We Are For Each Other: Doggies

Showing posts with label Doggies. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Check out all the other awesome pets over at Kelly's Korner.

I have always had a family pet in the home. I grew up with a cat and a dog. When that dog, Katie, died I set my little heart on becoming a vet. I was six years old and that cat was nearly 8...and lived until she was twenty! The last two years of her life she was in and out of kidney failure, a common death sentence for cats. I gave her sub q fluids in the neck twice a day and that kept her somewhat perky. I was 16 when she died and my desires to become a vet had faded away.

Since then, we have had one other family dog who died almost 6 years ago. After she died I went the longest I'd ever gone without a dog in our home. Nine months was all I could take.

After a summer away on the Jersey Shore and nearly a month after my birthday, the family headed to Boulder to pick up this little gem:

Butte was named after the hill near my parents house and honestly, we just loved it. She is a ball-o-fire. She looks like a Sheba Inu, acts like a shepherd, and loves like a lab. She feels no pain, we are certain. Unlike Tulo, if she sustains an injury you'd never know it. The girl insists on throwing the ball and running around no matter what. She's afraid of lightning, fireworks, and the vacuum.

Butte loves long walks, running, raw-hides, treats and loads of love. But more than anything she LOVES Logan. She was not a fan when he was an infant but now that he can throw a stick or ball for her, she smothers him all day long. While he naps she sleeps outside his door. Once he's awake she starts dancing around in circles and lick-attacks him. He loves her too. Just this morning he crawled into her kennel and just kicked back in her bed.

Butte has always been *my* dog, but she will forever be loved by my family since the first two years of her life we lived with my parents.

Now, you all know lots about Tulo. He's a greyhound and enjoys jumping out of windows and causing lots of damage to wallets and windows. I kid. I found Tulo on craigslist. B had been asking me about getting another dog, well before we were even engaged! I knew we'd get married and he had a soft spot for greyhounds. We were intending to adopt a rescue, but I just so happened upon an ad for a greyhound PUPPY!! Unheard of, really. I made a call and off we went. B was so surprised and turns out there were TEN puppies to choose from. B chose Tulo and named him after Troy Tulowitski, the short-stop rookie for the Rockies who'd just won the National League Championship.

Tulo wears his heart on his sleeve. He has the most expressive eyes and ears. You know just how he's feeling by looking at him. He hates getting wet/taking baths and going outside when it's cold (like 50* and he's a wimp). He loves car rides and running in fields with Butte. Hopefully he will back doing that very soon! He too loves Logan and did so from the first time they met.

We are a pet family. Sometimes it's really hard having pets, like when we want to go somewhere for the weekend we need to find someone to watch them or board them. They are SUPER expensive! In Tulo's lifetime, we've paid just as much for him, maybe even more, than we did to have Logan. Wow. Add that to all the yearly visits, shots, upkeep and dog food. They are just two furry family members and we would not want it any other way.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

thank you isn't enough

I'm sure some of you are wondering how in the world we are handling all the expenses that Tulo's accident has incurred. It's not pretty people. But what IS pretty are the people who have helped us out along this rough road.

We have never been on the receiving end of a charity and I honestly thought we never would. Tulo's initial visit to the incredible e-vets in town is our financial responsibility. That includes his surgery, the e-collar he's never used, meds, sedation, wound care, etc...just take a guess as to how much that costs. It's not pretty, like I said.

I remember sitting in the courtyard of the hospital listening to the tech tell me all about Tulo's injuries and just sobbing. He would have to visit our regular vet every week for several weeks until the cast comes off and then he'll need physical therapy which is a pretty penny. I had no idea how our little family was going to handle such a huge financial burden. Tulo may "just be a dog" but in no way is he less of a family member. There was no question we would allow the vet and her team to treat Tulo however they saw fit.

Three days after the accident we had his dressings changed and assessed by our regular vet. Near the end of our appointment I mentioned that there was no way we would be able to pay for every service "at the time of service" as they requested and even went into further detail about our financial status. We both work hard, full-time hours, pay for daycare, rent, bills, etc...so I simply asked for us to set up a payment plan. Our vet is a saint. She listen deeply and began to tell me about The Gracie Fund. It's a charity-based fund through Friendship Vet Hospital for families like us who have a pet going through something traumatic, both financially and emotionally, and need some help. We were instantly given $250 by someone in town. Her only request was that we write her (the person who made the donation) a thank you note. DONE AND DONE! I was in tears! This amount covered 2-3 more visits which we continued to have every 4-5 days.

