The Ups and Downs

Wienerfest was this past weekend.  Pogo did well travelling, hanging out with his doxie buddies and not over-doing his back.  We got to see former fosters (now adopted) and renew annual doxie friendships.  The day went by in a blur, the camera never made it out of the camera bag.

Part of not taking pictures, unfortunately, had to do with the "down" of this post.  Heidi was not well on the weekend and scared both her Mama and Uncle Robert.  She stopped eating and drinking around Thursday.  By Friday night, at the event, she was listless and severely dehydrated.  We syringed fluids down her throat overnight and blessedly, this year we had a vet on the picnic site.  Dr. Yellan gave Heidi sub-q fluids on the spot.  Home Monday morning to our own vet, we determined that Heidi was basically suffering from age and her paralysis.

She has an infection, her anal glands needed attention and an enema (sorry, sweetie, no secrets here).  Her bloodwork came back all normal (the vet was impressed considering Heidi is likely 14 or 15 yrs old).  Because Heidi has two fistuals as a result of her February dental, we believe she has little or no sense of smell, which can affect appetite.

Because she is incontinent and a wobble walker (at best) Heidi will be more prone to urninary tract infections, less movement/stimulation for her bowels and mild dehydration will not be consdered mild for her because of her age.

A little tweeking for the special needs girl:  I am warming her canned dog food to accentuate the smell for her (to stimulate appette) adding lots of water to the canned food (which is supplementing her kibble) and I have removed the doggie steps from the sofa.  Heidi will now hang out on the dog bed on the floor during the day.  The hope is that she will move around more and potentially drink more water as it will be on the floor beside her and she won't have to go up and down the doggie steps from her favourite sofa.

It just goes to show you that downed needs may be a little different, but you don't need to be a vet tech to care for a happy and healthy IVDD dachshund (or one that is getting up in age)

The backyard should be fenced in the next day or two, so Heidi will be able to motor about outside in her cart, so stay tuned for photos.

Pogo

Here is Pogo before his injury.  You can see some of his bald chest here.

Happy Dance!!

Pogo's stitches came out yesterday.  Dr. Kilburn is very pleased with Pogo's progress.  Normally, Pogo would go back for a check up in 6 weeks, but because of the distance (and my experience), Pogo does not go back for a check up for 12 weeks !!! 

Pogo's pain meds finished on Saturday.  He was a bit whiny Sunday night, so I gave him a bit of Metacam.  He is been fine for pain, but I notice him voluntarily going into his crate more.  Pogo is still on 2 more weeks of crate rest.  His crate door is open, when I am home and he has access to his pee pad (additional confined space, not quite as big as his crate).  The surgeon ok'd this, but Pogo seems to like his crate now (memory foam and a chewie, who wouldn't prefer the crate!)  I am sure this lull will soon be over and Mr. Pogo will be trying to live up to his name again.

Two weeks ago today

Two weeks ago today, I came home to find Pogo paralized.

This is the last look at his stitches, they come out tomorrow !!

He is doing very well.  One intersting thing I have noticed is that when he first came home from hospital, his bark was unusually high pitched.  As he has healed, his bark is returning to normal.  I think the reverberations of his usual bark hurt him, hence the higher pitched bark.

Today is his first day without ny pain medication and he seems to be doing fairly well.  Maybe slightly quieter, but that is not a bad thing.  The tail still wags madly in circle :-)

Mum calls this "crate rest", I call it JAIL !!

I ask you, is 6 weeks "jail" a fair sentence for one little jump?

Woe is me

Maybe if I rattle the bars with my bone, the "warden" (aka Mum) will let me out?

Day 8 Post Op.

Here is Pogo's incision Day 8 Post Op.  The swelling is going down, he is getting a waistline again.  There is a fine layer of fur starting to grow back as well.  Today he switches from pain meds every 8 hours (Tramadol and Gabapentin) to every 12 hours.  I can see him hurting a bit during the switch over.  Still on Metacam every 24 hours.  A warm Magic Sac will help ease the pain while waiting longer for his pain meds.

We are still not seeing a steady stream when he pees (Sorry Pogo, no secrets here).  It still comes in spurts, which is mostly due to the catheter.

Travelling safely AND in style !!

This is Pogo's new travel crate.  The base can stay seat belted in the vehicle, just pop the crate in and out.  I know the second photo looks tilted, but the base compensates for the tilt in a vehicle seat.  Installed in a vehicle, the crate is perfectly level.  Just the thing to keep our recoverying boy safe traveling the hour+ to his specialist appointments.

Pogo is doing well for one week today since surgery.  Both legs and the tail are working, now to get the right leg to the same level as the left, then strengthen both of them.  4 to 5 more weeks of crate rest to let that spine heal.

Every dachshund owner's worst nightmare

Every dachshund owner's worst nightmare came true for me last Sunday.  I came home from an all day Pet First Aid course, to find Pogo lying paralized on the kitchen floor.  I gently wrapped him in a blanket, into a crate in the car and off to the Veterinary Emergency Clinic we raced.

I have had experience with 4 downed dachshunds, but they all came to me already injured and past treatment.  I could not do any more damange to them by trying different therapies, etc.  This is my first "ground zeor" experience, with a walking dog who suddenly became injured.  Here is Pogo's "zipper".  He is now on 6 weeks crate rest.