the broken toe...

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.
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.
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.

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.
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).

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.

the 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?

And so our long relationship with Gracie's vet begins...

more 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.
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.
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.
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)

A weekend with Gracie

Gracie

Taking on the task of watching Gracie for the weekend had many
unknowns. I have raised 2 puppies myself and even worked with others
on picking out the right puppy for their family. Yet a blind puppy
raises some questions. As mentioned in the previous post I have had
the pleasure of meeting Gracie before but now she is on my turf.

Day 1 - The Drop Off

Kelly showed up friday afternoon as expected a worried mother. I felt
as if she was dropping Gracie off for her first day of school. After
receiving the Gracie to go bag and introducing the other royalty
(Princess our current WRNT foster) in the house to Gracie, the
adventure begun.

I made sure to take time to properly introduce each dog to Gracie.
Princess was curious. Jack the puggle wanted to play and made his own
version Marco-Polo. We will come back to that. Jase and Torro gave a
sniff and walked away.

Gracie had tons of land to survey and didn't waste any time exploring
the house. Once she got the lay of the land we headed outside.
Outside was prepared for Gracie's arrival. We put up the fence around
the pool. We watched as the other dogs lead her around the pool and
once confident the running began. Jase and Torro fled to dad and laid
down to watch the excitement as Jack, Princess and Gracie started to
play. After an eventful day and a hearty dinner Gracie passed out for
the evening.

Day 2 - Let the playing BEGIN

The day would normally start with a subtle nudge to head outside.
Today you could hear the jingle of collars and a puggle howl. Gracie
started the morning by trying to cuddle with a puggle. The pack ran
outside did their business and they waited patiently while each member
was fed. As the other weims settled down for their morning nap, Gracie
had other plans. As she weaves in and out of dog beds you could she
her starting to rile the troops up. To try and maintain the normal
routine, I headed to another room with some toys to entertain Gracie.
Well Jack just couldn't handle it and wandered in to observe. After
moments of watching, Jack had seen enough. He ran in the room and
stole the one toy that squeaked. As he ran out of the room Gracie
dropped to the ground as if in a play stance. Her butt was high in the
air as her little docked tail furiously wagged as if locating the
squeaking toy. Marco-polo had begun. She was OFF as if this was the
only toy left on the planet. Jack was at least 2 rooms and 3 turns
away. Gracie navigated these new rooms very quickly. Gracie was now
in the same room as Jack and the toy. He looked up and squeaked the
toy then ran out of the room. As you can guess, this game lasted for
almost an hour and ended with two sleeping dogs and one slobbery toy.

The day passed. There were some puppy naps on the couch while
watching TV. As dinner time approached, the dogs migrated to the back
door. I forgot how much a puppy can eat. I think Gracie could give
most dogs a run for their money in an eating contest. She seems to
enjoy her dinner and really appreciates the post meal nap. As the day
comes to a close another hide and seek game with Jack begins. Soon
the pack has settled into their beds and the night comes to a close.

Day 3 - Gracie heads home.

Today began the same as yesterday, a morning playtime gets the pack
fired up. Some mornings we have some of nature's wildlife in the back
yard. Normally I know the wildlife is there due to each of the pack
of four staring out a separate window at the invader in the yard. It
is fun to watch the pack shuffle windows as if getting this new view
will give them a leg up.

Well, with the new addition Gracie, this signal was missed. As I walk
to the back door, the pack follows. When I open the back door the
flood of weim's and puggle head in pursuit of a rabbit. Weims for the
most part seem to have a high prey drive which makes them great
hunting dogs. As the team heads out around the pool, they split into
three groups. Princess and Torro head around the pool to the right.
These two are very docile dogs but look at this as a game. Jase and
Jack take this job very seriously. These two will even bark at the
others if they fall out of line. As Jack and Jase creep closer to the
frozen rabbit, there was a forgotten variable. Gracie had wandered
behind the group confused about this new game. Gracie wandered behind
Princess and Torro and had no idea what was going on. As Gracie
wanders toward the rabbit, Jase begins to growl. Gracie, now concerned,
lays down about three feet from the rabbit. This event only took
about 30 seconds but seemed to last forever. As Torro lunges for the
rabbit and Jase and Jack move in for their prize, Gracie jumps up and
runs. The rabbit, this whole time, had not moved an inch. The rabbit
jumps up and slams into Gracie. You hear a squeal and the rabbit
doubles backs and heads out the small hole under the fence. All the
dogs sprint to the spot where the rabbit had once been and stop in
front of Gracie. Still confused on what just happened, Gracie jumps up
and starts trying to play with the other dogs. In disgust, Jase, Jack
and Torro walk away and head inside. Princess stayed behind as if
empathizing with Garcie and showing her own lack of enthusiasm for
this carnial game.