There was a visit in there somewhere when Tulo ate through the bottom of his cast. I was livid! I thought for sure they would have to recast him but no...our vet simply covered the area extra good so there was still some air getting into the wound (a good thing) but still protecting his toes. We sprayed it down with chew guard and before leaving she said that quick visit was on her. Wow. Are people really this nice? Am I really THAT blessed?? I called and told B. We were floored by her kindness, compassion, and generosity.

Once that fund was drained, the hospital applied for the Lady Bug grant. This one is a little different in that the hospital has to request a grant for us based on our situation. Once qualified, the Lady Bug grant is $150 with the promise from the hospital to match that amount for the family. You do the math. That's another $300 right there. This grant came to us when Tulo developed the infection prior to this past Thursday's visit regarding the drain in his leg.

THEN, on Thursday even more came to us. The hospital had applied for two more grants for us and that vist alone was over $800. With the grant ($300) and even more support and assistance from my father-in-law (B's dad) and his fiancee for the balance, we did not have to pay for anything.

We will be paying B's dad back. But how do we pay the hospital back? How do we pay the people back who contribute to The Gracie Fund? B and I talked about this on Thursday evening. So much has been given to us in a way we never thought possible. It's true, bad things do happen to good people and then what? Well, this is exactly why these charities exist. We are going to offer our time to help around the hospital, if they'll accept us. Volunteering our time only seems right considering the circumstances.

Every month for almost two years our family has made a $15 donation to the Children's Hospital in Denver. March of Dimes and the Alzheimer's Association are two other charities we have made contributions to. $10 comes out of my paycheck every month for the cancer foundation through the hospital. We believe in giving. When other smaller avenues come up, we do what we can (change for local fire fighters...). We are without a doubt humbled by the events and results of those events over the last month. It has been one of the most trying for our family but in no way to we doubt that we are being taken care of. I urge everyone to give to a charity that is close to your heart. I remember calling my mom to tell her about the $250 from The Gracie Fund and she was so happy for us, stating "Wow, I guess pets need a charity too". It's not something that everyone is fully aware of. Pet insurance is still a new thing that most pet owners do not participate in. Regardless, giving just feels good and I can honestly say that while it feels uncomfortable, at first anyway, to be on the receiving end that I'm not sure what we would have done without the amazing people (vets, techs, donations, and family) helping us keep our heads above water. You know who you are. You're amazing and we love you.

the (never-ending) tulo saga

...Or so it seems.

Sit with me a minute as I let out one giant, heavy sigh.

This has been quite the month with our window-jumper. Part of the reason I took a break from writing is because I was so exhausted I could barely lift my head at the end of the day. I'm still exhausted but we are managing.

Since Tulo's accident, he continues to earn his title of "Most High-Maintenance Dog EVER" award on a weekly, if not daily, basis. Four days after the accident Tulo decided that it was time for his drain to come out. It just up and disappeared. We were unsure if he ate it (EEEWWWW!) or if it retracted and was inside of his leg. We were hoping for the former (though major EEEWWW!) because we knew that if it was inside of his leg that soon enough, and infection would develop and the vet would need to do some exploring.

Two weeks ago his drain site was nearly healed over and our fingers were still crossed that there was no drain in his leg (which, by the way, is a very thin, elastic-type of material). We had seen the vet for a dressings change under his cast which was looking awesome. She kept the stitches in for another week or so to ensure maximum healing and bid us ado.

The next night we peeked over at Tulo in his little caged area and his drain site was leaking this watery-looking blood. That was at 8pm in the evening. For two hours B and I took turns keeping pressure on the site, doing warm compresses above the area and keeping his grubby little tongue away from it. Thank goodness Logan was sleeping or it would have been even more stressful.

I finally decided at 10:30 that it was time to call the e-vets and see what they say. The leaking would only let up for a few minutes and if Tulo moved his leg it started all over again. It was not a "gusher" or anything like that. It was just a slow leak that clearly was not all blood.

