tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9894607153511752482024-03-05T18:17:12.716-06:00Amazing Grace ~ Weimaraner Rescue of TexasGrace was a 14 week old blind female Weimaraner saved by the Weimaraner Rescue of Texas. She weighed 10 pounds when brought into the rescue on July 1, 2009. She was infested with hookworms, severely anemic and dehydrated, as well as emaciated to the point that she could barely stand on her own.
Follow her on her journey to health and happiness.Amazing Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01476421467868013407noreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989460715351175248.post-5178004967658482492011-04-27T08:24:00.002-05:002011-04-27T09:00:45.874-05:00Don't ask if you don't want to know...So we've been to the vet and I have to say, GETTING to the vet is as stressful, if not more, as anticipating what the vet will say. Gracie does NOT like riding in the car. If you even try to pick her up in the front of the house, she goes immediately into her 'defensive stance'...front legs braced straight out with her entire body leaning as far back as possible (plus she is completely dead weight at that point). With her not being so tiny anymore (60+ pounds!), it makes for an interesting show for anyone watching. You also can't leave the car running because she automatically thinks you are going to put her in it and will assume the 'defense stance'. For a dog with neuro damage, she's pretty smart! :o) I finally get her in the car, all the while stressing because I'm now running late due to her antics, and we are on our way. She used to just lay wherever you put her, which was great. Now, however, she thinks she should stand up and rearrange herself. This isn't the best idea when you can't see and compensate for things like turns and braking/accelerating. I had put the seats down so she could be behind me and I could reach around to pet her. Not a good idea. She nearly fell between the seats. Mental note to self...put seats up for ride home; she can get all the petting she needs at home. Safety first! :o) <br />We get there and I'm trying to wrangle her up the steps to the vet's office (not the best plan for a vet's office, but it's in an old house, what can you do?) and almost fell myself because of her flailing around. I'm sure when I got in the door, people in the there were wondering why I looked so winded. If they only knew. <br /><br />Anyway, after giving the vet all of the dirt on what's been happening, he says he's not surprised that she's started having seizures. He also said that for every seizure we see, there is one that we haven't seen. That breaks my heart. We had gotten Gracie her shots the weekend before and he said that would be her last set of yearly shots. Apparently, stress can bring on her seizures and the vaccinations are stressful to her system, especially when they are given all at once. From now on, she will get rabies every 3rd year. On the other 2 years, she will get distemper in one and parvo in the other. Bordatella is safe for every year as it goes under the skin and not directly into the bloodstream. Apparently, depending on where you live, the rabies vaccination can be good for 3 years and luckily, we are in a safe area. Plus, he is willing to write us a letter about the reasoning behind this if ever needed. Of course we have considered the pros and cons of not vaccinating her regularly. Without yearly vaccs, we can not take Gracie to dog parks and other dog-frequented places as she will be immune-compromised. Plus, we won't be able to foster any other Weims while she is with us (not a problem now, as 3 dogs is our limit, but would have in the future). Not sure how this will play out but the risk of increasing the frequency and severity of her seizures isn't something we are willing to do. We won't be starting any medication now as her seizures are relatively mild. She doesn't lose control of her bowels or become incontinent (a blessing!) when she seizes and they last under 2 minutes. They are also spaced well. The meds given have side effects and one of the main ones is liver damage. Given her age, barely 2 years, we do not want to start damaging her liver now. So, we wait. He said eventually we will have to start medications but we are hopeful that that will be on down the road. For now, we are to keep her as stress-free as possible. (Really, he obviously doesn't know how good the Walker Weims have it!!!) Gracie would be happy to know that she now only has to get in the car to go see the vet! Unfortunately, she won't be able to attend any more Weim Rescue events since there are so many dogs there (not to mention the stress that puts on her). I'm sad about that because I love to show others just one of the awesome happy endings that organization makes possible!!<br /><br />So that's that. Which brings me to the title of this post... In my infinite (or dumb) curiosity, I asked him if Gracie will live a normal lifespan for a Weim. He said no. He said with neurological damage, it will start to show itself in different ways as she gets older and basically get worse. At some point, we will have to make a decision regarding her quality of life. NOT what I wanted to hear. But, for now, her quality of life is damn good and we are going to keep it that way for as long as possible! Prayers are always welcome for Miss Gracie. Thank you so much for all your well wishes and comments. She is truly lucky to have all of you behind her! God Bless! :o)Amazing Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01476421467868013407noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989460715351175248.post-59771597379751064022011-04-18T10:41:00.003-05:002011-04-18T11:18:14.919-05:00The Way It Works...Isn't it funny the way it works? We reach out to those who care in times of trouble or need. We don't call or write (or blog) when things are going great. We get caught up in 'life' and stay wrapped up in our day to day patterns until something throws a curve ball at us. Well, Gracie's pitching up a storm at our home! She has started having seizures. We were told by the neurologist that the further out we got from her 1 year birthday, the more chance she had to live her life free of seizures. A little background, in case you forgot, Gracie had a seizure shortly after being strangled by a wire and had oxygen loss to her brain. She bit off a little chunk of her upper lip on either side of her mouth during the seizure. You can see it if you look closely at her pictures. To us, it's just a part of what makes Gracie look like Gracie. Anyway, we were thinking we, and more importantly, Gracie, had finally had some good luck and weren't going to have to deal with seizures. This was obviously not part of God's plan for Gracie and, as usual, we will take His plan and work with it the best we know how. Now, for the details. David thought she might have had one in November (hindsight always brings more to light) but he hadn't seen it so he wasn't sure. He told me she came into the living room and seemed disoriented and acted strange. It passed and with so much of Gracie's behavior, we chalked it up to the 'Neuro Damage' (we pin alot on that! :o). Nothing happened again until March. On March 13, she was sleeping on Sydney's bed with her and at about 11pm we heard a loud crash. When we got to Syd's room, Gracie was on the floor but was not seizing. She had fallen off of the bed. She was foaming at the mouth and panting. She was also pretty disoriented and restless. We got her in the living room but she wouldn't lay down. She wanted to walk around and kept panting for about 5 more minutes. I documented this on the calendar and prayed she had just been dreaming and managed to fall off the bed. On April 2nd, I was in bed reading at about 11pm and heard muffled thumping through the wall. I immediately thought she was having a seizure and ran to Addie's room where she was sleeping on the bed with her. David was already there with her and had witnessed the end of the seizure. She had managed to move from the foot of the bed up to the head of the bed. Again, more foaming at the mouth, panting and restlessness. After we get her calmed down, she sleeps hard for the rest of the night. There was no denying this one had been a seizure and definitely made us think the other incident had been one, too. Again, I was praying it was a fluke since we had only witnessed one true seizure but this weekend she seemed to have something happen. It was late at nigh<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLKBor75s2aInlFgEVyeO-Pwx0o-zwo2Y8trQ2cpftoxVu5DH3WFJmu9fAGpA3ShBqYA-VFOEAnHCKZlMczr7yqQ-y3hcxrjyq0kG3ndDvxX5V136rUX2ZzKz-vBBZ9F04qOfBWfhPx6Up/s1600/photo%255B1%255D.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596957199669884258" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLKBor75s2aInlFgEVyeO-Pwx0o-zwo2Y8trQ2cpftoxVu5DH3WFJmu9fAGpA3ShBqYA-VFOEAnHCKZlMczr7yqQ-y3hcxrjyq0kG3ndDvxX5V136rUX2ZzKz-vBBZ9F04qOfBWfhPx6Up/s320/photo%255B1%255D.JPG" /></a>t again but she actually came out into the living room. She didn't seem nearly as disoriented as before but did have some foam around her mouth and was panting. The decision was made then to take her to the vet today. We are going at 2pm so keep us in your thoughts and prayers. I will let you all know what he says. More thank likely, she will need to be on meds for awhile, if not for the rest of her life. David and I look on the bright side...we don't really have to go through testing to find out why she is having seizures. With her health history, it's a wonder she hasn't had them sooner. I was just really hoping our tiny gray girl (who isn't so tiny anymore!) wouldn't have this additional issue to deal with. But, we know she is in God's hands and that he has a plan for her. This picture is of Miley and Gracie. Gracie is the one in the top of the picture. She has gotten big...about 60 pounds now. They are always together. Miley looks after her and Gracie seems to take alot of cues from Miley. They are a pair!Amazing Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01476421467868013407noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989460715351175248.post-61938225715644142282010-06-10T10:29:00.002-05:002010-06-10T11:02:35.123-05:00the long haul...Well, we've been back to the dermatologist for a re-check. She agreed that the sores looked worse and did a cytology tape to look at what is in the sores. Gracie has alot of staph and the yeast infection is back. I love this doc because she writes a discharge LETTER. It is so detailed and complete in diagnosis and instructions. So, here is Gracie's official diagnosis (alot of big words, some of which I'm familiar with now, thanks to Google):<br /><br />Malassezia dermatitis (moderate) - relapsed of Keto<br />Interdigital folliculitis/furunculosis (deep pyoderma)<br />culture showed S. intermedius with minimal resistance<br />Open for pruritus / predisposing factor for infection<br />Differentials: Atopic dermatitis more likely. Food allergy less likely.