Looking Better

Seymour is doing better with the increased dose of his Prednisone.  His head is no longer tilting to one side and he is walking better.  He is rubbing his eyes quite a bit, though.  We haven't heard from his doctor yet today.  I guess that autoimmune disease is still a big issue with Seymour and the medication is still needed.  He is supposed to go from a full pill to half a pill on Sunday - along with his other meds so hopefully he will continue to at least stay the same.  This really is a long process!

Update to Update

I talked with Seymour's nurse about his condition this morning.  She responded "That's not good" and went to talk with his neurologist.  They are upping his prednisone dose to 1/2 a tablet twice a day.  He was at 1/4 tablet once a day.  They will call to check on him on Thursday.  I sure hope that this helps.  He had been doing so well.

Another Update on Seymour

First, Seymour and Zooey no longer like tuna.  So now I have to figure out something else to put Seymour's pills in.  I tried going back to the Swiss cheese spread and he wouldn't have anything to do with it.  Peanut butter doesn't work, either.  Tomorrow we will try ham.

On another note, Seymour is petrified of storms and we had one a couple of nights ago. He climbed the steps to the sofa and fell off, twice.  He now is walking with his head tilted to one side and his back legs aren't working as well as before.  I am giving him his pain pills and hope there is a sprain or something cure able causing this.  Otherwise, it will be back to the neurologist.  As an added problem, I have an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon this week due to pain in my hip and leg.  This is sure the year of the medical issues.

We need to find time and better health so we can go camping!

Changing Attitudes

Seymour has been taking his pills in Laughing Cow Swiss Cheese spread and he has loved it for over a month.  Now that he is only getting his medication once a day, he wants no part of the cheese.  I tried the dogs on scrambled eggs, as recommended by Seymour's neurologist and for two days, they gobbled them down.  Yesterday,  Seymour wanted no part of them.  Zooey still ate hers.  I was starting to worry that there was something wrong with Seymour.  Then I tried giving them tuna fish.  Seymour loved it so at least for now, his pills are being mixed with the tuna.  Who knows how long he will like it.  What a sweet, but strange little dog he is!

The Fight in The Dog

My sister and her husband just sent us this magnet. It is perfect for Seymour!

He is a fighter - healthwise!

 

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Vet Visit

Seymour went for his monthly visit to his neurologist. How many dogs can say that? He is doing about the same except that she found some brain activity in his right eye, which is really good. There still is none in his left eye. Because of the damage to his spinal cord, it is difficult to know if he will improve the function in his back legs and butt area. Even if he stays where he is, I will be happy. He does need to gain weight. It is rare that dogs or anyone on steroids doesn't gain. Seymour eats all he wants but has continued to weigh 6 pounds, 6 ounces for the last two months. Dr. Wolf asked if I have ever given him scrambled eggs - and I hadn't, so that will be our new food offering. We did stop on the way home to get a soft serve ice cream cone to share!

Seymour's blood work was fine and we are cutting back on his daily medicine to see if he can tolerate it. I am so thankful for Dr Henry for referring him to the Specialty Hospital and Dr. Wolf for saving his life. She graciously allowed me to take her picture with Seymour.

Our next visit is in a month. The saga will continue. . .

 

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Catching Up

It has been a while since I posted. I found a new software called Blogsy that is not intuitive so I am still learning it.Seymour is doing about the same. He doesn't seem to be able to hear when we are outside but does hear me in the house. He still has stiff back legs and can't have a bowel movement without "walking it out". But he likes to take short walks and ride in the car. He takes 4 pills every morning and 3 every evening. He goes back to the neurologist on Tuesday. I am having him sleep in an enclosure that includes his bed, water, food and pee pads because I don't want him to have an accident in the house. He has gotten used to it and actually seems to like it. Unfortunately, he still hasn't figured out what a pee pad is for!

I couldn't let Seymour be sick by himself so I came down with an upper respiratory infection that has lasted almost 3 weeks. I am finally starting to feel better.Because it is spring here in Texas and the wild flowers are out, I decided to take both dogs to a Bluebonnet patch for a photo op. Spring feels like a new beginning so we are trying to enjoy each day.

 

 

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Status Quo

Seymour and I are both at the same level we were on Thursday- I am still sick and he is functioning the same.  I wonder how much more function he will get back?  He can walk pretty quickly - when he want to - on his stiff back legs.  He regularly climbs the 3 steps to the back porch and the sofa without help but I wouldn't let him try to climb to the second floor of our house right now, and I am not sure he will ever be able to do that on his own without possibly falling.

