Medical Maneuvering

I spoke with my vet today and she was kind enough to advise me without seeing Lucy. Lucy's nose issues remain status quo. She's still reverse sneezing (not as much as when she had pneumonia) and she is now "gakking"...making a noise that sounds like she's trying to cough up a fur ball. This happens when she's excited (about to go on a walk or car ride) or drinking water too quickly and makes me nervous about a possible tumor or polyp in her most prized possession—her schnoz.

I could let it ride, but then if it is a growth or something we can solve now, I'd hate to put it off. Kate (the vet) felt using Revolution 3 times in a month may indicate whether Lucy is suffering from nasal mites. However since Lucy is already taking it once a month, Kate thought this wasn't worth it. She recommended we go in for a consultation regarding a rhinoscopy. She recommended a vet (Sherry Wilson at Acces), but when I called regarding prices they were nearly double the cost at Seattle Veterinary Specialists. I think we'll go the less expensive route. Interestingly enough, when I spoke with someone at SVS, they said the cost could vary from $1100 dollars including consultation, surgery, possible over night stay and lab work. It would be less if all those things aren't necessary. Acces said it was $125 for the consultation, $1200-$1400 for the rhinoscopy—labs and overnights were on top of that. That's a fair chunk of change to throw around when there's a less expensive alternative!

Lucy reminds me of Clem, the dog we had growing up. Although veterinary medicine was pretty simplistic back then, Clem spent a lot of time there. He was always suffering from something. I guess dogs are no different than people. Some are just put together using better parts.

Hannah and Molly

Since I showed Lucy with her buddy, Suki, I thought I'd show some of Lucy's other dog friends. Hopefully I'll remember to take a picture of all of them. Although Lucy is well-known for her anger management issues, that doesn't mean she doesn't have friends. Probably her best and oldest friend is Hannah.

Hannah, like Lucy is a mutt. We think Catahoula cross. Hannah is a great communicator. (Hannah should run for President!) When Lucy was a puppy and very bouncy, Hannah just gave her a little lip curl to let her know to settle down. If Lucy didn't get the hint, Hannah might have given a growl and a nip, but nothing beyond that. Lucy has always trusted her. Hannah is 13 going on 14, and although she can no longer mountain bike and her walks are shorter and slower, she is still very enthusiastic and eager. She looks a lot smaller in this picture than she actually is. Hannah probably weighs in the mid to high 40s; Lucy is somewhere in the 52 to 55 pound range.


If Lucy meets a dog as a puppy, they become fast friends. Here's her "cousin" Molly. Molly is a purebred Australian Shepard and just shy of a year old. Molly now weighs probably as much as Hannah and is full of energy. She's being held by her owner so we could capture a picture. Molly is going to be a very sweet dog. When I've walked the two of them together, people ask if Lucy is the mother.

Lucy behaves around puppies like Hannah did with her. Luce is very tolerant of puppy energy—up to a point! First she'll give a slightly high-pitched, back of the throat noise. If the puppy persists, there's a little lip action, perhaps a growl and at the very end of tolerance, a nip. She has never attacked a puppy.

Suki

One of Lucy's buddies (I mentioned her here) isn't doing well. She looks good, but her owner said life is really limited. (This old picture from 2004 of the two buddies makes them look possessed. I think they were; I must have been holding a treat for them.) Suki can only walk about a 3-house distance and then it's tough to return. Sometimes she gets "stuck" in corners and can't figure out how to get out. She has had arthritis for years and it has gotten worse and is certainly affecting her abilities, but more likely we think it's her brain tumor. She taking phenobarbital for her seizures and the amount has been upped. Her owner asked me how we knew when to put Suzy (our first dog) to sleep. What a tough situation to be in!

With Suzy, we knew. Her back end became paralyzed and at that time we weren't aware (or they may not have existed then) of carts. Plus at 18, she was deaf and nearly blind; she slept most of the day. When she lost her ability to walk, at that age, what are the choices? The vet said he could give her steroids, but they'd only work for a couple of days. That wasn't a life. I will forever second guess my decision, but deep down, I know it was kindest thing to do for my beloved dog.

So that was what I told my friend. "You will know." We dog owners are all blessed with a period of time where we can prep ourselves for the inevitable, but of course, we're never prepared enough. The loss is devastating because there is no love like the love from a dog. My heart breaks for them as the deal with their pup's decline...

Precious...as in Expensive

We realized that Lucy, for all her winning traits, is one expensive hound dog. What with her bum front right leg—arthritis? bone injury?—and now her nose, she is a vet's best friend. I sent an email to our vet this morning. I saw no need to come in at this point, though she may be able to run more tests if she deems it reasonable. But the drug regime, (chlorpeniramine 4mg/3 X day) — although lessening the reverse sneezing and coughing, has not eliminated it. Never having had sinus allergies, I am unaware if drugs do eliminate all symptoms. Perhaps I'm just being a worry-wart.

I spoke to a receptionist for internal medicine vets this morning and she explained what a rhinoscopy involved. Putting Lucy out, running a camera up her snout, looking for growths and taking a biopsy. She said sometimes dogs suffer a bloody nose afterwards which would require an overnight and perhaps medication. If it was a tumor, then we decide how to deal with it depending on if it is malignant or benign. Ei! Ei! Ei! Our poor puppy...

9.1 Miles

Yesterday was beautiful—one of those gorgeous, sunny, fall days. Perfect for a bike ride! We decided to take Lucy mountain biking since it had been a couple of weeks since she'd had the opportunity.

There is a place close by that we visit frequently when time is limited. Although we expected crowds, we had the trails to ourselves. The trails are great, convoluted, ever-changing. It seems every time we go, we find a new route or two. Even though the area isn't new to us, there are so many trails, that getting lost is part of the ride. Yesterday was no different although this time we had Lucy with us.

We had ridden with her 6 miles on vacation, so I was thinking that was a good length to do again. It's been about15 months since her back surgery and she's strong, but older and I didn't want to push her abilities. However, in our exploration of some new trails we found, our directional sensibilities got turned around. Ha! Our direction? I can't enter those woods without getting totally confused! In this case, my husband must take the full blame. (In his defense, he always gets us out, no matter where we go.)

So what would have maybe been 6 miles, ended up a third longer. Plus, the riding was more difficult. After 3 weeks of biking in a dry environment, it was startling to be back in the wet, slippery Northwest. I had to concentrate more on the actual riding so that the slippery roots and slick mud didn't throw me. There wasn't anything we could do when we realized we were lost, but keep riding. Three additional miles, doesn't sound like much, but mountain biking can be a full body workout. Sitting here this morning writing this, I can feel those parts I worked!

When we finally made it back to the van, we were all pooped. Happy, but pooped. Lucy got in (with some help) and conked out. She didn't budge until we pulled into the driveway. I can tell today will be a 'slow' day for her.

A Sad Recipient

Our neighbors lost their dog recently–lost, as in they had to put her asleep. If one of the owners wasn't a vet tech, their dog wouldn't have made it as long as she did. She had many health issues, but was a wonderful hound and lived a long, well-loved life.

We hadn't seen them much since this sad occurrence, but I ran into them yesterday while I was returning home from walking Lucy. They asked if I needed any dog supplies: boots, water bottle, biscuits, food, teeth cleaning supplies... I had such mixed feelings accepting their largess, though I recall going through the same thing when our first dog died. I wanted someone I knew who loved their dog to have my dog's things.

