Yesterday after work (about 5:30) I took Merlin for his usual post-car-day walk. We went two blocks up, two back, he peed and pooped with a little help. Came in, had dinner...and he went to sleep! He dosed until almost 8:30 PM.
This meant no walk for anyone else as there was no way I was going to wake him or let them wake him by barking excitement about a walk. So we just all laid around and enjoyed the quiet. No barking, no fighting, no rowdiness. It was pure bliss.
Eventually I had to wake him for meds but after that he went to sleep without much hassle, and only stirred once before six AM.
It occurred to me maybe he wasn't feeling well but I have to admit I was just going to ENJOY the quiet. Then I also remembered giving him a GABA in the morning yesterday. We'll try that again this morning as he is already starting to bark. Or it could be that he didn't sleep much in the car yesterday as it was windy (though I don't think he'd have heard the wind.)
Now he is barking- I think breakfast was somehow inadequate. I'll double the GABA again and see if the daytime dose made a difference somehow.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Interlude: the DNA test
As many of you know, there is a new test for the inheritance of DM (Degenerative myelopathy.) You can find information on it here: DNA Test
Initially, on hearing the gene had been found, I was delighted, and thought, no one will ever need to breed a dog with that gene again!
Well, as details emerged, it became apparent that in Pems, at least, this was not to be the case. First, although it appears to take two copies of the gene to cause DM, the gene is firmly entrenched in the breed, with up to 50% having the dreaded two copies and another 40% being carriers. (These stats will probably improve as more dogs are tested but won't be anything but dismal.) So not breeding any dogs that have the gene (an SOD1 mutation) is not going to work. There are, to date, precious few clears (no mutated genes) for anyone to breed to, so even breeding dogs to clears is not always a possibility.
A further complication is that not every dog with both copies of the mutated gene (At Risk dogs) get DM. The percentage that do is still unknown but my guess is between 20 and 50%, with the percent increasing with the age of the dog. I hope it is lower, I fear it might be even higher. Nobody knows, but luckily we should know soon, as researchers are testing a large number of dogs over age 10 and following the At Risks to see if they develop the disease.
So it turns out that the best breedings (Carrier or Clear or At Risk to Clear) are hard to come by, and some breeders will have to breed Carrier to Carrier to get Clears for future breeding. Some are adamant that they will not do this and produce a possible DM dog, but I think, being realistic, its going to take one more generation to get enough clears.
So that's the situation, and you'd think Pem breeders would be jumping on board with testing and doing selective breeding. And a few are, but sadly, these are mostly the ones who themselves have nursed a DM dog to the end and know just what kind of heartache this disease produces. Not everyone- I know at least one breeder who has never had the disease in her line but still is breeding to eliminate it, and kudos to her and to everyone else who cares enough to select against the SOD1 mutation.
If you are a puppy buyer, be aware that YOU can ask for the test. It takes only about two weeks to get a $65 cheek swab test done. Put your deposit down contingent on the pup being clear or carrier (neither of these can get DM.)
Initially, on hearing the gene had been found, I was delighted, and thought, no one will ever need to breed a dog with that gene again!
Well, as details emerged, it became apparent that in Pems, at least, this was not to be the case. First, although it appears to take two copies of the gene to cause DM, the gene is firmly entrenched in the breed, with up to 50% having the dreaded two copies and another 40% being carriers. (These stats will probably improve as more dogs are tested but won't be anything but dismal.) So not breeding any dogs that have the gene (an SOD1 mutation) is not going to work. There are, to date, precious few clears (no mutated genes) for anyone to breed to, so even breeding dogs to clears is not always a possibility.
A further complication is that not every dog with both copies of the mutated gene (At Risk dogs) get DM. The percentage that do is still unknown but my guess is between 20 and 50%, with the percent increasing with the age of the dog. I hope it is lower, I fear it might be even higher. Nobody knows, but luckily we should know soon, as researchers are testing a large number of dogs over age 10 and following the At Risks to see if they develop the disease.
