29.5 pounds!

This just in - Freddie reports that Ruby's weekly weigh-in shows her at 29.5 pounds! That is amazing - and all of the credit goes to Freddie for taking charge of the doggie diet & exercise plan. Ok, some credit to Lady, too. Ruby just wants to keep up with her on the trails these days. I wonder if I can turn this into a Big Idea...

Who's the best kisser?

Sunday, September 30, was the annual Danbury Animal Welfare Society Walk for Animals. This year I had lots of help walking and raising money. Tara, Dan, P, E, & F joined Lady, Ruby and me on our 1.5 mile walk in the lovely village of Bethel, CT.

Because of my work assignment in Calfornia, I flew to CT on Friday, did the Walk on Sunday, and then flew back to Cali. It was totally worth the hassle of traveling to spend the weekend with my peeps and pups - especially when Lady brought home the blue ribbon in the 'Best Kisser' contest - yay Lady!!

Livin' Large

Snouts and Kisses is the equivalent of a luxury spa retreat for dogs. The picture here was sent by Lynne and Ellen while Lady and Ruby were their guests. They had an extended stay as Freddie spent 10 days with me in California.

I was a little worried that Ruby's snoring would keep everyone awake at night, but Lynne said that the 'snore award' went to a Maltese about 1/3 the size of Ruby.

Speaking of size, she's down to 30.5 pounds - Freddie's doggie cross-training and diet program is really working!

I'll be home next weekend for the first time in a month - can't wait to see my girls!!

When a 3-legged dogs swims, is in it a straight line?

Our mystery has finally been answered. Lady swims in a straight line (So there, E!) We saw it with our own eyes yesterday when Lady swam in the Lake:

Ruby was under the impression that she could walk on the lily pads - see how well that worked out for her:

These pups were tired after a day of fun at grandma's lake house!! So tired, in fact, that Lady almost slept in the car on the way home.

The continuing adventures of Ruby Phatz

Ruby is now in a groove - losing a half pound per week. She's now at 33.5 pounds - with about 13.5 to go. I know we'll eventually get there. What's great is how active she is. Yesterday, Freddie took her running with Lady on the Yellow Trail at Richter. It's not a really difficult one, but it is up hill and through the woods. He said she kept up with them the whole way - which is difficult because Lady is one fast tripod!!

Last weekend, I took her to see a canine physical therapist. Her name is Gale Henderson and she is amazing. Her business, Paws and Paddle Canine Conditioning, is in a great setting up in New Milford, CT. She has a room set up to do evaluations and treatment for the dogs - it has all sorts of things for the dogs to walk up, down and over, and she even has an underwater treadmill. You can sort of see the room in the picture here. Gale said that Ruby is very weak in her back legs - especially her hamstrings. Her luxating patellas are also a concern, so it's important to keep up with the weight loss, stretch out her hip flexors, and build the strength in her back legs. I have a set of exercises to do with Ruby, including putting a spring-loaded rod across the doorway and having Ruby jump over it.

Everyday Steve Irwins

In the past couple of days, I've witnessed some of what I'm calling "Everyday Steve Irwins" - regular people who make a point of living in harmony with the wild animals in our neighborhood. Here's what I'm talking about:

Monday, 7:12 am, driving to work: I took a right out of Autumn Drive and noticed a deer bounding across Aunt Hack Road. I slowed down, but noticed the car coming toward me had stopped AND was wildly flashing his lights at me. Anyone who grew up in the country knows that there are always at least 2 deer, so the driver was making a point to warn me. Sure enough, a few seconds later, the second deer came across the road. The other driver and I went on our merry way, pausing to wave and give the 'thumbs up' - acknowledging our pause.

Tuesday, 5:45 pm, on my way to PT. I drive on a lovely back road (yes, they still exist here) and, as I'm passing the pond, I see a pickup truck stopped in the road. The driver is moving something off the road and into the grass by the pond. My first thought was 'road kill' but then I realize he's moving a little turtle to safety. By crikey, mate, good show!