<br />Tape Cytology reveals clusters of cocci bacteria and a relapse of Malassezia (cluster of 6-10 found).<br /><br />Dr. Liska changed her meds and they are now as follows:<br />1) Restarting Ketoconazole - this is for the yeast infection<br />2) Doxycycline - this antibiotic replaces the Cephalexin<br />3) Pentoxifylline - this is the anti-scar tissue med<br />4) Prednisone - steroid to reduce inflammation and give her some comfort<br /><br />We are on the antibiotic and Keto for awhile. Everything I've read says the treatment with antibiotics is long term to completely get rid of the bacteria. I didn't really want to do another round of steroids, but it is a short course and we are doing them to make Gracie comfortable. I can't stand to see her in pain and she was. In fact, with just 3 doses in her, I'm seeing improvement in the inflammation. She's not favoring her front paw anymore. That alone is worth being on steroids again. <br />We are continuing the epsom salts baths 2X/day. Poor Gracie is about done with standing in the tub for 10 minutes per soak. She is all legs EVERYWHERE when you are putting her in the tub but settles down pretty quickly. Then, she is very patient and just stands there. After about 5 minutes, she starts to whine and whimper a little bit. We pet her and talk to her the whole time so that helps. We aren't doing the benzoyl soap for a few days because it was stinging when I put it on. Another challenge with giving her medications...she has become a spoiled brat about her food. She often refuses to eat her dry food unless something is mixed in with it. At first, warm water would work, but now she is holding out for better things...like little pieces of chicken or hamburger. If she doesn't want to 'settle' for the dry kibble, she will stand at her bowl and bark 2 times. She waits and if you don't respond, she barks 2 times again. This can go on and on and on. She is very patient. Yes, I've created this monster...just like David said. <br /><br />I've started to write down everything just to keep up with it all. When you've got 2 people caring for her, med administration / foot soaking can get confusing! Plus, I'm keeping track of how her feet look day to day so the doc has a good idea of how the meds are working and when there are changes. Dr. Liska kept asking questions about 'when'...when Gracie was off the antibiotics, when the sores came back, when she got back on meds... She can't help us if we can't give her good information, so this is my solution. I'm sure David thinks I'm going overboard, but this is the best way I know of to keep track of all this information. He suggested we get a pill box dispenser and put her meds in that. It's a great idea, so I'll be picking one of those up today!<br /><br />Anyway, this is getting long and I'm sure you all have things to do other than listen to me ramble. I really want to get some good pictures of Gracie to post. She's gotten so big! She's still on the smaller side of the breed standard, which is fine with us. She's a petite little girl. I'm assuming that might be due to her being so malnourished and ill when she was so young. I'll get some pictures soon and post them. Maybe even a video of Miss Gracie! <br />Ya'll take care!Amazing Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01476421467868013407noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989460715351175248.post-75541133579414349012010-06-10T03:57:00.006-05:002010-06-10T04:28:22.298-05:00Gracie needs some prayers...<div><div>First of all, let me apologize for the length of time between posts. I'm really trying to keep up but 'life' keeps interrupting! So, unfortunately this post is not great news. We have been<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQJyePpmRAyLYguAgekfTpaLTTgE1DCnTUu1L8ilkbz0UQ0YaHgEN0McPpDqnUnqTWQqSXWJZei1EogskYNugUI7AhsQR4Dpk6MQOT1oKuhtf60-N2YJL8OLt5uYGMxdnFniPQqcwLbrej/s1600/DSC00417.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481071478249117890" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 271px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 171px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQJyePpmRAyLYguAgekfTpaLTTgE1DCnTUu1L8ilkbz0UQ0YaHgEN0McPpDqnUnqTWQqSXWJZei1EogskYNugUI7AhsQR4Dpk6MQOT1oKuhtf60-N2YJL8OLt5uYGMxdnFniPQqcwLbrej/s320/DSC00417.JPG" border="0" /></a> dealing with this issue since last fall, but recently it has gotten alot worse. It started with a couple of toes on her front paw being swollen. The way she bumps into things and uses her front paw as a 'feeler', we just figured she had hit it on something. This progressed to sores in between her toes and a few of them opening. Over the months, we have been to our vet 3 times and done several rounds of steroids and tried a couple of different antibiotics. Finally, he sent us to a dermatologist...ironically enough, just one floor up from the opthamologist we went to see last year!</div><br /><div>Anyway, Dr. Liska at the Animal Dermatology Referral Clinic was AWESOME! She doesn't think it's an allergy so we aren't doing all the allergy testing, which I hear is expensive, unless we have to. Dr. Liska came back with a diagnosis of Interdigital Folliculitis and also Malassezia Dermatitis. The folliculitus is what we are fighting. It causes scar tissue the longer you have it and is deep in the tissue of her paw, making it harder to fight off. Her having it on her feet is also making it worse because there isn't alot of room in the tissue there to swell. So any sw<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_pcBreNN-oyt6qHOQncto9iJDfQ5Ff2YRdKpPM0fsSW3l-beuClPr4fJyfVXuY2C7zl45xAzqawakcRiHB0-kaijG7Wd6SA2S-Od6C7gf8hFpkR3in3zsyPAEH3C5C2Khjd01lq_L107U/s1600/DSC00420.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481072346454124018" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 275px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 191px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_pcBreNN-oyt6qHOQncto9iJDfQ5Ff2YRdKpPM0fsSW3l-beuClPr4fJyfVXuY2C7zl45xAzqawakcRiHB0-kaijG7Wd6SA2S-Od6C7gf8hFpkR3in3zsyPAEH3C5C2Khjd01lq_L107U/s320/DSC00420.JPG" border="0" /></a>elling is causing issues for her. Dr. Liska took a sample from some of the open sores and sent it to a lab in Arizona to be cultured. This was supposed to take 1 week but it took 2. The reasoning behind doing this was to find out what drugs the infection was resistant to and what would kill it. She had put her on Cephalaxin as a starter antibiotic with the thought that if it wasn't responsive, we would switch her, but if it worked then we would be ahead of the game. She is concerned about Gracie being resistant to some antibiotics since she's been on so many. The bacteria came back responsive to the Cephalaxin so we are supposed to be on this as a long term treatment...like 2 months. We are also putting her on an anti-scar tissue med. We've also been doing 10 minute soaks in Epsom Salts and washing her feet with a benzoyl soap. You can imagine how much she loves that! Last night she kept trying to sit down while standing in the tub soaking and every time she did her butt would touch the water and she stood right back up. Funny, but sad, too!</div><br /><div>So, it initially went away (just like every other time) but came back because we wer<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4sbsx7up4OiHVWcmmeQSLFjH5ld5CVJzbSOpasdPTLUNSnFEoIYJeuNFtYT4AXoMY_QM0ckasqofYbwH6BFG7KnXC-GxPcNXkiYcX0X3Y8_Y1Fa_9zI4klfQD1v6gtzM_L9QDymNK0QX7/s1600/DSC00425.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481073504790194802" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 170px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4sbsx7up4OiHVWcmmeQSLFjH5ld5CVJzbSOpasdPTLUNSnFEoIYJeuNFtYT4AXoMY_QM0ckasqofYbwH6BFG7KnXC-GxPcNXkiYcX0X3Y8_Y1Fa_9zI4klfQD1v6gtzM_L9QDymNK0QX7/s320/DSC00425.JPG" border="0" /></a>e off the antibiotic for several days while waiting for the culture results. Back on them now but they are still swollen and some are open. And, yes, it is painful to her. She favors the front paw that has had the most problems and holds it up alot. The skin has split in one area due to the swelling, I think. I've got a call in to Dr. Liska on what we can do at this point. Just needing some good thoughts for my little girl. We are coming up on a year since her arrival in our hearts and home and I really thought we were done with all the medical issues! </div></div>Amazing Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01476421467868013407noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989460715351175248.post-18912473058397370412010-01-26T03:49:00.004-06:002010-01-26T04:20:16.285-06:00a month of 'firsts'...<div>After all of the fun we had with the broken toe, we got to see Gracie have alot of 'firsts'...first Thanksgiving, first snow, first boarding, first Christmas... All of them were so special, knowing where she came from and just how much she has overcome to get this far.<br />I've mentioned how heightened her smell is due to her lack of sight. Well, Thanksgiving brought so many new smells (all of the interesting ones relating to food) for Gracie and she couldn't contain herself! We deep-fried the turkey in the backyard so no dogs were allowed out there while the oil was even remotely hot. I mean, come on!...my dogs are known for getting into everything at exactly the wrong time. That was not a risk I was prepared to take! So all weims were taken to the front yard to relieve themselves. We also had ham baking along with all the usual sides so our little gray girl was spending a ton of time in the kitchen with her nose high in the air! She attempted to counter-surf several times and almost pulled plates of food off of the counter a few times due to the way she just throws her legs up at the counter but can't really plan where they are going to land. It's q<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKPpD0fhaVrDMVj1HfpsDnfWNAN5u7s3Cz5AlDSCS4SSgBsYKqYR9ddh6KQJN9Yro-HreBFvux8qCPri8bOZzDwPY3vEVywz1FpOto_8ugNJ3hkyrY8WuZ3E3oCapEgrq-cKJiunjqlras/s1600-h/too+much+turkey.