Just a quik update on Lady Shasta

Ok - so we have been home for awhile and I have been busy but also on Facebook - should have stopped by here first.
If you want to read what lead to this post, look HERE

Anyway, no xrays were needed after all.  Our vet was examining her - watching Lady Shasta walking and first noticed that Lady Shasta walks pigeon-toed in back so I will be watching this for a few days.  Then when he placed her on the exam table and was examining her spine - pressing on it in different places - she flinched noticeably a couple of times.  So, just like her uncle, Angel Shiloh, she has back problems altho hopefully not as bad as his were. 

We were sent home with a muscle relaxant and pain med - enuf so if/when this happens again then I will be ready.  By the way, now that I think about it, this has happened before with Lady Shasta but I know she did not have this bad of an episode and it lasted for maybe a day or 2 at the most with no change in appetite.  Speaking of appetite - sis stopped on our way home for our happy hour drinks at Sonic and I also picked up a plain hamburger to hide Lady Shasta's meds in.   When we got home I let her out first but then a bit later when she came in, VERY interested in what I was doing as I unwrapped the hamburger.  She was very eager to sample the hamburger - first without the meds then with the meds hidden in it.  Then she snarffed down the breakfast I had saved for her then drank her normal amount of water.  She also ate a couple bites of sweet potato.  Later she ate a bit more for a late dinner.  I would say her appetite is back to normal which I am ecstatic about.  She is still on restricted exercise - definitely no jumping on furniture or using stairs.
I had planned on going to the dog park - she needs to be with other dogs more and had even thought about giving her a few hours at the doggy daycare at least once a week HOWEVER that is all on hold at least for a few days - don't want her around other dogs who could be a little rowdy for a few days.  We will slowly build up time spent in the bakyard and on walks.

I will also be researching senior diets dog kibble - the vet recommended I put her on one soon.  The joint supplement is covered.

Ok - starting to ramble just to here/read myself talking so will stop for now.  Lady Shasta's emergency need for POTP is over 
however she is not totally out of the woods yet but hopefully will start improving more and more each day.  So if there is such a thing as maintenance POTP and prayers - maybe she could get some of that please?
Mom Kim

Update on Lord Shiloh

Mom Kim here - I was really hoping that I could tell you all that Lord Shiloh's ringworm was just about all cleared up....................

HOWEVER - that would be a lie.  If anything it may have rallied itself (the ringworm) and has now spread further - it is now on the inside of his back legs, around his tail and there are small lesions on the outside of his backlegs and also all over his tummy.  I still have not heard back from the vet we usually have gone to - in fact when I called him to ask about the test results, he reminded me that he would call me when they came in.

At least me and Lady Shasta are still showing NO lesions.

There is something else I'm not sure I have mentioned before.  Lord Shiloh also has a movable lump under his chin - sort of where his head joins his neck.  He still eats altho not with his usual Beagle gusto - he is drinking good and pottying good.  Last time we were at this same vet - the vet looked at it, moved it around but said he would biopsy that later because he didn't have time right then.

I have been a bit dissatisfied for some time with this vet (I know I have posted about it before).  Oh, and after that initial 10-day course of antibiotics was done, I mentioned continuing them or some anti-fungal - this was a no go since the vet said not needed.

Soooooo....
What now?  We have an appointment with a different vet this afternoon.  I have already been told that he will want to do a full exam and likely a skin culture.  I also mentioned that lump and it will likely get checked out too.  I will try to do an update later today.

Please keep my little man in your thoughts and prayers and send some POTP.

Sepia Saturday with a Lord Shiloh Update

Team Beaglebratz with Mom Kim at the helm today is 

going to join in on the 

Sepia Saturday Blog Hop 

hosted by 

Ruckus the Eskie and Earl's World 

(this picture of me and Lord Shiloh was taken a couple of years ago then sepia-nized last year)

It would appear that Lord Shiloh may have turned the corner to healing of his 

possible ringworm infection.

For those who have not had a chance to read 

my previous post-

LOOK HERE!

It was first "diagnosed" about 12 days ago.

I did take him back to the vet for a skin culture of one of the lesions but the results won't be back for about 2 weeks.

However the open lesions do appear to be drying up and the 

skin and hair starting to cover the lesions.

Now we just wait and see what happens next I guess. 

Oh and before I go off and forget this-

I really was overwhelmed with all the 

POTP and prayers that 

Lord Shiloh and Lady Shasta 

and me too, received from all of YOU!

