A Weekly Update

(Claire Sept 2006, within 2 weeks of adopting her)

Things here are settling into a routine somewhat as we wait out Claire's crate rest till the end of the month. I've formulated a basic plan that looks like physical therapy at CARE in September, and if Claire's a candidate, Laser Disc Ablation at OSU in Stillwater, Oklahoma in October. I'm still doing a bit more research on the side effects of LDA.

We got a mesh harness like this for Claire that we tried out over our weekend trip to see my parents. I had her wear it 24-7 to eliminate the movements of putting it off and on, and that turned out to be a mistake. I haven't been looking at her underside much as I shouldn't be flipping her over right now because of the spinal manipulation. But when I did finally have the chance, I noticed she'd given herself light rugburns in her armpits from the harness! They still haven't completely faded. She's not getting walked right now anyway, but a leash is recommended when taking IVDD pups out for potty breaks to limit their movement, and my parents have a huge yard, so I thought it appropriate. My yard is only about five steps square, so I haven't been using one here. So we have a couple weeks to work out another solution.

I bought a retractable ramp for our car off of craigslist. Used, it cost me only $40 cash. I found it online here new for $99 plus $20 shipping! I think the nonskid surface it came with is pretty abrasive, so I want to get a piece of carpeting or a runner of some kind for it. Hoping I can find that at the dollar store. I still need to work out a ramp situation for the couch and bed in our house, but again, I still have a couple weeks to pull it all together before she's off crate rest.

I've made some changes to Claire's diet. I've started covering her dry kibble in water to get more liquids into her, and she still gobbles it up--especially when I mix in a generous tablespoon of plain canned pumpkin to help her digestion. Claire's always had control of her bowels, but I do think it's been taking her longer or not as easy. She's off all pain meds so this should have gone away, but I know her squat isn't as deep so I'm wondering if that has something to do with it. She's up to three Dismusyme tablets a day. Occasionally I'm throwing in a 1/4 tsp of fish oil too.

Claire's getting more impatient with the crate, which I'm thrilled to see! Her personality is slowly coming back. I'm keeping the line though, and she does generally listen to commands when I ask her to "Go Crate" after a potty or meal break. Yesterday she scratched the ground after a poop for the first time in a long time! You have to be the parent of a disabled pet to know how much joy can come from a dog's potty habits. The day before that she was chasing her tail, something she did often when I first got her. Looking back, was that neropathic pain?

I've been checking back with the donation cans at Pet Haven, C&C Pets, & Zoom Room Culver. Claire's fund is now at $2075! Thanks again to all who have helped support her. I'm still leaving the money in her savings account until she goes to physical therapy or surgery, and meanwhile covering the cost of acupuncture, laser therapy, vet visits, and meds myself. These funds allow me to make decisions in Claire's care based on her best interest, rather than my financial situation. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for making that choice possible. Please keep her in mind as this saga is ongoing. CARE has said they will accept donations towards Claire's physical therapy as well, once we're a patient there.

Ramps, Grants, and Grooming

(Pics from this week. A sweet chin resting on my leg
while I'm blogging keeps me motivated.)

I started a new job this week, so while I was in prep, working only eight hour days, Claire had friends come to visit her (she's still on crate rest) and take her out for potty breaks! They were all people Claire knows well and I'm sure she enjoyed the visits. Thanks to Heather, Tom and Luke for helping out.

A friend of mine in construction came to measure our couch so that he can make a ramp for Claire from leftover wood he has lying around. That will save me several hundred dollars, from the web research I've done. Stairs will be on the Not Allowed list for the rest of Claire's life, so this is a big deal and part of our permanent lifestyle changes.

Claire continued to have Laser Therapy sessions at Dr. Grey's Limehouse Vet in Toluca Lake. This week we went on Monday and Friday, so they were well spaced out. I can't tell if it's doing any good, but don't think it can harm, so I'm willing to give it a shot. She's only had about three treatments so far, so I'm giving it time. I don't know if I'll be able to get her back there for a week and a half, until this job is finished.

And I got a phone call Friday from Actors & Others for Animals in response to an application for assistance I'd submitted. She was semi-encouraging: they can't assist us at this time, but I gave her a full update on Claire, and she gave me her name and number to call back when Claire has surgery, and they may be able to help at that time. I'll have to follow up with Beverly at 818-752-6725 towards the end of August.

A hundred dollar donation check came in Saturday's mail, bringing our current total from all sources to $1,700 towards Claire's surgery. In addition, I have verbal pledges of $200 more. I am continually astounded at the outpouring of support for her, though I certainly know how very special she is! I couldn't be more grateful.

Grant requests are still pending with the LA Breakfast Club and the Onyx and Breezy Foundation, amongst others. I have a couple more prepared that just need final documents copied. And I still have several other lists of organizations to go through. Please keep Claire in your thoughts and prayers.

