Thursday, July 20, 2006, 19:55
Visitors!
I had no more than sat down to get some work done this morning when I looked up, and what should I see coming in the driveway but . . .a baby carriage!
Well, it wasn't just the baby carriage all by itself.
It was a baby carriage being pushed by my sister-in-law. She is taking care of her grandson during the day (my great nephew), and going for a walk with Eli is a way for her to get some exercise and a way to break up the day a little bit -- and a way for Eli to get some fresh air.
Of course, it also a way for *me* to get see Eli. This is the second time Eli has come for a visit in the last couple of weeks. The other time, Randy had the camera with him so I couldn't take any pictures. But I took pictures this time!
And my, how Eli is growing. He was 3 months old a few days ago, and oh, boy, can he smile.
And gurgle. And coo.
And stick his tongue out.
And look coy. And shy.
And like he'd like to laugh out loud when I tickle his feet -- a good, deep belly laugh -- except he hasn't quite figured out laughing yet.
And sometimes he is even smiling and sticking his tongue out at the same time!
He has grown quite a bit in three months, hasn't he.
Pixie and Charlie were both outside when Eli arrived. It's maybe a good thing Charlie isn't feeling so well because otherwise, he might have ended up in the carriage with Eli. Charlie was awfully curious about the little fellow who had come into his yard. Pixie was curious, too, but she's a lot shorter, so she can't look over the side of the carriage.
Charlie was so happy about our visitors that he laid down and rolled over on his back -- and then yelped.
Rolling on his back apparently is not too good for his hip pain.
Charlie is much the same today as he was yesterday afternoon when the pain killer kicked in. He got more pain meds this morning, and I started him on a different antibiotic. He isn't much better -- but the good thing is -- he is not worse today than yesterday. And right now, he is resting comfortably in his kennel.
LeAnn R. Ralph
Thursday, July 20, 2006, 00:51
Another Trip to the Vet Clinic
It's not that I don't enjoy talking to the people who work at the vet clinic in town. I enjoy talking them to them very much. They are all wonderful, kind people who are dedicated to taking care of animals. But I do wish I didn't have to see them quite so often!
Charlie was worse this morning than he was yesterday morning. He could barely move. And he refused to eat anything. After I got the horses fed and watered and the barn kitties squared away with food and water, I called the vet clinic.
As luck would have it, there was an appointment open in 25 minutes.
Getting Charlie into the truck was an ordeal. Our 70-pound Springer tried to jump in by himself, yelped, fell and landed on the ground. When I got him on his feet, I put his front paws on the floorboards and hoisted his back end up into the truck. Which also caused him to yelp.
Once he was in the truck, he could not get comfortable. He was all over the seat, trying to find a way to sit that didn't hurt him. He finally decided that if he put his front paws on the floor and left his rear end on the seat, he could tolerate riding in the truck. And this from a dog who likes nothing better than to go for a ride.
At the vet clinic, the vet tried to locate the source of the pain. When she flexed his hind leg, Charlie didn't just yelp -- he screamed. My ears still hurt. (I was holding his head.) And that was this morning.
Same thing with the other hind leg.
"It's in his hips," she said. "This is not a reaction to the doxycycline."
When she touched Charlie on the back over his hips, he screamed again.
The vet said she thought it was unlikely that Charlie would have a relapse of the Lyme disease while he was already taking doxycycline. She is wondering if the infection from that abscess on his belly where he had the fatty tumor removed has migrated to his hip joints.
She drew blood, and the tests came back negative. His white cell count was normal. She says she has seen it before, though, when an infection was localized and the white cell count was normal. She says she has also seen it when one antibiotic will keep the infection at bay for a while, but then the infection overcomes the antibiotic.
She also sent a blood sample out for a "tick panel" to find out about Lyme, erlichiosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
When she was finished examining Charlie, she gave him two shots of antibiotic and a shot of pain medication.
By this afternoon, Charlie's pain had eased up and he was able to eat some dog food. He was also able to go for a little walk. Yesterday he kept sitting down and refusing to go with me, even on the leash. And this morning, he laid down and refused to go with me, even on the leash.
I had to go back to town this afternoon to get some antibiotic for Charlie and some of the pain medication. The vet wants him on the antibiotic for two weeks, but she said she would likely go longer. When I told her the original problem started about a week after he finished up the first course of antibiotics after the surgery, she was even more suspicious of an infection in his hips.
Charlie is resting comfortably now. He was in his kennel for a while today because it was sprinkling. We didn't get much rain, maybe a tenth of an inch, but it was enough to make things a little damp.
This afternoon, I got some hay out of the barn and made a hay bed by the house for Charlie under the eaves. I figure it's better for him to lay on hay, even if it gets wet, because at least the water will filter through the hay. With a blanket, he would lying in puddles of water. Charlie has to stay on the leash now again for a while because the vet is afraid that with the pain medication, he would start to feel better and might injure himself worse.
Randy and I are keeping our fingers crossed that the antibiotic and pain medication will help Charlie to feel much better soon.
LeAnn R. Ralph
