May 10th?
I just spoke with Dr. Rose (noon mountain time). Kip has movement in his right rear leg — which is VERY positive this soon after surgery. We are trying to schedule a hospital visit so Sarah and Jill and I fully understand all the recovery needs. Kip can stay at the hospital on “medical resident” status until he reaches a recovery point at which his family is able to comfortably work with him. We have a mobile vet here who does acupuncture, and I am checking on canine water therapy facilities. Both the acupuncture and the water therapy speed recovery. Kip’s family has an indoor pool, but I’m not sure they’ll want to be filling the filter with corgi hair — we’ll see.
So, your prayers and good thoughts are having a great impact. Thanks to all of you.
Kip came through his surgery well. He has a little movement in his back legs which is a great sign. Three fenestrations — one for the ruptured disk and two bulging disks. It is definitely IVDD. I had sent Kip’s DNA to Dr. Neff at UC Davis for his research into finding a genetic marker for IVDD. Tomorrow I’ll let them know to move his sample to the “other” pile. So, Kip still has a long recovery road, but he’s started out on it.
Meanwhile, here is Adrienne sharing the door to her room with a 6′ poster of Louie the Lobo. When you are a fan, all things Lobo can be accommodated.
This morning Sarah called me. She was crying and trying to tell me what was going on at the vet’s. I called the vet to obtain a little clearer picture of what was happening with Kip. Dr. Rose said that Kip had some movement in his feet and legs this morning. Because of that they placed him at 90% likelihood of success. He wanted approval to run a mylegram so he could see the spine and determine if there is a ruptured disk or if it is something else. Dr. Rose has Pems so was pretty taken with the charming Kip. He’s from the University of Minnesota and over the course of his vethood has performed more than 100 back surgeries of this type — he said, “Corgis and Doxies”. I could hear him shaking his head over the phone.
Sarah and family cannot bear to let Kip go, so plan to follow through with the vet’s ultimate recommendations. Sarah misunderstood Dr. Rose this morning and thought he was telling her that Kip would have to live in a crate for the rest of his life — so now that’s cleared up. Kip is a solid little dog and I know he’ll weather the surgery and adapt to the crate rest (not happily). No more jumping off furniture and barreling up and down the stairs, but he’ll still be the sweet bed buddy that we all love.
More when I know more . . . Still shamelessly begging for good thoughts for our little guy.
A later update: 5:30 New Mexico time. Kip is in surgery. He had one herniated disk and two bulging disks. The doctor is still expressing a likelihood that Kip will make a full recovery. I’m off to Chase’s CD class, but will call Dr. Rose on my way home and find out how Kip is, and how the surgery went. Will update everyone again later tonight.
Kip is at the emergency vet’s tonight. He went down in the back today. Initially his people thought he had no pain, but the vet says Kip can feel it when he pinches his toes, and they think he has a ruptured disk. He’s going to stay overnight, have some blood work done, take steroids. Of course the vets are talking surgery. I think Kip’s family is going to insist on a second opinion tomorrow morning and take him to their regular vet. Jim and Sarah returned from the Cleveland Clinic today. Jim has been there for two months trying to remedy the heart/infection problem that has plagued him since last August. It is inconceivable that they would come home to an injured Kip. More good thoughts, please — this has been a very bumpy road for Kip’s family.
I’ve recommended conservative treatment — crate rest and drugs. Hopefully their vet will agree.
Holmes has been such a good boy in the house (since the contractors gave it back) that last night he was allowed to sleep on the bed with Chase and Inca (and me). He had a little trouble settling down — couldn’t decide against which body he should snuggle — but eventually he did and we had a generally uneventful night. Chase explained in no uncertain terms that HE has the extra pillow and that HE puts the bottom of HIS jaw on the top of my head. Holmes was content to sprawl so that part of his body was against Chase and part was at my back. One extra set of licks at 6:00 AM, but that makes the day start even better. What a good baby!
As some of you know, Chase has his own web site. I put it together so folks who wanted to know more about him could visit the web site — they didn’t have to call and listen to me babble on about what a nifty dog he is, and so healthy, etc. After someone looks at his pedigree and health results and show record, and photos of Chase and his family, if they want to talk to me, I’m available.
One of the best parts of his site is his Journal. He’s such a busy dog that he only gets a chance to write every four to six months. When he does, he brings everyone up to date, throws in some photos for good measure. Today he posted a Journal entry that covers the past six months. My eight-year old granddaughter has read all his entries and tells me he is really a funny dog 
G-Ma Carolyn adds the entry and the photos for him — thank you G-Ma!
The official photographer is here — these are today’s offerings. Holmes will be six months old on March 19th — but there are no nearby shows until May — oh well . . .
Definitely Dad’s Expression
A front shot
Rear – tail up (How embarrassing!)
