Second best news ever....Jax weighs 7.9 pounds and looks like a well nourished dog. Gone are the days of being able to count his ribs from across the room. This is just over 1.5 pounds in the time he has been with us....That must have been good food....I have switched him from puppy food to regular food and he hasn't complained so now it is just a matter of finding the amount he needs to maintain what he has put on. We still have the roached back to deal with but it is now a matter of building up muscle with exercise....Look out Jax....you are going to learn all about the Wizard of Paws' "Get on the Ball" program.
One of our Foster Moms arranged for a wonderful Dr Walker in Chatham to look Jax over for us. They did spine, hip and knee x-rays and everything look perfectly normal....except for the bullet they found in him. A piece of buckshot or a BB pellet. Thankfully it is not near anything important so it will be left. It would not be worth removing as they may very well never find it.
It would seem that his episodes are likely a partial seizure, he is awake when they happen and will even take treats...he just has the head bob and can't walk properly. While it is hard to watch when he is like that he does not appear to be in pain. We have decided not to try the Phenobarbital because of the side effects, and since there is no guarantee that it would help it is not worth the risk as it can cause liver scarring and irreversible liver damage. We are going to investigate other meds as well as some possible diet changes.
I will get some video this week of Jax playing and some new pics so everyone can see how far he has come.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Jax Week 4
Sorry for the lapse...but writing this is a lot tougher then I thought.
So at the 5 week mark Jax weighs in at a very hefty 7.2 pounds. We still have a bit to go but I am very happy to see this improvement. As his weight has increased so has his energy level. He is so much a puppy, the way he bounces around and plays. We brought in another foster, Wes, last week and the 2 of them have become fast friends and can usually be found bouncing around together or napping on the back of the couch. Last night it was with Wes laying on top of Jax and Jax almost buried in the cushions....and very happy.
He has decides that the loves the moose antlers I have cut up for chews. Funny to watch him carry one of the larger ones I cut for the big guys.....but he manages. With that and the biscuits Dr Dillard gifted him his larger teeth are very clean with just a bit of cleanup left for the smaller back teeth.
It has been fun to watch his personality develop over the time he has been here. He has gone from being a slightly timid, very tired puppy to an outgoing little guy who thinks everyone and everything should be his friend. He gets along very well with everyone here and has no fear of the big guys. It is funny to watch him run under the rotties and between thier legs...and they take it all in stride.
I will add a link to more pics later today. But for now here is a comparison of the difference form Day 1 to the 4 week mark.
So at the 5 week mark Jax weighs in at a very hefty 7.2 pounds. We still have a bit to go but I am very happy to see this improvement. As his weight has increased so has his energy level. He is so much a puppy, the way he bounces around and plays. We brought in another foster, Wes, last week and the 2 of them have become fast friends and can usually be found bouncing around together or napping on the back of the couch. Last night it was with Wes laying on top of Jax and Jax almost buried in the cushions....and very happy.
He has decides that the loves the moose antlers I have cut up for chews. Funny to watch him carry one of the larger ones I cut for the big guys.....but he manages. With that and the biscuits Dr Dillard gifted him his larger teeth are very clean with just a bit of cleanup left for the smaller back teeth.
It has been fun to watch his personality develop over the time he has been here. He has gone from being a slightly timid, very tired puppy to an outgoing little guy who thinks everyone and everything should be his friend. He gets along very well with everyone here and has no fear of the big guys. It is funny to watch him run under the rotties and between thier legs...and they take it all in stride.
I will add a link to more pics later today. But for now here is a comparison of the difference form Day 1 to the 4 week mark.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Jaxsom Week 1
Jaxom has had a great finish to the week. There have been no crashes and other then sleeping a lot he seems like a very happy little guy. We had a family Thanksgiving on Monday and he fit right in, he visited with everyone from my father-in-law right down to Deakin (just over a year old).
He past is a mystery I wish I knew more about, he is so happy but just looks so sad physically. The paper work that came with him lists him as a stray. Given how friendly he is I cannot see him having been a stray long enough to become so thin. With a heavily roached back I have to wonder if he has been hurt at some point. When he stretches the back will go almost straight so the root of the problem is likely the back end and not the spine. I attended a seminar a few weeks ago with a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner and when I emailed her about Jax she very happily agreed to look at his pictures and video to see if she could pin-point the problem area and suggest some exercises to help. We are slowly working him with the ball and disk and with her help we should be able to target the exercises that will do the most good.
We went to the vet on Saturday for his weekly weigh-in and he is 6.6 pounds. I would be very happy if we saw any sort of improvement each week. At his size an ounce or two would be significant.
I have tried him with different toys and I get the same reaction even without one. He focuses on my hand and that is what he wants to play with. It almost seems like he doesn’t know what to do with the toys. I did manage to find a chew he likes. I cut a flat piece off of a rawhide roll and he happily chews on it.
