Man. It's been nearly 10 days since my last update. Oops! But I had a loaner laptop come in last week and I've been busy getting that up and running, so hopefully I can do a bit better.
Elvis has had a bit of an inadvertent medicine problem. Mea culpa. I had put him back on 1 cc of Lasix twice a day since he was taken off the Vetmedin and it has been more humid here which had increased his coughing, and it finally caught up with him. Not being used to toy breeds, I forget sometimes that medicine amounts can really add up.
Bless his heart. It wasn't ANYTHING like the Vetmedin, but that's probably because we noticed it sooner. He was having the same sort of behavioral reaction that he had with the other medicine. Increased spookiness, some confusion and general trust issues. His coat had also gone to shit...shedding and flaking...and while the olive oil that I added to his diet was helping, it couldn't do it all.
He got cut back to .75 cc twice a day about five days ago, and he's made a full behavioral recovery. His coat has also come back nicely. I really, really, really am going to have to watch his dosage amounts.
I also need to call Dr. Walthall's office tomorrow and set up a follow-up appointment with her. She had wanted to see him about six weeks after the first time we took him in, so it's about time. I wanted to get us past Thanksgiving and some doctor's appointments I had before we took him in.
All in all, though, he's doing really very well. His coughing is very much under control, though I've notice a bit of wheezing occasionally, and his behavior and attitude are good. Definitely a far cry from the scared little boy we brought in here in July.
I'll post another update after we see his vet.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
November 20, 2009
Randall and I went by the shelter on Wednesday to pick up Elvis' medicine, and like we'd hoped to do, we took him with us.
The folks there were very happy to see him and said how good he looked. Sadly, poor little Elvis didn't enjoy the experience much. He definitely knew where he was, and started shaking and coughing right after he got into the lobby. He was much, much worse than he was when we took him to the vets office.
I suspect that he thought he was being left, since Randall said when he got back to the van and saw his crate, he was VERY excited to get back in there. Anyway, we'd hoped he'd do better, but I completely understand that he was anxious about the situation. And, as you can imagine, he was very happy to get home and back with his buds. :)
On a bit unrelated note. I got the results from my CT scan yesterday, and the cancer still hasn't returned. That means I will feel much more like enjoying the holiday season and able to tackle whatever needs Elvis has over the next several months. I won't have another CT until next December, so unless something shows up physically, I'm not going to give it another thought.
Also, this means that I can definitely speak more with Dr. Walthall about the immature heartworm treatment she mentioned to Randall. I'll call her next week and get an appointment set up for after Thanksgiving. Elvis is doing very well, but I'm not a vet and I can only go on what I'm seeing.
Not sure if I'll post an update next week or not. I probably will because Randall and I don't really celebrate Thanksgiving, but do our Christmas decorating...and since I still wear out easily, we'll start it on Monday or Tuesday. I'll probably end up updating on how Elvis has handled the experience...because there is a LOT of decorating in this house. :)
The folks there were very happy to see him and said how good he looked. Sadly, poor little Elvis didn't enjoy the experience much. He definitely knew where he was, and started shaking and coughing right after he got into the lobby. He was much, much worse than he was when we took him to the vets office.
I suspect that he thought he was being left, since Randall said when he got back to the van and saw his crate, he was VERY excited to get back in there. Anyway, we'd hoped he'd do better, but I completely understand that he was anxious about the situation. And, as you can imagine, he was very happy to get home and back with his buds. :)
On a bit unrelated note. I got the results from my CT scan yesterday, and the cancer still hasn't returned. That means I will feel much more like enjoying the holiday season and able to tackle whatever needs Elvis has over the next several months. I won't have another CT until next December, so unless something shows up physically, I'm not going to give it another thought.
Also, this means that I can definitely speak more with Dr. Walthall about the immature heartworm treatment she mentioned to Randall. I'll call her next week and get an appointment set up for after Thanksgiving. Elvis is doing very well, but I'm not a vet and I can only go on what I'm seeing.
Not sure if I'll post an update next week or not. I probably will because Randall and I don't really celebrate Thanksgiving, but do our Christmas decorating...and since I still wear out easily, we'll start it on Monday or Tuesday. I'll probably end up updating on how Elvis has handled the experience...because there is a LOT of decorating in this house. :)
Sunday, November 15, 2009
November 15, 2009
Ever have one of those "AHA!!!" moments? Well, Randall and I had one today.
Elvis has been getting back under his desk, and working himself further and further back into the corner. For no reason that we could understand. And he's just been spooky as all get out. For no reason we could understand.
So, last night, Randall went and got a box and stuck under the desk. Smoked out, Elvis had to come out and deal with the world. And low and behold, today he's been a different dog. Apparently there's some sort of cycle that he gets into if he can hide away. He hides, he gets spooky/scared and he hides more and he gets more spooky/scared. And around it goes.
But, apparently, when he has to come out and be more involved in the goings on around here, he becomes a great deal more brave.
So he's off the cholodin and the box is a permanent fixture under Randall's desk. What an improvement. :)
Our only problem right now is that the humidity is going up, and it's playing hell with his heart condition. I'm not sure there's a thing we can do about it, but it's definitely an issue...even here in the house. He'll just be monitored closely and given another cough pill if he needs it. His spooky/scared bit was aggravating the problem, so at least we've got that worked out and that part is alleviated.
I would like to give him a bath early in the week and take him with us to the Humane Society when we go pick up his medicine refills. He's still shedding like crazy, but I know the Lasix is causing that. I want them to see him, though, since he's doing so much better than he was in July when we brought him home.
Elvis has been getting back under his desk, and working himself further and further back into the corner. For no reason that we could understand. And he's just been spooky as all get out. For no reason we could understand.
So, last night, Randall went and got a box and stuck under the desk. Smoked out, Elvis had to come out and deal with the world. And low and behold, today he's been a different dog. Apparently there's some sort of cycle that he gets into if he can hide away. He hides, he gets spooky/scared and he hides more and he gets more spooky/scared. And around it goes.
But, apparently, when he has to come out and be more involved in the goings on around here, he becomes a great deal more brave.
So he's off the cholodin and the box is a permanent fixture under Randall's desk. What an improvement. :)
Our only problem right now is that the humidity is going up, and it's playing hell with his heart condition. I'm not sure there's a thing we can do about it, but it's definitely an issue...even here in the house. He'll just be monitored closely and given another cough pill if he needs it. His spooky/scared bit was aggravating the problem, so at least we've got that worked out and that part is alleviated.
