Recovery Mode

So, Samson went to the doctor's office, yesterday, and he had a good checkup. No nerve damage that could be seen (Cubby had severe nerve damage, and this part made me breathe more easily, as I couldn't go through that again!), and his appetite and need to move hadn't ceased.

His day, yesterday, was full of pain. The poor guy hobbled along, with his tail down (which is so unlike him). He wouldn't really even snarl at Simon (which is, too, so unlike him).

Once the doctor gave her diagnosis, and we went out to the waiting room, this little dynamo was ready to go. His tail was more up, but anyone could tell he was still miserable.
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We were given two drugs, Metacam, and Gabapentin. One is a sort of aspirin (liquid, so I can squirt it through his teeth - no awful trying to get it down his gullet), and the other is a nerve relaxer, which would make him quite relaxed, she said. Hmmmmm. She also was adamant that there would be no awful side effects.

I inquired about a chiropractic referral, and she told me that at this point in time, it could be more dangerous. If he had a bulging disc, we would need to relax it back into place, rather than do anything that might make it rupture or even (God forbid) create a mess of his spine. AT this point, I'm willing to listen and follow directions.

There is a sticky point to all this, though.

Samson is not to go out for at least 2 weeks for exercise. He can go for short walks, but nothing of the sort we normally do. And this can't happen for at least a week. Aie! Also, she wanted me to find a way to keep him from jumping up on furniture, and especially the bed. Well, I can pick him up off the bed, but I cannot follow him about. I can keep the door closed to prevent him from going up, and that's the best I can do.

I cannot (I've tried) get him to use steps, ramps, etc. I mean, really. I cannot even figure out a way to get him to use the doggie door! I suppose I could summon a trainer to work with him, but I doubt, seriously, Samson would take to them, or their training...It's probably a control issue of his...who knows.

Last night, after drugging him up, Samson looked really relaxed. After a nap, and laying about, watching us, he was able to go outside and sniff, but that didn't last long. When he came to bed, he slept, and slept, and slept. It was, perhaps, the best sleep he's had in quite a while.

This morning he's full of vim and vigor! He's been out, with Skally, going through the gardens and happily prancing about. He's also been sleeping a lot. This is good.

I'm hoping this 5 week recovery period goes by quickly. It's nice to see some of my old Samson back....

Samson and His Back....

Today, we have an appointment with Dr. Leddy, to . see about 1) managing pain for Samson and his back; and 2) getting a referral for a chiropractor to come and mend him.

Samson has been off and on with his troubles for the past week. Remember, I thought it was his nails. Well, the groomer called and said she couldn't finish because he was in terrible pain when she tried to shave him (and no, it wasn't a straight edge and strop). An aspirin a day isn't really cutting it at this point...the pain seems to ebb and flow - there are gobs of time when he trots around as though all is well...and then the other times where my heart is breaking for him. He has a reasonably good attitude about it all, though.

He has taken to snuggle more with me, and Skallywag. This morning, Simon was demanding attention when I was scooping Sammy off the bed...It was interesting! Samson seems to have mixed feelings about Simon; he's either beating him up, threatening him, or snuggling - depending on time and place. Wow.

Yesterday, he decided to really race and prance around at the park, but after 1/2 hour of that, I could tell he was really in agony. So, we came home, where I gave him a really good massage. I noticed he splayed out and elongated himself after that, and was in good shape for a while after.

The trouble I'm having, though, is keeping him from leaping up on to the bed. The bed is quite high, and I have to scoop him up so he doesn't leap off, thus hurting himself more. I tried stairs, a ramp, what have you, but he goes around it and jumps. Yes, I tried treats, training, etc. Still doesn't work. Same thing with the doggie door. He still doesn't use it, unless I open it for him.

No. He's not an idiot.