The supplied link will take you to my site where there are pics of Jax and a short video that shows the Roaching on his back.
Our Fosters
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Jaxom Day 4 & 5
Sorry..but I got side-tracked yesterday.
Jaxoms blood work was unremarkable.....which mean no liver issues. So we are now going on the assumption that it is low blood sugar. I have been giving him smaller more frequent meals and the past 2 day have been great. No issues and he is just Mr Happy.
My major concern now is his back end....seems to be a lot of curvature to it and he does not use it "right". In the next few days he will start ball work. Hopefully that will help to strengthen his core and back.
So since he seems to be on the road to recovery I will only update his blog each Sunday, with pictures. If anything out of the ordinary happens I will do an extra post.
All I can say is that he is a very remarkable young dog...Given the way he looks, it is amazing that he is such a loving little guy.
Jaxoms blood work was unremarkable.....which mean no liver issues. So we are now going on the assumption that it is low blood sugar. I have been giving him smaller more frequent meals and the past 2 day have been great. No issues and he is just Mr Happy.
My major concern now is his back end....seems to be a lot of curvature to it and he does not use it "right". In the next few days he will start ball work. Hopefully that will help to strengthen his core and back.
So since he seems to be on the road to recovery I will only update his blog each Sunday, with pictures. If anything out of the ordinary happens I will do an extra post.
All I can say is that he is a very remarkable young dog...Given the way he looks, it is amazing that he is such a loving little guy.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Jaxsom Day 3
Started our day with blood tests....We will have the results tomorrow...Fingers crossed for good news.
Jax had a great day...no crashes, lots of play and sleep, he had a chance to meet new people and win their hearts, and he has put on .3 pounds in the past month. Not much, but considering he has gone through kennel cough, neutering and a 24 hr+ car ride, I'm happy. He has been eating well so hopefully we will see more weight gain in a shorter time.
He has now decided that he likes to sit with me at my desk, wedged between my back and the chair. Lazer is not happy that someone is squatting in his favorite place....but he'll get over it.
With Jax having such a great day there is little to tell...and being tired does not help.
Cross your fingers and hope good news tomorrow when we receive the test results.
Jax had a great day...no crashes, lots of play and sleep, he had a chance to meet new people and win their hearts, and he has put on .3 pounds in the past month. Not much, but considering he has gone through kennel cough, neutering and a 24 hr+ car ride, I'm happy. He has been eating well so hopefully we will see more weight gain in a shorter time.
He has now decided that he likes to sit with me at my desk, wedged between my back and the chair. Lazer is not happy that someone is squatting in his favorite place....but he'll get over it.
With Jax having such a great day there is little to tell...and being tired does not help.
Cross your fingers and hope good news tomorrow when we receive the test results.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Jaxom Day 2
Jaxsom had a very uneventful night, other than getting off the bed at some point and not being able to get back on….Silly boy
As usual Pat gets up before me and feeds the dogs (maybe I should do it tomorrow). After he finished eating he headed out the back door all on his own…..he is such a good boy. When I do venture downstairs he is curled up on the couch and as soon as he sees me he is up and bouncing…… he is such a good boy.
I think he has already learned that when he heads to his crate he either gets fed or treated. He spends his first day without us and seems to have weathered it ok. When I get home from work he greets me at the door along with the others. Bouncing and squirming like crazy then showering me with doggie kisses when I pick him up. He seems to like playing the catch the paw game and gets quite animated.
But then about half way through his dinner he crashes…..I notice he is sitting in the back of his crate not moving and looking lost. He is unresponsive to my voice and when I take him out and try to stand him it is like his back is arched and he wants to stand on his toes….or would if he had any balance. We try to feed him some honey but it seems to have little if any effect. I just wrap him in a blanket and hold him. His muscles seem to relax after about 10-15 minutes but he is still zoned out and if he moves his head bobs around as if not overly steady. After about 45 minutes he pops up and begins with the doggies kisses again. He seems so tired after and has been napping on my lap for the past hour, but responsive to my voice and touch. I am sure that if he could talk he’d tell me to piss off and let him sleep.
This is the second time I have witnessed this and both times he had been very active and bouncy shortly before and very tired after. I am hoping that this is nothing too serious. I spoke to a Vet acquaintance this evening and she suggests doing blood work to check liver enzymes and ammonia levels as things like liver disease can cause this type of neurological activity. I’ll try to get him in tomorrow for the blood work.
Right now I have a very happy, normal (very skinny) dog sitting on my lap licking my nose and chin…..I only hope he gets to be like this full time.