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430990936786356882" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKPpD0fhaVrDMVj1HfpsDnfWNAN5u7s3Cz5AlDSCS4SSgBsYKqYR9ddh6KQJN9Yro-HreBFvux8qCPri8bOZzDwPY3vEVywz1FpOto_8ugNJ3hkyrY8WuZ3E3oCapEgrq-cKJiunjqlras/s320/too+much+turkey.jpg" border="0" /></a>uite comical to watch!<br />Anyway, she got to taste all the good stuff and was so excited! Her sisters, Miley and Maggie, sat nearby...drooling...and they got their samples, too. All in all, it was a wonderful Thanksgiving. We all talked about what it was we were thankful for this year and while I am always thankful for my family, this year I had one more thing on my mind. David and I were given a very special addition to our family...Gracie. We wouldn't have sought out a handicapped dog but apparently God knew our home is where she belonged...long before we did. I thought about the first time I saw her and how I felt a pull towards her. The picture of her didn't show how bad off she really was. Her body was so tiny that her head managed to hide it in the picture. She looked pitiful and, most of all, tired. No living creature, human or otherwise, should look that tired at such a young age. I just knew that if I could get my hands, and love, on her she would be fine. And while she is not a 'normal' dog, she is just Gracie to us and that is all we will ever expect her to be.<br />So...upon further reflection...I guess we have one last thing to be thankful for this year. The Weim Rescue, because without it, I wouldn't have found Princess Gracie and she probably wouldn't have survived.<br />Thank you, WRT, your work is so important. Please keep saving those that can't save themselves.</div><div> </div><div>P.S. The picture in this post is of Gracie after Thanksgiving Dinner. I'm guessing she had too much turkey? :o)</div>Amazing Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01476421467868013407noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989460715351175248.post-77764886673888185192010-01-26T03:04:00.005-06:002010-01-26T03:41:12.136-06:00toe update...First of all, I want to apologize for my lack of posts. As I'm sure all of you were, I was focused on my family during the holidays. So, now that things are back to normal, I can catch you all up on the Walker Weims!<br />Gracie was a fairly decent patient throughout the splinting of her broken toe. She didn't chew on the bandage hardly at all but she pulled it off by scraping her foot against the ground (like a bull) MULTIPLE times. Plus, it was rainy for several of the weeks when she was wearing it so we had a couple of instances of her soaking the bandage with her constant running in the yard. Now, keep in mind the vet charged about $28 per wrapping so I was not going to keep paying for them to re-wrap it every time there was a problem. So, I gave myself a lesson in splinting and did pretty well! I ended up re-wrapping it several times and we finally stopped wrapping about a week short of the target date. She just kept getting them off and it was getting pretty expensive. Plus, a couple of the times she managed to get the wrap off, it was when we weren't there so she had been running around with the toe unsplinted so we figured any damage was already done. Gracie wasn't favoring that foot anymore, either.<br />Gracie is 100% again and going full speed!Amazing Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01476421467868013407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989460715351175248.post-73247950014026276572009-11-18T04:16:00.005-06:002009-11-18T05:12:46.878-06:00the broken toe...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5LBYoCjOGuRVv3yk_NgGdIAdJgvG8JLzH-CisUB-JbSTmQtOucuNQuX-CQgRpHbOI8tIT3o6ETBPWr_7QUktCxy7-KnKSkKM0IwxVO_zCCK95cjslOP8nPj5uG2OSt0iJzryvTfw8EkkA/s1600/gracie+bandage.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405392017469479970" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5LBYoCjOGuRVv3yk_NgGdIAdJgvG8JLzH-CisUB-JbSTmQtOucuNQuX-CQgRpHbOI8tIT3o6ETBPWr_7QUktCxy7-KnKSkKM0IwxVO_zCCK95cjslOP8nPj5uG2OSt0iJzryvTfw8EkkA/s320/gracie+bandage.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />So first thing Tuesday morning, Gracie and I were at the vet's office for her bandaging. The vet showed me the x-ray, which clearly showed a fracture in her toe. It started as a hairline on the outside and then curved straight up to the joint and on that end was a complete split in the bone through to the joint. Granted, this was all magnified like 75 times, so it looked much bigger than it was. But still, it was definitely broken.<br />Short term reality... 4-6 weeks to heal with a pressure bandage on it to keep it stabilized. No splint because it is so low in the leg that we would risk another break from her trying to walk with the splint. Tramadol pain killers for 4 days (yay!) and then anti-inflammatory meds. Stopped the Prednisone and added a calcium-rich supplement to help with the bone healing. Still on the antibiotic. Bandage on most of that leg with instructions to keep it dry and Gracie calm (really?! that should be interesting). Oh, and we have to keep her from messing with the bandages. That should be REALLY interesting. When they brought her back to me after bandaging her leg, she wouldn't put it down and kept pawing the air, occasionally hitting herself in the chin while doing this. She was biting at the bandage, too. Poor thing has no idea what is on her leg and was trying to shake it off.<br />Long term reality... She could develop arthritis in the joint that the break affected later in life. One more thing to add to her list.<br /><br />We got home and I was quick to get the pain pill in her so that she would settle down a little bit and sleep, especially since I had worked the night before and was on again that night. The quicker she sleeps, the quicker I sleep.<br />She was biting and tearing at the bandage later in the afternoon. She does not like it and was determined to get it off. She has torn pieces of the purple bandage off already. We've tried spraying some bitter apple on it with no success...doesn't seem to phase her. We are trying desperately to keep her out of the 'cone of shame', aka the E-collar. If we do have to use something to keep her away from it, I'm thinking we will try the donut (a version of the E-collar but it is only an inflatable ring around the neck).<br /><br />So that's where we are. Poor Gracie has only one good leg right now but she is a trooper. She's not letting it slow her down too much. Please pray for her to heal safely and quickly.Amazing Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01476421467868013407noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989460715351175248.post-30009908769709766882009-11-17T05:23:00.002-06:002009-11-17T05:53:19.136-06:00the beginning of a long relationship...I knew with 3 Weims that David and I would have a larger than average vet bill. This week was the start of that. <br />David was walking Gracie last week and accidently stepped on her right front foot. This is nearly impossible to keep from doing as she is ALWAYS underfoot! Anyway, when he got back home, he noticed that her toe was bleeding. On further inspection, we noticed it was inflamed around one of the toenails. I remembered that this was the foot that had been bitten by fire ants so we decided to have it looked at. That was Wednesday. I made an appointment for Friday afternoon. <br />On Thursday, she began limping on her front left leg. David and I couldn't remember her doing anything to that leg but decided to have the vet check it out while she was there on Friday. I couldn't go to the vet appointment due to a prior committment. I'm sure David was not looking forward to this because no matter how many questions he asks, I've always got a couple more that didn't get asked. $230 later, he comes home with Prednisone, an antibiotic and a receipt for the x-ray of her left leg they did and kept in her file. Her toe was infected but easily fixed with the meds they put her on. The poor little girl had a fever, though! While drilling him with questions, he said we didn't see our vet and that another vet in the practice had worked on Gracie. Automatic suspician on my part. I want anyone dealing with her to have all the info on her background. David gave her the short version and we are thinking she just zoned in on the 'neuro damage' he mentioned. She was all too willing to contribute the limping the neurological issues Gracie has. We were skeptical, since this had come up suddenly, but were willing to give the steroid a try. The vet read the x-ray and said nothing was broken. The film included the entire leg. <br />On Saturday, I decided to leave the princess at home with her medical issues and took Miley instead to a rescue event. I got home after 1pm and David said the limping was worse and she was spending alot of time sleeping or laying down. Mommy instinct kicks in and the worry level goes up. We agree to wait til Monday and see how she does. By Sunday morning, she is non weight-bearing on that leg. Poor Gracie has enough trouble with weak back legs due to neuro issues, but now she only has one good leg since the left front is hurt. It was pitiful to watch. David noticed that her outside toe was swollen and VERY tender to touch. She did not like us touching it. We left her alone and decided to call the vet back in the morning and let them figure out what to do. <br />David called yesterday morning and told them all that we had noticed. The vet FINALLY called him back late in the afternoon and said we could bring her back in. David told her about the swollen toe and asked if she would just review the x-ray one more time to be sure nothing showed up. She said, AGAIN, that she hadn't seen anything but that she would look again and call us back. She all but said we would be paying for another office visit, which we felt was wrong. She did seem to bear a little more weight on it Monday so we decided to wait until Tuesday morning. We just kept thinking that if it wasn't broken, there must be a pulled muscle and that only time would heal that. Well, the vet called back and stated that on further review, that Gracie DID, in fact, have a broken toe! She said for us to bring her back in this morning