 He is eating everything now and loves to chew rawhide bones.  I am questioning  if he only hears out of one ear because he still can't always know where a sound is coming from unless he is right beside it.  He sometimes just stops and seems to be staring, but then he comes out of it and continues with whatever he was going to do.  His bark is still very hoarse and would not scare anyone.  Zooey makes up for it though.  Even with his disabilities, he is still the Seymour I love.  He wants to lay beside me.  He follows me into the bathroom, hoping that means a walk is in the near future and he lets me dress him in whatever fashion I want. Unconditional love!

I, on the other hand, hope to be functioning and sleeping better soon.  I went to Target to get a recommendation from the pharmacist on what I could be taking and unfortunately, she gave suggestions of things I have already tried. I still bought up most of the cold and flu isle.  I switch between natural remedies and drugs, hoping to find the cure.  I am not a patient sick person!

I am glad the the dogs help me to keep my attention on something besides myself.  I am a bit boring right now.  More, and hopefully more exciting updates in a couple of days.  I am also still searching for a new blog program that will allow me to post pictures again.

Too Much Informatiom?

I still can't get BlogPress to work, so no photos for now.

Monday night, Seymour wanted to sleep with me, as usual.  He had been given new meds at the vets and I put him back on the anti diarrhea medicine.  He sleeps on a pee pad - mostly.  One issue he has been having recently is that he doesn't seem to be able to hold his bowel movement very long.  He sits up in bed ( I can feel him get up), his eyes get big, and before I can run with  him out of the house, he has already started going.  The first two times he got the majority of a regular poo on the pad, but I had to change the sheet.

The next two times - yes four times during the night - he had majorly runny diarrhea, so I changed blankets and the sheet again.

Last night I decided not to take a chance so I set up a portable enclosure for him with his bed and blankets, a large pee pad and food and water.  He wasn't excited but at least he could see me because I was only about 5 feet away.  We live in a "cozy-sized" house. He had no accidents.

Last night he is sitting beside his bed in the enclosure looking at me like a prisoner but when I didn't give in, he went to his bed and slept until about 3:30 am.

I think all of the stress of the last month finally got to me, because I have now been sick for 4 days with no sign of improvement.  Zooey is the only healthy one left in the house and luckily she isn't requiring any extra attention.

The fun never stops.


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Blogpress isn't Working

I tried to write my blog and add a picture and it isn't working.  I also couldn't fix errors.  So, hopefully I can figure out the problem soon.  Blog Press updated their software last night to fix "bugs" but I am afraid the bugs have multiplied!  Unfortunately, I can't post pictures when I write directly on the Blogspot account. Hopefully I can post my exciting "bowel movement" blog tomorrow!

Vet Visit Update

Well, the good news is that Seymour really is doing better than most. His diarrhea is probably caused by the Prednisone and the fact that he wasn't on anti diarrhea meds. They said use them until they ran out, but obviously Seymour needed more. So he is back to 4 meds twice a day, with 1/4 pill instead of 1/2 of the Prednisone. I stopped the pain meds and he doesn't seem to miss it. Don't want an addicted dog! Luckily, he is good about taking his pills in a blob of Laughing Cow Swiss Cheese spread. Zooey gets her own blob of pill-less cheese.

During this visit, he was also given the third drug they use to treat Meningitis, which is Cytarabine. He will have to go back for more treatments and check ups for about 9 months. His next visit is scheduled in 3 weeks. The neurologist said that there is about a 10% chance that the Meningitis could return and she just saw a dog this morning whose Meningitis came back about 9 months after his first bout. I am hoping that Seymour is in the 90% category.

Currently Seymour's blood work looks good. I guess that this will become the year of taking care of Seymour. Hopefully, it won't stop us from traveling, but maybe not as far from home as usual.


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A Little Set Back

Seymour started having diarrhea yesterday, less than 24 hours after his took his final anti diarrhea pill. I called the hospital and they want to see him today. They will also do his follow up visit blood work, etc. today instead of Thursday. Hopefully, this is something that can be resolved quickly.

In spite of this set back, Seymour has been doing well. He is shaky, but he goes up the steps to the sofa by himself now.

I will write more when I know more.


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Location:Wimberley, Texas

Shopping Trip

We took our first shopping trip since Seymour got sick. We went to pet friendly Home Depot. Seymour walked from the car to the store and was eager to get in the cart. His back legs are still too weak for him to stand on two legs like Zooey.





He did go up the steps to the sofa twice and once went up the 3 steps from the yard to the porch, but he has also fallen when he has tried, so he is a bit scared to do it. It is something I need to work on with him.

He walks all over the back yard and Zooey now is the instigator of getting into trouble. I left them in my fenced back yard for about 10 minutes and when I came out they were nowhere in sight. I called them and Seymour slowly came out from under the shed but Zooey took her good old time coming out. Why do they easily learn each other's bad habits?

One other little bit of progress. Twice now, I have seen Seymour lift his back leg an inch or so when he went peed. So, I guess it will just take time to get strength back in his back legs. I am happy with how far he has come.