I would like to give him a bath early in the week and take him with us to the Humane Society when we go pick up his medicine refills. He's still shedding like crazy, but I know the Lasix is causing that. I want them to see him, though, since he's doing so much better than he was in July when we brought him home.
Friday, November 13, 2009
November 13, 2009
(Just a quick update here, since I'm still using my husband's PC.)
Elvis is doing well. Occasionally he has to have another cough tablet added to his two 1/2 pills he gets a day, but at this point, he's not on any special heart medicine like the Vetmedin. He's still getting his Lasix, and with the cough tablets, that seems to be enough.
I have added 1/2 CC once a day of olive oil. The Lasix seems to really dry out his skin and coat (which is understandable since it's a diuretic), and that seems to be helping. I'm also brushing him daily with a slicker brush (to pull out the dead hair) and then following up with a bristle brush to work out the dander. Takes all of five minutes (he's a small dog! LOL), and it does seem to relieve a lot of his itching and has improved the feel/appearance of his coat and skin.
Also, he seems to be having a bit more trouble with anxiety. Nothing huge; nothing unmanageable; nothing consistent, but I have some cholodin here that I had when we had my senior dachshund, Brenna, who suffered from dementia in the last stages of her life. Cholodin is something that actually seems to work (to varying degrees) to help alleviate a lot of senior dog "moments" and physical problems associated with that. He's getting 1/4 tablet, and I just started him on that three or four days ago. It takes a week to 10 days to kick in, so by the end of next week, I hope to see some stabilizing. If I don't see improvements within 2-3 weeks, I'll take him off it. No point in over-medicating the little fella.
And, as I think I've mentioned before, he's massively obsessed with finding soft spots to lay on. Preferably between someones legs so he can be "protected." He's been spending a lot of time on the ottoman in the living room, and you can see him circling it and staring lovingly at it when he can't get up there. I guess it's safe to say that's his obsession. Every animal in this house has something to obsess about, and soft spots (the ottoman in particular) are his. LOL
On a personal note, I've got a CT scan scheduled for this afternoon (being a cancer survivor, I get these), and once I get the results (hopefully by the end of next week), I'll want to make an appointment for his vet to see him around the first of December. Nothing special at this point, but she wanted to check him out, and I want her to see him and talk to her about treating the unhatched heartworms. I don't know enough about that to say grace over, so I'd like to find out more about what's involved and what he'd go through.
Elvis is doing well. Occasionally he has to have another cough tablet added to his two 1/2 pills he gets a day, but at this point, he's not on any special heart medicine like the Vetmedin. He's still getting his Lasix, and with the cough tablets, that seems to be enough.
I have added 1/2 CC once a day of olive oil. The Lasix seems to really dry out his skin and coat (which is understandable since it's a diuretic), and that seems to be helping. I'm also brushing him daily with a slicker brush (to pull out the dead hair) and then following up with a bristle brush to work out the dander. Takes all of five minutes (he's a small dog! LOL), and it does seem to relieve a lot of his itching and has improved the feel/appearance of his coat and skin.
Also, he seems to be having a bit more trouble with anxiety. Nothing huge; nothing unmanageable; nothing consistent, but I have some cholodin here that I had when we had my senior dachshund, Brenna, who suffered from dementia in the last stages of her life. Cholodin is something that actually seems to work (to varying degrees) to help alleviate a lot of senior dog "moments" and physical problems associated with that. He's getting 1/4 tablet, and I just started him on that three or four days ago. It takes a week to 10 days to kick in, so by the end of next week, I hope to see some stabilizing. If I don't see improvements within 2-3 weeks, I'll take him off it. No point in over-medicating the little fella.
And, as I think I've mentioned before, he's massively obsessed with finding soft spots to lay on. Preferably between someones legs so he can be "protected." He's been spending a lot of time on the ottoman in the living room, and you can see him circling it and staring lovingly at it when he can't get up there. I guess it's safe to say that's his obsession. Every animal in this house has something to obsess about, and soft spots (the ottoman in particular) are his. LOL
On a personal note, I've got a CT scan scheduled for this afternoon (being a cancer survivor, I get these), and once I get the results (hopefully by the end of next week), I'll want to make an appointment for his vet to see him around the first of December. Nothing special at this point, but she wanted to check him out, and I want her to see him and talk to her about treating the unhatched heartworms. I don't know enough about that to say grace over, so I'd like to find out more about what's involved and what he'd go through.
Monday, November 02, 2009
November 2, Monday
It's been a slow week. :)
Elvis' weight seems to have gone back up to the over 8 lb mark. The last several weighings that I've done have put him at 8.6 or 8.8, which is good. I really would rather have him over 8 lb. I suspect that when he drops down under 8, the heartworm eggs are hatching. I definitely want to keep an eye on this, and I do want to talk to his vet before Thanksgiving.
The only thing I'm seeing right now that has me a bit concerned is his coat. He's blowing an awful lot of it, and the texture seems a bit different. Not sure if this is heartworm related or just something he's cycling through. If it keeps up, this will get mentioned to Dr. Walthall. Right now, I'm simply brushing him every couple of days to pull out the dead coat.
I will say his 1/2 pill twice a day of the cough medicine coupled with the .75-1 CC of Lasix twice a day seems to be doing the job very well. I have only rarely had to give him another cough tablet to help ease his cough. And, since he's not panicking hardly at all now, that doesn't drive the coughing to a worse state.
He has also developed an EXTREME love of soft spots...in particular the ottoman that's in the living room that I use when I'm stitching. He's gotten where he "haunts" me here in the den if I've not spent an adequate (according to him!) amount of time in there so he can lay on it. He still goes in and stares lovingly at it during dinner, and last night, when Randall picked him up off it and brought him here in the den in preparation for going outside, he said Elvis rushed back around the corner to get back to it. LOL
Apparently, too, Elvis has some pretty sharp elbows that he uses to be first out the door when all three dogs go outside. He muscles his way past Haley (a feat when you consider he's all of 8 or so pounds and she's over 20), in order to get out the door first and then he races to beat Skeeter to the back of the yard. He's got quite the competitive streak when it comes to this, so he does everything he can to be first out the door. Yesterday afternoon, he was pushing out the door so hard that he ended up going out at an angle and tripping over his feet.
I'd love to get a video of this, but I'm not sure I can. It's funny though to watch him fight to be first out and then pin his ears back and take off. I just wish his heart condition didn't limit his physical activity, but it does. Otherwise I suspect he and Skeeter would do a lot of running in the yard.