So with a sad heart, we took them. And thanked them. How kind; how sad. Lucy loves the biscuits. Although Lucy and their dog didn't get along (both lean towards the alpha side of life), I'm sure Rainy is happy her things are staying in the 'hood.

Vacation

It's been over a month since I've written. All good things have happened.

1. Lucy's hearing came back in her one ear, so that must have been due to congestion from the pneumonia.
2. Her pneumonia is gone. In the beginning of a 3-week camping trip, she ran out of drugs and we had to connect our vet at home with a vet in Boise, ID to get more medication to see her through. At the end of the trip, I took her back into the vet for a chest x-ray which showed healed and healthy lungs.
3. Over the span of the vacation, Lucy did a lot of running. Probably no more than 7 miles at any one time, but she ran with vigor and had no shakes at the end. Hats off to Dr. Sanders and his team for their excellent work. Lucy was full of energy (despite recouping from pneumonia) and was always eager for a mountain bike ride.

The picture is taken in Oregon at Paulina Peak in the Newberry Crater. The drop off is thousands of feet. Look how happy she is! Dirty, but very, very happy.

When we got home, her reverse sneezing returned and intensified. It had been almost completely gone. The vet, during a phone consultation, thought it could be allergies. Of course, there was also the scary possibility of cancer, or another possibility: nose mites. (What a juicy nose to have bombarded by mites!) She suggested I try Lucy on an over-the-counter antihistamine: chlopheniramine (4 mg/3X day). She said if it wasn't better by Monday, to let them know and they'd refer me to a "rhino" specialist. I'm happy to report, Lucy is doing much better. Little did we know what a "precious" girl we have!

Deafness

Can any more happen to my girl? I hope not, unless it is getting healthy, healthy, healthy!

We took an extended weekend trip to south central Oregon, in the middle of nowhere where heat is the king...or is it deer flies?...or mosquitoes? Surprising, considering the conditions, it is an amazing area. We were in Paisley on Summer Lake which during the summer is dry. Nearby are natural hot springs, petroglyphs, bat caves, ice caves, big holes in the ground, birding, hiking, and mountain biking. I'm sure there is even more, but the heat prevented anything but a minimum of exploration or movement. The meteor showers weren't that spectacular, but sitting outside in a natural hot spring adds to the event, so one could hardly complain.

In the above picture taken at the cabin we stayed at in Paisley, Lucy looks alert and as if she can hear me. I doubt it. She was so sick there, or maybe it was just the unbearable heat, but she slept for nearly two days. On the way home, we stopped to do a quick ride around Timothy Lake near Mt. Hood. Lucy stayed in the van which parked under an umbrella of trees. When we returned from our ride, I let her out to join us for a swim in the lake.

It was then we realized Lucy had lost hearing in her other ear. There was no head shaking, no scratching, no tilting of the head, just plain no hearing. I felt like the bad dog owner with an ill-trained pooch. She would walk off and I'd call and she didn't respond.

I wasn't sure if the antibiotics she's taking for pneumonia could have caused the hearing loss, but when I spoke with the vet, she said no. She wanted Lucy back in, but what would they do? We'd just incurred huge vet expenses and I wasn't eager for more if they weren't absolutely necessary. She (Lucy) gave no sign of discomfort. By the time she was home, her energy and appetite were back, she's on two different wide-spectrum antibiotics—wouldn't they take care of any infection? The vet said probably, but told me to bring her in if anything in her demeanor changed.

We're using hand signals to communicate with her. Thank heavens she's been trained on them since a puppy. We just have to make sure she's looking our way. And once again, it reinforces the necessity for always having her on a leash. If it is an infection, the antibiotics should take care of it and her hearing will return. If it isn't...well, we'll have to work diligently at keeping her world interesting, stimulating and safe!

Antibiotics

Lucy is on two antibiotics: Clindamycin (150mg) and Baytril (86mg). Baytril is ridiculously expensive, but the combination of the two (or at least one of them!) is working as she seems more alert. She still isn't drinking, but after taking her in yet again, the vet thought she seemed hydrated enough.

We're supposed to visit friends in southern Oregon—almost to the California border and in the middle of nowhere. It makes me anxious to take a sick dog out in the toolies, but this is one of those spousal issues that I'm losing.

I switched to beef stock today to see if that will elicit more response, but it doesn't do the trick either. Why is she not drinking? What is it about the drugs or illness that makes her avoid water?

In mid-August, the vet wanted me to come in for another xray. Is it worth it at the price if she's feeling better? I'm going to ask several different sources.

Canine Pneumonia!

Unbelievable! As if this old girl hasn't had enough to deal with this past year, she now has pneumonia. The diagnosis has been a long time coming. The first clue something was amiss came mid-May when she started reverse sneezing. This is an odd phenomena (to me) as it sounds nothing like a sneeze, but rather a huge gathering or gasping of breath. It happened infrequently, but ongoing over a couple of months. Finally around the end of June, it was occurring regularly enough to warrant a vet visit.

When I brought her in the verdict was indecisive. Since Lucy's appetite and energy seemed okay, the vet put it down to (perhaps) an allergy. For a couple of days running, Lucy had a mucus-y nose and eyes. I mean goopy, like a child with a bad cold, but this vanished too along with the sneeze. By the end of July, I figured whatever was blooming and bothering her should be over its cycle and indeed, the reverse sneezing was diminishing.

Then came dry hacking. She sounded like a cat coughing up a fur ball. This time I called and spoke with the vet (a substitute), but she didn't seem very concerned. I was uncertain whether to push or not. After all, Lucy just had the surgery a year ago. Did I want to put her through tests for something we had no clue about? Not to mention, the possibly unnecessary expense... The vet told me to give it a couple of weeks. Here it is summer, so Lucy's shedding a lot. She has two little cuts on her that she's been tending by licking. So couldn't she be gagging on her fur?

Then the beginning of this week, her energy plummeted. Her dry hacks turned into wet, deep chest coughing. She tried to stand up and was so unsteady, I didn't know if she could do it. This time I rushed her in and the vet (another sub), on taking her temperature (102.5), decided to do a chest xray and take blood. She said I should take her temp again that night and if it topped 104 to take her to the emergency vet. Well, before bed her temp was 103.7. Our neighbor is a vet tech and I asked her if this constituted an emergency. She said if Lucy was breathing okay, to wait as that was high, but within range. We kept her in the basement (always cool), with ice packs and a cool, wet towel. We slept there too. I didn't sleep, of course, as I was listening to her every sound. By morning her temp was down to 103.

The blood test came back the following day. I don't know much about white blood counts or how they are measured, but Lucy's last white blood cell count was 8,000. This one was 16,000! The vet said this was only slightly out of normal range (which I guess goes to 15,000), but because it was double her normal, it was cause for concern. I brought Lucy back in and they gave her two different shots of antibiotics.

The xray needed to be sent out, but the vet showed it to us and Lucy's left lung (looking at the xray) was milky at the top. Their main radiologist was on vacation, so they had to send it to a sub. The sub went on vacation also, but took the xray with him. (Huh?) They couldn't reach him so wanted me to come in for another set that could be sent out to a third radiologist. Meanwhile, I'd brought Lucy back in for more antibiotic shots and they sent me home with Clindamycin and Baytril thinking these would "get" most bacterial pneumonia. Her temp was back in normal range.

Well, the long and short of it is they finally reached the vacationing radiologist and he said it was pneumonia. They are treating it as bacterial and if Lucy doesn't respond to the antibiotics, then she'll need a throat culture. After her shots and the orals, she is a bit more perky. I wouldn't come close to saying she's normal. Even though she's sleeping most of the time, when she is awake, she seems more alert.

