Five Dog Quartet

I've Moved!

nospam@example.com (GinaB) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 13:17:19 -0500

Join me over at www.ginarosebenner.comwhich is the site of my new blog. I just can't blog at Five Dog Quartet anymore since Peanut died. She was the reason I was a Five dog Quartet in the first place.

Basil

nospam@example.com (GinaB) — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 17:27:57 -0600

Well the Beez and I are back, and like I worried about, he has had some breathing difficulties since being back. He normally has allergies, and is fragile respiratory wise anyway, but coming from the cold North where there were no allergies back to Texas where we are just getting into Cedar season seems to have pushed him towards the edge.

His temp is not up, and temperament wise he is pretty normal, though not as perky as usual. I called the vet in a panic who had me start him on a new remedy matching his new symptoms. Ben turned the heat up in the house since Basil always seems worse when he is cold. I added Peanuts heating pad to his kennel and he seems to be a happy camper, barking at the other dogs when they cruise close to his kennel to see if the chewy he has stashed in there can be stolen.

Dr. Falconer has been very patient and understanding, especially after I called him today in a panic but by the time he called me back Basil was busy barking at Buddy. NOT the sick guy I though he was. Dr. Falconer said both I and Basil should take some rescue remedy to get us through this, and since I am already taking some, I just had to mix some for Beez right quick. We hope that in the next 12 - 24 hours we will be seeing improvement and crisis will be averted.

It is times like these I have to fight hard not to grab that bottle of cipro stashed in the cabinet, or nebulize him with that bottle of solution I've been too paranoid to throw away in the fridge. I am constantly forced to acknowledge we have been down that road and hit dead ends every time. His spirits are great, mine are frazzled. That reminds me, I think it’s time for my next dose of rescue remedy.

Nothing in Particular

nospam@example.com (GinaB) — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 16:34:07 -0600

The Beez and I have returned from Michigan for our Christmas visit. We had a really good time, and he turned out to be a wonderful airplane traveler, though many people had their doubts. There have been a few dog fights since I got home, but I'm hoping that will die down over the next several days.

The house is a mess and the dogs all need baths, but other than that everyone is happy and healthy.

BFK, Best Friend Kelly, says my new years resolution should be to blog everyday. I don't know about that, but I think at least 4 times a week would be good. So keep an eye out for that in the coming year.

Ben has tamed TIVO, as well as the fancy remote control he got to handle TIVO, DVD, TV, Surround Sound, and cable box. Thank god, I was about to throw both TIVO and the remote out the window.

Anyway, gotta run! Later!

A Few Updates

nospam@example.com (GinaB) — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 14:16:47 -0600

Basil and Peanut

Well, it's been about 3 months since we lost the Princess Pea, and we still miss her terribly. It's amazing a dog that small had a personality so darn BIG. There is still food sitting on the floor of the living room, for some reason I just can't figure out what to do with it, so it just sits there. I had her bed cremated along with her, so there is no bedding around to remind me of her. There is however, the box.

John built a beautiful box for her ashes. It is hand made, hand rubbed and gorgeous. In the bottom of the box there is a compartment which holds her ashes, and then a top compartment for pictures, her collars, and her tiny sweaters and shirts. It is sitting on my mantel along with the condolence cards we received after she passed away. I've not had it open since I sat it on the mantle, it's just too hard. We were so lucky to have her, even though it was for such a short time.

Basil is feisty as usual, and full of piss and vinegar. I have been working hard on his housebreaking, and am seeing some great improvements. He will be flying home with me for the Holidays, so I can continue to work with him there. Plus, it will save hubby from having to deal with 4 dogs at once. It's amazing how easy it is with Basil not in the house, he is just so demanding!

Emma

Emma Lou is the same. She has always been our "happy dog" and she remains so. She eats like a horse, gets into things she shouldn't, and gets offended if I don't let her sleep on our bed all day while we are at work. Emma still plays in the mud and rain, and comes barreling through the dog door covered in leaves and whatever else she has been rolling around in. Her allergies seem to have worsened, both environmental and food, so she is scheduled to see the homeopath next month.

Curly Bug

Curly Bug is his happy hunting self. My five pound "Mighty Hunter". When we are home he spends most of his time chasing whatever small animals are attempting to take up residence under our deck and up our trees. Lately, the squirrels have been making him crazy taunting him from the trees. At night he is my love bug, cozying up under the covers with his little head on the pillow. So cute!