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Location:Dripping Springs, Texas

Seymour's Still Doing Well

Progress has slowed down, but Seymour walks, eats, likes to go for a car ride and a stroller ride. Three times I left him on the sofa while I got the mail, etc. Three times he was at the door to look for me. I finally saw him use the steps to the sofa. He is a bit clumsy, but makes it down the steps.



He won't even attempt to go up stairs. I think his back legs are still too weak.

Friends of ours, Mary and Rick, came to visit yesterday. Both dogs have stayed with them and both dogs love them. I think it gave Seymour a boost to see them. Zooey, who is usually cautious around most people, went right up to both of them demanding attention. I wish they lived closer!


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Another Update

Seymour now can shake his head almost normally. A week ago, he would try to shake it once and he couldn't do it again. Another good sign, but now the progress is a bit slower.

I probably will write my blog every other day unless something happens. There should also be more news after his doctor's visit on March 19.

Thanks to everyone for their concern. Seymour is a special little dog. I think our trip to Italy bonded us even more. I am glad that I have those memories!



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Location:Wimberley, Texas

A Reality Check

Seymour's neurologist called today to check on him. She re-scheduled his appointment until March 19 because (I didn't know this) he needs to come in every 3 weeks for some kind of shot/immunization and blood work to check his white blood cells. She didn't tell me how long he will need to do that. She did say that most dogs don't progress as Seymour seems to be doing and she sounded cautious. So, he has a long way to go and I am still hopeful for a good recovery.

On a lighter note, my daughter and grandson came over this morning and she said she was having a bad day. She hadn't seen Seymour so I thought it might cheer up up to see his progress. Then I said that she might want to hold him because he likes to be held. As we were talking she said "He has bad gas. Here, you hold him". She wasn't quite fast enough, because he was having a bowel movement. Really, he has never done that before, but it is hard to know when he has to go now. So, her bad day continued. Her shirt in being washed as I write this. Luckily we have been able to laugh about it tonight.

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Just Another Day with Seymour and Zooey

It is nice to say that. Both dogs are here with me and both are relatively healthy. The improvement I hadn't mentioned before is that now both of Seymour's ears are standing up. When I first brought him home, only one was up and then both were up for a short time. Now both are nice and straight all of the time. I am still trying to figure out his hearing. I think that it is improving and he does understand when I say his name in the house. Outside still seems to be a bit of a problem.



In this dark picture above, you can see a portion of the steps I bought to help the dogs get on and off the sofa. Today, I started working on helping Seymour climb those steps. I think it will probably take some time to get him to do it on his own, but I think he will be able to learn. His back legs still have some weakness and stiffness, but I think that he has the motivation.

I am starting my list of questions to ask the neurologist on Thursday. My two main questions are "Can dogs with his severity of meningitis get back to normal functioning?" and "Since this is an autoimmune disease, can he get it again?".


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Location:Wimberley, Texas

Not Much Change

Seymour continues to walk around but he can't walk straight. I will have to find out if that will ever improve. Yesterday, Seymour was on the couch and I went upstairs to find Zooey. When I came back down, Seymour was on the floor. He did it again when I went to the mailbox. I don't know how he is trying to go down the 3 steps I have for the dogs to get on and off of the sofa. I am guessing he goes down one step and falls down the other two. He doesn't even try to go up the steps.

But just in case, when I went out, I took the steps away so he wouldn't try to climb them or fall off of them.

They are now both spoiled by being given chicken instead of dog food. Seymour can chew strips of chicken and still gnaws on his bone a few times during the day.

I continue to be amazed at his progress!




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A Small Step

Every small step is important. Seymour is still very skinny and very unbalanced, wobbly and stiff. He still falls a lot but can get up by himself if you give him time.

He hasn't been able to chew so I could only feed him puréed food. Last night he started chewing on a small bone Zooey had accidentally dropped near him. This morning I decided to see if he would chew his favorite in the whole world, a chicken wrapped chew bone from Trader Joes. He went after it!




After about 5 minutes, it tired him out, but he loved it. I now plan to go to the grocery store and get some chicken I can cut into pieces, not puree. He needs to gain weight.

It's a small step but hopefully they will all add up to a full or almost full recovery.

Oh, and the hospital called to check on him again and I admitted that I gave him too much medicine twice when he first came home. She said to watch for blood in his stools but that the excess medicine should be out of his system by now. Scary lesson learned - thoroughly read the instructions!

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Location:Wimberley, Texas

A Little More Improvement

Little by little, I see improvements in Seymour. This morning I took him and his sister out to the back yard while I checked on plants. Soon I heard his sister
Zooey barking and then I heard a noise like a goose flying over. It was Seymour's first attempt at barking. Unfortunately, he was facing the opposite way from Zooey, so he still is having hearing location problems, but it's a start. I might have wanted the barking to come back a little later.