By the way, it would appear that

Team Beaglebratz

has some kind of 

announcement they will make come 

this MONDAY, 2/8/16.

Nope - don't try to bribe me -

can't give you any kind of a hint either.

I can tell you that no - it does NOT include the 

addition of another Beaglebratz altho I sure wish it did.

 You all will just have to come back this Monday.

A bit more update – good and not so good

Mom Kim here – not a lot of time to post lately and the Beaglebratz are NOT happy about that.

 First - I MUST give a HUGE thanks to Ann from Zoolatry  for such a beautiful and festive header/background- 
I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!! 

Did have an appointment with my cornea specialist -  the good was that my vision had improved a bit which I knew since I am back at work.  HOWEVER, the not so good part is that it looks like I now have my 3^rd Fungal infection in that eye;  There is still good news in that this infection has just started – the signs are there and I am already being treated for this infection so HOPEFULLY and I pray that it doesn’t get any worse.  The pharmacy had to order the anti-fungal eyedrop I need but it will be here tomorrow; it will mess up my vision altho to what extent I don’t know for sure since it was caught so quickly.  I am also on an anti-fungal pill (already had one) so like I said, since it was caught sooner than the other two -  it hasn’t fully developed yet – maybe I won’t even miss any work.

So that is about all I know for now - the Beaglebratz have been getting A LOR of Christmas cards and I have gotten a couple - wonder why so many for them and not so many for me?  Oh- to Denny and Riley - they got your box in the mail and theirs will go out this weekend (maybe sooner).  Our Christmas cards will be going out this weekend I hope - at least some of them.

Ok - gotta end this for now - Shiloh an'Diva Shasta do miss you all and will be back as soon as possible.

PLEASE SEND MORE POTP,  PRAYERS n'PURRAYERS!

Mom Kim

PS - The Beaglebratz are doing well by the way.  Feeling good that Shiloh has slept in bed with me'n Diva Shasta the last couple of nights after sleeping on his blanket on the floor for several months.  He won't let me help him get up and kinda hesitates at first but then up he goes.  It put a smile on my face AND heart.  Maybe that supplement he is on is helping him more than I realized - I knew he has been moving and running more easily but this was a new development.

NOTICE!! NOTICE! We are still around HOWEVER...(and an update)

Mom Kim here-

Let me do a bit of a recap of this past week-

MONDAY(3/31) - Diva's Bailie (Westie cuzin) and Shasta both had their dental work done - Diva Bailie came out better with NO teeth left behind at the vet's while Diva Shasta left one.  Otherwise, Diva Shasta is doing fine and eating as always.
TUESDAY - the workday was nothing different however
sis picked me up after work then went to my place 
where in less than a half hour both Shiloh'n Diva Shasta went out then came back in to eat then back out again.  After they came back in, sis and I left for Winchester, KS where my Aunt Elaine and Uncle David lived.  My aunt Elaine had been in failing health for the past few-  months - we had been told that it was now only
 a matter of hours before she passed.    When we got 
there many of their children were home now as well as 2 of Elaine's sisters. 
WEDNESDAY - Usual workday again except for one thing - my sis called me after she got a phone call that even though we knew it was coming, we all still kept hoping and praying for a miracle - it still seems so unbelievable
when our Uncle David called to tell us that our Aunt Elaine had died a short time earlier. 
Also in the afternoon on this day, I had an eye doctor appointment - we tend to JUMP and get to the eye 
doctor almost as soon as I notice any worsening of my eye condition (for anyone new here, I am blind in my left eye so when something changes in my remaining vision then I get to my eye doctor ASAP)   And yes, things had indeed changed for the worse.  Exactly how worse will be determined when I see my cornea specialist NEXT Tuesday, 4/8.  I do know that my visual acuity this past Frday was basically 20/70 - now I am reading about the level of legal blindness but since that is my DISTANT vision, it doesn't affect my ability to work - at least not much at all.  This problem is by no means new and I have a few blog posts about it - especially since late January of 2010.
Ok - now AFTER my appointment we headed to Rossville, KS where my Aunt Eloise resides in the local nursing facility there.  After my sis and I visited with our Aunt Eloise for a while, reminisced about her husband (our Ucle Harry) we returned home.
 THURSDAY - usual workday.  The Beaglebratz loveds that I was home with them all evening - found out that the visitation for my Aunt Elaine will be Friday (4/4)
 evening with the funeral Saturday afternoon - in other
words, won't be around much at all until possibly Sunday (4/6).

