[NAGDU] My Fisher

[Elizabeth Campbell]

HI Cindy, I"m so sorry that you are going through such a hard time with
Fisher.
My retired guide, Gabe, also turned 14 a few days ago. He also has
arthritis in his back,and he was in a lot of pain earlier this year until
my vest prescribed a regimen of anti-inflamatories. They are helping quite
a bit from what I can tell. I can take him on very short walks, and I don't
have any stairs. He still eats well and is in good spirits. I think we need
to take things one day at a time with our incredible dogs.
Now, poor Gabe has bronchitis, and he's on antibiotics and cough meds for
that.
Take good care.

Liz

On Wed, Aug 19, 2020 at 7:03 PM Cindy Ray via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
wrote:

> Hi to all,
>
> Well, the latest episode of my whining about good old Fisher. He turned
> fourteen on July 16. He was doing well, as energetic as you would expect,
> and quite full of life. Then last Friday came. He fell down a few steps. We
> helped him go downstairs. After that, he really couldn't do the stairs
> anymore. At first he would stand at the bottom, and once he went up to the
> landing (it is a split foyer house with seven steps in each little flight.)
> My husband carried him up so he could go out on the deck with us for lunch,
> but we didn't stay long because It was hot.
>
> I called my vet to tell her what had happened, and she couldn't work him
> in.
> They suggested that I call a mobile vet, so I called her. They sent over
> some anti-inflammatories for him to take. Bob carried him down to the
> landing and we went out in the front. He saw the sidewalk and thought we
> should go north like we always did on our walks, but I did discourage that.
>
> After dinner, we tried to "rig up the deck" so he would relieve there, but
> nothing doing.
>
> Saturday morning he wasn't eating or drinking, and being a goldador, I was
> pretty sure we were in a Hospice situation. I took him to an emergency care
> place.
>
> They determined that his vitals were good, he has arthritis, and he has odd
> eye movements, a stygnus.  Vestibular disease is what they call it, and it
> is like neuralgia. They say that when there doesn't seem to be a cause
> except maybe an underlying one that they would have to test for. They gave
> him a shot and some meds for nausea, but I never was sure if that was an
> issue.
>
> On Tuesday, we had the mobile vet come here. She looked at him and said he
> was in pain and his rear was dropped down some, but he seemed to be in good
> health. So I decided I would go back to giving him his regular food. I had
> been giving this specialty food that I got at my vet when he was  having
> stomach issues and adding a little chicken to it. He also was given some
> glucosamine chews. He wouldn't eat his food even though it was a mix of old
> and the specialty food, though he did when I added the chicken to it.
>
> Today I gave him his old food twice. He would have no part of it. I then
> gave him the specialty food with a little chicken, and he ate it. We have
> to
> watch to make sure he gets water.
>
> So he can't do stairs, and we moved into the family room so we could all be
> together. I took him for a short walk today, but he quickly commenced to
> pant heavily, so I would say he is in quite a little pain.
>
> The one good thing about it is that he is no longer the dog I knew last
> week. I can care for him, but it is different, except that he still shows
> me
> he cares a lot. All this is to say that I think we may have precious little
> time left. This wasn't how I imagined losing him, but of course there are
> so
> many ways.
>
> I would sort of like to use the same vet I have been, but I feel as if
> after
> 17 years she could find a way to work him in. (That's 17 years all
> together.) To be fair, she is a one doctor office, but given the symptoms,
> I
> just couldn't believe they couldn't figure out a way to work him in. If I
> am
> going to have to euthanize him, then I want to do it here. I am not sure
> she
> would do that. It won't be easy, but I feel I am giving him the best
> comfort
> I can in these days of pain. I miss his coming upstairs to follow me
> around,
> but it is all good, because he greets me when he is aware of my returning
> to
> downstairs. We don't want to leave him alone at all now. Maybe that's
> silly,
> but I feel an intense need to remain here with him, or for Bob to.
>
> So have any of you used a mobile vet? Did you ever use one as your primary
> care vet? What do you think are the pros and cons of doing that?
>
> Sorry this is so long. I'm tired of reading it myself.
>
> Take good care.
>
> Cindy Lou Ray
>
> cindyray at gmail.com <mailto:cindyray at gmail.com>
>
>
>
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-- 
Elizabeth Campbell