The issue now is getting her healthy and keeping her hydrated. She's to be on antibiotics for 2-3 weeks and then they'll do another xray. For whatever reason, Lucy who normally drinks a couple bowls of water a day, is not even touching it—and it's hot and humid here. I'm drowning her food in 1 1/2 cups of water laced with low-sodium chicken stock. At a minimum, she's ingesting 3 cups a day. Now to get just a little more down her...

House Guests

My brother-in-law was in town for a week and we all had a ball—including Lucy! She was never alone, which is her favorite way to be, and she followed him around as if he was her one-and-only. When he went downstairs, she followed. When he was on the deck, so was she. Here he is reading at the front counter and look who is close by!

The Bath

Soap and water...














Scrubbing behind the ears feels pretty good...

















Torture is almost over...




















The big shake...
















Ah-h-h!!!

Harts Pass and a celebration

We stayed at Harts Pass over the fourth and it was wonderful! No firecrackers; lots of peace and quiet. The drive up wasn't nearly as terrifying as when I'd done it years ago with a stick shift. This time I was the passenger while my husband drove and for being a holiday weekend, the traffic was surprisingly light.

There was still plenty of snow around, but the wild flowers were extraordinary. Gorgeous! We found a little spot besides a babbling brook at which to camp and stayed there a couple of nights. Unfortunately, I forgot the camera.

The day before we rode a couple different trails down in the valley: Goat Wall and the Methow River—the latter being the superior ride. Lucy did all of Goat Wall and a bit of the Methow. We figure she logged at last 8 miles and was fine. Tired yes, but no shaking. It's been one year since her surgery.

Had I thought this out a year ago, I wouldn't have been so panicky about her recovery. If a human had gone through the same process, it probably would have taken a similar amount of time. Her back right leg remains wobbly with an odd gait, but that didn't affect her ability to run and enjoy.

Both nights at the camp spot a doe came into camp to graze. She was alert, but unafraid, and came within 10 feet of us. Luckily, Lucy was asleep in the van!

We gave Lucy a day off while we did a ride on the pass to some old mines. It was interesting to see, but the elevation gain and loss at the altitude made it a difficult ride for me. One of the mines had several collapsed buildings around the site, one of which was definitely a house.

The last day there we went on a four mile hike along the ridge on the Pacific Crest Trail. Lucy was more than ready. She was ahead and eager. Snow! Marmots! Freedom! What more could a dog ask for? I'm sure she added a mile to her walk. The weather was spectacular and the views into several valleys and across to many peaks, awesome.

I wrote a short email to Dr. Sanders to thank him again for the great job he did on Luce.

Fireworks

Lucy's hearing is diminished. One ear slumbers, while the other struggles to take up the slack. I was hoping that might help with July 4th, but preliminary bangs, particularly the deep basso profundo explosions, are heard.

I awoke last night to hear her excessively panting and got up to see if she was alright. She was curled up in our (walk in) shower. Poor girl. I hope we get into the mountains away from Friday's excessive display. (Personally I love fireworks, but her misery supersedes any visual desire on my part.)

Nuthin' 'bout nuthin'

Not much has happened. Life goes on as life goes on. Two walks a day with a random longer walk thrown in for good measure. Our weather is warming—finally!—so we're spending more of our evenings on the deck. Lucy's past fear of firecrackers has subsided for the time being (I dread the start up for her sake), so she wants to be on the deck with us. It's wonderful. She gargoyles; I'll try to capture a picture. She lies at the edge and hangs her head over to survey her kingdom. Very cute. But when the firecrackers start up, she hides in the basement and doesn't join us for the rest of the summer. This will be the one benefit of her slow hearing loss—she won't mind this firecracker season any longer. She still hears out of one ear, so this summer still might be frightening for her.

We started re-finishing the deck railings yesterday. We removed all the horizontal 2X's for stripping and restaining at a later date. The uprights and main rail were stripped yesterday. Because I'm so terrified of heights, the deck is a little unsettling for me as there are no guard rails. I wouldn't let Lucy out there. I don't want her to lie at the edge and then slip when she gets up. Her feet aren't as "grip-y" anymore and they occasionally slip out from under her. I don't want to go there. She was a bit miffed as we were working out there but she could only keep us in sight by lying by the screen door. It's a dog's life. She would have added to the confusion of electrical cords, hose, tools, belt sander, flower pots, deck furniture and us tripping over each other.

Dogs, dogs and more dogs

Life has been really busy. Lots of dogs. We had two different visits from Molly. Here's a picture of the young girl after a bath. Walking with her and Lucy elicited many comments from people: Is that her (Lucy's) puppy? Are they related? They look like two bookends!

Lucy initiated some play with Molly, but usually it was the other way around. Lucy would stand still while Molly ran around her. Periodically Lucy would lunge and Molly thought that was fantastic. Lucy was very tolerant of the puppy antics. There was, however, a fair amount of consistent warning growls which Molly chose to ignore for the most part. Molly would nip at Lucy's lips, her tail, jump in her face, run at her while Lucy was sleeping... It wasn't until Lucy nipped that Molly understood she'd overstepped her bounds.

Molly wasn't completely housebroken at the time she was with us, so we had to watch her carefully. Two mishaps occurred and that ended her freedom. Luckily she seemed happy with access from the kitchen to the yard.

As soon as Molly left, Suki came. We were supposed to have her for two weeks, but the other folks caring for her were nice enough to keep her another week for a total of three. This greatly alleviated the stress between the two dogs. As it was, Suki's owners came home early, so she was with us only five days.

Suki chose to pee in the basement in the same area Molly did. I don't know if it was the smell (though the spot had been thoroughly cleaned), the fallout from being without her 'pack' and moved between homes, her brain tumor, the meds she must take, or all of the above. I couldn't shame her, but that also ended her access. It was funny, because she has never wanted to go downstairs into the basement before and she was all over it when she first arrived. When I allowed her down, I realized something was up and went down to check. Of course, that's when I caught her in the act!

Now, being down to one dog, I can say the dog sitting wasn't as difficult as I anticipated, but reality says it wasn't a cake walk either. The puppy had to be monitored constantly. What was in her mouth? (Like a toddler, everything was ingested.) What was she up to, was she bothering Lucy, where was she? And with Suki, because of her slowing down, it was easier to take the dogs on separate walks, so I'd walk one then the other twice a day. It wasn't bothersome, but it was time consuming. Lucy walks way too quickly for Suki, and Suki is way too slow for Lucy. It was easier to let Suki amble and sniff on her own.

Luckily the carpets were cleaned yesterday, so the house is sparkling. It feels good to just be one-dogged!

It's been a month!

Lots has been going on, yet it's still part of the same-old, same-old. Our weather has changed and the ski areas finally closed on Cinco de Mayo. Unbelievable! Much of my free time has been prepping the gardens for the change of season, planting annuals and perennials, babying vegetable starts, weeding, edging, slug patrol. Lucy loves this time of year. She patiently sleeps her way around the yard finding the sunniest or shadiest spot depending on her needs.

We baby sat an Aussie puppy recently and will be doing so again. I promise pictures of Molly and Lucy together. So cute! Many people asked if Molly was Lucy's baby—their coloring is so similar. The puppy is not quite house-trained, but close, but oh the energy! I think we did a pretty good job of tiring her out, but she'd always rise to the occasion. Lucy was quite sweet to her and although she did instigate some play with the puppy, she didn't actually play with her. It was more tolerant engagement.

