Back Ache

The backache that appeared by magic a couple of weeks ago disappeared by magic the day after I went to the doctor.  Yesterday it returned, so I'm going to the kinestherapist tonight.


And Nala is going to the vet for an abscess on her neck.

And I'm stopping by the doctor to get the prescription for iron.

So far, I'm impressed with my new doctor.  When the blood results arrived last week, she called me.

Nick and the rest of the animals are O.K.

Family Affairs

I would be writing more, but I'm not feeling very well.  Don't know what it is, but I suspect the pain killers given to me after the stent was put in, so I've stopped taking them.  They -- or something -- also are making me sleepy, so that's what I'm doing: sleeping.  And dreaming of puppies.

We have found a perfect five-year-old male Chow.  Or he will be perfect as soon as he's registered and X-rayed for hip dysplasia. Just look at those study, little legs!

We had a family meeting the other day.  Asterix -- that's the bridegroom's name -- does seem to prefer Nala, even if she did keep growling at him, but we'll leave her home next time.  Van-Ly will be X-rayed on Friday and the pictures sent off to the official doctor of the Chow Chow Club for grading.

We are hoping for a September/October wedding

Water

Our village sewage system is being brought up to European standard.  New drainage, which has the added benefit of new pavements (sidewalks). Don't ask where the old drainage went, but note that France is full of rivers.

We've been pleased at the timing because we have to do the plumbing, anyway, with separate pipes for used water and rain water.  (Our neighbour says, "Poof!  I'm not doing that."  He will, though; they can check.) 

Yesterday the workers and the mayor stopped by and pointed out that the current kitchen is in the middle of the house, between the two new sets of plumbing and has its own outlet.  We can re-do it or pay a double water bill.  Whoops!

So Nick is busy digging up the living room floor (packed earth) and drilling through two 2-foot stone walls to connect the kitchen plumbing with the new bit.  I'm locked in the bedroom with the cats.

Today, when I came back into the bedroom after lunch, saying, "O.K. cats, let's go," Nala got up and followed me.  I know that Chows are cats and our friends know that Chows are cats, but I didn't know that Chows knew they are cats.

Here's how Polo and Nick got the rain water tank and the roll of pipe to the back of the house.  They rolled them up boards onto the trailer, drove the trailer up the hill to our neighbour's house in back of us and then rolled them down the hill, through the olive orchard, to the back of our property.  And didn't tell me, so I could get the camera.

In other news, my other big toenail came off yesterday.

More Happy Dance

Went to the vet this morning and had another blood test. Nala's white blood count has fallen from just over 35 to just under 29. The amoxillin is working! Yea!

Back on Monday. Or Saturday if need be.

Half a Happy

As I mentioned in my previous post, Nala developped pyrometra. As I also said, if you know what that is, fine; if you don't, don't ask unless you have an unspayed bitch. In that case, it would be a good idea to look it up.

At any rate, the cure is to spay. So Nala was spayed and given a course of antibiotics: Cephalexlin, to be specific. When we got to the vet on Monday for her post-surgery check up, she had eaten very little, but had eaten some, so the vet sent us home, again.

Tuesday morning, she still hadn't eaten and the incision was seeping blood. We went back to the vet. Her white blood count was up from 34+ (double the normal limit) to 35+. We changed antibiotics, now she's on Amoxicillin.

Today, she ate breakfast! At first she didn't want it, but Nick took her out for a few minutes and when she came back, she ate.

As we were leaving for the hospital, I decided to walk her for another couple of minutes. When she heard her collar (chain), she woke up, came into the kitchen. . .
and danced! Afterwards she sulked because I would only let her walk about 25 meters and made her come home.

This evening, she wouldn't eat, again. So we just gave her her pills. Then she ate -- about a quarter of her meal. I guess she thinks eating means a dessert of pills and since she'd already had them, it was save to eat.

You know how people think Chows are stupid because you can't train them and they won't do anything you say? It has occurred to me that Chows must think people are pretty stupid because they can't train us to do things their way.

She seems reasonably lively. (Is it possible to sleep lively?)

As for me, great day at the hospital. Arrived a bit early for my 1:30 appointment and, for the first time ever, did not have to go to the waiting room, do not pass Go. Was given a room immediately. The nurses arrived 15 minutes later after their lunch break. I was alone, too. In fact, most of the rooms only had one patient or were empty. They must have recovered from the holiday disruption.

One of the nurses, I discovered, has 2 cats and a German Shepherd. She showed absolutely no interest when I said I fed raw. So I went to sleep.

