Houston, we've got a problem

Not a good night for Gabby. We woke up to find red blood and poop all over the mud room. She's not eating or drinking and very lethargic. We are calling the vet at 9:00 when they open and taking her in.  Too much medicine? Who knows. We'll keep the blog posted as we know more.

Even BETTER than yesterday!!!

We are OVERJOYED to report Gabby is improving!!! She only had a few pee spots on her pad during the night. When Dick took her outside first thing in the morning, and before he could catch her, she walked down the stairs by herself.  She was able to go poopsie with slight difficulty but nonetheless WENT!! She continued to let the urine just escape her without stopping or squatting in a few areas and as she was going down the stairs.

After our breakfast, we took her on a walk and she was eager to sniff and smell in her old doggy way!!! This is a first in a long while! Again, when she urinates, it just comes out as she is walking.

Again, after lunch she sat at the back door so I let her walk down the stairs and she was able to pee in a few different areas! Still no squatting, but at least controlling it enough to wait until outside!!!!

We asked her to perform her trick of barking on command and her voice sounds like the olden days too! Very strong instead of a whisper or not at all! Yeah!

She is even hanging out with us more instead of just laying in her bed! Huge improvement!! Seriously, we are overjoyed and whistling happy tunes over here. We'll keep her on the double dose of medication and hope for the best.

In reviewing this episode, we tend to think...as she makes her way up our stairs to our room on occasion, she's been slipping sometimes. We think maybe she slipped the wrong way at some point and really inflamed her issues. Just as in humans, we can have a 'grabby back' or sciatica one day and with the right meds and 'cage rest' we can be good to go another 500 miles or so...

Hopefully with each passing day, she's able to gain strength for healthier days to come! Below is a pic I just took! Sitting on the floor by choice, being part of our every day, not cuddled in her bed!

UPDATE!

Well, just when you think we are taking a step forward with each day….we had a little set back….we can add vomiting to her list of ailments….she had a fairly normal day today…she has asked to go down the back to pee a lot more often than normal throughout the day but at least she has been holding it until she walks herself down the stairs! This evening, the diarrhea returned with the vomit, thankfully she was outside at the time. So, not sure where that came from….she ate part of her breakfast, a few treats from going outside but now refuses a treat and won't eat dinner. Oy vey!!

BETTER NEWS TODAY!!

We've been keeping Gabby in her little room at night with the puppy pee pee pads.  We woke up this morning and a normal poopsie was on the pad!!! YEAH!!! Soooooo happy!!! Crazy what makes us happy these days eh?

She appears to be walking better today and a little more like her old self!! We are soooo happy about this change as you can imagine!! Unfortunately, she still has no control over her bladder.  I took her out this morning first thing and she would not squat. Brought her in and her hind was wet. I gave her a bath, dried her off with the blow dryer and we both had 'a moment' together on the bedroom floor where we just laid with each other. We were both quite content for about 20 minutes. I got up and was brushing her and made her stand and her hind was full of pee again! So, into the bath again, another blow dry and cleaned up the pee. 

I put a diaper back on her and she is resting now.  The biggest problem with the diapers is that because of their fur, the only thing the diaper does is keeps the urine from getting on stuff….but it can and does sometimes leak out. 

We think it is a good sign that she is back to one of her old antics of stretching out!! She hasn't done this in weeks!

  

It's a rainy, drizzling kind of day today but we are hope that when it breaks we can take her for a short walk. Since we are doubling the dose of her Rimadyl/Carprofen, hopefully that will get her over this hump.  We'll know the signs to look for in the future and can increase the dosage to even 3 times a day according to her vet. We've just got to get this bladder to connect to her brain!! She's always been sooooo good at holding it so this is all very new.  

We are still trying to keep positive. Our heart goes out to her because we know she just want to be normal too. The more we think about it, the more we really don't want to go the surgery route.  We'll just keep plugging along for now.

Well, I’ve been terrible about blogging about Gabby’s job in Animal Assisted Therapy.  Especially today, I regret I didn’t write more often.  We’ve been thoroughly enjoying each and every visit and came to the point of being fairly consistent with 2-3 different elderly care facilities here in San Francisco.  But today I had to send the following email to the SPCA Program Gabby has diligently worked for the past 4 ½ years:

Good Morning,

It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I write to you this morning. Gabby has not been well for the past 2 weeks. We've had to cancel her last appointment due to a condition that recently came about....long story short, she has hip dysplacia and has had a bad flare up. Currently she is on cage rest, wearing a diaper and feeling pretty miserable. At this time as we look at our course of action, I'll have to remove her from active duty until further notice. 

I apologize for the inconvenience and I'll keep you posted on Gabby's progress.

Thank you!

The first signs of trouble began when she refused to jump on the furniture and would paw at us to pick her up to place her on it.  Next came refusing to go up the stairs in our house and uncontrollable shaking of her back and hind area.  We took her to her vet when she refused to even go on a walk and would not squat to urinate or defecate.  It was determined she had ‘degenerative disc disease’ and a possible prolapsed disc, which is highly prevalent in the Lhasa Apso breed.  Since she has been 2 years old, she’s been taking a veterinarian prescribed anti-inflammatory for hip dysplasia and knee joint issues.  We came home and the following day was back at the vet because her legs were worse.  They kept her for 2 nights on cage rest and observation to determine the next step.  They gave her extra doses and an injection of the anti-inflammatory meds to aid in the flare up.  When I picked her up she lost all control and began randomly defecating diarrhea and urinating.  Big problem, to say the least.

