Oliver and his new cart

A week ago on June 22nd I left early morning to drive out to Eugene, OR. Along the way I dropped off Oliver to go live with Bobbie. As time permits I'll add photos that i've stolen from her facebook wall. Until then I'm adding a few videos for your viewing pleasure. What a match made in heaven. he is a happy..HAPPY boy! this was day 4 after being in a cart.

 Oliver on the pacific ocean beach only after a day or two of being in a cart. He took to it like a duck to water. He is SO happy. Makes my heart sing!

Two amazing dogs.....

......get to start new lives this weekend!!

this may be a bit sappy, and a bit of a ramble but i'm a little emotional and extremely tired.

I am driving out to the Pacific Northwest tomorrow early (O' dark thirty) to drive out for a sheep show (Black Sheep Gathering) and two deliver two dogs to their new homes.

Zoe gets to live with Missy in Oregon to do herding and obedience. She is a lucky lady (Zoe....well ok Missy is too!) to get to be the pampered queen of the house and all that is Corgi there. I'm going to miss the arm pit snuggles at night and her shrill bark (ok maybe not so much that), and her piling up of the bones on the couch so she can find them later to chew on. So has the most sweetest temperament of any dog I've owned and I'm so happy that Ava is a 'Minnie Zoe' in that respect. I love that sweet blue girl so much. Zoe deserves every bit of what she is going to get living with Missy. Its bitter sweet as I already miss her, but know that it is every dogs dream to have such an awesome life she is going to have with Missy and crew. Minnie is so well taken care of there that I had to pinch myself when Missy came looking for another Cardigan. Its a perfect match and I'm so glad she will be spoiled and loved there.

 Believe it or not, Oliver has a fairy Godmother! Bobbie from Corgi Aid is taking Oliver. She has a cart friendly home and is looking for a cart already for Oliver. He'll live in the Seattle area with other dogs with IVDD and I know Bobbie will be able to better care for his daily needs and I think he'll ultimately be happier there with her. I was looking for a home for Oliver before he went down in the back last May of 2010, but I was just TOO picky and wasn't quite ready to let go. When this happened Bobbie came to my aid and had lots of great info for me to help Oliver. Just a few months ago she emailed me about thinking of Oliver a lot and that maybe Oliver was meant to be hers. It all fell in to place after that and it really is a dream come true for Oliver and for me to find him such a home that could afford him more daily time for his needs and requirements. Oliver is a heart dog of mine and as I sit typing and crying I know its for the best.

If I didn't show dogs, I know I wouldn't breed, and I would have just kept my four original dogs and would have done a lot of performance stuff with them. But its not fair to live in a house full of other dogs, and the longer I'm in this, the harder it seems to give them all equal time, even though they seem to balance out what they need by coming up to me to loving and cuddles and such.

I will miss Oliver's barks to tell me I'm late at giving breakfast or evening breakfast (supper really). he has a schedule and the "Fun Police" of him and Sadie will have to end as well, but I know everything happens for a reason and These two dogs have given me so much love, affection and pride, it hurts. I cannot lie. But I cannot be selfish. These dogs deserve every happiness that is coming to them.

*deep breath*

I love you Oliver. I love you Zoe. thank you for being a part of my life. Onwards and upwards. Take care of your new homes for me.

#1 and #2

We are dog people. Talking about poop and pee at the supper table after a day at the dog show is normal. Phone conversations can last hours and we can only talk about feces and urine. Its amazing how excited we get when we have a 'solid poop' or a 'good job' or something.

Adam and my family have been asking how Oliver is, and if I can see improvements. I really haven't been able to see any big strides until Saturday.