So it turns out that the best breedings (Carrier or Clear or At Risk to Clear) are hard to come by, and some breeders will have to breed Carrier to Carrier to get Clears for future breeding. Some are adamant that they will not do this and produce a possible DM dog, but I think, being realistic, its going to take one more generation to get enough clears.
So that's the situation, and you'd think Pem breeders would be jumping on board with testing and doing selective breeding. And a few are, but sadly, these are mostly the ones who themselves have nursed a DM dog to the end and know just what kind of heartache this disease produces. Not everyone- I know at least one breeder who has never had the disease in her line but still is breeding to eliminate it, and kudos to her and to everyone else who cares enough to select against the SOD1 mutation.
If you are a puppy buyer, be aware that YOU can ask for the test. It takes only about two weeks to get a $65 cheek swab test done. Put your deposit down contingent on the pup being clear or carrier (neither of these can get DM.)
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Walking with Merlin
Merlin is walking mostly in the counterbalanced Eddie's Wheels cart now but he can still make it in the K9cart if he has to. He has not become any less stubborn. This morning we walked around the block before work since it was supposed to rain. Which it did, but by 5 it had cleared up, so when we got home he wanted to go again. And he likes to go south, across the road, so we went over there to pee. He peed, anyway, I didn't, though I was beginning to wish I'd gone at work before starting home.
Because then he refused to go home. I put the leash on his cart and pulled; he planted his feet and refused to move. I gave in and we walked to the corner, turned, and started up the alley. No wwwayy.... he planted his feet again. I pulled without giving in this time. Finally we got home and got dinner (he wanted some kitty snacks on the way which I refused to allow.)
I've started expressing him but it is hard as his bladder is SO full and stretched (he drinks a ton) and then when it gets partly empty it becomes flaccid and hard to find or squeeze. He does better with a Robaxin so I'm going to give him one in a few minutes so he can empty before bedtime.
Merlin has also decided March 1 should be daylight savings time so he has started waking at 5:30 AM instead of 6:30.
Speaking of life with stubborn corgis, check out our friend Dancer on Draw the Dog.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
The world's most stubborn corgi
Corgis are none for their stubbornness, but Merlin has to be one of the most stubborn ever.
DM has not changed that!
Here's our day: I get up and give the dogs their pills, and take Candy out. Then I put Merlin in his cart. I cannot take him out then- he won't go. I have to sit down and wait for him to decide to take himself out. As soon as I am comfy again he gets up and heads as fast as he can for the back door. Now I have to jump up again because he can't open the door or take his own diaper off. I help him out and then I ignore him as he does his own thing in the yard.
Then he comes back to the ramp, at which point I am permitted to help him again. Once inside, he wants a treat as a reward for going out. But he lies down in the doorway to the utility room, which means I can't give Janine a treat because I can't close the door, and that means I can't give Merlin a treat, either, without risking a fight. So I pull him through the door, but as I go to the door to give Janine her treat he backs up into the doorway again.
This is not accidental; long before his cart days Merlin learned that a dog IN the doorway cannot be locked on either side of it.
Later, we go for a walk. Merlin is good for about four blocks, which take him about half an hour. But we can't walk two blocks there and then turn around and come back, because he won't turn around until HE is done walking. So either I take the stroller, go the four blocks, then wheel him home, or we have to go around the block or cross the road to come back. Several times I tried sneaking up the alley on the return trip but he figured out that was the same as coming back early and refuses to do it.
I should add that Merlin is not the only corgi I know that will only go on one-way walks. Martha, next door, is the exact same way.
Merlin likes to choose which direction to go at the corners, also.
So you might wonder, why don't I just make him go where I want him to? Well, because that involves pulling him while he plants his feet and refuses to move. Or carrying him. (Merlin is a great proponent of loose-leash walking- if I pull, he refuses to move.)
