Things are slowly getting back to normal.
Haley is most of the way out of season, and Elvis is experiencing much less attachment to her than he has in the past couple of weeks. He's still interested in where she is, but yesterday and today has seen him willing to be in separate rooms. That's something he's not been happy with for the last two weeks...including the night time.
Currently, we've been moving his crate into our bedroom at night and placing it so it faces Haley. That seems to satisfy his need for keeping tabs on her. That also means that I get to sleep in bed rather than on the sofa...something that was about to put me in traction earlier in the week.
Because he's slowed down on eating, I've pulled him off his liquid Lasix and Robitussin DM and am giving him Lasix and Guafenesin pills. Hopefully I can switch back to the liquid tomorrow or Sunday (not only because it's easier, but also because I've only got three or four Lasix pills).
His coughing that's been triggered by separation anxiety is almost all gone, and his Valium dosage is down to 1/4 tablet right before bed. I'm hoping that by tomorrow night, neither the Valium nor the Torb will be needed. We're also going to try separating their crates some so he begins to get used to being apart from Haley. With any luck, his crate will be back in the den early next week.
Which brings me back to Haley and the other reason the blog hasn't been updated so regularly.
We had to take Haley in to see Dr. Walthall for some facial swelling. It's been an on/off thing over the last year or so, but it's been "on" for the last week. Looking at her, Dr. Walthall thinks it's a back tooth. Like me, she saw a tooth that was healthy in the mouth, but the facial swelling and the fact that it began leaking blood Tuesday night just screamed infection.
So for the next couple of weeks, Haley is on antibiotics, and once the infection is cleared up, she'll be scheduled for a CBC and dental. I hate the idea of putting her under anesthesia at her age (14 1/2), but there's nothing for it. If the tooth comes out easily, and there's some question about that since it appears to be firmly attached, Haley will also be spayed. I should have done that years ago, but the money situation precluded it, and when I did have the money, well, she had gotten older and I don't put old dogs under unless there's good reason.
By the time Haley is scheduled for surgery, Elvis's concerns for her should be well passed. Which is good because this has been very hard on him, and with his medical problems, that's not good.
If everything continues to go well with him, I will probably not update the blog again until Sunday or Monday.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
7/26/2010 (AKA one step forward, two steps back)
**sigh**
In some ways, things are going much better with Elvis. He's calmer than he was last week. His interest in Haley has waned somewhat. He can stand some separation from Haley.
In other ways, things have not improved. He still can't stand to be separated from her at night...which means he's unwilling to sleep in his crate. My back is just about broken from sleeping on the sofa.
All things combined, I'm not sure how much progress has been made. Haley is pretty much out of season, but Elvis is still convinced he needs to be right next to her. This is causing a problem with trying to move him back into his crate to sleep at night.
Last night in the living room, I tried him in his crate. That didn't work. Withing five minutes I could tell he was on the way to working himself into a frenzy because he was restrained and Haley was loose. So I let him out so he and Haley could sleep on the blanket. Not really a good thing, but I wanted sleep.
At 2:30, I woke up to the sound of toenails clicking on the floor. Haley had apparently woken up and decided to make the rounds in the house. Not sure where she thought she was going, but when she got back, I decided to put her in Elvis crate and leave him loose. I also decided to give him another dose of Vallium. After a few moans, Haley settled down to sleep. Elvis was a bit out of sorts, but he finally laid down on the pallet.
At 5:00, I'd had enough of the sofa. Both the dogs were asleep, so I took the opportunity to crawl into bed.
My back is broken...I'm convinced of it.
Tonight, Haley and Elvis are going to be loose in the den. I have GOT to sleep in a bed. I'll try to address Elvis's reluctance to sleep in a crate without Haley in a couple of nights. By then, I'm hoping I can get her bathed again, the bedding washed, and the remaining traces of her "season" out of the house.
So that's where we are. Hopefully I can post an update in the morning that's a bit more positive. :)
In some ways, things are going much better with Elvis. He's calmer than he was last week. His interest in Haley has waned somewhat. He can stand some separation from Haley.
In other ways, things have not improved. He still can't stand to be separated from her at night...which means he's unwilling to sleep in his crate. My back is just about broken from sleeping on the sofa.
All things combined, I'm not sure how much progress has been made. Haley is pretty much out of season, but Elvis is still convinced he needs to be right next to her. This is causing a problem with trying to move him back into his crate to sleep at night.
Last night in the living room, I tried him in his crate. That didn't work. Withing five minutes I could tell he was on the way to working himself into a frenzy because he was restrained and Haley was loose. So I let him out so he and Haley could sleep on the blanket. Not really a good thing, but I wanted sleep.
At 2:30, I woke up to the sound of toenails clicking on the floor. Haley had apparently woken up and decided to make the rounds in the house. Not sure where she thought she was going, but when she got back, I decided to put her in Elvis crate and leave him loose. I also decided to give him another dose of Vallium. After a few moans, Haley settled down to sleep. Elvis was a bit out of sorts, but he finally laid down on the pallet.
At 5:00, I'd had enough of the sofa. Both the dogs were asleep, so I took the opportunity to crawl into bed.
My back is broken...I'm convinced of it.