Saturday morning he did #1 while squatting like a girl (you know the 'ideal' way for a corgi to pee before he learns to lift his leg?). He hasn't' done this since he went down in the back. Usually #1 happened while he walked or tripped or dragged himself around the xpen outside. I was so giddy I went running in to the house to tell Adam. He was happy for me but he thinks I"m crazy. He's not a dog person yet. At least not like us crazies :)

Sunday afternoon he did #2. Yes he's done it all the time, but again, while walking or dragging himself around the yard. Sunday he actually crouched over like corgis do when they poop. The amount of praise that he did this in this manner was probably a bit overkill. Even Oliver seemed embarrassed and ran the other way to go play with Daisy and Brewer instead of coming to me to get pets.

These are huge feats for him. I can't believe that these 'little' moments are such huge steps now, when they were always taken for granted before.

He's such a goof!

Wednesday we go in for a check up with the chiro/acupuncture vet. We'll see how he's improving!

HE WALKS!

With huge thanks to Erica and her mom Mary, Oliver walked at their homes this past weekend, and when I got home and put him in the grass, he took a few steps!

They were NOT pretty, but he did it! and he kept standing up on his own and he continued to walk!

YIPPEE!!

GO OLIVER GO!

Oliver Update

He's a very happy boy!
These photos are a little dated (ok like a month) but this is our progress. Many thanks for all the emails, calls and Facebook shout outs in concern for the Big O. His Physcial Therapy continues although we've hit our first 'plateau'. He does stand, and pulls himself up, but doesn't have the muscle tone to take steps yet. I can't afford hydrotherapy, so i traded some lawn services for a large circle stock tank. I need to pick it up this weekend and then put a 'de-icer' element in the tank to warm the tank so he can swim in it. I truly believe this is our next hurdle at getting muscle tone back quicker than what we are doing. I don't believe right now we are building any muscle back, but we are not getting any worse.

He of course thinks confinement to an xpen or crate is hogwash and tells me about it the entire time I am home. of course if i have the TIME, he does sit on the couch next to me/on me or next to my feet if I"m at the PC. I'm starting to panic about winter and SNOW and trying to get him to do his business outside in a timely manner so that neither he nor I will freeze any fingers or toes off (well just toes for him).

Your continued prayers are welcome!

Update on Oliver

As we left you last time, he was just able to have feeling and stand briefly on his own feet (with some help in getting him to stand up).

I went to the three day Fargo show and came home to find that Oliver was WAGGING HIS TAIL! This is a huge ordeal! Not only can he wag his tail but he is now able to stand for several minutes at a time. We are doing the physical training now to help so he doesn't loose any more muscle tone.

He is an extremely happy boy and is able to pee and poop outside on his own accord.

We will continue with the PT and standing exercises and when he wags his tail that just means the world to me. I'm so glad he is getting better and so glad that he is happy.

He's my big goof :)

I believe in miracles!!

For those not following Oliver on Facebook.....

HUGE PROGRESS TODAY!!!

This morning early I got up to bathe and blow dry Oliver. His urinating inside has all but subsided, preferring to wait until he's outside. I was bathing him and held up his rear between his legs, on the belly side. He seemed to have some feeling in his feet and was squeezing my arm with his inner thighs. Interesting I thought. It must be spasms. Or my imagination.

Same story on the grooming table. Weird. I thought.

I brought him to the Acupuncture/Chiropractic vet Dr. Brad in Casselton, ND, about 120 miles each way, but closest certified vet in that area (same place he was for his 3 day DMSO treatment). They asked his progression and I said..well i 'thought' i felt some stuff, but wanted them to try it.

They pinched his webbing in his feet and Oliver squirmed and thrashed wildly! Same for the other foot! The vet got what I call a 'permanent grin' or 'permagrin' at this point and was nearly yelling his findings out of excitement! They then stood him up and UNASSISTED, he stood there for a good thirty seconds before they had him sit again! HE DID IT ON HIS OWN! Dr. Brad was crying and both techs were on the verge of it. I was weeping. I couldn't help it. It was joy and unending love for this dog. They never cease to amaze me. I have only planned for the worst and so anything better than that, is good, but this was WAY ABOVE ANY HOPES! I wept for a good half hour after that, just because I was so overcome with joy, love, amazement and thankfulness. I am truly blessed with an amazing dog and a God who loves me and Oliver.

