18 June 2017

Callie the border collie — no miracle

I went to spend the afternoon at the château de Chambord yesterday with "Seine Judeet". Judy is a woman Walt and I knew back in Paris in 1981-82 but hadn't seen again since then. She's been a frequent commenter on this blog over the years. She's been staying in Saint-Aignan for a couple of days. When I got home at about 6 p.m., Walt told me we had an emergency on our hands. It was Callie, who had suffered some kind of malaise.

At that hour on a Saturday, the clinique vétérinaire was of course all closed up. I called the clinic's phone number anyway, and heard a recording that gave me an emergency number for such situations. I called that number and talked to a vet who was on call. He asked us to bring Callie to his office, which is just 5 miles from our house. I carried Callie out to the car, laid her on the back seat, and off we went.

The main — and, actually, only — symptom of Callie's malaise was her inability to stand up on all four legs. Her back legs were, and are still, paralyzed, or so weak that they won't support her weight. She seems to have even less control of them this morning than last night. A dog that can't stand up, or walk, is a dog that can't live, I think. The vet said he didn't think Callie had had a stroke.

He said he thought it was more likely a spinal cord injury or defect. He gave Callie a massive dose of cortisone as a shot, and said she should probably start feeling better and be able to move around over the following two or three hours. Well, that didn't happen. It's now 12 hours later and Callie still can't get up off the floor.

 Here's the last photo I took of Callie on one of our walks. It was a week ago this morning.

So it looks bad. She was in the downstairs entryway yesterday afternoon when Walt went to take her out for her walk. She couldn't stand up. Walt said he sat and talked to the dog, and cried, for an hour or so before I got home. I had taken Callie for a perfectly normal walk yesterday morning, and she had eaten her food with gusto after the promenade. Walt said Callie (10 years old) and Tasha (4 months old) had spent the afternoon snoozing downstairs. It was a very hot afternoon. They didn't do any rough playing, Walt said.

So now we have to face the inevitable. At midnight, I hauled out a single-bed mattress, dragged it into the entryway, found some sheets and pillows, and slept down there on the floor with Callie. When I say "slept" that's a slight exaggeration. But I lay there listening for any sign or sound from Callie that the cortisone was having the desired effect. All I heard was a little whimpering once in a while.

So it's Sunday and we can't go see another vet until tomorrow. I'm afraid we'll have no choice but to have our poor, dear Callie put down. Here come those tears again...

64 comments:

  1. So sorry to hear that, and I know how much Callie means to you both. Hope she recovers completely and very soon. I'm with you on this. Keeping my fingers crossed.

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    1. When I think about it, Callie's behavior has definitely changed over the past three months. She started having trouble coming up the loft stairs, hesitating for a while before finally figuring out which paw to start on. Over the past few weeks, she's taken to wandering away from us during our walks, which she never did in past years. I guess all those are symptoms of senility or poor blood flow to the brain. Collette had some of the same symptoms at the end of her life, but she was 13 or 14 years old when they bacame noticeable, not 10.

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  2. I am so terribly sorry to hear this....But I would not give up yet. She may yet recover, or your own vet may discover what is causing this, which may be something other than has been considered yet. I hope she will recover. I know you and Walt care for her very much. I lost my own dog Bo in April last year and still miss him very much.

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    1. We really hoped that Callie would live to be 12, 13, or even 14 years old. Maybe she still will, as you say, but right now it doesn't look good. It's ironic that we got Tasha so recently, thinking having a puppy would give Callie a boost in her old age. Thanks for your good comment, as usual.

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  3. Oh, Ken, I can't bear reading this. You know that we are all here waiting with baited breath to hear some better news, but our hearts go out to you and Walt.

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    1. Judy, it's a reality that we built our lives around Callie over the past ten years, with all our walks in the vineyard, morning and evening. We'll see what happens, but I am really worried. When we brought Tasha home, we thought she and Callie would enjoy companionship for a few years before Callie's passing. Now I just don't know...

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    2. I also meant to say that I'm so glad you, B. and D. were here yesterday when we had to race to the veterinary emergency room. You could keep Tasha for us so we didn't have to take her with us. It's clear this morning that Tasha understands that something important is going on.

      Walt and I both enjoyed the evening with you all very much. Come back when you can.

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  4. I am so sorry to hear this news. Fingers crossed. These sorts of paralyses do seem to be not uncommon in dogs, associated with spinal cord malfunction in some form. Poor Callie. I can imagine how devastated you and Walt are.