He has been using his tail to help balance him when he walks but it has always been pointing downward. Yesterday I saw him lift his tail horizontally to his body. He can't lift it up further yet but he is getting there.

He seems to understand basic commands like "lay down" and it takes him a little time to get down, but he does it. When I came back after being gone for about an hour this morning, he was waiting at the door for me.

So, Seymour continues to improve. I can't wait to see where he is functioning when he goes back for his check up next Thursday.


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Location:Wimberley, Texas

He Pooped!

Who cries because someone poops? Yep, I did! I took Seymour outside and he toddled around. They next thing I knew he was doing his business. I consider that a big milestone for him.

I tried to upload a video of Seymour walking in the back yard but I couldn't figure out how to do it. Trust me, he was walking.

Initially, I hadn't wanted to wait for an appointment at the north location of the Pet Specialty Hospital because Seymour was declining so fast. But now I am so thankful for being able to have taken him there. Dr Wolfe and her team were amazing. They were also kind and caring. I looked forward to the calls every day to see how Seymour was doing. Many times the calls weren't good news, but they always focused on the good part of the news. "He's eating and drinking".

Seymour has a follow up appointment there next Thursday and I hope I can show them how much he has progressed. Keeping the faith!

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A Little Better

Last night and this morning, when I took Seymour outside, he peed on his own. Not with his leg up, but with a squat. Not bad. I accidentally gave him more of his medicine that he was supposed to get, so I hope I haven't harmed him. I need to read the instructions more thoroughly!

Seymour is still working on his walking, especially when I leave the room. Can we say "co-dependent"? I'll take half of the blame :-). When he walks, the back part of his body wants to go in a different direction from the front. I hope that improves.

Both dogs ended up sleeping with me during the night. And both did the same thing when I said "Do you want to go outside and go potty?"

"We can't hear you" . . .


I am hoping for continued improvement. The next thing I am waiting for, with a bit of trepidation, is when Seymour finally has a bowel movement. He has eaten quite a bit and nothing has come out yet!

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The Miracles Continue

Last night, I had to "help" Seymour pee. This morning, he had peed on his pee pad in his bed, which is good. He whined when he was sleeping in his bed in front of the heater but was fine all night when I put his bed on the sofa bed with me. Zooey was fine, also. Seymour's alien eyes continue.




This morning, after I gave him all of his medicine and fed him, I took him outside and he was able to balance on his front legs to sit up. I am so happy that we set up the canopy since it has been raining and there is now a dry place to set him outside.




I then put him back in his bed beside Zooey's crate in front of the heater and needed to go out to run some errands. I was gone almost an hour and when I got back, Seymour wasn't in his bed. I called for him and he came wobbling out of Zooey's crate and wobbled over to me. What a wonderful surprise! He is walking a bit sideways, but he was walking a little. I took him back outside and he stood up on his own. I need to get a video of it.



I then carried him back to his bed and he got out and came over to try to get on the couch. That was about 6 feet of walking. He saw the steps but couldn't use them - yet. I don't think it will be long before he tries.

He is having amazing gains in less than 24 hours since I thought there was no hope for him. He still has a long way to go, but what a miracle dog he is!

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Location:Wimberley, Texas

Miracles Do Happen

I didn't know what to expect when I went to see Seymour and talk to the neurologist. Dr Wolfe and Rachael told me that he was doing a little better and had even tried to scoot under a blanket. When they brought him in, he was more alert. He looked at me and even followed me with his eyes when my friend Lynne was holding him. They showed me some physical therapy techniques to keep his legs from atrophying and also showed me how to squeeze his bladder to get pee out. So, he can't walk or pee at this point; he can't even sit up, but he is alert and seems to have the will to live. That's all I need for now. I had thought that today would be his last and I think it is a miracle that he rallied over night.



On the way home we stopped for take out at a local BBQ restaurant and when I got home, both dogs ate the beef I gave them. Seymour had been too weak to chew before he went to the hospital. He also finally drank some water from a bowl instead of just drinking from a syringe.

Although Seymour looks like an alien here, this was when Zooey first saw her brother. I think she knows not to bother him so she is sleeping on the couch next to his bed and not trying to get in with him. We have hope again! Thanks for your prayers and good thoughts.



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Another Update on Seymour

His vet just called and said he seems a little brighter so I will visit today to talk to her to figure out the plan for him. I hope he does look a little better today. Maybe we will have a miracle.


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More Bad News

I visited Seymour at about 11:15 am. He has declined so much since I saw him last that I cried. They said his neck is getting affected which is starting to affect his front legs. He really looked like someone with severe cerebral palsy. He didn't look at me and I don't think he could hear me, but when I started to feed him, he lifted his head and looked my way. I know that his eating may just be a function of the steroids. It doesn't look like the medications are helping him.