Buddy

Buddy is my grouchy old man. He likes things the way they are and can't understand why that little black and white dog has to be so bossy and make so much noise! Can't he just be quiet and sit down? Bud likes to hang out with dad in the office where it is peaceful.

So, pretty much the same in the house. Not a whole lot going on. I'm looking forward to Christmas vacation, just one more week!

Goodbye Princess Pea

nospam@example.com (GinaB) — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 19:12:38 -0500

It has been just over two months since I posted about my high hopes for the Pea-Chi. Sadly, last night we said goodbye to her, so those high hopes are not to be. (you can see the the start of her story here)

Peanut had been making great progress. She was feisty as usual, and happy. Yesterday I was home sick and I heard her making odd noises in her little bed. I went over to check on her and she seemed out of it, so I picked her up and took her temperature which turned out to be a scary and low 98.7. I quickly got out a heating pad and placed her on it, and gave her some nutrical. When her temperature was an even lower 98.1 10 minutes later I packed her up and headed to the vet, calling ahead on the way so they would be expecting us.

They examined her and found dehydration, poor motor skills, and her low temperature. Dr. Farmer immediately ran her in the back, took her blood glucose, and put her in warmer. When her blood work came back normal, and her glucose also came back normal, we started looking at other issues. When he suggested a CAT scan to see what was going on in her brain, I drew the line. Instinctively I knew, it wasn't going to solve anything, and was only going to scare her and cause her pain. Instead I decided to take her home, keep her comfortable, and watch her over the next few days to see how she did.

Soon I realized we didn't have a few days, she rapidly went down hill once I got her home. I got her settled in her comfy bed, and sat her on a heating pad. Then I gathered her up and took her into the bedroom. We lay face to face and petted her little head and told her I loved her and that if she decided to go tonight it was ok though we would miss her terribly. When she started making noises like she was in pain, I called Dr. Farmer on his cell and asked for his advice. He said he could call in some valium which would relax her and make her sleep, I could run her to the specialty hospital, or I could make the decision to put her to sleep.

Then Dr. Farmer said something which made me cry. He said Peanut had surpassed everyone's expectations. She had lived longer and thrived for longer than any of the vets said she would, and I had done everything and more to give her the best life possible. More than any of his other clients would have done and whether I decided to give Valium or put her to sleep neither was a wrong choice. He then said if she was his dog, he didn't know what he would do, but that even being a vet; he had let his own dog suffer far too long with cancer because he couldn't bear to let her go. That he felt guilty because looking back he knew he should have put her to sleep sooner, but just couldn't do it. I told him I needed to think about it, and that I would call him back so he could either call in the valium prescription or call ahead to the Emergency Clinic so they wouldn't give me a hard time when I showed up with her.

After that conversation, I just had to get out of the house and clear my head. I needed to make a decision, and I just couldn't concentrate. At that point, Ben asked if he could hold her and I said yes and that I needed to run out for cigarettes, though apparently he didn't hear me. I was gone for about 25-30 minutes, during which I called my friends Colleen and Kelly for advice. They both said the same thing, "it's time for you to let her go, she's had a great life and lived far longer than anyone thought possible and it sounds like she's ready even if you're not." Finally, I made up my mind, they were right; I needed to let her go.

While on the phone with them, Ben had called me, but when I tried to switch lines my phone froze. I quickly headed for home, and when I pulled up, Ben met me in the driveway and said he thought she had died. I took her little bed from him and walked in the house. He was right, she had passed away.

It's hard to believe Peanuts feisty little personality will no longer grace our home. I will no longer laugh as she demands her food or as she prances across the floor to Ben and demands her rightful place in his lap. I will no longer have the amusement of seeing her lunge and bite at grown men who dare invade the Princess bed sanctuary, and then watch those same men back away from her in surprise. Even at 1 pound 6 ounces she was a fierce little thing, woe to those who did not bow before her Princess ways. She will be so, so, missed.

However, I am comforted by the fact she was at home in Ben's lap, wrapped in her bed when she passed away and not at the specialty clinic or the EC. Miss Peanut it seems had other plans and didn't want to wait on me for a decision. Just like the Princess she is, she chose her time, and her way. Though it broke my heart, who am I to argue with a Princess?

