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

Nearly 2 months into this adverse vaccine reaction with Lilly, I’m still a wreck. At least once a day, Lilly and I have a conversation — brain to brain, heart to heart — that goes something like this.

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Oh, the fun with adverse vaccine reactions and treatment side-effects continues. Poor Lilly. Always the dainty thing, while still being a rough-and-tumble mountain girl, Lilly now drools like you would NOT believe. Continue Reading »

Once upon a time, Lilly was a delicate, agile, sure-footed border collie with amazing balance and strength. She could jump greats heights, seemingly without trying. She could land with grace and nary a sound. These days, she moves more like a little, black-and-white Frankenstein.

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GOOD news, fans and friends. Our veterinary neurologist is quite pleased with Lilly’s progress — totebag eating and dog conflict aside. We’ll know blood test results later in the week, but we don’t have to go back for a recheck for 2-3 months. Can I have a whoohoo?

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While we await news from Lilly’s veterinary neurology recheck appointment this morning, how about a little happy news … for once?

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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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I’m doing my best to share the whole picture of what exactly went wrong in Lilly’s body and brain following her adverse reaction to a rabies vaccine nearly 2 months ago. My dog training / dog behavior friends will find this VERY interesting.

One of the things Lilly lost along the way — entirely for a while and now spotty? Canine calming signals. For example, typically when you kiss a dog (even one who is used to it), the dog will lick its lips as a way of saying, “I don’t like that” or “You’re making me nervous.” Calming signals can also be used to prevent altercations between dogs. For weeks and weeks and weeks, Lilly did not do that … at all.

Not a big deal to us, but to Ginko? Kind of a big deal.

Combine missing calming signals between dogs with her lifelong behavioral challenges and now poor body control, and you get a tense canine household.

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

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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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We’re really trying to get back on a normal blog schedule, but it has been tougher than expected to balance our must-do list with everything else. Plus, as Lilly starts feeling better, she wants more Mommy time … and in a world where the choice is spending time with my girl and writing a post … well, no offense. ;o)

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Here is the latest video update on Lilly’s remaining neurological problems from meningoencephalomyelitis (inflammation of the brain and lining of the brain and spinal cord) after an adverse reaction to a rabies vaccine given January 23, 2012. While her symptoms are improving, many remain … including continuous body swaying and head wobbling.
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I’m sorry for the delay in posting anything official to the blog. Those who follow us on Twitter and Facebook know that Thursday’s recheck appointment turned into an epic odyssey of waiting and waiting and waiting. It was a LONG day. Then Friday, I had FOUR HOURS of conference calls (one was a 3-hour video call) … before I could start my birthday celebrations. And, now this morning (Saturday), Lilly is having a conniption that I’m at my desk. So, just a quick, rambling update.

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Remember that lovely gift package Lilly received from Rocky Mountain Veterinary Neurology after her week-long hospital stay? Well, we think she is channeling her frustration over her brain troubles in new ways.

They tell us that Lilly likely wasn’t in any / much pain, even at the height of the inflammation in her brain and lining of the brain and spinal cord (meningoencephalomyelitis), but I have to wonder if Lilly doesn’t have a headache … after seeing 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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