A Dog Blog

I am really tired of cutting up the "dogs'" food in cat-sized portions. Starting this week, they're getting whole pieces -- or, in Van-Ly's case, halves. But today she goes on wholes. Nala ate a whole pork chop last night, uncut! (She's Reformed.) After having carried over a chicken meal the day before, Van-Ly ate her pork chop in halves. A mighty improvement. And she's only 5 years old. :-)

Nala, by the way, is dancing around like a, uh, um, a dog! Walkies! Food! I think this is because she found out I either can't add or my memory is shot. We got her when Van-Ly was one, not at the same time. Van-Ly is only 5. Ergo, Nala is not 12, but 11. Hey, I'd dance, too, if someone wanted to take 7 years off my age.

She had to go out in the middle of the night a few days ago. She woke me up and stood at the back door. When I let her out, she went to the back of the courtyard and I went back to bed for a few minutes. When I got up to let her back in she came down from the garden. You may find this boring, but Nala doesn't do back door. Hey, she understands night! (I don't do walkies at night.)

Still holding up under chemo. Lunch was lousy this week. Well, it wasn't lousy; it was choucroute -- sauerkraut and hotdog and bacon and (skip the ham). I love sauerkraut, but can't eat it on my low residue diet. Maybe I should tell the hospital about my diet.

Going to Lyon Monday afternoon and staying the night with friends. On Tuesday, we're meeting Nick's sister, Jane, and their mother, Avril, for lunch, after Avril's eye appointment. Then we're returning home Tuesday night with Avril. Such nice hosts: we're taking the dogs.

I have just given out our first trick-or-treat treat in the 17 years we've been here. You remember the kid across the street?

Have a nice Halloween.

Physiotherapy

Stretch that shoulder

The newbie

The personal trainer

Nala is Home

Shaved for the sonagram. Shaved on her paws for blood tests and perfusions (the first one fell out). But happy. And eating.

They tested her this afternoon with an "aperatif" and she ate it, so they said she could eat tonight. And she did. The vet (the one I like was there) approved her menu of overcooked rice and chicken breast. Let's hear it for Dogaware.com.

The thing is the blood work, the sonagram and the x-ray all indicate pancreatitis, but the only symptom she has is/was not eating. She's only lost 2 kilos and that will help with her elbows, so I won't worry. Anyway, we're going with the pancreatitis diet and I'll call the vet Monday with the results.

Fortunately, my new computer, the equivalent of my old computer, was half the price of the old one. We spent the other almost half on Nala, but getting away with under 400€ for the sonagram and a 2-day hospital stay wasn't bad. Good thing, we're going for a cheaper kitchen.

Nala, Nala, Nala - Free Dog

Nala hasn't eaten since Saturday morning, so we went to the vet. He did a blood panel and the counts that are out of whack point to pancreatitis, but she hasn't been throwing up or doing the other things that would entail. So, we went back this afternoon for a sonagram. There is liquid in her stomach and a lot of fat. The fat is white and thick and prevented the vet from seeing her pancreas very well. He did see a little nodule somewhere, but it didn't seem to indicate much. He also couldn't find her spleen.

Opting for the conservative course, we left her there for an x-ray, and infusion and 48 hours of observation. If she improves within the next couple of weeks, which presumes that she starts eating, we go with pancreatitis. I will now have to review all those Raw-Lite posts that I previously ignored about a pancreatitis diet. If she doesn't improve, we do exploratory surgery to see if there is an obstruction or the nodule means anything.

Here's the good news: So far, it doesn't seem like cancer and someone once loved her enough to have her spleen removed. Her whole life has not been bad.

Tonight we have opera tickets for the first time in 2 or 3 years. Watching Lucia slaughter her new husband and the wedding party will probably take my mind off Nala.

Correction: She only slaughtered the husband, but it was bloody enough for the kids in the audience.

House and Home News

Bad News: Home, first. Chemo is very wearing. It annoys me to be getting more tired all the time. Weakling! So, I haven't been posting much. Yesterday, I had a little upchuck episode, so now, in addition to not being able to look at ham because they always serve it at the The ham they serve at the hospital is excellent and it's not like I'm sick when I go. Must be something deep, deep down that makes a bad association.

Good News: If no one objects within 10 days, we have a house! I can't imagine who would object. We're going to sign the compromis on Thursday -- that's the down payment document -- and it will take about 6 weeks for the acte -- the sale -- to be signed. Homeless, no more!

Middling News: In dog news, we have had Nala x-rayed (again, the first ones got lost in the move) and sent them to an orthopetdic (I was going to correct this, but I like it) surgeon who has a friend who invented replacement elbows for dogs. I'd have called the friend, but he's in the States at Michigan State U.

Bad News: Nala is beyond medicine helping the pain of her arthritis, so it's either replacement time or wheels time and we're told that front wheels don't work too well.

Very Good News: Other than that (and her eyes), she's healthy, so I expect to have her for a long time.

