Hi Friends ~ Bowser here ...
New Dad's havin a hard tyme wiff summa this ... so I said I'd give it a shot ...
"We" go back to January, 2005 - when my Niece - Tonya (aka Zippy-Kat) alerted the Pet Talkers
there wuz Trubbel down in West-by-Golly-Virginia anna FurrBall (ME) needed a Rescue.
Y'all can visit THAT Epic at:
http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthread.php?t=68494
Titled "A Plea for HELP!"
Thingz have been purdy "Rozie" since then - I gotz 'dopted az wunna "da FurKids" and
been #3 inna Pack (not kountin da KAT). Cinder & SmokeMutt treat me jest *FINE* -
an eben da KAT kutz me a break.
I learned allua FurKid stuff - sleepin on motel bedz, Bus ridin,swimmin,
visitin da Fiur Station, obernites at Unka Pat & Joan's Place, Gathurin at Findlay,
hikin inna Parks, ... I been a Buzzie lil Mutt!
But Alas & Alack - I brung along a kuppla Health Issues inna bags ...
I wuz always a lil "gimpy" an "stiff" inna rear end - "Arthur Itis" they sed.
SmokeMutts gave me summa his Glucosamine Tablets anna few aspirins seemed
to fix things up - I ran onna 3-way Y-thingie an kept up purdy well! ... Fur a while.
Last Winter New Dad thunk sumpin wuz wrong ... stedda "steppin" onna left paw -
I began "throwin" it forward; an then started "draggin" that foot-paw - stedda "steppin" wiff it.
Back to see Doc Mike.
He confirmed what we'd read onna Net ... my lil bit of German Shepherd blood
must come wiff Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) included
Long storrie short ... my spine is sorta "eating" summa the nerves in it ...
they "degenerate" an my brain can't talk to the nerve sensors an muscles
back there inna rear end.
Makes walkin kinda *ruff* when ya can't FEEL da rear foot-paw an can't TELL
it what ta do!
Summa da Findlay Folks noticed me "draggin" da bum foot-paw - but onna whole I
do purdy durn gud on the three Good Ones! Bout the only change has been on hikes -
us "Old Pharts" (New Dad an ME) <shuffle along> together; Cinder & SmokeMutts
do their own thing onna Y-thingie draggin a leash.
I wuz doin "OK" till mid-September when I hadda BAD nite ...
started "gimpin" on BOTH rear foot-paws ...
couldn't <hop> up da front steps ... just kind co-lapsed an looked pitty-full till
New Dad came out an boosted me up the steps.
He called Doc Mike an asked for a "referral" to his buddie Doc Bancroft - head White Coat
atta Hi-Priced Klinik in towne. We gotz a 'pointment in two daze!
Doc B took a kuppla X-rayz an ruled out any major hip problems, but re-confirmed I
can't tell when my left rear toes are turned under - I jest stand on my "knuckles"
an don't even know my paw is folded under. BUT - my RIGHT rear wuz werkin
jest FINE, thank you!
Doc sed he noted "just a touch of MD" onna right side; but I managed to not <drag> da
LEFT side very much onna walkin tests!
We all talked about Whut ta DO wiff me ...
Doc B agrees wiff Doc Mike - Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) izza dreadful
disease -
an has no real treatment, let alone a cure. Doc B suggested I take a Vitamin E pill and
switch to a combo Glucosamine / Chondroitin / MSM tablet twice a day.
Problemo #2 started a kuppla weeks later - I started "leakin" at nite.
We bought a diaper an sum pads that I wear at nite - solved da "Upset Dad" problem but
not the WHY is he Leakin? question. Doc Mike sed "Antibiotics" fur a while.
Aftur a "pee test" - we discovered I had "crystals" inna pee!
Anothe trip to Doc B's Place ... Ultrasound dis tyme ...
YUP - da Boy hazza STONE inna bladder!
Jest a "little" Rock - but can cause trubbel iffin it get's "stuck" inna plummin.
Da White Coats sed le's try "disolvin" da Rock ... da ONLY thing I can eat is
"Hill's s/d" canned grub ...
Kinda expensive ($1.80 per can) - an I need almost 2 cans a day!
GUD Thing is I think da stuff is like Grilled STEAK! YuuMMMMMMMIE!!
So Yummie I "bolt it down" so fast I started <tossin> it all back up!
New Dad called da Hill's Kumpanie ta komplain ... she sed ta Hand Feed me reel *s*l*o*w* ...
Aftur gettin a LOTTA Finners pinched & snapped ... now Dad drops each byte-sized piece
inna bowl - an I <GRAB> it out - no finners endangered!
I'm on this grub fur two months - then back fur another Ultrasound to Check da Rock.
-----------------------------------
Sooooo ... you're all <Wunderin> Whut'z wiffa Prayer Request?
Well ... tonite is anudder Bad Nite wiffa Rear End ...
We all went on a Big Hike inna BigLake Park this afternoon. Second 1.1 miler this week.
I dun GUD - kept rite up wife Ole New Dad ... <shuffle> - <shuffle> - <shuffle> ...
Onlee Problemo wus fur da seckond tyme inna week he "lost" me inna leaf pile!
HE walks onna paved road; *I* walk onna grass to save <draggin> my bum foot-paw
onna hard surface. LEAVES blow off road onna grass ... kinda DEEP in spotz!
We's <shufflin> along when allua sudden da LITES go Out! Durn SHORT legz!
Dad hears da leaves <russlin> an looks down ta see Two EARS anna Fluffie Tail
<plowin> thru
a mound of leaves! ... Gud Thing I hadda Ropey tied onna neck-belt!
I did OK onna Hike, but had sum trubbel <jumpin> up inna Bus; then had more trubbel
<hoppin> up the basement steps. Started <gimpin> pretty bad inna Howze;
almost fell down da stepz goin out to potty later.
An I jest kuld NOT get uppa stepz to come back in!
New Dad tried ta "encourage me" ... but da rear end jest wouldn't <hop> rite.
I <crashed> onna stepz ... wiffa Eyes callin fur Help.
He came out an gimmie a <boost> uppa stepz.
I did EAT like a lil Piggy ... Canned Steak I had ... but da gettin around is a
BIG Problemo tanite ...
I'm hopin it will "go away" like it did when I went to see Doc B da furst tyme ...
I'z NOT a Happie Kampur when I can't move around when I want to ...
Sooo ... dat'z why we're askin fur sum Pet Talk Prayers.
An send New Dad a {{{Hug}}} or two - he's gettin reel *stressed* ober
me havin problems.
I think he's been tryin ta make "deals" wiff God.
Fondly ...
/s/ Bowser
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