We bought baby diapers and cut a hole out for the tail but the sizing was all wrong.  We finally made a trip to the Pet Store for the official dog diapers and they are still not quite right but better.  Of course she hates to wear them.  Our first night home was pathetic.  She just looked at us and whimpered in a way we’d never heard before.

Today is Saturday and thankfully the diarrhea medication worked and she isn’t having that issue anymore.  She’s had a healthy appetite and hasn’t been whimpering anymore either.  An issue that seems to be getting worse is when she makes the attempt to twirl in order to potty, her legs drop from underneath her body and then she stops and just stares at us.  This leads to major lack of bladder control.  Also, she has always had a beautiful fluffy tail and unfortunately I just had to trim it down to the bare tail due to matting and getting in the way.

Medically speaking, her vet is presenting a few options at this time.  She is only turning 7 years old in April so she is still very youthful! Her x-rays were sent to a surgeon and they will be getting back to us this next week.  There is a procedure called a Femoral head ostectomy or Girdlestone’s Operation.  They pretty much remove the ball of the femor, and a ‘ghost like’ one is formed and the muscles in the hip mold and shape to assist the dog in walking and living a normal life.  The degenerative disc issue is non-operable.

We are trying to keep her comfortable and waiting to see the surgeon for our options.  It would be wonderful to wake up and all of this will be gone but I don’t see that happening.

Life Lessons

Seems like every time Gabby has a job, I get a review on lessons in life. What I was reminded today:


1.  An elderly man from Carrington, North Dakota. He says, "it was the perfect town to grow up in, and still is."  I said, "many cities could learn from it." He said, "no, we won't tell anyone, we'll leave them alone! We don't want anyone else corrupting it." hahah. He talked of his career during his youth and his eyes began to sparkle. He created shopping malls all around the world. He especially enjoyed living in Europe. He said, with the memory clearly in his eyes, "I loved my job. I loved working every day. It was fun!"


Gotta love what you do!


2.  91 year old African American lady, never had any children but was a nanny to 3 for a family. When the mother passed away, the now adult children called and told her and asked, "Can we call you Mother?" and she calls them her kids. They live back East but every birthday they send a card and money. She said, "I've lived my whole life, accepting everyone for the way they treat me, not by the color of their skin." Later in the conversation she told me that her "kids" were white.


Treat others the way you want to be treated!


3.  Elderly lady, with Gabby's head on her lap, telling Gabby, "I love you Gabby." I let them know, "Gabby loves you too!!" She then answered to Gabby, "I got your sugar!" 


"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return."




4. Crotchety older man in the corner says, "Is that a dog?" I answer, yes, this is my dog, Gabby, do you want to see her?" He answered gruffly, "No, I was bitten by a dog once! Get out of here!"


Being crotchety is unattractive!






I was recently asked, "What do you enjoy, where you just lose track of time?" I thought of gardening, listening to music, reading a good book, and of course, taking Gabby to her 'job'. Seriously, I can get so involved with the individuals, I completely lose track of time! There are so many people in need and so little time!! I am always reminded of how fortunate I am to have Gabby in this program and the time to share her with others. 

Hospice?

So when I received the list from SPCA of our assignments this half of the year, I won't lie....I was a little nervous about today.....

Today's location was in The Castro at a Hospice House. Yea, after only a few months ago, we were moments away of placing my father-in-law into Hospice care and here we are, visiting a Hospice Home. Well, one big difference is that the in this particular house, there are probably a few Aids Patients, along with other terminally ill. I talked about my reservations to my husband, prayed that I would gain the strength to deal with this. Well, as the day was approaching, again, it was clear, as in the past when I was unsure of an environment that I was unfamiliar being in.... "this has nothing to do with YOU Barbara! It has everything to do with the patients and Gabby spreading joy with the patients ability to LOVE and receive LOVE, unconditionally!

So, we arrived at our destination about 10 minutes early and went right to work.

Our first visit was with a 69 year old gentle man (yes, splitting the word on purpose). With barely a voice left, we talked about the past, pets that we owned that made an impression in our lives, Gabby antics and her day-to-day life. It was a sweet exchange all the while Gabby snuggled beside the gentle man in his bed. The patient received a personal phone call. I asked if we should leave and he nodded his head in agreement.

Our 2nd visit was with another elderly man, he did not state his age. Gabby felt at peace with him, crawled up to his upper arm, enjoyed his calm demeanor, and swiftly FELL ASLEEP!!! I asked the patient if he was OK and he answered, "Can you just leave her here?" How sweet is that? We talked more Gabby stories, his Christmas cards hanging on the wall, and the presence of Valentine's Day approaching and how he needed to purchase a few cards. Finally, after about 15 minutes, he said, "Well, maybe someone else will enjoy a visit with Gabby." Instead of saying Good-bye, sounding so "final".... I said, "Thank you for loving Gabby. She really enjoyed that."

