left Walter to die?
Exurban Mom
In my office, we shout “squirrel!” when we remember something completely off topic that interrupts the flow of what we’re doing. Glad to see the old boy getting around better.