When we get home he does the door thing again. He will go through the door not ahead of me, but with me, even though he needs me behind him to help him through and close the door.
At least it is good to know that DM has not affected his personality. Or is it?
DM has not changed that!
Here's our day: I get up and give the dogs their pills, and take Candy out. Then I put Merlin in his cart. I cannot take him out then- he won't go. I have to sit down and wait for him to decide to take himself out. As soon as I am comfy again he gets up and heads as fast as he can for the back door. Now I have to jump up again because he can't open the door or take his own diaper off. I help him out and then I ignore him as he does his own thing in the yard.
Then he comes back to the ramp, at which point I am permitted to help him again. Once inside, he wants a treat as a reward for going out. But he lies down in the doorway to the utility room, which means I can't give Janine a treat because I can't close the door, and that means I can't give Merlin a treat, either, without risking a fight. So I pull him through the door, but as I go to the door to give Janine her treat he backs up into the doorway again.
This is not accidental; long before his cart days Merlin learned that a dog IN the doorway cannot be locked on either side of it.
Later, we go for a walk. Merlin is good for about four blocks, which take him about half an hour. But we can't walk two blocks there and then turn around and come back, because he won't turn around until HE is done walking. So either I take the stroller, go the four blocks, then wheel him home, or we have to go around the block or cross the road to come back. Several times I tried sneaking up the alley on the return trip but he figured out that was the same as coming back early and refuses to do it.
I should add that Merlin is not the only corgi I know that will only go on one-way walks. Martha, next door, is the exact same way.
Merlin likes to choose which direction to go at the corners, also.
So you might wonder, why don't I just make him go where I want him to? Well, because that involves pulling him while he plants his feet and refuses to move. Or carrying him. (Merlin is a great proponent of loose-leash walking- if I pull, he refuses to move.)
When we get home he does the door thing again. He will go through the door not ahead of me, but with me, even though he needs me behind him to help him through and close the door.
At least it is good to know that DM has not affected his personality. Or is it?
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Disabled Corgi Doga
Since I've never done yoga I didn't know the benefits, but now that I've experienced DCD (Disabled Corgi Doga) I can appreciate yoga.
Here are some of the poses. I am auditioning people to demonstrate these moves in photo form; please send your pictures and if acceptable, I will add them to this post!
Downward Expressing Dog: with dog in cart, bend at the waist, until hands are just inches from the ground and around the dog's bladder. Squeeze. Hold position as long as it takes the dog to do his part.
Variation: Downward diapering dog: Instead of squeezing the bladder, diaper the dog.
Standing Forward Stirrup bend: from a stand, lean forward until you can catch the dog's back feet and insert them into stirrups. (It is not recommended to do this after a full meal.)
Tripping Dancer pose: lift one foot as though to take a step. Dog quickly rolls cart into position in which you would normally put the foot down. Hold pose as long as you can or until you fall into Gasping Fish pose, which involves lying on the ground hoping nothing is broken.
Attempting to sleep pose: Lie on back (or side if you prefer) until disabled dog wants something (this should take no more than a few minutes at most.) Attempt to satisfy dog without getting up.
Upward-standing dogmom: Move your mattress to the floor to keep your disabled dog company, and then rise from your bed to a standing position. This pose may be done in sequence with the attempting to sleep pose.
Hands and knees balance: get down on hands and knees and sniff carpet. Slowly move forward until you locate source of smell. Holding the pose, lift one arm and spray Nature's Miracle (or your preferred odor eliminator) on the spot. Repeat until you achieve peace of nose.
Here are some of the poses. I am auditioning people to demonstrate these moves in photo form; please send your pictures and if acceptable, I will add them to this post!
Downward Expressing Dog: with dog in cart, bend at the waist, until hands are just inches from the ground and around the dog's bladder. Squeeze. Hold position as long as it takes the dog to do his part.
Variation: Downward diapering dog: Instead of squeezing the bladder, diaper the dog.