All you everyday Steve Irwin's out there - keep up the good work!

34.5 pounds and loving life!

Ruby is feeling fit and frisky - her last weigh in showed she's lost another 2 pounds. At 34.5 pounds, she's hardly done with her diet, but I can see she's feeling better. She has a lot of energy and is very, very playful.

She does show a love for chasing cars. Very bad and needs work - we can't run the risk of Ruby sushi.

Ruby's "before" photo

Ok, this is how Ruby looked when she first came to stay with me:

It's too bad this photo doesn't show her tail. When people see her tiny little head, rather LARGE body, and small tail, then it's easy to see how obese she is.

I took her to the groomer yesterday and she got a puppy cut for the summer - now all of her flab is easy to spot. Kind of like mine when I'm at yoga class - but seeing it just makes me work harder. I hope that trick works on Ruby, too!!

dat-de-dah.......Ruby Phatz!

So much has happened since my last post! For starters, our "pup" is almost 2! Her previous family sent her paperwork and her birthday is July 9, 2005. Amazingly, that is 3 days before we officially adopted Lady - is that a sign?

She's 1.5 pounds lighter - and about 17 more to lose. Dr. Feinman said that 3 - 4 pounds/month is a safe rate, and we'll get her there with diet and plenty of exercise. She does fetch the tennis ball, so we've taken to playing outside after dinner. That has the added benefit of tiring her out and she sleeps very well. We're in training for the Danbury Animal Welfare Society's Hound Hike at Tarrywile Park on June 3.

Did I say sleep? Of course she is now hopping up the steps at night and sleeping in our bedroom. The first few nights were shaky - Miss Lady was none too happy - but they've worked it out. Lady still has "on the bed" privileges while the little one stays on her own doggie bed.

And, finally, she has a name - Ruby Phatz. Ruby is the name of a hapless house maid in the series Upstairs Downstairs, and Phatz is, well, because she's got plenty of it (for now).

Around the block!

I left for the office this morning around 9:15 and got home around 5 - so it was a long day inside for Lady and the Pup. When I got home and took them outside, she seemed to have a bit more pep in her step, so when we got to our 1/3 around the block spot - we just kept going. Her legs weren't so wobbly and she appeared interested in where Lady was headed.

Once we rounded the corner, though, and she realized where we were, she made a bee-line for home! It was like watching Street Sense move up from the 19th position to win the Kentucky Derby!

She didn't eat her dinner tonight but isn't begging for food. Maybe in the morning she'll be hungry...

Bilaterally fluxating patellas

Puppy Fatz is certainly finicky about her food but I've just discovered that she likes almonds! And she had most certainly found her voice - just try approaching the house! Now I have 2 watch dogs!

We've made it only about 1/3 around the block and then have to turn home because her back legs get very wobbly, especially her left rear leg. Her medical chart says she has "bilaterally fluxating patellas" - and I can see her patellas fluxating the farther we get from home. But, as soon as we turn around to head back, there's a little pep in her step.

Lady has little patience, although she's decided that she must have her leash on if PF has hers on - and I have a lot of work to do to master the 2-dog walk (especially with Lady Roadrunner).

I've been able to work home the past two days, so the pups have had a lot of outside time. Tomorrow it's back to the office - we'll see how they do in the kitchen/mudroom together all day!

How does a puppy get to be 20 lbs overweight?

Last week I got an email from Kim with this subject: "Does Lady want a little sister?" Uh-oh, I knew I was in for it. Attached to the email was a picture of the happies - and fattest - little puppy I have ever seen. Her name is "Tina." She's a 7 month old Sheltie/Border Collie mix. She weighs 38 pounds - her ideal weight is closer to 20. She was surrendered by an elderly couple who obviously replaced exercise with food. I've never seen a puppy so obese.

I resisted at first - Lady has been the center of our household for 2 years now, how could we bring in another dog? Plus, she isn't always a 'lady' when it comes to spending time with other dogs (although she does great on her days at Wags). No no, we just couldn't do it.