I know I keep promising more pictures, but I'm having a hard time a) getting pictures taken because of the rains we've had and b) getting new ones off the camera because my online time is so limited right now. I hope to have some posted this week.
Elvis' weight seems to have gone back up to the over 8 lb mark. The last several weighings that I've done have put him at 8.6 or 8.8, which is good. I really would rather have him over 8 lb. I suspect that when he drops down under 8, the heartworm eggs are hatching. I definitely want to keep an eye on this, and I do want to talk to his vet before Thanksgiving.
The only thing I'm seeing right now that has me a bit concerned is his coat. He's blowing an awful lot of it, and the texture seems a bit different. Not sure if this is heartworm related or just something he's cycling through. If it keeps up, this will get mentioned to Dr. Walthall. Right now, I'm simply brushing him every couple of days to pull out the dead coat.
I will say his 1/2 pill twice a day of the cough medicine coupled with the .75-1 CC of Lasix twice a day seems to be doing the job very well. I have only rarely had to give him another cough tablet to help ease his cough. And, since he's not panicking hardly at all now, that doesn't drive the coughing to a worse state.
He has also developed an EXTREME love of soft spots...in particular the ottoman that's in the living room that I use when I'm stitching. He's gotten where he "haunts" me here in the den if I've not spent an adequate (according to him!) amount of time in there so he can lay on it. He still goes in and stares lovingly at it during dinner, and last night, when Randall picked him up off it and brought him here in the den in preparation for going outside, he said Elvis rushed back around the corner to get back to it. LOL
Apparently, too, Elvis has some pretty sharp elbows that he uses to be first out the door when all three dogs go outside. He muscles his way past Haley (a feat when you consider he's all of 8 or so pounds and she's over 20), in order to get out the door first and then he races to beat Skeeter to the back of the yard. He's got quite the competitive streak when it comes to this, so he does everything he can to be first out the door. Yesterday afternoon, he was pushing out the door so hard that he ended up going out at an angle and tripping over his feet.
I'd love to get a video of this, but I'm not sure I can. It's funny though to watch him fight to be first out and then pin his ears back and take off. I just wish his heart condition didn't limit his physical activity, but it does. Otherwise I suspect he and Skeeter would do a lot of running in the yard.
I know I keep promising more pictures, but I'm having a hard time a) getting pictures taken because of the rains we've had and b) getting new ones off the camera because my online time is so limited right now. I hope to have some posted this week.
Monday, October 26, 2009
October 26...A home of his own.
I spoke with Liz (the HS foster director) this morning at the shelter, and it's official. Elvis is now in permanent foster with us.
While Randall and I always knew it would be a very remote possibility that someone would want to adopt a senior special needs SchipperChi, it was something that we knew might happen. That's no longer the case.
Elvis is doing very well here. So well, that Liz suggested this arrangement and we are happy to agree to it. Ultimately, nothing changes in what we're doing, but it takes the possibility of placing him in a home out of the equation.
The medications will continue as before, and his visits to Dr. Walthall will happen as before, so all that's the same. I did call Dr. Walthall's office this morning to let them know about the change, and I will want to talk with her in a few weeks about the idea of treating Elvis' hatching heartworms, because I think they are going to be a problem. I didn't want to commit to that if there was a chance he'd be adopted in the middle of this treatment.
We'd said that Elvis had a home here for as long as he needed one, and we're happy to make this a forever home for him.
While Randall and I always knew it would be a very remote possibility that someone would want to adopt a senior special needs SchipperChi, it was something that we knew might happen. That's no longer the case.
Elvis is doing very well here. So well, that Liz suggested this arrangement and we are happy to agree to it. Ultimately, nothing changes in what we're doing, but it takes the possibility of placing him in a home out of the equation.
The medications will continue as before, and his visits to Dr. Walthall will happen as before, so all that's the same. I did call Dr. Walthall's office this morning to let them know about the change, and I will want to talk with her in a few weeks about the idea of treating Elvis' hatching heartworms, because I think they are going to be a problem. I didn't want to commit to that if there was a chance he'd be adopted in the middle of this treatment.
We'd said that Elvis had a home here for as long as he needed one, and we're happy to make this a forever home for him.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
October 24, Saturday
Things got a bit hairy this last week since my mother came in for a visit last weekend and came down with a sinus infection. She was here until yesterday, so updates took a backseat.
Elvis has been on strictly the Lasix and Guaifensin (cough medicine) for the last several days, and it seems to be working. That's really good news because I'd like to hold off on the heart medicine for as long as we can.
I'm not seeing any more coughing than before, and his appetite is good, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed this is where we'll be for awhile.
Randall is hoping to get the yard mowed tomorrow and, if he does, Elvis will get a bath. He needs it since, for some reason, he's blowing coat. I took the slicker brush to him and got a lot of undercoat out, and a bath will help loosen it more if it's ready to blow and I can slicker it off him.
I'm also hoping that once the yard is mowed I can get some new photos. Since he's feeling like his normal self (after completely getting the Vetmedin out of his system), I suspect he'll handle his bath, nail clipping and photo shoot well. :)
More later.
Elvis has been on strictly the Lasix and Guaifensin (cough medicine) for the last several days, and it seems to be working. That's really good news because I'd like to hold off on the heart medicine for as long as we can.
I'm not seeing any more coughing than before, and his appetite is good, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed this is where we'll be for awhile.
Randall is hoping to get the yard mowed tomorrow and, if he does, Elvis will get a bath. He needs it since, for some reason, he's blowing coat. I took the slicker brush to him and got a lot of undercoat out, and a bath will help loosen it more if it's ready to blow and I can slicker it off him.
I'm also hoping that once the yard is mowed I can get some new photos. Since he's feeling like his normal self (after completely getting the Vetmedin out of his system), I suspect he'll handle his bath, nail clipping and photo shoot well. :)
More later.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
October 20, evening
OK. Had a good talk with Elvis' vet, Dr. Walthall, and what we've decided to do is keep him on the 1cc of Lasix twice a day and give him 1/2 a cough tablet twice a day. This new cough medicine is working like a suppressant, even though it's actually an expectorant.
Pretty much as long as this works for him, it's what I will do. I have his new heart medicine here, Enalapril, and while the dosage would be low, it's got some nasty side effects that can crop up. So what I'll do is keep the Lasix and cough medicine going, and when it stops working, I'll add this new medicine into the rotation. When that happens, Dr. Walthall will need to run a panel to check is kidneys and liver and then do follow-up panels occasionally.
