I had to put Jacques down on January 4th. I'm just now getting around to posting this because the heartbreak is still as fresh as the day it happened, my bottom lip is already quivering. He was taken to four different doctors in three different states and was ultimately taken to Auburn where he was diagnosed with severe bilateral hydrocephalus. I refused to allow invasive brain surgery on a dog who had barely had time to experience life yet and we put him on an intense drug plan to reduce the production of cerebrospinal fluid in his brain. In the span of half a month, he couldn't see, walk or hear, and couldn't eat without assistance, his food having to be liquidated. I've dreamed of owning this dog for four years, I researched and saved for two. In the end, I could have bought 4 cavaliers for the money I spent trying to keep my precious puppy alive, and the emotional toll, I think you can imagine. It's only our nature to want to blame someone. I don't want to blame the breeder and have made a conscious decision to believe her when she says she has had no prior experience with the condition, but these tragedies are a result of bad breeding, fair and simple. Altering nature's course for 'covetable traits' such as small ornate skulls, abbreviated muzzles and mapped-out coat patters is only going to result in the case I present to you today, and it adversely affects everyone. I'm keeping the blog up in hopes that someone someday might be educated and warned, whether it be a dog owner, someone looking to adopt or purchase, or someone in a similar situation. I'm far from swearing off dogs but I can't say when I'll be ready to unpack Jacques' things and decide what will be handed down to the next puppy. Please please please please be careful in your choices, do your homework and exhaust all resources before making any decisions. Grill your breeders, make them uncomfortable if you have to. I wish no one had to experience what I have, but I know its inevitable so I pray for those who do and who have. Feel free to email or comment.

All warmth,

Katy

vote 4 jacques

Attempting to get J into Modern Dog Magazine (along with this blog and a numerous assortment of other frivolous things) is apparently what happens when you only take 6 hours in a semester..

-click the pic-

(like anyone actually reads this thing. i can pretend though.)

finally home

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something else to look forward to

In addition to Jacques coming home, I'm looking forward to my friend Charlotte getting her Newfoundland puppy Abbey! She's going to be HUGE. Their play dates are going to be entertaining to say the least.

jacques almost died yesterday

No, I'm not kidding. This is a story about how you never rely on a first opinion. Seek out a second, third, fourth..however many it takes for the diagnoses to coordinate with your instincts.

Like I mentioned earlier, Jacques was diagnosed with coccidia last Wednesday and prescribed 6 cc's daily of Albon. It wasn't until Sunday that he was actually acting like a real dog, but that didn't last long. Monday was when the drooling started; we're talking lengthy reflective bulldog spit that became a permanent garland under his muzzle. Tuesday was when the aimless pacing started. And Wednesday was when it all crescendoed into a nightmare: drooling, circling, crying, eyes wandering and glazed over, goose-stepping (high, incremental steps), toddling, running into things; you name it, he had it (except diarrhea and vomiting, of course). My immediate thoughts were this: poisoning, bloat or (my worst nightmare) a neurological disorder. I rushed him to the vet where they did an incomplete blood test (because he was SQUIRMING - yea, that was her excuse) and fecal matter test and delivered a seemingly impulsive theory that Little J had a neurological problem, namely hydrocephalus. Literally, the third sentence out of this professional's mouth was: "What's your breeders exchange policy?"

After having an emotional typhoon in the waiting room, they said they'd set me up an appointment with MedVet in Memphis for the morning and I took him home. J looked like he was flat-lining. I tried to feed him watered-down baby food, chicken broth, Pedialyte, sugar water - his jaw was locked and his body was limp in my arms. I didn't sleep at all because he was waking hourly as if someone had set off a bull horn in his ear - crying, yapping and straining to get away, all lasting for 20 seconds then he'd pass out again. That night I called 2 emergency vet lines and made another appointment in Starkville, MS (where my bill would run to $900 before the day was over). I woke up at 7 AM and got in the car heading south and decided to first take him to a vet in Jackson that was highly-referred, and thank the good Lord that he led me to that choice that early in the morning. I cried the entire way, having visions of putting this 10-wk-old down, wondering what his quality of life would be like if he did in fact have a debilitating mental condition...it was awful, I don't even want to recall it.

It took Dr. Mike 30 min. to figure out that Jacques had an extremely low red blood cell count, indicating that he was having an adverse reaction to the sulfur in the Albon, NOT a neurological disorder. I almost fainted with relief.

Nonetheless, the vet said J was 50/50 on survival rate when I brought him in. He is still at the hospital, hooked up to an IV and receiving steroid treatments to reduce the inflammation in his brain. After spending the night last night they want to keep him longer for observation, but they think he should be OK. He's now 75/25.

Trust your doctors people, and more importantly, trust your instincts. Always believe in the power of prayer.

I'll keep you posted.

have you ever?..

BARKING/WHINING WHILE EATING

I asked the vet, he had never heard of it.

all my friends that have witnessed it don't have a clue.

The breeder didn't know what I was talking about.

I've never seen anything like it. I've tried moving the bowl to a different location, changing the food, changing the bowls (after 5 different ones, i settled on cutting the bottom out of plastic cups b/c I figured his other ones were too big). I don't know if the kibble is hurting his teeth but he does this when he's eating soft food too! I'm out of ideas. Let me know if you have any to contribute.

- btw this is an extremely tame version of what he normally does.

It's my understanding that a lot of cavalier owners enjoy dressing their pet up, and let it be heard that there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Its just that I personally do not. I like to retain that dogs are, well.,.DOGS. Nevertheless, it's getting cold outside and my partially-nude 9-wk-old is going to need some method of warmth for going outside. After scouring racks at Target, PetSmart, Old Navy, and Diva Dog (I was out of ideas), I finally caved and got him a green/blue argyle sweater for lack of a better alternative.

This is a temporary stand-in for a more long-term solution. Its just that he's such a tiny tot and I don't want to drop any serious cash until he's fully grown. When it comes to looking for outerwear without your dog looking like something Paris Hilton's bejewled chihauhua threw up, I think the key is just digging - digging through all the frilly excess to find something functional, while not completely devoid of style... As owners we'll always have an agenda with what we give/put on our dog. That's another reason why I started this blog - to share some of the products I've found that are efficient, aesthetically-pleasing alternatives to the more convenient/cheap/distasteful creations.

Here's what I'm looking at for when he's fully grown:

London - $42.50 : Zoe & Co

Seattle - $36.95 : Zoe & Co

Reversible Puffer Jacket

Ruff Wear Climate Changer Coat

Modern Dog Magazine also had some great picks (minus the denim jacket..)

I'm open to ideas if anyone has any other stylish solutions to the winter tundra! I'd appreciate any suggestions!