Then I went to DAWS to pick something up and who was in the Real Life Room with Kim - little (well, not so litte) Tina. What a sweetheart. So full of kisses - but so out of breath! And her back end looked so unstable - carrying around all of that weight was obviously affecting her hip and knee development.

A few days later I took Miss Tina to Tail Waggers for a bath. I did the self-bathe - Jon and Terri got me all set up with the oatmeal shampoo and the groomers even clipped her matted feet up before we put her in the tub. Oy! The slippery pup tried her best to get out of that tub - good thing she was safely clipped to the leash! The filth came pouring off her and I could tell that my scrubbing felt good on her flaky skin. She wasn't a big fan of the dryer, so I did the best I could and then we continued our field trip...

Next stop was at Holly's to say hello and walk around the block with Reena. Tina huffed and puffed about 1/4 around the block and then sat down. Exhausted. It took us a l o n g time to get all the way around. After a drink of water, it was back in the car and back to DAWS.

I couldn't get her out of my mind. Because of what I'd been through with Lady, I knew I could help her. She wouldn't get the attention she needed at the shelter and she couldn't just go to any home. This dog needs to lose 20 pounds - more than half her current weight!

Freddie and I talked it over and agreed we could do it. Kim and Theresa brought Tina over on Thursday, May 3, to meet Queen Lady - it went surprisingly well. Kim and Theresa headed back down the hill and Tina stayed here with us. They left a crate for her, but that lasted about 2 days before I put a second dog bed in the mudroom.

I haven't taken Tina all the way around the block yet - just around the yard. Her hips and knees are wobbly because of all of the weight she's trucking around. We tried a hike at Tarrywile today but had to stay at the barn while Lady, Freddie, E, Dan and T went on ahead. I walked her - rested - walked again - rested. She's been very playful with toys - and now Lady has a renewed interest in tennis balls she abandoned last Fall.

According to Kim, Tina was hand fed a lot of table scraps and didn't show much interest in the dog food at the shelter. I started her on the Bravo! diet. The first night she ate, but didn't show much interest the second day. I wasn't worried - Dr. Feinman told me that a dog will eat when it is hungry enough. Yesterday she ate some raw chicken mixed with a little cooked chicken. This morning - Sunday - she ate a little of the Bravo! chicken blend. She and Lady had marrow bones in the afternoon - and then she ate the Bravo! chicken with a little cooked chicken as bait.
I'm surprised to report she is housebroken - so far no accidents.

Since Tina arrived at the shelter, no one had heard a peep from her. No barks. I'm happy to report that within one day of being with Lady, the pup is barking happily. She wants to play, she wants to run around and roll in the grass - I need to get this weight off of her so she can do that!

It's not going to be easy and I know it's going to take a long time for her to shed 20 pounds. I plan to get her bloodwork done (rule out thyroid and/or diabetes), take her to see Gail Henderson at Paws-n-Paddle Canine Conditioning (Gail is certified in canine PT and has a pool with an underwater treadmill), and take Miss Tina to see Dr. Feinman.

She's sound asleep at my feet right now. All of the fresh air, yummy food, playtime, and love, has tuckered this little creature out!

Now, about that name...Tina just doesn't seem to fit. More on that another time...

365 days ago...

Lady was using her leg but now I know she didn't even NEED it! She is amazing. Within two weeks of the amputation she was running around in the snow and loving life. On the Ampu-versary I'll recap this incredible year we've had with our angel Lady.

We celebrated our second Thanksgiving with Lady and this year we had baby Zoe! Our niece was here from Berkeley and the Pascopellas and Saders celebrated the holiday together. Auntie P fed Lady turkey and mashed potatoes and who knows what else. Lady is still sitting in the dining room by P's seat waiting for more.

Over the holiday weekend, Lady and I volunteered for DAWS to wrap gifts at Borders. People were very, very generous! THANK YOU!!