I'm hoping that this won't be necessary, but we'll have to play it by ear. I've got a bit of wiggle room with the two medicines he's currently on, so I'm hoping I can tweak them as necessary for quite some time. I've also promised to update them every 10 days to two weeks.
When Randall went to pick up the meds, Dr. Walthall mentioned that I should keep an eye on his body mass. If he begins to lose it, she thinks she can treat the hatching heartworms which are the cause. This is another nasty treatment and something I would prefer not doing until the holidays are over since there is a considerable number of side effects to the treatment. I'll want her to see Elvis in early December, and she and I can go over the options then. If he needs it sooner, then it's what needs to be done, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we can wait some for it.
All in all, though, he's doing very well. My mother is still here and won't leave until Friday, so he's getting some socialization and handling it well. He doesn't handle routine changes very well, but he's actually coping better than I thought he would.
I will probably move to updating the blog every three to four days unless something changes. I do hope to get more pictures of him later this week after the yard is mowed and he's had a bath.
Pretty much as long as this works for him, it's what I will do. I have his new heart medicine here, Enalapril, and while the dosage would be low, it's got some nasty side effects that can crop up. So what I'll do is keep the Lasix and cough medicine going, and when it stops working, I'll add this new medicine into the rotation. When that happens, Dr. Walthall will need to run a panel to check is kidneys and liver and then do follow-up panels occasionally.
I'm hoping that this won't be necessary, but we'll have to play it by ear. I've got a bit of wiggle room with the two medicines he's currently on, so I'm hoping I can tweak them as necessary for quite some time. I've also promised to update them every 10 days to two weeks.
When Randall went to pick up the meds, Dr. Walthall mentioned that I should keep an eye on his body mass. If he begins to lose it, she thinks she can treat the hatching heartworms which are the cause. This is another nasty treatment and something I would prefer not doing until the holidays are over since there is a considerable number of side effects to the treatment. I'll want her to see Elvis in early December, and she and I can go over the options then. If he needs it sooner, then it's what needs to be done, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we can wait some for it.
All in all, though, he's doing very well. My mother is still here and won't leave until Friday, so he's getting some socialization and handling it well. He doesn't handle routine changes very well, but he's actually coping better than I thought he would.
I will probably move to updating the blog every three to four days unless something changes. I do hope to get more pictures of him later this week after the yard is mowed and he's had a bath.
Monday, October 19, 2009
October 19, morning, medicine update
Elvis handled all the company yesterday very well. We put his crate in the bedroom so he could have space, and I brought him out once to meet people. He was unsure of the situation, but he settled down in my lap with little trouble. He wasn't out too long (five minutes or so), but he was fine.
The bad news is the reduced dosage on the heart medicine is just not working. It's doing pretty well with the physical symptoms, but by Saturday night, the behavior problems had come back. Not as significant as before, but they're there and noticeable. So I had to take him off the Vetmedin.
I'll call the shelter this morning and see how they want to handle the extra medication. I had opened two of the three bottles and broken the pills in half (he was doing so well through most of the first bottle that I didn't even think to only open one bottle!). He's going to need more Lasix and his cough tablet soon, so I'll go ahead and request those, and then I'll call his vet to find the best way to get him on his new meds (not sure if we'll need to take him out for a visit or if we can just pick up the meds there or at the shelter).
Hopefully he'll be on the new stuff my this evening or tomorrow. I hate to have him just back on the Lasix, but I've upped the dosage to a full CC and he has responded to that, so it could be worse.
I'll post another update once I know more about what's going on with the medicine.
The bad news is the reduced dosage on the heart medicine is just not working. It's doing pretty well with the physical symptoms, but by Saturday night, the behavior problems had come back. Not as significant as before, but they're there and noticeable. So I had to take him off the Vetmedin.
I'll call the shelter this morning and see how they want to handle the extra medication. I had opened two of the three bottles and broken the pills in half (he was doing so well through most of the first bottle that I didn't even think to only open one bottle!). He's going to need more Lasix and his cough tablet soon, so I'll go ahead and request those, and then I'll call his vet to find the best way to get him on his new meds (not sure if we'll need to take him out for a visit or if we can just pick up the meds there or at the shelter).
Hopefully he'll be on the new stuff my this evening or tomorrow. I hate to have him just back on the Lasix, but I've upped the dosage to a full CC and he has responded to that, so it could be worse.
I'll post another update once I know more about what's going on with the medicine.
Friday, October 16, 2009
October 16, morning, medicine update
**fingers crossed**
It looks like the new dose is working. It's hard to say about the behavior, but I believe he's about 95% of normal right now. Since I've been doing so much around the house this week, I know it's a bad time to be trying to rate normalcy, but he is definitely acting better.
I'm still not real sure about his cough, again because of the stuff that's been going on around here. And this weekend won't help determine much since there is so much that will be going on.
With all this in mind, I am going to go ahead and give him 1/4 of a cough tablet with breakfast through Tuesday. I just think with all the activity and company he needs it.
Also, I'll call his vet this morning and give her an update. I'd like to wait until maybe Wednesday of next week to make a final determination on his medicine. By then I'll need to get some more Lasix and cough medicine in, so if I still have reservations, I suspect he can be put on the new heart medicine.
It looks like the new dose is working. It's hard to say about the behavior, but I believe he's about 95% of normal right now. Since I've been doing so much around the house this week, I know it's a bad time to be trying to rate normalcy, but he is definitely acting better.
I'm still not real sure about his cough, again because of the stuff that's been going on around here. And this weekend won't help determine much since there is so much that will be going on.
With all this in mind, I am going to go ahead and give him 1/4 of a cough tablet with breakfast through Tuesday. I just think with all the activity and company he needs it.
Also, I'll call his vet this morning and give her an update. I'd like to wait until maybe Wednesday of next week to make a final determination on his medicine. By then I'll need to get some more Lasix and cough medicine in, so if I still have reservations, I suspect he can be put on the new heart medicine.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
October 15, morning, medicine update
So far. So good.
Elvis' behavior on the reduced dose of Vetmedin seems OK. Course, it took nearly 3 weeks the first time, so it may end up being a delayed reaction this time. I've got my fingers and toes crossed, however.