As the two girls take their time outside they finally wander back
inside. Jase growls as Gracie walks by, still upset about the flawed
attempt this morning.

As I write this blog, each dog is passed out on their bed and Gracie is
cuddling up on the couch. This was an eventful weekend to say the
least. Normally we have a low key house. Gracie had provided
companionship for Jack and Princess while the jury is still out for
Jase and Torro.

Gracie was fun to have. You find yourself watching and observing
Gracie as you are so amazed with her abilty to naviagate a new house
and interact wit the other dogs. You almost have to force yourself to
realize she is just another dog. You know she will get into trouble
or eat something she shouldn't just like any other dog. It was great
to help out and watch this little trooper for a weekend. Now I hope
Gracie's family is prepared to watch our four pups for the weekend :)

guest blogger this weekend!

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 http://www.smarterpups.com/. He is a great guy and really likes what he does, and that makes all the difference in the world!
So, back to this weekend. We had many volunteer to keep Gracie but Jason was the first, 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...
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.
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!

WRNT in need!!!

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 abandoned 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.

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!

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 http://www.weimrescuetexas.org/ . Although Gracie is not in the calendar, her sister Miley is.

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!!!

halloween hounds...

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 impressed 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 passed. 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.

gracie 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.



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.




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!


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 up (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!

mud 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!
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!!
Needless to say, the princess got a long bath following this escapade.
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)

garage sale to benefit WRNT tomorrow! 10-3

Hey Gracie fans!
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.
Here is the address:
3955 Davila Drive
Dallas 75220
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.
Come out and support our cause! Thanks!

mangey 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.
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.
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...
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.
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.
That's it for now...Gracie sends sloppy kisses to all of you! :o)

video 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.
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!
...talk to the hand...

the 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.
Enough lamenting...
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?

gracie's weim tail debut...

Video of Princess Gracie's newly docked tail. She looks like a real Weim now!

gracie 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'.
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.

Gracie '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!
...all in a day's work for a Weim!

the 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.
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...
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!
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!
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.
Sorry, got off track...
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.
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.
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.
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.

opthamologist update...

Nothing to report on this front. We missed the appointment!!!
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!
Long story short, David talked to them and we are scheduled (again) for this week. As always, I will post any information we receive!

Gracie '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.
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.

video of Gracie's journey (so far)...

Hi all...I know it's been awhile and I do apologize. Last week was the first week of school and let me just say it was 'eventful'. I'll leave the rest to your imagination. We are all fine and the girls made it to the 2nd week of school and that's all that matters...right? :o) I'm back on track now and Gracie has been busy! She is into everything and getting quite bold in her adventures. Last night I had her out in the front yard with us while the girls were riding bikes. Miss Gracie decides she is bored with the front yard and takes off trotting down the street! She has no fear, which is good and bad. But I'll have to get into that later. I wanted to at least post this video slideshow of Princess Gracie. I made it for the Weim & Cheese event and have just now gotten it up on You Tube. It tells her story from when WRNT (and us) got her until now. I apologize that some of the slides with writing go by fast, we were under a time constraint and my original selection of music didn't work out so we had to compromise. Just pause the video, they are worth the read.
I'll post more later about Gracie's latest adventures and her upcoming trip to the opthamologist so tune in...

Gracie's found a furever home...

I'm sure this won't be earth-shattering news to most of you...we have decided to keep Gracie. I think I knew from the moment I laid eyes on her broken body in Buffalo, Texas, that God sent this tiny girl to us. We always hear that God works in mysterious ways and Gracie is no exception. I would not have sought to own a blind Weim or felt that we were prepared or qualified to own one. But apparently God thought differently and dropped Gracie right in our lap. When I saw the email with her sad little picture stating she was in the shelter needing picked up, something clicked. The emails went on and it was said that we shouldn't take her unless we had a foster home for her due to her blindness and medical condition. A short discussion with David later and I was replying that if someone could pull her and keep her for a night or two that we would be willing to foster her. Things kept falling into place...another volunteer could pick her up and keep her for a couple nights, our rescue president was able to meet that volunteer and drive Gracie to a midway point between Dallas and Houston. And all of this was on the 4th of July weekend! I just love how our rescue works so well together.


I spent most of that night at work online researching blind dogs. I had a long list of things to do and ideas on training. Little did I know that it would be many weeks before her blindness would even be an issue. First and foremost, she was gravely ill. She had much to overcome but she was a fighter. I remember thinking that first day of having her home, "What have we gotten ourselves into?" But, there really wasn't time for that kind of thinking. As a family, we set about the business of healing Gracie. And heal she did. She has grown strong, stubborn and sassy...just the way we like Weims!


