wyldechylde: November 2016

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Monday, November 28, 2016

Shiver had a follow up appointment this past Saturday. We saw a different vet this time. He's seen Shiver several times for various other things, so I wasn't too concerned that it wasn't the same one we saw two weeks ago. After reading the other vet's notes and talking with me, he said he was pretty sure that Shiver suffered from idiopathic vestibular disease. After reading this article, I'm certain he's right. Shiver has recovered phenomenally, with only one small side effect. He'll finish up the three medications he's currently on, then I'll watch him closely. He may be able to go off them completely or he may need to be on them permanently, only time will tell.

We received a 5 pound bag of Victor Hi-Pro Plus Formula Dry Dog Food from Chewy. It came at just the right time!

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Shiver and Chico are both currently taking prednisone, which is supposed to increase their appetites and thirst. Neither one had been eating very much at all for several days in a row and that was very worrisome. I think that since this was new and different, it piqued their interest and got them back to eating again. They both seem to really enjoy it. I like that each piece is small and fits in their little chihuahua mouths perfectly. Some of the reviews on the Chewy website say they wish they food was a little larger, but it's just right for my boys.

One of the key benefits that I really liked is that 88% of the protein comes from meat, poultry, and fish. It also supports healthy immune and digestive systems. Both boys have compromised immune systems, so it's important to me to feed them something healthy. Best of all, it's made in the USofA. They've only been eating it about a week so there hasn't really been time to notice a difference in their coats, so it'll be interesting to watch for any improvements.

My boys give this eight paws up!

We were not compensated financially for this post, but were provided a free bag of treats in return for our honest opinions.

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Wordless Wednesday

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Monday, November 21, 2016

THANK YOU!!!

As some of you may know from this post on the POTP blog, Shiver was not doing very well. Two weeks ago I noticed that sometimes his breathing seemed labored. It wasn't all the time, but often enough to be concerning. I made an appointment with the vet for Monday, November 14th.

Saturday, November 12th, I had come home from an afternoon of fun and errands. I believe I was in the process of gathering laundry when I heard a small thump. I walked to the bedroom to see what was going on when I discovered Shiver lying on his side, turning himself in a circle with his back legs, and his neck was at a really odd angle. Chico had jumped on top of him and was barking. I picked Shiver up off the floor and put him on the bed. He clearly was not alert and he couldn't stand. Off to the vet we rushed.

The vet wasn't able to give us any answers other than he has a really bad heart murmur, which I already knew. I just didn't realize it was so bad though. We were there for two hours and the vet finally said we could go home. It was a really long night, with me worrying constantly about Shiver and how I would be able to care for him. He'd put me right back where I'd started debt-wise, before I started working. I used up every last penny on my credit card to pay for his tests and medication, but he's completely worth it.

We kept our appointment for the 14th and I worried that since Shiver still wasn't walking that the vet would tell me it was time to put him down. He still couldn't walk, but he was doing so much better and was so much more alert. The vet said it wasn't time for him to cross the rainbow bridge quite yet and scheduled us to come back in two weeks. Shiver is now on three different medications and the cost, combined with Chico's meds, comes to about $50 a month. Yikes!

Anyway, my mom kept Shiver for the week and each day he has gotten better and better. He's walking now, he's started to play with his toys a little bit more, he's much more alert, and he's slowly returning back to his old self. He's not 100% yet and I can still see some lingering side effects from whatever happened to him, but he's a fighter and I know he's going to be alright.

Thank you to everyone for your prayers. That meant a lot and I'm incredibly grateful. Everyone's prayers have helped Shiver recover. I don't know if he'll ever be "normal" again; this may be our new normal. And that's OK. I'm just appreciating every moment I have with Shiver and Chico.