Rest in Peace my little Princess Pea.

The smallest dog of all.

nospam@example.com (GinaB) — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 12:49:00 -0500

She is the smallest of my dogs, and if you talk to my husband, he will say she is only half a dog, and doesn't really count in my over all total of dogs. Which in many aspects is true, she comes out of her bed on the heating pad only to eat and go potty. She spends about 90% of her time sleeping and staying warm, and really doesn't stray much from the area her puppy pad, food bowls and bed are in.

It has always been my intention once Basil on his way to recovery, for Peanut to receive homeopathic care as well. Peanut has seen MANY vets, all of which had something different to say about what was wrong with her. My opinion is, and always has been that she is just poorly bred and stunted. No amount of steroids, thyroid meds, nutrical, or TLC was going to really fix what was wrong with her.

When I brought her home I was very much in "animal shelter mode" and homeopathy just too far of a stretch for me. Those of you who read this blog, know that I turned to homeopathy because of Basil. Regular veterinary medicine was keeping him here, but not making him healthy by any stretch of the imagination. Which then caused me to broaden my horizons where medicine is concerned.

During all of Basil's illness, Peanut has been very stable. After dragging her around to see many different vets, with no diagnosis, I was happy to just let her be. However, when I started Basil on homeopathy it was always my intention once he was stable, to start her on it as well.

Wednesday she went to see Dr. Falconer for the first time. He was amazed by Peanut, as are most people who see her, and has very high hopes for her treatment. He told me to make sure to take lots of before pictures and video, because he thinks she is going to become a normal dog! I can't even imagine, and am super excited about the prospect of her being normal. It's really unbelievable.

Stay tuned, and I will give updates as she progresses!

Emma

nospam@example.com (GinaB) — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 10:58:00 -0500

Emma is doing really well. She is back to running, jumping, playing, and harassing the other dogs. She continues to be a bottomless pit, and eats everything in sight! Last night I caught her getting into the trash! Other than a little dragging on her left rear leg, and doing a cute little high step with her left front, she is getting around like normal. I'm still sending her to physical therapy and acupuncture once a week because she can continue to improve for a long time, even though with FCE most of the improvement happens in the first two weeks after injury.

So, Miss Em is out of the woods! Thanks so much for all the support!

The Flea Battle

nospam@example.com (GinaB) — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 10:05:00 -0500

So this is the year. The year I will NOT be using flea preventative. The last two years I have used them very minimally, only when I saw a flea on the dogs. However, with the switch to all the dogs eating raw, and the fact that Basil is being treated homeopathically, I'm going cold turkey.

It's very interesting, since I have removed 90% of the toxic cleaners from my home, the chemical smell of advantage and frontline just about knock me over. Now I have neatly labeled bottles of cleansers made from vinegar, borax, baking soda, (not necessarily together) with some essential oils in them. I have started using borax in my laundry, and will be slowly phasing out the bleach as time goes on. I have pretty much always banned air fresheners because of Jasper, my lovebird, who is sensitive to such things.

It just doesn't seem right, that with all of those changes, that I put flea stuff on the dogs. So I have read up on the flea lifecycle, I always wash the dog beds every other week anyway, if not weekly, and dry them on hot to kill any little survivors. I've purchased some beneficial nematodes to spray on my yard which will kill the fleas, and as an added bonus, the fire ants as well without harming the dogs. I've spread diatomaceous earth around the edges of my rooms, and under the big furniture, sprinkled it liberally on the carpets and vacuumed it up (to kill anything in the carpets, and prevent any new little buggers). I started the dogs on a nutritional yeast regimen, which will help them from the inside out and make them untasty to any fleas that might try to take up residence. I've created a lemon rosemary solution to spray on the dogs and help repel fleas from jumping on them while they are outside.

I'm feeling pretty good, but only time will tell. I'm pretty determined though, and Dr. Falconer is really supportive and always willing to answer any questions I have about doing things naturally and without chemicals. My husband says I'm turning into a hippie, but he can't talk since he's huge on energy efficiency and loves to read articles on how people turn trash into cool new products. Anyhow, I will keep everyone posted on how the flea thing goes; it's already hot and humid here, so my methods should be tested shortly.

