Disco dog

Zachary came home Friday afternoon.  The vet has referred to his condition as "disco," which the discharge papers tell me is shorthand for discospondylitis, an infection in the intervertebral disc, located specifically @ L1-L2 and T6-T7.  It requires treatment with antibiotics for at least six months, which is why we were seeing it recur after two week treatments were concluded.

He still has no use of his back legs but the front end was decidedly perkier today and he was able to walk to the house with me carrying the back end in a sling.  He's glad to be home and he will be even happier when Clay gets home tomorrow.

When you are caring for a loved one who is ill, human or canine, the goal is always to get them out of the hospital and back home. Insurance companies push for discharge for human patients for financial reasons and I was pushing for it here for the same reason.  I really couldn't afford to have him there any longer.  But the scary thing about getting your patient home is that you no longer have that professional care and backup.  It's all on you.

I got a quick lesson on transporting the dog, physical therapy for his legs, and expressing his bladder. It appears that the sling has the effect of expressing the bladder by itself, and that's ok by me.  I cleared out a corner of the kitchen nearest the door. I put down a layer of cardboard followed by a rubber pad, then a big bolster crate blanket and several more blankets on top.  That should be enough insulation under him to keep him warm and enough padding to prevent bedsores.  I set up an exercise pen around him, not to keep him from moving since he really can't, but to keep the other dogs from bothering him.

He seems pretty content with it all for now.  I hope that we'll start to see him regain his mobility so he can function normally again.

Zachary update

I visited Zach again today at VRCC in Richmond.  He was more animated, he tried to get up, he did sit up using his front legs but he still has no use of the rear legs.  He was happy to see me and he wanted to come with me, but he settled down quickly enough when I left.  I met the neurologist face to face (she wasn't in the night we came in and we've only talk by phone since then).  His condition, his recent history, and his xrays all point to having an infection in one of his lumbar vertebrae.  Although he improved after each round of oral antibiotics, it wasn't enough to actually wipe out the infection so it returned.

He's still on IV antibiotics but will switch to oral tomorrow and I plan to bring him home tomorrow. We'll care for him at home over the weekend and see if there is any improvement in his condition by Monday.

Obviously when there's a sick dog that one's needs become the immediate priority, but there's still a dozen others for the regular daily routine.  They aren't getting the recreation and exercise time I like for them to have, but everyone's getting by.  Toquima went back home today and I had planned to move Anna indoors when he did, but I think that's going to wait for now until we get Zach sorted out.  I'm still waiting on the results of the blood work on her anyway.  Patch is doing really well now and is acting like a member of the household.  He's still on medication and will be for a while, but he really could move to another home at this point, foster or permanent.  I think his staples will need to come out next week and I'll be glad when I can bathe him again because he's still rather yeasty smelling. There's an adoption event in Gainesville on Sunday, but whether I go or not is still up in the air, depending on how it goes with taking care of Zach at home this weekend.

It's telling that most of the pictures I've found of Zachary on my computer are pictures of him from vet visits.  This dog has had a lot of them. Fortunately, he's probably the easiest dog we've ever had when it comes to performing any kind of treatment on him.

Visiting Zachary

Few things can make me feel as helpless as dealing with a loved one's illness.  A wise man said to me that it's tough when ones we love are suffering, regardless of how many legs they have.

There will be no hospital pictures of Zachary.
Here his is the middle of a pasture romp just after getting up from a soak in the water tank.
When he's hot he just gets in and lays down, getting completely wet from the neck down.

Zachary is still hospitalized at VRCC.  He's getting IV fluids and antibiotics.  His condition hasn't changed but the treatment was just started today so that's not surprising.  I drove over to visit him late this afternoon.  He was happy to see me, but not distraught when I left.  He appeared to be comfortable and they had a nice set up for him with blankets, plenty of room, and a pillow to lay on up against the wall.

We ruled out doing surgery. I think this is a recurrence of an infection that has been afflicting him periodically over the past six months or more.  He starts getting sick, we treat him with antibiotics and he gets better, but it comes back after the medication is stopped.  Based on his history, I just don't think this is a problem that will have a surgical solution.  It may not have a solution at all, but we are going to give this a try for a few days at least to see if it helps.  This all seems to date back to when we had his spleen removed, and maybe it all has the same underlying cause, I don't know.

He doesn't appear to be in pain, but we can't let him linger for long without the use of his back legs.

A vast expanse of the sky looked like this today, late afternoon.

Anna's spay day

Loading up, heading to the vet for spay day.

Clay was out of town so I had to get Anna to the vet before 8:00 a.m. this morning.  If he's in town he will usually drop off a dog at the vet on his way to work.  With him out of town I had to get up, get moving, and get out of the house far earlier than usual.  I'm generally up early, but if everyone's quiet and content I may get a cup of coffee and watch TV in bed until Gigi decides it's time to actually get up.  This morning I had to get everyone out to do their business and back in so that Anna and I could head to town.