and that they would look at it again and splint it and make sure she was comfortable. <br />As for how she did this? Not completely sure, but David said he did hear a loud thump and her yelp in the hall earlier in the week. There is a 'doorway' in the hallway that has juts out into the hallway. We are thinking she brushed it with her foot, not seeing it, and bent the toe back. That's our best guess. I'm sure we are in for more of this as she grows. I've always thought about getting pet insurance but hadn't done it yet. Guess what I'm researching this week? <br /><br />And so our long relationship with Gracie's vet begins...Amazing Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01476421467868013407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989460715351175248.post-53219844308012158992009-11-17T04:36:00.002-06:002009-11-17T05:23:31.758-06:00more gracie antics...Sorry it has been so long since my last post! Time gets away from me and now the holidays are upon us. Gracie's first fall, winter and holiday season. I can't tell you how many leaves she's eaten. I'm just thankful she hasn't discovered acorns, because they are all over our front yard. <br />I took her with me to a WRNT event a couple of weeks ago and was pleasantly surprised at how big and spacious the park was where the event was located. There was a large open area amongst the trees that was perfect for Gracie to run around in. She was definitely in need of burning off some energy due to all the rain. Our yard has been a swamp and every time we let her out, she comes back in just caked with mud. Not a fun thing to bathe her either...she does NOT like baths! She had mud splattered all over the bathroom and me. Anyway, Gracie and Frick had lots of fun playing at the event. If you haven't heard of Frick you're missing out! He is an 18-month old Weim in rescue right now. He is smaller than Gracie and so cute! We dubbed him a 'sample' Weim. He came in with his brother...can you guess his name? Frack! I just love that! Well, Gracie was LOVING playing with him. She just pranced around him and would get in her play stance with her butt in the air and then attack him, or where she thought he was. Then she would just run in big circles in the grass. All was well until Jennifer (another rescue fanatic) and I turned our heads for 10 seconds. Next thing I heard was a loud yelp and turned to see that she had run, head on, into a tree! I'm pretty sure I lost the nomination for 'Rescue Mom of the Year' in that 10 seconds. Poor thing walked away from it with a limp and squinting one eye for a couple of minutes. But she does not want to be coddled! I was trying to inspect her for permanent or vet-required damage and she would not sit still and eventually wiggled out of my hold. I figured if she was good with it, so was I. <br />On to her next performance. She has had an on-going battle with the large kitchen appliances, specifically the dishwasher. The refrigerator is a lesser focus. She does not like it when we have anything hung on it. I usually put some of the girls' artwork or projects on the fridge with magnets. Well, this is another time when I would swear Gracie can see more than we think. If there is stuff hanging, she will pull it off with her teeth if she can reach it, or jump up so that she can reach it and pull it off. The girl likes a clean fridge...what can I say? So on to the dishwasher... She attempted to chew on it at first and when she realized it was a flat surface on the front, she found the edge at the bottom. She managed to get off the piece that holds the front panel on and from there it was game on! We hadn't put that piece back on so she was finally able to get the front panel off. There is an insulating piece on underneath that and she got that off the other day. After chasing her down to retrieve this before she ruined it, I put both pieces up so that David could put it all back together that night. Never short on determination, Gracie comes right back looking for something else to take off of the dishwasher. She tries to bite at it and realizes there is only the hard plastic part left and that seemed to really make her mad! She jumped back at first and then just started to bark at the dishwasher like crazy!!! It was hysterical. I have posted a picture of this in the latest album. <br />Act 3... This morning I was sitting at the kitchen table and she was attempting to bite/chew on the back of one of the kitchen chairs. I kept telling her 'No' and finally it got quiet. Okay, I need to describe the chairs. They are the kind with an 'X' shape in the backrest portion. At the bottom of the 'X' is a piece of wood. The end of the table that she was at is close to the wall and there is a dog bed there. Well, I look over to see why she is all of a sudden quiet and there she is with her head stuck in the chair!!! She had pulled on it enough that it tipped over backwards but stopped by leaning against the wall. She was sitting on the dog bed and her head was between the bottome part of the 'X' and the piece of wood underneath it. She wasn't at all upset, either. She was just looking at me. It took a bit of manuvering to get her out, though. She did not want to stretch her neck out so that I could remove her head. With some coaxing, we both came out of that unscathed. (Note to self...in the future, buy only 'solid' furniture without Gracie traps.:o)Amazing Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01476421467868013407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989460715351175248.post-14004429166595913332009-10-25T12:07:00.002-05:002009-10-25T20:46:00.175-05:00A weekend with Gracie<span class="Apple-style-span" style="LINE-HEIGHT: 18px;font-family:Helvetica, Arial, sans;font-size:13;" >Gracie<br /><br />Taking on the task of watching Gracie for the weekend had many<br />unknowns. I have raised 2 puppies myself and even worked with others<br />on picking out the right puppy for their family. Yet a blind puppy<br />raises some questions. As mentioned in the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">previous</span> post I have had<br />the pleasure of meeting Gracie before but now she is on my turf.<br /><br />Day 1 - The Drop Off<br /><br />Kelly showed up <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">friday</span> afternoon as expected a worried mother. I felt<br />as if she was dropping Gracie off for her first day of school. After<br />receiving the Gracie to go bag and introducing the other royalty<br />(Princess our current <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">WRNT</span> foster) in the house to Gracie, the<br />adventure begun.<br /><br />I made sure to take time to properly introduce each dog to Gracie.<br />Princess was curious. Jack the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">puggle</span> wanted to play and made his own<br />version Marco-Polo. We will come back to that. Jase and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Torro</span> gave a<br />sniff and walked away.<br /><br />Gracie had tons of land to survey and didn't waste any time exploring<br />the house. Once she got the lay of the land we headed outside.<br />Outside was prepared for Gracie's arrival. We put up the fence around<br />the pool. We watched as the other dogs lead her around the pool and<br />once <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">confident</span> the running began. Jase and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Torro</span> fled to dad and laid<br />down to watch the excitement as Jack, Princess and Gracie started to<br />play. After an eventful day and a hearty dinner Gracie passed out for<br />the evening.<br /><br />Day 2 - Let the playing BEGIN<br /><br />The day would normally start with a subtle nudge to head outside.<br />Today you could hear the jingle of collars and a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">puggle</span> howl. Gracie<br />started the morning by trying to cuddle with a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">puggle</span>. The pack ran<br />outside did their business and they waited patiently while each member<br />was fed. As the other <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">weims</span> settled down for their morning nap, Gracie<br />had other plans. As she weaves in and out of dog beds you could she<br />her starting to rile the troops up. To try and maintain the normal<br />routine, I headed to another room with some toys to entertain Gracie.<br />Well Jack just couldn't handle it and wandered in to observe. After<br />moments of watching, Jack had seen enough. He ran in the room and<br />stole the one toy that <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">squeaked</span>. As he ran out of the room Gracie<br />dropped to the ground as if in a play stance. Her butt was high in the<br />air as her little docked tail furiously wagged as if locating the<br /><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">squeaking</span> toy. Marco-polo had begun. She was OFF as if this was the<br />only toy left on the planet. Jack was <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">at least</span> 2 rooms and 3 turns<br />away. Gracie navigated these new rooms very quickly. Gracie was now<br />in the same room as Jack and the toy. He looked up and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">squeaked</span> the<br />toy then ran out of the room. As you can guess, this game lasted for<br />almost an hour and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">ended</span> with two sleeping dogs and one slobbery toy.<br /><br />The day passed. There were some puppy naps on the couch while<br />watching TV. As dinner time approached, the dogs migrated to the back<br />door. I forgot how much a puppy can eat. I think Gracie could give<br />most dogs a run for their money in an eating contest. She seems to<br />enjoy her dinner and really appreciates the post meal nap. As the day<br />comes to a close another hide and seek game with Jack begins. Soon<br />the pack has settled into their beds and the night comes to a close.<br /><br />Day 3 - Gracie heads home.<br /><br />Today <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">began</span> the same as yesterday, a morning playtime gets the pack<br />fired up. Some mornings we have some of nature's wildlife in the back<br />yard. Normally I know the wildlife is there due to each of the pack<br />of four staring out a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">separate</span> window at the invader in the yard. It<br />is fun to watch the pack shuffle windows as if getting this new view<br />will give them a leg up.