The Weekend from Hell!

Friday afternoon after work I drove to Marietta to Tip Top Foods to purchase two cases of chicken backs. This is part of the raw diet I feed my four Greyhounds. I got home and unloaded the chicken and then commenced to letting the pack out to potty. Once that was over, it was time for their dinner. I grabbed four chicken backs for them and put them outside to eat. As usual my foster ate her kibble in the kitchen in her bowl. While they were eating, I had begun the process of bagging the chicken backs in meal-size bags for freezing.

After having ample time to potty, it was time for them to come back inside. Everyone clamored around me as I worked to bag the chicken backs. After completing the first case, I decided to let them back outside so they wouldn't have their noses right in the case of chicken! It would only be for a few minutes. I didn't muzzle them as I normally do. About ten minutes later, I heard alot of commotion so I flew out the back door only to see them attacking Sugar. She was on the ground, belly up, kicking and screaming. It was really Lucy and my foster. Remi and Sami were there but they weren't on her. I tried to get Sugar away from them but couldn't. I grabbed her by the collar and started dragging her toward the back door. All the while, they continued to take jabs at her - they wouldn't stop no matter how loud I screamed at them. It seemed the more she shrilled, the more they attacked. She was pretty torn up but I was finally able to get her in the house by herself.

I immediately called my BFF, Kim, who then called my vet to see if they would wait for me. It was 5:50 pm and they close at 6 pm. They said they would so I put Sugar into the Pilot and then went inside to get the others from the backyard. I went to crate them and Lucy even lunged at me, ready to attack! I couldn't believe it!! I was able to get everyone crated and then I jumped in to the vehicle to head to the vet. We arrived in 20 minutes or so - a total bloody mess. During the entire ride there, Sugar stood up the entire time.

Because of the extent of her injuries, it being a weekend, and the fact that she has Von Willebrands disease, it was recommended that we go to Cobb Emergency Veterinary Clinic so they could monitor her 24x7. My vet bandaged her up to slow the bleeding and we then headed to the emegency clinic. When we arrived, they took her back and started procedures and such to stabilize her. Kim arrived shortly thereafter. Surgery was definitely required. After some creative financing (her bill was est. at $3,000-$4,000), they started some tests to ensure she could clot before doing the surgery. I went back to see her and she looked just horrible - just beaten to a pulp and her color was grey. They were going to give her plasma, which would take 2 hours, so we decided to go home and clean up blood. We got back to the hospital about midnight. They had decided not to do the plasma just yet but had begun the surgery. About 4-4:30 a.m. they came to tell us that all went well and Sugar was awake. Kim actually heard her yell out around 3:30 a.m. Apparently she had a rough time waking up from the anesthesia and was in quite a bit of pain.

They did decide to give her the plasma Saturday morning. That afternoon, I went to see her, taking her some hamburger meat, marshmallows, and sweet potato treats - hoping she would eat something. Sunday morning she did eat some of the hamburger and was able to take her meds orally so she was weaned from the IV drip and I was able to bring her home that afternoon.

She has a 3-inch tear on her neck that was stitched, several on her left side that were stitched, another 3-inch tear on her chest that was stitched, one on her crotch that was stitched, several smaller ones here and there on her body that were stitched, and the worst was her left forearm. There was no skin left on that 4-inch long, 2-inch wide wound. The night it happened, I could see muscle and tendons. The vet stitched her up the best she could but there is an area the size of a quarter that is still bare. She has a wet/dry bandage there which will be there for a few days.

I saw the wound yesterday during a dressing change and it is amazing how good it looks. My vet was totally impressed with the surgical work they did on her. The before and after is quite a transformation. Anyway, she does walk a bit funny on that front leg, folding her foot over and dragging it. We're hoping there isn't any neurological damage but won't know that until the bandages come off and she is able to bend it better and put pressure on it. She is bruised pretty badly, mostly on her stomach, chest and legs.

Despite her injuries, she looks really good now that she's stitched up all over. She ate a chicken back last night and a little hamburger meat and a bit more stew meat this morning for breakfast. She is taking her pills via peanut butter which is excellent because when she had the liver ailment a few years back, I ran out of various methods to pill her. She would figure out a pill is involved in whatever I was giving her and wouldn't eat it - for months afterwards. Smart and stubborn - that is my Sugar.