The puppy arrives for a long weekend mid-May and then the first two weeks of June, we have Suki. After that stint I think I'm putting a ban on dog-sitting. Lots of dogs come here, Lucy goes with us. It's not that I need the reciprocity, but the dogs that arrive require a lot of attention or care and I'm the caregiver. Suki is older and cannot walk very far and now is on meds for her brain tumor and is incontinent. That, my friends, is a lot of work.

Minty Fresh Breath

Here she is after a first inaugural brush. Yum! Love that poultry flavor!

Lucy had her teeth cleaned and she now has wonderfully normal breath. It wasn't bad before, but it was starting to get a little gamey. They also clipped her nails while she was under. I'd been given a gift certificate to a local grooming shop and the owner must have been a bit brutal when she clipped Lucy's nails. Since then, Lucy has not been interested in me doing it. Lots of flinching and pulling away has required me to work the bribery trick: clip one, small treat, clip another, another treat.

The vet tech did a wonderfully gentle but persuasive guilt trip on me regarding tooth brushing. And at the cost, it didn't take a lot of convincing.

Her recovery from the anesthetic was tough on her. I don't know that she was paranoid, but it certainly came across as that. She couldn't lay down for more than a minute when she was up and pacing, whining. Ears up and alert, wide eyes, frantic movements, in and out of the dog door. After about four hours, she was more settled...particularly as we were both in the same room with her. Another reason to brush. If I can hold off a little longer on the cleaning, then she won't have to go through that again.

The vet also said she was getting a bit porky. I noticed that too and so did a friend. Prior to her back surgery, she'd become so skinny (47#) that I was concerned, so started feeding her a little more. Now she's up to 58#! The vet said 50#, but I think I'll back her down to 55# where she's been for all her adult years. Here's an interesting article on figuring out if your dog is too heavy. There's also a link within it to a forum discussion on treats.

Good Health

Lucy went in the other day for her annual and the report back is she is A-OK. Gotta like that! The vet recommended she went on joint supplements as a mature dog preventative. I need to check out costs and brands, but I guess it's no different than me taking Vitamin D for bone strength. She also mentioned Lucy has some knotted muscles along her back and should go in for massage or acupuncture. I've called a couple of doggie massage therapists and have not heard back. Humph.

Great Day for a Walk and Moles

I walked Lucy along the Green River Trail today. I had an early morning meeting and was unable to take her on a morning ramble. Using the excuse of exemplary weather this afternoon, I played hooky and took off. It is the same place where she landed in the brambles back in February.

I didn't let her off her leash, but she didn't even look in that direction. Did she remember the bad experience or was there nothing good happening? I'll never know and she'll never tell. Being that she's going deaf in the ear facing that direction, it could also be that she isn't hearing anything either.

We did see one neat thing though. We saw a mole hill being made. Now that caught her attention! A mound of earth was burbling and erupting from the ground. She pounced on either side of it and immediately it went still. No dirt ascending. She stared, she sniffed, she backed off and returned, but the mole was no fool. I wish I'd gone a bit beyond it and kept watching to see how long before he began again.

By the end of the walk (warm enough to remove my jacket), Lucy's tongue was hanging long. And long she did...every time we came to a path down to the river, she'd start towards it. I kept her moving as it's an industrial river and the path was muddy and steep. I didn't want her getting dirty from the trail, the mucky water's edge or ingesting something disagreeable. After changing her latest dog food 10 days ago, her intestinal tract is just now getting back to normal. No need to disrupt it!

Seizures

Not much has been going on since our return. It's typical spring weather oscillating between sunny, almost warm days and windy, rainy, cold days. When the weather is nice, we (Lucy and I) go out to inspect the gardens so she can get a nice warm nap in the grass.

One of her dog buddies (the one in the foreground) who we do a lot of dog sitting with, just had a seizure. The owners said it was quite terrifying and those of you who have been through this with a pet will concur. Not only did she start shaking, but had bloody frothing from her mouth. They took her to the vet and she ended up being just fine, but they wanted to warn me in case it happened while we were caring for her. Chances are it may not happen again; I just wonder why it did in the first place. I guess that's something we'll never know.

Lucy in Death Valley

We saw all the weather we wanted (or didn't want) on this trip: rain, sleet, snow and sun, though we could have done with more of the latter. On the valley floor it was spectacular. Days were in the 70s and nights, 30s. Perfect! Because of the recent rains and season, the valley floor was a carpet of yellow from a particular flowering plant. Though there were some other blooming plants, this one was prolific.

Lucy didn't bike with us in the valley, though we did take her on some hikes. The rocks were too jagged for her feet and she limped frequently and though eager to go, seemed miserable once on route. The only riding we did with her was at Aquereberry Point on the high (6000+') west side of the park. She did nearly 4 miles and held up well. It was chilly at this elevation and that kept her spunky.

Most nights were in the 30s making for great sleeping—most of the time. Some nights, however, had I been awake enough to get up and put on socks, I would have actually slept. As it was on those nights, I was in that queasy state of not quite asleep or awake. Lucy, on the other hand, has her own comforter and loves it. If we stayed outside past what she considered her bedtime, she'd sit facing the van door until we'd let her in. Once inside, she'd just snuggle into her quilt.

Here she is in the snow off the road leaving the park (Death Valley Road). Tell me she doesn't look like a happy girl! We used her ramp for van egress and access. I felt the jumping out would be too hard for her million dollar back and I know it is jarring for her tender front right ankle.

Like our fall trip last year to Bend, OR when we noticed her hearing failing, it seems this trip completed it for her right ear. If she is sleeping on her left side, she hears nothing. The clank of her food bowl no longer rouses her and that makes us sad. For her, as long as we keep her engaged and let her know where we are, I think she'll be fine. DH is upset about her hearing, but I remind him it is a part of aging and Lucy is closing in on "senior citizen" status in human years. From what I've read, her human age equivalency is anywhere between mid-50s to mid 70s. Her sense of humor is still present as is her eagerness for adventure. We will just need to be more mindful of getting her attention to summon her and making sure she is comfortable and feels secure.

Hoping for sun & warmth

We're heading to Death Valley this weekend. The van is packed and waiting just prior to departure for fresh food and dog paraphenalia. We decided February was the time to go when we were in need of warm sun and Death Valley was not going to fry us.

Lucy knows something is up. On each trip to the van, she faithfully follows us suspicious that something is up and she'd better be included in it. She is...or will be.

We'll play our way down the coast and will take 395 into the north end of the valley. In last night's weather watch, we saw that the Sierra's will be seeing days of snow at the time we hit. Donner Pass anyone? We're bringing the warm comforter and another sleeping bag just in case. Lucy has her own down comforter to snuggle up in.

She Does It!

We took Lucy mountain biking. We debated whether to do it after the scare in November (see entry Improvement and Fear), but decided to take the chance committing to keeping her always in sight. Four and half miles! What a girl! And she was still pumped to go. This is the longest run she's done in a year, so we didn't want to push her despite her enthusiasm. She stayed close, so may have remembered from her last fright to keep us in sight too! At the end of the ride, she had only the merest shaking in her legs.

On our way home, we stopped at L&P's and Lucy was still chomping at the bit for more running. It must feel so good for her. I'm glad we chose to do it and I'm thrilled she did so well.