The next big step is to see how he does physically on the reduced dose. Last night there was quite a bit of coughing going on, but that isn't particularly unusual. It seems that night time is when he does most of his coughing, so whether it was the reduced dose, the dust I stirred up cleaning, the increased humidity or just the time of day, I don't know. This will be monitored because if the reduced dose doesn't handle his coughing consistently, he'll need to go on the other medication.
I call the clinic tomorrow to let them know how he's doing, so I'll probably wait to post another update until then.
Elvis' behavior on the reduced dose of Vetmedin seems OK. Course, it took nearly 3 weeks the first time, so it may end up being a delayed reaction this time. I've got my fingers and toes crossed, however.
The next big step is to see how he does physically on the reduced dose. Last night there was quite a bit of coughing going on, but that isn't particularly unusual. It seems that night time is when he does most of his coughing, so whether it was the reduced dose, the dust I stirred up cleaning, the increased humidity or just the time of day, I don't know. This will be monitored because if the reduced dose doesn't handle his coughing consistently, he'll need to go on the other medication.
I call the clinic tomorrow to let them know how he's doing, so I'll probably wait to post another update until then.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
October 14, morning, medicine update
Randall and I talked it over last night before bed, and I mentioned my strong concerns that taking Elvis completely off his heart medicine without putting him on a replacement was just not a good thing to do. Randall agreed and suggested I go ahead and get the Vetmedin back in the rotation and reevaluate his behavior Thursday night.
So this morning, that's what I did. He acted his normal, goofy self when I got up, so his heart pill was in his morning dish. Considering the banging and rattling that was done in here yesterday, and the fact I have a bit more to do in the den before I'm done (and that's where the crates are), Randall will move his crate into the living room before I get started in here, and Elvis will go in there until I'm done.
I'll be calling the clinic Friday morning to give them an update, so if I am still seeing behavioral weirdness by then, we'll go get the different medicine. The problem is exacerbated by the fact we've got company coming in over the weekend, so it's a bad time for emotional problems. Ultimately it doesn't matter because his health is more important, but it's still a bad time because we're so busy for the next week.
I'll report again either this evening or in the morning on how he's doing.
So this morning, that's what I did. He acted his normal, goofy self when I got up, so his heart pill was in his morning dish. Considering the banging and rattling that was done in here yesterday, and the fact I have a bit more to do in the den before I'm done (and that's where the crates are), Randall will move his crate into the living room before I get started in here, and Elvis will go in there until I'm done.
I'll be calling the clinic Friday morning to give them an update, so if I am still seeing behavioral weirdness by then, we'll go get the different medicine. The problem is exacerbated by the fact we've got company coming in over the weekend, so it's a bad time for emotional problems. Ultimately it doesn't matter because his health is more important, but it's still a bad time because we're so busy for the next week.
I'll report again either this evening or in the morning on how he's doing.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
October 13, evening, medicine update
Mixed news here.
Since Elvis was doing so much better this morning and, in keeping with what I told the clinic I was going to do, I gave him 1/2 of a Vetmedin with breakfast. That's the mixed news.
Today was a day where I had a lot of cleaning to do here in the den (we're having company coming in for the weekend), and there was a lot of sound and fury going on. And Elvis was spooky. **sigh** Not good timing for my cleaning, but there wasn't an option. So, tonight at dinner, I skipped the Vetmedin. I increased his Lasix to 1 CC and gave him 1/2 a cough tablet rather than 1/4.
I spoke with Dr. Walthall this morning, and she let me know that there is another heart medicine available which, unbeknownst to her, was recommended BEFORE trying what he's on. Since there is so much of the medicine and since I opened and halved two bottles, I told her I felt like we should try tweaking his dosage. She agreed to that, and I told her I would call the clinic back Friday morning to let them know how things were going. At the time, I was going to try 1/2 pill in the morning and in the evening.
So that's where my dilemma comes in. Because he became so spooky this afternoon, and because I don't know whether it was the external stimulus or the medication, I've decided to discontinue the Vetmedin until Thursday evening. At that point, if things are going well, I'll give him 1/2 pill with dinner and see how things are Friday morning before I call the clinic.
I'll increase his Lasix to 1 CC during the morning feeding and try .75 CC with dinner. Cough tablet at night, and as needed during the day.
I'm not 100% happy with this, but I don't think it's fair to make a decision about the medication until the clanging and banging is done around here. Obviously, if his physical situation changes, the vet gets a call and two opened bottles of Vetmedin or not, he will go on the new medication.
So that's where I am. I'll probably post a quickie update tomorrow night and something on Thursday, but I suspect much will wait until Friday.
Since Elvis was doing so much better this morning and, in keeping with what I told the clinic I was going to do, I gave him 1/2 of a Vetmedin with breakfast. That's the mixed news.
Today was a day where I had a lot of cleaning to do here in the den (we're having company coming in for the weekend), and there was a lot of sound and fury going on. And Elvis was spooky. **sigh** Not good timing for my cleaning, but there wasn't an option. So, tonight at dinner, I skipped the Vetmedin. I increased his Lasix to 1 CC and gave him 1/2 a cough tablet rather than 1/4.
I spoke with Dr. Walthall this morning, and she let me know that there is another heart medicine available which, unbeknownst to her, was recommended BEFORE trying what he's on. Since there is so much of the medicine and since I opened and halved two bottles, I told her I felt like we should try tweaking his dosage. She agreed to that, and I told her I would call the clinic back Friday morning to let them know how things were going. At the time, I was going to try 1/2 pill in the morning and in the evening.
So that's where my dilemma comes in. Because he became so spooky this afternoon, and because I don't know whether it was the external stimulus or the medication, I've decided to discontinue the Vetmedin until Thursday evening. At that point, if things are going well, I'll give him 1/2 pill with dinner and see how things are Friday morning before I call the clinic.
I'll increase his Lasix to 1 CC during the morning feeding and try .75 CC with dinner. Cough tablet at night, and as needed during the day.
I'm not 100% happy with this, but I don't think it's fair to make a decision about the medication until the clanging and banging is done around here. Obviously, if his physical situation changes, the vet gets a call and two opened bottles of Vetmedin or not, he will go on the new medication.
So that's where I am. I'll probably post a quickie update tomorrow night and something on Thursday, but I suspect much will wait until Friday.
October 13, morning, medicine update
So far. So good.
When I got up this morning and came in the den, Elvis was doing his goofy greeting routine. I'd say he's about 95% back to his normal level of behavior, so when I fed him, I went ahead and gave him 1/2 a Vetmedin. Depending on what I see the rest of today will dictate what I do tonight.
