I first started to notice a change in Gracies bark. It seemed to be hoarse. Do dogs get hoarse? Hmmm. Then she started sitting half way through our walks. She would just sit. Curious. When Jackie and I would turn around to go home, Gracie was off like a shot for home. There were days I would have to jog just to keep up with her! Curious.
April 16, The girls and I started for the golf course but Gracie was walking like a drunken sailor! (although, truth is I have never seen a drunken sailor walk, so I am just assuming that is what it would look like!) So I decided then and there that our little munchkin would go in for a complete physical as soon as we returned from our weekend at the cabin.
April 19 - I arrived home earlier than Ron so packed up the car with doggie beds and coolers and last minute stuff. We were leaving for Montana as soon as Ron came home. I decided a walk around the block would help the girls prepare for our long car journey. Gracie could not make it around the block. She sat and then laid down and could not go any further. Tremors shaking her tiny body. So I ran Jackie home and went back for Gracie. I ended up carrying her home. A frantic call to the Vet's office, and an appointment with a new Doctor to see her before we left town. The only thing Dr. Steve could see, right off hand, was some teeth that looked bad. "Could cause pain and pain causes the shaking". We will give her strong pain medications and send you on your way. Armed with miracle pills and now a reason why Gracie would not eat her beef cold, but preferred it warmed, obviously tooth discomfort, our moods elevated with Paradise fever!
April 20-22 - Gracie is not improving and in fact, is getting worse. She can only stand for a few minutes at a time and can not manage the hill slants on the land. She falls face first for no apparent reason and her tiny body is racked with shivers. We stopped the pain meds because they were obviously not the miracle pills we had been hoping for. I was feeling helpless and was unable to really concentrate on Cabin projects. I could not sleep through the nights because I would hear Gracie stumbling and falling and I would get up to be beside her and pet her until she slept and the shivers subsided.
April 23 - I took Gracie into the Vet office today. We did a complete blood work-up, thyroid and kidney tests and x-rays. All the tests came back normal. Every one of them. And the x-rays did not show anything that would cause alarm as well. I explained that the tremors she was experiencing were similar to epileptic seizures.
Dr. Steve: phenobarbital is the answer! Just know that once she is on this medication, she can never go off it. Never.
Me: Couldn't we try antibiotics first? What if there is some sort of infection not showing up on your tests that could cause her balance to be off and her to fall and tremble.
Dr. Steve: OK, but take this liquid Valium syringe with you. When her epileptic seizures strike again, give it to her. It should help stop the seizure. (And it did, twice, and within 20 seconds! Gracie could actually sleep for awhile after the Valium!) Here is the phenobarbital, one pill twice a day. And more pain meds because of the bad teeth.
Me: I will not start these seizure meds until after the antibiotics have had a chance to do what they do.
Dr. Steve: OK, (Pat on my back), there you go.
Good physiology, pats on the back, it does make you feel more confident in that person, why is that?
April 24 - May 2 - The antibiotics seemed to help. Gracie has not fallen in days and she will eat when I hand feed her. But only when I hand feed her, cooked beef broth with the beef mashed in the food processor. She seems to be able to drink but it takes several minutes to drink the tiniest little bit. Drooling a lot which is not a normal thing for our little munchkin. She still has zero energy. I have called Dr. Steve several times but he appears unconcerned and inattentive.
Me: These are the things happening with Gracie today. Should I be concerned?
Dr. Steve: No, those phenobarbital will take a couple weeks before they kick in.
Me: We have not started her on them, remember? We are holding off until we see what her reactions to the antibiotics will be.
Dr. Steve: Oh, well, if you'd like, we could run some x-rays and see what we find.
Me: We did run x-rays - about 5 days ago, is it really necessary to do more?
Dr. Steve: Oh, we did? (under breath then, oh here they are, we did) What is your name again?
So I started researching Gracies symptoms on line and found the most fascinating blog on Canine Systemic Syndrome. Every entry made on this blog since 2008, mirrored what Gracie was experiencing. I read several of the entries to Ron and he agreed. It seems this is a rare thing that strikes older dogs without warning and lasts 3 to 4 weeks. There is no apparent reason as to why and no known cure. I am not at all sure this is what we are dealing with, but maybe??
May 2 - Since Gracie was feeling better we decided the teeth should come out while the antibiotics were still in her system. So into Dr. Steve for teeth removal. We also had a small growth removed from her back leg at the same time. When we picked her up at the Vet, Dr. Steve had removed 3 teeth. Our little munchkin was drugged up and miserable. Dr Steve said it was sure a good thing we had her on that phenobarbital, no seizures during surgery. Once again, I pointed out that she was NOT on that medication and in fact, we had returned those pills to the receptionist. (Did Gracies teeth really need to come out? I am totally unsure now.)
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| After her teeth were pulled we carried her home and laid her in a comfy bed in front of the fire place. I stayed with her for quite some time before getting up to get some hot tea. When I went back to her bed, she had managed to get herself out to her back yard! It was so cool that night! I covered her and sat with her until she fell asleep. I was reminded of a time Cindy and I sat outside on a cold Nebraska night, blanket wrapped, with Margarettas, surrounding yet another of my dogs, Lyza. |
Gracie and I went to see Dr. C that afternoon and PRAISE GOD - I feel like I have an advocate on our side now. Dr. C gave Gracie an anti-nausea shot and a diuretic shot. She was down on the exam. room floor with us with tears in her eyes! She checked on the progress of the teeth incisions, (one stitch had already come loose and Gracie hadn't eaten a thing!) I had her check the stitches on Gracies leg and asked if they were self absorbent since Dr. Steve did not mention to me that they would have to be taken out by a Doctor. They were not self absorbent. Imagine that.