As she became stronger, I began to think, "what next?" Obviously, the goal of any successful fostering is to get the dog adopted. I know there are homes out there that would be more than qualified (maybe more so than us) to love and care for Gracie. But to think of that would bring tears to my eyes. I just kept imagining that moment of someone actually walking out of our home and taking Gracie with them. This just did not sit well with me. She has our house, backyard and family all mapped out in her head. She knows what the pantry and refrigerator doors sound like when opened and that it means there is food available for the taking. She knows that Miley will tolerate her bumping into her and biting more than Maggie will. She knows that my girls, even though they dress her in clothes occasionally, love her to death and would never be rough with her or hurt her. She knows that we will feed her, take care of her needs and love her unconditionally.

So, I guess the title of this post is wrong. Gracie hasn't just now found her home. She found it on July 3rd when she stole our hearts.

I will definitely continue this blog so please keep coming back! We won't officially adopt her until all of her medical care is completed. Plus, there will be plenty to learn and talk about as she grows and we begin our training of a blind dog. And, as with any Weimaraner, there will always be funny stories to share. This isn't the end...it's another beginning. Even though we won't be able to foster anymore (I think 3 Weims are enough for our home), we will be making Gracie 'earn her keep' as an ambassa-dog for WRNT. She will attend Meet & Greets and events to show what our rescue can accomplish with the help of volunteers and donors. That's the up-side of this. Had she been adopted by a family outside of the rescue, she wouldn't be attending all the WRNT events and you would never see her. This way, you will have more opportunities to see her in the coming months and years and watch her grow.
Like I said...this is the beginning of a new chapter. One filled with promise!

life with Gracie...

A little word association on that title: never dull, funny, sometimes painful due to her teeth, snuggle buddy, learning curve...

Life with Gracie is always changing. We are learning something new about her personality or our lack of knowledge in the area of blindness nearly every day. Let me explain what I mean...

A couple of weeks ago, Gracie had to be de-wormed again. I was not happy and thought about how she had gotten them. The answer seemed so obvious I was kind of embarrassed for having missed it! She poops in the same area all the time. This area happens to be right off of our patio which, incidentally, also happens to be her running area. This is where she does her circles. She will poop, start running around and inevitably step in it. If we see her do it or it's bad enough to smell/see it, we will clean her feet. Otherwise, we just let her in. Well, she also has a habit of putting one paw in her food bowl when she eats. At that time, she was still too short to use an elevated feeder. We have her using one now and that's a whole other issue that I'll get to. Anyway, of course she got worms if she has been stepping in poop, stepping in her food and then eating that food! Like I said, it's so obvious with all this hindsight! We were so concerned with weight and health that we didn't even think about that. And I keep up with the poop-scooping in the backyard. We now have a small trashcan, the Walker version of a diaper genie, with a pop-up lid designated for dog poop in the backyard and when Gracie goes it is immediately picked up and disposed of. Problem solved...hopefully.

Next issue...I love my Ikea elevated dog feeders. They are metal and have three prong-like things that hold the bowls in place. It all folds down into itself. I was happy to get her into using this so that she couldn't put her foot in the food anymore. However, she goes into a frenzy when mealtime rolls around and literally can't control herself. She is so busy trying to get to the food that she hits the bowls with her foot or body and tips the bowls over, dumping contents out all over the floor. I've cleaned up tons of water and picked up thousands of pieces of dog food due to this. And, once she hears the dog food hit the floor, it's on. She switches into high gear and you can't hardly stop her. Then, if the bowl comes off the prongs, she will step into the feeder itself in her frenzy. This makes me nervous. I can just see her getting tangled up in that and snapping a leg. We are working on this issue. Maybe if we weight the bowls or attach them to the prongs somehow. Or, maybe we could figure out a way to keep Gracie from going into her hyperactive mode all together! As usual, any suggestions would be welcomed!

Teeth...thank the Lord above! Gracie lost her two bottom canines! All of our legs will be so grateful. She lost them both this past weekend and David said her adult teeth were already pushing through the gums. That's fine, at least those teeth aren't tiny needles. She is pretty mouthy right now, especially when she's tired but won't give up and go to sleep. We are working on this but it is a slow process. I know I shouldn't, but I feel bad disciplining her due to her blindness. Plus, I'm not sure of the best way to discipline her for the same reason. Thoughts?

