Showing posts with label Truman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Truman. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 05, 2012
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Truman is making me crazy
Monday, April 19, 2010
Living With An Old Dog
Truman @ 14.... Well the old boy is still a bit unsteady on his feet & his head is still slightly tilted after his bout with old age vestibular syndrome but he runs, goes up & down stairs, etc. at an age appropriate speed. Truman was extremely agile, athletic & afraid of nothing & he still exhibits those traits however it's obvious it would be easy to knock him off his feet.
And he still remembers some of his duties, i.e. closing the door behind himself when he comes in & other such things. He still follows commands when I talk quietly into his right ear & follow up w hand signals but he frequently has senior moments which might be mini episodes of some kind where he stops where ever -- could be facing a wall or in the middle of the yard -- & sometimes has to be distracted from his reverie by hand clapping or a slight touch. Given enough time he seems to come out of these 'episodes' by himself so I'm not too worried.
OTOH, his sense of timing remains impeccable. He still wakes me to go out when needed, gets me up @ 5:30 every morning no matter what, reminds me when it's treat time or dinner time. And he still shows some sexual interest in Stella. Of course she just brushes him off like an errant fly.
I must say that I love living with this old gentleman. It's such a privilege for me to be able to give back to him. It's not that he's very demanding but, whatever his needs, I'm prepared to help him as best as I can for the remainder of his life. It's payback time & that sense of obligation is over powering in me. How could it not be so?
At last report, all his organs & vitals are in great shape so, except for the natural aging process, there doesn't seem to be anything special on the horizon.
OTOH, his sense of timing remains impeccable. He still wakes me to go out when needed, gets me up @ 5:30 every morning no matter what, reminds me when it's treat time or dinner time. And he still shows some sexual interest in Stella. Of course she just brushes him off like an errant fly.
I must say that I love living with this old gentleman. It's such a privilege for me to be able to give back to him. It's not that he's very demanding but, whatever his needs, I'm prepared to help him as best as I can for the remainder of his life. It's payback time & that sense of obligation is over powering in me. How could it not be so?
At last report, all his organs & vitals are in great shape so, except for the natural aging process, there doesn't seem to be anything special on the horizon.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Peripheral (Old Age) Vestibular Syndrome
click here for article or here for more information
At age 14 Truman is experiencing this now & it is very upsetting to witness. His head tilts to one side, his eyes dart back & forth like he's watching a tennis match resulting in vertigo, a loss of appetite, a disinterest in drinking water, an inability to keep his balance, stand or walk properly. If his eyes were moving up & down (rather than back & forth) it would be a death knell.
The syndrome is caused by an inflammation of the nerve that runs between the ear & brain. In Truman's case, it seemed to come on suddenly. One minute he was playing outside, the next minute he was panting in distress.
The prognosis depends on the possible cause: idiopathic (unknown origin), ear infection, brain tumor. It is feasible the first two could resolve themselves, possibly with residuals (head tilt + walking in circles). The third cause is inoperable.
My heart breaks every time I see him in the hospital (2x daily). Today I got him to wag his tail, we traded kisses & he tried his best to stand on his own when I asked him to.
Day 10 -> 02 Mar 10 Today Truman received his 2nd acupuncture session. When he saw me, he wanted to get up to greet me, needles & all. He is on Tramadol, eating, drinking, peeing & pooping. His eyes have stopped shifting from side to side but he has a confused look about him.
He can stand by himself if he's on a surface that offers some traction. Walking is a veeeery slow process w frequent rest stops & he leans to the left against his handler. For his own protection, he is held aloft by a harness but currently he is carrying most of his weight.
The vets feel he is on the right track, recovering from an episode of idiopathic old age vestibular disease. That's good. It could have been much worse.
Most dogs recover; some w residual weakness & head tilt, some enjoy a full recovery. I don't care as long as he is comfortable & not in pain. Other than this, the vets concur that he is in fine health.
Day 17 -> 09 Mar 10 Truman has been home for less than a week. In that time I don't think he has improved much although he is getting around by himself for the most part.
We spread runners & mats all over the house but he walks around them. He won't even sleep on them, instead preferring the hard wood floor. However, in the last day or so he has agreed to lie on his beds scattered around the house & office.
