Yesterday was a good day for me. Dr. Richards from Cache Creek Animal Hospital called to talk to mom about how good Im doing! Yep, the NSAID Im taking has shown no affect on my liver or kidneys. YaHOOOoo I can take them for as long as things stay the same. They really help me feel better.
I've also lost another 2 kg so my weight is slowly getting down to perfect for me as well. I'm now at 38 kg. (83.7 lbs)I still need to lose a couple more and I know I can do it!
Carrots and cauli and broccoli oh my!
Happy Sammy
Sammy
Saturday, 3 March 2012
Friday, 10 February 2012
Now its just my weight
I think I have my pain management under control now. Yes I still have some very SORE days. I haven't quite figured out what makes those days. It might be a change in weather, as some people say. My new meds are working!
It might be the day after a bout of good days where I felt less pain and so engaged in fun filled days of frolicking and playing with my toys.
Or perhaps it's after a night when I've slept in a particularly complex position. Who knows?
At any rate, I seem to be having more, less painful days now. It's a good thing for a couple of reasons. One I'm sure I needn't mention. The obvious meds taking affect. I now get them in the morning instead of bedtime. Two, I can use the 'good' days to get my much needed exercise accomplished.
Doc says if I cant get my weight to a more manageable number Im going to continue to have health issues for the rest of my life. I know that's true. It's just that I feel like I'm caught in a vicious circle. I can't seem to get my wieght down if I can't get the exercise I need.
So Im committed to using as much of the "GOOD" days as exercise days. My mom and dad are committed to keeping me on a STRICT healthy foods, non cookie diet. Oh my! Tha's the hard part.
My new cookie treats are cut up bits of broccoli, cauliflower and carrots. Mmmm they really are good and mom says I can have as many of them during the day as I want! In the words of a very famous lady.... "How cool is that!"
Mom keeps a big plastic bin in the fridge full of them and I can ask for them at any time. I do too! I love to moan and whine and wallow by the fridge untill I get some. HEY! Whatever works! Mom says she'll put some pics up on my site soon, so you can see how Im looking.
Oh btw King got a brand new snow suit this year and we have some pictures on his youtube of us playing. so you can go have a look at that if you want to. www.youtube.com/user/kingsurvives2008 and mine will be added soon at www.youtube.com/user/duchessbelongs
It might be the day after a bout of good days where I felt less pain and so engaged in fun filled days of frolicking and playing with my toys.
Or perhaps it's after a night when I've slept in a particularly complex position. Who knows?
At any rate, I seem to be having more, less painful days now. It's a good thing for a couple of reasons. One I'm sure I needn't mention. The obvious meds taking affect. I now get them in the morning instead of bedtime. Two, I can use the 'good' days to get my much needed exercise accomplished.
Doc says if I cant get my weight to a more manageable number Im going to continue to have health issues for the rest of my life. I know that's true. It's just that I feel like I'm caught in a vicious circle. I can't seem to get my wieght down if I can't get the exercise I need.
So Im committed to using as much of the "GOOD" days as exercise days. My mom and dad are committed to keeping me on a STRICT healthy foods, non cookie diet. Oh my! Tha's the hard part.
My new cookie treats are cut up bits of broccoli, cauliflower and carrots. Mmmm they really are good and mom says I can have as many of them during the day as I want! In the words of a very famous lady.... "How cool is that!"
Mom keeps a big plastic bin in the fridge full of them and I can ask for them at any time. I do too! I love to moan and whine and wallow by the fridge untill I get some. HEY! Whatever works! Mom says she'll put some pics up on my site soon, so you can see how Im looking.
Oh btw King got a brand new snow suit this year and we have some pictures on his youtube of us playing. so you can go have a look at that if you want to. www.youtube.com/user/kingsurvives2008 and mine will be added soon at www.youtube.com/user/duchessbelongs
Wednesday, 18 January 2012
A change in meds
It's been over a week since I had my last Cartrophen injection. There is no noticible change. If anything my limp has become more pronounced. Mom and dad suspect there is little chance of future injections doing anything to ease my pain. I'ld say they're right. A phone call to the vet yesterday revealed their suspicions were true. The damage to my elbow is beyond what can be halted at this point. Dr. Shawna is sending us some new meds which I will start as soon as they arrive. In the meantime I've been told I need to do a little more moving around. Mom has been controling the amount of movement I get in hopes of easing my pain. Doc says I need to keep it mobile. So when the meds arrive there will be a routine movement regiment included. Oh dear oh dear. I wish I could just stay laying on my soft, warm bed all day. Mom doesnt want to - but - the doc thinks our only avenue at this point is to go with pain management on NSAID
Pics and updates to follow. Duchess Sammy's PhotoBucket
Pics and updates to follow. Duchess Sammy's PhotoBucket
Saturday, 14 January 2012
The End of 2011
Thank doGness 2011 has ended. I definitly had my ups and downs this year.