Tonight, Haley and Elvis are going to be loose in the den. I have GOT to sleep in a bed. I'll try to address Elvis's reluctance to sleep in a crate without Haley in a couple of nights. By then, I'm hoping I can get her bathed again, the bedding washed, and the remaining traces of her "season" out of the house.
So that's where we are. Hopefully I can post an update in the morning that's a bit more positive. :)
Sunday, July 25, 2010
MUCH better night
Last night was MUCH better than the last few nights.
I think moving onto the sofa was a very good idea. Elvis was a little confused at first because, even though Haley was on the floor on a pallet, usually when I'm on the sofa, an invitation to Skeeter and Elvis is coming up. I did bring him up for a minute to scratch his head, but then put him back on the floor, and he went right over to lay next to Haley.
They slept just fine until about 12:45 when Haley apparently needed to go outside. Since I didn't want a repeat of the night before, I went ahead and let them out. They came back in a few minutes later, Haley was leashed and everyone pretty much settled right back down.
I had gone ahead with my plan of 1/2 Torb at a few minutes before 10, and then 1/2 Valium at 10:30. That took care of the whole night. I heard Elvis trot around a couple of times, but he may just have been going for water since he tends to get hot and gets Lasix.
So other than me spending the night on the couch, things went much, much better than they have the last few nights.
Right now, Haley's hot pants are in the washer, and she's leashed down at my feet. Elvis is sleeping a foot or so away from her, but even with her hot pants off, his interest hasn't been too bad. Fingers crossed that means only a few more days.
Unless things change, I want to keep Elvis completely off Valium until tonight before bed. He seems to be sensitive to it (like he is with so much other medication), and too much Valium gives him the opposite reaction. I suspect that's what happened the other night. Along with being shuffled around the house in his crate, he got quite a bit of Valium ( though still well under the maximum dosage), and I think it ramped him up rather than taking the edge off his anxiety.
So I'll plan on the sofa routine tonight and maybe tomorrow night, though by then I'm pretty sure my back will be broken. That's worth it, though, if everyone gets a good nights sleep. Tomorrow night I may try sleeping on the couch and having one of them in their crate. We'll just have to see how it goes.
I may not post another update until tomorrow unless things change dramatically around here.
I think moving onto the sofa was a very good idea. Elvis was a little confused at first because, even though Haley was on the floor on a pallet, usually when I'm on the sofa, an invitation to Skeeter and Elvis is coming up. I did bring him up for a minute to scratch his head, but then put him back on the floor, and he went right over to lay next to Haley.
They slept just fine until about 12:45 when Haley apparently needed to go outside. Since I didn't want a repeat of the night before, I went ahead and let them out. They came back in a few minutes later, Haley was leashed and everyone pretty much settled right back down.
I had gone ahead with my plan of 1/2 Torb at a few minutes before 10, and then 1/2 Valium at 10:30. That took care of the whole night. I heard Elvis trot around a couple of times, but he may just have been going for water since he tends to get hot and gets Lasix.
So other than me spending the night on the couch, things went much, much better than they have the last few nights.
Right now, Haley's hot pants are in the washer, and she's leashed down at my feet. Elvis is sleeping a foot or so away from her, but even with her hot pants off, his interest hasn't been too bad. Fingers crossed that means only a few more days.
Unless things change, I want to keep Elvis completely off Valium until tonight before bed. He seems to be sensitive to it (like he is with so much other medication), and too much Valium gives him the opposite reaction. I suspect that's what happened the other night. Along with being shuffled around the house in his crate, he got quite a bit of Valium ( though still well under the maximum dosage), and I think it ramped him up rather than taking the edge off his anxiety.
So I'll plan on the sofa routine tonight and maybe tomorrow night, though by then I'm pretty sure my back will be broken. That's worth it, though, if everyone gets a good nights sleep. Tomorrow night I may try sleeping on the couch and having one of them in their crate. We'll just have to see how it goes.
I may not post another update until tomorrow unless things change dramatically around here.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Evening Update 7/24/2010
It's been a relatively uneventful day.
I gave Elvis 1/4 Valium around noon, and then left off the Valium at dinner. He still got a bit more excited than usual during our dinner, but that may simply have been the second Prednisone making itself known. And, well, he's a pretty food motivated little guy.
Tonight I'm planning on just sleeping in the living room on the sofa with Haley (appropriately attired, of course) and Elvis loose. Since bringing the basket in last night wasn't particularly successful, I'm just going to put two blankets on the floor and let it go at that.
I'm hoping that since Elvis will be starting out in the living room tonight, as opposed to traveling all over the house first, things will be a bit easier than they were last night. I'm also changing his Valium dosage some. This afternoon, I had good luck giving 1/2 Torbutrol and then coming back about 30 minutes or so later with a Valium dosage. The Torbutrol helped calm the excited wheezing, and the Valium knocked the edge of his excitement off.
So tonight, I'll give him 1/2 Torb around 10:00 and then 1/2 Valium about 10:30 or 10:45. At that point, we'll be in the living room, and I'll probably leash Haley for the first little bit until I'm sure she realizes that's her bed for the night. Elvis won't be far away.