Her six drainage tubes come out tomorrow and another bandage change will happen on that front leg. I'm hoping one more after that and then we'll be home free. Next week her stitches will come out. She's a fighter and will survive.

I can't say enough good things about the emergency clinic. They were informative, professional, and current on Sugar's case anytime I asked about her. My vet called there on Saturday morning to inquire about her status and then again on Sunday which made me feel really good. I didn't know that until we were there yesterday for the bandage change.

Lucy is now on Amitriptyline and the foster was moved to another foster home. I am being careful about the dynamics and am watching for anymore signs of aggressiveness from Lucy. Of course, I have no idea what transpired in the backyard that night and probably won't ever know. I do know, however, that I will be much more careful about the muzzles. I was busy with the task at hand in the kitchen and it just slipped my mind and I am usually a stickler about the girls wearing them!

The look on Sugar's face that night will forever be in my mind and definitely will serve as a reminder to me to muzzle, muzzle, and muzzle again!

Vote for Sugar

Grand prize is $10,000 to charity of your choice (hopefully, Second Chance Greyhounds), second place is $5,000 to charity of your choice, and third-fifth place is $1,000 to charity of your choice. You never know . . .

Nesting 101

Sugar wanted to share with Seka and Roxie this little video of her nesting in her newest Orvis bead bed. As you can see, she is quite comfortable when it's all said and done. Sugar is hoping Seka and Roxie will soon enjoy their Orvis bed, too! If you guys need any pointers, feel free to give Sugar a ring!

More on Raw . . .

Just a quick note – Saturday I thought I’d try giving the girls raw eggs to supplement their raw diet. They are suppose to get these at least once a week, I think, and I had forgotten to give them any this entire time. I cracked one in each of their bowls, leaving the shell as well because this is also very good for them. Remi enthusiastically ate hers as did Lucy, crunching the shell as they devoured the egg itself. I didn’t doubt these two would enjoy their egg treat.

Sugar, on the other hand, is the princess of the bunch. She looked at it, looked up at me as if to say, “What the heck is this and do you really expect me to eat it?”. She then lapped a bit up, looked at me again, drank some water, picked up the shell and dropped it on the floor, lapped a bit again, looked at me again, drank some more water and then she walked away.

Remi and Lucy tag teamed it and finished all that Sugar had left, which was about 90 percent of what was there originally! She sure didn’t take to it but I’m hoping she will the next time. As Scarlett would say, there’s always tomorrow!

Pink, Pink, and More Pink

Guess what this is? Yep, it's Sugar's little pink belly. The inside of her ears are pink, her gums are pink, and anywhere you see skin, it's pink, too. She is so pink that I felt the need to take her to the vet today to recheck her liver values. And guess what? Yep, they are much, much better.

Back in September her ALKP was 2552 - today it was 568 (normal range 23-212). Her ALT back in September was 1966 and today it was 761 (normal range 10-100). Her Biliribin in September was 13.1 and today it was .5 (normal range 0.0-0.9). Obviously she still isn't in the normal range for ALKP or ALT but it is a HUGE improvement over the 2 1/2 months we've been dealing with this. As well, her Bilirubin is perfect. Her doctor said that is a huge improvement and means more about the liver than the ALKP and ALT although those numbers do signify some liver cell damage which I'm hoping will continue to heal itself.

Also, at the last visit on October 24th, she weighed 54 pounds. Today she weighed 58!! Yeppie!!

She is very energetic, is happy, is eating well, is peeing normally, and is doing everything else that she should be doing. I do believe we are out of the woods, thank God!

Remi and Lucy are happy to hear this as they are pretty tired of the "little one" always getting extra attention, extra food and extra treats! Oh well, I tell them, I'd do the same for them, too!

Whoo hoo . . . now to celebrate!!!!

A Breakthrough

The Princess ate kibble this morning. It's the first time in two months. I mixed some kitty kibble with some of her own and some of a sample that I had. She ate it all! So, I gave her more and she ate that. She also ate about 5 beef cubes. So, all in all, it was probably 2 1/2 cups of food.

