YAY, Steroids!

I think that every one of my dogs, including fosters, have been on steroids at some point for one reason or another.  I have never seen one respond to them like Callie is.  No wonder athletes take these things! (not that I support it, of course) Besides clearly being stronger and more coordinated, she has become a ball of energy!  She does these crazy bouncy circles when we come home, when it's time to go outside, and especially when it's meal time.  Steroids typically increase the appetite, and this has been the case with her.  I have taken advantage of that and increased her food even more.  It may be my imagination, but I think she may have even gained a little weight.  Either way, I love seeing her like this!  It's the best she has ever looked.  She is not yet to the maintenance dose that we are aiming for, but if one medication, that costs only cents a pill, can keep this girl going strong, what a success it will be!

One more try.

This past weekend, little Callie took a turn for the worse.  Up until then she had been doing so well, rarely showing any pain and having no neurological signs.  Then it suddenly all showed up again. 

I took her back to the vet this morning. (By the way, I love this doctor. She is the best.) We still can't figure out why she isn't gaining weight.  All logic points to an underlying condition.  But what is it?! She has the heart murmur, but no symptoms of cardiac disease.  No coughing, no exercise intolerance, a great appetite.  Being a boxer, she is more likely than any other dog breed to get cancer, but her blood work was totally normal.  Of course, blood work can't diagnose cancer, but it can often tell you where to look (elevated liver values may point to liver cancer, for example).  This is just so damn frustrating.  I'm sure glad that she doesn't have to wrap her little mind around any of this.

Since the only thing actually bothering her are her hips, we are treating that condition as the priority.  She needs to be able to run around and play and be happy.  The nerve damage is irreversible, but we haven't completely lost hope.  We are just trying a different course of action.  This time around, high dose steroids.  She got a giant shot of them today (she should feel really good for the next day or two!) and I will give her daily pills, starting high, and tapering off over the next three to four weeks, depending on the results.  Our goal will be to find the lowest possible dose that she can do well on.  Long term steroid usage certainly poses a risk of side affects in the future, but that risk is out weighed by her living a good quality life.

Sadly, this is pretty much a last effort.  We have exercised all other options.  It's very hard to balance being optimistic and realistic at the same time but I'm trying my best.   

Mentally, she lives in the moment and thrives, but physically, she just can't escape her awful past.  All we can do now is make sure that the next few weeks are really great for her and hope for the best.

Thank you.

I don't think that I have ever seen such gratitude as when I look down into Callie's eyes.  I don't know if dogs exactly know what it is to be thankful, but I do know that what she feels toward us is unmistakably that, in it's purest form.  For every meal, for every pet, for every time I say her name, she thanks me.  Just one more of the many reasons I love dogs, especially rescue dogs.  They have such an appreciation for life and for those they love.

Speaking of being thankful, I would like to say a huge thank you to a couple of people who have sent donations to help with Callie's medical expenses.  It was so unexpected, and so very appreciated.   Know that you have made a difference for her and also for me. 

As for an update on her condition, medically, I'm afraid that little has changed.  Although she is stronger, mentally and physically, she just isn't keeping weight on.  You can still see every rib, every vertebrae.  There are still the unanswered questions.

She has certainly become part of our pack though and has made herself completely at home here.  She loves to face wrestle with Dixie on the couch and to run and chase with them in the yard.  I struggle to keep a healthy balance for her.  I do believe that her happiness is critical to her rehabilitation, and she is at her happiest when she is running with them, but she knows nothing of her limitations.  I constantly fear that she will get injured.  Saturday night, we were sitting by the fire (yes. fall has finally arrived in Little Rock) and the dogs were doing laps around the yard.  Callie made a bad landing after a jump and we could see that it hurt.  I put her in the house for her own good, but when I saw the look on her face, it was obvious that being isolated from the rest of us hurt her a lot more than her leg did.  I guess I feel like she needs to enjoy being a dog to have a good quality of life.  It would be different if this was something that she was recovering from, but it's chronic.  Her hip will never be any better, so I may as well let her make the most of what she has.  Dogs are really great at doing that.

Here is how Callie has been spending her time...