Snow, snow, snow!

Chai and I went to southern Colorado for my 50th birthday. We stayed with friends in Pagosa Springs. With her intensifying symptoms, I wasn't sure how she would do, so I was prepared to leave early if need be. However, I needn't have worried - Chai had a great time! She could only stay outside for about 10 minutes at a time before she got too cold and her teeth would chatter. (Muscle wasting leads to less ability to keep warm.) But she made good use of those few minutes by rolling and barking and eating snow and demanding that I throw snowballs at her!


Chai's DM progression in the last month or so includes lots of pee pee accidents, and trembling. The urine problem is worst in the morning. Sometimes she just lets go in the middle of the night. But it's almost always an issue to get her outside for her first pee without having an accident on the way. Her harness puts pressure on her bladder when I lift her. I told our rehab vet in ABQ that I wasn't a diaper kind of person, but 2 days later I went out and found doggie diapers at Walmart. They were the largest size, but still too small. I got potty pads also. It was a good start. But on the way to Pagosa, I bought some washable diapers at Petsmart, and they are awesome. My carpet may well stay clean now (after the pre-Thanksgiving shampoo). However, I may have to throw a few pairs of shoes out that have permanent stains on them. It's really slapstick comedy some mornings - me falling down the ramp off the deck, pee dripping all over my shoes, me rolling onto the ground. Those are the few times I get upset with this whole thing.

The trembling started in the mornings, when she's excited to see my again after a long night's absence! And now it's happening when she's scared, and she didn't used to get scared very often. The rehab vet says it might be age related dementia, that she gets confused and then scared. So I have to be careful about new situations with her.

Though Chai's body is having trouble, both our spirits are good. We're still having a good time!

Stopping traffic

It's really something to look over this blog and see the progression DM has made. Chai can't hold herself up on her hind legs even for a second now. I guess you could call her paralyzed, in the rear. A client of mine hadn't seen Chai for about a year - she wiggled her way over to say hi to him and he called her "Tadpole". I like that nickname.

In the interest of keeping Chai active and stimulated, I brought her downtown last Saturday to the art mart. This time I put her in her cart, so we could take a walk. Again, I worry about getting negative looks or comments, but other than Chai's vet (that's another story), people are surprisingly lovely. Though we did cause several drivers to take their eyes off the road.

Since her cart had a flat tire, I walked her over the Gila Hike and Bike to get it fixed. I've brought the cart in there many times for them to put air in the tires, but this was the first time Chai was actually in the cart. I walked her in, then lifted her out of the cart by her back end harness, thereby putting pressure on her bladder, and she peed all over the floor! So much for trying to keep a low profile. The store guy didn't seem upset - just gave me a cloth so I could wipe it off the tile floor. I was thankful for his mellow response.

Link to another blog

A couple of weekends ago, Chai and I went camping at Chaco Canyon. What a wonderful place. Chai stayed at our campsite while I went on short hikes, but in the mornings we took a slow walk through the campground together. We met Dr. Larry, also from Silver City, and he wrote us up in a Purina blog. Check it out. http://www.scratchingsandsniffings.com/2009/10/degenerative-myelopathy-in-a-chessie.html#more

Hangin' at the Dog Park

Chai and I continue to visit the dog park a couple of times a week, where Chai gets a little bit of exercise. She has started to get quite demanding with the toys there. Throwing the ball once or twice is not enough - she will bark and bark until I throw it again. One of the other dog parkers is a woman in a wheelchair, without use of her legs, and she says that Chai is bored and is barking for exercise. She really relates to Chai, and I learn from both of them.

Just decided that I can't follow up on the opportunity for a free place to stay on Kuaui. The stress of me being gone for a week or two could actually make Chai's DM worse. You know, after becoming an EMT so that I could go out on fires in that role, I prayed hard for balance- between my need for money and adventure, and Chai's need for my care. Perhaps her needs have won out and that's why I haven't been out as an EMT in the last 2 summers...hmmm, food for thought.

I know my time for adventuring will come again, and too soon, if you know what I mean. This is my time for taking care of my fur child, to the very end.

Swimming in Lake Roberts

Another swim trip. We went up to Lake Roberts. She can't walk, but boy can she swim. I just tell her, "Go swim!" She jumps in and does her laps. No shivering this time, the water was warm enough, so she stayed in for about 15-20 minutes. Such joy!

Chai's the Queen again

Casey went home with his new mom last night. Though I'm a bit sad that he's gone, I'm mostly relieved, and so is Chai. When he was here, she didn't try to compete with him for toys or bones - he just took them over. But as soon as he left last night, I threw her her sheepie toy, and she happily chewed on it for awhile. She hasn't played with that since before he got here in Feb! And this morning she's out in the yard chewing the marrow out of a fresh bone.