Last night she ate two and a half chicken backs!! And about a cup of ground beef.

I do believe her appetite is back. Thank God!

Are Greyhounds as Intelligent as Other Breeds?

Unfortunately, the answer to that question is NO. According to S. Coren*, author of "The Intelligence of Dogs", there are three types of dog intelligence:

1. Adaptive Intelligence (learning and problem-solving ability). This is specific to the individual animal and is measured by canine IQ tests.
2. Instinctive Intelligence. This is specific to the individual animal and is measured by canine IQ tests.
3. Working/Obedience Intelligence. This is breed dependent.
   

In the ranking of dogs for obedience/working intelligence by breed, our beloved Greyhounds fall into the Average Working/Obedience Intelligence level which is actually on the lower end of the spectrum. They have an understanding of new commands after 25 to 40 repetitions and obey a first command 50% of the time or better.

During this ordeal with Sugar, I have come to realize that she is VERY, VERY smart, despite what the research says (or maybe just stubborn?). This is especially evident when it comes to taking her pills. She can find them no matter where I've hidden them at which time she immediately spits them out onto the floor, whilst continuing to eat. (This holds true for any food item except ice cream - thank God she swallows a scoop all at one time!) You can ease them into her mouth while she is kicking and fighting, only to see they are hidden in her gums and as soon as you think she has swallowed them, she spits them back out. She is surely incorrigible and is certainly testing my patience and creativity.

Last night I tried a little cottage cheese in her dinner, hoping she would eat it just for the nutrition of it! But alas, she licked it a bit and then when she saw the white curds, which look oddly enough just like her antibiotic she takes every day, she stopped eating. I suppose it was just the association of the two, not so much the taste. Most dogs like cottage cheese. Anyway, being the servant to the little princess that I am, I then grabbed her food bowl and removed any trace of cottage cheese. I placed the bowl back onto her feeder at which time she then proceeded to eat the whole thing. Go figure.

Just for the fun of it, I found a list of the top ten "brightest" dogs. They are listed below. Although these are all wonderful breeds, I'll think I'll keep my Greyhounds!

1. Border Collie
2. Poodle
3. German Shepherd
4. Golden Retriever
5. Doberman Pinscher
6. Shetland Sheepdog
7. Labrador Retriever
8. Papillon
9. Rottweiler
10. Australian Cattle Dog

I found this out there in Internet land . . . here are some simple and fun ways to measure your dog’s intelligence.

• Throw a towel over your dog’s head and time how long it takes him to free himself. An average may be 15 to 20 seconds.


• Place three paper cups upside down on the floor, three feet apart. Allow your dog to see you place a bit of weenie under one of them. Turn him in a circle twice or lead him into another room for about 30 seconds and then see if he can go to the right cup the first time.


• Split a weenie in half so that it has a flat side. Place it just under the edge of the sofa. Time how long it takes him to get it out. An average may be around 60 seconds.


• Take your dog outside the yard on a long leash and walk along the fence several feet from the gate which you will leave open. Toss a bit of weenie back over the fence. See if he figures out to go back around through the gate to get the treat

You can also visit this MSN article for a few more IQ tests for your dog. This is definitely pretty interesting stuff. I have to say though, that I don't necessarily agree with Dr. Coren's assessment of the Greyhound. I think, for the most part, they are pretty intelligent animals.

Before I close, I would be remiss if I didn't take this opportunity to applaud Jen Bachelor for her work with Greyhounds. She has the patience of a Saint and the drive and determination needed to train her Greyhounds to levels most trainers only dream about! Her Greyhounds perform in agility and obedience trials all over the country and hold more titles than any Greyhounds in the sport. Way to go Jen - you do the Breed proud!

Just goes to show you that you can teach an old dog new tricks! Even a Greyhound!

*Stanley Coren is a neuropsychologist and professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Coren has published articles in medical journals including The New England Journal of Medicine, American Journal of Public Health and Sleep. He has appeared on numerous television programs including Good Morning America, CNN, The Osgood Files and The Today Show. Dr. Coren is a fellow of the American Psychology Association, American Psychology Society and Canadian Psychology Association. He was recently awarded the Killam Memorial Fellowship.