The point of diminishing returns

On Friday, December 16, Lady's leg was amputated. She had been going downhill fast and necrosis had set in. Some would say that we could've kept going, but the new wounds would have taken months to heal - with no guarantee that they - or the bone - would ever get back to 100%.

It was a very difficult decision, but seeing Lady walking around today vs. her struggles last week, she's eating, tail wagging and smiling again - I know that it was time to make that call. She'd been through enough in the past 8 months and it's time for her to get back to life being an active dog.

So, stay tuned for more on Lady's adventures as a tripod!

The roller coaster of healing

Lady came home from Norwalk with a bigger bandage, not a smaller one as I had hoped. Also, because the front splint had irritated her leg, the vet put on a side splint with a bandage that covers Lady's knee. As if she wasn't already mobility-challeneged, now she's got to contend with this. Plus, it had been only 2 weeks, so they didn't do x-rays so I have no idea if she is healing anymore.

If anyone is keeping up with this, you know that anytime Lady gets in a car it becomes the car ride from hell. So, to and from Norwalk - hmm, let's see, Lady in a crate, scampering, barking, and me afraid that she is going to injure herself in the crate. Splitting headache.

When I got home and unloaded Lady from the car, she came inside and sat down. She sat on the hip of her good leg, with the bandaged leg straight in the air. Odd, I thought, but maybe she is just uncomfortable. What bothered me most was that she was no longer using her leg. All of the progress we had made the week before was shot.

I called Norwalk and asked to speak to the vet who bandaged Lady but, of course, he wasn't available so Stella got on the phone. I explained what was happening with Lady and Stella said that they had seen this with other dogs, Lady was just not comfortable in her bandage. I should give her a few days to get used to it.

Me being neurotic me, I need definites. I have a problem being passive about things, especially when it's been 4 months and I am paranoid about little things causing big problems - like amputation-causing problems. So, I call Brookfield vet and make an appointment to take Lady in for a bandage check. Of course Norwalk tells me that Brookfield should not take off the bandage, so what really can the vet there do? He checks the bandage, makes a small slit in the bandage behind Lady's knee to loosen it up a bit, and we are on our way.

So, if everything is ok, the physical therapy should continue. We take Lady for another visit to the PT and she takes us through another series of weight bearing and range of motion exercises. I can do these at home and Gail says they will really make a difference in rebuilding Ladys' muscle mass.

Dr. Feinman wants us to now start working on Lady's behavioral issues. She specifically needs work with her car behavior and the way she freaks when we encounter other people and/or dogs on our walks.

Freddie and I will take Lady back to Norwalk for a bandage change and x-rays on Friday. More to report after then!

She's using the leg!!

Finally had a breakthrough the day before Thanksgiving. It had snowed the night before and, when I took Lady out for her morning walk, she USED THE LEG. Yes, that's right - she put the foot down and took actual STEPS!! WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

It was a long weekend, so I worked with her each day, doing the massage, the weight-shifting exercises, the cork, and taking her around the block. She continued to use the leg.

Lady had a lovely Thanksgiving - I think Auntie P fed her turkey under the table.

On Friday, I walked Lady over to the golf course - to the flag of the 12th hole. On Saturday and Sunday, Freddie and I lifted her over the stone wall and had more walks around the golf course. After all this time, to see her use the leg is unbelievable.

With the good comes the bad. The movement of her leg in the cast has caused skin inflamation, breakage, oozing and bleeding just below her knee. I almost had a meltdown last night - instead I got pissed at Freddie when he said I was being irrational. Ok, the dog is bleeding, in obvious discomfort. I don't know if it is an emergency or not. I do know that we've been mucking around with this leg since April and I don't want anything to go wrong.

Before tossing her in the car and speeding to Norwalk, I took a mental step back and thought about conversations with Dr. Feinman and the homeopathy books I've been reading. In referencing the text, I found there were plenty of things I can do to treat her wound until I can get her to Norwalk tomorrow to have her leg rewrapped. Dr. Feinman told me today that I can use the Aloe and Calendula solution he had given me for Lady's ears.