I voted on the way home from the
vet, after picking up some straw.

She was due to be spayed today and I had also determined that we needed to do some blood work on her because she doesn't seem to have gained any weight.  She's really tough to weigh because she refuses to sit or stand on the scale, but it confirmed what I had suspected, that she has not gained an ounce over the past couple of weeks in spite of twice daily feedings.

Anna's belly, with prior spay scar

Anna on the ride back home.

The vet's office called late morning with the happy news that they had not done the surgery because she was already spayed.  They got her sedated and shaved down and discovered a spay scar.  They drew the blood and performed part of the tests in-house and everything looked fine.  They are sending a sample out to a lab for more extensive tests, including the EPI (exocrine pancreatic insufficiency) test.  EPI is a problem that plagues many shepherds, and if that's all it is, an exzyme supplement should sort it out.  We should know more in a few days.

A poster on the wall of an exam
room at VRCC.  I was in the same
room with Gigi after her rock eating
experience some time ago.

Clay got home Tuesday afternoon and that evening we ended up making a trip to VRCC over at the west end of Richmond.  It's a vet clinic staffed with various specialists and it's open 24 hours a day for emergencies.  Zachary was having increasing problems walking throughout the evening and got to the point that he couldn't move or use his hind legs at all. They did an exam, his vitals were all pretty normal.  He's spending the night there and they will do blood work and xrays.  The neurologist will examine him Wednesday morning and we'll go from there.

The Venn of dog adoption

I've had a hand-sketched Venn diagram sitting on my desk for a long time.  I had a thought quite some time ago and wrote it on a post-it note.  It's been sitting around long enough to have gathered quite a bit of dust, although that doesn't take too long in my office.

The idea was generated by thinking about what makes a good adopter.  I had shepherds in mind when I drew it, but it really applies to any dog adoption.  The idea came to mind again today when someone with VGSR sent an email saying that so-and-so had grown frustrated with the process and were going to get a dog elsewhere.  (That means they are going to buy a dog from a breeder.)

The Venn diagram above illustrates my thinking about potential adopters.  It seems that there are three things that need to come together for a successful adoption:  (1) a good person, (2) wanting a dog, (3) who is smarter than the dog.

A good person will be someone who wants to help a dog in need.  It will be someone who recognizes that dogs are living beings, not machines.  Dogs, like people, are not perfect.  Dogs, like people, do not come with guarantees.  A good person won't dump a dog who chews something, takes a shit on the rug, or develops a medical problem.

Obviously a dog adoption requires a person who is wanting to adopt a dog.  Sometimes people don't know they want one and that's why we do adoption events, trolling dogs in the front of weekend shoppers who came to a particular shopping center looking for shoes, groceries, or a cup of coffee.

One of the biggest obstacles is the mass of people who are not smarter than the dog they want to adopt.  That's particularly a problem with shepherd adoptions.  You must be smarter than the dog to adopt the dog.  That excludes a lot of folks.  You hate to be the one to tell them, but someone has to.

Trooper and Maya are far from perfect but are perfect for me.
Neither is a "starter shepherd." 

A lot of first-time adopters fall into the "nice, but clueless" category at the intersection of "good people" and "people who want dogs."  When you have a nice person who wants a dog but doesn't have the first idea of what dog ownership requires, you have an opportunity but that sort of person will require a lot of care and handling.  I once had an applicant ask me what a particular dog would do while she was giving a dinner party.  That pretty much ended my interaction with that person.  You can put an easy dog with someone like that, but very few German Shepherds can be considered "easy."

Public adoption events often attract great people who know what it means to have a dog (check off the "good" and "smart" boxes).  They are obviously good, responsible owners, but they have all the dogs they need at the moment.  You talk to those folks anyway, it's a pleasant respite from talking to stupid people, and someday they will need a dog and you hope they will adopt.  This is where you hear: "Oh, I wish I had a farm, I'd take them all"  or "I'd love to have a dog but I live in a small apartment," "I work long hours" or something along those lines.  It's good that people know their limitations, but if you aren't looking to adopt I'm not going to waste a lot of time talking about your hopes and dreams for the future.  I have my own.

The most frustrating group, infuriating really because they should know better, are those that are smart enough and do want a dog, but are holding out for the "perfect dog."  News flash, that dog doesn't exist.  The closest thing is stone garden sculpture of a dog who won't get sick, won't grow old, won't growl at, bark at, or bite your children, neighborhood kids, in-laws, or babysitter.  These folks have a list of attributes that they require, good with kids, cats, housetrained, won't chew or bark.  The dog must be no more than 2  years old, and be certified to be free of hip/elbow dysplasia and all other ailments, known or unknown.  Lacking the "good" element, these are people who will return a dog saying that it didn't live up to their expectations.

