Logical Next Steps

A friend and I went to pick up Carmella from the vet's today and to discuss where we go from here in her treatment. Dr. Norwood was still quite worried about using the Baytril despite the various points I made from the literature I'd faxed him yesterday. The thought of possible joint damage seemed burned into his brain and the topic of the difference in dose between what was done in studies and in this protocol did little to change his mental block about taking that plunge.

I have my doubts that Zithromax is going to do the trick, and didn't honestly think he'd just give me the Baytril to take home with the Penecillin G to do it myself. The Zithromax still had not come in and so will probably be delivered in a day or so to my house. Although it's a broad-spectrum antibiotic it has its limitations. We will probably be revisiting this issue in a few days.

We discussed getting ahold of the neuro vet and Dr. Norwood said he thought he'd hear something tomorrow, but as we were talking a nurse entered to tell him that Dr. Johnson was on the phone right then! He left the room to get the phone and my friend and I waited with baited breath to hear the outcome. In about 10-15 minutes Dr. Norwood returned. I looked to see if the expression on his face gave any clue as to the answer but it appeared neither disappointed nor hopeful.

He filled us in on the conversation and said that the guy was on the fence about it, and understood that there were logical reasons to believe it would work, yet the fact that there had never really been a journal article written except one in '72 that was out of print now was a possible sticking point. Dr. Norwood told him that although he was not a specialist himself and that publishing was not really as big a deal to him, that to the board certified neuro vet it could be quite important, and that he must admit this was a very interesting case. He reported what he'd seen of Carmella's recovery so far with his own two eyes, and he said that although he was cautiously optimistic, there was no denying that the dog was/is showing improvement, and had really perked up in the days following the injection of NDV.

Seeing as that pad deterioration is classic for Distemper and not any other disease, and that Distemper is thought to be incurable by conventional veterinary medicine, there really was no other explanation as to why her pads had gotten so much better over the past 7 days. The antibiotics wouldn't have done it, and there were really no other factors that could be responsible other than the NDV.

Just to give all of you readers an inside look at what we're talking about I'll post before and after pictures below so you can see for yourself. Descriptions of symptoms can sometimes be open to interpretation, but pictures never lie. The difference is nothing short of dramatic, and I would venture to say, nearly miraculous!

July 22, 2008-Before NDV July 31, 2008- 7 Days After NDV
Right Front Paw Pads

July 22, 2008-Before NDV July 31, 2008-7 Days After NDV
Right Rear Paw Pads

The first picture clearly looks scaley, irritated, and crusty with overall hardening, while the second picture (the one taken after NDV was given) in both back and front paws is almost completely healed! Not only do they look better, but they are nice and soft again to the touch.

Dr. Johnson told Dr. Norwood to send over her complete medical records and he'd think about it once he'd looked them over. He has not seen these pictures, by the way; only heard Dr. Norwood's observations over the phone of the improvements in her pads, and her improved liveliness, improved apetite, etc.

When the vet tech brought Carmella to me she was very elated and wiggled her skinny body, tail and all, raised up on her hind legs and licked my face. My friend was petting her and Carmella could not contain herself from licking her too. She was so happy to be going home. I gave her a big hug and smoothed back her ears and top of her head. She seemed to be drinking it all in as though suddenly her senses were alive once more, like she'd been asleep for most of her young life, and now was discovering the world of sight, touch, and sound for the very first time.

Once home, she settled into my lap, and then chewed one of her favorite rawhide bones with bacon inside, consuming it within about 15 ninutes.

There was a spring in her step that I had never seen before, and she was riveted on me, and on every new curiosity in the environment she encountered (such as the wheel cavity of my friend's car).


or the crabapples that lay strewn across the driveway, which she attempted to down immediately every chance she got.

She has even grown a little taller in the past week she's been away, and I can really see what looks like German Shepherd and red Doberman showing now, more so than ever before. She is beginning to lose that little dog look and get a little longer as well as taller. Carmella has only gained a half a pound, but she is definitely bigger in size now. You can still see what appears to be Whippet, Greyhound, and/or Basenji, but the other two breeds I believe are in there are now becoming more prominent than they were when I first got her; as though her genetics are staging a competition among the various breeds to see which will win out. Her toes on both front feet seem to have grown disproportionately long, adding to her rather unusual brand of cuteness.

The next several days will be very important in determining where we go from here. I am really crossing my fingers that Dr. Johnson agrees to do the Central Nervous System procedure, and that we can get control of the pneumonia once and for all.

Carmella is on the mend, but it is crucial that she get the procedure as soon as possible, as she still seems to be experiencing some balance problems intermittantly, and clumsiness going up and down steps. Dr. Norwood wondered whether that might just be weakness, but both my friend and I definitely saw her stumble and get off-balance a few times after she came home.

