Saturday, January 26, 2008

Shadow Update

I think Shadow is going to be fine. I got her home without barfing* in the vets office or the car on the way home. After I got everyone/thing unloaded, I took her out to grass to pee and she got her legs under her and walked to where she wanted to do her business. Yes, she was unsteady and shaky, but she could do it. She was able to do the same again this morning before I had to take her back to the vet for a follow up consult and to have the IV link (forget what it's called, but the line into the IV that they left in until they were sure she would eat and drink and didn't need more fluids today just in case so they didn't need to redo it).

I was worried last night about carrying her for a few days and causing a miscarriage because really could feel it pulling yesterday and was crampy and came up with a plan to call my dog walker to see if he could help take her out twice a day and then to see if I could find a wagon that I could load her in an pull which would take less strain and toll. However, she got up and walked out of the living room and into my room (when Max was getting a bit to loud/wild for her...she just doesn't like the sound of blocks banging against each other) before I could call the dog walker. She walked from my room out to the flower bed to pee this afternoon. And, from the living room to the back of the house and moved from Max's room to the spare room, back to Max's room. Now, I have had to carry her "back" from the flower bed inside and from Max's room to my room after I put Max down for the night, but she is getting better and stronger all the time. She is eating and drinking well. She is able to go to the bathroom. She is getting steadier and steadier and able to walk for longer and farther, but is still shaky and weak.

Doggy Vertigo. Looks like she is going to recover from it, but will probably be at least a week if not two before she is fully recovered. Now that I know what it is and the signs, I'm sure that she has had this a few times before over the last year when I was worried and thought I would have to put her down. At the time, I thought she had injured herself (or Max had jumped or rode on her when I wasn't looking) or was having a spinal type injury. Now, I'm sure that it was this vestibular/vertigo thing, but just that this was the worst of it.

And, yesterday's bill was a lot less (about half) of what I feared it would be.

So, all is not exactly well on this front, but it is better and improving and I'm not as worried and overwhelmed.

In other news, City Boy (the cat) was thrilled with a brief reprieve of the rain today and didn't step in the house until 3 seconds before it started to come down again. He has not been amused. I moved the litter box that he never uses out to the back under the covered patio instead of outside the kitchen door because I was a bit worried he might start to go inside in his disgust since it has been raining so much and for so long. I think he has actually used it once or twice, but mostly has gone out the the grass in the rain (when it's not coming down too hard) while complaining the whole time. Meow, Meow, Meow. Making sure anyone around knows he just isn't thrilled with the recent weather.

And, Max and I both got naps today. In fact, I put Max down at 1 pm and he slept until I gently woke him at 4:30 pm after opening blinds, turning on lights, and making noise starting at 4 pm didn't even stir him. And, it's 8:15 pm and I think he is asleep for the night. Of course, he didn't sleep well at all last night walking me up around 11:30 ish after I had just fallen asleep, some other time in the middle of the night that is a blur, and then was up for good at 3:30 am although he stayed in his crib until sometime between 6 and 6:30 am. Sometime around 5 I gave him books, toys, (and apparently he was able to get his accordion from the end table by his crib) and I shut off the monitor but still could hear some of the louder serenades on and off at times where I felt I had just nodded off for more sleep. All to say, we both needed good naps today.

* Saved that for the bathtub when I was cleaning my feet from taking Shadow outside. Max was actually up and around for the first time during a big barf feast. It didn't seem to bother him that much. He just kept telling me "bless you" every time I vomited like I was sneezing which had me smiling during it all. One of these days I'll have to do a post about all the places I've vomited in the last month and where I have not, yet...knock on wood.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am so glad, Debbie! :):) I'll keep praying for Shadow, just to be sure!

Love, Laura

Aimee said...

Yippee!!! :o) This seriously made my day!! I'm glad Shadow is going to be just fine!! Hope you are feeling much better. The nausea has got to really be miserable! Hope it subsides soon!

Anonymous said...

Hey Deb!
So so so glad Shadow is feeling better! Lauged so hard at your "bless you" barfing... Sorry you're still barfing, though.
-Margie

Nina said...

Hey Debbie,

Thank God you've made it through that day and Shadow is better! Let's hope you had hit your bottom, and now is the time for quick rebound...

All the BEST,
Nina