It's only that small subset of people with all three attributes that make really good adopters, particularly for dogs who are known to be less than "perfect."  Dogs that land in those homes have hit the jackpot and when we spot adopters like that, those are the people I'll pursue.

Purcellville

Today I took Anna, Patch, Ochie, and Chloe to a VGSR adoption event up in Purcellville, VA.  It was a new venue for me although they've been doing adoption days there for a while now.  I've never gone because it's a 2.5 hour drive each way, but it was worth the trip.

It was Anna's first adoption event.  Although she gets along well with other dogs here at home, she snarled at dogs that approached her today, even those dogs she lives with here.  It was out of character for her and I have to attribute it to nerves and anxiety.  She also wouldn't let me out of her sight, so she was scared and nervous but she was fine with people and overall did very well.

Even though she's still painfully thin, it seems that this dog can not take a bad picture.

It was a very good day for Chloe, although she might not have realized it at the time.  She met a very nice new family.  They lived very nearby so she and I went to their place after we left the adoption event.  They've got a year old boxer/St. Bernard mix, two children, a cat, a nice home, and a huge fenced back yard.  Having raised that pup, who is still chewing things up when they leave him home alone, I can't think that Chloe is going to give them any problems they can't handle.  I left her with them, and although I always hold my breath for the first few days after a new adoption, I can't imagine a better home for her and she really is an easy dog to integrate into a new home.  She was pretty anxious today too and stuck to me closely, but I think she will adapt and adjust quickly.



Ochie may have hit the jackpot today too.  A man stopped by who had lost a dog to cancer some time ago.  That dog had been a husky mix, so Ochie's appearance and energy level was attractive to him.  Ochie's energy is too much for me, but this guy has some land and a 20-something son who lives with him.  Between the two of them someone is home most of the time.  The son was working in the shopping center where we were so he came over and the two of them spent some time with Ochie and very interested in him.











Patch enjoyed the event as he always does, soaking up the love and attention from everyone he met.

He's looking and smelling better all the time, so I really hope we are getting things under control.  Even those patches of leather-like, elephant skin on his rear end are beginning to look better and cover up with some fur.

Visitors

Bella is aptly named, she's a beautiful girl.

Friday was another day off for me, but once again, I didn't do much.  That's ok, I guess.  I did do a few outdoor projects, and we had a couple of human and canine visitors in the afternoon.

Toquima meeting Bella

Coby had stopped by before when Patch and Anna were delivered.  He came again to meet part of the pack and Bella came along as well.  Both dogs did very well and enjoyed themselves.

We started out with the most rock solid pack member, not one of our own but the visiting Toquima.  That dog is worth his weight in gold.  When a dog makes a move on him that could be provocative, he doesn't escalate the tension or aggression, he de-escalates it instead.  His body language and responses say, "come on, let's play instead of fight."

Coby jumping onto the platform,
Toquima behind

Bella enjoying a run in the pasture.

After meeting Toquima we introduced Anna, and then Ochie.  After some dog yard time the five of them moved on out to the pasture for a really good romp.

The lovely Anna

More Anna

Bella and Ochie on one of the paths
through the tall grass

A meeting of the shepherd minds.
Toquima, Bella, and Coby

Not long after Bella and Cody left I got a call about a Great Dane found wandering on the road not far from me.  Gigi was standing in front of me when I took the call so I knew it wasn't her, but I jumped in the van and headed off to see if I could find the dog.  Someone had already found the dog and was holding him when I showed up.  He wasn't eager to get into the van but I convinced him and then delivered him to a safe place.  He's been reported as a found dog.  He had a rabies tag only.  The vet was called and gave the owner's contact info but the primary phone number was disconnected.  He's a beautiful Dane and obviously well loved and cared for, except for the fact that he hasn't been neutered.

[I just learned that Prince the Dane was reunited with his owners this evening.]









Friday evening Clay and I went to James River Brewery, but we stopped on the way to meet a 7 month old shepherd that the owner is wanting to surrender.  The dog has a condition known as megaesophagus, but it seems to be a relatively mild version and he's an adorable dog.  Mega-E is an enlarged esophagus which makes it difficult for the dog to keep its food down.  They often vomit which makes it difficult for them to gain weight, grow, and thrive.  All too often end up with aspiration pneumonia as a result of the regurgitation.

Maya assisted with meeting the pup to verify that he was good with other dogs.  A rescue group dealing with Mega-E is interested in taking him on.  I may assist with transport in a couple of days.

We proceeded on to the brewery in Scottsville, ordered a pizza, and had a couple beers before returning home.