Tale of a Negligent Owner

I took Lucy on a walk yesterday along a river. The day was grey and chilly with only an occasional cyclist sharing the trail. I decided to try Lucy off leash to watch her gait from a distance. She's been tripping regularly and when I'm at the end of the leash, I don't seem to be able to discern what's happening. Interesting outcome. With only a few initial trips, she kept a steady, trip-less pace. It was remarkable and encouraging. However, the question remains, why does she trip while walking on a leash? Is it the speed—too slow on a leash? Is it that she knows the route and smells and is just careless? I need so explore this more, but an not sure how because of what happened.

The side of the trail descends a steep hill of blackberries leading to the river. I was initially concerned she might see a rabbit or cat or mouse and take off after it, but she maintained a respectful distance from the brambles. She never got too far ahead and periodically looked back to see where I was. When I saw a biker in the distance, I called her back to me and put her in a heel. What a good hound!

Ah, but then... On the way back, nearly to the car, it happened. I don't know what she saw, but she leapt and disappeared into the blackberries. I didn't hear any crashing and started running, concerned she was tangled.

Worse.

She was laying, twisted in the brambles. The front half was on her belly, but her (tender, expensive) back half was twisted, belly exposed. Luckily she wasn't struggling, but the last thing she needs is to damage an already vulnerable back. I climbed down through the brambles and was able to lift her chest, letting her back fall into line. I headed her up the hill, but the walking was tough: steep, deep in brambles and painfull to walk on. I got her front paw on safe ground and helped her back end up, placing her back feet on my knees, hands, feet—anything I could get under her. She was quite shaken—and shaking—when she was back on the pavement.

I felt all along her back and legs to see if I could discover anything out of line and didn't. Although my vet isn't big on aspirin, I did give her a buffered baby aspirin when we got home and another this morning. She has been doing a lot of stretching, so she did tweak something. I'll keep her on aspirin for a couple of days and take her on short, mild walks.

And I won't let her off leash again in that kind of environment. She operates from her nose and I know that. She doesn't think about circumstances and I know that. She's losing her hearing and I know that. What kind of owner am I? My poor girl.

Busted!

Oh how I wish I had had a camera in hand! A picture would be a perfect piece of evidence. Lucy is so busted!

Our dogs have never been allowed on the furniture—no chairs, no couches, no beds. I am allergic to dogs. Though I cannot live without them, I do need to guard their access to shared things, so furniture has been off limits. Now on occasion there has been evidence Lucy was on the bed in the basement. It took me an embarrassingly long time to discover this. I'd pass by it on my way to my car and notice the spread was just a tad rumpled and would straighten it out. Yet it took me three or four straightenings to realize a bed does not rumple itself and on closer inspection what was this dirt doing on the bed?

We discovered a mouse trap was a great deterrent to digging in the garden or getting on furniture. Snapping that little device in front of her was the only signal she needed. Just seeing said scary device was enough to dissuade her. So up the mousetrap went on the bed for a week or so and the problem was solved.

Enter "the couch." The last two times I've returned from work, she has been sleeping on the basement couch. Not just sleeping either, but totally passed out. The first time I thought (well actually, I knew) she had just slipped off and onto her bed on the floor. But today there was no stealth. I opened the basement door and entered the room before she picked her head and blinked, "Huh?" Oh my! BUSTED! One quick burst of "LUCY!" and she was back on her bed.

Now I could place the mouse trap on the couch. I should place the mouse trap on the couch. I will place the mouse trap on the couch, but not yet. She's an old girl. She trips and stumbles. The couch is comfortable on her old bones. And oh! Am I a sucker for her fuzzy face! She was cute and so sound asleep. How could I be truly mad. But I must stop this behavior...soon...

Neighborhood Alert System

We're slowly but surely growing our neighborhood alert system for dog walkers. Owner's phone number, email address, dog name and description have been disseminated. Most of our alerts are via email, though there are still some folks where the alert is word-of-mouth while passing them on a walk. Hopefully we can "grow" the list and increase our clout when it comes to dealing with bad owners, aggressive dogs and Animal Control.

We're using it for protection mostly. After the last two mastiff attacks, it really went into full swing alerting not only where the attack happened and the description of the offending dog, but what local animal control was doing about the situation. It really ignited us and with several calls in to AC, we got good results—the dog was removed.

Today the alert system was put into another good use. One of the local walkers was stopped by someone driving the neighborhood looking for their dog. They were in town visiting and their dog slipped his collar getting loose. The alert went out to everyone notifying them of the dog and the owner's phone number. Unfortunately, the walker who was stopped wasn't given the dog's name! Hopefully, the dog is friendly and found and returned.

Back & baths

I've been out of town for the past five days. I had a wonderful break in Corpus Christi where the extended family met to celebrate my nephews "winging"—military parlance for becoming a pilot. It wasn't a vacation as much as a gathering with all the aspects of family get togethers. Aborted conversations, waiting for the masses to assemble in order to do something, inside jokes, lots of hugs. Luckily my nephew and his wife have a beautiful young German Shepard, Daisy, so we weren't dogless.

The weather was a real break from what we get this time of year in the northwest. We stepped off the plane to warm and sunny. Ah-h-h! You could tell which of the family members weren't from Texas/Arizona...the minute we were outside we turned and faced the sun. Magnets. Amazing. The warmth!

Lucy was staying with our friends and because I lucked out and was able to get an early plane connection home, she was not here when I arrived. What a joy to see her when they brought her home. It was definitely a mutual admiration society gathering. She had a great time with them; they took her to work everyday leaving their dog at home. (Lucy has been known to jump their fence and although I think her legs aren't up to it anymore, you never know.) She also got to go on walks in different areas complete with new smells. An olfactory plus for her!

Quite awhile back when we were sitting their dog (3 weeks+), they gave us a gift certificate at a small local grooming shop. I'm taking Lucy in today for a bath and toenail clip. She'll look lovely for Floyd's return tomorrow.

P.S. The attacking dog has been picked up. It was a loose, aggressive, female mastiff. Because a series of complaints had been filed against the dog, the owners are responsible for not only the shelter boarding fees, but licensing, aggression and vet bills. My understanding is they stopped by the shelter to pick their dog up—actually they demanded the release of their dog, but AC refused to give it up until fines were paid. Additionally, if they do pay the fines, the dog must be removed from the county immediately. Should they get another dog and it is loose and or aggressive, they cannot get another dog for five years. Now I don't know how that could possibly be monitored. County Animal Control doesn't have the funds or personnel to monitor that, but it's nice to know they have the laws in place in case we should be faced with this again. Justice rules (somewhat)!

Leaving on a jet plane

We're heading to south Texas for four days. Our nephew is getting his "wings"—military parlance for becoming a pilot. It's very exciting. Even more exciting is he got top in his class and top pick for where he wanted to be stationed. There was only one opening at Miramar in San Diego and he got it keeping him close to his family and his wife's. How great is that?

Lucy will go to R&M's for the span. Though her back end is still weak since her surgery (eliminating the possibility of fence jumping), they will be taking her to their shop during the day. I have such a tough time leaving her and feelings are mutual, though she loves them.

The vet who did her surgery moved clinics and is now with Seattle Veterinary Specialists. If one can judge from their website, they look very complete. I hope it's a good facility—it's a lot closer than the one in Lynnwood!

Christmas & the manger

We introduced Stoli the Chihuahua to Lucy on Christmas Eve. We kept the dogs separated by a baby gate to get both used to seeing the other and avoid any fisticuffs. It worked well. Here's a picture of Lucy staring at Stoli behind the baby gate and Stoli looking out. Lucy weighs around 55#; Stolmeister hefts in at 3.5#.