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    1. Thanks Susan. The emergency vet has prescribed an antibiotic (just to be safe, he said) as well as a medication called Candilat, which is an "oxygenator" that helps increase blood flow to the dog's brain. And of course the cortisone (basically prednizone). So Callie is being treated for both the spinal cord possibility and the stroke possibility. Right now she seems to be just sleeping and enjoying this morning's cool breeze.

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  5. Such sad news to read this morning.... my BC was epileptic and kept having fits.... anything like this is always heartbreaking.... my thoughts and prayers are with you both and Callie. Keep strong... as Susan says I can imagine how terrible you both are feeling.

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    1. Thanks Tim. Yes, terrible. Trying to stay optimistic but it's not easy. If the cortizone had had the hoped-for effect last night... but it didn't.

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  6. Oh my, what terrible news. Poor Callie! Don't give up hope yet, a miracle might still happen, I can understand you're very worried though. Does your own vet have the possibility to take X-rays? It really does sound as if something in her back is damaged somehow. I'll be thinking of you and praying for you.

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    1. Merci. We'll see what the vet can do tomorrow morning. I'm sure they do x-rays. I wish things were going better this morning.

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  7. Désolé et triste pour vous , courage et amitié Thierry

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    1. Merci Thierry. Ce n'est pas la meilleure journée que j'aie passée à Saint-Aignan/Mareuil.

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  8. Bien triste pour vous... Vous avez l'air si complices avec elle tous les deux... Amicales pensées

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    1. Merci. Comme je dis plus bas, ça n'a pas l'air de mieux se passer ce matin qu'hier soir. On se résigne...

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  9. My heart goes out to you... and I hope that with continued rest and the right medication Callie will recover. She will certainly get all the love and care any dog deserves, from you both.
    I had a similar experience with our older Lab, last January. She had lost the use of her back legs, and I felt cheated when I held her in my arms for the last time, as the vet gave her the final shot. All our other Labs had lived to be at least 14, and I resented those extra years we'd lost with her.
    You will all be in my thoughts - I know how you feel.

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    1. I wonder how old your Labrador was. Callie turned 10 in February, and we expected another 3 or 4 years with, and hoped for even more. It has happened so suddenly.

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    2. She was eleven and a half, which is the average age for a Lab.

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  10. Ken and Walt, We are really sorry to read this sad news about Callie this morning. Out thoughts are with you all as you wait to see what happens. This is the most awful time for a dog lover as you seek to do what is right for them. Courage...

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    1. It's not going well this morning, I'm afraid. Thanks for your thoughts. I think tomorrow will be the right time to do the right thing by beautiful Callie. It's hard but seems necessary.

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  11. My thoughts with both of you today, I'm in tears with you.

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    1. Thanks you. I wish our tears had medicinal virtues.

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  12. I keep coming back here hoping to read better news ... :((( Hugs to all of you!

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    1. No, no really good news here. Resignation.

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  13. I am a daily reader but only a very occasional commenter. I'm so sorry to hear about your dog. I can tell how much she means to you both.

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    1. Thanks for writing. We have taken care of, loved, and in ways depended on Callie for 10+ years now. She has been completely bonded to us. So it's a big deal to try to do what's right for her now and not let her suffer. We are devastated because all this has happened so suddenly, and years before we expected. Life will just have to go on though, and we won't let her suffer if we can help it.

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  14. Sweet, sweet Callie. I sincerely hope she will recover. If not, I know you will do the next best thing. Wishing you all the best and the strength to go through this difficult period. Whatever the outcome ... Callie the collie will always be part of my Loire Valley memories. Courage et bisous. Martine

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  15. ohhh nooo, poor Callie, poor you & Walt......the other pets in the house always seem to recognize when something's not right with one of their own....I hope things take a turn for the better, thinking of you all

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  16. Oh Ken, this was the last thing I expected to read here this morning. Can't help my tears either! Praying that there were be some improvement by tomorrow and it will be something that Callie can recover from.

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    1. Oh Ken, I weep as I read this ..my memories of my dog, Tate (Pup), are still so fresh. He was well then suddenly he wasn't.
      It seems to happen like that .. they hide their discomfort and then it seems to us that it is sudden, but it has been coming on for a while.
      I fought the end ... Tate got massive cortisone shots for a while, that kept him going ... but for his sake, when he woke me one morning, telling me it was the end ... we let him go.
      I miss him every day, as you will miss Calllie. She won't take Callies place but your new little one will at least help some with your heartache .. I am so so sorry. I wish I was there to hug you all and cry with you.