Busy...this is her to a 'T'. She loves the refrigerator and the pantry. Go figure, they both store food; her favorite thing. She has the sounds of either being opened memorized and can hear it from across the house. If it's the pantry, she's there trying to climb into the bag of dog food. If it's the refrigerator, she's just trying to get whatever she can. Yesterday, I opened the refrigerator and she got past me before I could catch her. She tends to stretch her front legs out when she's unsure of where she is to 'feel' her way. She did this and caught the edge of a plastic pitcher with no lid on it that was half full of lemonade. Before I could catch it, she pulled it over on herself and it spilled all over the refrigerator shelf and floor. Then she's trying desperately to get into the refrigerator and I'm trying to keep her out without slipping in the lemonade. She's already slipped and has lemonade all over her. I yell for Addison to come help. What do I hear? "Just a minute" is lazily called out to me. "I don't have a minute!", I respond. Needless to say, I had a mess to clean up and a dog to wash but it all worked out. I'm sure we looked like a bad slapstick comedy. Just another day in the Walker home.

So, life with Gracie is a learning curve. Just when we have the 'kinks' worked out, another one pops up. We are taking her to an opthamologist on September 4th to get a good evaluation of her eyesight. I am not anticipating any miracles nor do I need any (more). Just the fact that Gracie is here is good enough for me. She more than makes up for these 'issues' with her puppy kisses and sweet nature. Gracie is Gracie...what else needs to be said?

gracie finds her voice...

Okay, I've GOT to get this on video to share with you all. Gracie barked for the first time this past weekend and has now realized that she can do this at-will. David said he heard her bark once a couple of weeks ago, but it seems that this weekend was when she realized she had control of this 'power'. She was outside by herself, and we all know how much she likes to be outside, but decided enough was enough. I heard her whine a little and then she just barked several times. It was so stinkin' cute! I'm sure the cute-ness will wear off and we'll be telling her to be quiet soon enough but for now, we are enjoying this newly-found talent. Since then, she is taking her cue from her older 'sisters', Maggie and Miley. They don't bark incessantly but will bark at noises outside. Gracie was sound asleep yesterday and M & M started barking at something out front. Gracie popped right up, ran in the hall where M & M were and started her baby barking right along with them. She prances around when she does this and puffs up her chest. She's trying so hard to be one of 'the big girls'. She apparently has appointed herself a watchdog now and takes her responsibility seriously!

weims and cheese for everyone...

If you missed WRNT's Weim & Cheese event, you really missed a great time! There was plenty of good food and conversation to be had. Gracie made an appearance in her formal bandage wraps (we specifically asked the vet for 'something in pastel' when they re-wrapped her tail and front legs) and princess collar. And, boy, does she know how to work a crowd! Her feet didn't touch the ground unless we took her out to go to the bathroom. I hope everyone who wanted a turn holding her had the chance. If you didn't, sorry! We'll catch you next time!
She had some friends there, too. Maggie and Jack, 2 of Sydney's mixed puppies were there. Sydney came into the rescue pregnant and has been a wonderful mom to her litter of adorable pups. Their feet didn't touch the floor, either. Nothing heals the spirit like a cuddle with a soft, warm puppy!
We had a great turnout and I think everyone had a really good time. I had made a slideshow of Gracie's journey up until now and those who were there got to see it. I will get it on the blog in the next few days. We've been busy at our house with back-to-school activities this past weekend so I apologize for the lack of posts. Believe me, it's not for a lack of material. Gracie is constantly giving me material to talk about...I just need the time to write!
Thanks again to all who came out to Weim & Cheese and a very special thank you to those who organized and ran this great event! It ROCKED!!! :o)

our good little patient...

Seriously, I'm starting to wonder if this dog can do no wrong. She has been the model patient in her recovery...she's been taking it easy, not messing with her bandages or the uncovered stitches in her belly and has showed no signs of needing any pain meds. She ate well this morning and went back to sleep with me (I worked last night) until noon. I hate to keep saying it, but here goes...Amazing! Gracie just seems to be appreciative of everything she receives and is able to do. I think we've heard her bark all of one time and she submits to the big girls, Miley mostly but Maggie, too, when appropriate. And she continues to be the sweetest, cuddliest (is that a word?) Weim! On a side note, Miley continues to be a jealous, mischievous sister. She was back to pulling Gracie's blankie out from around her last night. I guess she realized that Gracie's injuries and bandages weren't life-threatening so she could resume her bratty behavior. When this wasn't working, she pulled the pillow out from under my head twice! I could blog just on her quirkiness alone!
Anyway, I don't want to jinx us but it appears we might not need the inflatable collar. Gracie has licked her dew claw bandages a couple of times but that's it. I think she vaguely looked at her spay incision this morning and might have licked it once. She is just a perfect angel.
She must be feeling a little better because as I type she has Barbie's main man, Ken, pinned to the ground and is trying to amputate a leg. Better his leg than hers, right?
I guess that's the big news for now. It's looking good for her to attend Weim & Cheese this Saturday night. I'll put up a post about that later. Everyone is invited and it benefits the rescue and all that we do for the Gracies in Texas! She'd love to 'smell' you there!

gracie's home again...