The next day we went to L&P's and reversed the technique keeping Lucy sequestered. She was quite unhappy, but fair is fair. Stoli spent a lot of time visiting Lucy "in jail" as Lucy had laid watching Stoli behind the gate. Curious. No growls. L&P also have a cat, Lucky, which had both dogs curious and willing to chase. Of course, Lucky is about six times bigger than Stoli, so although Stoli was willing, she wasn't stupid. (What's a Chihuahua without its pack?)

Eventually we let Lucy out and she ignored Stoli. The only growls we heard were from Lucy warning Stoli not to approach her (Lucy's ) head when she was lying down. Stoli didn't quite get it, but we helped interpret.

Initially Lucy was quite taken with the cat, but didn't chase. The cat taunted her unmercifully! However, by the evening all the animals were so exhausted being around each other that they could walk within inches of one another and not even blink an eye. It was quite rewarding—and amusing!

More on aggressive dogs & neighborhood reaction

I was talking with a neighbor last night who mentioned the woman whose dogs were attacked by the Mastiff is thinking of selling her house. She just went through an extensive renovation of the home and has only recently (September) moved back into it after the remodeling was completed. Yet the attack set her on edge. She runs every day. She's a tall, strong woman and even she's unglued by the recent turn of events (including Lucy's attack). Another neighbor has said the same and would do so if the market was stronger. I think two people wishing to move because of dog attacks is hugely significant.

Moving may be an over reaction, but I understand their anxiety. If you don't feel your dog is safe or you're always anxious walking them, what are the realistic alternatives? Moving was one of the first things that crossed my mind, but there is no guarantee you or your pup will be safer elsewhere. Yes, our neighborhood does border a not so nice 'hood, but bad dog owners live everywhere. None the less, I know for the first time in my life I've considered going "dogless" when Lucy is no longer with us.

Aging

Lucy is aging. But as all dog owners know, watching age hit your favorite hound is hard. Her hearing is definitely waning. When she sleeps, she's out. Laying in the back yard soaking up winter sun rays is a pleasant experience; she doesn't feel the need to wander out of the yard although the gate may be open. Look at that beautiful white muzzle.

Her tripping continues and recently, tripping off her front leg has nearly brought her to the ground. Growing up we had a great old hound named Clem. He was an enthusiastic sneezer and I remember once he sneezed with such gusto, he hit his chin on the sidewalk and broke off a tooth. With Lucy's tripping, I'm afraid this might be a similar fate. It shocks me when it happens. There she is trotting along and all of a sudden, she crumples. She's back up rapidly and continues along. I have to remember that for her, it's merely an inconvenience. For me, it's a sign of something I'd hoped was a long, long way off.

Neighborhood Discussion

Another attack. This time a loose, aggressive Mastiff was the culprit. Is bigger better? This happened to a neighbor who jogs with her leashed dogs tied to a waist belt. She said the dog came out of nowhere, didn't ask questions, but went straight for the closest dog. This time she was jogging with only one of her three dogs and a neighbor's dog. The neighbor's dog was the one hit. Her dog also suffered some injuries, however, the other dog took the brunt of it. Both dogs are okay, but...

The jogger said if it hadn't been for someone driving by on his way to work, she didn't know if she could have beat off the attacker. As it was, the driver got out and helped. He also called Animal Control. We don't think the dog has been picked up.

When something like this happens, we have a phone/email tree to alert the other dog walkers we know in the area to alert them. Granted the last (known) attack was the two pit bulls who hit Lucy last March. None the less, we are all feeling on edge. We walk our dogs twice a day in the neighborhood and if we can't be assured that we/our dogs are safe, what's the impetus to walk? Drive elsewhere? Sure, but in reality with busy schedules, this isn't always possible. Any is anywhere else guaranteed to be safe?

We've talked of having Animal Control come out and let us know what we can do to safeguard ourselves and our pets. The last time I asked this of A.C., their response was honest, if disappointing. The man said there was nothing we could do except be alert and hope for the best. If owners don't assume responsibility for their pet, if they don't train it, care for it, restrain it, you are at their mercy.

My understanding is some cities have a two bite policy (one bite you're warned, the second bite the dog is put down). That policy is also the rule here. Additionally, other locales state that after the first bite, the owner has to post a bond. I don't know what the cost is, but I think that's a good idea. However, if the owner is a scumbag (my words), nothing guarantees they'll manage the dog any better or pay up. If the dog is taken, there is no guarantee the owner won't get another.

I sound fatalistic and am feeling so. At this point I just don't anyway around it.

Improvement & Fear

Let's start with fear.

Over the long Thanksgiving weekend we took Lucy mountain biking to a local park called Philip Arnold Park. The trails aren't very long, but they are technical for me, fun for my husband and a thrill for Lucy. To top it off, it's close to home. It was cold, barely 40 degrees, but it was sunny and almost dry, so the riding was fun. Lucy had a ball and though we only did 2 miles with her, I think it was plenty.

The next day we decided to duplicate the adventure. Back to the park, still cold, still dry, we unloaded ourselves, the bikes and the dog and took off. Instead of going around the perimeter of the park and then diving in to the woods, we started into the woods almost immediately. We found a trail that was new to us and enjoyed speeding along. Lucy, being a dog, didn't have to worry about short-cutting the trail. Another great day for her. Wow! Two days in a row running with my pack! Dog heaven.

You know how you get a gut reaction when least expected? Your going along just fine and then your perspective takes an abrupt left. Your internal antenna picks up an unknown signal when you didn't even know your antenna was up. All of a sudden I was aware of no Lucy. She often is in front of me and I can't see her, but my signal starting rapidly vibrating out of the blue. I called out to my husband to check if she was up ahead with him. Nope. He thought she'd run off the trail into the woods. This is not a great habit of hers, but she always circles back to keep up with us. Not this time. This time she'd vanished.

We called. We whistled. No dog. No noise of her coming through the brush. Nothing. Unfortunately Lucy is starting to go deaf. Her hearing is diminished in one ear and it makes it difficult for her to discern from which direction noise is coming. So our calling may have sounded like it was coming from the left versus the right, or ahead instead of behind. It's confusing for her and being visually separated from us without directional hearing compounds the issue.

My husband took off in one direction and stayed in the woods where we'd last seen her. Thank heavens for cell phones. We called back and forth. "Seen her?" "No." "Okay you take off on this trail, I'll take off on that." He rode back to the car, thinking she might have headed back there. No. Back into the woods we went, he on the inner trails, me on the outer.

And then I saw her. Standing. Panting. Head low. Exhausted. I called out and she spotted me, gave a woof of relief, plodded up to me, tail wagging low, relieved. Whew! What a blessing! What a close call! We must have been searching for over a 1/2 hour. We were both getting frantic. But she's back. We only did about 2.5 miles; who knows how many she ran.

Will she ever take off again? That was my husband's $1,000,000 question. I'd love to say no, but Lucy behaves pretty instinctively. She was hyped from running and sighting a bunny is enough excuse for a chase as she needs. I think we'll need to be much more attentive than we've been in the past.

On a lighter note...let's move on to the 'improvement' part of the title. I did a dog walk with a neighbor and her dog this afternoon. She said she couldn't believe the improvement she saw in Lucy. It's probably been three weeks since she last saw her. This is great news. She said Lucy was rarely dragging her paws. Because I see Lucy daily, I don't notice that she continues to get better, I just notice that she still drags her feet. I guess she's doing it much less than previously. Isn't that a wonderful way to leave this post?