I am seriously hoping for a better night tonight. Another night like last night, and I'll probably just shoot myself. If this works, I'm really hoping I'll only have to be on the sofa a night or so. That sofa just isn't comfortable, and with back problems, it really isn't good for me to be there for a long stretch.
So my fingers are crossed for a better night tonight. I know I won't be taking my nightly benadryl until I see how things are playing out. :)
I gave Elvis 1/4 Valium around noon, and then left off the Valium at dinner. He still got a bit more excited than usual during our dinner, but that may simply have been the second Prednisone making itself known. And, well, he's a pretty food motivated little guy.
Tonight I'm planning on just sleeping in the living room on the sofa with Haley (appropriately attired, of course) and Elvis loose. Since bringing the basket in last night wasn't particularly successful, I'm just going to put two blankets on the floor and let it go at that.
I'm hoping that since Elvis will be starting out in the living room tonight, as opposed to traveling all over the house first, things will be a bit easier than they were last night. I'm also changing his Valium dosage some. This afternoon, I had good luck giving 1/2 Torbutrol and then coming back about 30 minutes or so later with a Valium dosage. The Torbutrol helped calm the excited wheezing, and the Valium knocked the edge of his excitement off.
So tonight, I'll give him 1/2 Torb around 10:00 and then 1/2 Valium about 10:30 or 10:45. At that point, we'll be in the living room, and I'll probably leash Haley for the first little bit until I'm sure she realizes that's her bed for the night. Elvis won't be far away.
I am seriously hoping for a better night tonight. Another night like last night, and I'll probably just shoot myself. If this works, I'm really hoping I'll only have to be on the sofa a night or so. That sofa just isn't comfortable, and with back problems, it really isn't good for me to be there for a long stretch.
So my fingers are crossed for a better night tonight. I know I won't be taking my nightly benadryl until I see how things are playing out. :)
Quick note
I weighed Elvis today, and his weight is good. 8.2, so apparently it was either an anomaly with our scales or just the time of day yesterday that I weighed him. So his extra dose of Pred can continue.
Was that ever unpleasant...
Horrible night. Just horrible. This time from the other end of the clock.
Elvis had me up until 3:30, though I may have been partly responsible for that. Right now, he's laying calmly by Haley, but Randall said he was just madly trying to hump her for the first 30 minutes or so that I'd been in the bedroom to sleep.
Anyway, he's pretty much calmed down now, but he's shown more interest in her in the last two days than in the last two weeks...and she is just about out of season. It would help tremendously if she'd turn around and tell him to stop, but she doesn't. She never has with any male (I've only had one other bitch like this in 25 years), so he takes it as a sign to continue on.
Tonight I'm going to try starting out sleeping on the sofa in the living room with Haley and him loose and the basket available for them. I ended up moving into different rooms last night, and I think that really exacerbated the situation. We'd first tried moving him into the bedroom with us and that didn't work. Having his crate facing Haley's was no help.
Then I moved out into the den into a recliner. That helped. They both settled down into the basket (after some jockeying for position), and they were there for a couple of hours. Unfortunately, the chair proved not to be an option for me, so I moved into the living room onto the sofa. I put Haley's pallet down on the floor, but they stayed in the den for the longest. At about 2:30, Haley woke me up. I didn't realize she needed to go outside, so I had that to deal with.
The basket came into the living room, Haley settled in it, but Elvis was ramped up. More Valium didn't help, but finally at 3:30 either he settled down or I was too tired to care what was happening and I fell asleep.
So right now, I don't like dogs. Well, maybe Skeeter because he's asleep in the other room, but Haley and Elvis are right down by my feet, and I dislike them both. Fortunately the cats are OK. I like them. LOL
I'll post another update later today. Probably this evening since it looks like the behavior that is so bad takes a vacation until bedtime. :(
Elvis had me up until 3:30, though I may have been partly responsible for that. Right now, he's laying calmly by Haley, but Randall said he was just madly trying to hump her for the first 30 minutes or so that I'd been in the bedroom to sleep.
Anyway, he's pretty much calmed down now, but he's shown more interest in her in the last two days than in the last two weeks...and she is just about out of season. It would help tremendously if she'd turn around and tell him to stop, but she doesn't. She never has with any male (I've only had one other bitch like this in 25 years), so he takes it as a sign to continue on.
Tonight I'm going to try starting out sleeping on the sofa in the living room with Haley and him loose and the basket available for them. I ended up moving into different rooms last night, and I think that really exacerbated the situation. We'd first tried moving him into the bedroom with us and that didn't work. Having his crate facing Haley's was no help.
Then I moved out into the den into a recliner. That helped. They both settled down into the basket (after some jockeying for position), and they were there for a couple of hours. Unfortunately, the chair proved not to be an option for me, so I moved into the living room onto the sofa. I put Haley's pallet down on the floor, but they stayed in the den for the longest. At about 2:30, Haley woke me up. I didn't realize she needed to go outside, so I had that to deal with.
The basket came into the living room, Haley settled in it, but Elvis was ramped up. More Valium didn't help, but finally at 3:30 either he settled down or I was too tired to care what was happening and I fell asleep.