For more information on natural pet care, you can check out Dr. Falconers website, it has some great information!

Emma Update!

nospam@example.com (GinaB) — Mon, 21 May 2007 12:57:22 -0500

Playing in the snow in Michigan.

Emma is doing great! I ran her into the vet this morning for acupunture and phys. therapy, and she walked in on her own four feet. Sandra was excited and said the last time she worked with Emma she knew Emma was on the verge of making a huge leap, and becoming almost normal. I expressed some concern about how she drags her left back foot a little when she walks, but Sandra said that was normal, and she expected that would go away with time because Emma would continue to improve over the next six weeks, but not in the leaps and bounds she has in the last two. So that was good news.

So our little Emma Lou is happy and healthy once again. Sandra says she doesn't think Emma will have to see her anymore, though she would love for us to keep her updated. I am waiting to hear from Dr. Caplan to see if she will need anymore acupunture. Life is good!

Emma's Doing Great!

nospam@example.com (GinaB) — Fri, 18 May 2007 10:21:00 -0500

Emma in the backyard in her new harness.

Emma had another round of physical therapy on Wednesday. She is just doing so well! Ben and I are ecstatic about her progress, and it seems unbelievable that just last week I was afraid I would have to put her to sleep because I was concerned she would never walk again.

Today, she is bouncing around the house, a happy camper. Jumping on and off the couch, and playing with the other dogs. Ben has been putting her on a leash in the backyard to keep her from hurting herself because she is trying to be so active. She isn't yet able to get on and off the bed, but I am working with her to use the dog stairs for that instead of jumping. After this experience with her back, I am working on getting all of the dogs to use the stairs consistently. Jumping on and off of our king size bed is not good for small dog backs!

Emma has physical therapy on Monday again, along with acupuncture. I'll keep you posted!

Curly is a faker!

nospam@example.com (GinaB) — Thu, 17 May 2007 09:51:00 -0500

There was great interest when Benjamin wrote on his blog about me running the Curly-Bug into the E-Vet on Wenesday evening. He was couging really hard like the was trying to cough something up, and the last thing I wanted was to wake up and find him unable to breathe in the middle of the night. So, I ran him in. He coughed and choked on the way there, but when we got there, he was mysteriously without symptoms. The staff petted him, and said how cute he was, and enquired about what kind of cough it was. When they started quizzing me about kennel cough and reverse sneezing, I told them I had worked in a shelter for 6 years, and knew it was neither of those. This was a scary, choking cough, and with Curly, you just never know what he could have gotten into while playing in the yard. When he started to strut around the exam room acting like he was about to lift his leg and mark something, I knew he was fine. We left after being there an hour, and haven't heard the cough since.

So yes, Curly is a faker! Maybe he was feeling left out with all the attention Emma has been getting. I personally think it's his allergies, so we'll play it by ear, and I'll probably start getting him treated by our homeopathic vet. I'll keep everyone posted, but for now, Curly is fine.

Emma Update - Physical Therapy

nospam@example.com (GinaB) — Tue, 15 May 2007 10:47:01 -0500

Emma and the Curly Bug

So Emma had her first true physical therapy yesterday. According to her report card, she did the tilting board one time, the ball 3 times, walked 3 times, and did the underwater treadmil 3 times. All that in addition to her accupunture. She is bouncing back very nicely and I am super happy with her progress. She was really tired when I got her home last night, but when I put her down in the yard she was ready to go! I decided to try an experiment, and see if she could walk around without help from her sling.

Well, as it turns out, she did great! She walked around, went potty, ran a little, and fell a few times. She is much happier when I am not trying to help her. Emma obviously has her own plans when outside, and it does not include mom holding her back with a sling! She even played with the Curly Bug last night, though she couldn't quite keep up with him, which I'm sure he loved. I will continue to let her outside while I stand in the yard and make sure she doesn't get herself into trouble, but I'd say she is on her way to recovery!

On the Road to Recovery

nospam@example.com (GinaB) — Sun, 13 May 2007 12:30:51 -0500

Miss Lula Bell (Emma Lou) seems to be on the road to recovery. We have been faithfully massaging, flexing, and working on her two bad legs on her left side. I used the tilting board, and physical therapy ball 7 times yesterday, and so far twice today. Sandra said to use it 10 times, but Emma gets so tired afterwards I didn't have the heart to push her. Today I am striving for 10 times.