P.S. There is no water at the park. The picture is actually from a trip to the ocean, but it's the only picture I have of Lucy running.

What is it with some owners?

What is it with some dog owners? I've mentioned how concerned I am about any dog attack now that Lucy is on the road to mend (and after we spent an arm and a leg getting her there). Well tonight we had another dog 'episode' on our walk.

Our neighborhood, despite the housing crisis, is seeing some pretty major remodeling. The homes are typical one-story 50s ramblers and many new owners are putting on a second story maximizing a pretty phenomenal view. That means, of course, that the streets are teaming with construction workers. Some of those workers bring their dogs to the site for which I've yet to see a single dog tied up. There's one house that has a loose (but of course!) large boxer cross who is not dog-friendly. In the past, the dog has come out into the street and stalked us keeping close behind, but not pressing the distance.

Tonight he tore out at us. I yelled to the owner, who yelled at his dog. The dog stopped, then charged again. The owner yelled again, the dog paused but continued the charge, the owner yelled again and grabbed him. Keep your frikkin' dog tied up buddy! This is something that absolutely drives me berzerk. Do they think their dog can't be hit be a car? Do they think they can control the dog when they're inside shooting nail guns? Can they hear their dog? I doubt it. I feel like calling animal control. I think I will.

The story of another dog

This post doesn't have anything to do with Lucy, but my brother's dog Arnie. Arnie is an unclipped, miniature schnauzer who's a bit on the round side. Arnie is 6 and light tan in color. He's a smart little guy and friendly. My brother mentioned that a tumor was growing on Arnie's shoulder. In fact, it was growing really rapidly and it had gone from hardly noticeable to big enough to interfere with the movement of his front leg.

He took him to the vet and the vet did a cell biopsy to screen for cancer. It came back negative. The vet did a couple of other tests to check for tick-borne illnesses (Lyme's disease, etc.) and those came back with equally good reports. But the lump kept growing. Now Arnie's eating has slowed down to just about nil and he's lost his enthusiasm. He's gone from strutting his stuff, to limping, and now, to barely walking.

My brother took him to the local veterinary research/teaching hospital. More tests. All negative. The vet said he thought it could be infiltrative lipoma and that surgery usually wasn't successful. My brother is as crazy about his dog as I am about Lucy. The research I've done on the Internet doesn't sound very positive about this condition. It isn't cancerous, yet it grows rapidly insinuating itself—infiltrating—muscle fiber and sometimes even bone. Although I haven't seen this listed as cancer, it certainly sounds cancerous to me in that it is so insidious.

The problem with surgery is because it has infiltrated surrounding tissue, they cannot be assured of getting all of it out. Because the tumor is rapidly growing, it will just reconstitute. If it is caught early enough, and surgery is followed by radiation, there is hope that it can be eradicated...but at what cost (literally and figuratively)? The earliest Arnie could get in for an MRI is next week. If he isn't eating and barely moving, if his bodily functions aren't working, what chance is he going to have?

This is so sad...

Attack Reaction

Lucy was attacked by two loose pit bulls in March. I don't think they created her back problem, but I do think they exacerbated it. They knocked her down and continued to do so, one from the front, one from the back until my brother and I could fight them off. After the attack, Lucy went from occasionally stumbling to barely walking. So naturally, I've been very concerned about loose dogs.

Lucy has 'anger management' issues, as a friend says. I don't deny that and it requires constant monitoring. She does not like loose dogs approaching while she's leashed. Did I mention she had been attacked by two other loose pits a couple months previous to the March attack? Or four different times by the same ill-trained, owner-ignored black lab? Or by another lab, this one brown? Our neighborhood isn't awful, but there are some oblivious owners and we do border a neighborhood where the primary business could be drug trafficking. So it's no wonder she's cautious about rapidly approaching loose dogs.

And it's also no wonder that when another loose pit charged us from behind yesterday morning that my reaction was swift. I carry pepper spray that can be effective, but isn't guaranteed. Yes, I've sprayed my dog and myself, but have always been able to eventually get the other dog off. I sprayed next to the dog's face. Close enough for the dog to smell it, but not directly in its face. A 'test' spray if you will and it worked. The dog stopped and backed off.

I was hesitant to walk that same block this morning, but thought "I will not be afraid." I am not going to curtail our walks because something may happen. However, you better believe I was alert. All went well. Whew...

Yahoo!

I'm so excited to report Lucy did her first mountain bike ride yesterday. It was very short (around two miles), but the first time she was completely off leash and allowed to run without curtailment. We purposely did not ride quickly and we purposely only went a short distance. At the end of those two miles, she was put back in the van with a greenie and she went willingly. Her back thighs were definitely quivering, but she was ready to keep going when we stopped to visit friends a couple of hours later. She was ready for her cocktail ball when we got home. And this morning she was ready for her walk and a romp with her (normally chained up but escaped) buddy, Duke. This is so inspiring!

We'll try this again next weekend if weather permits and we'll keep the number of miles small to build her strength and endurance. She might not be able to do 15 miles again, but 5 might be possible. She was so-o-o happy to be running in the woods again!

Zen & the Art of Dog Healing

I'm not an impatient person. In fact, friends often tease me because they think I'm not standing up for myself. That's not true. I just have a high threshold for waiting. Yet occasionally I'm caught in a hurrayupIwantittohappennow mode and am surprised when reminded to r-e-l-a-x. DH has recently done this to me.

I was telling friends that I was not expecting Lucy to run again and was content with that condition. Everything but her tripping is nearly normal and I didn't anticipate continued improvement. DH, however, said I've lost my perspective. He travels every week, so only sees her on the weekend. On each of his returns, he says he's noticed improvement in her gait. Personally, I think from behind, she still looks like a bit of a drunk the way her hocks slosh. And I do see her tripping throughout her two daily walks. But DH reminds me "all in good time."

When you pat her back end, you feel meat now, not bony hips. From a sitting position, her back legs are helping more and more for her to stand. The need to pull her self forward to get her back end up is diminishing. So this is when zen-like thoughts are called for.

P.S. I still have not heard from her vet surgeon, his tech or his office. In their defense, they are starting a new office on their own, so a return call to me is low priority. However, I am a little disappointed.

Words from the pros

The surgeon and vet tech that did the surgery on Lucy have left VCA to start their own clinic, so when I called VCA to ask some questions, I was in for a shock. "No, they're no longer here." Luckily VCA still has a neurosurgeon, Dr. Jessica Snyder, who looked over Lucy's file and called me.

My questions were twofold. One, Lucy continues to trip and drag her feet. As often? I don't think so, but it does happen every walk, sometimes more than others. Dr. Snyder said to give her another month. To be honest, I don't think that will do it. I think this is what we can expect from Lucy and I'm disappointed for her. None the less, she is so much happier. Dr. Snyder also said that the nerves may not come back depending on how compromised they may have become prior to surgery, that Lucy's age or other extenuating circumstances (weight, arthritis, etc.) may also contribute. Well, Lucy isn't overweight—in fact, we've been trying to put weight on her, and she doesn't have arthritis (those tests were done prior to surgery). But she is 10 and who knows what genetic issues she inherited.

Dr. Snyder also said in some circumstances, the screws they used to stabilize Lucy can sometimes work loose and that may be why she's tripping. She immediately said that she doubted this. Whew!

