Major Updates!

First off, please note that the Vet Letter is UP! After receiving a 2nd opinion, we’ve decided that there are many more things to take into consideration than we first thought.

On March 7th, 2012, we will be meeting with an orthopedic surgeon 100 miles away to discuss Tank and Tanks issues. At that time, this surgeon will determine whether or not it’s even safe/beneficial for Tank to move forward with surgery.

The consult will cost anywhere between $150-$250. They cannot give an “exact” amount as they aren’t sure what will need to be done, or how long that will take.

Honestly, I would appreciate any help I can get right now raising money for this. Obviously, $250 is a lot of money to spend for a vet to tell me “yay” or “nay”, but we need a final, written in stone answer.

We’ve started him on an additional med in the mean time. Forgive me, as I don’t know the name of it, but it’s an injection that’s given in his muscle. Right now they are doing the “starter doses”. He’s already gotten two of these, and he’s due for another one Friday, and one more next week. After that, it’ll be once a month.

So there’s my/his updates! Read his vet’s letter to learn more about exactly what’s wrong… Once we see the specialist, we’ll upload a letter with his/her recommendations as well.

105 to 109.5

I remember when he was just a “wittle” puppy at 40lbs.

That 40lb puppy has slowly gotten bigger, and he’s still continuing to do so. To the tune of 109.5lbs…

And remember folks, Mastiffs grow until they are two. Three more months of growing!

 

NOT A Happy Momma!

Tank’s 2nd opinion was today. Not good. She said that it’s the worst case of hip dysplasia she’s ever seen in a dog his age. She also said that the socket wasn’t supporting the joint as it should, and it could get very bad really quick for him due to what the xrays show… She was, thankfully, willing to write a letter detailing exactly what’s going on and how bad it is.

We’ve also started him on a new medication (it’s an injection) in the meantime to see how things go with that.

My poor baby.

Seizures- Maybe Nothing, Maybe Something…

Before Christmas, I was working (a job I no longer am involved with) when my phone went off. I was being informed that Tank-n-Plank had what they believed was a seizure, and wanted to know what should be done. Needless to say, it was immediately decided to bring him into the vet. ASAP. Tank was at the vet next to my job (his old vet now) within 40 mins.

Upon arriving at the vet (I clocked out of work to deal with this as an emergency, and thankfully, that job understood about animals and believed in caring for your animals to the fullest), Tank was perky, but also a little mellow. They did an exam, asked questions, and determined that Tank most likely did have a seizure.

Now the question was… What caused it?

The day before Tank had taken Comfortis. It wasn’t the first time that he’s taken it, but he hadn’t taken it in a while (we used other medications). The day before, he had also been to training and his back legs gave out on him causing him to fall. He’d also been in a lot of pain prior to the days leading up to that.

The vet said while he could go for further testing, in the end, the results wouldn’t tell us much more than we already knew. He had had a seizure, he was recovering… But what did/does the future hold?

In all honesty, the seizure could have been a reaction to the medication. Comfortis has been shown to cause seizures in some dogs. It could be that he was in so much pain, that his body had absolutely no other way of coping (vets words), it could be a once in a lifetime occurrence  to never take place again, or it could be the very beginning of something that could turn much more seizure over time.

As a precaution, Tank is now on anti-seizure medications. He takes Neurontin (Gabapentin) 2xs a day. 150mgs in the morning, 150mgs at night.

And we wait… Maybe nothing, maybe something… Better safe than sorry.

Looking Into His Eyes

I look into your eyes and can see,
The trust that is built between you and me.
You never judge me when I am blue,
You are a friend thats always true.
The life you lead is like that of a child,
Sometimes your calm and sometimes your wild.
We walk outside every day,
And that is when we both like to play.
If life was as simple as it seems to be for you,
We would be content and happy too.
Your loyalty is one of love,
You are a gift from heaven above.
Its hard to think of you as just a pet,
When you are the best friend I could ever get.
I know to most your only a dog that lives here,
But to me your the friend that is always near.

Author Unknown

Just. Leave. Me. Alone.

Needless to say, today hasn’t been a good day for our Tankers folks. He’s got this look on his face that just begs you to leave him alone and let him rest.

He’s limping badly… When I say badly, in some steps he looks like he’s going to hit the ground. Poor guy, you feel so bad for him!