Yesterday I tried a different approach to get her to use her cart for a longer period of time. I put her in it BEFORE we went through the gate into the park. I knew she'd have to walk around to pee and poop. That's what she did, and then she just kept going! She seemed so comfortable I went back to the car for her frisbee (which I'd stopped throwing for her months ago). I tossed it, and she ran so fast and enthusiastically that she did a somersault in her cart! Oh no! She looked worried, laying on her side, tangled up in the contraption. But I pulled her upright, and she was off and running again. What a truly satisfying day. One of the other dog parkers kept commenting on how happy she looked. This is what I've been hoping for - that she'd realize that she can run and do the things she used to do and have a sense of freedom. I hope it goes this well the next time we go to the park, which will probably be tomorrow.

Getting out of the house

My mom was here visiting and we took Chai to Bear Dam Lake for swimming. Chai doesn't walk well at all anymore, but as soon as the car door was opened, she dragged her hind end down to the water and took off. Yes, that's her in the middle of the lake in the photo!

Casey is on his way to a new home. Which is good because he is way too rough with Chai. In the car, he mashes her into the back seat, steps on her to get out first, and generally runs roughshod over her. At home, he went under her to get a toy, stood up, and lifted her right off the floor. OK, that was a bit funny...



Speaking of funny, during our heat wave last week, I came home, opened the front door, and couldn't find Chai. My heart pounded - how had she disappeared? Then I heard a sound from the bathroom. She had gotten into the tub! (it's probably the coolest spot in the house). It has a foot and a half high lip - I don't know how she got in there, and it appeared that she couldn't get out again. I sat on the toilet lid and couldn't help laughing for a long time before helping her out.

We went downtown this morning, to the outdoor art market. Chai knows some of the vendors, so I took her out of the car to visit. I wish I didn't feel this way, but sometimes I'm embarrased to bring her out in public. She really does look rather pathetic, dragging her rear legs as she walks. I don't mind so much at the dog park, because most of the people there know her condition and appreciate her for who she is, but new people stare and I wonder if some of them are thinking "Why doesn't she just put that dog down?" I take whatever opportunity I can to educated people about degenerative myelopathy, to explain that other than that she's pretty healthy and her spirit is still strong. But today I didn't feel like explaining.

After trying to get Chai to just lay down in one spot, I let her go back and forth between the booths, and realized it was like she was at a party, enjoying a social life. So I relaxed. She's been sleeping since we got home, and I'm glad she got some stimulation today.

the honor of caring for a dog with DM

Chai has the greatest spirit; it is an honor to be taking care of her in her old age and in her disability. When I take her to the dog park, she gets her exercise by running over to people she knows, or doesn't know. She just loves people, and as she comes stumbling up to them, dragging her hind legs, they can see her beautiful heart, and respond with pleasure. One dog park woman, in a wheel chair, has a special bond with Chai, and is jealous of the dog cart.

Last night I took Chai camping at Gila Hot Springs. She jumped right into the river, or rather fell in, splashed around, sat, barked, and then started to shiver. So I took her into the hotsprings so she would warm up. She really didn't want to get in, but I lifted her in, and we sat quietly together for about 20 minutes, me holding her hips, both of us gently swaying in the hot pool. I helped her out and got her to lay on a towel in the sun to dry, and she started to fall asleep sitting up and almost fell over. I've never seen her do that one before.

Now we are home, relaxed and sleepy, and taking a break from Casey the new dog, (a friend is borrowing him). Chai lives for water, and the outdoors, and there will be more camping in the near future.

Chai's got wheels!

Well, we made it to the rehab vet in Albuquerque. She spent an hour with Chai, doing an assessment, teaching us exercises, and talking about equipment. Chai has, at this point, a moderate degree of degenerative myelopathy, which means she can still walk, but with some difficulty. She also has something called intervertebral disc disease, which I want to learn more about, but it involves pain in the mid to lower back. I tell ya, I couldn't tell that Chai was having pain - she just crashes around like it's no problem. Those Chessies are so tough...

This photo shows Chai "en pointe", where she knuckles over.



So the vet recommended Tramadol, an opiate pain killer. I haven't gotten it yet. I hope it doesn't make Chai groggy - so far this disease of DM has not changed her personality, except possibly made her a little softer and gentler, that could also be her ripe age of 12. Chai was on NSAIDs for about 8 months last year. It gave her about half a year more of vigorous play time, but then she started having side effects - vomiting and depression. No good.