Gracie got home today at about 5pm. She's doing pretty well considering all that was done to her today. She came home with bandages on her legs and tail. Dr. Carroll didn't send her home with any pain meds but had given her an injection before she left so hopefully that will last for the worst of the pain. I've heard the tail docking is very painful so that is what I'm worried about. We will keep an eye on her and if she seems to be in pain the vet will give us something to make her more comfortable. I just can't stand to see this little girl hurting anymore. She didn't appear to be slowing down any tonight. When she first came in the house Maggie and Miley were sniffing her and licking her face...too cute! Maggie even let Gracie lick her face! Gracie wandered around for awhile and ate a small dinner. She finally crashed on the couch and slept the rest of the evening.
I was worried that her tail would be docked too short, something I see way too often in our breed. But Dr. Carroll did an awesome job! Her dew claws were removed, too, and she has some bright neon green wrap bandages on those. Between those and the tail bandage, David made the comment that she looks like a racehorse. She does, too! She's still the sweetest little girl, too. Even more so on pain meds! :o)
We bought something to use if she starts to mess with her incision sites. It works like an
e-collar but without the cone. It's kind of a blow-up doughnut that goes around her neck. Someone had mentioned it in an email or comment yesterday and David went and found it. We don't want to use anything unless we have to so hopefully she will not start licking or biting at the stitches / bandages. But, we are prepared!
Depending on her recovery time, she will hopefully attending WRNT's function, Weim and Cheese, this weekend with us as an 'ambassa-dog'. We'll see.
Thank you so much for all the prayers and well wishes today! Gracie is a very lucky little Weim to have so much love and support!

Be sure to check out the new slideshow. It has pictures of Gracie post-surgery and some other cute ones we've gotten in the past couple of weeks.

pray for Gracie...she's having surgery today

Well, today is the day I've been dreading. Gracie goes back to the vet so that they can spay her, dock her tail, remove her dew claws and, hopefully, microchip her. It's alot but I'd rather we do it all at once so that she only has to be put 'under' one time. We might not be able to microchip her tomorrow, it depends on whether we can get the chip to the vet's office by the time they start surgery. (Long story and the details are not exciting so I will omit them.)
I don't know if you remember, but when we initially discussed tail and dew claws with Dr. Carroll he didn't want to do the dew claws. David feels strongly that they need to be removed. Gracie broke off a nail this week, although it wasn't a dew claw. I attribute this to the fact that her nails are somewhat brittle and thin due to her malnourishment. David feels that she is more prone to catching a nail on something because she can't see where she is stepping. I'm fine with either. I just hate to see her in any pain!
Some of you have commented that you love her natural tail and hope that she gets to keep it. The reason we are docking her tail is for her safety. It is really long and, again, due to her blindness she can't keep her tail from getting caught in something or hurt. I totally agree with this. That tail is strong, too! She's been knocking stuff over and 'hitting' us with it. :o)

Anyway, David will be dropping her off on his way to work at about 8am. I believe Dr. Carroll starts his surgeries at 10am. Not sure of how they order them, though. I hate to think of her in a kennel in a strange place without us! She is not timid, so I know she will be fine but I will still worry about her. The staff will be so excited to see how well she is doing, though! They haven't seen her in a month. I'll be sending her favorite blankie (which, incidently, Miley pulled out from under her again last night!) so that she feels somewhat comfortable. I do worry about how we are going to keep her from messing with the stitches in her tail and tummy. I can't see putting an E-Collar on her with her blindness. It will completely undermine all the mapping she has done in our house and confuse her, I think. The vet said we would just see how she does following the surgery. She may not even touch the stitches. That would be awesome!! The vet told us she would be ready to go at 3pm unless there are complications...God Forbid!!!! Guess who will be there at the stroke of 3!

Please pray for Baby Gracie today. She will be alone in a strange place with little, if any, sight. Pray that her surgery goes well and that she has a speedy recovery.
I will let you know when I hear something!!

this dog is blind...really? (video)

I know she is, but I'm constantly amazed at how well she does! We took Gracie to a nearby area that has a mile track in it and tons of fields. I thought she would be scared since it was new and she didn't know her way around. We were going to have to walk on the gravel track a ways to get to the field and I thought we would have to carry her most of the way. But no, once again she proved I know very little about blind Weim puppies (not that I dispute this fact at all!). I was up ahead of David and Gracie because the big girls (Miley and Maggie) were off leash and LOVING life, romping through tall grass and trees, so I had to keep an eye on them. Anyway, David said Grace was a little unsure of the gravel track but once she realized it was fine she TOOK OFF! That girl is fearless! The track is bordered by cement blocks so they make an excellent tool for her to use and gauge where she is. When she felt one, she turned back. It was great! David and I both want to be able to walk her and have her trust us so this is a great start. I would love for her to run with me and Miley and this track may be the answer.
I've linked the video to some of this trip. I apologize for the shakiness, but it was windy and I was walking to keep up with David and Grace. It's a little long (over 2 minutes) but so worth watching. You get to see her do all the things I've talked about and she did stray off the track at one point. She was either a little confused or just being stubborn (which is entirely possible, this little girl is sassy!) during that part but we got back 'on track'. (Pardon the pun :o)
Like I said, it was windy and you can see her big gray ears flapping in the wind. David said that if everything lined up perfectly, she might go airborne!!! My sweet little gray Dumbo!

the eyes have it...

