Home is where your dogs are.

 No, I didn't fall off the face of the earth.  Three different trips, a mix of business and pleasure, have kept me extremely busy in the last couple of weeks.  In fact, I have been away from home for 13 of the last 16 days.  The days in between, when I was home, were filled with unpacking, laundry, and repacking.  I kept meaning to post, but I just never got around to it.

The most recent trip was to Las Vegas, for a work conference.  This was my very first time leaving Jax at a boarding facility.  I was a nervous wreck to say the least.  We have worked so hard on him and he has come so far that my biggest fear is him having a set back.  I actually wrote an entire sheet entitled "About Jax,"  describing his special needs, for them to post on his suite door.   I know that it seems a little over board, but I have every reason to be paranoid.  I had an awful experience with a kennel a few years back that ended in a life-saving emergency surgery for Asia.   Dixie and Jax stayed at Arkansas Pet Resort, which is only a couple of blocks from my office.  I got them a 10x16 suite with a doggy door and outside run, a couch, and even a TV.  So what if my dogs' boarding costs more than a hotel room?  It gives me peace of mind to know that I have done my best for them while I'm away. 

Callie stayed at the vet because but we don't think she is quite ready for regular boarding yet.  Even though she loves the other two, and would likely be more happy with them, we were nervous about leaving her alone with them.  They are such rowdy players and she would have no where to lay low.  We were afraid she might get hurt.  It just seemed like the best thing for her.    

We got back yesterday afternoon and went to collect everyone as soon as we left the airport.  Callie was first and she was out-of-her-mind happy to see us!  She was literally shaking with excitement.  Sadly, six days in that environment proved too stressful for her and she lost over 3lbs.  I was a little nervous that she may not eat as well for them, but I didn't think she would do that badly.  They could barely get her to eat canned food.  She looks pretty bad again.  I feel awful and am now questioning if she may have been better off at the kennel.  Does the benefit of her being able to stay with her foster siblings outweigh the risk of her getting hurt?  It's a hard call to make.  Thankfully, she ate a ton when we got home, but those 3.5 lbs are a really big loss, considering how long it took her to gain them.  Poor skinny little thing.

We then went up to get the others.  I already knew they were doing fine, because of course I had called the kennel a few times while we were away.  Still, I couldn't wait to get there.  I was missing them like crazy.  They handled it pretty well overall and even made a new friend, a German Shepherd that goes there for daycare.  I was relieved that everything went well with Jax and happy to see my note posted clearly on the door of their suite;-) 

We spent the evening relaxing on the couch and catching up on our shows, surrounded by three very happy pooches.  We were all glad to be home.

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...

Fascinating.

That is what my new trainer called Jax during our very first session (twice!).  I have been meaning to post about our lesson for a while now, as it was two weeks ago, but I have been so focused on Callie's updates, that I am just now getting around to it. 

Basic obedience was put on the back burner with Jax, for a couple of reasons.  Mainly, it was because he had such fear issues that we focused solely on gaining his trust and building his confidence.   You can't successfully train a dog that is afraid of you anyway (I know many disagree, but I firmly believe that intimidation has no place in dog training), so we focused on making him comfortable with people and situations instead.  The other reason is pretty simple.  I just didn't know how to train him.  Although I have trained many dogs, none of them have been deaf and what a difference it makes.  After almost six months, I couldn't even get him to "sit."   

I didn't think that we could get enough personal attention in a group class.  Having participated in dozens of different dog "classes" at different levels, at several different "schools" over the years, I already know everything that they would teach us.  I take the dogs for socialization reasons...and because it's fun:-)  I needed personal guidance this time, someone to teach me to teach him. 

It wasn't easy to find someone willing to help me with him and I honestly grew very discouraged. It hurt my feelings that people didn't feel like he was worthy of training.  I actually had one "professional", whom I was quite excited about, tell me that she would give us 30 minutes (her regular sessions are 60) and if we made no progress by then, it wasn't worth it.  I have been in classes with people who made no progress after 8 weeks!  All dogs, hearing or deaf, learn at different paces. 30 minutes is ridiculous.  Oh, and If I'm not mistaken, this was the same person who asked me "well, are you SURE he's deaf?"  (I felt like saying that I've lived with the dog for the last 5 months and either he's deaf or I'm a frickin moron!)  She told me that maybe he just couldn't hear my voice and recommended that I tried using a clicker!  Needless to say, I kept looking.

I finally found someone, totally by chance, and she is great.  She runs the pet store in our neighborhood and her center is in the basement of the store!  I had actually talked to her many times before.  I had no idea that she was a trainer.  Her name is Colleen. She has over 30 years training experience and has studied under some of the top trainers in the world-people who I have read about in books!  She was born in Alaska, into a family who trained and ran sled dog teams.  She has trained police dogs, Search And Rescue dogs, therapy dogs, specialized aggressive cases, agility, and of course, obedience.  She has pretty much done it all.  Now that she is (in her words) "getting older" she focuses on training family pets.  She also has ten dogs of her own!

She if full of knowledge and I hang on her every word. She thinks that Jax is fascinating (did I mention that?)! I knew Jax was extremely sensitive.  She agreed and told me that we don't ever want to overwhelm him or stress him out with training.  "Sit" seemed to be the thing that made him the most nervous.  We will move at a very slow pace with him while overcoming his obstacles.  She gave me a few things to work on, and when I think we are ready, we will go back for another session.  No pressure. No time constraints.

We had been working on sit, exactly the way she showed me, once a day, everyday.  Last week, I was eating a sandwich and he came up, looked me in the eyes, and sat.  He had figured out that it was the behavior that I desired and he always got rewarded for it.  His big success came when we weren't even trying.  I was so proud of him.  That was my first short-term goal for him and he didn't disappoint. 