Dr. Brad said when he called me with Oliver's prognosis after the three day treatment he said he was pretty down. He is usually the pep talk that the owners needed and when he called me I was HIS pep talk. He said that by listening to my determination and love for the dog on the phone that he was able to wrap his thoughts around Oliver possibly getting better. Today made his day. HIS WEEK. It sure made mine!

I realize that this is just a baby step, but a huge one! And I need to take each day at a time. But this is huge. I never dreamed he would stand again. Now the rehab starts. Strecthes, rotations, standing, etc. Dr. Brad truly believes it is now just a slipped disc and that YES it can come back...and at any time, but he thinks with proper rehab and not over doing it when he does regain his ability to run, that he should be fine for a very long time. Let's have our fingers all crossed for that.

But in the mean time, I am prepared if he does plateau and doesn't get to the point of walking again. Or Running, or not 100%. I'm prepared for it and ok with it. So every day that he gets better and improves I'm thankful and blessed.

Dr. Brad also said that because its only been 16 days since he went down and he is already so amazed at his improvement, that things look REALLY good. He said typically dogs that have these conditions that look like IVDD, they take 2-3 months to start to regenerate nerves and such. he also doesn't think he'll be a spine walker as he has deep pain, and have sensations in his legs and feet.

Gosh this is so mumbled/jumbled I don't know if I've covered everything!

OH! He told me to hold off on a cart for four months...to see if Oliver doesn't need it. he doesn't think he will.

PRAISE GOD, JESUS and thank YOU for all your thoughts and prayers. They sure helped the Big O and me get through this stressful two weeks. We are very loved. And we are very blessed. Dr. Brad said between Oliver and my extremely positive attitudes, we should be FINE :)

YEEEE HAAAW!

Such a Happy dog

Taken yesterday. He is SUCH a happy camper, even without his rear working. His heart is full of love, unconditionally to me, and for that I will try my hardest for him. I love the big goofy O.

Not much improvement on the movement side, but he waits for me to pick up his rear legs and then he starts to run with his front legs! I have to keep up with him and I'm glad I have a sling coming (thanks Sarah!) so I don't have to bend over so much :) Both of our spirits are up.

Its just a lot with 5 puppies left that I have to carry out to potty AND Oliver. Its not a lot more work, just more in my mind mentally to go over.

Its worth it :)

O's update

Well I'm not sure if these are 'improvements' or if these were always there but we'll see.

Oliver last night spent some time on the couch with me while we watched a movie. He was very happy to be scratched and pet and would do his 'ha-rumph' noise when I quit petting him. That seemed pretty normal. His appetite and thirst are still the same as before he went down so there is no worries there :)

Oliver spent the night on the bed with his girls Sadie, Ell and Zoe. Much face licking, ear washing ensued between Zoe, Ell and Oliver......another nightly ritual before they crash. Big O doesn't appear to be depressed at all and seems most normal to me in that regard. Through out the night, I would wake often (I'm a light sleeper) and see that he could manage to spin around on the bed on his rear and either lay flat on his side (which he rarely did before his back went out) or he'd stretch way out with his legs behind him in the frog position.

While I did try to put a pee pad down and a few towels, Ell and Zoe seemed to appreciate them as their personal pads to get more comfy on, so that idea went out the window. Oliver never soiled the comforter and when it was time to get up this morning, he simply waited for me to lift him up and carry him through the house to the back yard. I then just picked up his legs and he walked around the smaller pen on his front legs and me holding up his back end. He didn't once look back at me and carried on his business by pooping and peeing freely on his own will and then stopping for a bit of grass. His tail did arch for when he pooped and I'm not sure if that is good, or if that is associated with the anal tension he retained? This is all new to me....