Fingers and Toes Crossed

So far, so good but keep your fingers crossed and while you're at it, cross your toes as well. I'm hoping we're on the road to recovery.

Sugar is eating two meals a day, all raw, mostly beef chunks, chicken backs and thighs, a turkey neck here and there, and some fat balls (not nearly enough of these). She is loving this diet, believe me and who wouldn't?

Her color is good. I don't see any jaundice but if there is any, it's very little. It's hard to see that in the light in the house unless it's really bad. So daylight is the best for that and I haven't been at the house in the daylight since last Friday, if you can believe that!

I've been hiding her Soloxin and the antibiotic in the fat balls so it's important that she eat those because of that and also because she needs to put on a few pounds. The Denamarin pill (the turquoise one) is well hidden in the scoop of vanilla ice cream that she gets every night, which she has been eating in one bite, thank goodness. Unfortunately the ice cream is sugar free and low fat so she isn't getting many calories from that. I'm going Krogering today so I'll be sure to pick up some full-fat ice cream, just for her!

Anybody have any idea of something, besides fat balls and peanut butter, that I could give her to put some weight back on her? She also won't eat kibble, dog or cat. Well, she wouldn't before but as I told someone yesterday, "what was old is new again". Seems her taste buds are waking up, I think, so I'll try the cat kibble again, as Robin suggested.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers. Sugar thanks you, too. She isn't quite ready to leave this world!!

The Progression of Sugar

A HUGH accomplishment - she ate breakfast this morning and it was fatballs which she has been refusing all along. She ate about four last night as well and about five this morning. And she looks good - really good. I will check her coloring tonight when I get home to see if she is still icteric. I am hoping it'll still be daylight as that is the best light to see it. Her eyes look bright, though, and white.

This is huge folks, I mean huge!! I am psyched!! I can't wait to get home after work to see what she might eat for dinner!

Another Update

On Friday, Sugar stayed at the vets office and received another round of fluids. I picked her and her jiggly belly up that afternoon and proceeded home with another 10 days worth of antibiotics. After arriving home, I fixed her a large bowl of cooked chicken (out of the can) and then about 6-8 large cubes of beef. She scarfed them both right down.

I then proceeded to pack the car for our trip down to Newnan for the lure coursing trials in Moreland. I packed scads of chicken backs, chicken necks, more cubes of beef and raw hamburger as well. Oh, and some noodles and some strawberries. Lucy, Remi, and Sugar all enjoyed the fruits of my labor all weekend long. So much that I am seriously contemplating switching them completely to a raw diet. I've read so much about it in the past and know it is so healthy for them. After getting turkey necks, two weekends in a row, their teeth and their breath is 90% improved! That alone will make a believer out of you!

Heather helped "pill" Sugar over the weekend (thank you Heather!), but now that we're back home, it's up to me again. Last night, I stuck her pills in a scoop of vanilla ice cream. She ate it. This morning I did the same and she ate it again. Both times, however, I have omitted the turquoise Denamarin pill which is the one that I think has the worst taste to it. At this point though, I'd really prefer she have the antibiotic and her Soloxin. I'll ease the Denamarin back in soon enough (I think I'll scrape the outer layer of turquoise off first so she can't see it!).

Anyway, she is still doing one meal a day but it usually is quite a meal so I feel certain she is getting enough nutrition to sustain her for 24 hours. I offer food every morning still, but she continues to refuse it. As long as she is eating and getting her pills, I'm encouraged, yet again. She appears to feel well and probably would have lure coursed this weekend, had I let her. She sure did want to!

As I've told numerous folks, her "crown" is getting bigger and heavier every day! She truly is such a princess . . . I don't mind, I'll continue to cater to her every whim!

