Champion of My HeartA real-time memoir about life with a fearful border collie, by Roxanne Hawn

We’re still reeling and consumed by mourning and mourning-related tasks, but I wanted to post a quick update for those who haven’t been following the news on our Champion of My Heart Facebook Fan Page.

Starting Friday, May 11, Lilly suffered another relapse. The following symptoms got worse and worse over the weekend:

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These tri-color, smooth coat border collie puppies were born at Valdemar Farm in Fort Lupton, Colorado (where we take herding lessons). The litter is jokingly known as “Big Head Todd and the Monsters.”

This is Big Head Todd. His head really isn’t *that* big. It just looks bigger because it’s all white.

We made a little puppy tribute video to all the “monsters” (5 boys, 1 girl). I should have been more methodical in my picture-taking. I’m not sure I show each puppy individually, and I’m pretty sure I show some more than once in the video. BUT, I just picked the pictures I liked best.

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Last week, after a long walk and a dip in our pond, I took a picture of a happy Lilly. It’s a nice picture, except all I can see are the changes in Lilly’s face from her ongoing neurological deficits. For comparison … first a few pictures of Lilly BEFORE she got so sick following her rabies vaccination in January 2012.

OK. Not quite “wordless,” but mostly photos in this blog post.

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In about a month, Ginko will be 12. He recently had a thorough exam, senior blood work, and vaccinations (3-year rabies, 1-year lepto). And, this week … he went in to have his teeth “done.” While he was conked out, they went ahead and took off two bothersome lumps — one on an eyelid and one his head.

Ginko did great, but he still isn’t feeling entirely like himself … yet.

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Nancy Kay, DVM and board-certified veterinary internal medicine specialist, published a new book called Your Dog’s Best Health: A Dozen Reasonable Things to Expect From Your Veterinarian. Perhaps you already know Dr. Kay from her earlier book … Speaking for Spot.

If you’re looking to develop a better partnership with your dog’s veterinarian, we highly recommend this book for insights into how things are changing and what you can and cannot expect as an active, engaged veterinary client.

I learned something new. For example, Dr. Kay advises — in a section about what your veterinarian expects from YOU inside Your Dog’s Best Health– “Unless instructed otherwise, dog your best to bring your dog in with an empty stomach and a full bladder.”

The stomach thing I knew, but the bladder? I ALWAYS get my dogs to pee on verbal cue before we go inside. It’s less about me worrying they will make a mess, and more about me wanting them to feel comfortable (not in bladder distress).

What do you think about that? Full bladders?

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Indeed, Lilly is recovering nicely some 2 months since her adverse rabies vaccine reaction. She is nowhere near normal, but she is coping the best she can … as are we to the “new” puppy girl resulting from the veterinary emergency with her brain / nervous system.

Things don’t always go well, however:

• Lilly fell down the stairs last week.
• Lilly fell off the bed the other day.
• Lilly crashed while jumping my knees and slid on her side across the living room Monday night.
• Lilly’s rear legs gave out while on her usual 3-mile walk Sunday. For several seconds, she stayed there — like a tadpole or mermaid — and seemed that she didn’t know how to stand up. It was very scary.

Among her other lingering symptoms? Nose / breathing troubles. Video demonstration below.

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If your dog has never required medications that cause dramatic behavioral side-effects, count yourself lucky. Friday (3/9/12), we had another MAJOR scare with Lilly. <insert expletive here>

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Remember, my sad bloody Valentine? We’re happy to report that Lilly’s nose now looks like this:

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When Lilly’s brain and spinal cord went kerplewy with inflammation, it greatly affected her ability to move her once-agile body. Her cognitive responses to things like verbal dog training cues are also impaired (for now), but we’ve made a few adaptations around the house to help her be where she wants to be and do what she wants to do … on her own.

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Still neurologically compromised, Lilly stumbles, slides, and falls a fair bit on our tile floors. We don’t really have rugs to put down all over, so we offer our humble thanks to RC Pet Products in Vancouver, British Columbia, for sending us PAWks (rubber-bottomed booty socks for dogs) for Lilly to use for improved footing in the house.

Since we weren’t sure on sizes, they sent both medium (red) and small ones (pink). We’ve tried both, and the smaller ones fall off less as Lilly pokes around the house.

Check it out. More photos and video below.

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As the rampant inflammation slowly subsides, Lilly is getting fewer nosebleeds. Her nose is still all crusty and blocked, though. So, I had to share this video of her sleeping and trying to breathe.

A few other important data points:

• 2 weeks … how long Lilly has been seizure free
• 1.5 pounds … how much weight Lilly has regained since the brutal, week-long diarrhea stopped
• 2 … the number of times Lilly now wakes us up each night for help (compared to 10-12 per night)
• 2/23 … Lilly’s next recheck appointment with our neurology team
• $865 … the amount raised via chip-in to help pay Lilly’s veterinary bills, including money sent my mail and other means (outside the chip-in).

Thank you! We haven’t had time to send individual notes, but we are humbled and grateful for each person who has sent us money. Here is a link to the Champion of My Heart chip-in explanation page. After next week’s recheck appointment, I expect our total costs of saving Lilly’s life to reach $8,000.

Still no insurance or other financial assistance news on the official front.

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Amid all the worry about Lilly’s brain and the inflammation with the big scary name (meningoencephalomyelitis), I concentrated on the motor skills like walking and the importance of good balance. Lilly remains in a greatly compromised neurological state, and yet … it’s the side-effects and other issues that cause the most concern lately.

I’m happy to report that as of Monday night (2/13) … Lilly began having somewhat solid poops. On Tuesday, after 5 days on one tummy medicine, the veterinarians switched Lilly to another one that she can take long term, if necessary. We hope the solid / semi-solid trend continues. Fingers crossed.

Fair warning. The photo below isn’t as focused as I would like, but it gives you a good (read … graphic) idea of just how bad Lilly’s nose can get. Keep in mind, I’ve been instructed NOT to mess with it. I cannot clean it. I cannot try to help staunch the bleeding. Nothing … because they believe I only make things worse.

So, often we wake up to a face like this, and (for some reason) it makes me cry much more than seeing my once strong, agile girl stumble through her days.

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Lilly and I could NOT be more pleased to take part in Pillars of Strength – A Special Day for K on this of all days. You see, K (who is both a real-life dog training and local dog blogging friend) is the QUEEN of all Heart Dogs. So, a tribute to her on Valentine’s Day seems fitting.

All the love in the world to you, beautiful K (and your family). May all the strength and blessings in the universe rain down upon you as you fight back against the darn cancer veterinarians found in your bones.

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New York Metropolitan Opera star and animal lover Janet Hopkins will join Grand Champion Sweetbriar’s Ecco D’Oro (Ecco) in New York for a musical good luck send off as he competes in the 2012 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. At 1 pm on today at the Hotel Pennsylvania in Midtown Manhattan, Hopkins will serenade opera loving Ecco with a favorite personalized Italian aria, “O Mio Babbino Cane.”

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Whew! Long day, so just a quick note about Lilly’s recovery from meningoencephalomyelitis (inflammation of the brain and lining of the brain and spinal cord) after having an adverse rabies vaccine reaction. Today, Lilly had her first recheck appointment with the team at Rocky Mountain Veterinary Neurology (housed inside the Veterinary Referral Center of Colorado).

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