I've just spent my first Christmas with my forever family. King & P. MollyDawg sure know what to do on Christmas morning. I wasn't feeling top of the world that morning so I preferred to lay on my mat and take it all in. Mommy tried to coax me with the smell of presents from Nan in England wrapped in delicious smelling paper. I even wasn't really interested in smelling food.
Yes, Im feeling a bit of pain in my legs these days. Our weather this year has been incredibly damp. I'm told that Lillooet normally has a dry climate. Wouldn't you know it, this year it decides to be wet. Mom and dad ordered me a really nice warm coat to wear but because my legs are sore its dificult to move in it. Now they've bought me a special harness that allows them to hold me as I walk on my difficult days. I'll send pics when mom gets them developed. (I think that's what she does?)
I also now have a YouTube account to post video's of my progress. Wish me well. www.youtube.com/user/DuchessBelongs
My leg pain started in about the middle of Dec. I was playing in the yard. I wasn't doing alot of romping around, just enjoying my new squeaky toy while King & P. MollyDawg went mad roaring around the property.
After dinner I didn't feel much like staying outdoors for any length of time so I sauntered over to relax before bed. I was a bit sore and mom noticed I was favouring one of my legs. I know she thought it was my right hind leg but she was wrong. By morning my limping was more pronounced and it was easy for mom to see it was my right arm that was so painful.
After much fussing and testing my legs by gently pulling and twisting them around mom finally figured out just exactly what area was the most painful. All she had to do was ask me. I could have told her precisely where the pain was. My elbow was way to painful for her to bend it so I stiffened it up and refused to let her move it. I heard her say, "Aahhh daddy it's here in her elbow." Lets call the doctor and get it x-rayed"
So off we went. To shorten an other wise incredibly lengthy story. I am now recieving weekly Cartrophen Vet injections. I've had 4 so far. I do not notice a difference. Mommy and daddy say at the end of this week they will cal Dr. Richards back and see if we have any other options available. I do not feel well. I am not able to play with my squeaky or my ball now. It hurst to badly. I'm going to lay down on my comfy quilt now. I'll write again soon.
I've just spent my first Christmas with my forever family. King & P. MollyDawg sure know what to do on Christmas morning. I wasn't feeling top of the world that morning so I preferred to lay on my mat and take it all in. Mommy tried to coax me with the smell of presents from Nan in England wrapped in delicious smelling paper. I even wasn't really interested in smelling food.
Yes, Im feeling a bit of pain in my legs these days. Our weather this year has been incredibly damp. I'm told that Lillooet normally has a dry climate. Wouldn't you know it, this year it decides to be wet. Mom and dad ordered me a really nice warm coat to wear but because my legs are sore its dificult to move in it. Now they've bought me a special harness that allows them to hold me as I walk on my difficult days. I'll send pics when mom gets them developed. (I think that's what she does?)
My leg pain started in about the middle of Dec. I was playing in the yard. I wasn't doing alot of romping around, just enjoying my new squeaky toy while King & P. MollyDawg went mad roaring around the property.
After dinner I didn't feel much like staying outdoors for any length of time so I sauntered over to relax before bed. I was a bit sore and mom noticed I was favouring one of my legs. I know she thought it was my right hind leg but she was wrong. By morning my limping was more pronounced and it was easy for mom to see it was my right arm that was so painful.
After much fussing and testing my legs by gently pulling and twisting them around mom finally figured out just exactly what area was the most painful. All she had to do was ask me. I could have told her precisely where the pain was. My elbow was way to painful for her to bend it so I stiffened it up and refused to let her move it. I heard her say, "Aahhh daddy it's here in her elbow." Lets call the doctor and get it x-rayed"
So off we went. To shorten an other wise incredibly lengthy story. I am now recieving weekly Cartrophen Vet injections. I've had 4 so far. I do not notice a difference. Mommy and daddy say at the end of this week they will cal Dr. Richards back and see if we have any other options available. I do not feel well. I am not able to play with my squeaky or my ball now. It hurst to badly. I'm going to lay down on my comfy quilt now. I'll write again soon.