The Cells are Winning. . . or Losing

Went to the doctor yesterday evening, waited through four patients who beat me to it, only to find that the lab hadn't faxed through the results of my blood test. Sigh.

Dr.Martin (GP) renewed my prescriptions before we go on vacation and said she'd call Dr. Litor (oncologist) in the morning. Dr. M. phoned Nick this morning and said my platelet count was a bit low.

A bit? Next call was from the hospital with instructions to come in for a transfusion tomorrow. At 8 am. Good practice for getting up at 4 am for our Yahoo group's Not So Secret Santa. Since we're part way between the U.S. and Australia, I get the tough time slot. I'd walk a mile for a Christmas present.

Anyway, Nick can go to Avignon to set up for the exhibition that starts Saturday by himself. After dropping me off at the hospital.

This is supposed to be a dog blog, right? Check your dog's dewclaws! Nala has been licking one paw for the last 3 days. I thought it was the usual itch and told her to stop. Last night I decided to look. Her right, front dewclaw had grown in a circle, pierced her skin and kept growing. Infected lump.

We went to the groomer in the summer. I've been grooming her. But obviously not well.

This afternoon we went to the vet
who cut the claw, dug out the lump, put some antisceptic on it, and sent us home with an Elizabethan Collar and five days worth of antibiotics. Poor thing hardly whimpered.

Nala also has another entropion in her right eye -- as well as ectropion. More drops. More cleaning. The right eye is pretty much opaque, again. Half blind.

She didn't lick the paw, again, when we took off the collar, so I'm leaving her in peace.

Twenty minutes into the examination and treatment, the vet began to sneeze. After the fourth time, I asked, "Cold or allergy"? "Cold," she said.

We of the non-functioning immune system persuasion promptly shoved the chequebook and papers at Nick and said good-bye. I hope I got out of there in time.


The picture is of Nala and her rec bone. She may be learning.

Nag, nag, nag!

This edition is dedicated to Doobie, my Guardian Nagger, who prods me, worries about me and, altogether, makes me feel as though Someone is Watching Over Me.

NTR! (1)

I got some new hat/scarves sorts of things in the post today, thanks to Rachel's mother. I'll try to get pictures.

Nala, after four years of living with us and being fed raw, has finally chewed on a recreational bone. Twice! (Yes, I missed pictures of that, too.) I'm not sure the bone is the attraction. She chews and chews and the bone slides on the tile floor and soon it and she are on the other side of the kitchen, fancy that!, right next to the cats's leftovers. But we caught her in time.

It's been a busy week; hence the lack of posting. (Besides NTR.) Friday, Saturday and Sunday taken up with friends. Being in the village is a spur to socialising. Yesterday, all day in Avignon shopping for: hardware, wood, more hardware, Pyrex pot, more hardware and more hardware.

Today, we bought a house.

See you tomorrow!

Ununited Aconeal Process

Learned a new word(s) today. For my birthday (shut up! don't rush me), my MIL gave me 50€ and Nick offered to give me 30€ toward the Obama campaign if I wanted the T-shirt. I took the 30€, added some debt, and got what I really wanted: a visit to Io Jima's orthopedic surgeon so I can find out what's actually wrong with Nala and what, if anything, to do about it. She fell going up the stairs the other night and had one helluva time getting going, again.

He did X-rays. The first ones. (It took 3 people to hold her; like most Chows, she hates being laid down.) So, right: she's got arthritis. Not in her left shoulder as we thought, but in both elbows, the right one being the worst. How odd! It's the left leg that appears to constantly collapse on her. Anyway, worst is the operative word. Dr. Garcin said he'd never seen such awful arthritis. Ever. Looking at a line on the X-rays, he believes that she suffered a trauma when young that gave rise to Ununited Aconeal Process, which gives a worst case prognosis for arthritis.

Nothing much to do. He approved of the Cosiflex. I asked after joint replacements. Hips only, he said; there is no procedure, yet, for elbows.

We discussed NSAIDs. I said she'd tried them all; made her sick. But we've agreed to try the Metacam, again. She did better on it; took a week for her to get diarrhea. But I'm giving her a half dose and he's prescribed Cytotec to protect her stomach.

Let's see. 30€ for the Metacam. 20€ for the Cytotec. 28.50€ for her eyedrops. 10€ for the other eyedrops. 23.50€ for the Advantix because it has to be given every 2 weeks for the Leishmaniosis. 12.50€ for the sebhorrhea shampoo, the only thing that lasts longer than a month, so lets say 5.00€. You add it up.

So, I said to the pharmacist -- after I found out the price of the Cytotec -- Nala tolerated the aspirin pretty well, too. Could I give her the Cytotec with aspirin instead of Metacam. No, he said, it doesn't work with aspirin. But it does, according to the site cited above.

Pretty soon I will buy her a harness to help her get up the stairs.