Granted it WAS pouring rain, and a mere 38 degrees.......and I was only in my boxers (hey I can do that when I live way out in the sticks!). Needless to say my back was extremely wet and cold by the time I decided to take him back inside.

So improvements? I think they are all small steps. He seems much more relaxed at home now and I think its because I'm not an emotional basket case :)

Oliver is home

Well there wasn't much improvement over the last 24 hours. Dr. Brad said that he still retained some anal tension which was a good sign and said that Oliver's bladder will most likely get the sensation back that he has to pee. He whimpered close to home and so I thought he would go, but I tried expressing the bladder but wasn't really shown how. they said he was a marvelous 'peeing for distance' dog when they just lightly rubbed his belly. Time will tell.

We have a series of things to do while we are home:
1. ICE! Ice his back for 5-10 minutes every 2-3 hours.
2. Traction. This entails the grooming table and arm or a second person. They hold the neck and front and I stand his hind legs to a 'standing position' and pull slightly on the pelvis area to stretch him out a bit. Nothing drastic.
3. Crate/X-pen rest. Mandatory. They did say he could be on the couch with me or on the bed but not to leave him unattended. Also to be prepared if he does soil himself, me or the couch.
4. Take him to familiar places. I.e. back yard, Grandma's/Grandpa's house, etc and sit with him in a quiet area. This has more to do with keeping depression at bay, instead of doing potty as he isn't to that stage yet.
5. pinching toes to see if there is any reaction. This can be done daily.

We have an acupuncture appointment next week. Doc said the next few weeks of crate rest and nurse care are very critical. I've done it with Sadie, I can do it with Oliver. If in a few weeks/months we are seeing some progress we'll be adding other exercises and techniques to the daily regimen.

Paws and Fingers crossed....

Oliver - Wednesday Morning update

I got a call from Dr Brad at the clinic. He said the muscles around the lumbar vertebrae are still extremely tight but they are working on it. He said they also saw some slight central recognition of pain in the right rear leg. I"ll take it.

He also said the prognosis still isn't wonderful and they'll know more tomorrow.

On top of it all he has a UTI. That's like insult to injury.

Big O update

Thank you everyone for your private and public responses to the last blog post. Oliver (and me) are very loved :)

Update: The chiropractic/acupuncture vet did indeed confirm a COMPRESSED disc and is working diligently to correct that. Unfortunately because there was NO milogram (or MRI) we won't know for sure if it is indeed ruptured or not. After talking to Denise Waiting...who is in charge of surgery at the U of WA in Pullman (also home to WADDL), it sounded that if he WOULD get sensation and feeling back, it would be most likely just compressed (and the better of the two) and if he didn't, it would be most likely ruptured. And since she is not a vet, she cannot diagnose, and Dr Brad at Casselton, does not have the equipment to do either test, so we can only speculate.

It most certainly is IVDD, and although that is most likely the cause, I have sent out for a DM test for him. I was always going to do it, but thought I had more time.

I called the clinic and Oliver is very alert, but resting well in a crate. They will keep him three days to do acupuncture and chiropractic work on him, as well as an IV drip of the DMSO treatment, which acts like a steroid, but isn't. Tomorrow morning Dr. Brad may use a local steroid on the lumbar disc that is compressed.

Fingers crossed it isn't ruptured.

A very slight glimmer of hope is I felt Oliver press both his hind legs against my arm as I carried him down the steps (only a few seconds) but that is better than no pressure.

Oliver is in good hands and I think I can finally rest tonight :)

Hugs to all

Oliver's story

Well.

I got a call Monday morning that Oliver went down in the back and couldn't get out of his crate.

I was in Greencastle, Indiana. Over the course of the day it took me 15 hours to get home with a few stops for gas (one I had run out due to my frantic nature of worrying about Oliver), two times I went the wrong way on interstate when getting back on it...and didn't realize it until 10-20 miles down the roads. Ahem.