After discussion with his neurologist (who said she prayed for him last night), we decided to keep him on the medication for one more day. If he doesn't show any signs of improvement, he won't be kept alive any longer. It sounds awful and I am crying while writing, but he has no quality of life now. Not only is my heart broken, but poor Zooey is stressed and can't understand where her buddy is.

The doctor will call me again in the morning. I will hope and pray for a miracle.


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Location:Round Rock, Texas

Monday Update

Dr Wolfe called and Seymour has declined. He now is weak in his front paw. He is still eating and they haven't totally given up but it doesn't sound good. They are letting me come to visit earlier in the day so I plan to be there by 11 am.
She also talked about me bringing him home tomorrow and I fear it is because there is nothing else they can do. I hope I can hold it together.

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No Change

I just received a call from the doctor and she said there is no change with Seymour but he is eating and drinking a little, so that is good. He will be transferred back to the neuro section of the hospital with Dr Wolfe tomorrow. And they will call me again in the morning. I really appreciate these calls. Even though the hospital is closed on Sunday, a doctor comes to check on each animal and calls us. That never happens in hospitals for people.

Unless there is ice on the roads, I will be going to visit him tomorrow. Unfortunately visiting hours are not until late afternoon.

Thanks to everyone who sent me comforting emails. I know that not everyone understands why I am putting this much effort and emotion into Seymour's health, but anyone who personally knows me is not surprised.

More tomorrow -

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Location:Wimberley, Texas and Round Rock, Texas

Weather May Stop My Visit With Seymour

I received a call from the doctor on call this morning. Seymour is the same as yesterday. I so want to visit him but the weather and road conditions are bad and the hospital is over an hour away. I was told that the neurosurgeon was in an accident on the way to the specialty hospital this morning. Unfortunately, the hospital closes at noon today and doesn't open again until Monday. A doctor does come in Sunday morning for a couple of hours to check on the animals and to call us, but no one can come to visit. When the hospital is closed, the Emergency Care group is there but they aren't affiliated with the hospital, so I can't visit.

I am torn because I would hate for something to happen to Seymour this weekend and me to not at least have seen him. I know he is scared and wonders where I am. But, unfortunately I think there is a good chance that I won't be able to get there this morning. I am pretty bummed. . .


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Seymour's Possible Diagnosis

I got a call this afternoon from the neurosurgeon at the Specialty Hospital. She said that she and the neurologist looked at Seymour's blood specimen and it appears that he may have meningitis. They have put him on steroids, a chemo drug and at least one other drug. Based on googling this, his symptoms put him in the late stages of the disease so I don't know how he will do.

They say it is an autoimmune disease in dogs, so once it starts up, the body starts fighting itself. It settles in the brain and spinal cord. It doesn't appear to be contagious. They are doing all they can for him. I am thankful he is at that hospital.

I asked if I could bring him food when I come tomorrow and she said yes. I will try to feed him with a spoon again to see if I can get him to eat my homemade ground chicken, carrots and brown rice. I can't wait to see him. I hope it gives him a little boost to see me.


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Still Waiting

I received a call from the neurosurgeon this morning and they couldn't do Seymour's testing until early this afternoon. They said that he is stable, no better or no worse. If they find a spinal problem they will operate right after the scan and he will be in the hospital until Monday. If they don't find a spinal problem, they will do the brain MRI. I don't know what would come after that.

I thought that I would be able to sleep with Seymour not here, but worry kept me awake most of the night. Zooey did settle down and slept either beside me or in her crate. I went out this morning with my daughter to my new grandson's pediatrician visit and to run some errands and when I came home, Zooey was on the back of the couch, in her nervous mode. I am sure she is afraid of losing her brother and her owner/mother 😳

We continue to wait . . .


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Location:Wimberley, Texas

Update on Seymour

I received a call from the Specialty Hospital. They didn't get to do Seymour's MRI or spinal tap because they had 7 scheduled and one animal died during the MRI so I guess they stopped for the day to deal with that. Tomorrow a neurosurgeon will do Seymour's tests and if he needs spinal surgery, they will do it right away. They still think the back legs issue is separate from the brain issue. I just signed a consent and it says that if they do the surgery, there is only a 70% to 90% expected improvement. It is worth it to me since he is unable to move his back legs at all now. They were giving Seymour pain meds tonight to help him sleep.

So now we continue to wait - and hope - and pray.