So right now, I don't like dogs. Well, maybe Skeeter because he's asleep in the other room, but Haley and Elvis are right down by my feet, and I dislike them both. Fortunately the cats are OK. I like them. LOL
I'll post another update later today. Probably this evening since it looks like the behavior that is so bad takes a vacation until bedtime. :(
Friday, July 23, 2010
Evening Update 7/23/2010
It's been a mixed bag, today.
Elvis is pretty frantic in his "love" for Haley. Yet, after bathing Haley, I see where she's definitely on the far downhill slide of her season. Not sure what is going on, but Haley seems to be egging him on some and Elvis, as you'd expect, is responding.
He got 1/4 Valium this afternoon at lunch and then again in his foodball with his dinner at 5:30. He's still been pretty keyed up, though, but that may have been the food anticipation coming through because right now, he's calm.
So tonight at bedtime, I'm going to go ahead with 1/2 Valium. I suspect I'll have another early wake up call in the morning...so sure that I've got some recipes out so I can do some cooking. LOL
I am also concerned about his weight. He gained a pound overnight, but our scales are acting up, so it may be that and not fluid retention. I didn't weigh him at the normal time (right after lunch), but did it around 3:00. His Lasix has been bumped up to 1 ml to compensate for the increased Prednisone, but I intend to reweigh him tomorrow at the normal time. If the weight is back to around 8 lbs, I'll know it was the scales acting up. If it's still at 9.2, I'm going to drop the second Pred dose. The Valium is keeping his emotions in check now, so I'm not sure he really needs that extra dose to control the wheezing....I'd hoped to scale him back on Monday or Tuesday anyway, so this is just a couple of days early.
That's it from here for now. I'll post an update in the morning, though like I said, I really expect to be woken up again around 3:30 or so.
Elvis is pretty frantic in his "love" for Haley. Yet, after bathing Haley, I see where she's definitely on the far downhill slide of her season. Not sure what is going on, but Haley seems to be egging him on some and Elvis, as you'd expect, is responding.
He got 1/4 Valium this afternoon at lunch and then again in his foodball with his dinner at 5:30. He's still been pretty keyed up, though, but that may have been the food anticipation coming through because right now, he's calm.
So tonight at bedtime, I'm going to go ahead with 1/2 Valium. I suspect I'll have another early wake up call in the morning...so sure that I've got some recipes out so I can do some cooking. LOL
I am also concerned about his weight. He gained a pound overnight, but our scales are acting up, so it may be that and not fluid retention. I didn't weigh him at the normal time (right after lunch), but did it around 3:00. His Lasix has been bumped up to 1 ml to compensate for the increased Prednisone, but I intend to reweigh him tomorrow at the normal time. If the weight is back to around 8 lbs, I'll know it was the scales acting up. If it's still at 9.2, I'm going to drop the second Pred dose. The Valium is keeping his emotions in check now, so I'm not sure he really needs that extra dose to control the wheezing....I'd hoped to scale him back on Monday or Tuesday anyway, so this is just a couple of days early.
That's it from here for now. I'll post an update in the morning, though like I said, I really expect to be woken up again around 3:30 or so.
Another Early Start 7/23/2010
I ended up giving Elvis 1/2 a Valium before bedtime. I started with 1/4, but about 15 minutes after we'd gone to bed and were still reading, it was obvious he wasn't going to settle (we tried having Haley out in the den at first, but she let us know she much preferred her crate in our room, so that was a no go). So another 1/4 Valium in a late night food ball was presented.
No problems until it wore off at 3:30, when I had to get up, let he and Skeeter out and give him another 1/2. That really didn't do it. Not sure if it was because Haley wasn't out there when I first put him back or that Haley went out and the boys got to go out a second time. Not sure.
Anyway, at 4:15, I just decided to hell with it and got up. At least I got Randall's muffins made and a chili I'd been needing to do cooked up. :)
But other than the 3:30 wake up, Elvis seems to be doing OK. No coughing, some whining (mainly at food), and a bit less agitated. I'll decide what to do about his noon Valium once I'm back up (heading back to bed in a bit), and sort of play the dinner Valium by ear. I don't think there's any question he'll get 1/2 at bed time.
I'll probably post an update tonight unless something happens.
No problems until it wore off at 3:30, when I had to get up, let he and Skeeter out and give him another 1/2. That really didn't do it. Not sure if it was because Haley wasn't out there when I first put him back or that Haley went out and the boys got to go out a second time. Not sure.
Anyway, at 4:15, I just decided to hell with it and got up. At least I got Randall's muffins made and a chili I'd been needing to do cooked up. :)
But other than the 3:30 wake up, Elvis seems to be doing OK. No coughing, some whining (mainly at food), and a bit less agitated. I'll decide what to do about his noon Valium once I'm back up (heading back to bed in a bit), and sort of play the dinner Valium by ear. I don't think there's any question he'll get 1/2 at bed time.
I'll probably post an update tonight unless something happens.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Evening Update 7/22/2010
I think we've got a MUCH better handle on Elvis' anxiety tonight.
Like I mentioned earlier, this afternoon after lunch, I gave him 1/4 Valium to help settle him down. He was beginning to pant and whistle (the only descriptive term I can think of to describe how his whine sounds). Tonight with dinner, his Lasix was bumped up to 1 ml, he had 1/4 of a Prednisone and 1/4 of a Valium.