Meanwhile, I wish Dr.Garcin were our regular vet. He immediately identified Nala's on-going eye problem (now that the entropion has been surgically corrected), as ectropion of the right eye; hence all the infections. (To the above list, add the antibiotic ointments for her constant eye infections). He took one look at the X-rays and knew what the problem was. He grimaced when I said she hadn't been X-rayed before. And, in general, he seems to know everything.

The only good news. The visit, meds, X-rays and all came to 137€. If it weren't for running costs, we'd be in clover.

End of whinge.

Bath Time

I'm into my fifteenth year as a "dog" owner and I have only recently come to bath time. If you've been following my posts, you will know that we chose to have Chows because we didn't want a dog. One of the things that makes Chows non-dogs is that they don't have D.O.* so you don't have to bathe them.

We used to bathe Io Jima once a year at the end of the river season, but it wouldn't have been necessary if we hadn't been foolish enough to teach her to swim. Our current two Chows arrived river-ready straight from the factory, but we avoided the bath chore by occasionally taking the shampoo with us to our daily paddle.

Now it turns out that Nala has allergies. (Actually there is very little that Nala doesn't have.) First she had (has) seborrhoea. We gave her a bath with a special shampoo and started her on zinc supplements. That worked for awhile.

In the past few months, though, she has been scratching to the point where most of the fur around her shoulders and back end is gone. This is not an attractive look in a Chow. She's probably allergic to fleas, said the vet. (Like owner, like Chow.) And maybe other things.

Allergies may initially produce no reaction, but as they accumulate, they reach critical mass and the immune system can no longer cope. Allergies, seborrhoea, fleas and now system overload has given rise to a yeast infection known as elephant skin.

Malessezia Dermatitis. (Another learning experience. Nala is our Dog University.) The skin turns thick, black and bumpy. And there are hot spots (red, itchy spots; I didn't used to know what they are, either). I didn't notice for close on a year because I am accustomed to dogs with black skin. Io Jima, who was black, had black skin. All Chows have black tongues and gums; I thought black skin came with. Not for red Chows, evidently.

So, cutting to the chase, we (I) have to bathe her twice a week for a month and then once a week after that. Nala likes going in the river. Nala does not like having a bath.

Normally I attach an old flex-lead to her collar, lock the lead, throw the handle into the car and shut the door on the lead. Then she's stuck and has to have her bath. But it's too cold for that now, so she has to be bathed inside.

Fortunately, I do weight training as it takes the power of 10 to move Nala into the shower pan and keep her there. After she, the bathroom, and I are all lathered up, I rinse me and go downstairs to rest up while she marinates for 10 minutes. Then I go back upstairs and we do the push/shove/oof routine, again, so she can be rinsed.

Then she gets half dried and can come downstairs and sit next to the fire. She gets cold and shivers. At least, I think she's cold; she could be having a dream about baths. But we got this nice blanket for Christmas, so we're not expecting pneumonia as an extra added attraction.

Chow owners are not supposed to have to put up with this sort of thing. If I'd wanted a dog, I'd have got one. Where's my drink?

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* Doggy Odor

Teaching An Old Dog. . . anything

1) The question. Does anyone know of a book devoted to training old dogs that they could recommend? I can't seem to find anything between Koehler and reward-based methods.

2) My plan. To have Nala walk reasonably well where I want her to go.

3) Why I am concerned about my plan. You know where Koehler says don't worry if your dog sits on her haunches in imitation of a cartoon donkey -- just drag her along? It's really hard to do this to an old dog who has never had any training at all, has weak legs (but strong enough for this behaviour), bad eyes and a lot of vet bills.

4) Vitals of the animal. (Age, breed, sex, fixed, etc) She started out as 13 a year or so ago, backed up to 10 and may now even be the 8 the rescue claimed she was, purebred (badly) Chow, female, not spayed -- I'm not spaying a bitch whose (advanced) age and full medical history I don't know.

5) As much temperament information as I have. . . including whether this
information is giving to me from the client or information I have through my
interactions with the dog. She's a Chow; that says it all. Independent, stubborn, marches to her own drummer. Her idea of a reward is to do what she likes. When you're at least eight, and probably older, and no one has ever given you a treat, even after 15 months you don't know how to take food from a hand. Top that with bad sight and not much of a sense of smell and treats aren't in it.

6) Anything else I can think of. I don't want much out of this one: just to be able to walk in town reasonably well and not bark at passersby. (It's O.K. if I bark.) I'm going to give Koehler one more shot, but I don't hold out much hope.


8/11/2006 Van-Ly failed her "don't chase the cat" test on Friday. Granted, she wasn't on her line, she was with Nick and not me, and I'm not fast enough to head her off at the pass, anyway. But I do know what her Koehler test will be.