New to AIHA, dog in trouble

[admin]

Hi Rick – have only just caught up with your stories, which are wonderful. It can really undo you, can’t it, seeing the ashes in a casket….. I can imagine what it was like discovering the pawprint (we were offered a clipping of fur…).
Yes, it’s true that there is nothing remaining of the real Brandy, but you might find comfort in having the casket, not least because it provides a focus for your memories. We keep ours in the summerhouse, so we can go out there in the evening (it faces west, toward the setting sun) and be with the caskets of our dogs who have passed, and think of them. Of course you can think of your beloved Brandy any time, but we have found that it can be helpful to make a point of going out to the summerhouse, a kind of ritual.
I very much hope that writing Brandy’s story has helped you in your grief – although I know so well that nothing will ever take Brandy’s place in your heart.

Lynda

[Rick]

I would like to close out the medical information.
When I took Brandy to the hospital on the last night she was shaking, had diarrhea, and seemed to be crashing.
First test was PCV, which came out at 46. She was very dehydrated so the result was a bit skewed, but the problem wasn’t anemia.
Her belly was quite distended and the ultrasound showed a fair amount of liquid in her abdomen.
We took xrays and the radiologist found nothing remarkable.
The criticalist was concerned about it potentially being an ulcer so took a sample of the fluid. It came out clear.
I demanded that they check her electrolytes to make sure it wasn’t a progression of Addison’s, but it came out fine.
The original blood test showed that her blood pH was low and within an hour of arriving her temperature had dropped, her blood pressure had dropped and she was quite out of it.
We gave her morphine to make sure she wasn’t in pain. They were concerned that it might stop her heart, but of course she was too much of a fighter for that.
The next blood test showed that her blood pH was “not conducive to life”, and within an hour she was gone.
The criticalist speculated that she might have thrown a clot or had non-specific organ failure. I didn’t ask for any further tests.

[admin]

Rick
This must have been a painful thing to write about. Brandy was not in pain because you would never allow that to happen. You did all you could & she had such a great life with you & your family. Never forgotten, Miss Mouse.
Sheena, Worzel & Ollie xxxx

[Tamara]

Rick, thank you for letting us know Brandy’s medical information about her last night. It makes me so sad, she was such a fighter and so were you for her – both for her life and for her well being, making sure she wasn’t in pain. Thinking of you and sending you many hugs —
tamara and ashki xoxoxox

[Brigitte]

Hi Rick,
I could tell those last few hours weigh hard on your heart and soul. Believe me, I know the feeling. for quite a few days, every time I thought of Kahlu, when ever I closed my eyes, those pictures of the last minutes came back. It took a while for me to get them out of my head. I will never forget it, but now it is not the first that comes to mind when I think of Kahlu, my beautiful boy. It is the swimming and running that I remember and instead of tears I have smiles on my face when I think of him. I know this time will come for you too. This disease took our lovely dogs away from us way too soon, but it can not take away the wonderful memories we have.
Take care and best wishes,
Brigitte

[admin]

Dear Rick

Thank you for telling us about Brandy’s medical information, as well as her paw print. I am sure it has not been easy for you to write about these things, but you write so beautifully and your posts are a poignant pleasure to read.

I know that it is a cliche, but time is a great healer and as Brigitte says, whilst we never forget them, the painful memories do eventually start to fade, to be replaced with the happier ones.

Please know that you are always welcome here and I know that we will all love to hear more tales of the very special B-cat.

Much love, Mary & Mable x

[Rick]

“pretty”
Ripley is pretty.
He is a registered, purebred Weimaraner. His (biological) father is an AKC show champion and hunting champion. His (biological) mother and half-sister are Canadian CKC show champions. Of his litter he has the best topline and is very well proportioned. He has 75% of the characteristics of a champion.
As I said, he is pretty, which is code for “not so bright”. Any animal that is 3 feet off the ground never existed to him. He will stalk animals until the climb 3 feet up a tree and then he is like “where did he go??”. In the past he accidentally caught several small furry animals but never hurt one.
Brandy, on the other hand was a true hunter.
We took the dogs for a walk through the woods when Brandy made a hard point, aiming almost directly upwards to an adjacent tree. Ripley had just run by in front of her so he “should” have seen whatever it was. We looked up and saw a raccoon staring back at us.
This actually happened several times after Brandy went blind, and there was another instance where Ripley and I walked right by a Grouse lying on the side of the trail before blind Brandy found it for us.
It was funny to see her holding a hard point, but when the animal stopped moving she would no longer be certain that it was still there. She would continue to hold the point, but you could see her eyes glancing over at me for a cue. When she could see you couldn’t break her focus on the animal.

Brandy is probably the only animal on the planet that became a better pet after she went blind. The “angry” Brandy-Cat made a lot fewer appearances. She really didn’t like most animals, and seeing them at a distance made her uptight. Also she started paying attention to verbal cues and commands. She was still very belligerent and stubborn but she learned that if I yelled “whoa” that she really did need to stop before running into something.
She also stopped to look for us while running on the field. Previously she spent the entire time looking for birds.

As for Ripley’s show career, for the other 25% of the characteristics he is a bust. He is extremely passive around other dogs, especially those that are larger than him and he is a total spaz around stranger humans.

[admin]

Hi Rick

I am loving reading your stories about Brandy, which you tell so beautifully. Isn’t it amazing how well animals cope with disability? They can be remarkable, and it sounds as though Brandy really was.

How are you and Ripley getting on? I’m sorry he’s not quite ready for his show career, but his being a “total spaz around stranger humans” did make me smile.

Much love, Mary and Mable x