Tuesday, 15 November 2011
Sunday, 23 October 2011
Sharing Peace, Companionship and a Special Place
Awhile ago I was reading my daily blogs. Often there is somebody who has written a blog that inspires me. The one that inspired me was Jean's My life With The Critters. Charley's Day At The Beach
Being so inspired I had pleaded with mom to take me for our own "Special Walk". And so mom and I finally found the time to go for a walk all by ourselves.
It was the very first time I've ever done that. We always walk together in a pack. King, Princess Mollydawg, mom and I. On rare occassions she will leave one of us with daddy and just take two of us. Sometimes she'll take Princess Mollydawg, but as long as I've been here, King & I never go alone. So guess what. She did it. She took me by myself. Here's how it went.
The phone rings. Usually when it rings at this time of day, it's dad calling mom to say he's about to leave the shop and she should begin now, if she's taking all three of us for a walk. So it's on with the harnesses, collars, doggie bags, treats (just in case) leads and sometimes Princess MollyDawg gets her saddle bags on. Sounds just fine right?
We all head out the door and off down the gently slopping road towards daddy's shop. It only takes 15 mins. It slopes all the way down and there's plenty of little areas where we can get our fill of doggy smells or meet people and their dogs as they walk the paths. Sometimes we cut through the nearby park area and add a few more minutes onto our walk. Still sounds perfectly fine right?
Sure that's what I thought as well. So off we go directly to daddy's shop. No stopping in between. No taking time for a good sniff. Just walk, walk, walk straight to daddy's shop. Hmmm, I thought this is a bit different. What's the change in plans? So we make it to the shop. Now normally this is where one of two things happen. We all pile in dad's truck and head home. Or P. Mollydawg and mom stay out and daddy takes King & I back home. It seems because The Princess is younger and has more energy she gets to go for a longer walk with mom afterwrds. We go back home to wait in the yard for mom and The Princess to come back home.
Well lo and behold, this day it was King and Princess Mollydawg who were loaded up in the truck. At first I felt very special. Today I was about to leave the pack and head out on my very own special journey with mom. I held my head high and pranced as I walked down Main St. with mom on our way to the trail leading back home. We had walked about 5 minutes when I stopped and looked back. There was no feeling of the closeness of another furry body walking beside me. My normal walking position is at Kings side. His presense was not there. Wait a minute. We seem to be walking uphill. Where did dad and the truck go? Where's Molly who usually leads the pack. I sat down and waited. Mom didn't seem worried at all. She held a tiny soft chewy in front of me and coaxed me back to my feet to follow her. Okay fine, it's different but I can do this. I'm the lone pack leader now. I picked up the pace and began to prance along again.
Another 5 minutes and my feet didn't want to prance anymore. I slowed to about a snails pace and let mom walk the length of my lead ahead of me. The entire time mom was chatting away to me. She stroked me from time to time and I could hear her words. "Oh you're so beautiful Duchess. What a good girl. You're so special. Look at the beautiful sky Duchess. The orange leaves are ever so sofly glistening in the sun..." On and on and on she rambled. I did like the walk, but, when would it end?
We met up with a lady who at first I thought I recognised. I barked and wiggled and waited till she came closer to smell her. Oh never mind, I don't know you. Off we plodded again. Mom tried several strategies to encourage me to walk a bit quicker. She talked in an excited voice. She stopped and hugged my neck. She used sentences that had words like, "home, daddy, King & Molly, house, drink and mat." I heard her but I just wanted to stop walking. I'm sure we walked for hours and hours all up the incredibly STEEP hill. Along the way I can smell all the usual familar smells and Iknow it's really not much further till we're HOME. For some reason it seems like an eternity. I try to remind myself of how inspired I had been. I pleaded with mom to take me for our own "Special Walk". Finally I can actually smell the fresh scent of King & P. Mollydawg and my very own yard! I only have to cross the road and we'll be home. I can do this. I pick up my pace and begin to prance once more towards my gate.
Horrahh! Now I can say I've done it. I went on my very own special walk.