I'm not seeing ANYTHING tonight like what I saw at this time last night. Part of his problem is he's hyperfocused on food. And I, as the Foodlady, come under a lot of scrutiny. Today that's been particularly the case (and this evening even more so as the bacon-wrapped meat loaf began giving off some really good smells).
He begins to get ramped up by about 4:30 and by the time he's fed at 5:30, he's well on his way to over-excitement. Now you add Haley into that mix and it's incredibly stressful and volatile.
There's been a lot of whining coming from him (that's been happening for awhile now since that's apparently how he's settled on expressing excitement over food) today, but yesterday that morphed into the horrible whooping cough he was plagued with all night and into the early morning hours. There's been none of that today.
I've not decided exactly what I'm going to do about his Valium tonight. Part of me thinks the 1/2 tablet dosage is the way to go, but the other part of me thinks that since he's no where near as bad as he was last night, I might want to stick with 1/4 and then go to 1/2 if he needs it in the middle of the night. (Reading this over makes me think that second idea is what I'll do.)
I do know Haley is going to be crated in the den tonight. He apparently is much less stressed if he wakes up and smells her there. He can't get to her, of course, but just the proximity seems to be enough.
So I'm hoping that the afternoon/evening gives way to a good night's sleep. We all need it. Tomorrow I'll continue with the increased meds, though I may delete the noon Valium if he's calm enough...I really hate to rely on that too much because there is so much medicine involved here that I'm afraid he'll react poorly. Since he's got a history of emotional issues when he's overloaded on medication, I'm hoping to get back to his normal dosings relatively soon.
Like I mentioned earlier, this afternoon after lunch, I gave him 1/4 Valium to help settle him down. He was beginning to pant and whistle (the only descriptive term I can think of to describe how his whine sounds). Tonight with dinner, his Lasix was bumped up to 1 ml, he had 1/4 of a Prednisone and 1/4 of a Valium.
I'm not seeing ANYTHING tonight like what I saw at this time last night. Part of his problem is he's hyperfocused on food. And I, as the Foodlady, come under a lot of scrutiny. Today that's been particularly the case (and this evening even more so as the bacon-wrapped meat loaf began giving off some really good smells).
He begins to get ramped up by about 4:30 and by the time he's fed at 5:30, he's well on his way to over-excitement. Now you add Haley into that mix and it's incredibly stressful and volatile.
There's been a lot of whining coming from him (that's been happening for awhile now since that's apparently how he's settled on expressing excitement over food) today, but yesterday that morphed into the horrible whooping cough he was plagued with all night and into the early morning hours. There's been none of that today.
I've not decided exactly what I'm going to do about his Valium tonight. Part of me thinks the 1/2 tablet dosage is the way to go, but the other part of me thinks that since he's no where near as bad as he was last night, I might want to stick with 1/4 and then go to 1/2 if he needs it in the middle of the night. (Reading this over makes me think that second idea is what I'll do.)
I do know Haley is going to be crated in the den tonight. He apparently is much less stressed if he wakes up and smells her there. He can't get to her, of course, but just the proximity seems to be enough.
So I'm hoping that the afternoon/evening gives way to a good night's sleep. We all need it. Tomorrow I'll continue with the increased meds, though I may delete the noon Valium if he's calm enough...I really hate to rely on that too much because there is so much medicine involved here that I'm afraid he'll react poorly. Since he's got a history of emotional issues when he's overloaded on medication, I'm hoping to get back to his normal dosings relatively soon.
Afternoon Update 7/22/2010
Talked to Dr. Walthall, and I'm going to up Elvis' Prednisone to twice a day. He only gets 1/4 tablet once a day right now, and that can be increased quite a bit provided I keep an eye on fluid retention. Since I suspect this is a very temporary situation, I'm going to just bump it up a bit for a few days and then taper back to his once a day dosage when Haley quits stirring things up.
w/r/t Valium. The dosage he has available is quite low. Since 1/4 tablet works for only a couple of hours, I'm going to bump that to 1/2 tablet every four hours during the night. I've given him 1/4 tablet a bit ago to help settle him some, and I suspect he may need one after dinner, but I don't want to overdo it. It doesn't knock him out, but I want to be careful with the dosage so I can use it when I really need it.
I'm also going to bump his Lasix up to 1 ml twice a day for the next three or four days. That can't stay increased for long since it can cause mental/emotional problems, but if I can keep it increased through Sunday, I think that will be OK. I can always drop the dinner dose down to .75 ml if I need to keep the morning dose higher.
(As sort of a note: Haley came in around the 7th or 8th. That puts her today at about day 15 which would sit her smack dab in the breedable stage if she was cycling normally...which she isn't. Elvis knows the timing which is what has kicked off this bit of trouble. So, looking at a calendar, I'd expect this stage to end Sunday or Monday. She'll continue to bleed out for another week or so, but I'm hoping Elvis anxiety will die back in a few days to where it was originally. That can be handled with Torb, so that would be good.)
I'm sure I'll be posting another update tomorrow.
w/r/t Valium. The dosage he has available is quite low. Since 1/4 tablet works for only a couple of hours, I'm going to bump that to 1/2 tablet every four hours during the night. I've given him 1/4 tablet a bit ago to help settle him some, and I suspect he may need one after dinner, but I don't want to overdo it. It doesn't knock him out, but I want to be careful with the dosage so I can use it when I really need it.