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  18. I am overcome with sadness to hear of Callie's serious condition. But please do not give up hope. She may have been injured in a fall, trying to climb the stairs, and bruised or dislocated her spine. The x-rays will guide you after you see the vet on Monday. Even paralysis can be temporary, though frightening. Surgery followed by rehab may be other options--so do not give up! I have had seven dogs as an adult, and my current poodle is almost 18 yrs old with arthritic knees and bad ACLs that slip, yet we have seen improvements with pain meds and Dasuquin or chondroitin supplements. We had considered a dog wheelchair. Many dogs that cannot walk survive with pain relief and wheelchairs. Google dog wheelchairs and see encouraging YouTube videos -- it allows a dog time to heal, or owners time to consider other options. Lift harnesses for going outside are another option (Amazon)--I sometimes need one for our dog. But please consider ALL options for Callie! She has been, and is, such a wonderful companion to you both. Blessings to you in her time of need. Chantal in NC . . .Also watch videos like this:
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4txTwafKlKc

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  19. I am so sad and distressed to read this. My partner and I have had dogs for several years and only dog owners and lovers truly understand what it is to see a family pet suffer. The big question is, of course, what to do now. First things first. Callie needs to see a vet and have x-rays/scans/mri performed to determine the cause of this problem. She's old, not too old, but her breed may be susceptible to certain ailments. I will never forget what my vet told me when I brought him my beloved westie, who was 13 years old and had developed sclerosis of lung tissue. His message was pretty blunt, but true. A vet can try to prolong life by various means but the owner needs to look at this from the dog's point of view. And he proceeded to tell me that with certain health conditions, it's not fun being a dog anymore. That is so true but we forget it sometimes. So what I hope for Callie is that her condition will be such that with treatments it will still be fun being a dog. Failing that, the inevitable needs to be considered. Putting a suffering dog to sleep is an act of mercy, painful as it may be. And I suspect the dog would be grateful to its owner for it. Hoping for the best ....warmest regards to you all.....

    DR

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    1. Good advice, DR, and my thinking too. The vet will help us make a decision this morning, I hope.

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  20. My heart goes out to you and Walt. Also Bertie and Tasha because part of your sadness will be seeing that they are grieving with you. Callie has had a wonderful life and I'm sure she appreciates the care you're giving her now. I'm hoping she'll recover, but see the signs that she may not. Bon courage.

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  21. I know how you feel, and it's so sad. My advice would be to not be too quick to put Callie down, but our track record in that regard is not the greatest. Our first cat got cancer, and seemed in terrible shape, but then perked up and lived several more months before expiring on his own. But the last couple of weeks were bad, and we probably should have put him down then. We put our most recent cat down last year, the day before the election (no comment on the significance of that). She too had been sick for awhile, but it was only when it got really bad that we brought her in, still hoping right up until the last that something could be done. Needless to say, both situations were incredibly sad. Best wishes to both of you.

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    1. Thanks for the information and experiences, Bob. Sadness, yes, but I'm sure you did what needed to be done.

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  22. I am hoping for some easy answer to all this and for Callie to regain her health. All of us that "share" Callie with you are in tears.

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  23. Ken, I hope you will see this comment.

    This exactly happened to our cat, in the same sequence. Her back legs weren't working at all and this was due to pain. The cortisone, I think is for inflammation.

    The vet used something called Metacam injection (but you can only use it one time, read up on it) that blocked the pain and she was able to start walking again, although with a limp. Per the vet we started her on Welactin and Cosequin, oral supplements, in the morning. Then the vet started her on a course of Adequan injections, which fills the joints with fluid and reverse the effect of arthritis.

    We are six weeks out and she is walking around at 90%, just not jumping up on things. Email me if I can provide more info.

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    1. I will talk to the vet tomorrow about these medications. The vet can look them up and find French eqUivalents. A few minutes ago we we able to use a towel as sling under Callie's belly and ribcage to carry her outside and let her relieve herself while we held her in a fairly natural position. She's perfectly alert mentally. She's thirsty and is eagerly eating the food we give her. I'm happy there is hope yet.

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    2. Eating and drinking are positive signs. I just remember that Cathy and Michael's lab had a spell like Callies and she is fully recovered. I don't think they got her to the vet even. It was a miracle. That's what I'm hoping will happen to Callie. Hang in there.

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    3. Our cat had become arthritic over time. We didn't notice really. It was just that things weren't as easy for her as before. Suddenly, she lost complete control of her legs overnight and in the morning simply couldn't get up and had lost control of her bowels. First vet thought it was a stroke. But the medication they tried didn't help. Second vet took an x-ray and said she twisted her back slightly and that was very painful and compressed the nerves that go to her legs. They gave her a shot of Metacam (other name Meloxicam). To us this was like a miracle, as she was standing right away. She is on Gabapentin now(Neurontin) for chronic pain. Again, Metacam is a one-time thing. Fingers crossed.