As The Sugar Turns . . . Part II

Well, not much has changed since the last post. She is still refusing to eat breakfast but eats a hearty dinner. Or it could be called a midnight snack as it's close to midnight when she will eat. I'm not complaining though, as long as she is eating, I'm a happy camper. Last night it was raw beef chunks, raw hamburger, and a couple of chicken necks. Mind you, I don't usually feed raw but when she refused her kibble, it was the only alternative I could think of. This afternoon, I'm making some pasta and rice for Lucy since she'll be coursing this weekend, but I'm hoping Sugar will eat some as well. And, yes, I've tried canned dog food and cat food and she refuses that as well. And, yes, I'm certain the royal princess has a beautiful crown somewhere! :)

The biggest challenge this week has been getting her pills in her, as I noted before. After turning her nose up at the pill pockets, she did finally consume four of them last night with her pills safely tucked in each one of them. Thank goodness. This morning I dropped her off at the vet for blood tests and possibly the Cushings test. I left four pill pockets with the vet tech and when the vet called around noon, he said she had eaten them all. Again, thank goodness. If I can get her medicine in her routinely, I think we stand a chance of beating this thing (whatever that is). Thank you Addie for suggesting that - I had totally forgotten they even made them. What a wonderful idea!

Generally, she seems to feel better even though she has dropped a few more pounds. I hope to get that weight back on her quickly. I'll probably offer her some fat balls again today to see if she'll eat them. Remember, she has been refusing peanut butter since I first hid pills in that so she refused fat balls as well because she could smell the peanut butter. At least, that is what I am thinking. Maybe now her taste buds are back and she'll remember how wonderful fat balls taste and she'll devour a whole bowl of them! Keep your fingers crossed.

Oh, her liver values came back about the same with this mornings blood test. That doesn't surprise me since I've had such a horrible time this week getting pills into her! I asked the vet if we could try another week of antibiotics and the Denamarin and re-evaluate her condition after that. He agreed that we could try this. Now that she is taking the pill pockets, I am hopeful that I can stay on the regime as prescribed. Another way to look at it is, she hasn't deteriorated further, which I am grateful for. BTW, we are holding off on the Cushings test for now. It's something we might do in the near future. But since she only has one prominent symptom (drinking alot of water), it was determined that we can wait on this test.

She'll get there, I'm certain - it is just going to take some time for her liver to recover.

As The Sugar Turns . . .

We have progress. As I said yesterday - baby steps, baby steps!

Last night after three scoops of vanilla ice cream in an attempt to get all her medicine into her, and two vanilla Ensures later, she finally did eat about 8 large cubes of beef, some hamburger meat (raw and cooked), and a few egg noodles. Whoppie! This is good news, for sure.

However, she didn’t eat breakfast again this morning and didn’t get her morning pills. I put them in ice cream again but she wouldn’t eat it. I think she has just given up on breakfast altogether and is going to be a one meal a day dog henceforth. She did drink one Ensure this morning and lots of water with the Greyhound Recharge in it, both last night and this morning so she is getting plenty of hydration in that manner.

I did leave her pills in some hamburger with a few more cubes of beef in a bucket that is hanging in her crate. Kim, my BFF, suggested I use a hanging bucket so that she doesn't sit in the bowl like she did yesterday. That was quite a mess to clean up! Good idea Kim, thanks for the suggestion.

BTW, she absolutely won't let me put pills down her throat. She bucks and thrashes around and cries as if I'm cutting her leg off. I'm afraid one of us will get hurt trying to do this. Two people can do it, but not just me. So, that is why I have to hide her pills in her food. Tomorrow, however, I may put her and me in the spare bathroom, close the door, and not leave until the pills are down her throat. She just has to get them regularly.

I hope she eats some during the day. If not, I feel certain she will eat tonight like she has the last few nights. The morning thing just isn't her cup of tea anymore, or so it seems. But she is eating! Can't ask for much more than that right now, right? And she went squirrel hunting with the girls yesterday afternoon, is running around the yard, and generally, appears to feel good.

I am still encouraged.

Liver for Liver

Well, I picked up Sugar from the vet yesterday. They didn't end up doing any fluids or IVs because she generally looked much better than on Saturday, much less icteric than she was which is exactly what I thought, as well. I could see pinkness to her skin, her belly in particular, and in her ears. So, they just watched her all day, let her drink as much as she wanted, took her out to pee (which she did often), and tried to get her to eat anything, which she did not.