I cleaned up the wound, put on some antibacterial ointment, and put Lady to bed. Today I will hot compress, massage in the aloe and calendula soluion, and put clean cotton pads on the wound as best I can.

Tomorrow it's back to Norwalk. I'm hoping we take some new x-rays and that they can put a shorter cast on Lady.

No doubt, more to come!

Resorting to the cork

I continue to be a basket case over the dog. It is critical that we get her to bear weight on the leg. We have the set of exercised prescribed by the physical therapist, but last night Lady got scared and peed all over the carpet when we tried to do them. So, this morning, I gave her a lovely massage and then got out the tripe treats - Dr. Harvey's. She did the exercises in exchange for some treats.

I gave Gail, the PT, a progress report and Gail said to try the cork trick. So, I took a wine bottle cork, cut 1/3 off, put it between the pads of her good back foot and secured it there with gauze. Sure enough, it made Lady uncomfortable enough that she put weight on her bum stick. Gail said I could do that 2-3 times/day and that perhaps Lady would get to the point where, when she saw the cork, she would just start walking for me.

More to come...

Lady on Dogster

Check out Lady's Dogster page!

Half healed or half broken?

Lady is now pin-free - GOOD NEWS! Lady's leg is only 50% healed - NOT QUITE WHAT WE WERE HOPING FOR!

Stay calm, stay positive. Dr. Feinman feels we will definitely save this leg. I am now giving her daily doeses of the symphytum. We are taking Lady to the physical therapist on Saturday, because Dr. Palmisano said it is key to get her to start using the leg before the bone deteriorates too much.

So, in the 3 days that Lady has had no fixator (she is splinted) - she is starting to bear weight on the leg. It's been raining, so we are back to putting on her "boot" (IV bag slipped over her splint so her wrap stays clean and dry). The boot is a nightmare. I am going to try to invent a shower-cap like thing to take its place.

In three weeks we take Lady in for another check. Between now and then, we'll work with her to get her to use the leg and give her lots of love.

Freddie and I can tell that she is feeling better - she has pep in her step that was not there in the last few weeks with the fixator on.

A few interesting things from my phone consultation with Dr. Feinman:

• Lady's ear problems are not due to an allergic reaction to the fish oil. He said that allergic reactions are generally to proteins. The ear gunk is an external manifestation of her body trying to tell us what is going on internally.
• Ear discharge and eye gunk is actually a good sign for Lady - her body is detoxing and her powers to heal herself are getting stronger.
• We will work through these symptoms and then start to work through her fear issues.
• He gave me some aloe-calendula solution to massage into her ears.
  

Week 14 report

Imagine having pins through your leg for 14 weeks. Can't run, can't go upstairs, can't play, can't go for car rides, can't go swimming, can't do much of anything. I actually know a person that went through this and his leg was saved, so I am keeping a positive attitude for my Lady. The only other really crappy thing about Lady's situation is that she has to have the damn v-collar (aka lampshade) on her head every night. Could you sleep with one of those things on?

I took her to VREC Norwalk today for a recheck/x-rays and possible *hopeful* removal of the external fixator. It's really time for that thing to come off. The top pin site is getting very irritated - red, inflamed, and the bottom site has been oozing for the past few weeks. Lady is so good about letting me clean the pin sites - she never cries or yelps, she just puts up with it.

I have a phone consultation with Dr. Feinman today and will be scheduling an evaluation with a canine physical therapist. It's been so long since Lady has really used her leg that we'll need to retrain her - assuming she keeps the leg.

I'll know more this afternoon after I get the call from VREC that she's out of surgery and awake.

Personally, I am drained. I will do anything to get this dog better, of course, and no one said it would be easy. In my mind, I see her running across the lawn, chasing the ball, jumping into the pool, and I know I need to remain patient and keep doing what needs to be done to get her there.