[Magdalen] Prayers for Milo - update

[Grace Cangialosi]

Oh, Sally, such good news!!

On November 29, 2014, at 12:37 PM, Sally Davies <sally.davies at gmail.com> wrote:

Good news from the vet (a very nice vet, as most vets are IME). He's very
pleased with Milo's progress and says he could still continue to get better
over the next couple of days, though there will likely be permanent
weakness in that leg.

Spinal stroke still seems to be the most likely cause...but dogs don't go
on preventive aspirin like people (and - occasionally- cats, says the vet).
The crying was not pain but distress, he was anxious because his back leg
felt funny and was "crook" as the Aussies say. All settled now. The vet is
very pleased with our report that he can get around and isn't
confused. He's eaten his supper and is back in his basket, we'll probably
leave him outside tonight to keep Chipo company, they have a heap of
blankets out there to snuggle into.

Evan mightly relieved too, but still making plans for a new dog to be with
Chipo so that he can bring Milo inside at night. Not the worst
idea...Milo's clearly ageing and at some point Chipo will be alone. But
TBTG, not just yet.

Thanks, everyone, for your prayers and for caring.

Sally D

On Saturday, 29 November 2014, Grace Cangialosi <gracecan at gmail.com> wrote:

> My daughter's dog goes through something similar from time to time, though
> Milo's situation seems more serious. The vet says it's a pinched nerve in
> her spine, and it does get better after a few days. I think they give her
> Rimadyl and maybe a course of prednisone. She presents with her tail
> bending down and weakness in her back legs. She does not, however, appear
> to be in any pain.
>
> > On Nov 29, 2014, at 9:42 AM, Sally Davies <sally.davies at gmail.com
> <javascript:;>> wrote:
> >
> > Thanks, Jim, I agree with your wise and compassionate approach.
> >
> > It's not, I think, going to be an easy few days; in a couple of hours
> we'll
> > go back to the vet and see what he thinks. Milo, meanwhile, is definitely
> > better, though not fine. He's eating and drinking well, able to get in
> and
> > out of the basket by himself, and not in any discomfort. His right back
> leg
> > is still dragging, though he can put weight on it if he can get it under
> > control. I don't think he could have had a brain stroke; perhaps dogs
> don't
> > have the balance issues that humans do but I can't imagine any human
> being
> > able to co-ordinate a three limb hop immediately after a stroke.
> >
> > However, it's hard to believe that the leg/spine will return to normal.
> >
> > Milo is not a very active dog except for some jumping when it's time for
> > supper. We take the dogs out occasionally but not often, as no one wants
> to
> > deal with Chipo's behaviour outside and she goes spare if we just take
> Milo
> > out and leave her behind. We've had her for nearly five years and when we
> > got her, Milo was already happy to spend most of his time in his basket.
> > She's kept him active but the time was always going to come when he
> slowed
> > down.
> >
> > What I really wouldn't want for him is the last few months that our
> spaniel
> > Bonny had...she was almost completely deaf and had very little vision,
> > painful joints and tumours on her skin. But for months, the best part of
> a
> > year, a moment never seemed to come when you could say "this is it,
> enough
> > now". A dog should be happy, whether active or inactive doesn't matter
> > much, just comfortable and happy.
> >
> > Sally D
> >
> > On Saturday, 29 November 2014, James Oppenheimer-Crawford <
> > oppenheimerjw at gmail.com <javascript:;>> wrote:
> >
> >> I was listening to a program a few weeks ago when an author/veterinarian
> >> talked about his own experience with pets. He said that the animal does
> not
> >> know about death. Every day is simply now, and so consideration of
> medical
> >> treatment needs to take that into account. If the pet is not
> comfortable,
> >> and medical treatment does not make them comfortable, they have no
> insight
> >> into the possibility that they may someday get better. They merely
> suffer.
> >> And if an animal is not having quality of life, one needs to consider
> that
> >> an extended period of time in pain, with little likelihood of recovery