He is a very smart dog and I have high hopes for him long-term.  I would love for him to become a certified therapy dog.  Can you imagine how great it would be to bring him to visit with deaf children?   Dogs need to pass a series of tests to become certified, and they are not easy, even for dogs without disabilities.  I won't be disappointed if we never get to that point, but it is something to reach for.

One step forward, two steps back.

We had our recheck appointment yesterday and the results were not so good.  

First of all, my heart sunk when she hopped on the scale and she had gained only three pounds.  I knew our progress was slow, but it was even less than I had expected.  I feed her more than I ever fed Jax or Laila when I was fattening them up and she is a way smaller dog than either of them are.  This is worrisome.  With normal blood values, she should be gaining steadily.  There may be another underlying condition.  I am going to add high-calorie canned puppy food to her diet and see what happens in the next two weeks.  I'm hoping that she was just so physically damaged, that it's taking longer with her.

Secondly, my suspicions of an old injury were confirmed.  The x-rays revealed that she has had a broken hip.  There are multiple fractures that were never treated and have fused together improperly.  It nearly brings me to tears thinking of the pain she must have been in for so long after that happened.  Not to mention, this injury is certainly over a year old, and she had her last litter of pups only six months ago! It disgusts me. She was nothing but a puppy-making machine to that awful woman, no matter her condition.  Although it can not be proven by x-ray, there is a possibility of some nerve damage with that injury as well, which may be the cause of some of the weakness in the hind end.  The x-ray also showed an abnormality in her lower spine, possibly an infection.  We are treating her with antibiotics for that, as well as some Glucosamine and anti-inflammatory drugs for the hip.  Time will tell if either of those will help.  She will never be a runner, but many dogs live happily with bad hips their whole lives.

Another new discover was a heart murmur.  They didn't hear it last time, likely because her heart rate was so slow.  Now that she is stronger, the murmur was very audible.  Not all murmurs cause problems.  However, boxers are prone to heart diseases, particularly Boxer Cardiomyopathy (hello, underlying condition). This is a disease that is very familiar to me because nearly a year ago, my Asia died of an uncommon form of it.  The problem is that without extensive (and expensive) testing, there is really no way to determine if her murmur is indicative of this.  She could live normally for years with Cardiomyopathy, but eventually, it would be the cause of her death.  Maybe when she was 4, maybe when she was twelve.  You just don't know.  The drugs to treat it would be life-long and are very high-priced.  We are not going to do anything for the murmur at this time.  She shows no typical symptoms of heart disease.  We want to see if she gains the weight.  If she doesn't, then we may be forced to accept that her body is working so hard to take care of her heart, that the rest of her body is unable to thrive. 

I'm sure some people wonder if we are going too far.  She has so many problems.  She is now taking seven pills a day.  I assure you. Callie's well-being is my first priority and if I thought for one minute that she was suffering, I would let her go.  Although she is in rough shape, she doesn't know it.  She feels good and is happy.  She is loving life.  Until yesterday, I wondered if she had actually bonded with us.  I got my answer when I picked her up from the clinic after work.  She was so happy to be "home" that she was smiling the biggest doggy smile ever while she bounced around with the other dogs.  She deserves a fighting chance. We are doing the right thing. 

That said, I know that her not making it is a very real possibility.  If, in the end, that is the outcome, I will have no regrets.  If these are her last days, at least she is getting to feel happiness and love and is a part of a family. 

Slowly but surely.

Callie improves daily, physically and mentally.  Her body condition is still far from normal and had you not seen her 2 weeks ago, you would be appalled at how skinny she is.   I was hoping she would be further along physically, but slow and steady is all she can take.  Still, I can't believe the changes.  Tonight, she had her first  (probably her very first ever) bath.  She did great.  I'm sure she knew that she couldn't possibly get out of the tub anyway,  but she never struggled and even seemed a little relieved.  It was like she was letting part of her old life go down the drain with the dirt.  Which, by the way, there was a ton of!  Boy was she proud when she got out and dried off.  She scrambled around the yard faster than I have ever seen her go.  In the dim evening light, she actually looked like a normal dog for a while.

She has really taken to Jonathon.  She is the first foster that hasn't been afraid of him in the beginning.  She is also doing fine with the other dogs.  She has snapped at Dixie a couple of times, but never anything to worry about, she just wanted her to back off a little.  Females tend to be that way toward other unknown females, particularly in boxers.  They have both picked up on the fact that she is fragile and even Jax is careful around her for the most part.  She really wants to run with them, but she falls down so often that I don't let her for fear that she will be trampled.  Some day.

We go in for her follow up vet appointment on Wed morning.  I'm anxious to see how much weight she has gained.  Thankfully, she has four sponsors!  I don't know how much money there is or how far it will go, but I already have the okay to get x-rays done on her legs.  Now that she is stronger, it is evident that there is something wrong with the left rear one.  We think it might be the hip, even nerve damage.  I think that at some point she had an injury, possibly a car hit her or she was kicked, and it was left untreated.  If it is surgical, the rescue will have some decisions to make.  Some orthopedic surgeries can cost over $2000 and that is a lot of money to spend on one dog when so many others need help too. 

If she can get back on her feet, she will make a great family dog.  She seems pretty smart and is definitely eager to please.  She loves to snuggle and doesn't seem to care what you do to her.  She has a gentle nature about her so I'm sure she would be good with kids.  This is thinking WAY into the future, but I hope she gets there eventually. 

Here are some new pictures!