I'm also going to bump his Lasix up to 1 ml twice a day for the next three or four days. That can't stay increased for long since it can cause mental/emotional problems, but if I can keep it increased through Sunday, I think that will be OK. I can always drop the dinner dose down to .75 ml if I need to keep the morning dose higher.
(As sort of a note: Haley came in around the 7th or 8th. That puts her today at about day 15 which would sit her smack dab in the breedable stage if she was cycling normally...which she isn't. Elvis knows the timing which is what has kicked off this bit of trouble. So, looking at a calendar, I'd expect this stage to end Sunday or Monday. She'll continue to bleed out for another week or so, but I'm hoping Elvis anxiety will die back in a few days to where it was originally. That can be handled with Torb, so that would be good.)
I'm sure I'll be posting another update tomorrow.
Crummy night
Crummy, crummy night.
Elvis whooped and coughed until the wee hours. I'd given him a Valium about 10 hoping that would handle him like it had the night before. No luck. So at midnight, I gave him another one. That wore off about 2:30.
Man. What do you do at 2:30 in the morning when the dog is coughing up a lung and it's all because of stress over a bitch in season?
Well, you move the bitch back out in a crate next to his. And you give him a Torbutrol. Randall and I finally got back to sleep around 3:30 or so.
I've got a call in to Dr. Walthall to ask about increasing the Valium dosage and frequency, as well as upping the Pred during the time Haley is in season.
She's currently making rounds at the shelter, so I won't hear back from her until later this morning, but once I do, I'll post another update.
For now, Elvis is calm (well, mostly), and there's no whooping cough. Periodic whining (little man has found his voice), but everything else is pretty much normal. The problems don't kick in until late afternoon when the stress of anticipating his dinner (and ours) kicks in. Once that starts, it's added to the Haley burden and it kicks off his coughing.
Elvis whooped and coughed until the wee hours. I'd given him a Valium about 10 hoping that would handle him like it had the night before. No luck. So at midnight, I gave him another one. That wore off about 2:30.
Man. What do you do at 2:30 in the morning when the dog is coughing up a lung and it's all because of stress over a bitch in season?
Well, you move the bitch back out in a crate next to his. And you give him a Torbutrol. Randall and I finally got back to sleep around 3:30 or so.
I've got a call in to Dr. Walthall to ask about increasing the Valium dosage and frequency, as well as upping the Pred during the time Haley is in season.
She's currently making rounds at the shelter, so I won't hear back from her until later this morning, but once I do, I'll post another update.
For now, Elvis is calm (well, mostly), and there's no whooping cough. Periodic whining (little man has found his voice), but everything else is pretty much normal. The problems don't kick in until late afternoon when the stress of anticipating his dinner (and ours) kicks in. Once that starts, it's added to the Haley burden and it kicks off his coughing.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Calling the clinic
I left word on the clinic's answering machine and emailed Dr. Walthall a heads up that Elvis is having some issues..
He is just getting really agitated with Haley in season, and it's showing up in the form of a hacking/whooping cough. Once he gets settled next to her, it slows down or stops, but from about 4:30 pm on, he's never really settled. I swear it sounds like he's coughing up a lung.
He's gotten a Torb at 5 pm and a Guafinisen at 7:40. I suspect he'll be getting a Valium tonight after he's crated since he's pretty agitated when he can't see Haley. I don't know if increasing his Pred is an option, but he's also quite wheezy. To be honest, he sounds very much like he does when he gets a panic attack.
The Valium might actually be the best answer here, but I don't want to have him on too much of it, too often.
So tomorrow I'll talk to the clinic and see what they want to do. Meanwhile I'll try to keep him as settled as possible, and make sure he's got access to and is drinking water so that cough doesn't dehydrate him.
I'll post an update tomorrow.
He is just getting really agitated with Haley in season, and it's showing up in the form of a hacking/whooping cough. Once he gets settled next to her, it slows down or stops, but from about 4:30 pm on, he's never really settled. I swear it sounds like he's coughing up a lung.
He's gotten a Torb at 5 pm and a Guafinisen at 7:40. I suspect he'll be getting a Valium tonight after he's crated since he's pretty agitated when he can't see Haley. I don't know if increasing his Pred is an option, but he's also quite wheezy. To be honest, he sounds very much like he does when he gets a panic attack.
The Valium might actually be the best answer here, but I don't want to have him on too much of it, too often.
So tomorrow I'll talk to the clinic and see what they want to do. Meanwhile I'll try to keep him as settled as possible, and make sure he's got access to and is drinking water so that cough doesn't dehydrate him.
I'll post an update tomorrow.
The first Valium in a long time
About 11:30 last night (right after we'd turned the lights out), I heard a weird sound that I couldn't place. Turning the light on and getting the flashlight, I went into the den and shown the beam at Elvis' crate.
Sure enough, the Little Stumpy Fella was staring right back at me. I went ahead and let he and Skeeter outside, and it was REAL obvious he was looking for Haley. He was very anxious, so out came the Valium
That's the first one he's had in several months, and it did the trick. He got back in his crate and settled right down. We didn't hear another word from him all night. There may be repeat performances of this over the next week or so or for as long as Haley is in season. If we catch it early enough, there's no coughing involved, which is good.
