Ups and Downs

"You owe me a lot of treats for
bringing me here again, Mom"

“I don’t feel very much like Pooh today," said Pooh.

"There there," said Piglet. "I’ll bring you tea and honey until you do.” 
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh



A lot of people have been asking how Max is doing and coming up with an answer is difficult. I can think he's doing incredibly well in the evening and then we wake up in the morning and something doesn't feel right and Worry swoops in for a feast.

Exhaustion is also getting the better of both Brandon and me. The weeks going on months of interrupted sleep are starting to show. And, for me anyway, the care taking is more difficult when I don't know where it's leading. I don't know if we're moving toward recovery or decline because Max's behavior and mood change frequently and with little warning.

I brought Max to his home vet on Wednesday because I noticed blood in his urine during a 3am trip to the front yard. He was also agitated and peeing smaller amounts, so I suspected a UTI. It turns out he has a bladder infection (poor baby!) so he's got Clavamox added to his prescription regimen now. The calendar in our kitchen has morphed into a complex set of instructions for us to be competent as the boys' medication dispensary.

This is what the combination of a dog with a history
of bizarre health issues who has an over-protective mom
looks like. Behold: Max's file at his home vet clinic. 

He seems to be having some issues coming off of his steroids, but we have to taper him off of those so his immune system can recover. The side effects of steroid withdrawal seem to be full body trembling, loss of coordination, difficulty balancing, and drunken gait. He's also very likely in some pain because the steroids had been helping to manage his arthritis symptoms, and he can't start his arthritis meds until he's been off the steroids for a while. We're giving him Tramadol when he is having a particularly rough time.

One highlight from our last trip to the vet was Max making a new friend! I didn't know corgis, like beagles, are known for their extreme fixation on food. Nettie has a degenerative disease called canine degenerative myelopothy that is slowly paralyzing her, like a form of doggy ALS. These two pulled out all the stops to work the front desk crew for treats. Clearly, the staff had no chance. Come on.

Max and Nettie immediately recognized the potential
advantage of forming a begging alliance. 

Only a person with a shriveled, hard heart could possibly resist these two.