I took this video to give you all a chance to see Gracie's eyes and how they don't look 'typical'. She does just stare at times, but other times she seems to be looking right at you. Her pupils dilate and constrict and you'll see in the video that when she's 'looking' at the camera, her eyes shift a couple of times as if she looks from one thing to another. Don't get me wrong, I don't think she is going to make a miraculous 100% recovery of her sight. I DO think that she sees more than we originally thought. She does SO much better getting around the house when it is daytime or there are plenty of lights on in the kitchen. She doesn't bump into as many things at these times.
We are waiting for a clean bill of health from Dr. Carroll and then we will take her to an opthamologist to see if they can determine her level of blindness. (I mean, hey, if she's only LEGALLY blind and can't drive, that's no big deal at all! :o) I know she can distinguish shadows at the very least.
On the flip side of that... Today I was in the closet of our bedroom and Gracie was on our bed chewing on her bone. Everything was fine, I left her in the middle of the bed completely occupied. Next thing I hear is a loud crash followed by another loud crash. I don't hear any yelping or even whining so I know she is either fine or unconscious. I run into the room to find her happily walking around my room and the nightstand knocked over along with everything on it including a lamp! Apparently, she was walking across the bed and walked right onto the nightstand which then flipped over. Not a scratch on her and she continued to get into everything. She is a mess!!!
Today, I left her out in the house with Miley and Maggie when I went to work. David was going to be home shortly after I left (which is the only reason I left her out of our bathroom). I walked the house and put up all the things I thought would be dangerous for her and closed off rooms. She managed to find one of the girls' purses on the floor and managed to get her body through the strap so that she was wearing the purse! David said she had one front leg and her head through the strap. She was fine and David said she was walking around with it on but WOW, lesson learned. Gracie Gray stays in the bathroom where I can CONTROL her surroundings!!!
This girl is into everything and an accident waiting to happen!
And so we learn another lesson about living with a blind dog (who apparently doesn't realize or care that she is blind)!

video of Gracie having her first ice cream cone...

OK, this is BY FAR my most favorite video of Gracie to date! We took her to Double Dip for her first 'doggie ice cream cone'. Miley and Maggie get to go every once in awhile as a treat so we decided to introduce Gracie to ice cream. (Just a tiny scoop for those who worry!)
She was a MESS...literally! She got it all over her nose, ear (of course, how could she not with those big soft ears?) and even on her eyelashes. She managed to cover David in ice cream, too! It was a treat to watch and I LOVE introducing new things to her that I know she will like. She is like a blank slate with food. We are trying to keep it healthy, but everyone deserves treats here and there!
P.S. I know it's been awhile since I posted...too long. I wanted to at least get this up tonight. I will post a longer message tomorrow detailing her progress and what's in store for her this week at the vet. So no one worries all night, she is absolutely fine and lovin' life! Talk to ya'll tomorrow!!!

Princess Gracie...

Man, is she living up to that title! This video is of her on her new 'throne'. We bought a couple of the Love Sac bean bag chairs this past weekend and haven not been able to use them much between the girls and the 'other' girls... a.k.a. Maggie and Miley. Gracie obviously can't jump on them herself but she fits nicely in them so we usually put her in one for her numerous naps.
She's also still enough in this video for you to actually be able to appreciate how cute she is. Usually, she's a blur of activity.
Enjoy!

video of Gracie is 'crazy' mode...

I knew you wouldn't believe me if I just told you how energetic our tiny weim has become so I tried to videotape her playing. This video is too cute! She is trying to catch the girls as they run around the back yard. She is such a mess! She will take off running across the back yard! (Have I mentioned that she is blind?!)

jealous sister...

