My Fire Hydrant

Angela (Pet Care R&D) with Cheech, Asanya, and Samson (AKA Bubba). 

"All of my pets are seniors now, which makes them all-the-more valuable to my husband and me. Even though they're way passed the puppy years, we still catch them doing the most adorable things."

I was visiting my Aunt Martha a few days ago, and was struck by how beautiful she and her cat, Black Kitty are together. 

First, let me say thank you for those of you who have left comments of support and those of you I’ve talked with. We all love our furbabies, and your kind words are treasured.

I hospitalized Bailey this morning.

Yesterday morning she had to be coaxed to eat her biscuits. She flat-out refused the MiniChunks. In the afternoon I noticed a slight change in her behavior. She was a little more confused than normal (she’s almost 14 and I’ve noticed signs of canine dementia for quite a while).  And she totally lost interest in her biscuits. We made her some lean hamburger for supper–she reluctantly ate it. By bedtime she only took a couple of laps of water. She didn’t wake me during the night to get her off the bed for a drink and potty–I woke her at 4 AM–she very reluctantly went out to potty and had absolutely no interest in water. I knew then that it was time.

So at 7 I got up and got dressed–normally Bailey would have moved from her pillow at the head of the bed to the foot of the bed in prep to getting down, but not today. She refused water, food, and she wouldn’t go out to potty. I called the clinic–both Dr. B (our usual dogtor) and Dr. C (our stand-in from Friday) are off today, but good fortune smiled because Dr. T was in. I used to work with Dr. T, so I knew we would be in very caring hands.

The folks who work at the BR clinic are so wonderful! The 2 receptionists were so caring and empathetic as we waited to see the vet tech. They made a point of coming out from behind the counter and giving Bailey a scratch and me a pat. They are such lovely people.

We met first with the vet tech who got Bailey’s vitals. Dr. T was actually scheduled for surgery–but he was able to put it off so he could meet with us first. He did a very thorough exam, asked me lots of questions, looked over Bailey’s records, and took lots of notes. He also did x rays of her lungs and her liver.

The lung xray was to make sure that there was no cancer in her lungs. They’re clear.

The liver x ray was to see if we could get any hint of what might be happening. Her liver is enlarged, but Dr. T also had an x ray of her liver from a year ago and her liver was enlarged then, too. So no significant change in the size of her liver over the past year. He also looked at her blood-work–again, we had the same panels from last year and there’s no significant change.

He called Bailey “our little enigma.” He said that between the blood-work and the x rays he cannot find a reason for her symptoms and maybe we’re looking at a combination of things. Some of the older dogs he treats have lately had more problems with arthritis because our weather has been so cold. Also, he confirmed something that my friend from work Dr. Amy said to me yesterday: Sometimes older dogs who have symptoms like this simply need some fluid support to snap out of it. I’ll call him later this afternoon to see how she’s doing.

One thing I know for certain: we will not do any “heroic” measures to prolong Bailey’s life. I will not put her through invasive surgery or chemo. Her comfort is my paramount concern–and I will not consent to causing her pain just so I can have her companionship for a few extra months. This is a decision I made 4 years ago when we discussed putting her through chemo and radiation. And please understand, what’s right for me and Bailey is not what I consider right for every pet owner. We each make our own decisions based on our own experiences and knowledge of our pets.

I will probably have the dogtors take care of the bad tooth that Dr. C found on Friday–but I need more information about it before I make a decision.

So Bailey is now in hospital, and I miss her like crazy. The house seems empty without her here. But I still feel confident that I’ve made the right decisions. Keeping her home over the weekend allowed her to rest comfortably, and made me feel better too. But today her condition is beyond my skill and she needs the help of professionals. I’m going to do my best to keep thinking positive and hang on the idea that many dogs snap out of these symptoms after fluid support at the vet’s.

But, oh Dog! the house is so quiet.

It’s been a long time since I posted an update on my little girl. Today, we went to see our favorite veterinarian, Dr. B., for Bailey’s monthly check up.

 In case you didn’t know, Bailey was diagnosed with cancer over 3 years ago, had surgery to remove her left anal gland and 2 lymph nodes, and given only a few months to live. That was in December, 2005. Since that time, we’ve gone monthly to our vet to keep track of any resurgence of the cancer. Some people might think the money would have been better spent paying off my Visa bill, but I disagree.

To check the status of Bailey’s cancer, Dr. B must (OK, this may gross you out) stick her finger up into Bailey’s butt. It’s a really good thing that Dr. B is a petite person–her fingers are small! And today we found…….everything NORMAL, NO CANCER! [[doing my happy dance!!]]

Bailey’s heart is beating very well–no murmurs, her lungs sound good–she’s taking nice deep breaths, her reflexes are good (though her back legs are a little weak), and her weight continues at 18.9 pounds.

Now the other side of the coin: her cataracs have gotten noticibly worse–Dr. B has said that every visit for the past 3 months. I suspect my girl is going to be blind very soon. And I have been a very neglectful mom in that I have gotten out of the habit of cleaning her teeth and it’s starting to show!! BAD MOM!!! (where’s the rolled up newspaper?) I have GOT to make a better effort to brush her teeth!