Handsome Baby
ps: This pot usually sports a huge geranium plant from mid-spring until frost. I’m not sure what to do about that now that Inca has claimed this as her throne. I like her having a high place of her own. It’s good for her self esteem.
This has been the week from Hades. Nothing bad has happened. I’d just spent so much time on my murder case and dinking around with the contractors, that finally all my other clients caught up with me. This week I have run around with a water can putting out fires. Sometimes it happens like that. The result? No time to blog, no photos, no training the dogs. I plan to put in some hours this weekend to get rid of the paper piles on my desk. Perhaps next week will be a bit more sane.
I did take Chase to his show obedience class on Wednesday night. He wants so much to please me, but when I don’t spend any training time in between classes, it’s asking a lot of him to do the entire set of Novice exercises flawlessly. He sure tries though. Holmes — well, his Puppy Foundations I class has been a complete waste of time. The class is good, but we missed three of the eight classes and I’ve done no training. Poor little man — another dog that really wants to please, but has not a clue what I’m asking. I am a rotten dog mom!
Yesterday “Tim” was at the house finishing off some of the miscellaneous construction projects. I’ve also engaged “Poop Busters”. It’s a company that sends an employee once a week to police the yard. My person is Sherry who also does the duty at Kip’s house. She was so excited to meet another group of Cardis — and I’m happy because I will get more Kip reports. Yesterday Sherry said that she was so happy Kip was at Jim and Sarah’s because he was good for them. Of course, we knew that. My two boys were completely wound up by the company. Inca decided she needed a safe place from which to watch the chaos — I found her perched in a large flower pot. Hopefully we’ll get some photos of her in her pot.
One of my friends is a pastry chef/chocolatier. This weekend is the “Chocolate Fantasy” competition. He’s been making wonderful chocolate confections for the past week, and a while ago dropped off a sample for me. So, this is being typed while I enjoy a sugar/chocolate high. He should win the top prize. I wonder if he’ll have left overs?
Adrienne will be at the house tomorrow so we’ll take some Holmes photos to post. He’ll be 6 months old on March 19th. He is a delightful brat. I so love baddogs!
We are on pregnancy watch for the bitch in Washington State. Her puppies are due April 19th — I’ll tell you more when we are sure she’s pregnant. Chase will be bred to another delightful girl at the end of next week. I’m going to love being a dog Grandma.
I promise a better post tomorrow.
It’s difficult to watch television (even harder to hear it) when Chase and Holmes are epitomizing togetherness — they are seldom silent. I love watching them interact, I love watching Chase tell the puppy that he’s biting too hard, or teaching him to tug, or playing keep-away. These two are definitely a bright spot in any day.
Ear Grab
Nose chew
Dad, play with this toy
See, it’s a good toy
I’m a great pillow
What I wouldn’t give for Chase and Holmes to continue to be this happy together.
Last night at the SDOC meeting, I raised the issue of AKC not requiring proof of spay/neuter when assigning competition numbers to mixed breed dogs. These are the AKC regs for the Canine Partners listing. You will note the owner must certify the dog is spayed or neutered or will be when it is age appropriate, and the owner agrees to send such proof to AKC if requested. This differs from the PAL (formerly ILP) requirement that proof of spay or neuter be submitted with the PAL application.
I have the nagging feeling that this “omission” is to appease the breeders of the “designer dogs”.
Permitting mixed breeds to compete at our trials is a business decision for the Club. However, philosophically I am appalled by AKC’s requirement of spay/neuter proof for PAL (purebreds without registration documentation) and the omission of such requirement for mixed breeds.
I look at what it costs to select the best dogs for breeding, to test for good health, to raise a litter and socialize it properly, and then note AKC, that once was the Champion of the Purebred dog and is now simply the Dog’s Champion, has basically winked and offered the opportunity to mixed breed dogs to be bred, and the puppies sold with bragging rights about their parents’ obedience, rally, and agility titles. I have no confidence whatsoever in the honesty of some who will submit applications for companion numbers, and have no expectation that AKC will require proof of spay or neuter at a later date.
Done with rant for the weekend! HOWEVER, if you feel as I do, please contact the AKC delegate for your parent club or local AKC member clubs, and direct his/her attention to these regs. The mixed breed dog owners should provide proof of spay/neuter at the time the Companion Partners number is sought.
I was a little late getting home from work. My dogs know 5:00 and they really know 5:30. 6:00 is time for trouble.
Inca says, “A girl could die of starvation”
A little puppy just wasting away
They have no idea how bad it really will be. My neighbor (not the hero to the south) trimmed back his apple tree today. This fall, there will be no windfall into the dogs’ yard. Since my peach tree was pruned last week, we will also be short of peaches. Poor little Cardis.
Warm and dry, being the office dog . . . Holmes has recovered from his great adventure . . . and with a new toy to boot!
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