Hi guys! It’s me, Rufus! I’ve told you about all my different jobs, but I don’t think I mentioned nurse before. That’s one of my most important jobs, and gosh, have I been busy lately! Mom and everyone else in our house got COVID-19 at the beginning of the month. There are six humans in our house, and they were all sick at the same time! I was the last man standing – it was all riding on me.

I know there are other dogs in the house, three others to be exact, but they aren’t good nurses like me. They’re kind of dumb-dumbs, actually, so I really had to step up my game while everyone was sick. Luckily for us, all the humans have been vaccinated and Maimie, Poppy and Mom have gotten boosters, so they weren’t as sick as they could have been. But it was still nothing to sneeze at. Except there was actually a lot of sneezing. And nose blowing, which I still find very strange. That’s one of the big differences between dogs and humans. But I’m getting off topic.

Mom and Maimie are the ones who seemed to be the sickest, so I made their recovery my top priority. They’re both pretty forgetful on a good day, but holy paws, this thing made them even more forgetful! It’s been like living with goldfish! I’ll admit, there were times I thought that maybe they were beyond the scope of my care. Then I gave myself a good shake, and that thought quickly vanished.

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For Maimie, I made sure to give her lots of kisses and let her pet me as much as she wanted. Poppy doesn’t allow dogs in the bedroom, so my aid to Maimie was limited. But Mom doesn’t have crazy rules like that, and I sleep in bed with her, so I was able to give her extended care. She had a hard time sleeping because she would wake up coughing, so I made sure to snuggle really close to her and let her know I was there if she needed me.

I have found in my experience that when humans pet dogs, it helps them as much as it does us. So I made sure to keep my mom on a strict petting regiment – if her eyes were open, she needed to be petting me. I also made sure she didn’t overexert herself. I didn’t allow her to do any work at her computer, and she was only allowed out of our bedroom for short amounts of time. I even insisted that she eat in our room – I had to keep my eyes on her at all times.

Another important component of her recovery was fresh air. I made sure that we took trips outside as often as she felt up to it. I didn’t make her walk too fast, but I knew it was important to stay out there as long as possible, so I would go about my regular security duties and check my socials (sniffing the yard) while we meandered around. I have a lot of responsibilities, and security is one of the most important. But I’m getting off topic.

At one point, Mom said her heart was racing, and I could smell how worried she was. She laid down on our bed in the ‘play bow’ position, with her head on the bed and her butt in the air. I was so excited when I saw that! I was disappointed in myself for not thinking of the benefits of a little play time first! I started jumping around, doing the play bow too and letting my eyes get a little wild. We love to play! Mom calls it ‘playing puppies’ because she plays with me like she’s a dog! She’s the best ever!! Me getting so playful made her laugh, and I love to hear my mom laugh! That’s how humans let you know they’re happy! And, wouldn’t you know it, she stopped being worried. A little play time is always a good idea!

Mom’s favorite thing to do when she doesn’t feel good is veg out in front of the TV. This is something I’m always down for. I don’t usually watch the TV, mostly I lay next to her and listen. Sometimes I fall asleep, but it doesn’t bother me to lose track of what’s going on on TV; I’m with my mom, so there’s nothing bad that can come from that. Unless we’re in the car on the way to the vet. But I’m getting off topic again.

It took about two weeks for Mom to start feeling better, but she finally did! She’s still more tired than usual, and still has a cough and a leaky nose, but she’s over the worst of it and on the mend. But guys, I’m exhausted! Mom said she’s sick of being sick. I’m sick of her being sick, too! Sheesh!

Well, I’m out of time right now, and it’s a beautiful day outside, so I’m going to try to get Mom back out for some fresh air! I won’t be in next week’s issue; Mom said it’s a special issue for women’s history month, so I’m going to use that opportunity to have a bit of a vacation! I need it!

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Love,

Rufus

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