On the way home, I stopped to get some calf liver for her and some smaller turkey necks. She didn't want the turkey neck but she did eat the liver and some raw beef tips. I was very encouraged. I gave her some water with some Greyhound Recharge in it. Greyhound Recharge is a product I have on hand for lure coursing. Specifically - "it rapidly replenishes electrolytes and fluids after travelling and racing. The product lives up to its name in providing a rapid restoration of fluid and vitality. The formulation is specifically matched to the needs of the hard working dog, containing: A. a high potassium to sodium ratio, important for nerve and muscle function. B. citrate salt as a buffering agent and C. Glucose to enhance rapid uptake of electrolytes. Recharge is the only sports drink designed specifically for greyhounds. Recharge has a palatable cheese flavour making it easy for dogs to drink. It comes in a handy, portable pack to administer at events. Combats fluid and electrolyte loss immediately."

She isn't dehydrated but I figure it couldn't hurt. She actually looked much better after her liver meal and after some of the recharge. I'll continue this regime for a few days, until she tires of it which I assure you, she will. She is very picky these days. In fact, she did not eat her liver this morning. I did put the bowl of food in her crate thinking she'll get to it sometime during the day. Baby steps, I say, baby steps!

The good doc doesn't believe this could be attributed to liver cancer because she does respond to the antibiotics and the Denamarin. He is almost ruling out liver failure as well because of the response we get from the medications. He does, however, want to do a test on Friday to rule out Cushings disease. I do not think this is the problem because she doesn't have 3 of the 4 major symptoms, that being - she hasn't had an increase in appetite (actually just the opposite), she doesn't have an abdominal enlargement, and she hasn't had hair loss and thin skin (remember she has grown an awesome coat of hair and well, Greyhounds all have thin skin).

Today I should have a bit more time to get some mackeral, sardines, and perhaps some salmon, as Zan suggested, on my way home from the bus stop. The challenge in all this is 1) getting Sugar to eat, obviously, and 2) keeping the goods away from Lucy and Remi. It's a battle every night but I'm not quite ready to give it up. Sugar is acting fine otherwise and is in good spirits which is all good. Now, to get her eating normally again and gaining a little weight back. She has lost a couple of pounds during this almost two month ordeal. Yes, the first lab results are dated September 6, 2008. Seems like ions ago, I know!

I've been checking the Doggie Cam since arriving at work and I cannot tell if she has eaten any or not. Right now she seems to be sitting in the bowl although I much prefer that she eat it instead! If any of you visit the cam and catch her in the act of eating, please email me! BTW, she's the one in the middle.

So, I'm not sure where we go from here. Oddly enough, her ALT and ALKP numbers are lower than from the initial test we did at the beginning of September and this was before the subcutaneous fluids he did on Saturday. Whoo hoo!

So, with that said, I am encouraged. We trudge on!

Yuck!!

Yep, that's a pretty disgusting sight, isn't it? But to my three girls yesterday, you would have thought I had invented raw turkey necks myself. They devoured them. Sugar was a little slower with hers but she did finish it and started on a second one but then decided she was full, I guess. I've saved it for her for tonight. By the way, she is at the hospital today getting fluids and such, per the docs orders from our visit on Saturday. She did not eat breakfast this morning and still hadn't eaten anything as of about 10:30 a.m. when I called to check on her.

I'm going to get some chicken backs and some sardines or mackeral or tripe and see if she'll eat any of those tonight.

Back to the turkey necks, I had no idea they could eat the whole thing but as I told my friend Heather, I looked one minute and they were steadfast eating away and the next minute the things were gone! That quick! They sure did enjoy them though.

It is said that turkey necks are nature's best toothbrush for dogs and I honestly have to agree. Remi's teeth looked 80% better than they had before the turkey neck. Sugar's too, and Lucy's as well. I will definitely add this to their diet on a weekly basis. Heck, it certainly beats a $300+ dental any ole day!!