<br /><br />Well, with the new addition Gracie, this signal was missed. As I walk<br />to the back door, the pack follows. When I open the back door the<br />flood of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">weim's</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">puggle</span> head in pursuit of a rabbit. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Weims</span> for the<br />most part seem to have a high prey drive which makes them great<br />hunting dogs. As the team heads out around the pool, they split into<br />three groups. Princess and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Torro</span> head around the pool to the right.<br />These two are very docile dogs but look at this as a game. Jase and<br />Jack take this job very seriously. These two will even bark at the<br />others if they fall out of line. As Jack and Jase creep closer to the<br />frozen rabbit, there was a forgotten variable. Gracie had wandered<br />behind the group confused about this new game. Gracie wandered behind<br />Princess and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">Torro</span> and had no idea what was going on. As Gracie<br />wanders toward the rabbit, Jase begins to growl. Gracie, now concerned,<br />lays down about three feet from the rabbit. This event only took<br />about 30 seconds but seemed to last forever. As Torro lunges for the<br />rabbit and Jase and Jack move in for their prize, Gracie jumps up and<br />runs. The rabbit, this whole time, had not moved an inch. The rabbit<br />jumps up and slams into Gracie. You hear a squeal and the rabbit<br />doubles backs and heads out the small hole under the fence. All the<br />dogs sprint to the spot where the rabbit had once been and stop in<br />front of Gracie. Still confused on what just happened, Gracie jumps up<br />and starts trying to play with the other dogs. In disgust, Jase, Jack<br />and Torro walk away and head inside. Princess stayed behind as if<br />empathizing with Garcie and showing her own lack of enthusiasm for<br />this carnial game.<br /><br />As the two girls take their time outside they finally wander back<br />inside. Jase growls as Gracie walks by, still upset about the flawed<br />attempt this morning.<br /><br />As I write this blog, each dog is passed out on their bed and Gracie is<br />cuddling up on the couch. This was an eventful weekend to say the<br />least. Normally we have a low key house. Gracie had provided<br />companionship for Jack and Princess while the jury is still out for<br />Jase and Torro.<br /><br />Gracie was fun to have. You find yourself watching and observing<br />Gracie as you are so amazed with her abilty to naviagate a new house<br />and interact wit the other dogs. You almost have to force yourself to<br />realize she is just another dog. You know she will get into trouble<br />or eat something she shouldn't just like any other dog. It was great<br />to help out and watch this little trooper for a weekend. Now I hope<br />Gracie's family is prepared to watch our four pups for the weekend :) </span>Amazing Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01476421467868013407noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989460715351175248.post-84651089531734427222009-10-22T20:27:00.003-05:002009-10-22T20:54:30.293-05:00guest blogger this weekend!<div>Hi Gracie fans! Well, it was bound to happen sooner than later...we are headed out of town this weekend and were faced with the decision of what to do with Princess Grace. I did NOT want to board her at a kennel with the twins and her usual babysitter was out of town so I was starting to stress. It's not even that my little girl is blind and neuro-challenged. It was more that she is a spoiled brat and has grown accustomed to being treated like a princess. Well, maybe I was a little worried about her challenges, too... Anyway, I put out the call for help to my wonderful friends in WRNT and once again, the rescue came through for us. Gracie will be in good hands with Jason and Ashley all weekend. They are weim-savvy and Gracie followers, so I know she will be spoiled at their home, too. Jason recently realized a dream of his...he went from the corporate world to self-employment as owner of Smarter Pups, a business with the goal of improving relationships between dogs and their humans through smarter, individualized training. I talked with Jason at length about Miley this past summer. She had been 'acting out' and tearing up stuff around the house. He had great suggestions and although we didn't go through his training program, the ideas and tips he offered were helpful and Miley is no longer in danger of spending some 'alone time' in her crate. Please check out his website at <a href="http://www.smarterpups.com/">http://www.smarterpups.com/</a>. He is a great guy and really likes what he does, and that makes all the difference in the world!<br />So, back to this weekend. We had many volunteer to keep Gracie but Jason was the f<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_KsjHIK6Sp7X0IetW8xndQgl7c1l29uFFoUQBIncubQZeSuVO0E2HnstPlVk-kLAG3oZsxXXE2frsSkB_JV4QtrmClhFKXmQU7QJDQcsgLoYpWRg1-t1oCVBOwlBh9Bg3JuLtBjd9pI6/s1600-h/Gracie+Graybone.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395607749080959074" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_KsjHIK6Sp7X0IetW8xndQgl7c1l29uFFoUQBIncubQZeSuVO0E2HnstPlVk-kLAG3oZsxXXE2frsSkB_JV4QtrmClhFKXmQU7QJDQcsgLoYpWRg1-t1oCVBOwlBh9Bg3JuLtBjd9pI6/s200/Gracie+Graybone.jpg" border="0" /></a>irst, and closest, to answer my call for help so he 'won'. By the end of the weekend, he may not feel so lucky! Gracie is BUSY all the time now and when she gets wound up it takes awhile for her to calm down. But cuddle time is always great with her, so who knows...<br />I've asked Jason and Ashley to 'guest blog' this weekend; partly so you all get a different perspective on our little girl and partly because I will be a nervous mother and want to know what's going on! (see, I can admit that I'm too attached...but can you blame me?) Hopefully, we'll get pictures, too.<br />So...2 nights without that warm little body snuggled up next to me (or on my head, which is how I woke up this afternoon when napping)...this could be difficult!</div>Amazing Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01476421467868013407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989460715351175248.post-60982831545818569432009-10-21T05:07:00.004-05:002009-10-21T05:38:13.668-05:00WRNT in need!!!<div><br /><br /><div>Gracie's favorite charity organization, Weim Rescue of North Texas, is in need of help. Whether you blame it on the economy or not, the rescue has been over-run with aband<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizXaed3BaNt_j5K8tsQYUW0ff9GsGrmun7ee5w-GFuVsUnVjuI1jCRmCERyCXuEFfXRnPijL7hZS-kA_aCeCfxF9HVSnpcI3hFM1ZyEkrFzuBtPtvAzjVrmqQd6f5LxsRJr0ua0pWwaZAw/s1600-h/Gracie+Before.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394999884259218194" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 221px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 174px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizXaed3BaNt_j5K8tsQYUW0ff9GsGrmun7ee5w-GFuVsUnVjuI1jCRmCERyCXuEFfXRnPijL7hZS-kA_aCeCfxF9HVSnpcI3hFM1ZyEkrFzuBtPtvAzjVrmqQd6f5LxsRJr0ua0pWwaZAw/s200/Gracie+Before.jpg" border="0" /></a>oned Weims. The rescue has brought in many weims recently that have required expensive vet care. In addition, there are many weims in need of a warm, loving home to recuperate in so if you have ever thought about fostering, please consider acting on that now. It is expensive to board our dogs until they are adopted, plus they do SO much better in homes where they can learn manners and we can get to know their personality well enough to place them in the perfect forever home.<br /><br />How can you help? Donations are needed...whether it be monetary or your time. We need homes willing to foster a dog until their forever family can be matched to them. Any donation of money, big or small, is so helpful in paying for vet care, food, medicine, heartworm preventitive...and the list goes on. Tell your friends about us, too!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidpP6Kl3FoVBAuebktFAKn-kwILvM57ySulEjDC5clMsEzCp-IvWRVWWLm7qt81cQU-aBd4-hDCzWlTzADxIBz51Q3Cc7Ogky7HqpgGGd9bc27-tC_B8M_Ddp9_TwAXCy0lAumyGX4bWaz/s1600-h/Gracie+After.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394999983604241618" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 191px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 216px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidpP6Kl3FoVBAuebktFAKn-kwILvM57ySulEjDC5clMsEzCp-IvWRVWWLm7qt81cQU-aBd4-hDCzWlTzADxIBz51Q3Cc7Ogky7HqpgGGd9bc27-tC_B8M_Ddp9_TwAXCy0lAumyGX4bWaz/s200/Gracie+After.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Another way you can help is to buy your copy of the 2010 WRNT calendar along with extra copies to give to friends and family as gifts this holiday season. They are available on the website <a href="http://www.weimrescuetexas.org/">http://www.weimrescuetexas.org/</a> . Although Gracie is not in the calendar, her sister Miley is.<br /><br />Gracie would not be here if WRNT had not stepped in to provide her life-saving vet care. I am so thankful to everyone who has made donations to Gracie's Fund. You can make a donation to WRNT in Gracie's name and help other sick Weims get the same chance at a wonderful life that she was given. Again, thank you for all your help!!!</div></div>Amazing Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01476421467868013407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989460715351175248.post-61823007037354250562009-10-21T04:50:00.005-05:002009-10-21T05:03:29.568-05:00halloween hounds...