The Dog Lady Blog
Wednesday, April 6, 2011 :"...this is the story of pops..." He was dying when I took him in He could hardly walk so I had to carry him up onto my porch. His ears were SOOOOO infected, packed full of pruritus, mucus, blood-- the worst otitis discharge I've ever, ever seen (and I've been doing this all my life). His eyes were cloudy, also full of gunk and his nails were so long they'd curled around into the pads of his feet. I assumed the "rotting" odor he emitted was a result of his ear infections. Pops arrived with a smorgasbord of infections, pain and infirmities. No matter what I tried to garner a response from him, even plain but savory scrambled eggs, his only response was to shake and pant heavily, even though it was a beautifully cool October Saturday. It was after-hours at my veterinarian's clinic and since I'm able to triage on my own (most of the time) I considered my options here at the Sanctuary. To boost his appetite and make him feel better overall, I decided to grind up 40mg ( a HIGH dose I know but he was fading fast!) of Prednisone, mix in some water and shoot it down the back of his throat with a needle-less syringe. That's when I learned that the rotting odor wasn't a result of Pops' ear infections, it was coming from his mouth! It looked like most of his teeth were rotting. Baby Steps from an Old Man The next day, I gave Pops another 40mg of crushed Prednisone. Two hours later, I got him to stand up, but just barely. Later that day, around 5pm, as I cooked off some boneless chicken breasts in attempt to tempt Pops, I heard a "BARK!" It was unfamiliar; I know each voice of my dogs and this wasn't one of them. Again, "BARK!" I walked out onto the porch and the third and final, "BARK!" was sounded and don't you just love it? It was POPS! Guess who had plain boiled chicken breast for dinner that night... ...and the next morning...that afternoon and again that night? Because he had such severe dental issues, Pops (aka "Papi") found hard kibble painful to chew but I was thrilled that he was eating something. I continued to tackle his ear and it was a months-long battle to get them clean, pink and relatively healthy. Once I got the ear/otitis issues under control, Pops went to the vet for a dental...and needed TWENTY TWO TEETH EXTRACTED, some just rotting roots of teeth broken off long ago. This dog had been suffering for a looong time. It's maddening. Steps Are Scary When You're Fragile Day Two of "Operation Pops Prednisone". I was thrilled that Pops was actually trying to move, especially after his first twenty four hours where he remained frozen by immobility.  DO YOU SEE THIS?! Seven months later, look at his clear eyes! His nice manicure! His elegant and strong posture! He even climbed into the cubby where this one dog bed is! Agility, acuity and an affinity to live, Pops has rediscovered his Inner Dog.  Days of Ease He deserves soft, fluffy bedding the rest of his days. His coat is nice and shiny, isn't it? Fish oil works wonders, along with a good diet, exercise and affection. Pops' gratitude was apparent from the start. After Dinner He feels chuffed! Papi Pops Strolls, Pops Trots, Pops Glides Rescue and rehabilitation works! Happy ending. ArchivesDec 9, 2008 Jun 17, 2009 Jun 22, 2009 Jun 26, 2009 Jul 11, 2009 Jul 17, 2009 Aug 6, 2009 Aug 12, 2009 Aug 27, 2009 Sep 2, 2009 Sep 4, 2009 Oct 19, 2009 Nov 2, 2009 Nov 18, 2009 Dec 12, 2009 Jan 23, 2010 Feb 12, 2010 Feb 14, 2010 Feb 15, 2010 Feb 19, 2010 Feb 22, 2010 Feb 23, 2010 Mar 5, 2010 Mar 6, 2010 Mar 7, 2010 Mar 15, 2010 Mar 26, 2010 Apr 11, 2010 May 8, 2010 May 11, 2010 May 12, 2010 May 13, 2010 May 22, 2010 May 23, 2010 May 25, 2010 May 26, 2010 May 29, 2010 Jun 5, 2010 Jun 10, 2010 Jun 13, 2010 Jun 15, 2010 Jul 7, 2010 Jul 10, 2010 Jul 13, 2010 Jul 14, 2010 Jul 17, 2010 Aug 13, 2010 Sep 11, 2010 Sep 12, 2010 Sep 14, 2010 Sep 19, 2010 Sep 21, 2010 Sep 29, 2010 Oct 1, 2010 Oct 4, 2010 Oct 10, 2010 Nov 16, 2010 Dec 5, 2010 Dec 11, 2010 Dec 17, 2010 Jan 9, 2011 Feb 13, 2011 Feb 14, 2011 Feb 15, 2011 Mar 9, 2011 Mar 12, 2011 Mar 15, 2011 Mar 19, 2011 Mar 26, 2011 Mar 27, 2011 Mar 28, 2011 Mar 31, 2011 Apr 1, 2011 Apr 3, 2011 Apr 6, 2011 Apr 11, 2011 Apr 16, 2011 May 1, 2011 May 14, 2011 May 25, 2011 May 31, 2011 Jun 2, 2011 Jun 4, 2011 Jun 8, 2011 Jun 11, 2011 Jun 14, 2011 Jun 24, 2011 Jun 27, 2011 Jul 1, 2011 Jul 3, 2011 Jul 14, 2011 Jul 21, 2011 Aug 6, 2011 Aug 7, 2011 Aug 10, 2011 Aug 25, 2011 Sep 1, 2011 Sep 3, 2011 Oct 31, 2011 Nov 11, 2011 Nov 15, 2011 Nov 30, 2011 Dec 25, 2011 Feb 12, 2012 Feb 14, 2012 Mar 25, 2012 May 6, 2012 May 9, 2012
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