Sure enough, the Little Stumpy Fella was staring right back at me. I went ahead and let he and Skeeter outside, and it was REAL obvious he was looking for Haley. He was very anxious, so out came the Valium
That's the first one he's had in several months, and it did the trick. He got back in his crate and settled right down. We didn't hear another word from him all night. There may be repeat performances of this over the next week or so or for as long as Haley is in season. If we catch it early enough, there's no coughing involved, which is good.
Monday, July 19, 2010
New Links
If you look over in the Useful Links area, you'll see there are two new ones. One is a link to Elvis' pictures on PhotoBucket and the other is to his videos on YouTube (you'll need an account to view them).
The pics don't have much in the way of a description, though I managed to get a few titled.
The pics don't have much in the way of a description, though I managed to get a few titled.
Elvis' Mission (which is Impossible)
Haley is in season, so that means Elvis is on guard. Against what, I'm not sure since the only other canine in the house may be male, but has no baubles. The other four legged male is a cat, and I KNOW Ollie couldn't care less about Haley.
Anyway, at 14 1/2, I'm not worried about Haley's season being anything other than for "show", but she wears her hot pants, and if Elvis gets too fractious, I'll just keep the two separate for whatever length of time is necessary. He's getting a Torb pretty frequently right now since he gets all worked up occasionally, and that triggers his cough.
This is the common sight around the house right now:
And if you look at Elvis' expression, you can see just how pensive he is. This is a job he knows how to do, and his humans won't let him. Well, neither will Haley, but that's not factored into the equation by him.
Last time Haley pulled this is was a little over two weeks (maybe even three), so I suspect we've got a ways to go.
Anyway, at 14 1/2, I'm not worried about Haley's season being anything other than for "show", but she wears her hot pants, and if Elvis gets too fractious, I'll just keep the two separate for whatever length of time is necessary. He's getting a Torb pretty frequently right now since he gets all worked up occasionally, and that triggers his cough.
This is the common sight around the house right now:
And if you look at Elvis' expression, you can see just how pensive he is. This is a job he knows how to do, and his humans won't let him. Well, neither will Haley, but that's not factored into the equation by him.
Last time Haley pulled this is was a little over two weeks (maybe even three), so I suspect we've got a ways to go.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Lots of Torbutrol
If you go over to Elvis' calendar, you'll see the last two weeks is just rife wit Torbutrol.
Normally I'd see that as a really bad thing, but not in this case. For the last 10 days or so, my dachshund bitch, Haley, has had a discharge. A couple of days ago, that became a full blown season (well, as full blown as a 14 1/2 year old bitch can have), so Elvis coughing has a really understandable and external cause.
The Torb is knocking what he gets easily, and he's not had to have more than 1 a day. I suspect that until Haley goes out, Elvis will continue to fret and get coughing spells. As long as they're knocked fast by the Torb, I'm not going to worry.
His weight is up a bit, too, but he's been on some decent pasture the last couple of weeks. Since he can't be exercised, it takes a bit longer to take off. Fortunately, it's actual weight and not water weight gain causing the problem. So I'll just keep an eye on that.
Normally I'd see that as a really bad thing, but not in this case. For the last 10 days or so, my dachshund bitch, Haley, has had a discharge. A couple of days ago, that became a full blown season (well, as full blown as a 14 1/2 year old bitch can have), so Elvis coughing has a really understandable and external cause.
The Torb is knocking what he gets easily, and he's not had to have more than 1 a day. I suspect that until Haley goes out, Elvis will continue to fret and get coughing spells. As long as they're knocked fast by the Torb, I'm not going to worry.
His weight is up a bit, too, but he's been on some decent pasture the last couple of weeks. Since he can't be exercised, it takes a bit longer to take off. Fortunately, it's actual weight and not water weight gain causing the problem. So I'll just keep an eye on that.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Gulf Coast SPCA Needs Your Help
Gulf Coast Companion Animal Relief Program
http://la-spca.org/Page.aspx?pid=509
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Current pics and a video
You're blocking my way:
Looking for leftover bugs:
I'm not a big fan of cameras:
Ahhhhhh.......clean bedding:
Dinner in July:
Looking for leftover bugs:
I'm not a big fan of cameras:
Ahhhhhh.......clean bedding:
Dinner in July:
A VERY special day
So here we are. A year later.
It's really stunning when you think about it. This time last year, we brought in Elvis, whom no one really expected to live beyond a few months. Instead, Elvis has surprised us all...by not just living a full year, but absolutely thriving, and learning that life as a small dog is really much, much better when it doesn't involve living in a puppy mill.
Randall and I (and I know Dr. Walthall and the good folks at the Humane Society) have been downright delighted by how well Elvis has done. Yes, he has congestive heart failure and heartworms, he has only one or two teeth, and he has the emotional problems that come from a life without much socialization. But his heart failure is well managed, his heartworms are being treated (albeit by a monthly pill rather than the more debilitating shot), his lack of teeth aren't an issue with the food he's given, and his personality is accepted as is. He's learned a lot in a year. He's learned to trust more, though he will never be a sound, well-adjusted dog, but when you accept what he has to give, at his own pace, he's a loving little boy.