We also discussed the fact that Bailey has had a few more incidents of  “backwards sneezing” lately, and some rough breathing. Dr. B. feels very certain that this is due to environmental allergies which we will take care of with some baby Benadryl.

When the exam was over, Bailey retreated to her Sherpa bag–her safe place. Poor sweetheart! Not only did we inturrupt puppy nap time for the vet visit, but she had to undergo the indignity of having her butt checked! One of the wonderful women who work at the front desk at the clinic gave Bailey a cookie, which didn’t exactly make up for her lost dignity, but which certainly helped make her feel better.

Small Paws Rescue Bichons on PetFinder.

This week I’ve been highlighting a few of the special-needs pets available through PetFinder.com. If you’re looking to adopt, think again before you bypass an animal that might have a disability or is older. These pets need love too!

This is Harper and Polly. They are a bonded pair–which means they must be adopted together. Small Paws Rescuehas dropped the second adoption fee so a lucky someone can adopt 2 little fluffy sweethearts for the price of one! Harper is around 14 years old, Polly is around 11 years old. Harper spends most of her time snoozing–though she likes her share of cuddles and kisses. Polly–though she’s bonded to Harper–will follow her human around and enjoys lap-snoozes. Both of these girls will potty outside–though Harper needs to be reminded when it’s time to go. These girls are being fostered in northern California.

Two very sweet old girls for one low price! Such a deal!

This is Walter. Walter is a sweet little gentleman who gets along with other dogs–in fact, it is recommended that there be at least one other dog in his forever home. He is between 9 and 11 years old. He doesn’t hear well, and his eyesight has started to cloud up, but he enjoys his foster home canine playgroup when they romp around in the back yard. He is housebroken, but he does wear a belly band so that there are no accidents. Walter is being fostered in northern California.

Is there a place in your heart and your home for Walter?

Small Paws Rescue Bichons on PetFinder.

This week, in honor of Adopt-a-Less-Adoptable-Pet Day, I’ve been featuring special-needs Bichons from Small Paws Rescue who are listed on the PetFinder site and are available for adoption. Today it’s Greg, who makes me want to cry because he looks so much like Bailey.

Little lover!

Greg has spent nearly all his life in a commercial puppy mill. He must be placed in a home that already has a socialized dog, because he needs another pooch to show him how to be a pet! He was born in 1993, and is mostly potty trained. He is being fostered in California.

This sweet boy deserves your love!

Small Paws Rescue Bichons on PetFinder.

In case you didn’t know, yesterday was ADOPT-A-LESS-ADOPTABLE-PET DAY. What kind of pet is less adoptable? Older pets. Pets who have behavior problems (like shyness or lack of house training). Pets who’s fur is dark. Pets with handicaps. To help bring attention to these pets, Petfinder.comdesignated yesterday as Adopt-a-Less-Adoptable-Pet Day. And because I have a special place in my heart for Bichons, I decided that this week I would highlight a Small Paws Rescue Bichon from Petfinder each day.

Just $75 buys you a soft bundle of lovin'!

This is Casey, a Small Paws Rescue Bichon being fostered in Connecticut.

Casey is 11 years old. She doesn’t like cats much, but she would be very happy to live with another dog as her friend. Like my Bailey, she needs a little help when it comes to stairs. She is house trained and also walks well on leash.

Are you looking for a little cuddle-bug? Casey is looking for you!

Reco = Recommendation

TODAY IS ADOPT-A-LESS-ADOPTABLE PET DAY! So my net recommendation for today is www.Petfinder.com.

 You’re reading a pet blog, so I’m assuming you’re into pets and you probably already know about Petfinder.com. You may have even found a four-legged friend to adopt from Petfinder. But have you taken the time to get to REALLY KNOW this site?

In addition to an excellent “Search for a Pet” tool, there are some really good training articles on the site, as well as some pet health articles.

The site also hosts forums like the Ideas and Helping Hands board where  folks can discuss ways to help pets. 

There’s a Fun pagewhere you’ll find ecards, games and videos. There’s also a Petfinder Bog!

And so many available widgets! I had a really hard time choosing one for the Fire Hydrant!

Lastly, because this is Adopt-a-Less-Adoptable-Pet Day, here are links to a couple of Happy Tails about Cow and Cooper a dog and a cat who had special needs and were adopted by special people. Enjoy!

Small Paws Rescue Bichons on PetFinder.

TODAY IS ADOPT-A-LESS-ADOPTABLE-PET DAY!
From the PetFinder.com site: “Some pets are ‘less adoptable,’ but they’re just as lovable!”

"I wuv my wittle frwaggie!"

This is Joey3. He’s a special-needs Small Paws Rescue Bichon-Poodle mix (a Bichiepoo) being fostered in Minnesota. Joey is a young dog–he’s only a year old–but because he had a severe ear infection, he is deaf. He may have spent some time in a puppy mill. He’s a shy guy until he learns he can trust you. He’s very smart and (because of his deafness) has learned hand signals for commands. He doesn’t know yet how to ask to be let outside to pee, but he will go potty outside when given the opportunity (so it’s important to keep him on a schedule). He likes to sleep in his crate at night. He needs to live with another socialized dog.  All of his shots are up-to-date and he has been neutered.

He needs a home! How can you resist that sweet face!?