The e-vets advised us to bring him in, free of charge, just to check it out. One of my least favorite things to do is to change out of my pjs so late in the evening, but that I did. For a dog. B stayed home and thankfully the clinic was not too busy. His surgeon came out and could not believe how well his incision site was healing. She took pics on her phone. The tech had been sitting with his for a few minutes prior and was concerned that there was some kind of infection going on. She was urging me to let the vet "take him back" and do more damage to our bank account. When the vet came out, she simply said it could wait until the morning. No biggie. I love her!

The next morning I made an appointment for Tulo and since I had been taking him to all his appointments and B was home, he took him and I got a break to hang out with Logan. B returned with antibiotics and a clear "Yes, he has an infection and oh-by-the-way it could be the drain but let's wait and see". Awesome.

For five days Tulo was on some super strong antibiotics which were not doing much in the way of helping the site heal so we got another seven days. Cultures came back positive for infection so we all kept crossing those fingers (and toes!) that the drain was not the big, fat, ugly white elephant in the room causing this chaos.

A few days ago, the drain site healed over and the scab fell off. We rejoiced! But not so fast. There was a very odd spot not half an inch from the drain site that was all red and puffy. Tulo had been doing an awesome job of not messing with his leg (we know-we watched him like a hawk and if he was alone he wore a muzzle). So what gives?

On Thursday we had an appointment set to *hopefully* get the cast off that was protecting and healing his severed tendon. Not five minutes into the appointment our incredible vet voiced what we'd been cringing to hear: "I think the drain is up in there somewhere. He needs to stay for the day." Our hearts sank. But oddly enough, we knew it was coming. I insisted on an xray before doing "exploratory surgery" with the doubt that the material of the drain is so fine it may not show up on an xray. We left Tulo with the nurses and I waited for the phone call confirming what we all knew to be true.

Clear as day, that drain was in his leg not an inch above the drain sit. It had created a pocket, aka abscess, which caused the infection. It's amazing, really, how our bodies, human and animals alike, try to let us know something is not quite right. For three weeks Tulo's body was trying to expel the drain. We waited, though, because the trauma to his leg could have caused an infection regardless if the drain was in his leg or not. In fact, the vet would have been surprised had he walked (err, limped) away without one. He has been on antibiotics since the day of his accident to prevent this from even happening. I don't believe that we or his vet did anything wrong in waiting out what we inevitably knew could happen.

After the xray the vet gave Tulo a sedative, not general anesthesia, and some local to numb the area. She created a new incision, cleaned out the area, fished out the drain, and gave some pain meds. She sent the drain and a swab of the area off to pathology to ensure Tulo is on the right antibiotics.

Since then, Tulo has been resting. He wants so badly to play with Butte and lick Logan's face. He sneaks some in when he can, but for the most part we keep him confined.

Now....we need prayers that this is the LAST optical we will have to face with Tulo's injury. He did get his cast off and now just has a sturdy bandage on his leg which will hopefully come off completely this coming Thursday. Other than that, we might do one session of physical therapy to learn what we need to do and hope that his leg will heal normally.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Tulo's Home

In many ways, Tulo is home. I am still surprised we were able to take him home the night of his accident and I am certain now that he knew this is exactly where he needed to be to heal and rest. Tulo has always been a creature of comfort, always trying to get up on the couch or the bed. His boney body has always sought out the most comfortable spot in the house be it in his kennel or in the living room. I knew his coming home meant that he would want to be out in the living room with us which is where we spend 95% of our time (not sleeping). We have a play yard gate from when Logan was younger that we use when we're somewhere with stairs. This has worked out perfectly as Tulo's secluded and safe yet right-there spot near us and he's resting so comfortably.

I have been washing towels twice a day to ensure that whatever he's laying on is nice and clean to help prevent any risk of infection. Those towels are spread out over his comfy bed, the one which he knows the smell of and is most happy with. I have a few other towels laid out to minimize any bloody drips on the carpet. He still has a drain in his leg until Friday and while it is not constantly dripping blood it is draining as it should, especially when he stands and gravity takes place.

