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.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Reality check (Kathy's version)

The floodgates finally opened this weekend. Sarah started quietly crying after a day of hearing Andee whine every time she left the room (she is still on "cage rest" so she can't leave the kitchen), and that got Charlie started. A few minutes later he was sobbing uncontrollably, repeating over and over, "She has to get better. She just has to." We finally got him to bed, and he seems much better today. I felt helpless trying to comfort him, but I will not lie about this to the children--it is very likely that Andee will not regain the ability to walk. It is very likely that her life will be shorter than a healthy pet. While she is with us, she will be limited in her ability to do almost everything that made her such a thoroughly satisfactory companion before her injury.

We did pretty well today, our first regular workday with Andee at home. Steve had to leave early to go to New Orleans, but I was able to get Andee walked, "expressed," fed, medicated, exercised, and back in her kennel without feeling too rushed before work. At noon, I came home, got her up, walked her, and let her enjoy the day outside on a mat while I ate my lunch outside. Sarah was home at 2:35, and took her for a walk in the cart with just a little help. When I got home at 6, we got her out, fed and watered by 7 pm.

But now she seems tired and lethargic . . . maybe we overdid the exercise? Maybe she's developing an infection? Seems unlikely, since she's still taking an antibiotic prescribed by the LSU Vet Clinic, but she does not look alert. We have another walk at 10pm, so we'll see if she has perked up by then.
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