Also, I plan on calling the clinic in a bit and letting them know things are much happier over here and see if there's anything else that needs to be done. I am glad to see that being off the medicine for only 36 hours gave us such a dramatic turn around. That does make me believe it was the level of the medicine he was taking, but I'll see how he does on the reduced dosage.
When I got up this morning and came in the den, Elvis was doing his goofy greeting routine. I'd say he's about 95% back to his normal level of behavior, so when I fed him, I went ahead and gave him 1/2 a Vetmedin. Depending on what I see the rest of today will dictate what I do tonight.
Also, I plan on calling the clinic in a bit and letting them know things are much happier over here and see if there's anything else that needs to be done. I am glad to see that being off the medicine for only 36 hours gave us such a dramatic turn around. That does make me believe it was the level of the medicine he was taking, but I'll see how he does on the reduced dosage.
Monday, October 12, 2009
October 12, evening, Medicine update
There's a definite behavioral improvement since Elvis has been off the Vetmedin for 24 hours.
I talked to the clinic, though the vet was so swamped I didn't get a chance to speak with her. What I've decided to do is to cut him back from 2 pills/day to one pill. That will mean a half in the morning and a half with dinner. His Lasix will remain the same and, if possible, his cough tablet.
I'm hoping to start the new routine in the morning with his breakfast, but a lot will depend on how he acts when I come through the gate in the morning. If he's panting and wagging his stump and grinning, I'll go ahead and start it. If not, I will wait until dinner tomorrow night. I've got to get enough of a normal behavior started so I can tell if he's reacting poorly to the new dosage.
We're keeping our fingers crossed because the medicine does help him, but there's no way we can deal with the behavior changes. They're not good for him or us.
I talked to the clinic, though the vet was so swamped I didn't get a chance to speak with her. What I've decided to do is to cut him back from 2 pills/day to one pill. That will mean a half in the morning and a half with dinner. His Lasix will remain the same and, if possible, his cough tablet.
I'm hoping to start the new routine in the morning with his breakfast, but a lot will depend on how he acts when I come through the gate in the morning. If he's panting and wagging his stump and grinning, I'll go ahead and start it. If not, I will wait until dinner tomorrow night. I've got to get enough of a normal behavior started so I can tell if he's reacting poorly to the new dosage.
We're keeping our fingers crossed because the medicine does help him, but there's no way we can deal with the behavior changes. They're not good for him or us.
October 12, morning, Medicine update
Elvis is showing some pretty serious behavioral changes that I think is due to his new heart medicine, Vetmedin.
We'd noticed he was spookier in the last several days than he had been earlier, but we just put it down to regression, which he's done before. It seemed, though, to be a strange spookiness. Last night, though, we knew for sure it was something else.
When I was letting everyone in from their 8:30 potty break, he came tearing down the path like normal, hopped up on the step, took one look at me in the door and panicked. There was no way he was coming in past this person who was obviously up to no good. I got Randall to call him, and he did the same thing. Randall finally put the blind down over the door window, opened it up, stood behind it and Elvis came in. Not normal. Not even when we'd first brought him home from the shelter had he ever done that.
He's also been showing fear when we'd go to pick him up. He'd run like hell from you, but once he was picked up, he was fine. It would take me five minutes to coax him to me so I could pick him up to put him on the ottoman or in my lap when I would go to do needlework. If I put him down to run to the bathroom or refill my water glass, it would be the exact same procedure. Five minutes to get him to come to me so I could pick him up. It's like as soon as his feet hit the floor his brain left his body.
So I looked up the drug's side effects, and sure enough, behavioral changes is listed.
I put in a call to his vet just now. I've got a lot of his medicine here, and he's at the upper limit of the dosage, so it's possible we can cut him back and see a change. It works very well otherwise, so I'm certainly willing to work on tweaking the dosage, but I'll wait to hear back from Dr. Walthall. Meanwhile, I pulled him off of it this morning. I gave him a cough pill as a preventative (usually I only do that at night) and his Lasix is the same. Hopefully we'll be able to work through this.
We'd noticed he was spookier in the last several days than he had been earlier, but we just put it down to regression, which he's done before. It seemed, though, to be a strange spookiness. Last night, though, we knew for sure it was something else.
When I was letting everyone in from their 8:30 potty break, he came tearing down the path like normal, hopped up on the step, took one look at me in the door and panicked. There was no way he was coming in past this person who was obviously up to no good. I got Randall to call him, and he did the same thing. Randall finally put the blind down over the door window, opened it up, stood behind it and Elvis came in. Not normal. Not even when we'd first brought him home from the shelter had he ever done that.
He's also been showing fear when we'd go to pick him up. He'd run like hell from you, but once he was picked up, he was fine. It would take me five minutes to coax him to me so I could pick him up to put him on the ottoman or in my lap when I would go to do needlework. If I put him down to run to the bathroom or refill my water glass, it would be the exact same procedure. Five minutes to get him to come to me so I could pick him up. It's like as soon as his feet hit the floor his brain left his body.
So I looked up the drug's side effects, and sure enough, behavioral changes is listed.
I put in a call to his vet just now. I've got a lot of his medicine here, and he's at the upper limit of the dosage, so it's possible we can cut him back and see a change. It works very well otherwise, so I'm certainly willing to work on tweaking the dosage, but I'll wait to hear back from Dr. Walthall. Meanwhile, I pulled him off of it this morning. I gave him a cough pill as a preventative (usually I only do that at night) and his Lasix is the same. Hopefully we'll be able to work through this.
Sunday, October 04, 2009
October 1-3, Thursday-Saturday
I'm having to combine some of these entries since my online time is so limited now.
Nothing much has really happened except that I did try to cut back too much on Elvis' Lasix on Thursday and he had a bad day coughing. That was my fault. He stabilizes nicely with .75 cc twice a day, 1 heart pill with breakfast and dinner, and a quarter cough tablet with dinner.
Not sure if the draw Friday afternoon was me or the chair, but I had Randall take him in to the living room and sit on the sofa with him for awhile. He needed the reassurance. Everything was fine until I came in and decided to sit across the room in the chair. Elvis perked up his ears, ran down to one end of the couch, then to the other end where Randall was sitting, and decided to take off. He landed about four feet off the sofa and came running up to me wanting to get up in the chair. Very unexpected. LOL
Other than those two things, really not much happened. He's getting sofa time Friday and Saturday night since we're watching a movie and he always enjoys that.