Not completely sure how to handle this now. He's laying comfortably near me on a chair. I will have to close the door to the bedroom to keep him out while I'm gone, and then when I'm home to keep him close by. This will surely irritate Skally, who keeps the bedroom as her own while I'm out. Simon, too, will be a little ticked - but if I keep any kind of foodstuffs off the counters and tucked away, I shouldn't be seeing any destruction and ingestion by him.

Sigh.

Merry Xmas!

From Our House To Yours! May You Have a Most Wonderful Week of Christmas to the Great New Year!

The Reindeer Dogs Invite You to Celebrate!

Those Dreaded Feelings of Dread....

It's the holidays.

Stress comes in packages, traffic jams, baking, cooking, cleaning, long lines, and short tempers.

I am guilty of all those.

Why?

Today, I took Samson in for his grooming. Yesterday at the park, he was just scampering along as though nothing was wrong with him. This made me sit back and wonder....'Hmmmm. I sure hope it's not his back!' And, as the day progressed, he was doing just fine.

Until today.

Yes, today he was his usual self, charging at Simon, growling, running about chasing after Ricky Raccoon his unbelievably destroyed pet animal (oddly, he was probably left outside - we can't seem to find Mr. Raccoon for his portrait), or Timmy Mouse (pictured below with his adoring and loving protector, Samson).

Then, after Daddy (that would be me) came home cranky and poor (from shopping and fighting traffic), he took dear little Samson to the groomers. Samson was aware something was up, so he brought in Simon as his bodyguard...HA! like that would help.

WE arrived, and Samson gave me those pleading eyes of "Save me, you wretched piece of filth!" as he was taken into the salon.

I took Simon home, where Skally and Rusty waited.

Originally, I was going to take the 3 of them out for a walk, but then the rain came pouring down so hard, I decided a bowl of soup and tea was better.

After a couple of hours, I realized it was getting close to 330, and my groomer doesn't work past 4...Samson had been there for 2.5 hours...Hmmmm....why was it taking so long? (you must note, I am the model of patience...HA!)

I phoned. My groomer told me he was screaming in pain, and it was his back. She couldn't do much except bathe him, clip his nails, and possible get his face trimmed...My heart sank.

My heart sank, because 4 years ago this January 16, I lost my little Cubby, the schipperke, to a spine related ailment. It cut to the very core. I couldn't suffer that again. So we chatted about the need for a chiropractor. She told me she would call me back when she was able to do whatever she could.

I went straight online and checked out animal chiropractors in the area. There's a mobile one, that could actually be the answer, at this point. The rates aren't bad, either. It's a question of getting in touch with Dr. Leddy, the vet, and having her refer. That shouldn't be an issue...

Apparently, Samson was screaming his fool head off from pain. This may be the result of so much activity yesterday (he was acting more himself, with the trotting around, chasing, and having a wonderful time at the park - a Samson I hadn't seen for over a week!). I hadn't given him any aspirin, yet, today, so I made sure I gave it to him with his dinner. She couldn't even get him to lift his head (well, I understand this, because he does the same to me when I brush him "every day". This brought more worry and dread into my soul.

When I did pick him up, he looked wonderful. His back stopped arching and he trotted very quickly over to me, and got up on his hind legs and licked my face. He was fine, again, for those moments...as he has been since, so far tonight.

There is the possibility of his growing tense that pushes the muscles to where there is pain. Knowing what bad back pain is (I was on complete bedrest for 2 weeks a few years back, and could barely walk) I empathize with him.

The poor lad.

Skally is still running about. Yesterday, she actually challenged a young male! She's a randy one! And Rusty was subdued - but he's going outside and putzing about so much better, now. He's got the energy and the wherewithall to do it.

So, should I talk about Simon at this point? You want to know?

The other day, I opened my door to a beach pail full of cookies (wrapped). Christmas cookies - you know, the ones with all the icing and sugar, and they are delicious. And a bottle of red wine. Yay! but no card, message, nada, rien. Hmmmm.

Well, I had to go to dinner last night, and I guess I just plain forgot that bucket was on the counter.