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Long Night - Long Day - and it's not over yet

Last night was awful. Zooey was freaking out, probably due to not understanding why Seymour wasn't himself. She climbed onto the back of the couch, hid upstairs for hours and I finally put her in her crate. I feel bad for both dogs

Seymour can no longer walk at all. He wants to go outside but he can only sit. About every 2-3 hours he would whine and cry and I would try to rub him but it didn't help. So I took him outside and he would sit for 5-7 minutes, then I would bring him back inside and he would be okay for another couple of hours. I wasn't sure how long I could handle the lack of sleep and inability to help him. Finally I put his bed in the new rocker bed I bought for my new grandson (sorry Augie) and was able to put it beside the couch and rock him a little to calm him down. We all finally got about 3 hours of uninterrupted sleep.



This morning when I was heading out to drop Zooey off with Jan and pick up Betty to come with me to the Neurologist appointment, Seymour pooped on himself. I was just glad to see that he was still functioning there! When we got to the Speciality Hospital, Seymour again pooped. I cleaned him up as best I could. The people who worked with us at the hospital were very nice. They took Seymour to check vitals and then the Neurologist, Dr Wolfe came to talk to us. I liked her and her reasoning. She doesn't know what is wrong - it could be 2 different things. The sight and hearing could point to a brain tumor but the legs may be different. She mentioned possible meningitis but won't know until they do more tests. So I had to leave sweet Seymour there for them to do an MRI and spinal tap. They will keep him until tomorrow but I might get a call tonight from Dr Wolfe to let me know how he is. I am scared but relieved that he seems to be in good hands. The next step will depend on what they find. I am starting to have a little hope again, but the operative word is "little". Seymour certainly can't go on like this. He has no quality of life but just maybe . . . .

Zooey was a bit freaked at Jan's and would not eat, go potty or settle down. She started her climbing when we got home but I grabbed her and she is now settled into a blanket on the couch beside me. I hope we can both get some sleep tonight because I don't know what tomorrow will bring.

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The Good With The Bad

We had a pretty good night last night. Seymour slept beside me and whined a couple of times so I took him outside. I think he might have gone to the bathroom once. I actually got at least 6 hours sleep.
But, last night my daughter texted me about the class action Beneful lawsuit. Great, Seymour could only eat their blended food. She then saw that it was just for the kibble but that was all I needed to hear. I took some chicken out of the freezer to thaw and this morning cooked checken, carrots and brown rice and then blended it together. I started feeding Seymour with a spoon while holding the little bowl of food under it to catch the drippings. In no time, Seymour went at it in the bowl. It was wonderful to see. I still have to give him water with a syringe but I guess if it tasted like checken, he would lick that bowl!



We then took a stroller walk around the neighborhood and headed to visit our friends Jan and Betty. The dogs were both calm in the car.



Jan was the second person to meet Seymour after I adopted him. He has known Seymour just about as long as I have. He watched him many times when I traveled for work. I had to give Seymour another chance to be with his friend. Betty, Jan's wife, is a retired nurse and she graciously volunteered to come with me to Seymour's appointment. I graciously accepted. I told her that I will need her less emotional nurses side to be with me. She will try. Jan will watch Zooey while we are gone.




I decided to put an Easy-up canopy in my yard outside of my back door so both dogs could go to the bathroom where it is dryer, since we are anticipating rain. My friend Bandy came over to help. Both dogs stayed with him the night my daughter had her baby on Feb 13 and Seymour was like normal, except for a hearing problem. He was shocked to see that Seymour is pretty much immobile now. Of course I had to have a picture of him with my kids, I mean dogs.



Zooey is now totally freaked out by Seymour's whines. She doesn't like babies cries, either. Every time I took her out to the back yard, she would run to the farthest corner and hide there. I finally brought her back into the house and took down the gate to the second floor and let her hide there.

When we were coming home from Jan and Betty's, my neighbor who recently moved was back at her house with her dog, Coconut. Seymour and Coconut were great friends but when we put Coconut near Seymour she backed away. She didn't want to have anything to do with him. I feel that they sense illness.

The bad news is that even over the day, Seymour has declined. He can no longer stand, and although he whines to go out to go to the bathroom, he can't stand up to go. I put a pee pad under him and he is wetting it. I know he hates that.

I can't wait until our appointment tomorrow. I just need to know what is wrong or if I can do anything to help him. He is truly my best friend and you hate to see your best friend suffer.

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Seymour Visiting Family

Tuesday late afternoon

I am trying to make Seymour's days enjoyable. This morning, I took both dogs around our neighborhood in their stroller again. It was only about 34 degrees but we were all bundled up and I needed a little stress reducer. The dogs just needed a change of scenery. I let Seymour walk when we got back to our front yard. It is difficult for him, but he managed to walk about 30 ft. to the front door.

I headed out alone to get him more dog food that he didn't have to chew. He has to eat it off of a spoon, but at least he can eat it. When I got home, my daughter said that her newborn August (Augie) was awake and we could come visit. Seymour loves babies, Zooey, not so much. I wanted Seymour to meet Augie. I couldn't choose between the following pictures of Augie and Seymour. I will cherish them both.