I picked up the "Big Hairy Beast" also known as Mitcham in Des Moines and I honestly can tell you I cried from Greencastle all the way to the Minnesota border.

So what happened?

Sunday morning O jumped off of the couch at my parents' house. He yelped and held up his front leg like it was hurt and then he acted normal, chasing the ball, going for a walk with the grandparents etc. Again that night when he jumped off of the couch he yelped and held his front foot up, but then quickly forgot about it. They put him in his crate around 9:30 pm. At 5;30 am, my dad went to let him out and O couldn't get out of his crate. he couldn't use his back legs.

I'm not sure what all happened but I do know they called me at 8:30 to tell me they were taking him to the vet. My vet took one look at him and referred him to the U of M. He at that point still had deep pain (which is a good sign for recovery) and had the anal tension. They xrayed him and his bladder was empty and there was no stool in his intestine close up.

My mom got the ok to take the day off of work and took Oliver down to the U of M in St Paul which is 3 hours away. They immediately rushed him off to be viewed and this is the jist of what was said.

* Oliver was extremely healthy in the front end. No fever, good heart rate, blood work looked normal

* Oliver turns out on one leg and the vet said that that seems to have a lot to do with the breed's spine ( i also thought that curved or bent tails had a lot to do with spines)

* They searched for the deep pain and that was gone. It could have happened 5 minutes before she got to the U, or 5 minutes after she left our local vet's office. His chances of walking again WITH deep pain was 90% after surgery. After the deep pain was gone, it was less than 50%.

* Surgery was $4,500.00 minimum. She didn't give any other options.

* I had been sent to the U to do a MRI on him. The surgeon told my mom that the only way they do an MRI is if I would allow them to go right to surgery. they wouldn't do it if I didn't elect to do the surgery. She couldn't diagnose him officially without an MRI. She said that it could have been a stroke, but most likely, due to the brisk pace of things happening, it was a ruptured disc, as this breed is known for a lot of those.

I had told my mother and myself that I couldn't do a cart dog, and that I couldn't afford to do the surgery. I just don't have the funds and don't have a credit card. I sobbed most of the way home because Oliver is just as much my heart dog as is Sadie.

When I got home last night my mom and dad were at my house with the Big O in the kitchen on some towels. He was so excited to see me and Sadie. He tried going to her and just couldn't. My heart melted. We got the bed situated and had Oliver, Sadie and Zoe on the bed. Everyone was reunited and licking faces and such.

I didn't sleep well. Oliver kept trying to situate himself and he was unsuccessful by himself. He still barked at me, although it wasn't as loud or forceful as his previous bark. He still grumbled to me when I quit scratching his belly. He still smiles at me. I still cry when I look at him.

I assumed I would have him put down as his quality of life has severely changed. I also assumed I would cry like I"m doing right now.

But now that I see him, I wonder if by NOT doing the surgery, that I let him down, that I gave up on him. I saved Sadie and did all I could with no guarantee of her success. And yet I didn't save Oliver. They said there was a 24-36 hour time frame to do the surgery before permanent damage would set in. It has now been 24 hours.

do I have other options? chiropractic options? anything?

Am I being selfish?

Am I giving up too soon?

Daisy

Daisy doesn't get a lot of face time on here it seems, although she does get a lot of photos taken of her! Here are some from just this past month....

Here is my dad with Oliver and Daisy. As you can see Daisy LOVES my dad.....this was taken tonight.

Happy Daisy girl....
hmmm...maybe not so sure of the camera?
Ok happy again.....
Daisy is always watching me ((and that big brown fluffy thing is MITCHAM who hasn't had much face time here either)(he equally loves my dad and shows him every time he visits))
Oliver, Daisy and Zoe taking some down time....
Zoe and Daisy chilling again.....

Good Dog!