However, she is trying to use that left front leg (the worst affected) and is using her left back leg much more, and it isn't knuckling over hardly at all. Today, she was able to easily get into the correct stand to urinate, and it was exciting! With her sling on, she also followed Ben around in the yard while I used her sling and steadied her.

We had one slight set back when she attempted to follow the other dogs outside and jumped off the bed while I ran towards her yelling "no Emma, no Emma, no Emma, no"! She didn't stop, jumped for it, and fell when she hit the floor. I freaked out and checked her legs, back, and reflexes. She seems to have come out unscathed, thank god. I have to learn to be more vigilant, because she wants to get moving, and like her Mama isn't being patient about it.

For now, she seems to be making huge strides, and the sooner I can get that sling out of the picture, the happier she will be. I have ordered Emma a Lupine Harness, collars are now only for identification. There will be no more neck straining with leashes attached to collars. Emma is first, but soon all four of the children will be sporting them when we go out.

Tomorrw I will be dropping her off for her first physical therapy, and I can't wait to see the results!

Phycal Therapy Day 1 - The Consult

nospam@example.com (GinaB) — Fri, 11 May 2007 13:05:36 -0500

Well I got Emma home last night, and she was so excited to be there! She wanted to run right out the dog door, but of course I couldn't let her, because we don't want her to fall. I ran her out into the yard, to try and get her to go potty, but being a girl set in her ways, she can't get into the right position to go, so she holds it. I feel bad for her, and I want to get her started on physical therapy right away, so she can do all the things she used to do.

I ran her into the therapist today, who works 3 days a week at Dr. Caplan’s office. Her name is Sandra Hudson, and she was so excited to work with Emma because she had seen her while she was still at the vet clinic being diagnosed. Sandra said she loves neurological cases, because it is so great to see them progress. She wants us to get started right away, so she loaned me a peanut shaped therapy ball, and this tilting board to use at home this weekend. The board Emma didn't mind, but she wasn't so sure about the ball. Sandra said to try and do the exercises between 10 and 20 times a day this weekend, to get her started. Emma also got put into the underwater treadmill for 2 minutes so she can start getting acclimated to it.

I will be dropping off Emma on Monday before work, and Sandra will work with her many times throughout the day to give her the maximum benefit. On Monday after Sandra gets some time to work with her closely one on one, we will decide how many times a week Emma should go and start to make some goals for her. She said that usually it takes about 6 months for recovery, but she thinks Emma will make much quicker progress than that. (Crossing my fingers)

So we will start this weekend, and I can't wait to see what Monday brings!

Emma is Sick

nospam@example.com (GinaB) — Wed, 09 May 2007 12:50:00 -0500

So Emma hurt her back on Monday. I'm not sure when or how, but when I got home from work on Monday, she was having trouble walking. I immediately ran her into the Emergency clinic, where they put her on an IV and kept her for the night, referring her to Dr. Caplan in the morning. (You may remember Dr. Caplan, she also treated Basil)

When Dr. Caplan examined her the following day, the outcome was not good. She took some video of Emma trying to walk and sent them off to a neurologist at Texas A&M for a consult. During the exam, Emma was scheduled for a CT scan and a spinal tap. Since she wasn't in any pain, we just weren't sure what we were dealing with. However, after the neurology consult with the A&M vet, they decided it wasn't brain related either, and since Emma is part schnauzer, many of her symptoms pointed toFCE, which is basically a spinal stroke. To get a concrete diagnosis a Myelegram was done to make sure there was no pressure on her spine, and nothing else odd going on. Everything came back clear, and she was diagnosed with FCE.

The good news is all the research I have done says that with FCE 90%-95% recovery is usually possible. We got off lucky, while she has one limb not working at all, and one at least showing little movement, she still has feeling in both of those legs. Her right side was minimally affected and is attempting to make up for the affected left side. Emma is able to urinate and defecate on her own, is in a good mood, wants to eat, and in general is still a happy dog, though confused about what is going on with her body.

They are keeping her tonight, and I can pick her up tomorrow. Emma will have acupuncture today, and will have a Physical Therapy consult on Friday. I'll keep you posted!