This morning, I thought I saw unsteadiness in Claire's left rear leg. I put a leash on her and walked her about twenty feet alongside our house to observe her gait. Because this involved going out the gate beyond our back yard, Claire was ecstatic! It was the first time she'd left the bedroom or back yard in over a month. I was so sorry to turn her around and head back inside. I can't tell if I'm seeing something consistent or just being a worrywart. So I continue to watch and be as precautionary as possible, relying on the crate rest to work magical healing.

I've also started noticing what may be pressure sores on Claire, and scratch marks behind one ear where she's been scratching obsessively. I know she's mainly in one position in the crate, and since I was working this week, I'm not around to stop her scratching or licking. There was only one light scratch, so I'm going easy on the cone of shame. If I see more scratches appearing I'll have to break it out. Not sure how to treat pressure sores on her elbows--I'll have to call the vet in the morning.

Tonight Claire laid on her side and I was able to clip two paws' nails with old-fashioned clippers. I can't use the PediPaws anymore since I can't cradle her on her back. I'm not in a hurry to do her nails if it will in any way jeopardize her crate rest, but she was so sleepy we managed to negotiate partial. I'll have to re-learn all kinds of small tasks to accommodate her new abilities, so this is just the first.

Saturday night I popped a DVD into my computer and laid on the bedroom floor for some cuddle time. I don't have a t.v. in my bedroom, and Claire is barred from the living room for fear she'll jump on the couch. I've really needed a night of stress relief! It was nice just to chill and snuggle with Claire for a while, and she was happy to oblige.

Today I added a widget to Claire's blog containing all the Zazzle products I've created from Claire photos over the years. The cards are customizable too, so the greeting can be changed, or the image can be used on other items, like t-shirts, mugs, and canvas bags too. Of course, the proceeds from sales will go to support Claire's vet costs. When I get some time I need to add more products, and may create a calendar as well.

Chance went to the park with me on both Saturday and Sunday mornings, and Claire was not happy to be left home alone. I'm glad to see her spirit returning but can't bear to continually disappoint her. August can't end soon enough!

Claire will get to hang out with our trainer, Claire's Aunt Jacquie, while I'm working this week as my hours will be longer. I also want someone monitoring Claire more closely, rather than just checking in for potty breaks. Though I trust Jacquie to strictly enforce the crate time, just being in another environment should provide more stimulation for Claire and I hope tire her out. While I won't have much time for blogging during the week, I'll try and keep Claire's Facebook page lively with a few posts. Please stop on by to say hello and become Claire's friend!

(Not sure if the redness is summer heat or a reaction to the fish oil I started adding to her food. Regardless, Claire didn't like the camera flash!)

A Second Treatment & a Second Opinion

Claire had her second Laser Therapy Treatment today. I'm still reserving judgement until she's had a few of them. The vet clinic had an emergency so we were waiting a bit before they took her back, and Claire was highly entertained. The check-in counter height is just the right level to contain her, so we just hung out there and people watched. She visited with at least ten clients and staff. I can tell the crate rest is boring her now, but there's not much we can do about it. Since she broke a tooth on a Nylabone, I can't even offer her chew toys.

On the Claire News front today, Dr. Gorgi's hospital will not set up an account receivable to accept donations for Claire. They gave no reason, other than when they sent it up the chain to the Hospital Regional Manager, saying that there were implications in taking credit cards over the phone. Most foundations like to award grants directly to the vets as well, rather than to an individual, and I doubt they'll be cooperative there either. So they've pretty much ruled out my treating her there.

I did more research on IVDD and when surgery is warranted by reading here. I looked into UC Davis today as I've heard great things about them. Turns out they have a San Diego branch, so I reached out to them, but they don't handle neurology. Davis is 8 or 9 hours from my home, so I haven't decided to take her there yet--I'm just continuing crate rest and conservative treatment for now and will evaluate once that is over, but I'm keeping Davis in the back of my head for a second opinion if or when surgery turns out to be necessary.

I'm going to check out a business I've noticed near my home that manufactures foam. Seems to me this would be a cheaper solution than the wood ramps I've seen on the market. Does anyone have experience with this?

A Sunday Afternoon

(Claire sleeping with Teddy in our old apartment, Jan. 2007)

Today I started researching ramps for the bed and couch. I've had doggy steps on the couch for quite a while, but Claire prefers to jump up and down anyway, so we'll have some training to do. Apparently even small steps can be hard on the spine, so we'll have to switch to ramps--and I don't have a live-in carpenter. But a friend referred me to the site Discount Ramps, so I did some browsing there. I also applied for their affiliate program, so hopefully once that clicks in, we can be the first Shoppers for Claire!

I scanned Dr. Gorgi's inital estimate for the surgery. I will post that separately as I know I'll be sending that link out quite a bit.

Most of the afternoon I spent cleaning out the ivy that grows in the corner of my backyard, and Claire barely wondered what I was up to--another sign that all is not well. I started her on Gabapentin today because I've noticed her gnawing at spots on her side and rear. Not sure if they're summer fleas (though she's on a flea preventative) or if they're phantom tingling nerves. Gabapentin treats that type of nerve pain specifically, so I thought we'd give it a shot. If that's the case, it's a positive--tingling nerves mean regeneration and are a stage of healing.