Tulo has been eating and drinking so well! He takes all his meds (3 of them) with the help of a tasty pill pocket. Tonight we let him wander around the house for his sanity. He was SO HAPPY! He could not stop wagging his tail and giving kisses. Butte was so happy her brother was out of his area. She has no idea what to think about what is going on with Tulo but when we're outside she can smell his drain, blood and can see the fact he is not himself.

Only a few more days until the drain comes out and his dressings are changed again. I cannot wait until the staples come out of his leg. It's hard to look at and you can tell it's starting to itch. Should be next week sometime. Again, thank you for all the love and prayers you've been sending us! I have been so exhausted I'm sick again! AHH! Oh well...here's to health all around!

Sunday, August 21, 2011

The One in Which Tulo Jumps Through a Window

**Warning: there is one graphic image posted below of Tulo post-surgery.**

Our day started out just like any other working Sunday. My alarm went off three hours too early as the last few nights we've had a lovely house guest who has been taking me back to my late night college days. I readied myself. Logan was stirring in his room but was perfectly happy, allowing me time to fix my hair, brush my teeth and let the dogs outside to pee. B was also waking up and as soon as I was ready he hopped in the shower. I brought Logan his milk, changed his diaper and washed dishes.

I was already running late and after kisses and hugs I was out the door. Clocked in at 0659, logged on, turned Adele on Pandora and waited. And waited and waited and waited for SOMEONE to come into the hospital. Three mamas in labor and a few clinicals later I glance up and there's B motioning for me to step out of my office. His face is drained of color, his shoulders are hunched forward and I instantly get a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Logan. I ask him what's wrong and he says, "Tulo had an accident". While relief flooded over me that my dear Logan was safe and sound I was instantly confused. "What kind of accident?"

And then B explained. We had a close friend Amy babysitting (and my friend C from out of town still sleeping) at our home. She was in the living room on the floor playing with Logan. Tulo was nearby and suddenly bolted down the hallway and out the window. No joke. Honestly, we don't even know if that was the real reason he jumped through a solid-panned window. Something may have scared him, although Amy says there was nothing strange going on outside. We'll never know the real reason.

Amy quickly went into fight or flight mode, handing Logan off to C while she loaded Tulo into her car and dashed him to the emergency vet. B met her there. They've both said how calm Tulo was acting. He wasn't crying, rather he was giving kisses and wagging his tail, a sign of shock and adrenalin heavily running through his system.

The staff at the emergency vet quickly went into action, taking Tulo into the back and giving him some pain meds as they began to clean him up. At first look the most sever injury was to his right hind hip, a laceration nearly 9 inches long from his hip down to his knee and nearly 4 inches deep into the muscle. Upon further investigation once he was under general anesthesia the surgeon discovered Tulo had also severed his tendon. Only as I've read through what kind of injury this is today have I learned that healing a tendon is a very long, painful process. Thankfully it was a very clean cut and they were able to repair it. This means Tulo has to wear a cast, as if the tendon is a broken bone. The length of time is unknown but at least 6 weeks with 2-4 dressing changes in that time frame. Once the cast is off he will have to do some physical therapy. I have no idea if it will be therapy we can do at home of if we'll have to see a professional.

Tulo coming out of anesthesia, very drunk looking here.

Made it home! Resting in a comfy area we made for him. He also sustained lacerations on his left paw and lower leg which is seen wrapped in this photo.

The laceration covered with lidocaine patches and cast covering the severed tendon. On his front leg seen here is another patch covering a laceration and his nurses drew hearts on the tape. LOVE THEM!