On another note -  I had been tninking about this then when I had a comment on the post about requesting POTP for Diva's Shasta and Westie cuzin Bailie - 

about making Diva Bailie an Honorary Blogville member - she does visit here sometimes and Shiloh'n Diva Shasta visit there too

SO BLOGVILLE, WHADDYA THINK????

Diva Shasta & Shiloh with 

Diva Bailie, their Westie cuzin

Quick update on Diva Shasta

I was able to get Diva Shasta into the dogtor Tuesday evening 

after work which was a good thing.  She did have an abscessed anal 

gland and it had ruptured sometime during the day on Tueday while I 

was at work.  She is now on antibiotics and at times already acts better 

and is eating better and even played a bit earlier Wednesday evening .  

I hope this will be the ONLY time she (and me) have to deal with this - I 

could tell by her behavior that she was in a lot of pain.


Now for not so quick explanation of my "house malfunction".  A few months

ago, the handle on my backdoor came off and even tho it was still 

usable when the handle was on the door - I could get the door open 

lock it, however the handle would VERY OFTEN fall off. Then early last 

week, I was going to let the dogs out before we went to bed - I lifted 

 up  on the handle to turn the latch which would unlock the deadbolt 

HOWEVER instead of unlocking the deadbolt, the latch kept turning 

around and around and the door remained tightly locked shut - and 

this door is the ONLY way out to the fenced backyard.  So my sis went

to the hardware store to see what could be done - the door was

Andersen which I had installed a few years back and the place that

installed it had gone out of business - the hardware store didn't have

what my sis needed to fix the door.  However they did have a phone

number for her to contact for the parts she needed for that brand of

door.  Now to shorten this story a bit - sis had to order the parts and

they finally came in about 6 days later and my sis was able to fix it that

day.  Now you ask - so how does that interfere with posting - well, since

that IS the ONLY door to the  fenced backyard -I was getting up at

4:30am during the week so that I could take EACH dog SEPARATELY

out the front door, around, the house and thru the gate to the bakyard - .
this would not usually be such a big deal EXCEPT this routine was done 

BEFORE AND AFTER they ate and I was still getting ready to leave for 

work by 7am.  Plus this was when we were having those frigid temps

and snow/ice.  Then when I got home from work, that routine was 

again repeated - before and after dinner plus at least once before bed - 

more often twice.

Well, that was an ordeal to me  HOWEVER  like I said, my sis was able 

to fix it and I now have a new appreciation for a good working bakdoor 

as well as my sis being able to fix it. 

Still not sure about more time to post - seems like when me and the 

Beaglebratz get ready to do a post - something interferes - like life.  

And March is Shiloh's barkday month so gotta git bizy on sumting here 

and there.  Ok - MY dinner time - the Beaglebratz have already eaten.

Mom Kim
 

Yes - this IS an update - FINALLY!

By the end of  this workweek we will be moving into NOVEMBER!   It doesn’t seem possible.  I thought I needed  to  give you all a some kind of an update.

For the time being and hopefully for the next 2 – 3 months at least, my vision has improved enough that I am back, and stay there, to work – last week was my first week for a few weeks where I have actually been able to get in a full 5 day work week, 8 hrs each day – not even a doc appt (that came this past Saturday only because the bandage contact lens I was wearing came out and I can’t put it back in) .  Since 9/23/13, when I had outpatient surgery to remove the basal cell carcinoma (clean margins) from the bridge of my nose (same side as eye with problems), I have had an increase in my vision problems – the surgeon had assured me that would not happen but that was BEFORE he knew how deep  the bcc had gone (to the bone) which warranted a change in how he did the graft which pulled down on my lower eyelid which exposed the eye to even more problems.  Even tho no new additional eye problems were anticipated as a result of the bcc surgery – it is amazing how my vision has improved as that surgical site has healed and once again my lower eyelid is getting, not just back to the way it was before all this but maybe a little better.

Ok – so now I am waiting for my next go-round of eye procedures which is scheduled for 1/21/14 in Overland Park, Kansas then a follow-up appointment the NEXT day – also in O.P.
That will be  when my eye specialist will take stem cells from my left (non-functioning but otherwise healthy) eye and transplant them onto my RIGHT eye in hopes of improving the health of my R eye.  Then he will cover that with a couple layers of amniotic stem cells to add extra protection/healing which will just about do away with any vision for a few days until the healing process takes hold - I AM NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS PART!

