I’m thankful for beautiful sunsets sent by angels. For surgeons who know their shit. I’m thankful for Peanut Butter City and a dog who can now run zoomies again. For sushi and salt and vodka. I’m thankful for my family, for friendship and beautiful moments realized.
I’m thankful for rescue, vets. vet techs and tranquilizers. For leashes that hold up, for healthy treat options and for photographs. I’m thankful for Instagram stories, Facebook and blogging. I’m thankful for you. For this community, for constant support and understanding.
I’m really thankful for laughter and love. And random acts of kindness.
I’m thankful for good hair days, handbags, boots and cold-snuggly nights. I’m thankful for the kids in my life. I’m thankful for all the dogs, and a cat named Bob.
I’m thankful for memories, for giving hearts, and that love lives on.
As Doug’s legs have gotten better, I started noticing that he is having some other issues. My general rule for vet visits is that 1. If it seems like an emergency, it is an emergency and we go right away. 2. If it something shows up (but not a 911) and persists, we go. Doug’s latest symptoms have shown up, then gone away, then shown up a few weeks later for a day or two, then gone away. So it took me a little while to realize that in this case, persisting was defined a little differently.
He throws up. Not daily. Sometimes less than once a week. But enough that I can say ‘regularly’.
He has runny poops or poops that start out good then go runny. This will happen once and then he’ll be fine for a week then it will happen again for maybe two times then not happen again for two weeks. (This one made a little more sense to me. As he has come off tie down and gone back to his normal exploring mode, things go in that shouldn’t).
He has a cough. He will cough one day, then not again for a week, then maybe throughout one day, and not again for several days.
He rarely has any of these issues at the same time.
All of the above started after his last surgery but also after he came off all his meds and as he was becoming more active. Then last week he was just off. He was hyper one day then completely lethargic the next day. And I could tell he was nauseous from the amount of drool he was producing. So off to the vet we went.
Take me to the vet woman.
I listed out all of the things for the vet and I mentioned how he never had any stomach upset with surgery or pain meds and that I thought it was odd that all of this started as he came off meds.
The vet found the timing to be very suspect. All of his symptoms (other than the poop part) could point to his esophagus being irritated during the last surgery when they put in or removed the breathing tube. He felt the on and off again could indicate it healing then flaring, repeat, repeat, repeat. So we started on some meds to coat his digestive tract, some meds to tamper down acid production and some meds to help with the poops. He also got a nausea shot that night and we went home with nausea medication.
The first few days on the meds were just more of the same. But by day 3 or 4, Doug was remarkably better and WAY CRAZIER than usual. I could tell he was feeling better. The only thing that is persisting is the cough. I know this cough, Jake had it when he was going through radiation and having anesthesia (and thus a breathing tube) daily.
The next step, since the meds did seem to help, will be to scope him and see whats going on. Is there inflammation in his esophagus? Is it limited to there or does he perhaps have an ulcer. Is it something else all together?
The only thing I know for sure is that getting insurance on Doug is the best things I have EVER done.
I’m gonna take a nap but you need to keep working so you can pay for my insurance.
Heyyyyyyyy my people! I’m out of jail and living the good life!
Where to start?…
So a few (dog) years ago she got all I’m the boss of you and now I’m going to kidnap you in your own house and put you in this jail cell and oh wait some stranger is going to cut your leg open and its going to hurt and you won’t be able to walk or run or jump or be a dog and the moment its healed he’s going to cut the other leg open and you will live a life of de ja vu and I’m still the boss of you and you will like it and I’ll keep a leash on you at all times and no running and stay still and sleep down here alone and seriously no running, not even thoughts of running including but not limited to memories of running!
She’s the worst. Well at least for this part of the update she’s the worst. Don’t even try to disagree with me unless your mother is also addicted to having surgery done on you. No one? Thought so.
I mean sure, she came in the jail cell with me. And fine, she made me some pretty incredible treats. And there were all those times she took me to Peanut Butter City and hello, that place is heaven on earth! They have Beckys there. I mean you gotta get you own Becky cause I got my Becky but there is also a Becky there named Jessie that I really liked too, anywhooooo, yeah, Smother is ok I guess.
Also, I graduated from rehab! But she promises we can still go back and visit my harem.
Where was I? Oh, right, I’m freeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Like she always says, forward is the best direction. So forwards is where I go. Does it count if your forwards is a really fast zoomie circle?
The leg scars make me look incredibly rugged. I can tell the ladies love it. She dressed me up as something called Franken(leg)weenie for Halloween and she drew some lines on me that look like more scars and then she found out that stuff does not wash off easily so now it looks like faded tattoos and I’m not gonna lie, I like it. A lot. I look like a damn badass.
She says I’m not really a bad ass because I’m afraid of wind. She’s dumb.
Also, I love blankets now. And not just as a snack!
So… I’M FREE! I’M FREE! I’M FREE!
She keeps trying to introduce me to dogs (and Jake keeps whispering to me in my sleep that I should not, under any circumstance, fall for it or allow it). Who should I listen to?
Gotta run, she just went upstairs so its time to eat another shoe!