Nothing much has really happened except that I did try to cut back too much on Elvis' Lasix on Thursday and he had a bad day coughing. That was my fault. He stabilizes nicely with .75 cc twice a day, 1 heart pill with breakfast and dinner, and a quarter cough tablet with dinner.
Not sure if the draw Friday afternoon was me or the chair, but I had Randall take him in to the living room and sit on the sofa with him for awhile. He needed the reassurance. Everything was fine until I came in and decided to sit across the room in the chair. Elvis perked up his ears, ran down to one end of the couch, then to the other end where Randall was sitting, and decided to take off. He landed about four feet off the sofa and came running up to me wanting to get up in the chair. Very unexpected. LOL
Other than those two things, really not much happened. He's getting sofa time Friday and Saturday night since we're watching a movie and he always enjoys that.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
September 28-30, Monday - Wednesday
Wednesday
I called his vet today to give an update. The new heart medicine seems to be working quite well. His weight has stabilized again in the upper 7 pound range with the occasional bump over 8 pounds. I'm still not really thrilled with this because the increase in the food is considerable, but as long as he continues to maintain and not lose, I guess I'll be content. The vet's office said to monitor it and if he starts sliding back down to call them. I'm also to call every 10 days to 2 weeks to give an update. No problem.
Today was bath day for everyone. Elvis rolls, so his coat was dirtier than I originally thought. He's now a very clean Stumpy. He was also a very WILD Stumpy when he was dried off enough to go outside. I didn't see it, but Randall said he and Skeeter were tearing up and down the yard. All I know is he got 1/2 a cough pill when he came in. The excitement and exercise kicked off his cough, but I really can't begrudge him this. I just wish he was able to play with Skeeter more because he does enjoy running. Unfortunately, the congestive heart failure means his exercise has to be monitored and in moderation.
I'm also doing a major recipe binder reorganization. I only write this because Elvis REALLY dislikes the rattling of the paper and the clicking of the binder rings as they close. He's pretty much moved over to Randall's side of the room and he looks at me with extreme disgust when I start working. :) Mainly he's to be found under Randall's desk, but if the noise isn't too bad, he hops in the basket with Skeeter. I'm assuming the desire for a soft spot coincides with safety in numbers. Fortunately I'll only be doing this for a few more days, so it will end.
Monday-Tuesday
Another combo day. I had a couple of posts written up, but my husband's text editor doesn't prompt to save (or didn't) when exiting the application, so I lost it.
The increasing food has definitely helped him stabilize his weight. I've also more or less cut him back on his Lasix to .75 cc twice a day, and I'm not seeing an increase in his coughing. It looks like the new heart pill has definitely helped there. And he's getting 1/4 of a cough tablet with his evening meal. If he needs any during the day, I give it to him, but that seems to happen only rarely.
I've also posted some pictures of him and Skeeter. This is what happened Monday when Elvis decided he wanted to be in an even softer spot than usual when I started my needlework. Fortunately Skeeter took it without blinking an eye, and, just as fortunately, Elvis soon got too hot under the light and moved down to lay on the ottoman (the ottoman is at the same height as the chair, so it's very easy for him to shift around when he feels like it).
I called his vet today to give an update. The new heart medicine seems to be working quite well. His weight has stabilized again in the upper 7 pound range with the occasional bump over 8 pounds. I'm still not really thrilled with this because the increase in the food is considerable, but as long as he continues to maintain and not lose, I guess I'll be content. The vet's office said to monitor it and if he starts sliding back down to call them. I'm also to call every 10 days to 2 weeks to give an update. No problem.
Today was bath day for everyone. Elvis rolls, so his coat was dirtier than I originally thought. He's now a very clean Stumpy. He was also a very WILD Stumpy when he was dried off enough to go outside. I didn't see it, but Randall said he and Skeeter were tearing up and down the yard. All I know is he got 1/2 a cough pill when he came in. The excitement and exercise kicked off his cough, but I really can't begrudge him this. I just wish he was able to play with Skeeter more because he does enjoy running. Unfortunately, the congestive heart failure means his exercise has to be monitored and in moderation.
I'm also doing a major recipe binder reorganization. I only write this because Elvis REALLY dislikes the rattling of the paper and the clicking of the binder rings as they close. He's pretty much moved over to Randall's side of the room and he looks at me with extreme disgust when I start working. :) Mainly he's to be found under Randall's desk, but if the noise isn't too bad, he hops in the basket with Skeeter. I'm assuming the desire for a soft spot coincides with safety in numbers. Fortunately I'll only be doing this for a few more days, so it will end.
Monday-Tuesday
Another combo day. I had a couple of posts written up, but my husband's text editor doesn't prompt to save (or didn't) when exiting the application, so I lost it.
The increasing food has definitely helped him stabilize his weight. I've also more or less cut him back on his Lasix to .75 cc twice a day, and I'm not seeing an increase in his coughing. It looks like the new heart pill has definitely helped there. And he's getting 1/4 of a cough tablet with his evening meal. If he needs any during the day, I give it to him, but that seems to happen only rarely.
I've also posted some pictures of him and Skeeter. This is what happened Monday when Elvis decided he wanted to be in an even softer spot than usual when I started my needlework. Fortunately Skeeter took it without blinking an eye, and, just as fortunately, Elvis soon got too hot under the light and moved down to lay on the ottoman (the ottoman is at the same height as the chair, so it's very easy for him to shift around when he feels like it).
Friday, September 25, 2009
Irregular posting
My posting is going to be irregular for a while since my PC finally did die and I'm using my husband's.
Elvis is doing well, though there is still more weight loss than I care for. I've increased his food to 2 tablespoons twice a day (began on Thursday evening), so I'm hoping that by the time I call his vet on Monday or Tuesday, I'll have a better feel for what his weight is doing.
I will say that Elvis is rather enjoying the new, reduced PC time, since it means he gets to spend time either on the sofa when I'm watching a movie, or on the ottoman when I'm cross stitching. Soft, padded locations seem to meet with his approval...to the point where if the gates are down, we're likely to find him in the living room staring longingly at the sofa. :)
I'm also still tweaking his medicine. He's getting the one heart tablet with breakfast and dinner, and a reduced amount of Lasix (about .75 cc total for the day; it's hard to tell exactly because the dropper that comes with the medicine isn't very well calibrated). I've taken him off the cough tablet with his morning feeding, but I do add 1/4 tablet with dinner. That seems to stop his coughing before it starts (there's more activity during the evening hours around here).