Anyway, better get this posted before much more time passes.  Shiloh'n Diva Shasta are well - eating, going out and then coming in - a few times, napping as much as they can along with the occasional tussle then sharing the bed with me - I thought I had a full size bed but usually I MIGHT get 10 inches of it. Right now at night they are outside, doing a howling good job of keeping the backyard critter free.  Guess I best get them in before they wake up the neighborhood.

Trying a quick update

FINALLY had a doc appointment with my specialist today - first one in a month and the next one is 3 months off and my local eye doc in a month.  Anyway it was some good and some was not really a surprise and no worse than before but no better.

First the good - vision is now improved to mostly
20/80 which means vision has improved a bit more than it was last month - not much but it is at least an improvement.  I am also going to try to return to work next Monday - 7/2/13 altho not sure if all day or half.

Now for the part that is no worse but no better and what I am not surprised at all. After my eye/vision (rite eye - only eye with vision)  messed up this past March, my specialist did a stem cell transplant using donated stem cells in an attempt to improve the condition of my eye - the procedure went ok however the plan did 
not - no improvement at all in the condition of my eye.   So altho I do plan on returning to work next week - how long it lasts is questionable.  I am planning to work as long as possible or 
3 - 5 years  - whichever comes first.  Eventually my specialist wants to do another stem cell transplant however at that time, he plans on using stem cells from my own left eye which is perfectly healthy - just can't see out of it.  He believes since it would be my own tissue that there would be a better chance of it having a positive outcome.  After that is totally healed and working - 3 to 6 months - then if needed he would do another cornea transplant - first try a donated cornea but if that didn't work after time, my own cornea from my healthy but non-functioning left eye.

Ok mom, now lettus Beaglebratz take over fer a bit.  Sorry y'all - we know - kinda borin'ho-hum stuff BUTT mom INSISTED az in STOLE the 'puter frum us so we thought it best tue LET her post a bit - hope u cood all keep your eyeballz open.  Anywayz, we hope the next post will b frum us.  Til then - hope all iz well in your nek of the woodz.

 

Thankful Thursday - Another late & quick update

Kinda good and not so good report after seeing my eye specialist a couple days ago.  

Good - my vision has improved a bit more from last week; last week it was 20/250 AND this week it is between 20/100 and 20/150.
Not so good - I kinda knew this but I was hoping it might have changed; my specialist could not say whether or not my vision would improve or how much more if it did - he was hopeful it would.
Also not so good - my specialist still has a couple more procedures to try if needed HOWEVER they are around a minimum of 3 months away.

Now since I am not working that means no income - I have money for dog food and some treats but that is about it and current bills are taken care of for the next few months but any possible additional expenses will have to be avoided.  And the issue of disability retirement is still a possibility altho I REALLY don't want that - not so much due to my visual acuity but because my vision can change substantially within a few hours.

Otherwise, we are doing fine - the Beaglebratz had a rousing game of tussle in the livingroom earlier this evening  which I ALWAYS love to watch.  And last evening, my nephew was over and removed an old ugly bush in the backyard - some of the brush is stacked up against the fence which gives the Beaglebratz another place to search for critters. 
Shiloh still lets me know when I am at the computer and he "needs" to be fed and as you saw in a pic from yesterday, Diva Shasta is still carrying her toy as she trots around the house (indoors) to let me know she NEEDS outside, NOW!   Since our weather is trying to decide (for the 3rd or 4th straight nite) whether or not to storm and cut power, I think I will go while the gettin'is good.

~Mom Kim~

 ps-A few more pics from the past few months-

 Diva Shasta

More and more tussles.

Shiloh is ready for bed - where is Diva Shasta?

Oh - there's the Diva Shasta - already snoozin'.

Another short update

Well, slowly but surely my vision continues to improve and Diva Shasta is improving too - maybe a little faster.

I had an appointment with my specialist this past Tuesday - he was really pleased with how my eye looked and I was able to read the 20/300 line on the chart which was a big improvement from the week before when I was doing good to see outlines of people barely a foot or two in front of me.  I can tell that my vision is improving a bit day to day - was able to make out a small coin I had dropped on the floor of the kitchen which is a lite-colored  linoleum - the coin turned out to be a penny.  Next appointment is next Wednesday at which time I am hoping  and praying for another big improvement so I can get back to work - will soon be out of leave and income.

