out and about – Special Dogs with Big Hearts

The Best Words Ever

Today Cora went to see the neurologist. I was struck by the difference in her as we calmly walked inside this big and busy building. She isn’t the same pup who went to her first few vet visits, not able to walk much at all and barking and stressed the whole time. She did get scared when I took her to the bathroom with me. I don’t blame her, bathrooms are noisy places and the door made this odd groaning noise. Instead of falling over and erupting into barking she let me pick her up, hold her and comfort her.

Then we met with the neurologist who assessed her thoroughly. I watched my vet assess Cora and saw her left front and back leg have abnormal reactions. This time, only her front left leg had problems. I was amazed when I saw this. Until the very end Cora coped with the exam well. Then she had a meltdown. The neurologist took it in stride and is not convinced it’s neurological. Like me, he understands that the world is a hard place for a blind, 3-legged puppy with coordination problems. It would be understandable for her to have behavioral issues, and she started as a stray, fighting for her survival.

He doesn’t believe anything degenerative is going on!!

Yes, she has coordination problems and her brain isn’t wired right, but WOO HOO!!!! So, her official diagnosis is “Possible differentials include congenital malformation of the brain, trauma to the brain including hypoxia or structural trauma, toxins, nutritional development problems and less likely neoplasia, encephalitis or parasitism.” Whew, did you get all that? So basically, something bad happened to her in the womb, at birth or shortly after that affected her development.

Ok, he can’t say without doubt it’s not degenerative since we didn’t get an mri, but it seems pretty unlikely. If she starts to have more issues, we can try to treat for some of the degenerative issues and see if she improves or go and get an mri. So he gave me lots of options and hope.

He thinks physical rehabilitation will help a lot and gave me exercises to do with her and all sorts of information and contacts. He also gave me information on a behaviorist who deals with special needs dogs. He wants me to keep in touch and seemed really positive. I’m almost giddy.

To celebrate we met up with a friend and took Cora to the beach. It was her first visit and the sound of waves and the trains were a bit scary but she really wanted to explore. It’s the longest walk she’s ever taken and she had to deal with beach rocks, soft sand and obstacles so she was definitely experiencing new challenges. She did have this strange desire to eat the sand at first but then all puppies do strange things. And that’s the great thing. Cora is a puppy. She has lots of opportunities to grow and learn and have a full life.

A Quick Update

Thank you everyone for your supportive comments. Cora and Floyd and life are keeping me busy and when I have some down time I’m using it to hunker down and breath so I’ll have the strength to be in it for the long haul for Cora. I try to keep things positive, but it’s rough going a fair bit of the time.

However there are so many bright spots. All I have do is run the shower or bath to see the happy side of Cora and get some laughs. She loves the shower and bath and immediately charges towards the bathroom. Cora has been out in her new stroller, played on the farm and had her first visit to the lake. Much fun was had.

Cinnamon-says-hello — Friend Cinnamon says “hello” and wants Cora to come out of the stroller and play

Cora-trying-to-run — Cora is trying to run

teapot-pose — Sometimes running results in the tea-pot pose.

There’s a few more photos on Cora’s facebook page

The Stroller has Arrived

fezz checking out coras stroller — Fezz was curious and willing to explore the stroller.

Floyd was frightened of the stroller and retreated to the couch to watch closely.

cora snoozes — Cora slept through the initial excitement

cora in the cart — Finally she woke up, so I put her in the stroller. She was ok with movement but then she had a meltdown because she was having troubles finding the cheese. It is not easy to get a melting down Cora out of the stroller.

The idea is that Cora will be able to get more places if she can ride in style. That it will be less stress for her and I. I’m not sure it’s going to work like I hoped but I guess we will see.

PS- Cora now has her own faebook page. The cats are jealous. Floyd says he doesn’t want a stupid facebook page.

To Be Blunt

Not all stories have happy endings. I’m having troubles moving past this beginning, but there is more to say. Years ago, when I realized how severe Schmoozer’s epilepsy was and how poorly he tolerated his medications, I tried to make peace with fighting a battle we couldn’t win. I tried to give him the best possible life he could have. It was hard 4.5 year journey and I don’t regret it. Now, I’m afraid I’m starting a similar journey.

Enjoying the Sun - Cora's First Visit to the Farm — Enjoying the Sun – Cora’s First Visit to the Farm

I received Cora’s early medical records a few days after adopting her and there was this sentence that I couldn’t ignore “multiple congenital defects”. I mentally filed that phrase away. It did no good to worry about it, so I figured I would deal with it if and when it mattered. A few weeks ago, it began to matter. Her walking wasn’t improving much and there were so many things she struggled with. When stressed, her ability to cope with anything decreased dramatically. She can become a snarling, snapping dog, unable to move.

When I was trying to decide what my next step would be, I debated between going to a neurologist or a physical therapist. Neurology is hard to fix (and expensive), so I took her to a canine rehabilitation specialist with a mix of dread and hope. He said he’d never seen a dog quite like Cora and asked if he could observe her for a few hours and consult with the orthopedic veterinarian. I didn’t like leaving there, but I said yes. When they called me to pick her up, they said the vet wanted to talk to me and I knew.