So Miley has been watching the entire saga of nursing Gracie back to health with keen curiosity. But lately I think she's been getting a little jealous. If Gracie is on the couch with David or I, she will sit directly in front of us and more often than not, block our view of the television. I know she's a dog but I think she does this on purpose. Then, if you still don't give her attention, she will start pawing at you. First, your leg and then your arm. All the while moving closer and closer. She has no concept of 'personal space' and is constantly violating this unspoken rule. Eventually, she's got her front feet on the couch and is trying to slowly manuver herself between you and Grace. This, more often than not, means she's in your lap because there is no room between you and Grace. This routine worked for awhile but now she is getting more creative. Because she knows you will tell her 'no' when she tries to sit between you and Grace (unfortunately, this has turned into ON Grace occasionally), she has tried several different techniques. The first involved her attempting to lay on the armrest of the couch...keep in mind she's a 70 pound dog. After failing miserably (and occasionally embarrassingly) at this, she tried to feign indifference in a sad attempt at reverse psychology. For about a week, she spent nearly all of her time on the other couch and managed to take up most of it by stretching out on her back. This, I'm sure, was to show us that SHE had no room for US. Again, no response. This week, she's back to her 'hands on' approach. She is now putting her jealousy right out there and steals things from Gracie every chance she gets! It's not enough that she has 4 rawhides hidden in the couch and laundry basket. Nope, she's got to sit in front of Gracie while she's chewing on hers and wait until Gracie drops it for a second so that she can take it from her. She doesn't even chew on it for long! And, for her grand finale...she tries to pull Gracie's blankie right out from under her while she's sleeping!!! Or, sometimes, she will just do that Weim 'nibbling / pinching' thing they do when they are playing or frustrated to her blankie. I'm sure those of you with one of our little gray friends living with you in your home know what I'm talking about. It's the funniest thing to watch.
All to say, I'm trying to spend some quality time with Miley (in addition to the separate quality time I'm spending with the human kids). When do I get some quality alone time???
As I write this, Miley is sitting next to me looking at the computer screen and yawning. She's not very subtle with her opinions. Plus, the entire time I've been trying to type this, she's pawing my arm, nudging my hand away from the keyboard with her nose and has attempted to get on my lap a couple of times. I'm guessing she wants something...maybe a walk or playtime? On that note, I'll sign off and go spend some quality time with Miley outside while Gracie sleeps.
Have a great night!

come see Gracie tomorrow!!

Hey! Just wanted to remind everyone that Gracie will be at Orvis in Arlington tomorrow from 10 to at least 12, maybe 2pm. She would love to meet you! She is a busy puppy right now so be prepared. Last time, she was content to be held all day. Now, not so much. She wants to explore and chew, chew, chew! She's a very happy little girl and would love to give you some Weimie kisses...and maybe a nibble or two!
We will have adoptable Weims there, also. So if you or anyone you know is looking for the best breed, come see us!

Gracie makes her own dinner (video)...

I love this video of Grace. She is getting to be a handful and this video shows just what I mean. She is very curious and loves to get into things. We LOVE seeing her this active. It is such a big change from the day we brought her home (July 3). She could barely walk and had no interest in anything other than sleeping. If you get time, look at one of the first videos we took of her and you'll see what I mean. We are with her everyday so we don't see the differences as clearly as you all do. That's why I like to look at the 'old days' and see just how far she has come.
Her coat is shiny and she is finally growing in a new coat on her chest and underneath her chin. Her body had been conserving energy to keep the necessities running, i.e. heart, lungs, liver, kidneys...so her coat had suffered. You would never guess her past looking at her now. If you can, you have got to come see her this Saturday at the M & G. You will not believe how different she is. She's constantly busy and doesn't have as much time for cuddling (well, until she's tired...then she will find you and weave around your legs until you pick her up) so she's not as 'holdable' as she was at the last M & G. I can definitely see what Dr. Carroll was meaning by docking her tail for safety reasons. She's an accident waiting to happen with that thing waving around in the air! We are definitely Gracie-proofing the house so she can't get into anything that would hurt her.
We used to be able to scoop her up with one hand and tuck her under an arm to carry her. Now, she's a two-handed commitment and very wiggly. The girls are not going to be able to carry her around for much longer. That's a sad thought, they grow so fast! She had her first taste of ground beef and let me tell you, she's starting to remind me of a pirhanna! The combo of her needle-like baby teeth and the blindness turns her into a weapon when you are trying to feed her a treat that she doesn't get too often. She smells it and goes crazy! She is all over the place and when she gets near it, she just starts biting. I have yet another wound from that lesson learned. Moral: Put the food on the floor and tap by it so she can find it. Yellow caution tape is an option to be considered!
Enjoy the video!

18.4 and counting...