Diva Shasta is doing several things which put a lot of smiles on my face.  For over 2 weeks, her and Shiloh had NOT played tug or raced around the living room - until the past couple of days.  She is dancing for me again, playing tug with me, willingly doing her tricks for me, bouncing up the stairs and loudly complains when I don't get her food bowl sat down in front of her fast enough.  I think part of the meal time excitement is due to changing foods - I really thought what I had been feeding the Beaglebratz was really good (and it is) and they really liked it.  However, everytime I did a taste test with them - new in one hand and old in the other - after sniffing both really thorough, both of them would choose the new first  (Diva Shasta tries to help herself to the bag).  Something she is NOT doing that she had been and when she did it, it really made me feel like the worst dog-mom ever - it has probably been almost a week since I last heard her whine or yelp.

Ok - need to let you all know that none of us will be around for a few days - no updates or nothing.  I have family stuff to deal with as well as a nephew who is getting married.  May not be back til after my next doctor appointment. 

So hope all is well and I really miss not being able to visit all of your blogs - as well as the Beaglebratz miss their furrends.  May have to have a big blow-out party when we FINALLY  get back.  Rite now I need to go join the Beaglebratz for a decent nite's sleep.

   Mom Kim, Shiloh'n Diva Shasta

Just stopping in for a second

Ok - not sure how this will turn out but wanted to stop by for a couple minutes.
My vision is improving SLOWLY but a little bit more everyday.  It is driving me KERAZY not being able to stop in more.  I know the Beaglebratz miss their furrends and friends.
Diva Shasta still has a moment or so when I will touch her a certain way or she moves a certain way and she whines or yelps BUT otherwise is doing well - eating and potty good, runs and chases after Shiloh when he sees something that is not right according to him.  If I am not feeding her fast enough - she lets me know.  She is getting her Duralactin twice a day (I have written about this before so maybe it can be found in another post if you want to read why I use it)  Both her and Shiloh will be going to the vet this next Friday for a vacation
so I will talk to the vet this week if she is still yelping.

 Have already stopped by my Facebook page so better stop and rest my eye.   We all will be bak when we can.
Mom Kim 

WHAT GIvES - a note frum Shiloh

Furst of all- Iz our mom'z vizion better?  Well

yes and no - her vizion iz not az good az 

yestaday BUTT we Beaglebratz did hear her tell 

aunt sis it iz better than this mornin'AN'the 

doctor sed it iz NOT az red az it wuz yestaday, 

so go figure - 'nuther doc appointment 

tue-morrow.  (Now if sumone iz readin'this 

an'don't know what I iz talkin'boutz then c our

3nd post frum yestaday - mom posted it)

Now fur the WHAT GIVEZ  - earlier tue-day our

doorbell rang - we Beaglebratz LOVE when the 

doorbell ringz.  So mom openz the door an'NO ONE

wuz there BUTT there WUZ a BOX - a box frum our

friendz at Chewy.com -come'on mom, u know when 

a box iz frum them then we Beaglebratz git toe 

open it. BUTT she sed NO this time then opened 

it an'took a bag of our fav'rite food out. 

THEN U WILL NEVER GUESS WHAT SHE DID!!!  We

Beaglebratz cood tell that the box WUZ NOT 

EMPTY!!!  Then mom picked up that box an'took it

DOWNSTAIRZ!  I(me Shiloh) don't go DOWNSTAIRZ'N

mom KNOWZ I don't go DOWNSTAIRZ!  THEN, a bit 

later, mom comez in frum gittin'the mail'n

she haz on of them BIG mailer-envelopez.  I sed

Now MOOOOOOOM - u KNOWWWWW, u KNOW that iz 

probably fur me or it mite b fur Diva Shasta 

butt I doubt it.  Due u KNOW what she DID with 

big mailer envelope?  Yepperz - FURRY MOST DARN

RITE SHE DID - DOWNSTAIRZ SHE WENT WITH IT!!!

Oh by the way, mom did give me a hint kind of 

'boutz sumthin'that wuz in the box - she sed she

got the idea frum sumthin'Goose told us 

all'boutz.  Hmmmmmm I will haf tue think'boutz 

that.  BUTT, b-4 I can think'boutz it much - 

almost time fur bed an'I NEED sleep tue due my

best thinkin'.

 ~SHILOH~