Saturday, October 31, 2009

The Patient

Gracie is still in Dallas at the Veterinary Surgical Center. She has regained a bit of function in the left hind leg and some feeling in the right. Obviously she can not walk.


Poor thing, can't even wag her tail. She is always a big tail-wagger. Still she might come home on Monday. I hope so.


Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Gracie's Very Bad Day


Gracie had a very bad day. Gracie is at the Dallas Veterinary Surgery Center, rather than snoozing here by my computer.

I was playing with Gracie and the other dogs this morning on our agility equipment. Gracie took 2 jumps, powered through the weave poles, and began dragging her right back leg, then the left as well.

I got her to the vet and she sent us to Dallas Vet Surgical Center, where Gracie will remain for a few days. The myleogram of her spine was normal, so it is not a ruptured disk, no surgery required. The suspected diagnosis is a fibrocartilaginous embolism (FCE). An FCE is like a stroke of the spinal cord. Apparently some disc material enters an artery causing an obstruction of the blood flow to the spine. A piece of the spine dies. Lots of dogs recover from an FCE, some don't. It is a painless injury. The good news is that the left leg still has a reflex response as well as feeling. Although there is no reflex response in the right leg, it does appear she still has some feeling - which is good. Hopefully Gracie will be able to walk again one day.

P.S. For those of my friends and relatives who can not believe I would go to this much trouble and expense for a dog (you know who you are), look at it this way - just doing my part to stimulate the economy... Love you!

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Satan's Child

Here she is just chillin' with the dachshund, so calm and sweet...


Hard to believe...

She's off the team
Suspended with pay
Out of the game

Our girl was a big bully last week at agility class
Come to think of it, she's been kind of sassy lately...


Object of Her Desire

She really wants these Oscar the Grouch house shoes. Problem is they are a "leave it" and they are on a high shelf...



Maybe not so much of a problem...


Got 'em. Now get out of my way...