The other day my Grandpa had left the gate open to one of the cattle yards while he was going in with a round bale. He ended up watching in horror as the cattle ran past him and the round bale and right out the open gate! They never do that for my dad or I...and they can't really tell who is in the cab of the tractor so they must have just sensed it was him.

He came to my doorstep out of breath and really frantic. Poor Grandpa, at 83 just should not be doing that stuff and/or chasing cattle. So I went to get Oliver and he and I set out to get the cattle in. Oliver may not be able to run as fast as other corgis b.c. of his HD (although not clinical), but he sure has the heart. He chased our leased bull back into the pen and when I told him to continue to chase him, he ran through the very deep mud to go after him.......and he did end up making it through the mud to bark at him and tell him what for.

After that was accomplished Oliver and I accompanied my Grandpa out to our northern pasture via 4-wheeler to help him get his truck unstuck from the coulee he was stuck in. Oliver ran an easy pace of 15mph next to the 4wheeler the entire 1 mile there and back and was always watching me on the 4wheeler for any commands I might give out at any second.

He's such a good dog!

I couldn't even get him to wipe that silly smile off of his face until bedtime that night. He was surely pleased with himself. :) Maybe it was because he got to keep his muddy coat on until it dried and flaked off?

Chillaxin'

I need to carry my camera at the ready all the time. These cute photos present themselves more than I have my camera on and near me....

Apparently I need more lighting in my house to get rid of the 'flash eyes'

I still think its a cute photo ;;)

Somebody has a favorite :)

Somebody has a favorite!! Daisy's favorite person is my dad (her Grandpa!) While I was finding my camera to take a photo she went and gave my dad a kiss on the face! She's never done that for me! *arm cross*
But alas...someone was jealous of this new arrangement.......and was making sure that he was Grandpa's 'favorite' too. His classical "we're touching" pose where his foot is touching your shoulder....
Maybe this is a better place to get 'wratched' (instead of scratched)...Oliver is nearly laying on Daisy to get close enough....

I guess my life isn't so boring....;)

Emily and Sarah Special :)

I can't usually get a photo of Mitcham, unless you get them like this one:

So I put him behind the fence and let the rest of the dogs out. Below is the Sadie Princess surveying her domain.
Or Mitcham smiling for the camera and Daisy frolicking around!
This one isn't so close?
Finally...laying down, although through the chain link!
Finally standing still...but he is on a potty break! (Notice ears UP!) and Oliver with his happy face. don't you just love the random cardigan in the background of each photo??!!

I was able to get him MOVING fairly nicely. He is so happy!I had to throw a few non Mitcham photos in! (Sorry I know I know!) Below is Justice taking a tinkle....he did get a bath last night and of course wasn't completely dry when he went to bed...so needless to say that hair normally does NOT look like that....new bath again tomorrow :)
Zoe is turned funny but is waiting and watching Justice and Ell running like maniacs...she was waiting to pounce :)

Sleepy Wednesday?

Oliver getting comfy with Grandma

HAPPY BIRTHDAY OLIVER!!

This tiny 'man' was born 4 years ago today! He came all the way from Finland from his breeder Eeva Lampikari. These first four photos are of him in Finland before he came over.What a cute face!

From the side.....
Chilling in her backyard
Trying to get one of her Pem's to play with him

And now, four years later Oliver has earned two titles, his RN and CGC, both of which were huge accomplishments due to his soft temperament. He has scoliosis, hip dysplasia and fused discs between his vertebrae. Monthly visits to the certified massage therapist vet and acupuncture are helping, plus his daily supplements. Oliver is very loved boy who has overcome a lot of fears and now who is finally warming up to strangers much more readily than in years past. Its been a long hard road with huge bumps along the way but I'm very proud to be his owner and very proud of his accomplishments that he has made.

Extra ice cream for the Big O tonight (and the other babies) and he will rightly take his place with his head next to mine on my pillow tonight. :)

Oliver at the National about a month ago
(photo courtesy of DreamEyce Studios)