When I got home, the bucket was on the floor, along with the pond goldfish food, a bottle of doggie weight loss pills, and tons of plastic wrappings and ribbons. Everywhere. All through the kitchen. All through the den. All through the dining room. All through the living room. Under and over and around the furniture. I was less than underwhelmed.

I had discovered who my "Secret Santa" was, and had to tell her what had happened. She asked if he had become ill. Nope. There were no signs. No sugar high. No indigestion. Only the sounds of his gigantic nose sniffing out the last morsels not yet inhaled through his gaping yaw.

This morning, though, he went out, did his business, then came in for breakfast. After he'd eaten, you could hear him putt-putt'ing around like a little old man...he had really bad gas...but did that slow him down? Hardly.

Remembering that makes me laugh! And Samson curling up next to me does me even more good.

Tomorrow we call the chiropractor.

And, if I don't do it tomorrow or Wednesday, Merry Christmas!

Health Scare!

This past month has been CRAZY!

To make things worse, I made a big boo-boo.

You see, when I took the pups in for their nail trims, I failed to have Samson's nails done, since I figured he would be able to be groomed quite soon. Nope!

Our groomer at the local doggie spa had decided to move away with her man. Uh huh.

This means NO Saturday groomings. No Saturday nail clippings. All must be done before 3:30 pm weekdays. All must be done after 730 am weekdays.

Well, if you're anything like me, you may work. I leave for work around 645 (on a good day) and leave work after 330 (on a bad day). This means I need to put everything I have into getting these guys in to the new groomer at the spa. Arrrg!

So, I made an appointment with the groomer for Xmas week, when I didn't have to go in to work.

As time progressed, Samson seemed to be getting a little less athletic at the park.

As time progressed, Samson seemed to be growing lethargic on our walks.

I began to suspect Glandularloma, which may be affecting him. But that seemed to be going away.

I shuddered to think there was something spinal, as my Cubby, the schipperke, died 4 years ago this coming January 16 from paralysis, due to a spinal injury. Please God! Don't let this be.

So, the past few days, on our walks, I've been watching him. I've been apologizing to him for the nails which seem to have grown too long for any dog, and I watch him closely for tell-tale signs of spinal injury.

Two days ago, as we walked home on our walk, he stopped completely, and I had to carry him several blocks, until we were near home. He was fine with this. I also noted he kept going to his boojoo (I'm sure you can figure that one out), and there was some discomfort there. I realized I hadn't seen him take a poo in a while...Hmmmmmm.

This morning, on our walk, on our very abbreviated walk, we were in the forested greenspace two blocks from home. Sammy suddenly seemed slumped over. His back end was sloped down, and I began to fear the worst. I tried to encourage him to join the rest of the pack, but he was quite reluctant. When he finally managed to get to us, I knelt down and tried to scoop him up. Ooooo! The screaming from him woke the dead!

He began screaming in agony and it wasn't until I had him sitting in my arms against my chest he stopped. I then proceeded home, dragging the other 3 (about 220 pounds that went in all directions) with me. We made it home, and on the front stoop, I placed him down. Rusty brushed against him, and he yelped again. I was heartsick. I couldn't lose another pup like that (spinal injury) again!

Once inside, he sat watching me. I could tell he was in pain. But he wasn't telling me anything was all that wrong. So I tried the one major test that would tell me if he was going to be okay - breakfast.

He went to his bowl, once it was ready, and he ate (Of course I had put a doggie aspirin in it, as well). Once finished, he sat next to me, as I ate, and then he slowly trotted off to the bedroom with me.
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Now that I could see he would eat, I knew he was going to be okay for the day. He then leapt up to the bed, which told me it wasn't anything spinal - at least not for now.

When I left for work, he was surrounded by pillows and blankets, and had his Timmy Mouse with him. He actually looked content.

I was trembling when I returned, hoping all was well at home. I opened the door to.....Samson on his hind legs welcoming me home, along with Skally, Simon and a very energetic and barking Rusty. I was sooooo relieved and happy.