We've decided to rename him "Lurch" (from the Addams Family) because he walks in spurts, i.e. he no longer has his light, agile movements. And he definitely lists to the left. Frequently he pauses, either because he's lost in thought or he's gathering his forces for the next lurching steps.
When stopped & looking at us, his head seems a little straighter but when walking his head tilts left (where else?) so he is prone to walking in circles.
We do not let him out alone, i.e. he is always on a lead just in case he needs help balancing himself.
However, he is compensating & where I can say he has improved is that he now climbs a few steps without much ado & he can get through a body shake w/o falling over. He cleans out his dish with his head twisted & his appetite hasn't been affected.
He refused my help climbing onto the sofa the other day but did it himself & then got off because he couldn't find a comfortable spot for himself. This was good because I got to sit on the sofa.
He manages a three legged piddle with more grace than before & is eating, drinking, peeing & pooping normally.
His personality is pretty much intact, as charmingly demanding & demonstrative as before. He is a little less vocal but definitely makes his wishes known.
He was discharged with Tramadyl (pain med) which is being tapered so we can see what happens & an antibiotic as a precaution against an inner ear infection which could possibly aggravate his situation.
He is noticeably stiff in his hind quarters but that's his arthritis. And he is getting acupuncture & rehabilitation for that. He has legitimate loss of hearing for normal communication but I lean down & yell in his ear when necessary. He still remembers commands.
The vets tell me he may never get over the disease but will compensate to the point where I might not even notice the difference.
He will never be the graceful & precocious Truman that I once knew but he's still my best pal & I know he has good spirit & a strong, stubborn, independent will which will serve him well. There is no reason to believe that he won't be with us for a while longer.
Day 10 -> 02 Mar 10 Today Truman received his 2nd acupuncture session. When he saw me, he wanted to get up to greet me, needles & all. He is on Tramadol, eating, drinking, peeing & pooping. His eyes have stopped shifting from side to side but he has a confused look about him.
He can stand by himself if he's on a surface that offers some traction. Walking is a veeeery slow process w frequent rest stops & he leans to the left against his handler. For his own protection, he is held aloft by a harness but currently he is carrying most of his weight.
The vets feel he is on the right track, recovering from an episode of idiopathic old age vestibular disease. That's good. It could have been much worse.
Most dogs recover; some w residual weakness & head tilt, some enjoy a full recovery. I don't care as long as he is comfortable & not in pain. Other than this, the vets concur that he is in fine health.
Day 17 -> 09 Mar 10 Truman has been home for less than a week. In that time I don't think he has improved much although he is getting around by himself for the most part.
We spread runners & mats all over the house but he walks around them. He won't even sleep on them, instead preferring the hard wood floor. However, in the last day or so he has agreed to lie on his beds scattered around the house & office.
We've decided to rename him "Lurch" (from the Addams Family) because he walks in spurts, i.e. he no longer has his light, agile movements. And he definitely lists to the left. Frequently he pauses, either because he's lost in thought or he's gathering his forces for the next lurching steps.
When stopped & looking at us, his head seems a little straighter but when walking his head tilts left (where else?) so he is prone to walking in circles.
We do not let him out alone, i.e. he is always on a lead just in case he needs help balancing himself.
However, he is compensating & where I can say he has improved is that he now climbs a few steps without much ado & he can get through a body shake w/o falling over. He cleans out his dish with his head twisted & his appetite hasn't been affected.
He refused my help climbing onto the sofa the other day but did it himself & then got off because he couldn't find a comfortable spot for himself. This was good because I got to sit on the sofa.
He manages a three legged piddle with more grace than before & is eating, drinking, peeing & pooping normally.
His personality is pretty much intact, as charmingly demanding & demonstrative as before. He is a little less vocal but definitely makes his wishes known.
He was discharged with Tramadyl (pain med) which is being tapered so we can see what happens & an antibiotic as a precaution against an inner ear infection which could possibly aggravate his situation.
He is noticeably stiff in his hind quarters but that's his arthritis. And he is getting acupuncture & rehabilitation for that. He has legitimate loss of hearing for normal communication but I lean down & yell in his ear when necessary. He still remembers commands.
The vets tell me he may never get over the disease but will compensate to the point where I might not even notice the difference.
He will never be the graceful & precocious Truman that I once knew but he's still my best pal & I know he has good spirit & a strong, stubborn, independent will which will serve him well. There is no reason to believe that he won't be with us for a while longer.
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