<div><br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394991127768185282" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 167px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJSFUe_wMUSRN1itfs7rp1WqjH5vBuWj5G4DPxHB2WvQ_Y72QqmrWOwcMjVRbvC44fVqfqN2A_PxDHb_SZ8LaEj4QXGrbCx5atmLgA4wAVMfQAUuNJ08z8ugkYV_QKi01tl8KeIax2wmrJ/s200/Halloween+collars.jpg" border="0" /> <div>In the spirit of one of my favorite holidays, I purchased some Halloween collars for Gracie and 'the twins' (Miley and Maggie). Pam, who made Gracie her 'bling' collar and the collars with bows is incredibly talented and makes collars for all of the holidays. We were at her home picking up Gracie from Pam after she 'grac'iously babysat her for a day after her surgery while we were out and we got to see samples of the work she does. I was sold on what a great artist she is but Addie and Sydney were more impress<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh2xUkaLE0lXLQ-thsc5OFSGuzYtQWEKK4L_koEFgFvqGo_M4L-W0t3KzGCQs3honmiJI4DSWJFoNaoYKhJ1uZimZeLFgQsgVSf7D2dXt-YqeGy5fT4WBVNvZ11oaQPerjrvV62vIUcrmW/s1600-h/Gracie"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394991510073301010" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 147px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh2xUkaLE0lXLQ-thsc5OFSGuzYtQWEKK4L_koEFgFvqGo_M4L-W0t3KzGCQs3honmiJI4DSWJFoNaoYKhJ1uZimZeLFgQsgVSf7D2dXt-YqeGy5fT4WBVNvZ11oaQPerjrvV62vIUcrmW/s200/Gracie's+Halloween+collar.jpg" border="0" /></a>ed with the fact that they glowed in the dark! And don't think they didn't take the collars into a closet at Pam's to see for themselves that they indeed did glow in the dark. Kid tested and they passe<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOf7H94c75JDjqRV3SLZrmYlFXlVq1hv4sJBBrGhCoPZXXkt_qR2vkK9ws5qA5f-zQjt81Dn04uDDS05dNixVomfbAYZ8dPG1RmhoLNUQRSGnTgUUlrLSgk9lf9IE7zuqFXnT5SjRfO4jb/s1600-h/Gracie"></a>d. We love them and get compliments everywhere we go! If you are looking for some super special collars for your super special canine, please talk to Pam at Zamora's. She has much to choose from and she has agreed to donate a portion of your purchase back to WRNT when you tell her you saw her on Gracie's blog! And right now the rescue could use every bit of help it can get. If you are interested, email me through the blog and I will get you her contact information. </div></div></div>Amazing Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01476421467868013407noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989460715351175248.post-91509023544522760652009-10-21T04:13:00.008-05:002009-10-21T04:47:41.632-05:00gracie antics...I'm pretty sure Gracie is going to start thinking her name is 'NO'. She is a MESS and getting into everything, not to mention irritating Miley and Maggie every chance she gets. Plus, she is as hard-headed and stubborn as Weims come so training has been an uphill battle. She is SO lucky that she is cute because I'm getting tired of the bruises on my arms and legs from her 'mouthiness'. She gets excited and nips quite a bit. The girls seemed to be immune and only David and I have been targets. Gracie has made this into a game in the backyard. If David or I are out there she will find you by scent and then chase you and try to nip. Yes, we are telling her 'no bite' with some success but like I said, she is a hard-headed Weim puppy and they usually don't start taking you seriously until the 500th time you tell them something.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiAOVjvF2GTdIw0VeYaVTRt7CzSz5qUqArB2hgZmu6ZV62_wFtqJWbPK_OEGBotV_hbMwDmglOkL745hWAGMDswr11-lUJ1AJvzTj9Kkra0MIunM61JM92LNxnyA3nosH7loAxpJKEVpJh/s1600-h/toilet+plunger.jpg"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiAOVjvF2GTdIw0VeYaVTRt7CzSz5qUqArB2hgZmu6ZV62_wFtqJWbPK_OEGBotV_hbMwDmglOkL745hWAGMDswr11-lUJ1AJvzTj9Kkra0MIunM61JM92LNxnyA3nosH7loAxpJKEVpJh/s1600-h/toilet+plunger.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394982323397680962" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 179px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 226px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiAOVjvF2GTdIw0VeYaVTRt7CzSz5qUqArB2hgZmu6ZV62_wFtqJWbPK_OEGBotV_hbMwDmglOkL745hWAGMDswr11-lUJ1AJvzTj9Kkra0MIunM61JM92LNxnyA3nosH7loAxpJKEVpJh/s200/toilet+plunger.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />She managed to find the toilet plunger behind the toilet in my bathroom (which is in the back of our bathroom in it's own small room) and get all the way out of our bathroom, bedroom and through the living room into the kitchen with the plunger in her mouth! (see pic to the right) She then carried it all over the house and did not want to give it up when I told her to 'drop'. I find it neccessary to remind myself that she is blind.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Just the other day, we took her out in the front yard while the girls were riding their bikes and she just took off running down the street! You would not believe she was blind had you seen her. She did not hesitate at all. David had to run after her and catch her!<br /><br /><br />Miley has given up pretending Gracie is not there and has started playing with her more. They were both on my bed one day and Gracie was laying in the middle with Miley running around her. Gracie would just listen for Miley and roll towards her and then bite at Miley. Miley then jumps up in the air and off the bed, runs into the living room and then back into the bedroom and jumps on the bed. It makes me tired to watch them. I was in my bathroom cleaning u<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPBR67ZBxhlfNa4Lf-ucHM9O43PlnOKvhd5NV5wx752IP4yRmJQOe-JLvUXf2cRCeZBl2mvweP6-7TiIWPKJ6ug4u8aXcObAFCJD6tooiJOODBDJ5K1Xb_iIqwBl1oRLeNHZX8MxiUU0tZ/s1600-h/Miley+and+Gracie.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394984723718935810" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 195px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 249px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPBR67ZBxhlfNa4Lf-ucHM9O43PlnOKvhd5NV5wx752IP4yRmJQOe-JLvUXf2cRCeZBl2mvweP6-7TiIWPKJ6ug4u8aXcObAFCJD6tooiJOODBDJ5K1Xb_iIqwBl1oRLeNHZX8MxiUU0tZ/s200/Miley+and+Gracie.jpg" border="0" /></a>p (one of their toilet paper messes) and hear a loud crash. I come out to find Miley just looking at me from the bed and no Gracie. She has managed to roll/lunge her way completely off of the bed onto the nightstand and then to the floor. She ended up half under the bed but was fine and looking for Miley again once I got her out from under the bed. The picture to the right is from the day that Gracie was incessantly biting at Miley. Poor Miley just laid there and took it while Gracie bit at her neck, chest, face and Gracie's favorite...pulling on Miley's ears. This picture was taken right after I got onto Gracie and told her 'no bite' (for the hundredth time that day). This is her 'who, me? I wasn't doing anything!' look. Incidently, Gracie started biting Miley again as soon as I walked away. Eventually, Miley got fed up with the abuse and I caught her with Gracie's entire head in her mouth. Not that Gracie didn't deserve it, but Miley did get in a little bit of trouble. Miley never bites hard, though. I take that back, Miley did draw blood once when she was laying with me on the couch and getting attention from me and Gracie happened to walk up to us. Miley leapt over me and snapped at her. Gracie ended up with a small bite on her chin. But it didn't slow her down, she was back for more the next day!Amazing Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01476421467868013407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989460715351175248.post-60945941972752489962009-10-14T04:28:00.002-05:002009-10-14T04:58:04.672-05:00mud puddle maniac...Okay, I love the rain just as much as the next person but I have had enough! Our backyard makes 'squishy' noises when you walk on it. This is not good considering Gracie loves to run on same path over and over again. Her little race track is getting more muddy each day but this doesn't slow her down. She seems to like the mud. Then, throw in the other two and my kitchen floor is one big smear of mud. I stopped mopping many days ago and am just praying for sunny, dry weather!<br />Gracie also has a special fascination with the large mud puddle underneath the trampoline. This was just a hole dug by one of our former fosters. It's about a foot and 1/2 across and 7 inches deep. Currently, it is filled to the brim with muddy water. Gracie managed to find this and we could not keep her out of it. She started by just running through it and splashing herself. She would go back and forth through it and was jumping around. At some point, she realized that there was grass at the bottom of the puddle. She was putting her head completely under the water and pulling up mouthfulls of the long grass. The first time I saw her head under water and saw the bubbles I panicked but then her head popped up and she looked so proud of herself! She would then jump out and run a complete circle around the yard, only to come right back to the puddle and jump in again. Then I realized she was drinking from this puddle, too! Yuck!! <br />Needless to say, the princess got a long bath following this escapade.<br />Everytime she went out after this, she made her way directly over to the puddle. David had to finally fill the hole so that she wouldn't play in it! She is determined, though, and kept going back to it when we let her out to be sure it hadn't reappeared. Seems our little princess has some tomboy in her! :o)Amazing Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01476421467868013407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989460715351175248.post-51796923934971814512009-10-02T22:16:00.002-05:002009-10-02T22:22:01.431-05:00garage sale to benefit WRNT tomorrow! 10-3Hey Gracie fans!<br />If you have time tomorrow, please come by the WRNT garage sale. All proceeds go to the rescue and help our gray friends. We have had a lot of dogs come through the rescue lately that have needed medical care. This fundraiser will really help replenish what has been used to care for our dogs. <br />Here is the address:<br />3955 Davila Drive<br />Dallas 75220<br />There is TONS of stuff. I know, Gracie and I were there dropping off some things tonight and ended up coming home with some things! Everything from furniture to baby items. There's a little bit of everything.