Our next visit was pretty difficult. An older woman, lying in the bed, hands clenched together, eyes mostly closed, with another woman by her bedside. When we approached the patient, the other woman at her bedside said, "Mom, there is a little dog here to see you. Do you want to see the dog?" Ohhh, it was her daughter.....the patient really did not understand. After talking to her, placing Gabby on her bed, and talking some more...the daughter and I were able to get 'Mom' to open her eyes eyes a few times. She actually answered, "Yes" when asked if she liked dogs. Meanwhile, the daughter continued to get her mother to open her eyes, acknowledge Me or Gabby, pleading, "Mommy, do you want to see the dog?" the daughter was so desperate to get her mother to 'connect'.. This simple conversation made me ponder how death is so difficult on so many levels. There is no easy way out of this life. It is difficult for everyone involved.

Our last patient of the day was upstairs. Once we arrived, I placed Gabby on the woman's bed, as she sat in all of the previous visits. Gabby refused to lay down. She would only sit. The woman and I talked about Gabby's history, stories, blah blah, still, it was apparent that Gabby was not comfortable. Not sure why. The woman was very nice, talkative and pet Gabby on her chest the entire time. I just found it very odd that Gabby would not relax as she did on the other beds. Maybe after 45 minutes Gabby was tired of visiting? Did Gabby sense something else? Not sure.

We said our good-byes, thanked the staff, and directly behind us in the hallway, a funeral home personnel was arriving with a gurney to pick up a body. Yes, we were at a hospice home. Death is here, but you'd never know it with the sweet, loving, understanding staff that truly loved their roles.

So, as apprehensive as I was to arrive to this new place, I depart with a high regard for individuals who opt for such a position in working in this environment, am humbled in my own existence, forever grateful for each healthy breath I take, and thankful that Gabby played a roll in providing a bit of happiness and contentment to someones last days on this earth.

We'll return to this particular home later in the month and THIS time, I'll truly look forward to spreading our love and reaching out to those who need it most. Yup, chalk this one up for another successful visit.

Happy New Year!

Tuesday, January 24, 2012 Gabby had her first job of the year. We returned to one of our favorite locations. It was soooooooooo crazy! I tried something new, parking in their parking garage that allows visitors. Well, apparently they DON'T allow visitors. I wasn't "approved" prior so it made A LOT of confusion. Finally, they ended up giving me a spot.....Funny thing? There were TONS of empty spots!! This is an elderly residential care facility and not many DRIVE so there were sooooo many spaces available!! As I left the garage and walked up the stairway, I was all turned around by not walking into the front door as usual. I asked someone to point me in the direction of the front door when a worker saw us and was excited SPCA arrived! I explained that I was here to see a certain person in a certain program. She ignored me and literally whisked me away to a room I had never visited before. I again explained that all I needed was to find the front door because another program was waiting for me. Well, we entered a smaller room, elderly people in wheel chairs were sitting in a circle. I asked this gal to please let my gal know where I was and that I would be there shortly. We made our way around the room and most responded to Gabby. It was GREAT because the director in charge of the room just let me be! I told Gabby stories, she performed her 'tricks' as we made our way around the room.

We came upon a lady reclined in a chair. I told her Gabby's name and age. I asked her if she would like to see my dog. She was happy to reach out with her arthritic fingers to touch Gabby's soft fur. She looked right up at me and said, "You love Gabby?" I said, "Yes, I love Gabby." She said many times that Gabby was a lucky dog to have so much love from me. She explained that she can tell that I loved Gabby so much. It was the sweetest moment and she was so genuine.

Yea, I'd say Gabby and I are such a perfect match when we visit. It is such a great, giving feeling that we BOTH get, being close to those that are sometimes unreachable in our society.

After making our rounds in this one room, we departed and ended up in the room that had the original appointment. Thankfully, the director in this room is so sweet, she totally understood why someone would 'snag us up'. We made our rounds and we spent most of our time at a table of Chinese woman. It was very interesting. They haven't spent much time around a dog and did not know how to 'pet'. They would poke her face with a finger, tap her chin and poke her body. Needless to say, Gabby wasn't too pleased. She gave me a look that clearly said, "PLEASE, make them STOP!" It was hilarious!! Poor girl. I just allowed them to poke but would eventually take their hand and show them how to 'stroke' instead of poke. At one point, one lady poked Gabby's face so hard that Gabby YELPED!! We quickly ended the meeting.

One of the last people we visited was completely blind. This lady is such a beautiful woman. I don't know her story.....was she born blind or did it develop with age? I don't know. She isn't very old, maybe in her late 50's. Her heart is so unbelievably SWEET! She strokes Gabby lovingly as she speaks of wanting to take Gabby home, or teaching Gabby how to play dominoes with her! haaha!! She is amazing and I am always happy when she is in the room. We can learn so much from others.

So, the New Year is off to a GREAT start. We are working on our 3rd year of being in the SPCA Animal Assisted Therapy program and both Gabby and I could not be happier to reach out to the animal lovers of the world!