All About Andee

Four years ago, a routine stop at a pet adoption day led to our adoption of a sweet-tempered, gentle puppy, named "Andee" by animal welfare volunteers (after the lawyer who rescued her from an interstate ramp where she had been dumped at under 6 weeks old). Having a puppy around brought out the puppy in our ten-year-old mixed breed, Happy, and they quickly became devoted to one another and to the human members of their pack.

Andee has grown to be a beauty--people stop us in the street to ask what breed she is. Her rich, reddish-brown coat, noble profile, silky button ears and feathered, upward-curving tail make a striking impression. She's just big enough to be intimidating to strangers who hear her bark through our fence, but small enough to be controlled on a leash by ten-year-old Charlie. A few frightening seizure episodes led to a diagnosis of epilepsy after she was about a year old, but the seizures were quickly controlled with phenobarbital. She was a happy and healthy pet until we realized she could not get herself up to a standing position on Sunday, September 28, 2008.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

The challenge ahead

We got a call from Andee's new vet student. Andee's doing as well as can be expected. But its time for her to be discharged and brought home. That was the message, and with it, the challenge of caring for a disabled pet will begin.

Thursday is Yom Kippur, so we'll use the afternoon to get the house ready. We'll have to get a kennel large enough so that getting her in and out will not lead to back problems of our own. The kitchen is large enough and secure enough that she can hang out there.

But we're not prepared to manually assist her with her bladder, at least not yet. And getting a walking cart may take some time. I'm not sure how Happy, our other dog, will react to Andee. Will she try to help her? Will she ignore her? Will she become depressed? It's so hard to know at this time.

We love Andee and we will do everything we can to make sure she is happy, comfortable and enjoying life. But it is also clear this will be a challenge for all of us.
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