Then, the really good news is that one of the vet's previous clients had donated her dog's wheels and I got to take them home! For $75. They are usually around $400. Chai walked around in her new cart at the vet's, no problem, but now that we're home, she doesn't want to use it. I put her in it for 5 minutes a day, which is the amount of time she's supposed to be limited to for the first week, but she mostly just stands there.


The other great news is that the vet thinks the growth on Chai's side is a wart or sebaceous cyst! So there!

new harness

Chai got her Help Em Up Harness through FedEx today. It goes around the shoulders and the hips and has handles so you can pick your dog up when need be. We'll just leave it on all day, so I can grab it when she's trying to stand up, or when we go outside, which involves steps.


I wish I had followed my suspicion last year that Chai had DM and gotten her diagnosed. Then we would have had more time to do rehab exercises and stretches, to keep her strong and mobile. Just in the weeks that I've had a broken foot, and then the flu, the DM has progressed and her walking has gotten less steady.

By the way, I got Chai diagnosed by sending a blood sample to a research study at the University of Missouri. They found a DNA marker saying she is at risk/affected. It's not a definitive diagnosis, but with the gene marker, and showing the symptoms of DM, dragging her foot, muscle weakness in the rear legs, etc., she gets the diagnosis.

further developments

Got up early to take Chai to the vet to have her growth removed and she couldn't really walk at all. She stood up, and fell. I helped her get to her food bowl - besides the funky back legs, she's limping on one of the front legs. Those poor front legs are taking so much of the burden these days, they must be overworked. I massage them often, but I guess that's not enough.

I let Casey the new dog out to pee, then fed him. I carried Chai out, all 70 lbs of her, to pee, fed her and went back to bed. (I'm still getting over the flu.) No vet today. There's no way I'm adding to her stress, or mine, by having a minor surgery done.

Later today, I went to let Casey out again, and Chai was up and walking slowly by herself now. I carried her outside again. She started barking at Casey's ball, asking me to throw it! She's crazy! Was I babying her too much? Or maybe she needed it for the first part of the day and now she was telling me not to worry so much, she's OK.

This DM stuff sure is done best one day at a time.

new scare

Sometimes life piles it on fast, doesn't it? I found a potential skin cancer on Chai today. She had a growth on her side a few months ago. The vet said he was concerned about it, wanted to cut it out and biopsy it. I was hesitant, because it took Chai a day to recover from XRays and I didn't want to put her through another sedation. Over the next few months, she seemed to lick the growth away. Good, I thought, problem gone. But no, it's back again, all red and ugly. So tomorrow I bring her to the vet to have it removed and biopsied. Best case scenario, it's benign and now she doesn't have to lick it anymore. Moderate case scenario, the surgical procedure exacerbates her DM (stress can do that). Worst case, of course, is that it's cancerous. In that case, I probably wouldn't treat it because of the expense, DM and fact that she's old and lived a long, good life already. Then I'd have to decide if I still want to buy her some wheels....but I'm jumping ahead. Let's just wait and see what we've got...

Canceled rehab vet appt

Well, I had to cancel our appointment with the rehab vet, as I came down with a nasty flu.
We're rescheduled for March 13th. I hate to wait so long, so I think I'll look over the Yahoo DM dogs list for the exercise files. I can see more progression of Chai's DM - it's harder for her to maintain control of her hind end, especially the left leg. Her spirits seem up however, and have been since I found the support of the DM list.



Other big news is that we have another dog now! I adopted a dog from a Hospice patient who is actively dying. His name is Casey and I met him a couple of months ago. His mom said we connected better than anyone else who said they were interested in adopting him. So much for me wanting to be dogless for a few years after Chai...I just knew it was the right thing to do when I met Casey. He's lived a deprived life (his mom's poverty and illness) and I have a lot to offer him. Training, exercise (he's about 20 lbs overweight) good food and love.



I just hope it's a good thing for Chai. Honestly, if it exacerbates her DM somehow, he's not going to be able to stay. But I will do everything I can to make a stress free adjustment. For example, he's isolated in the guest room right now, laying down quietly, and Chai is calm too.

1st blog ever!

Welcome to my very first blog, and hey, it isn't even about me, it's about my dog Chai, who has a disease called degenerative myelopathy. There will be more about that later, but I'm fighting off a cold today and don't feel like writing much. We are supposed to go to Albuquerque tomorrow, a 4 1/2 hour drive, for a rehab vet appointment on Monday. The closest rehab vets are in ABQ and Phoenix. A rehab vet is like a physical therapist for dogs. I'm hoping to learn exercises I can do at home with Chai, to keep her legs as strong and mobile for as long as possible. (For those of you who don't know about DM - degenerative myelopathy - it's like ALS or MS in humans.)

all for now,

Pamela and sweet Chai (acutally warm & brown & sweet & spicy)