<br />Come out and support our cause! Thanks!Amazing Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01476421467868013407noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989460715351175248.post-66679811628622001432009-09-29T06:20:00.002-05:002009-09-29T06:44:04.897-05:00mangey mutt...So Gracie has had this red spot on her right temple for over a month, now. I just thought it was where she was brushing against the corner of the brick when coming in the back door from the yard. I've seen her do this quite a bit. We 'padded' the brick with duck tape and assumed it would heal and go away. About 2 weeks ago, a red spot similar to the one on her temple appeared on the top of her back foot. It is kind of up by her toes so I thought again, she must have scraped her foot. Well, last week one of the spots appeared on the back of her head. Since I'm fairly sure it would be difficult for even her to scrape the back of her head on something, I knew it was time to see the vet. <br />We've gradually transferred her care to Dr. Kevin Marcum in Frisco. We love him and he is so good with her and 'the twins', Maggie and Miley. He took one look at it and said that '4 letter' word that I was afraid of...mange. It just sounds ugly! The good news is that it is demodex and not sarcoptic. For those of you not educated in the matters of mange (as I was prior to our introduction to sarcoptic mange with Tucker, another weim puppy we fostered), demodex is the the lesser of two evils. Sarcoptic is contagious and makes the dog miserable...at least it did to Tucker. That poor little guy's tummy was bright red, had bumps all over it and he just scratched and whined all weekend til we could get to the vet. Then we had to treat M & M and worry about the girls because it's apparently transferable from dog to human.<br />Anyway, demodex is fairly easy to treat and not contagious. Dr. Marcum invited me back to see 'them' in the microscope following him scraping the red spots on Gracie. Really? I'm game...I've always been interested in the weird and gross stuff. I love the Discovery Health Channel and this can't be any worse than that. I go look and as I'm walking back to the exam room, I notice I've begun to itch...<br />So Gracie is on an antibiotic and another med that we apply topically (much like Frontline) to her back between the shoulder blades and lower back. The topical goes on once a week for 3 weeks and it really smells! My car smelled like that for several days. <br />Other than that, she's doing great! We weighed her and she is now 32.6 pounds! Which explains why my arms were asleep by the time I got her out of the car and into the vet's office. We are definitely going to have to get going on her training. I can't keep carrying her if she is unsure of the surface she is walking on. And we are definitely going to have to figure out a way to get her comfortable with jumping into the car on her own. But again, not sure if she would be able to do this considering the weakness in her back legs. We'll see... Anybody know of a trainer or behavioralist that has actually worked with a blind dog? I'd love to talk to them.<br />That's it for now...Gracie sends sloppy kisses to all of you! :o)Amazing Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01476421467868013407noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989460715351175248.post-5446127907389112112009-09-28T06:43:00.003-05:002009-09-28T06:52:28.536-05:00video of gracie playing...This is such a cute video of Princess Gracie. She got out in the rain and just started running circles around all of us. She was prancing and splashing in the puddles and just jumping around. Plus, this shows how she picks up her hind legs together when she is running full speed.<br />Remember too, she is blind and manages to not run into one thing in our front yard...and they say my gray girl has brain damage. My dogs with sight run into things all the time!<br />...talk to the hand...Amazing Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01476421467868013407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989460715351175248.post-57482819747519590422009-09-28T05:25:00.004-05:002009-09-29T06:20:34.218-05:00the inevitable...Well, I've used about every excuse possible to get out of writing this post so I guess I just need to get it over with. We went to the neurologist a couple of weeks ago and had Gracie evaluated. This was a much less emotional visit than the ophthalmologist and David was with me so I was well-prepared. I think I knew in the back of my mind what the results would show. Gracie does have neurological damage. It's not so much the fact that she has the damage...that I can deal with. We know Gracie and how she is. We are fine with the way she is and wouldn't change a hair on her. It's more the fact that we don't know definitively what happened to her before WRNT rescued her. That is the truly frustrating part. The doctor would ask us a question about Gracie and at least half of them we couldn't answer because we just don't know. When we were talking about the seizure that her former owner said she had but we aren't even sure if she had one. The doctor asked if she has had any more...no. Well, that is apparently good. The longer she goes without one, the better. Plus, the fact that she has steadily been improving since we got her is also good. However, apparently some seizures don't start until after they turn 1. So, long story short, we just wait and see. I can't tell you how many times I've heard that since having Gracie. David and I were told "wait and see" when she was first pulled from the shelter and we didn't know if she would be able to make the trip from Houston to Dallas. We were told "wait and see" when we didn't know if she would make it out of her anemic state of weakness and just survive. We were told "wait and see" if she has neurological damage until after she regains her health and strength. We were told "wait and see" when we were unsure if she would regain any of her sight. I'm such a solution-oriented person and this does not compute! Give me a problem and I will figure out a way to solve it on my own or 'google' an answer. But God gave me a lesson in humility and acceptance when he plopped that scrawny gray puppy in my lap. I can't fix Gracie. I have nursed her back to health and shown her what a good life can be in a loving family. But there are problems that I can't solve. I can't make her see again although the thought of her being able to put faces with voices brings tears to my eyes. I can't fix the damage done in her brain. These are the things that I have both accepted yet still hold out hope that something will change. On the one hand, I can accept that she is blind and has the symptoms that go along with neuro issues. What I can't accept is that, in this modern world, there isn't something that can be done to help her. Or why something wasn't done to prevent this from happening in the first place. Both of which I had/have absolutely NO control over! Remember, the ophthalmologist said that he was sure she wasn't born blind. If only... I won't even go there.<br />Enough lamenting...<br />Here are the facts from neuro: her circling, weakness in hind legs, clumsiness/falling over are all attributable to the brain damage that she sustained early in her life. We can't tell she has an abnormal gait until she runs full speed. She will start pulling both hind legs up at the same time when running fast. I think she looks like a jackrabbit. She will more than likely not regain her sight, although she does have some ability to distinguish light from dark and is responsive to light. We are unsure of the weakness in her hind legs. I would love to say that we can build her strength but we just don't know. She will probably always do, to some degree, her 'Gracie Circles'. But then again, would she be Gracie without the Gracie Circles?Amazing Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01476421467868013407noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989460715351175248.post-54929530757857525502009-09-22T06:16:00.001-05:002009-09-22T06:19:00.537-05:00gracie's weim tail debut...Video of Princess Gracie's newly docked tail. She looks like a real Weim now!Amazing Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01476421467868013407noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989460715351175248.post-41715466425973630272009-09-22T06:04:00.003-05:002009-09-22T06:12:17.257-05:00gracie singing video...Now that Gracie has discovered here 'voice', she is using it all the time. She barks when the big dogs bark at something. She can be in the back part of the house and Maggie and Miley are at the front of the house barking at someone on the sidewalk and she will start barking just to be part of the group. Obviously, her hearing is more sensitive since she is blind so sometimes she hears things that M & M don't and she will start her barking. David will make noises and she just cocks her head to the side with her 'gracie stare'. <br />Recently, she has started to howl and it is the cutest thing! Her little mouth makes an 'o' and she just sticks her head straight up in the air. LOVE IT!! This video is just a sampling of the 'music' we hear in the Walker home every day.Amazing Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01476421467868013407noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989460715351175248.post-9598036328208023572009-09-10T22:59:00.003-05:002009-09-10T23:11:29.900-05:00Gracie 'drinking' water...No one could ever say that Gracie does anything half-heartedly. With her usual enthusiasm, this video shows you how Gracie likes to 'dive' into her water while drinking. It's even worse when she is hot and thirsty. She will put her entire nose under water while drinking. Then, she tries to breathe and gets a nose full of water which, in turn, triggers a round of sneezing. Once that is done, she's right back at it for round two. Oh, and don't even get me started on the amount of water that is dribbled, coughed up, flung around and spilled onto my floor/walls/self. :o) This video doesn't even show her doing her finest work!<br />...all in a day's work for a Weim!Amazing Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01476421467868013407noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989460715351175248.post-23224988439703427172009-09-10T21:30:00.002-05:002009-09-10T22:59:41.067-05:00the eyes have it...Well, today was our tiny gray girl's appointment with the ophthalmologist (notice the extra 'h' and 'l'? I've been misspelling it all along!). I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it was a bittersweet experience. I had tears in my eyes more than once for several different reasons, and maybe some I don't even know. <br />First of all, let me say that Dr. Studer was incredibly knowledgeable and nice. He was gentle with Gracie and didn't rush her through the testing. He took time to explain things to me and answer my questions. The Animal Ophthalmology Clinic is on Trinity Mills and the Tollway and is basically a 3 story building with all kinds of veterinary specialists housed there. I never knew we had all of that available to us! Good to know for future reference. Anyway, at first I thought that the entire building surely couldn't be all for animals but judging by the occasional pile of poop (of which some had been stepped in and tracked) I figured only animal people would allow that. Don't get me wrong, it was exceptionally clean and free of animal 'odors'. They just had some accidents on the main crosswalk to the parking lot. Apparently, the owners of those dogs missed the 'Please walk your dog on the grass' sign. Anyway, I digress...again...