Cora meets Cinnamon, Floyd's "Girlfriend", at the farm. — Cora Meets Cinnamon, Floyd’s “Girlfriend” – Cinnamon’s Farm.

He spent a lot of time saying “To be blunt…” and then telling me just how impaired and hopeless she is. He told me I had to make my own decisions but mentioned euthanasia multiple times. I understand that he saw her at her worst and wanted to prepare me for the worst. Cora and I went home and she was defensive and unhappy that night. I was too. The visit was traumatic for both of us.

By the next day she had recovered. She spent time playing in the yard and insisted on taking a bath with me. She loved it. To be blunt, I think the vet was a bit of an ass. Telling me she had severe mental deficits was the responsible thing to do, but after that he was out of his area of expertise. He made a judgement on her quality of life, without knowing her. I am not giving up on my determined Cora.

Cora makes a new friend (a day at the farm) — Cora Makes a New Friend at the Farm)

I’ve done my research and it scares me. Bind, 3-legged and brain damaged is a lot for her and I to deal with. I suspect she has hydrocephalus and fear her time will be very short. I know that’s grim, but I need to think in those terms. I need to be ready to let her go, when it’s time. I can, and will, still hope though. Wouldn’t it be great if 5 years from now Cora and I paid a visit to that vet? There is treatment for hydrocephalus. It’s not a cure, but it can help. Next week, I see my regular veterinarian, and we will explore the possibilities. I’m going to nurture Cora as if she doesn’t have a lot of time left, but her life is full of potential. It’s a hard balance, but I have done it before. I will give her every opportunity for growth possible and she will give me the gift of sharing time with her strong spirit.

This is Not an Emergency

Cora and I are both learning about balance. One of the tricky things we are learning is how far we can go. Cora gets tired and overwhelmed and actually, so do I. When the animal behaviorist talked about the puppy socialization period, it felt urgent to get her out into the world. Getting into the car, we’d go out and explore for a few days. Going to work, play time, the pet store – there were just so many experiences to have. Then Cora’s Jekyll would appear. Snarling, snapping, refusing to walk, Cora would make it clear she had had ENOUGH. I may not know how to listen, to myself, but Cora’s message as loud and clear.

Truth is, my own life has had way too much going on. Here I am trying to force Cora forward in life and I felt like snarling and snapping myself. A very wise woman keeps reminding me that most things aren’t emergencies. It’s taken me a bit to understand the wisdom of this. Cora may help me, because she makes it very clear when it’s time to slow down.

I don’t think it was wrong to pack a lot of socialization into a short time period. The change in Cora is wonderful. She’s learning to handle herself in a lot of situations. She doesn’t respond with panic and anger when she goes some place new. We’ve taken some metaphorical spills and learned about pacing.

This week, Cora has stayed home. She’s still learning and exploring. We may have missed some important opportunities to meet dogs and people during the socialization stage. We may have also gained some valuable time. Time for her and I to bond. In this world we all rush out to do things. I’m especially amazed at today’s children, with all their activities. I know there’s value in that, but I have always believe unstructured moments can be gifts. Sitting on the floor with Cora and playing has been amazing. I know her so much better now. I know when she’s snarling and fierce sounding and it’s all in play and when she’s letting me and Floyd know to back off. I know she loves the shower and she doesn’t like tug-of-war.

Today, Floyd, Cora and I headed out to play. It was a good day and full of that valuable socialization. It was clear, that the break from interacting with others had done Cora no harm. I’ll write more about that, with lots of pictures, soon. But for now, I’m going to take the time to enjoy the stability of where I am right now: home with the critters I love.

Getting Out in the World

Cora is a tired pup. Friday, she met the animal behaviorist who stressed the importance of socialization and Saturday we got busy. We’ve gone to a puppy meet-up, a park, hung out a work, the vet and the pet store. She’s met dogs and humans of the adult and child variety. She’s heard all sorts of sounds, gotten drenched in the smell of the pet store and found puddles to play in. Cora is becoming a puppy!

It’s amazing how small things can have such great impact. Seeing her wag her tail, for something besides dog food was great. When she wagged her tail for me, this fierce human, got rather mushy. Watching her walk towards people, wanting to say “hi” is exciting and hopeful. She’s not effusive. She’s still a Darned Independent Woman, but her world is broadening rapidly.

When we arrive some place new, she’s a bit loud and grumpy. To be honest, I feel that way too sometimes. New places can be hard for us quirky humans and we have a lot more control over our environment. Cora takes a few minutes but then she settles down. She doesn’t go charging about like a lot of puppies do, but she’s taking everything in through her ears and nose.

She’s gained a pound, some confidence and stronger legs since coming home. I’m gaining too. There’s a Jewish blessing for “strange creatures”. I’m not going to get all spiritual, but I believe there’s a sort of magic in opening ourselves to those that are so different. Today Cora met a big, gentle dog at the vet’s office. After a few moments of getting to know each other, she leaned her body against this big-hearted soul. Would that have happened, or been so powerful, if Cora wasn’t who she was? Cora is getting out in the world and she will leave her mark.