We took Grace to Petsmart today to find more chew toys in an attempt to keep her from chewing on us. While there, we weighed her and she is now 18.4 pounds! We usually weigh on Fridays so this was a couple of days later, but still, that was a 4 pound gain in 9 days. Incredible, or rather...Amazing!
Grace is doing really well. She is more comfortable getting around our house with every day and does not seem timid about exploring at all. We have made our bathroom her area when we are out and she seems to do well in there. She doesn't whine or scratch when we leave her in there. She will just lay on her bed. She's also extremely comfortable with our backyard. She has been running (yes, you read right) around our backyard! I would not have guessed we'd be seeing that so soon. We have also started to 'scent' things in the house. We are using a specific scent for doors leading outside, starting with the back door. She will hopefully associate this with going outside to potty and finding her way to the door. I've also added a bell on a ribbon to the doorknob so that she will learn to hit the bell with her nose when she wants to go out. She's only had a couple of accidents in the house and both have been in the kitchen close to the back door. She is a smart little girl and is picking up things quickly. It's just up to us to present things to her in a way she can process.
I tried her on the leash today in Petsmart and she did okay. She is fine until she doesn't want to go where you are going or gets distracted. Then she will plant herself firmly and refuse to go any further. She can be quite hard-headed! She was pulling bags of dog treats off of the shelves today. Once again, she drew alot of attention. Only, today it was because of how cute she is instead of how skinny and frail she looked. That was an awesome thing! We will be working on her acceptance of the leash and trusting us to lead her when she is on leash. This will make walks much easier. We haven't been exercising her so that she can conserve all of her calories but I think she's at a point where we can begin. I thought that she might have an issue with something pulling on her neck but she did fine. We have a harness and might try this to just see if she does better on that.
We had some loud thunder this morning and Gracie did fine. She woke up from her napping on my lap but was easily calmed and went right back to sleep. She doesn't seem skittish with loud noises and seems to take everything in stride.
She is quite the princess in our house, too. She still has 'her' pillows that are on the couch for her to nap with 'her' blankies. It's crazy, I know! She is just too irresistible when it comes to babying her. We aren't carrying her around, though. She is having to navigate on her own and seems to prefer it that way. She did not care for the wet grass or the rain when she went out to potty today. Maybe part of it was that she didn't realize what the rain was. I mean, it hasn't rained for awhile and with her being blind, it may have been a little weird for her. So, I sent Addie out with an umbrella to walk with her so she wouldn't get the worst of the rain. Otherwise, she might have been out there for awhile just circling. I know, more pampering...
Anyway, keep her in your prayers, they are working!!!
Next step is to get her spayed and to an opthamologist and neurologist to get a good assessment of her sight and any neurological damage. I can't believe it's already been a little over 3 weeks since we brought home that skinny, gray puppy...

come meet Grace this weekend...

Hey, just wanted to let everyone know that Gracie will be at the WRNT Meet & Greet at Orvis in Arlington this Saturday, August 1. The event will run from 10am to 2pm but Gracie will only be there from 10am to 12.
Come see our tiny girl who is not so tiny anymore!

bling bling for Gracie...

Well, Miss Gracie got her first official piece of mail the other day. It was a package and my kids just could NOT believe that it wasn't for them! I'm sure you have figured out from the pictures that she received the CUTEST collars. They are a gift from a fellow volunteer in the Weim Rescue. I'm not going to publish her contact information right now since I didn't ask her if I could. But, I will tell you that she makes them herself and does an AWESOME job! She has tons of items to choose from and I'm pretty sure she does leashes too. Gracie highly recommends her work and will now only
wear designs by 'Zamora's'...well, and Tiffany if anyone is looking
for birthday ideas ;o)
They are a touch big on her now (they would fit nicely around her tummy) but as soon as she's big enough, she will be stylin'! I've uploaded some close-ups of the collars to her Picasa Web Album. You can just click on one of the slideshows, which I'm sure you will be visiting today, and go to the album page to see them.
If you would like more information on the collars, email me or just leave a comment and I will get that info back to you after I've made sure I can give it out. I know, everyone is protective of information now-a-days, but you never know...a kook like me could find out where you live! AAGGHHHH!

is there a tooth fairy for super cute weim puppies?

I know some of you will find this totally gross...and that's okay.
I, however, have always been amazed at how tiny puppy teeth are! While showing David where Gracie's tooth had come out (this was the one I heard her crunch on and then, I'm guessing, swallow), we discovered another that was barely hanging on so we removed it. Trust me, it was really only barely still in her gum, she did not even flinch. Plus, I didn't want her swallowing another one. Anyway, I saved it because that's what I do, I save things. I wanted to post a picture of it for anyone who actually was lying awake at night wondering what a pulled tooth from a Weim pup would look like. So, now you know. They are super tiny so you start to wonder how the heck they hurt so much when they bite you!

And no, I'm not putting it under Gracie's pillow tonight. Mainly because that would mean the tooth would be under MY pillow and I find that somewhat disturbing. And yes, that means she is still sleeping in our bed and well on her way to becoming a spoiled little pooch! But honestly, don't you think she deserves to be spoiled????? :o)