Mom told dad,"Wow it took 30 minutes to come back. It's the nearby park for special, alone time walks from now on."
If I ever have to do it again, I'm demanding we take along a wagon in case I get tired.
In the end, this is my idea of "Sharing Peace, Companionship and a Special Place"
Being so inspired I had pleaded with mom to take me for our own "Special Walk". And so mom and I finally found the time to go for a walk all by ourselves.
It was the very first time I've ever done that. We always walk together in a pack. King, Princess Mollydawg, mom and I. On rare occassions she will leave one of us with daddy and just take two of us. Sometimes she'll take Princess Mollydawg, but as long as I've been here, King & I never go alone. So guess what. She did it. She took me by myself. Here's how it went.
The phone rings. Usually when it rings at this time of day, it's dad calling mom to say he's about to leave the shop and she should begin now, if she's taking all three of us for a walk. So it's on with the harnesses, collars, doggie bags, treats (just in case) leads and sometimes Princess MollyDawg gets her saddle bags on. Sounds just fine right?
We all head out the door and off down the gently slopping road towards daddy's shop. It only takes 15 mins. It slopes all the way down and there's plenty of little areas where we can get our fill of doggy smells or meet people and their dogs as they walk the paths. Sometimes we cut through the nearby park area and add a few more minutes onto our walk. Still sounds perfectly fine right?
Sure that's what I thought as well. So off we go directly to daddy's shop. No stopping in between. No taking time for a good sniff. Just walk, walk, walk straight to daddy's shop. Hmmm, I thought this is a bit different. What's the change in plans? So we make it to the shop. Now normally this is where one of two things happen. We all pile in dad's truck and head home. Or P. Mollydawg and mom stay out and daddy takes King & I back home. It seems because The Princess is younger and has more energy she gets to go for a longer walk with mom afterwrds. We go back home to wait in the yard for mom and The Princess to come back home.
Well lo and behold, this day it was King and Princess Mollydawg who were loaded up in the truck. At first I felt very special. Today I was about to leave the pack and head out on my very own special journey with mom. I held my head high and pranced as I walked down Main St. with mom on our way to the trail leading back home. We had walked about 5 minutes when I stopped and looked back. There was no feeling of the closeness of another furry body walking beside me. My normal walking position is at Kings side. His presense was not there. Wait a minute. We seem to be walking uphill. Where did dad and the truck go? Where's Molly who usually leads the pack. I sat down and waited. Mom didn't seem worried at all. She held a tiny soft chewy in front of me and coaxed me back to my feet to follow her. Okay fine, it's different but I can do this. I'm the lone pack leader now. I picked up the pace and began to prance along again.
Another 5 minutes and my feet didn't want to prance anymore. I slowed to about a snails pace and let mom walk the length of my lead ahead of me. The entire time mom was chatting away to me. She stroked me from time to time and I could hear her words. "Oh you're so beautiful Duchess. What a good girl. You're so special. Look at the beautiful sky Duchess. The orange leaves are ever so sofly glistening in the sun..." On and on and on she rambled. I did like the walk, but, when would it end?
We met up with a lady who at first I thought I recognised. I barked and wiggled and waited till she came closer to smell her. Oh never mind, I don't know you. Off we plodded again. Mom tried several strategies to encourage me to walk a bit quicker. She talked in an excited voice. She stopped and hugged my neck. She used sentences that had words like, "home, daddy, King & Molly, house, drink and mat." I heard her but I just wanted to stop walking. I'm sure we walked for hours and hours all up the incredibly STEEP hill. Along the way I can smell all the usual familar smells and Iknow it's really not much further till we're HOME. For some reason it seems like an eternity. I try to remind myself of how inspired I had been. I pleaded with mom to take me for our own "Special Walk". Finally I can actually smell the fresh scent of King & P. Mollydawg and my very own yard! I only have to cross the road and we'll be home. I can do this. I pick up my pace and begin to prance once more towards my gate.
Horrahh! Now I can say I've done it. I went on my very own special walk.
Mom told dad,"Wow it took 30 minutes to come back. It's the nearby park for special, alone time walks from now on."
If I ever have to do it again, I'm demanding we take along a wagon in case I get tired.
In the end, this is my idea of "Sharing Peace, Companionship and a Special Place"
Monday, 10 October 2011
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