Squee Alert – Video – Border Collie Puppies

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Posted by Roxanne Hawn | Posted in Dog Life, Dog Photo, Dog Socialization Video, Dog Video, Dog Video Gallery, Puppy Porn | Posted on 27-04-2012

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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.

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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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Adverse Vaccine Reactions – Dog With Butter Butt Syndrome

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Posted by Roxanne Hawn | Posted in Adverse Vaccine Reaction - Recovery from Meningoencephalomyelitis, Dog Training, Dog Training Update, Dog Training Video, Dog Video, Dog Video Gallery, Dog Whine | Posted on 26-04-2012

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Next up in our gallery of changes since Lilly developed meningoencephalomyelitis / meningoencephalitis (inflammation of the brain and lining of the brain and spinal cord) after an adverse vaccine reaction to a rabies vaccine is this video showing how much trouble Lilly has holding a simple sit. Sometimes, her front feet slide out. Sometimes, we joke that she must have “butter on her butt.”

Our veterinary neurologist points out that Lilly’s brain inflammation has more to do with body awareness and control, but this sure looks like a strength issue to me. What do you think?

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Lilly’s Brain Injury and Agility Outtakes

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Posted by Roxanne Hawn | Posted in Adverse Vaccine Reaction - Recovery from Meningoencephalomyelitis, Dog Brag, Dog Life, Dog Rant, Dog Training, Dog Training Update, Dog Training Video, Dog Trick Video, Dog Video, Dog Video Gallery, Dog Whine, Dogs on Drugs, Hot News | Posted on 27-03-2012

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Monday, we showed you some agility highlights as Lilly recovers from her neurological troubles. Today, we prove that it isn’t always pretty.

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Lilly’s Brain Injury and Exaggerated Agility Style

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Posted by Roxanne Hawn | Posted in Adverse Vaccine Reaction - Recovery from Meningoencephalomyelitis, Dog Brag, Dog Life, Dog Training, Dog Training Update, Dog Training Video, Dog Trick Video, Dog Video, Dog Video Gallery, Dogs on Drugs, Hot News | Posted on 26-03-2012

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At our last veterinary neurology appointment, Lilly got the OK to do agility and other more strenuous tasks so that her brain can start figuring out how to rewire certain movements. I convinced myself that Lilly jumped differently and weaved weirdly, but after looking at old agility videos, it seems more like Lilly exaggerates her movements following her “brain injury.” Videos, ahoy!

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Adverse Vaccine Reaction: Lilly’s New Noises

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Posted by Roxanne Hawn | Posted in Adverse Vaccine Reaction - Recovery from Meningoencephalomyelitis, Dog Life, Dog Video, Dog Video Gallery, Hot News | Posted on 08-03-2012

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One of the weird outcomes from Lilly’s ill-fated rabies vaccine that resulted in meningoencephalomyelitis (inflammation of the brain and lining of the brain and spinal cord) is that Lilly now makes CRAZY, new noises. Observe.

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Adverse Vaccine Reaction: Getting Stronger

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Posted by Roxanne Hawn | Posted in Adverse Vaccine Reaction - Recovery from Meningoencephalomyelitis, Dog Brag, Dog Life, Dog Video, Dog Video Gallery, Hot News | Posted on 06-03-2012

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Cue the sports-training-montage music from the movie Rocky. In recent days, Lilly has shown marked improvement in her strength and body control. We still remind her to be “careful” or to “go slow” on stairs, but as you can see in this new video update, Lilly is getting stronger.

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Nosebleeds and Puffed Cheeks – Lilly’s Recovery from Meningoencephalomyelitis

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Posted by Roxanne Hawn | Posted in Adverse Vaccine Reaction - Recovery from Meningoencephalomyelitis, Dog Life, Dog Photo, Dog Rant, Dog Video, Dog Video Gallery, Dog Whine, Hot News | Posted on 17-02-2012

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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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Wish List: No Seizures, Full Recovery, and SLEEP

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Posted by Roxanne Hawn | Posted in Adverse Vaccine Reaction - Recovery from Meningoencephalomyelitis, Dog Brag, Dog Life, Dog Photo, Dog Training, Dog Training Video, Dog Video, Dog Video Gallery, Dog Whine | Posted on 07-02-2012

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All of us at Chez Champion of My Heart remain in awe of the outpouring of love, support, and prayers in the wake of Lilly’s near-death experience with meningoencephalomyelitis. We have one more request … in addition to sending mojo for NO seizures and FULL recovery, please add SLEEP to our wishlist. We are tired!