My 10% sale has one more day left. If you usually give to animal shelters keep in mind that these places have alot more resources than the owners of these sick puppies do, and your money may or may not go to pay for the healthcare of the dogs. In this case you are helping a dog in need directly, not paying salaries, or for brochures, and in return you get a great piece of jewelry! Please make this a success so that Carmella can get all the help she needs. She deserves the chance at a normal life.
http://Giftbearer.etsy.com

The ad slots on my blog will continue to be for sale at $5.00 apiece. Be sure to get some PR by going to the bottom of the list that says "Are You In My Top Spots?" and clicking on the little heart so that you can sign up.

Carmella-The Night Before

Carmella goes back to the vet tomorrow. Today she seemed to be battling back and forth with her illness, a few hours looking better but then another few, worse.


She ate all her food but still does not feel like drinking water. She will drink yogurt juice more enthusiastically, and I tried to scoop as much of that out for her as I could. She needs all the nutrition she can get right now.






It is pretty well confirmed now that she does have Distemper, but she is fighting this thing with everything she's got.






There was a period around 3:00 pm today when it looked like she felt alot better, but then when I checked on her this evening around 6:00 I noticed that her paws are starting to get crusty on the pads. This is not a good sign and it means disease-progression. If you have never seen a dog with this symptom before here is what it looks like.

I was flabberghasted that this appeared in only a few hours, and I knew right then that I had to document it. Maybe this will help other dogs get early diagnosis and treatment. Just this morning her pads looked fine. This is terrifying.

I faxed over detailed instructions developed by the specialist on the procedure and then spoke to the vet on the phone around 3:00 pm and told him I think we need to move on this ASAP. He agreed. Tomorrow I'm bringing her in between 8:00 and 9:00 AM and she'll be with them all day so that they can take the bladder smear and hopefully by then the doctor will have the life-saving serum to give her. It took some searching to find a vet supply company that carried it, but I found one in Georgia after some researching online. I hope it can be shipped fast. There is no time to waste.


Carmella has been peeing alot and seems to need to go alot more often than most puppies at this age. Tonight the diarrhea came back after she ate her dinner, probably within 5 minutes after she'd eaten. I took her out on the leash right away and no sooner had she found a suitable spot, she went.


The stuff she coughed up tonight was slightly greyish-brownish white (like the color of gravy made with flour), not greenish as it had been before.


So far I have not had any jewelry sales yet since this all began. If you have not done so I hope you'll take a look at my Etsy store at http://giftbearer.etsy.com/ and make a purchase. I now have three pairs of earrings in my Carmella Collection, but if you can't afford those I also have more modest-priced pieces available as well, and I will be adding more jewelry of various types.


 I hope to God my money holds out through this process. It looks as though she may have to take many more trips to the vet. Since I am not able to drive because of my own medical condition and friends cannot always take us, we must sometimes take taxis. The short distance can still be rather expensive; much more so than the cost of gas itself! Eeek!

Carmella - My Rescued Shelter Dog

I missed the shelter dog I was waiting for originally that was part greyhound, but got another one last Saturday (July 5th, 2008). I named her Carmella and she is the sweetest little 3 month old puppy you could ever find. She looks like a Dingo with reddish brown fur and distinctive-looking eyes that are almost cat-like in their shape, big ears that stand up and fold slightly to the side, and a light chocolate mask around her nose and chin. Carmella likes to climb into my lap and sit with me while I type on the computer, and already barks at the door when someone comes to it. She's pretty close to being housebroken and is very smart.

The day I picked her out (the previous Wednesday) she seemed fine, but when I came to pick her up just a few days later she had developed some sort of illness. (In retrospect it appeared that one of the shelter employees was unusually elated, thanking me profusely when I told him I was coming back to take her home. Although it seemed a little extreme I thought nothing of it at the time. I just figured he loved animals and that maybe she was his favorite, but now I can't help but wonder whether she was slated for the "gas chamber" and was saved by the bell).

Looking back I remember that I had to ask for each piece of her records one by one and they did not seem sure of what their vet had done or not done, on what date. Some things were not actually documented until the day I brought her home.

The shelter sent her home with some antibiotics, telling me it's kennel cough and nothing serious, but after one week she did not get any better, so I took her to the vet this morning and they say there's a 50/50 chance she will pull through, as she is sicker than the shelter staff led me to believe. It looks as though I am going to be paying off this bill for a long time, but I couldn't see putting her to sleep just to save myself the debt.

Right now she is in intensive care at the vet for several days because she won't eat and needs 'round the clock veterinary care. They're in the process of doing some tests to determine exactly what's wrong, do chest X-rays, give her an IV and get some nutrition into her to help her fight off the infection.

I believe there was a reason why I rescued her in particular and a purpose in her coming into my life, and that she is meant to survive and have many happy and healthy years ahead.

We must all do what we can to protect the innocents of the world; not merely wish good luck but to BE good luck.

For those of you who are interested I will post a picture of her here on my blogspot blog once she's out of the woods. (I felt taking a picture of her in her current state may jinx her recovery, so I decided to wait).

If you see anything in my Etsy shop you think you can use or give as a gift to someone in your life, your purchase at this time is much appreciated, so that I can give this puppy all the help she needs to get back on her feet. http://Giftbearer.etsy.com

Thanks for caring!

Sincerely,

Pippit