Relapse

The Sugarhead has had a relapse. This week it has become increasingly difficult to get her to eat. And that is, eat ANYTHING substantial. She would continue eating her "cookies" and the like, but not her breakfast or dinner. Bits and pieces, but not the whole thing, you know? This morning she even refused to eat her ground rabbit that I had put down for her. If a Greyhound won't eat rabbit, you know something isn't right!

Anyway, as the morning light filtered into the living room, I noticed her belly is yellow again. So, a phone call to the vet and we were there in an hour for more blood tests. Her liver values are very high again, one even being "unregisterable" (not a word, I know) by their in-house machine.

The doc wanted me to hospitalize her for the weekend at the emergency vet for some fluids to flush her system of the toxins so her liver can work normally and not quite so hard. I just can't do a $2,000 vet bill right now so I begged him to let me take her home. He gave her some subcutaneous fluids before we left. We have antibiotics, too and another round of Denamarin.

We'll see how the weekend goes. I'm suppose to take her back Monday a.m. so they can give more fluids.

Again, hope and pray for "pink". She just has to get better!

Hair

Wow, that takes some of you back, huh? I barely remember that tune but have actually been to the musical when it came through Atlanta many moons ago, I believe back in the early 90's. As I recall, it was well worth it, especially the much talked about nude scene at the end. :) I think it has reappeared on Broadway this season as well, so if you're up in NYC, you should check it out!

And you're probably wondering what that has to do with this post? Well, take a gander at Sugar's picture above and then that at the bottom. I'm not sure you can see "it" or not but since Sugar's liver episode, for lack of a better way to say it, she has grown this most beautiful coat of hair. Thick, soft - just beautiful. I don't know what to attribute it to. The vet doesn't have a clue either. I thought it might be from the Denamarin she was on which is really just milk thistle and Sam-e. I really think this is the answer. But I've also had her on some StemEnhance which might also be the attributing factor. I'm not complaining, mind you, as Sugar has always been quite "naked" on her belly and on her neck. Those who know her, know this. But now? Not so much. She has fur on her belly and a full coat of it on her neck and she is filling out elsewhere to the point that even scars are filling in. Awesome, huh?

I am hoping to determine what is making this happen so that I, too, can begin taking it as well. I've always wanted thick hair, down to the ground hair, long beautiful hair! Who knows? I may have found the cure to male pattern baldness!

Sugar Update

Well, I took her back yesterday for another blood test. I just couldn't wait another week! Basically the ALT has stayed the same but the ALKP (Alkaline Phosphatase) actually went down. The doc said this was good improvement, even if the ALT was the same (it takes longer for that one to go down). The ALKP going down was good. I'm suppose to wait a month or so before taking her back for another blood test. I hope I'm able to be patient!

She is definitely feeling better, is pinker, and is eating without any "spiking" of her food. All of which, is definitely a positive improvement from a few weeks ago. I do believe we are on the road to a full recovery!

Sugar Update

This morning we were at the Doctor at 8:30 a.m. for our appointment. They took some of Sugar's blood and intended to test it in-house for the most important liver values. Apparently their machine had not been turned on to "warm-up", so we had to wait on that. Then, her values were higher than the machine registered so they had to dilute the serum to get a reading that they assured me would still be accurate. End result after an hour and a half - the Alkaline Phosphatase is now 2,890 U/L and the ALT (SGPT) came down to 1,266 U/L. The original results done at a lab were:

(BUN) Urea Nitrogen - 22 normal
Albumin - 3.1 normal
Bilirubin - 13.1 mg/dL very high
Alkaline Phosphatase - 2,552 U/L very high
ALT (SGPT) - 1,966 U/L very high
Lymphocytes - 19% normal

So, the Alkaline Phosphatase is higher and the ALT (SGPT) is about 800 points lower, which the good Doc said was "great improvement". I also emailed all of this to Dr. Suzanne Stack (had already sent the first lab results but today sent the new results) and she also said she was "happy" with those results and that the ALT (SGPT) is the"only one they really care about" and the fact that it came down is good news. It has only been a week since the first testing and a week of antibiotics and other medicines. So, I am hopeful. We have a two week supply and are to go back at that time for another testing to see how things are then. Her Doctor suggested perhaps we get an ultrasound done at some point. There is no major hurry to do that, since she is improving.