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    4. Evelyn, what a miracle a miracle would be! The emergency vet told us on Saturday evening that Callie might be up and mobile again in just a few hours after the cortisone shot. That turned out to be overly optimistic. We'll see today what our regular vet recommends.

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  24. So sorry to read your news. Your photos must have made so many friends for Callie, and so many good wishes for her, and you both as well.

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  25. I can't answer all these comments right now, but I appreciate all of them. Many good ideas are in them. I will try to summarize them for the vet tomorrow, when we take Callie over there. Heartfelt thanks.

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  26. We all are so sorry to hear this sad update!! Lynn, Joel, Hannah and Rachel.

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    1. Thanks Lynn, Joel, Hannah and Rachel. I hope you are all doing well.

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  27. Oh so sorry to hear this. We've kind of dropped off the blog planet but ... thinking of you both and wishing Callie all the very very best. It is so hard when a pet is seriously ill.

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    1. Thanks A. and N. Good to hear from you. We've stopped driving around as much as we used to, so we haven't been down your way in a while. Hope you are happy and healthy.

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  28. So sad to hear your devastating news Ken. Tears in Australia too. We lost our wolfhound the same way at 8. I will cross my fingers for a miracle. Love to you all. Sue

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    1. Sue, thanks, for the good wishes. Knowing Callie, you know how much we will miss her if the worse happens. But we can't stand to see her suffer and not enjoy being a dog any more. What a dilemma, and what a trauma.

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  29. Eating and drinking are the good signs. I have been reading your blogs for years. I have dogs and cats, all rescued. Been through many times of life decision making. Never wanted to do it. Hope and pray that Callie will pull through. She should have at least 5 more years to go. I would like to read more of her in yours and Walt's blog. Sincerly. PJ

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    1. Thanks, PJ. Our dog Collette lived with us for nearly 14 years, and died of a bad stroke at the age of 14½. We have always hoped that Callie would live at least that long. And maybe she will, but with the two staircases in our house, her existence might be completely altered. A neighbor in San Francisco when we lived there had a collie who could no longer do the stairs in her house and who lived on the neighbor's back porch for two or three years before finally passing on. I don't know if we could do that kind of thing with Callie, but maybe.

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  30. I have been reading your blog for awhile now. I am a veterinary ophthalmologist in a very large specialty clinic in NJ, USA. It sounds like Callie has a neurologic problem and may benefit from seeing a neurologist. I don't know if there is a neurologist near to you but I would ask your veterinarian for a referral. Many neurologic problems can be treated with a good prognosis. My husband and I also have a Border Collie and a home in Burgundy. If I can be of any help please let me know. My email is mikeyr88@yahoo.com. I will say a prayer for Callie. I often think about having our Mrs. Beasley in France with us walking through the vineyards like Callie. Best regards, Michael

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    1. Thanks Michael, we'll see the vet today I'm sure, and we'll know more after the appointment. I'll mention neurologues to him and see what the possibilities are. I hope our vet/neighbor will take some x-rays and find the cause of Callie's disability.

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  31. I am so very sorry to read this. I hope it's something that responds to treatment.
    All I can offer is my experience with a 12-year-old dog who was beginning to not want to walk as much or up stairs, and X-rays showed degeneration in her spine in a couple of discs, arthritis. Eventually, that caused complete breakdown. My regret is that I kept her going too long, thinking it could be fixed, and overlooking that dogs won't let on how much pain they're in, something about genetics from when they were wild.
    I hope your vet did/ will do X-rays to see if there's anything observable. Very best thoughts to her and to you and Walt, and Tasha, too.

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    1. Thanks Emm. What a hard decision it is to make, though, to give the animal a humane outcome. You have to believe that the dog's physical pain is worse than your own emotional pain when you decide to let go. I appreciate your sharing of your experience.

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  32. Ken and Walt, I am so sorry. Callie is a wonderful dog.

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    1. Chris, we keep comparing what is happening with Callie to what happened with Colette as you were leaving here after your 2006 visit. Of course the two situations are not necessarily comparable. Collette had had a major stroke, was groggy for 24 hours, and wouldn't eat or drink any more. Callie is still alert, eating, and taking water. She just can't get her back legs to work right. I hope the vet will give us good advice.

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  33. A big hug for you all. That is all.

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