My second question was can we let Lucy dictate her own activity level. What I mean by that is if she wants to run, can we let her? Dr. Snyder said no, not yet. Wait another month or so.

Like all aging creatures, my guess is Lucy is not going to be able to run (for any length). Because she continues to trip, running probably isn't good for her as that could mean a broken leg. And that's the last thing we want to have happen in the tooleyberries! Can she still enjoy camping and the woods? Absolutely! Hikes may be her new mountain biking!

I finally was able to locate Dr. Sanders, the surgeon. I put a call into him last week and we'll see how long it takes for a return call...

Fur growth

Lucy's fur is growing back in. It's been 10 weeks and the picture doesn't show the delineation as well as it does in person, but the patch is still visible. (It's within the boxed area!) If you look at the post She's Home, you'll see the difference. This new fur is very coarse and the rest of her coat is silkysilkysilky. Very bunny like. I'm hoping this is her undercoat and when the top coat comes in, it will match in feel the rest of her fur.

...and so it goes

We camped in central Oregon this past weekend and Lucy went on her first mountain bike ride since last March. She didn't go far (~3.5 miles), nor fast—more of a lope. Her hips were a bit shaky at the end, yet nothing like she'd experienced seven months ago. And happy? Positively! Her enthusiasm for the task was unstoppable.

The following day she went on a leashed 3 mile hike, and the day after that she rested. Here is a picture of her sitting in a lovely new blanket of snow.

Her tripping continues and is more pronounced when she is tired or not paying attention. This can be when she's walking ahead, but looking at something off to the side. I am not as anxious about this as I was. One, if it is a case of waiting for nerves to heal or mend, that will take a long, long time. It could also be, as Dr. Sanders said, that that will never change. Because her enthusiasm for life has been restored, I am not as concerned about the tripping as I was. None-the-less, it has to be monitored so she doesn't hurt herself.

One thing we do need to monitor, however, is a weak front right ankle and deafness in one ear. If she is loose in the woods and loping along, her ankle is a weak spot and could be seriously injured. Lucy has always been clumsy, so this is an issue. Also, during our last trip in September, her hearing seemed to diminish? disappear? on one side. I noticed that again this past weekend. We now need to be ears for her so that she doesn't get herself in trouble.

Stairs

This weekend was the first attempt at the basement stairs for Lucy. It was a mixed bag. Initially she went up without difficulty, although each step was thought out. There are 14 stairs, so it isn't an easy task and her deliberateness was understandable. I stayed with her going up. Going down she uses momentum and although "crashing" is a possibility, she is coordinated enough to avoid that.

I noticed after a dog walk, that the stairs became more monumental for her and her hips weren't quite up to it. She stopped part way (I'm still beside her) before completing them.

We're dog-sitting a friend's dog for 3 weeks and there is some rivalry between them. The other dog is alpha and definitely uses intimidation techniques to bully Lucy. One of the methods is to lay in a doorway so Lucy won't go past. Another is to lay in front of the dog door (not a comfortable spot and chilly) preventing Lucy from getting into or out of the house. The other is to stand at the top of the basement stairs...

Lucy and I were coming in from a walk and started up the stairs. We were about 2/3's of the way up when the guest dog plopped herself at the top. Lucy stopped, hesitating. I went to the top to move the other dog (verbal commands were ignored). Lucy's stalled upward momentum must have made her want to back down or caused some disconnect between her front and back ends as she started to sink in the rear and slide backwards. I was at the top and around the corner when I heard the noise of her scrabbling to get a grip. I ran back only to see her slide backwards, catch, try to turn to go down, slide sideways down a stair, catch, turn and complete the run to the bottom without falling.

Yikes! Way too close! My heart was pounding. While the other dog is here, no stairs, I can't monitor Lucy and the other dog at the same time. It also means, Lucy must be monitored using the stairs. I hope DH truly understands this. It also might mean, Lucy can't do the stairs, period. I doubt the latter, but it's something we'll have to watch closely.

Strength Training

Lucy's strength on our walks is improving. Sunday we did a rather long walk and although she periodically slowed way down, after a good back leg rub, she would pick up her pace and mosey on.

I wish I could say the tripping was lessening, but that remains a day-to-day issue. Some days it's nearly non-existent, others, like today, it's frequent. What's the difference? Yesterday she only got a morning walk; there wasn't an opportunity for an afternoon journey. Could stiffness be an issue? Does lack of movement one day affect agility the next? I don't know, but perhaps I need to pay a little more attention to that correlation. Despite the tripping, her speed is great.

Walkies #2

I must admit to being disappointed. I was so pleased at Lucy's stamina the other day, but she hasn't been able to equal it since. She's been timid about going on a walk. This is reminiscent of her behavior months ago when she got on a 'fearful' jag. "Oh! I can't go on a walk! There are bad noises out there!" I have very little sympathy for that.

Once I get her beyond our block, she's fine, so that's what I've done. But it isn't without some effort and cajoling. Yesterday she just couldn't do the length—or at least, I felt that was the case. She was dragging her feet more frequently and was walking quite slowly. I know that's the way it will be (for a while? permanently?). Good some days; not so good others.

We're dog-sitting for the next month for some friends. Their pup is not that old (11?), but quite arthritic and each day I'm making our afternoon walk (in which she joins us) shorter. I think today I'll take her around the block, then continue on with Lucy. I don't not want to walk Suki as she needs the movement and exercise, but I also don't want to create any more pain for her than she already has.

Walkies!

For the first time since mid-summer, we did our full length morning walk. It's about 1.5 miles with two major hills. Lucy did a great job and maintained a normal speed for the majority of it. Towards the end, she started dragging her feet a bit and I put that down to being tired. It wasn't until the last block that she slowed to crawl. Great job, girlfriend!

Vacation & Healing

We just returned from a two week vacation journeying down the west coast from Washington to Yosemite. We were camping so were able to bring Lucy with us. She was in heaven having us always with her in the tight confines of the van. Even when we were out biking, she was in the big 'den' and felt comfortable. The van has a pop top with windows on three sides, so even if it was hot (though we always parked in the shade), it remained cool in the van.

From the beginning of the trip to the end, we saw noticeable improvement. Yes, her back hocks are still wobbly. Yes, she still occasionally drags a foot or trips. Yes, her balance is questionable. None-the-less, she began using her tail—yes, her tail!—for stabilization. That's a huge leap forward. Her ability to catch herself when she's tippy is more predictable. Her energy is way up. In fact, it's way ahead of her stamina, but that's still great news. She loped for the first time. Not quite ran, but definitely loped. She jumped out of the van. (Bad. She wasn't supposed to do that, but was not affected by it that day or the next.)

She's not supposed to do stairs (long flights) until October and then, not without supervision, but my guess is, she'd be okay now. Her first walk at home, she squatted and lifted her leg to pee. That means she was balancing in back on only one leg. HUGE BREAKTHROUGH. Although her walk today was slower than yesterday, she did well. She is no longer rolling off the inside of her back right foot while walking, but using the foot straight on.

For her, it's probably unnoticed, though I'm sure the lack of pain is welcome and noticed. But for me, these small, progressive steps really are joyful. I was feeling quite down about her walking/moving fragility, but it seems she really is recovering. Of course, it's possible she'll never be able to mountain bike with us again, but if she could go on long hikes, that would be fabulous. In the long run, I need to remember to be grateful merely for the fact she no longer hurts. That truly is the best.