I'll continue to post every few days, though I'm not sure it will be as detailed as before. Hopefully Elvis will have a bath next week (still waiting on Haley to come out of season) and get his nails trimmed. And I'm hoping to get some short video of him now that the yard is mowed. :)
Elvis is doing well, though there is still more weight loss than I care for. I've increased his food to 2 tablespoons twice a day (began on Thursday evening), so I'm hoping that by the time I call his vet on Monday or Tuesday, I'll have a better feel for what his weight is doing.
I will say that Elvis is rather enjoying the new, reduced PC time, since it means he gets to spend time either on the sofa when I'm watching a movie, or on the ottoman when I'm cross stitching. Soft, padded locations seem to meet with his approval...to the point where if the gates are down, we're likely to find him in the living room staring longingly at the sofa. :)
I'm also still tweaking his medicine. He's getting the one heart tablet with breakfast and dinner, and a reduced amount of Lasix (about .75 cc total for the day; it's hard to tell exactly because the dropper that comes with the medicine isn't very well calibrated). I've taken him off the cough tablet with his morning feeding, but I do add 1/4 tablet with dinner. That seems to stop his coughing before it starts (there's more activity during the evening hours around here).
I'll continue to post every few days, though I'm not sure it will be as detailed as before. Hopefully Elvis will have a bath next week (still waiting on Haley to come out of season) and get his nails trimmed. And I'm hoping to get some short video of him now that the yard is mowed. :)
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
September 19-21, Saturday-Monday
Saturday/Sunday
I'm combing these two days because both are seeing a lot of medicine tweaking.
I have no idea what's causing the increased coughing (progression of his disease, new medication, something else), but he's been doing quite a bit of coughing and I've been tweaking his cough tablet for the last couple of days. Saturday ended up with two 1/2 and one 1/4 tablets throughout the day. Sunday morning I went ahead and added 1/4 of a tablet to his breakfast and I've not heard any coughing today. I'll add another 1/4 tablet to his dinner unless I end up having to give him something before. This is really frustrating because I've no real idea how long his new heart medicine will take to begin working (what I've been reading is showing several days) or if it will at all.
I am also keeping an eye on his weight because he has been down from his 8 pound weight since I weighed him on 9/7. He's been between 7 and 8, so it's not extreme weight loss, but he's sat at 7.2 now for five days. I know weight loss is a symptom of congestive heart failure, but I don't know if this is tied to anything I need to worry about, so I'm going to weigh him every day for the next several so I can keep track of what's going on. My intention right now is to monitor what his coughing/breathing and his weight do over the next two days and if there's still concern, I'll call the vet on Wednesday or Thursday.
Monday
Yesterday and today, I added 1/4 of his cough tablet to his breakfast and dinner, and that seemed to "preempt" his coughing. He actually did really, really well with it today (and Sunday I saw less, too). Weight today was at 7.6, so while that's less than the target range I like him in (8-9), it's a gain from the last few times I've weighed him.
He did have a really bad experience tonight, though he handled the aftermath well. I had just put him on his lead (it's usually attached to the arm of my desk chair), and when I got up to go check the progress of our dinner, I didn't notice the lead wrapped around my ankle and tripped. Since we have linoleum throughout the house, I fell hard and loud and dragged him and my chair a couple of feet. Fortunately I didn't hurt myself, but the other two dogs weren't convinced and had to be crated so I could check on Elvis. He was pretty badly shaken and his little body was vibrating, but he wasn't coughing, and after a couple of minutes in my lap, he calmed down. Obviously I would have preferred not falling and traumatizing him, but he actually handled the situation pretty well. A far cry from how he would have done a few weeks ago.
We also took him outside this afternoon to try out his new "swimming pool." That wasn't at all successful, in part because a) it was very new and strange to him and b) we were out there (something he really isn't used to). I suspect we'll need to get him used to the new container here in the house first and then take it and him outside and see if the experience improves. We may have waited too long because it is beginning to get cooler here, though not by a tremendous amount, and he's still our resident water baby. Here are three new pictures of him, too.
I'm combing these two days because both are seeing a lot of medicine tweaking.
I have no idea what's causing the increased coughing (progression of his disease, new medication, something else), but he's been doing quite a bit of coughing and I've been tweaking his cough tablet for the last couple of days. Saturday ended up with two 1/2 and one 1/4 tablets throughout the day. Sunday morning I went ahead and added 1/4 of a tablet to his breakfast and I've not heard any coughing today. I'll add another 1/4 tablet to his dinner unless I end up having to give him something before. This is really frustrating because I've no real idea how long his new heart medicine will take to begin working (what I've been reading is showing several days) or if it will at all.
I am also keeping an eye on his weight because he has been down from his 8 pound weight since I weighed him on 9/7. He's been between 7 and 8, so it's not extreme weight loss, but he's sat at 7.2 now for five days. I know weight loss is a symptom of congestive heart failure, but I don't know if this is tied to anything I need to worry about, so I'm going to weigh him every day for the next several so I can keep track of what's going on. My intention right now is to monitor what his coughing/breathing and his weight do over the next two days and if there's still concern, I'll call the vet on Wednesday or Thursday.
Monday
Yesterday and today, I added 1/4 of his cough tablet to his breakfast and dinner, and that seemed to "preempt" his coughing. He actually did really, really well with it today (and Sunday I saw less, too). Weight today was at 7.6, so while that's less than the target range I like him in (8-9), it's a gain from the last few times I've weighed him.
He did have a really bad experience tonight, though he handled the aftermath well. I had just put him on his lead (it's usually attached to the arm of my desk chair), and when I got up to go check the progress of our dinner, I didn't notice the lead wrapped around my ankle and tripped. Since we have linoleum throughout the house, I fell hard and loud and dragged him and my chair a couple of feet. Fortunately I didn't hurt myself, but the other two dogs weren't convinced and had to be crated so I could check on Elvis. He was pretty badly shaken and his little body was vibrating, but he wasn't coughing, and after a couple of minutes in my lap, he calmed down. Obviously I would have preferred not falling and traumatizing him, but he actually handled the situation pretty well. A far cry from how he would have done a few weeks ago.
We also took him outside this afternoon to try out his new "swimming pool." That wasn't at all successful, in part because a) it was very new and strange to him and b) we were out there (something he really isn't used to). I suspect we'll need to get him used to the new container here in the house first and then take it and him outside and see if the experience improves. We may have waited too long because it is beginning to get cooler here, though not by a tremendous amount, and he's still our resident water baby. Here are three new pictures of him, too.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
