Katy Could Use Some Paw Prayers

What started out as problems getting up off the floor, which we got help from a dog PT for eventually morphed into Cushing Disease. The medication for Cushing actually helped with her balance and overall strength but we've had additional complications and her kidney's are starting to shut down resulting in pancretitis. If she goes there there is no coming back. She is getting morning IV treatments at the vet and her Dog Dad is hand feeding her baby food but we could use some help with prayers from the Paw that she can react to the treatments and get eating again or we could be looking at a very sad scenario.

I had wanted to write about this journey earlier but there is so much going on with caring for Katy and lots of non-Katy stuff that is great but time consuming that I avoided doing something that was going to be hard. It is hard to write about Katy not being strong, stubborn, and feisty.

I also wanted to record this for anyone else struggling with helping an aging dog with balance and stability issues because I didn't know what to do or where to start. First if you have the option consulting with a dog PT was worth it. The exercises and information on what we could do to help and what wasn't helpful was worth the consultation. We didn't end up going back for further visits because we started the Cushing treatments and then had food issues but I do plan on using the exercises to increase Annie's strength and flexibility as you don't have to wait until they lose strength to build it.

The harness Katy is wearing is the Help 'em Up Harness. I write this in case we do need to find another one down the road.

Reviews can be great or they can confuse you more if you don't know why someone purchased a product, what they were dealing with at the time. Katy has strength in her front legs and once stabilized can stand on her back legs. However, her back legs are weak, especially if she's been laying down. I had trouble helping her up off the floor and what became really scary at times were the stairs as without restraint she would fly down or barrel roll on the stairs even with the ramp a neighbor kindly loaned us to make going down the back stairs doable. The harness gives you the human a means of picking up and stabilizing the dog without hurting either you or the dog. We chose this one based on the suggestion of her PT and if needed I'd purchase another one because it has made a huge difference in being able to give her confidence in moving around.

The critisms I've read generally refer to dogs who no longer have the ability to stand once brought to their feet with the help of the harness. The dog is a dead weight in the harness if they can't support any of their weight on their legs. I've never reached this stage with a dog but the few people I know who have generally have had to move to more stabilizing equipment to allow the dog mobility as the harness isn't the right tool.

I meant to write all of this down in other posts earlier for my own records and to share with you. It has just been too hard to face. If I didn't write it maybe I could ignore it. However, having reread my Bailey posts I want to make my future posts balanced not as health updates but records of what an amazing dog she is today. Tomorrow I hope to get to talking about what an great night Annie and Katy had hanging outside for Halloween.

Our Hearts are Breaking

The call came this morning, the one we've dreaded. Our hopes had been raised all weekend and this week. Bailey had been his old self more than ever. He's loving the rice and beef diet. He's out chasing the bunnies. He's playing ball like he hasn't wanted to in weeks. Yet, the sad fact is that he has Lymphoma and we are looking at weeks to perhaps a couple of months with our beloved first pup.

I warned myself yesterday, when they called to say the tests were delayed because they wanted to do further testing. I hoped against hope they would tell me it was just being diligent because they hadn't found anything, but a little voice kept warning me.

That being said I'm grateful for this time of hope and enjoyment of his renewed energy, no matter how long it lasts. Even now it is hard to appreciate his renewed life when all I can focus on is losing him. This weekend I focused on loving him and enjoying his company. I appreciated what an amazing gift his life is to our family.

Right now all I can do is cry as I think about losing him and how horrible it will be not to find him constantly at my side when I need him. I want to go back to just loving him for how ever long I have him, but I can't stop the tears.

I know many of you have been there. My own Mom lost her dog to Lymphoma just this week. It is just hard to accept that Bailey won't be here for Thanksgiving and Christmas. That's how close a time we are looking at. Not years from now, but simply the next holiday Halloween is even questionable. He loves greeting the kids when they come for candy. That's a tough blow.

We ask for your continued prayers for Bailey and Katy. I'm not sure how she is going to deal with all of this. She and Bailey have always been close and it has already been causing her stress.

No Official News But Liking New Diet

We wanted to thank our Blogville friends for all your prayers. As we said we don't expect any news from the vet until tomorrow, however, Monday's post was preposted over the weekend since Mom was going to be busy on Monday and wanted to make sure the news got out.

Bailey has been eating his beef and rice diet and hasn't been sick once since he started. He's also tolerating his meds. He's been more active since he started eating and that has made everyone hopeful, too. He even helped Katy flush out a bunny this weekend.

It's the first time in months he hasn't turned his nose up at his bowl. In fact instead of running away from his bowl, he's been fighting to keep it from being picked up off the floor, so he can have one more lick to clean up any last scent of the food. That alone is a wonderful change. That is the way he used to eat with the exception of the summer doldrums, the bowl often moving across the pad to get the last possible crumb. There are no guarantees, but the vet seemed to believe he wouldn't start doing better if the worse diagnosis was true.

We will know more tomorrow and we have lots to learn if it is IBS.

Prayer and Good Wishes Request for Bailey

Dear Blogville friends, we are asking all of you for your prayers and best thoughts. Bailey has had some challenges the past few weeks. While he's always been a finicky summer eater, not eating at all is not his way. At his vet's suggestion we've changed food and tried a variety of things, but his weight had dropped dramatically. This past week we took him in over several days for a variety of tests. At first we the were afraid a tumor was the only answer based on the things discussed. However, as tests have continued, we have hope that it might have a more treatable option as the tests have shown no cancer or tumors to this point.

The tough part is with the Labor Day holiday we will have no answers until Wednesday as they took lots of samples to test during an endoscopy on Thursday. We are feeling more hopeful as he has started eating since we started treating for IBS and he is eating rice and beef. Both vets we consulted decided regardless of diagnosis getting him to eat was a priority and if it is IBS getting him on the treatment and diet can only help. He even has gained back a little weight.

Katy has been really stressed out as Bailey has often been gone for a day at a time for his tests. While normally a healthy Sheltie barker, when Bailey has been gone she's stopped barking at all and is highly stressed until he's back home safe.

The Evil Cancer Strikes Uncle Shadow

Dear Paw Friends we are asking for all your dog prayers and wishes. Our Grandma's best pal Shadow, a Miniature Schnauzer has terminal cancer and grandma is devastated. Shadow gave Grandma the strength to get through the loss of Grandpa to cancer and she just lost her sister, Mom's Aunt, to cancer a couple of years ago. We are praying that Shadow has an easy trip over the Rainbow Bridge and that Grandma is able to deal with another loss to the evil cancer.