The sweet thing was that when it was time to go, I stood Seymour in her yard and after he managed to do a little "business" he tried to head right back to Shan's front door. Maybe we will visit again tomorrow.


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Location:Wimberley, Texas

More of the Same

Tuesday Morning

A night with Seymour is like a night with a newborn. I had him sleeping in his bed next to me all night. Every whine or groan woke me up and I tried to figure out what they meant. I took him outside 3 times to see if he could go to the bathroom. I don't think he did. When he panted, I gave him water with a syrange. He actually likes that. I opened Zooey's crate so that she could get out at about midnight but she choose to stay where she was - better sleeping, I suspect. Finally after a 4:30 am trip to the back yard, we all finally fell asleep on the couch until my alarm went off at 7:30 am.

I took them both outside and Seymour just sat there. So, I came in to quickly dress and when I went out again, he was laying beside the back steps. I think he tried to climb them but couldn't. He doesn't complain, just lays there. So I put him back in his bed beside the heater and Zooey joined him. Sorry that the picture is blurry.




I plan to take the dogs for a ride today and maybe visit some friends. I want to keep things as normal as possible.

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Location:Wimberley, Texas

A Bit Frustrated

Monday Afternoon -update

(I decided to take the vet's name out of this blog. I was frustrated when i wrote this.)

Okay, so I waited until almost 4 pm to get a call back from the vet to change Seymour's referral to the south location of the Specialty Hospital. I called twice and emailed and finally gave up and made the appointment at the north location with the neurologist. I realize The vet is busy - they said he was "swamped", but I made the decision to see the neurologist when overwhelmed with what I was told about Seymour on Saturday. Later, after talking to a few people, I realized I could probably get enough info through a cat-scan and talking to the doctors In the south location to know what to do for Seymour. But you can't change without a new doctor's referral and I couldn't get it. This was my final attempt through email:

Hi,
I know the vet is busy and he doesn't have to call me, but could he call the south specialty Hospital and change my referral to them? I needed time to process all that he told me on Saturday. Seymour not only seems to have a brain tumor but something hurts him when I pick him up in his upper chest area. He can refer for whatever services he thinks we need there. If he could do that today I would be greatly appreciative. I would like to call them and get an appointment asap.
Feel free to email me his response. I just need to get Seymour seen.
Thanks so much,
Susan


I am disappointed that I couldn't get the appointment at the north Specialty Hospital until Thursday. I wonder if I could have gotten in sooner at the other location? The way Seymour is declining, I just hope he will last that long.

The good news is that I have been able to feed him his chopped food with a spoon and today he ate almost the whole 3 oz can.






I have taken him out to try to go to the bathroom numerous times today and so far, nothing. He seems to be most content in his bed, covered with a blanket on the couch beside me and Zooey. Yes, he is in there!!







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Location:Wimberley, Texas

Seymour's Illness

Monday morning
Last night Seymour was whining and I would check on him but couldn't find anything wrong. Finally, as a last resort, I carried him outside. I have to stand him up and he usually doesn't move for a minute or so. Then he walked wobbly a few steps and went to the bathroom. He still has enough presence to know that he doesn't want to wet his bed.
I decided to let him sleep in his bed by the heater last night because he never gets out of it now. But at about 2:30 am I heard a little thud. I turned on the light and Seymour had somehow climbed the 3 steps to get on the couch. Unfortunately, 2 of his legs slipped between the stairs and the sofa and he was just sitting there, stuck. I pulled him up and then moved him beside me. I let Zooey come sleep with us, too. It was almost like normal with the dogs leaning against me. So soothing.




This morning, I decided that I probably should just go to the south Veterinary Specialty Hospital for his appointment and forego the neurologist but I found that, as with people, if the referral says neurologist, you can't switch without another referral. I am waiting for a call back from the vet to get his opinion on what I should do. Seymour definitely has a brain issue but he also has something wrong with his body since he sometimes yelps when I pick him up. I was hoping to have him seen today but that won't be a possibility now. I hope to get a call soon.

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Location:Wimberley, Texas

Seymour's Illness

Saturday night and Sunday, February 22,2015
Seymour wobbled to his bed and pretty much has stayed there.



I am back to sleeping on my sofa bed because Seymour had been able to climb the 3 stairs to the sofa until a few nights ago. I know he can't climb the steps to the 2nd floor bedroom and I was afraid he might get confused and fall down the stairs. I decided to move his bed onto the sofa with me so I wouldn't worry about him falling trying to get up the steps in the middle of the the night. He may not even try since he is so weak, but I didn't want to take a chance. It was a difficult night. I heard every moan, breathing problem and saw every twitch. He often just laid their with his eyes open and I would stroke him so he knew I was there. His nose was dry so I tried to get him to drink water. Maybe he couldn't see the water level, but he didn't drink. I finally put water on my fingers and in my hand and he drank that. I also got a little syringe and gently squirted water into his mouth. Who would have thought that I would be doing this 2 weeks ago? He has declined so fast!