By no means do I think we are out of the woods yet but the fact that she improved over a week's time is encouraging. To put this into perspective, a normal level of Alkaline Phosphatase would be between 10-150 U/L and the ALT (SGPT) would be between 5-107 U/L. So, you see, she is WAY, WAY over both of those. A normal Bilirubin would be between 0.0-0.4 mg/dL and she is WAY, WAY over that one as well. Most, if not all, of her other blood values are normal.

We will continue the medicines in hopes that she will continue to improve. She appears to feel better every day and is eating as well as can be expected. I have to coax her sometimes but she eats her whole bowl of kibble. She weighed 56 pounds when we first went in for the UTI, then 58 pounds last weekend, and 60 pounds today. I'm happy that she is gaining rather than loosing.

I am encouraged and am hopeful she will pull out of this completely with no ill effects. The Doctor and I discussed what could have caused this to start with and it could be a number of things. He did mention mushrooms in the backyard which is what I was thinking might have caused it. I did see her munching on something a few weeks back as Lucy munched on another pear from the neighbor's tree that "flew" into my backyard. I had assumed Sugar was also munching on the same pear but it could very well have been a mushroom. An ultrasound will show if there are any masses so I do plan to do that in a few weeks.

Again, I am hopeful. Keep praying and "think pink". (yes, she is still jaundiced but not nearly as much and is getting pinker every day)

My Dear Sugar

My dear Sugar is ill. She first had a UTI which we've cleared up and now her liver values are in the thousands. Well, not all but the critical liver values are. She is on some meds and appears to be doing better. She feels better (yes, I asked her this morning) and is eating better. We go back to the doctor Saturday morning for a blood test to see if her values have dropped any. She has been jaundiced but that is slowing easing up as well. I see more pink to her skin, gums, and ears. I've never seen anyone or any dog with jaundice and let me tell you, the skin is most certainly yellow. If you think your dog is ever in this state, check the gums and the ears as well.

Anyway, I just emailed my sister about Sugar and her story. I thought it worth repeating here.

Her story is extraordinary - first being plucked from the side of I-75 scrounging garbage for food, then being fostered by someone with the Henry County Humane Society, then getting attacked by said foster's black lab (which has had a profound affect on Sugar and her hatred for black dogs), then getting picked up by me for fostering, then getting adopted out to a farm family with 5 children (step ladder in ages) and the Mom was pregnant again, then not liking the children because they chased her, then getting into the Emu massacre at said farm, then being returned to SEGA because of dislike of children and said Emu massacre, then being fostered again by me, then being adopted by me, then becoming the #4 Greyhound in lure coursing in 2005 winning numerous trophies and ribbons (we are very proud of her), then getting her own wine label (proud again), then finally to retirement only to get sick! Quiet a story, huh? She is such a sweet one, too. She'll come out of this, I know it!

But if her values haven't improved on Saturday, the next step is an ultrasound and then depending on what that shows, a biopsy, if needed.

I'll keep you posted. Keep Sugar in your thoughts and prayers. She is only 7 and surely has more to do on this earth!

UWO - Unidentified White Object

Okay, I went to work today and left the three girls in their crates, happy and content. I tossed them each a peanut butter cookie, a Zuke's treat, and a marshmallow. May sound like alot but they are all small treats.

I returned home, let the girls out to potty and then proceeded with the usual routine of filling their water bowls and feeding them their dinner. I was putting Lucy's water bowl down when I caught a glimpse of Sugar's side. Here is what I saw! Imagine my surprise! I looked again and still saw this strange white lump protruding from Sugar's side. I knelt down to get a closer look and then it hit me and I started laughing almost hysterically! Yes, it appears that dear Sugar had laid on her marshmallow this morning and it stuck to her . . . ALL day! I can't imagine why she didn't pull it off and eat it. I imagine Lucy was eyeballing it all day just dying to get to it to munch on it - she loves her marshmallows! Anyway, it was definitely a first so I had to take photos and blog about it. Obviously these dogs keep me in stitches!

Postscript - I now cannot get Sugar to eat a marshmallow to save my life. I think she thinks it might attack her again!