But as I sit here and listen to Tulo whine I am full of thanks. Thanks that it was not worse. He could have lost his leg or even died. Had Amy been totally alone it would have taken twice as long for Tulo to get to the vet so I'm thankful for our friend C for being there to watch Logan, which was a spontaneous, unplanned visit to begin with. I am thankful that Tulo was strong enough to come home with us tonight and that his doctor trusted us to take care of him as his pain comes and goes. I am so thankful for all our family and friends who instantly began to pray, send happy thoughts, and condolences to us via facebook, text, and voice mails. I love you all. You've held us up as our spirits sank. I'll update in a few days.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

i heart faces-pets

This weeks challenge theme is pets. It was barely 10* outside and Tulo cannot stand being outside when it's cold. Except when he's running with Butte. Captured this photo mid-sprint and you cannot even tell that he hates how cold it is. Here is his profile:

Greyhound (99% purebred)
Never raced
Adopted at 10 weeks old
Weighs ~65lbs
Height ~3ft from floor to top of front shoulders
DOB August 14, 2007
Named after Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies Short Stop
Nicknames (mostly given and said by me): TT, T-Tons, T-Dog, T-Payne, Pooplo, TT-Peepee Pants
Loves:

snuggling
car rides
running (as you can see!)
playing with Butte
giving Logan kisses
laying in bed with us under the covers
special chewy treats
baseballs (no joke-it's the only ball he will play with and he can strip the leather off in no time)

Hates:

being left alone
laying on the floor
getting hurt (HUGE baby)
water/baths (unless Butte is there to help encourage him, he will not get into the water)
when he does something bad and gets into trouble
being cold and/or wet from rain or snow (although the above photo proves that he CAN suck it up and have some fun) :)

Check out all the other awesome photos below:

Saturday, November 6, 2010

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 27

Day 27: Pets

See?? My days are all off so just roll with it.

Butte:

I rescued Butte from the humane society just over 4 years ago. She was my birthday present from my parents and I love her so much. She was my first child. Butte has a great personality, though overwhelming sometimes. She wants you to play with her all day long and love on her at night. Now that Logan is around, she is quite jealous but is doing much better with accepting the fact that he is not going anywhere.

Tulo:

Tulo is a Greyhound and no, he is not a rescue. I found him on craigslist as a puppy. B picked him out of he litter and he is our wise old soul. He is crazy-smart and loves Logan just as much as he loves us.

Butte and Tulo together are best friends. They run, they play, they sleep and they annoy each other just like a brother and sister should.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Dog Lover

>Lets switch things up a bit and talk about something other than my sweet Logan for once (update on him below).

Being that it is Labor Day weekend, here comes a post about how to take care of a sick pup. You will may be having several people over, BBQing and there is bound to be a time your dog is going to sneek something off the table. Take heed, my friends.

We are HUGE dog lovers. We have two, Butte and Tulo. Before Logan, they were totally spoiled. Now, the attention has changed and they have each had their turn in taking the attention away from Logan, whether it was intentional or not. I'm talking about what to do when your dog is sick. We've all been there, laying in bed sound asleep at 2am (it's ALWAYS in the middle of the night) when you begin to hear your dog start making the gagging sound and within seconds, it's over. They have puked all over the floor and you have no idea why.

In the last 5 weeks, both our dogs have had some bout with a tummy bug and it is not easy people. Tulo got a bacterial infection in July that landed us in the vet hospital and out nearly $700. A few weeks ago, Butte ate TWO POUNDS of raw ground beef and it only took 12 hours for that to catch up to her...for 5 days! Both dogs were vomiting and had diahrea and our carpets are ruined, to say the least. So how do you cure this lovely combination of sickness?

First of all, whenever our dogs come down with something, we give it a day to see how they are. Usually, they ate something weird outside and just need 24 hours to let it pass through their system and then it's all good. We did that with Tulo and by day 4, he could not even hold down a sip of water. That is when it's time to go to the vet. Dehydration sets in and you have one sick puppy.

Once you have waited out (and strubbed your floors) for 24 hours and your pup is still sick, you need to take their food away. Fill their bowl with just a half inch of water. Dogs have a tendency to want to drink a ton of water when their bellies are achy but this will back fire and cause them to vomit even more. If your dog can hold down that much water every few hours, then after 12 hours, you can try a few things to help settle the belly.

Pumpkin: I have a hard time finding this canned veggie outside of Thanksgiving season, but it does wonders on the tummy. Give him a scoop (1 tablespoon) and see how he holds that down. If he has stopped vomiting but is still having diahrea, continue with this tasty treat (trust me, they love it!) once every 4 hours combined with any of the other items listed below.
Chicken broth: It works for people and it works for dogs. The salt content helps with the dehydration.
Plain cooked rice: 1/2 cup in their bowl. This is filling and really easy on the tummy.
Plain cooked chicken: 1/2 cup in bowl, with or without rice. Also easy on the tummy and provides some protien.
Plain yogurt: 1 scoop (1 tablespoon) in dish. This works just like the pumpkin does.