> is
> >> not a hopeful period for them, but merely suffering.
> >>
> >> I have had a couple of times when, looking back, I wish I had put the
> >> companion to sleep sooner. He said almost exactly the same thing about
> his
> >> own experiences.
> >>
> >> The first pet I ever had, a black short hair, was losing kidney
> function,
> >> and one day he went into a seizure without any warning. He lost his
> vision
> >> at that time.  I adored him, and couldn't see clearly that the best
> thing
> >> was to let him go; he was not getting better.
> >>
> >> Having said that, which may have been too much as it is, I would say
> that
> >> you are the only one who can tell when the right time has come to let
> your
> >> companion go.  And when you make that decision, you'll probably want to
> >> second guess yourself. Don't do it; we all do the best we can, and that
> is
> >> simply all we can do.
> >>
> >> I've been there, and your family is in our thoughts and prayers.
> >>
> >> James W. Oppenheimer-Crawford
> >> *"If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things
> better
> >> for people coming behind you, and you don't do it, you're wasting your
> time
> >> on this Earth."  -- *Roberto Clemente
> >>
> >> On Sat, Nov 29, 2014 at 1:33 AM, Sally Davies <sally.davies at gmail.com
> <javascript:;>
> >> <javascript:;>>
> >> wrote:
> >>
> >>> Milo holding on this morning...after he settled and stopped crying
> >> (Maddies
> >>> Golden Hammock doing it's thing again!!) he had a quiet night, drank a
> >>> litte water, even got out of the basket for a drink. Now he's in his
> >>> favourite spot, albeit in unaccustomed luxury, basking in the sun. For
> >>> Milo, a sunny day without wind IS "quality of life"...
> >>>
> >>> He seems to be able to get around, back leg is noticeably weak but he
> can
> >>> bear some weight on it. Front leg that side also looks odd but it could
> >> be
> >>> compensation.
> >>>
> >>> He showed some commitment to cleaning up a plate of plain cream yoghurt
> >> and
> >>> even ate a couple of his Teckel dog biscuits - but I don't want to give
> >> him
> >>> those because they'll make him thirsty.
> >>>
> >>> Chippy managed a night outside without too much fuss. Evan's come up
> >> with a
> >>> solution: let's get another dog to be with Chipo outside and then keep
> >> Milo
> >>> inside as a "chilled inside dog". It's not a terrible idea...Milo
> always
> >>> was an "inside dog" until we got Chippy who couldn't be socialised to
> >>> indoor living (I haven't space to list her crimes but will just
> mention a
> >>> strong preference for secret puddles under beds and on bath mats).
> >>>
> >>> He loves to be outside, as long as it's not cold, but I'm worried he
> >> might
> >>> fall into the swimming pool. I'm also wondering if my wonderful OT
> >>> colleagues could help him - I can just see them setting out to make
> him a
> >>> miniature splint (we don't have any OT's on this list, worse luck, but
> >> they
> >>> are truly wonderful beings IMO).
> >>>
> >>> The diagnosis is puzzling: from what I can read up, Dachshunds are not
> >>> prone to spinal stroke because their discs tend to harden. It tends to
> be
> >>> larger, younger dogs. Probably a diagnosis of exclusion at this stage,
> >>> because we don't have access to an MRI. It could be a small brain
> stroke?
> >>> Must ask vet to check his blood sugar as well, and his teeth for an
> >>> abscess, his teeth aren't great and he's already lost a couple to
> decay.
> >>>
> >>> What to do if he doesn't recover function but seems to continue
> basically
> >>> OK...? Prayers for wise advice and for kind wisdom on our part
> >>> are appreciated.
> >>>
> >>> Sally D
> >>>
> >>> On Saturday, 29 November 2014, Scott Knitter <scottknitter at gmail.com
> <javascript:;>
> >> <javascript:;>>
> >>> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> On Fri, Nov 28, 2014 at 8:51 PM, Christopher Hart <cervus51 at gmail.com
> <javascript:;>
> >> <javascript:;>
> >>>> <javascript:;>> wrote:
> >>>>> Holding back tears as I share in your prayers for Milo.
> >>>>
> >>>> I was very sad as I read about Milo's distress as well. I'm adding my
> >>>> prayers.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> --
> >>>> Scott R. Knitter
> >>>> Edgewater, Chicago, Illinois USA
> >>
>