Standing Forward Stirrup bend: from a stand, lean forward until you can catch the dog's back feet and insert them into stirrups. (It is not recommended to do this after a full meal.)
Tripping Dancer pose: lift one foot as though to take a step. Dog quickly rolls cart into position in which you would normally put the foot down. Hold pose as long as you can or until you fall into Gasping Fish pose, which involves lying on the ground hoping nothing is broken.
Attempting to sleep pose: Lie on back (or side if you prefer) until disabled dog wants something (this should take no more than a few minutes at most.) Attempt to satisfy dog without getting up.
Upward-standing dogmom: Move your mattress to the floor to keep your disabled dog company, and then rise from your bed to a standing position. This pose may be done in sequence with the attempting to sleep pose.
Hands and knees balance: get down on hands and knees and sniff carpet. Slowly move forward until you locate source of smell. Holding the pose, lift one arm and spray Nature's Miracle (or your preferred odor eliminator) on the spot. Repeat until you achieve peace of nose.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Quality of Life
This Quality of Life Scale got me thinking it would be a good way to keep track of Merlin's state. DM is insidious- it slowly advances and it can be hard to know when the end is coming. I thought if I used this scale every few months or so, I'd see when his quality of life decreases.
So here we are in November, 2009.
H: 0 - 10 HURT - Adequate pain control, including breathing ability, is first and foremost on the scale. Is the pet's pain successfully managed? Is oxygen necessary?
I'd give Merlin an 7 here. I don't think he IS in pain but I don't know for sure. He can certainly breathe but he does whine a lot and I don't always know whether he wants something or if something else is going on.
H: 0 - 10 HUNGER - Is the pet eating enough? Does hand feeding help? Does the patient require a feeding tube?
8 here. He IS hungry because of his medications. He eats well and has no problems, but he is hungry, which isn't a great thing.
H: 0 - 10 HYDRATION - Is the patient dehydrated? For patients not drinking enough, use subcutaneous fluids once or twice daily to supplement fluid intake.
A 10. A 10 plus; he is, if anything, too hydrated!
H: 0 - 10 HYGIENE - The patient should be brushed and cleaned, particularly after elmination. Avoid pressure scores and keep all wounds clean.
I'd say a 7 here. It's harder to keep him clean and dry as he won't or can't go outside when he needs to. He's had more baths in the last three months than the rest of his life put together.
HAPPINESS - Does the pet express joy and interest? Is the pet responsive to things around him or her (family, toys, etc.)? Is the pet depressed, lonely, anxious, bored or afraid? Can the pet's bed be close to the family activities and not be isolated?
This is a hard one to answer. He's not responsive to toys but hasn't been in a long time. He loves me, has never been responsive to the other dogs or other people. He likes to go for walks. But he IS anxious and bored or lonely or both, and he won't stay close to me if I'm in the bedroom. So I'd give him a 6.
MOBILITY - Can the patient get up without assistance? Does the pet need human or mechanical help (e.g. a cart)? Does the pet feel like going for a walk? Is the pet having seizures or stumbling? (Some caregivers feel euthanasia is preferable to amputation, yet an animal who has limited mobility but is still alert and responsive can have a good quality of life as long as caregivers are committed to helping the pet.)
He's pretty mobile in his cart and out of it. Another 8.
MORE GOOD DAYS THAN BAD - When bad days outnumber good days, quality of life might be compromised. When a healthy human-animal bond is no longer possible, the caregiver must be made aware the end is near. The decision needs to be made if the pet is suffering. If death comes peacefully and painlessly, that is okay.
Definitely more good days as he has only had a couple of bad days when he wouldn't eat and didn't want to walk. 8
So that gives him a 54. A score of 35 or higher says your "Pawspice" is successful.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Mr. July
Merlin is Mr. July in the 2010 Corgis on Wheels Calendar available at
http://www.cafepress.com/wheelcorgis
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