So we find ourselves looking at the next year. Hoping and praying that it goes as well as this first year. He's got his heart meds, his Prednisone, his Torbutrol and his Valium. We've got a good bag of tricks to work with. And we couldn't ask for a more incredible vet than Dr. Walthall, and the staff at her clinic are wonderful. They are all simply outstanding people, and their efforts have gone a long, long way in contributing to the success Elvis has had this past year. And kudos, too, to all the fine folks at the Humane Society...without their support of Elvis, well, I wouldn't be writing this now. They have been instrumental, too, in Elvis' success.
There are things we now know that Elvis absolutely loves. Most all of them are food. He's gone from being the little boy who ate to live to being the little boy who lives to eat. He positively dances with anticipation when he knows his after dinner (our dinner) treats are coming. His Stumpy Snacks produce an unbelievable, lip smacking reaction. And popcorn. Oh my. Our Friday DVD Date Nights have started including popcorn again for the first time in two years (thanks to my new lower dentures). Elvis recognizes the popping sound in the microwave, and when Randall comes into the living room with the Big Bowl, he can hardly contain his excitement. He absolutely, positively adores popcorn. I think it's the ultimate love of his life.
He's learned the joys of rubbing his head along the back of the couch. Knows that bugs in the yard in mid-spring are incredibly tasty. Bird hunting is challenging and fun. Ditto squirrel watching. Clean bedding not only smells good, but is comfortable. Time on the ottoman is well spent. People and other dogs are fine companions.
We know the time we'll be blessed with Elvis is limited. There is simply a finite amount of time that his heart condition can be controlled and managed, but for whatever time that is, he will be loved and cared for. He's been given a new life, and, in turn, Randall and I have experienced the joy of opening our home to a very special special-needs boy.
(On a personal note, I will say I've been around only one other dog who had more "bottom" than Elvis has. My last show dog, Brenna, had a depth of determination and well of strength that I have never before encountered - in a dog or person. I don't expect to ever see the likes of it again, but Elvis comes in second to her. There's just an awful lot to this little dog that has taken us all by surprise, I think. And while determination can only go so far, I have to say that with Elvis, I expect it will take him further than any of us would have ever expected. For that matter, it already has.)
So I'm very happy to make this post. It's the one year Foster-versary for a very special little dog, and tonight he'll have a special bit of canned food to celebrate. And who knows, maybe Randall and I will pop some popcorn in celebration.
(I should be posting another dinner video and a couple more current photos of Elvis later today.)
Monday, July 12, 2010
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Update 2, July 10, 2010
I just got through weighing Elvis, and he's definitely put on weight. He's up to 9 pounds, which is more than I'd like to see him at now. He should be around 8.2 or 8.4. So, I'll bump his Lasix up to 1 ml in the morning, watch his food intake and weigh him about in two or three days and see where we are.
I've been very lax in weighing him over the last month, so this is my fault. So that's got to change. I expect I'll weigh him every couple of days for the next week or two until I get a handle on what's going on with his weight.
I've been very lax in weighing him over the last month, so this is my fault. So that's got to change. I expect I'll weigh him every couple of days for the next week or two until I get a handle on what's going on with his weight.
Update, July 10, 2010
Elvis got us up early this morning (about 5:30) coughing. It wasn't too bad, but it did mean an early Torbutrol. This is the first time in months that he's had a problem at "night." The Torb kicked it within a few minutes, so he's settled down pretty well.
His problem, bless his heart, is pretty much understandable. My dachshund, Haley, has a slight discharge that he finds REALLY attractive. She's not in season, but it's the next best thing according to him. He's been having trouble settling down for the last four or five days, and he's had to have a Torb each day for the last three (four if you include this morning). One dose has always done it, so it's obviously not too bad.
I'm hoping that I can bathe her tomorrow afternoon (and get the dog bedding washed), and that will handle the majority of it. Haley has been on some medication for a slight swelling under her eye, and that's apparently triggered a response in her that's caused this discharge. She's fine, and the swelling is gone, but she smells really good to him. And, well, from his past life, if there's one thing Elvis knows, it's how to deal with bitches who smell good. :)
Anyway, I don't expect further problems, but I decided an update would be a good idea. I need to update his calendar to reflect this, and he also needs to be weighed this afternoon just to be sure.
His problem, bless his heart, is pretty much understandable. My dachshund, Haley, has a slight discharge that he finds REALLY attractive. She's not in season, but it's the next best thing according to him. He's been having trouble settling down for the last four or five days, and he's had to have a Torb each day for the last three (four if you include this morning). One dose has always done it, so it's obviously not too bad.
I'm hoping that I can bathe her tomorrow afternoon (and get the dog bedding washed), and that will handle the majority of it. Haley has been on some medication for a slight swelling under her eye, and that's apparently triggered a response in her that's caused this discharge. She's fine, and the swelling is gone, but she smells really good to him. And, well, from his past life, if there's one thing Elvis knows, it's how to deal with bitches who smell good. :)
Anyway, I don't expect further problems, but I decided an update would be a good idea. I need to update his calendar to reflect this, and he also needs to be weighed this afternoon just to be sure.
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