I also noted that he had pooped in the dining room (very easy to clean up), and was going about his business as usual.

Could he have become constipated from all the treats I've been lavishing upon my brood? Probably. As he weighs less than 1/2 that of any of the others, I need to be sure he gets less than 1/2 the amount of anything they get. But he also needs more roughage than they, as well.

He is sitting and watching me as I write this, waiting for dessert. Ach!

Still, though, he will have his nails done on Monday with the rest of the grooming, and from there we'll begin to see signs of a happier dog.

I swear, I can't recall a time I've been this embarrassingly remiss about my pups' nails, either.

I know he forgives me - the hard part is to forgive myself, and to keep the vet's number near me at all times.

a holiday/winter posting...

I remember many, many years ago, when I had only Obsydian, my schipperke.

I recall how, during the holidays, we would walk the neighborhood (at my old house) and he would bark at the twinkling and flashing lights people had put on their homes.

Now, my pups all seem jaded about the entire happening, and look only at the decorations as possible pit stops (which I don't allow).

I love the lights. I may grouse and grumble about how tacky some are, and ask why people need to even think of trying with their piddly strands; inside, though, I'm full of happiness and joy.

My dogpark friends are wondering what has happened with the pups, as we haven't been very good about going this week. Well, the park is quite sloggy (even with all the bark chips we put down), and muddy, and the dogs are a little tired of it. So, we walk. We walk at night, after the sun has set, Judge Judy is over, and people have come home. Why? They turn on their lights!

There is nothing more delightful than taking the pups out and instead of watching them sniff in wonderment, I can gaze with the same sense of marvel. I see the trees in the windows from houses above us on the hills, as we trot downward to return upward. I see the imagination of some families come to life.

The other night, we went down the street a few blocks over (the pups were beginning to tire from Daddy's Light Tour) to see the decor of a colleague's house. Well, disappointingly, they had their outside lights on, but their holiday lights were dark. This was truly discouraging. Yet, across the street and catty-corner, there was a house that would almost rival the Griswold's. If I hadn't been pulled back up the hills with determination, I would have stared at it for hours. It was hypnotic.

I know this is supposed to be about dogs, but I had to ask these questions...

Why don't people put up lights? I have Jewish friends who put them up simply because they, too, find them delightful and uplifting during the cold, wet, winter months. Could it be the electric bill?

Why DO people put up lights? I know people who do it for the kids...however, I know they do it more for themselves. One friend stopped only because he was having marital problems, and the kids had moved out years earlier...Is it the festiveness of the occasion? To brighten up anyone who might pass by's evening? I like this one.

Why do the lights come down January 1? I hate this tradition. I believe they should not come down until January 31. Honestly. Rusty is agreeing with me.

Yes. He speaks. He has the same voice as the dog in the Youtube video dealing with Bacon, and the one who wants the kitten. Seriously.

Simon has the voice of Antonio Banderas. He's not suave or debonair, but it sure makes Skally swelter!

Samson has been trading growls with Simon. What voice does he have? Cartman or Eric from Southpark. Seriously.

Skally has the disposition of Bette Davis, so I'd have to say that would be her voice, as well.

The weather has really brought out the energy in all of them. And with the full moon...well, enough said.

Ice is on the ground, and I'm a little worried about the deck stairs, which are quite slick. The worries are really toward Skally, who, while carrying on with the energy of a younger dog, has some joint problems. Luckily, we are able to give her Spunky II, which has really increased her mobility and energy levels. I consider each and every day a blessing she is alert, able and spry!

Here's a video of the dogs from earlier in the year...it gives you an idea of how wonderful they are!

And here they are with each other later on in the day...of course, Rusty is the one who's butt is in the lower right hand corner - he is quite sensitive to the camera (much like Skally), and wouldn't wait for me to figure out how to get them all in! He kept moving!

And of course, here's a more current pic of Rusty!

And, of course, one of Simon....

Here's to a wonderful holiday for you all!