May 8 - Bright and early this morning, Dr. C called me to ask how Gracie was doing. Her night had gone so much better I told Dr. C that I was encouraged. Gracie was still hacking a great deal but not much phlegm was involved. When I got home from work, however, things had taken a turn for the worse. Gracie was lethargic and unresponsive. Off to Dr. C! Fluids by IV's, antibiotic shot for fever, anti nausea shot - we decided, no food, no pills by mouth - her throat must be very irritated from the tube used during tooth removal. Come back tomorrow. Dr. C introduced Gracie to another Vet that would give her shots tomorrow as it was Dr. C's day off. Gracie did sleep a bit better this night.
May 9 - Dr. C's day off, we went in to the Vets in the afternoon for more fluids, another antibiotic and anti nausea shot. Then home. Gracie did not sleep much at all this night. Fluids back in lungs.
May 10 - Made appt. for when Grandpaw can come with us. Dr. C. will be there today. Some of the "old" Gracie is starting to show through. She had a pork chop last night (chopped up in the processor and lightly cooked) and another one this morning. She wanted my lunch today, so we shared. I still give her soft food in tiny bites until Dr. C gives us the thumbs up on her mouth healing. There is a drool towel in every room now. Even my St. Bernards did not drool as much as Gracie is!
Appointment with Dr. C this afternoon. She gave Gracie an antibiotic shot and a diuretic shot. Hopefully it will help dry up the fluids in Gracies lungs. No drip fluids on this visit. Will recheck things tomorrow. Taking things a day at a time and hoping that oral antibiotics are in the near future. Dr. C states that Gracie will need to be on them for about 2 more weeks. Since the Vet clinic is 30 minutes away, it would be nice to NOT have to go there every day. Stitches came out of the leg tonight and Dr. C gave the thumbs up on dry crunchy power bites if Gracie will eat them. Time to start eating well and letting the body heal itself! Come back tomorrow night and we will see how she is doing.
May 11 - Came home with a yummy Costco Rotisserie chicken and Gracie ate most of it! We went back to the Vet this afternoon. Dr C was not there and we saw Dr. Steve. He suggested we go home and give her an oral antibiotic, we stated that since we came all this way, she would have one more shot so we would not have to throat stuff pills just yet. Saturday and Sunday we will resume with the oral antibiotics. We have diuretic pills at home as well, and will give her one if we feel she needs it. I hesitate to over the week-end, if she dehydrates when the Vet office is closed, we would be forced to go to which-ever Vet clinic would be taking emergency calls. Not high on my "to-do" list.
May 12 - Gracie was up during the night but less than previous nights. She is still coughing and spitting up but she is eating! And we even see some tail wags and smiles, although not as many as we want to see!
May 13 - Mother's Day. Gracie was up most of the night. She is so hungry but whatever she eats comes right back up in a phlegm ball. Around 1:00 in the afternoon I decided to give her 1/2 of a lasix diuretic pill. The Vet's office would be open first thing Monday morning if we needed to rush in for fluids. BUT the 1/2 pill seemed to do wonders. We all took a short walk to the end of the block and back. That was all Gracie could do this day. Gracie was able to keep down beef broth on two separate occasions. Hoping for the best tonight.
May 14 - Gracie was coughing most of the night, but it was a dry cough which is a good thing. I called Dr. C and explained the weekend events, then went by her office to pick up some more meds. An anti-nausea pill, more antibiotics and more diuretics. Tomorrow we will x-ray her chest again and see if the fluids have subsided. After work today, Gracie ate my chicken from last nights meal, in tiny pieces, and kept it down! She and Jackie chased the occasional squirrel.
May 15 - Last night we were only up twice, and small walk-abouts helped clear the fluid from Miss Gracie's lungs. Today, the x-rays showed that the fluid around Gracie's' heart was subsiding! We will remain on the lasix diuretics and antibiotics and use anti-nausea as needed. We will recheck in two weeks. Although it is a mystery, this ailment, Gracie is improving daily. Dr. C thought that, perhaps, when all is said and done, Gracie may need to be on heart medication. No Big Deal, she told me, lots of dogs are. I told her, heck, My husband is on high blood pressure and thyroid meds and I still keep him around! :-)
May 16 - Today is Jackies 6th Birthday! We celebrated with a FULL NIGHTS SLEEP LAST NIGHT! It has been weeks since that happened. Gracie and Jackie and Me - out like lights! Then, since I did not have to open the shop, when we woke, we ventured out back for early morning wake-ups. I had my coffee and a blanket. The birds were singing to us, the humming birds were flitting around the feeders and the squirrels were teasing the girls unmercifully! AND Gracie and Jackie would chase them up and down the fence, with Gracie zipping in the house for power bites! We celebrated with ice cream and hot dogs and new chewy toys.
Miss Gracie is sporting her new summer hair cut and a new pink "Life is Good!" necklace. Jackie has a new blue "Life is Good" necklace. (Daniel and I found them in Iowa City.) The girls are again squirrel chasing in the back yard, between bites of beef. Gracie's smile is back, her tail is happy and Grandpaw is getting nose nudges and leg paws again.
It has been 4 weeks since the drunken sailor incident. We may never know exactly what caused Gracie's illness and we sure can't put a name on it. Paradise Cabin is looming in the near future. I will go armed with all of the meds we can stuff in the car - between Gracie and Grandpaw, I will need quite a LARGE container for them all!
Amazing Grace!
How sweet the sound
runnin' around!
Momma. You are such a great Momma for taking such good care of my little Pooh-Bear. I'm not sure what I would have done if she was in my care. Thank you so much for all you have given both Gracie and Jackie! They are totally spoiled rotten in Pokie, just as it should be. I LOVE YOU! Thank you for all the sleepless nights and thank you for this blog post!
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