Now don't go trying all these things at once. Pick one or two and if the vomiting slows down, slowly ween them back into the food. Just a little bit at a time. You want to do any of the above every 4 hours UNTIL they begin to have a solid BM again. This seems like common sense, but there are so many people who have no clue what to do with their pup when they are sick and just rush them off to the vet. This will save you a ton of money. The only reason why we took Tulo in was because he was vomiting water and on day 4 of explosive diahrea. Turned out he had a bacterial infection. Poor guy. It took Butte about 5 days to have a regular BM after eating all that raw meat. Any time your pet eats something like that, you must watch them carefully as raw meat carries so much bacteria. We are still keeping an eye on her that she does not develop any weird infections from the meat. So far so good.

If your dog eats something like chocolate, a deadly poison to them, call your vet. If you have the package the chocolate came it, tell them how much your dog weighs and how much the content of cocoa powder is in the chocolate. Depending on the ratio, you may or may not want to seek a vet. We have a great 24 hour vet hospital that is honest with us. Signs to watch for intoxication are fever, heavy panting, twitching and seizures.

When in doubt, call your vet. You may have no idea what your pet ingested and it is never a bad idea to just call for reassurance. You may have heard that if they eat something funky (like vitamines) to give your dog a sip of hydrogin poroxid to make them vomit. Trust me when I say, DON'T DO THIS! I have done it before to dogs I was sitting for who ate a ton of vitamins and it was miserable. The vet told me that if it is toxic to their body, they will get rid of it.

All in all, I hope this helps. I know it's a gross thing to deal with, but if you love your pets as much as we do, then you know how much it sucks when they are sick.

Happy Labor Day!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Sick Puppy

>July 22, 2010

So the start of the week was fairly normal. On Monday, Logan and I spent the day with his BFF H. She’s adorable, is she not? Her momma and I have known each other for years, but really only become friends throughout our pregnancy. H is 4 days older than Logan and they are so sweet together. Her momma and I love being able to share what is going on with them, being that they are the same age. It is amazing how they can be at different stages and the same age. For example, H started sitting up a few weeks before Logan and now he is almost a master at it, whereas Logan was rolling over a little sooner than H. Now they catch up with each other. I know that these two will be friends for a very long time, as will her momma and I!

Tuesday I worked, but let’s back up a bit. On SUNDAY, Tulo, our greyhound, began to show signs of diarrhea. Yeah, not fun. So we kept an eye on it. That happens from time to time and he works it out no problem. Sometimes we try and give him some pumpkin or yogurt and that will help. Done deal. Not this time! By Tuesday it was getting worse, then on Wednesday, it was seemed to be letting up. On Monday, he vomited once but that was the only time. Didn’t think much of it. On Wednesday afternoon, I laid down to take a nap while Logan was napping after work and in that time, Tulo have FOUR episodes in our house. While I was on the phone with the vet, he puked alllll over the floor! It was so nasty! The clinic would keep their doors open for us so I loaded Tulo and Logan up and drove to the vet hospital.

There, he was way out of it. He had lost 5 pounds in the last week and a half (I only know this because he was at the vet a week ago for heart guard stuff). Anyway, they did a fecal sample and found that he has clostridium, a bacterial infection of the intestines. Poor guy!! They loaded him up on meds and IV fluids and unloaded my bank account. Over night was not too bad. They did a recheck this morning and he could not even hold down 1oz of water without spitting it up and the diarrhea was continuing so they hospitalized him for the day. What a change that has made! Tulo is feeling so much better!! He got a ton of fluids, as he was very dehydrated, antibiotics, and some other meds to numb any pain he was in. When we went in this morning, his heart was racing, a sign of pain and distress. Tonight, he is home and doing sooo much better! He has eaten a few times and held it down okay which is awesome.

I am sooo tired! I get to sleep in the next three mornings as B does not work and Sunday is my turn to sleep in. I LOVE it!!

We Are For Each Other

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