At about 2:30 am Zooey wanted out of her crate so I carried them both outside, with Seymour still in his bed. I put him on the grass and he just sat there. We finally came back in the house but tried again at about 5:30 am. He then had a bowel movement but he can't push it out, he had to let gravity do it's job.
Exhausted, we all got back on the sofa bed and I read for awhile and intently watched Seymour before I could finally fall asleep. It was a long night with little sleep.
I decided that I would make sure Seymour continued to experience what he loved. I bundled both dogs up in our trusty pet stroller and headed out. Usually Seymour wants to walk but this morning he seemed confused and faced backward the whole time.



Zooey just lets him take up most of the the room and she squeezes in where she can. She never complains. She was a rescue and had been a used by another dog. Seymour is the only dog she is not afraid of. She is in love. Just before we got home, I let both of them out of the the stroller. Seymour had trouble walking and fell when he tried to lift his leg, but he did get a little pee out. It continues to break my heart to see him like this.




Later in the day, I opened a small can of Beneful chopped blended food. It is not their normal food but they both seem to like it and it is easy to eat. I fed Seymour with a spoon at first and he ate like a champ - in his bed of course. I finally put some food on a small plate for him and between the two of them, they finished the can. It was only a 3 oz can, but I felt like it was a big accomplishment.
I tried to let him out again but he only sat until I brought him back in the house.
He is now sleeping in his bed in front of a space heater I use just for the dogs. We will see what tonight will bring. As soon as they open in the morning, I will call the specialty hospital and hope they can see him soon.





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Location:Wimberley, Texas

Seymour's Illness

My 10 1/2 year old chihuahua mix Seymour (on the left in the picture with his little sister Zooey) is my best friend, confidante and travel companion. I would say that we rescued each other over 8 years ago. He has had some medical problems but nothing has stopped his joy of life, walks, and travel. He loves meeting people and having them fawn on him. Recently, his medical problems have gotten worse. I noticed that he not only had cataracts but his hearing was fading. He could hear sounds but couldn't localize them. Then he started stumbling a little. Here is our on-going diary of Seymour's life challenge.

Friday, February 20, 2015
I called our vet and got an appointment for 11 am. I am starting to feel that my vet considers me a crazy old woman. I do take my dogs in when they have difficult to diagnosis symptoms, but I know when they are not themselves. At this visit, they had a young female vet look at him. I really thought she may be an intern but it didn't have that on her name tag. One of the regular vet techs came with her. I was most concerned about his hearing but told her the other symptoms he had. She felt him and put the stethoscope to his chest for one second in each of 4 spots. Seriously, what do you hear in one second? I asked if she was going to check his ears. She said she had to find a scope! A few minutes later they came back with one they were cleaning. His ears were fine. I asked them to check his temperature and they did. It was the worst vet visit I have ever been to. Then I asked if they could recommend a neurologist. Nope, no response. They obviously we're brushing me off and I was frustrated. I am not including the name of the clinic, at least for now. I still didn't know what was wrong with Seymour.

Saturday, February 22, 2015
Seymour was having trouble going up the 2 steps in my back yard. I cried because I didn't know what to do for him. He was continuing to get worse. Just down the street from my house, there is the Cypress Creek Animal Hospital. I had gone there long ago with my cat but I thought their prices were pretty steep so I switched to a vet I heard was reasonable and good. At 8 am I drove over and luckily the vet was in the front office and heard me out about all of the problems Seymour was having. They kindly scheduled Seymour for 11 am for a complete exam. Dr Henry was the vet we saw. I don't think Seymour has ever had such a thorough exam. I don't think I have ever been listened to so well. The vet tech documented everything I said in their electronic medical record. Dr Henry found that although Seymour had cataracts they shouldn't affect his vision much, but the problem was that he had no movement in his pupils, which is a brain problem. It appears that his hearing was the same. He could hear sounds but not localize them. He was also walking a bit sideways. All of the symptoms lead to either a stroke or brain tumor. Because his symptoms are getting worse, the brain tumor is more likely. Dr. Henry recommended that Seymour get a scan and told me about a Specialty Hospital in Austin. He called them and gave them my information and told me that they now have a neurologist at their north location. He gave me the number to call on Monday.
Although I cried all day thinking about Seymour's possible diagnosis, I was so thankful that Dr Henry saw him and was caring, honest and helpful. Needless to say, I am switching vets. And the cost for my regular vet for about a 10 minute useless visit was about $44. Cypress Creek Animal Hospital saw us for almost an hour and charged about $65. It was worth every penny.



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