Lilly has monster insomnia from the steroids (we assume). She only sleeps for 15-30 minutes at a time. Of course, it doesn’t help that she is crazy thirsty and needs to pee all the time — day and night — as well, but it breaks our heart that she hardly sleeps.

She cried, whimpered most of last night. In other words, no one around here is getting much sleep.

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Recovery from Meningoencephalomyelitis – Lilly at Home

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Posted by Roxanne Hawn | Posted in Adverse Vaccine Reaction - Recovery from Meningoencephalomyelitis, Dog Brag, Dog Life, Dog Photo, Dog Video, Dog Video Gallery, Dog Whine | Posted on 06-02-2012

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I’m sorry it took me so long to post a blog update. Lilly’s hospital discharge on Sunday, February 5, 2012, took longer than expected, so we didn’t get home until around dinnertime. All of us were / are exhausted. The headline, however, is that Lilly is home … and as of this second has been seizure free since Friday, February 3, 2012, in the late afternoon.

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Lilly News: Slight Diagnosis Shift, More Seizure Activity

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Posted by Roxanne Hawn | Posted in Adverse Vaccine Reaction - Recovery from Meningoencephalomyelitis, Dog Life, Dog Video, Dog Video Gallery, Dog Whine, Hot News | Posted on 03-02-2012

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Words cannot convey the exhaustion all of us feel as Lilly remains hospitalized, with new symptoms cropping up each day this week (so far). Thursday (2/2) was another long day, so just a few pix and notes and another video … before we tackle whatever comes up today (Friday 2/3).

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Lilly Setbacks: Meningoencephalitis, Vomiting, and Seizures

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Posted by Roxanne Hawn | Posted in Adverse Vaccine Reaction - Recovery from Meningoencephalomyelitis, Dog Life, Dog Video, Dog Video Gallery, Dog Whine, Hot News | Posted on 02-02-2012

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We were prepared to share moderate news (not worse, not better) about Lilly from Wednesday afternoon (and we will below), but a crushing early morning call brought a report that Lilly began having seizures overnight. Our neurologist called about 6:20 am with the news. He was en route to the hospital. While it wasn’t unexpected, we’re still devastated and worried 10 x more Thursday morning than we were Wednesday afternoon. Photos and video below from that visit. We won’t be able to see Lilly until about 1 pm today.

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Border Collie Hunts Critters: Winter and Summer Editions

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Posted by Roxanne Hawn | Posted in Dog Life, Dog Video, Dog Video Gallery | Posted on 10-01-2012

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Lilly, our intrepid canine heroine,  is an avid hunter of small game. Mice and voles, mostly. In spring 2009, we posted an hunting instructional video — master class, if you will — of Lilly at work. Today, we share the winter edition of Lilly hunting. Her initial pounce alone is worth a chuckle. (Don’t worry. She doesn’t catch anything.)

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Border Collie Goes Sledding

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Posted by Roxanne Hawn | Posted in Dog Life, Dog Training, Dog Training Video, Dog Trick Video, Dog Video, Dog Video Gallery | Posted on 03-01-2012

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Subtitle? How Lilly spent her holiday vacation. Being a crazy-smart girl, Lilly knows how to ride a snow sled while being pulled along, but she also sometimes rides down the hill with me. Over our holiday break, we enlisted Mr. Champion of My Heart to shoot some video.

I’m not keen on being immortalized in video bundled up in my bulky snow suit. We thought you might enjoy seeing what we did with all the snow that fell on the Winter Solstice.

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This Holiday Season – Nibble on the Ones You Love

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Posted by Roxanne Hawn | Posted in Dog Brag, Dog Life, Dog Socialization Video, Dog Training, Dog Video, Dog Video Gallery, Puppy Porn | Posted on 23-12-2011

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To balance the posts lately about Lilly being less than great to Ginko, here is a dog video showing how much the dogs really do love each other. Our holiday message for 2011? Nibble on the ones you love. Ho ho ho!

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Happy Border Collie – Winter and Summer Editions

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Posted by Roxanne Hawn | Posted in Dog Brag, Dog Life, Dog Training, Dog Training Resources, Dog Training Video, Dog Trick Video, Dog Video, Dog Video Gallery | Posted on 22-12-2011

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It’s December 22! We made it. That days now get LONGER again. In celebration of Yule, two videos from years past of Lilly showing happiness knows no single season. Read the rest of this entry »