I want to say a huge thank you to Dr A. Soltan for taking the time this evening to speak to me about Jax.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Jaxom Day 1
This is my attempt to document the story of Jaxom our newest Rat Terrier Rescue Canada Foster. I want to document his journey from start to finish.
Jaxom was pulled from a shelter approx 1 month ago after being picked up as a stray. At the time he was about 6 pounds and was so stressed he wasn't eating. Once he left the shelter he was found to have Kennel Cough...not a great start. He spent time with a temp foster who nursed him through and arranged to have him neutered.
So Friday he leaves Kentucky on his way to our home. Sat afternoon we meet the transport to find this small sorry looking little creature who is shivering like crazy. We wrap him in a blanket and the first thing he does is lick my face. This is a dog that just spend the past 24 hours being passed from car to car....it is like he is saying thank you.
He makes the short ride home curled up in his blanket on my lap. He eats well and introduces himself the other dogs in the house.....He goes right up nose to nose with the Rotties and shows no fear or in-security.
He then spends his first evening with us curled up on the couch under a blanket with Pat. At bedtime I really do not want to crate him so I take him to bed with us.....once again it was O Boy!, a blanket and he curls up by my knees, goes to sleep and moves very little all night.
Morning comes and as the dogs head out of the bedroom I can't find Jax....I head a soft whimper and he his slipped of the end of the bed and is wedged in a pocket where the sheet is tucked under the mattress...
His first full day with us is a busy one at an agility demo. He travels in the crate with the others very well. After we have setup he goes for a short stroll with the other Ratties....He does not walk overly well as just does not seem to have a lot of strength...So he spends most of the day either napping in a cozy blanket on the seat or riding around in my jacket with his nose poking out watching everything.
On his next potty break he walks a bit more but seem to trip and fall unto his side and can't get up....I fear the worst that there my be neurological problems. He seems to be having trouble maintaining his balance but does take a few treats and water. I keep a very close eye on him and within an hour her was back up and bouncing and happy. A vet tech in our group suggested that everything seem to fit with hypoglycemia because of the lack of body fat. So we will continue to monitor him and feed him more, smaller meals throughout the day...and keep some honey handy in case it happens again.
After dinner he chases the others trying play for a while then back under the blankets on the couch. I expect that given his lack of weight that he will tire easily and sleep lots.
As I write this he has come to visit and is laying on my lap. We will see how tonight goes and I will post more as there is more to tell. I will also post pictures on a regular basis so we can see his development.
You can see from his Day 1 pics that he is very thin and his coat is not very healthy looking.
Jaxom was pulled from a shelter approx 1 month ago after being picked up as a stray. At the time he was about 6 pounds and was so stressed he wasn't eating. Once he left the shelter he was found to have Kennel Cough...not a great start. He spent time with a temp foster who nursed him through and arranged to have him neutered.
So Friday he leaves Kentucky on his way to our home. Sat afternoon we meet the transport to find this small sorry looking little creature who is shivering like crazy. We wrap him in a blanket and the first thing he does is lick my face. This is a dog that just spend the past 24 hours being passed from car to car....it is like he is saying thank you.
He makes the short ride home curled up in his blanket on my lap. He eats well and introduces himself the other dogs in the house.....He goes right up nose to nose with the Rotties and shows no fear or in-security.
He then spends his first evening with us curled up on the couch under a blanket with Pat. At bedtime I really do not want to crate him so I take him to bed with us.....once again it was O Boy!, a blanket and he curls up by my knees, goes to sleep and moves very little all night.
Morning comes and as the dogs head out of the bedroom I can't find Jax....I head a soft whimper and he his slipped of the end of the bed and is wedged in a pocket where the sheet is tucked under the mattress...
His first full day with us is a busy one at an agility demo. He travels in the crate with the others very well. After we have setup he goes for a short stroll with the other Ratties....He does not walk overly well as just does not seem to have a lot of strength...So he spends most of the day either napping in a cozy blanket on the seat or riding around in my jacket with his nose poking out watching everything.
On his next potty break he walks a bit more but seem to trip and fall unto his side and can't get up....I fear the worst that there my be neurological problems. He seems to be having trouble maintaining his balance but does take a few treats and water. I keep a very close eye on him and within an hour her was back up and bouncing and happy. A vet tech in our group suggested that everything seem to fit with hypoglycemia because of the lack of body fat. So we will continue to monitor him and feed him more, smaller meals throughout the day...and keep some honey handy in case it happens again.
After dinner he chases the others trying play for a while then back under the blankets on the couch. I expect that given his lack of weight that he will tire easily and sleep lots.
As I write this he has come to visit and is laying on my lap. We will see how tonight goes and I will post more as there is more to tell. I will also post pictures on a regular basis so we can see his development.
You can see from his Day 1 pics that he is very thin and his coat is not very healthy looking.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)