We gave him all his meds, gave him pain meds, and sent him to bed. He looked so pitiful when I told him “bed”, that in the end, he won, and I ended up moving his bed into the bedroom so he could sleep on the floor next to me. Most nights he’ll try to get into the bed with me (it’s 50/50 as to whether I let him or not, so he knows not to expect it), but last night he didn’t even try. That’s how you know that poor boy is hurting something bad.

We really need to figure out a way to get his surgery moved up, but absolutely NO vets will do a payment plan for the surgery, even with his history of surgeries.

In Which They Ask: Is He Worth It??

How do you decide the price of living pain free or at least reasonably comfortable? What is the determining factor that makes it “okay” to say enough is enough, and to let go of the battle? When do you stop doing the surgeries to make life more comfortable? When do you stop giving the medications? When do you simply allow nature to take it’s course?

Does the fact that it’s a dog and not a human being make his life worth any less than yours or mine? Does the fact he can’t tell you he’s hurting make it less important to make sure he has round the clock meds? Does the fact he’s only going to be around an estimated seven to ten years anyway make him less important, and not worth fighting for?

I’ve been asked time and time again since Tank’s 3rd surgery if “he’s really worth it”. I’ve been asked when I’m going to “stop wasting money on a dog who’s only going to be here another 5-7 years anyway”. I’ve been told that his pain tolerance is higher than yours or mine and he can “handle the pain”.

Lemme tell you this my friends, my readers, my visitors. I don’t care if he’s “just a dog” to you. To me, he is my child. He is my best friend. He is my protector, my confidant, my secret keeper, my friend. What to you is “just a dog” to me is “everything”.

I don’t care if he’s only going to be here “another 5-7 years”. He deserves to live to the best of his ability and as pain free as possible. He deserves to have the best QUALITY of life possible. You say that he can “handle the pain”. Bullshit. That’s bullshit. How about the next day he’s puking with his whole body shivering, limping so badly he can hardly walk, and his skin is ripling if you so much as touch him because he’s hurting so bad… You take that pain, and you just “deal with it”. Just “handle” that type of pain, okay? Let’s see how you handle it with no medication.

As long as there is still breath in me, my dog is worth it. As long as his good days still out number his bad days, it’s worth it. As long as his tail still wags when he hears his name, it’s worth it. He is worth it. My dog is worth it. My dog is not “just a dog”… Don’t you see? He is so much more.

My dog is my life… because he has literally saved my life. If it wasn’t for this “just a dog”, I wouldn’t be here today. However, that’s a story for another day.

Why no Momma… I don’t have enough toys or bones or kongs. I need more please!

Tanks Chip In Donation Site

For those wondering how to donate for Tanks surgery, a Chip-In Account has been created so that you can see the progress being made. So far, we’ve raised $10 of the $5000 needed. The $5000 is for the surgical procedures alone, and does NOT include pre-surgical lab work, and medications (pain meds) after.

http://raisingtank.chipin.com/tanks-medical-fund

Please consider donating if you can. Even $1 helps. If you can’t donate, please consider sharing Tanks story on your facebook, twitter, blog, or anywhere else that you can!

Momma… They’re Staring Again!

When Tanks having a good day, he enjoys spending time outside (with the front door open) watching the world go by. Lately, he’s learned that he can climb up in the chair and have himself a front row seat to what’s going on in the neighborhood.

That front row seat has earned him quite a bit of attention. Traffic slows down, people turn around and come back to make sure they saw what they think they really saw, and some people even pull over to stare at him.

Tank takes it all in stride though. He actually seems to care less about the attention. He just watches them watch him. He’ll even wag his tail as they stop and stare if they sit/stand there staring at him long enough.

But get too close to his fence, and he might have a few things to say.

Tanks Little Friends

Recently, we’ve been fostering a litter of puppies (7) for a local adoption group. We’ve had them since they were about 10ish days-2wks old, and they are now 5-6wks old. They are absolutely adorable, and it goes without saying that Tank absolutely LOVES them. Tank loves anything remember? But Tank has his favorite…

Tank and Iris Sleeping

That little bitty merle puppy is named “Iris”. She and Tank are best buddies. We let the puppies out of their pen to play several times a day, and anytime you can’t see Iris, look to where Tank is… They will be snuggled up together or playing together (Tank gets down on the floor and crawls with them).

105lbs meet 2lbs… Isn’t it precious?