Belle Is Better

I promised a more cheerful post so here it is. You all met Belle a few days ago, my beloved Australian Shepherd fur girl who came to me in February 2007. Thus she has been with me through many hard times, moves and changes and has been the most sweet and loving little companion anyone could want. She does not enjoy long trips now as she used to and has slowed down a lot but that is just because of the unfortunate fact that the life span of our canine friends is too much shorter than ours. In time I wil get a new travel commpanion but for now stay  mostly close to home with her.

She has given me a scare a few times with health issues. In Colorado early in the spring of 2010 she got an impaction from swallowing large chunks of the hoof chews we were giving all the dogs. A combination of anti nausea drugs to stop her vomiting and nature taking its course to expel the block, she came through that. Needless to say the chews were banned. I am sure KayCee and BeeBee could deal with them but do not want to risk Belle getting them. She does have a bad habit of gulping food and treats without much chewing. Some things do not process well that way.So anymore I am careful what she gets. The "beefy sticks" we give them, crumbled rawhide in some binding material--are always fed in small bits and she does chew them a few times. Most of the rest of her treats and kibble are small and soft.

More recently she's developed worening arthritis and hip problems. It got so bad I was worried about her falling and had to help her get up, calm her when she lost her traction in back etc. Remembering the sad situation with poor little Butch, I was freaked out. She had a bad day on July 3, then seemed better for a few days but then this past Wednesday was definitely not doing well again. I'd put her on some homeopathic stuff but it was not working fast enough. So we went to the vet, me half-sick with dread. They toook x-rays which revealed heavy calcification on the left hip and a bit of a problem on the right but probably not beyond control.. I'd noticed the right seemed almost to dislocate at times and she could not hold weight or balance. Now I think she overcompensated for pain and weakness on the left and thus overstressed the right.

Anyway a good friend who has an aging Springer Spaniel had given me a list of some meds they'd gotten for her dog. I mentioned them to my vet. He said he would not suggeset two of them since they are steroids and she already has the prednisone, which of course is a steroid and may actually contrribute to her long term bone, join and muscle problems but that Adequan might be just what we need; he'd already decided on that in fact. She got her first shot that day with three more set for the next ten days. Wednesday afternoon she was bad, weak and in pain; I gave her tramadol and she was then doped up as well--not good but by Thursday morning I could see marked improvement which continued yesterday and held today.

This morning she got the second shot. If the progress continues, we may have a handle on this for awhile. After the first four we can wait until she shows signs of distress again and she'll get a booster. This drug is used on horses, dogs and other domestic animals with cery good results so I feel we can give Belle some more "quality time" and every hour and day of that is precious! I'm grateful for a kind and caring vet, modern science and new meds, and maybe some answers to  fervent and urgent prayers I spoke over the past days. The Doggie Deity does listen and cares. S/He looks down and touches the special beloved dogsters with love and eases their distress as much as can be done; when the time comes I will be able to let Belle go as I have let Alanna, Butch, Sadie and others but for now she's better and we are both relieved.