<br />Gracie and I went to the second floor, which was her first ride in an elevator. She was a little scared but did great. I had to carry her in or it would have taken us forever. She's still learning to trust us on a leash and when we are in new terrain, she is especially cautious on where she is walking. And if you attempt to encourage her by pulling gently on the leash, she just locks up her front legs and leans back; refusing to go anywhere. Once again proving that Princess Gracie likes to do things at her own pace and prefers that they be her idea and not ours. I guess in a way, you have to be somewhat passive aggressive when you have a handicap you are coping with. After finding out she weighed 30.5 pounds, I didn't feel so bad that my arms were tired after carrying her from the car to the office on the 2nd floor! Our tiny girl isn't so tiny anymore!<br />She wandered a little in the office but she knows that if she hovers in front of me enough, I'll pick her up. So there I am, trying to fill out paperwork with a 30 pound Weim on my lap. Oh, and all the way in from the parking lot, at the elevator and in the office, we heard the usual 'oohs and awes'. She just eats that up! This girl can work a crowd! Oh, and I did get asked if she was going to grow into those ears...I'm not thinking so. They just keep growing with her and that's one of the things I love about her!<br />The girl that takes us back to the exam room knows our rescue well. She said she sees us at all the dog events she attends (yay for WRNT!) and that she thinks we do great work (yay for WRNT!). Then she asked if the small female with the crooked spine was doing well. I told her yes, Dollie is alive and thriving in the home of one of our volunteers. And, not only did she have a home, she actually had two since Pam and her daughter share her. It's SO nice to meet people in the healthcare field who actually remember patients and are interested in how they are doing.<br />Sorry, got off track...<br />That girl and another assistant performed a few tests on Gracie and then took history from me about her blindness. I told her we had very limited information and explained the story we all know too well. When Dr. Studer came in, he listened to the story again and asked a few questions, most of which I didn't know the answer since we've only had her a short time. He explained that he would do his exam and then discuss the findings with me. Long story short, he did multiple tests with the room lights on and off. He spent a lot of time looking into her eyes and testing her reflexes. By this time, my 'nervous mommy' feeling in the pit of my stomach is kicking in and I'm tearing up. I just want the best for Gracie and it's frustrating not to know what that is.<br />He finishes up and sits down (can you believe that?! he actually has time to sit and talk to me!) to share his results and opinion. I realize I'm holding my breath and getting light-headed so I'm having to remind myself to breathe. He tells me that Gracie's eyes are in perfect health. Her eyes have everything they need to function normally. I'm holding my breath again...breathe...this could be really good or really bad... He said that it's something behind her eyes, either the optic nerve or something (here comes my least favorite word when it comes to Gracie) neurological. He can't say what because he doesn't know enough about that area of medicine but he can say that her eyes are in perfect health. I asked about her not flinching when he put his hand to her eyes and he explained that that reflex isn't a good indicator at her age because it doesn't really start functioning in puppies until they are about 6 months old. And then he said, "I can definitely say she wasn't born blind." (There went my theory.) Not sure why, but that stirred up some emotions and I teared up again! It's so frustrating when you are trying to be an adult in a situation and your emotions get in the way. I guess it just makes me more angry to think her blindness might have been prevented. <br />Anyway, I can tell he has more to say and seems reluctant to say it. He basically tells me that we should have her evaluated for neurological damage. Can your heart sink and break at the same time? Dr. Studer has concerns about her circling behavior and abnormal gait. He called it ataxia. From my limited medical knowledge, I know that this means lack or coordination and balance. Due to my Type A / obsessive-compulsive personality tendencies, I have spent time today researching ataxia on the internet, specifically in dogs. It was a little unsettling to read about some things that Gracie does...her high-stepping walk, tight circling, wobbly gait, falling over when turning sharp corners, weakness in hind legs and slipping on smooth surfaces... We had been attributing much of this to her physical weakness and recovery early on and lately, her being a gangly and uncoordinated Weim puppy. After all, it's been 10 years since Maggie was a puppy and we can't remember HOW uncoordinated she was. But judging by the reading I've done today, Maggie was not this uncoordinated. Don't take this wrong. It's not like she can't stand or is falling over constantly. She is just basically weak in her hind legs. <br />So now I'm half listening to the doctor because my head is spinning all of this information around and trying to make the pieces fit together in some logical way. He mentioned something about "needing to know where she is neurologically for placement purposes". Placement? God has already 'placed' her where she needs to be. More talk and then something about seizures. What? She hasn't had any since we have had her. But then out of all that talk soup comes something I can wrap my heart around..."the neurologist can tell you if there is anything that can be done to improve her sight". This is too much to hope for and not even neccessary but would nonetheless be another miracle to add to this crazy journey!!! He did not say that she would, or might, ever get complete sight back. But the thought of her getting anything back and being that much more independent makes me smile.Amazing Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01476421467868013407noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989460715351175248.post-27302991876562728622009-09-07T04:18:00.002-05:002009-09-07T04:41:17.493-05:00opthamologist update...Nothing to report on this front. We missed the appointment!!! <br />I had made a Thursday appointment and David asked if I could change it to Friday so that he could go. This sounded good to me, another person to help remember what the doctor said. I'm always up for that. Anyway, apparently I had already made the schedule change in my mind because I was all set to go on Friday. Problem was, I hadn't called to change the appointment with the opthamologist's office. As David and I are deciding when to leave on Friday morning, we look at the calendar to double check the time of the appointment and realize we've missed it completely. Frustrated does not begin to describe the feeling!<br />Long story short, David talked to them and we are scheduled (again) for this week. As always, I will post any information we receive!Amazing Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01476421467868013407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-989460715351175248.post-77301316816469537572009-09-07T03:52:00.002-05:002009-09-07T04:18:37.506-05:00Gracie 'tries' out swimming...As the title suggests, this was an attempt at introducing Gracie to the water. Although not a complete failure...she does have the doggie paddle instinct...she made aqua circles. She did not seem scared, just a little overwhelmed. We had taken her to David's brother's house since he has a pool. We were thinking this would be a quiet environment where we could test her level of comfort. I guess we forgot that we have 2 children who are definitely not the quiet type. They, along with our 2 nieces and their 4 month old lab, made for a loud pool party. The lab loves the water, obviously, and tends to jump on people when they are in the water. By now, I'm playing the nervous mother role really well and just waiting for the screams from my girls when Buddy jumps on Gracie. This is why this responsibility was left in the hands of David. I did not even venture out onto the patio to watch or video the spectacle. Sorry... David is not in the water very long with her when he brings her back to me looking very much like a drowned rat, albeit a very cute one! She was unsure at first so David held her and took her out into the water. She had the paddle thing down so he let go. He said all she would do is her 'Gracie circles' in the water. The pool was a little busy for him to really try to work with her so he took her out.<br />The poor girl was worn out! Buddy, the lab puppy, had been trying to get to her all day. He's not aggressive but reminds me of a bull in a china store. He would not leave her alone. He slimed her several times, tried to mount her repeatedly and nearly sniffed all of the fur off my little girl's body. I am trying to be positive and look at all of this as an experiment in the socialization of Gracie but I can't help but 'save' her and pick her up when it gets to be constant and a little much. She was really very docile and submissive. She would just roll over when he was pushing into her. I'm not too sure I want her to be like that. I'd like for her to 'stick up' for herself just a little bit. I probably worry too much about her but, in a way, she will always be that tiny little gray girl we nursed back to health.Amazing Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01476421467868013407noreply@blogger.com0