Monthly Archives: September 2009

All About Max

Max Update Sept 8th 2009

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Max slept upstairs with us again, and did pretty well. No diarrhea last night. He got up with Maurice this AM around 6:30 and Maurice carried Max downstairs and out and he peed. His appetite continues to be good, and we are encouraged by the occasional correct usage of his left front paw. (usually he’s got it curled though and not walking on it, but the few good steps shows us that he is correcting it and knows he has a foot there at least. I’ve not done a pain test to see if he reacts to pain on the foot, but should do. I’ll try it when I do his range of motion exercises. Well, I may as well do those right now so I can let you know the results ! Be right back.Max hurting

Ok… well his range of motion was good. I did not get a response when I pinched his paw but I was not pinching too hard, Maurice said he did get a response this morning so that’s great. As I was on the floor doing Max’s range of motion exercises and massaging his legs and shoulder the Vet called (Shawn) and he wanted a progress report. He was pleased with what I told him regarding the walking. He said that sounded really hopeful, and he decreased his prednisone to one tab per day now instead of one tab 2x a day. He asked if there was still blood in the stool and I told him no, none that we saw. He was happy with that. He asked about the diarrhea and I told him last night was good, but night before was 3x… he’s asked that we monitor it and if he continues to have diarrhea by the weekend when he will call for his next report, that he will add a medication.

So the short of it is: vet is happy, prednisone decreased, all other meds the same. We’ll continue to do range of motion and massage on the limbs.

All About Max

Max update Sept 7th 10:35 AM

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Well yesterday was a good day for Max in regard to his walking. We are definately seeing him use is front left paw correctly for some steps. Usually about 3 steps and then he knuckles (walks on top of foot, foot curled under). It’s much better than the constant dragging he’s been doing with it.

Yesterday he had some diarrhea and was incontinent x 3. He really tried to let us know, when he looks like he wants to get up and walks towards us, we need to remind ourselves that it’s not necessarily a warm glow feeling that he wants to be with us.. it’s usually a signal that he wants to go out and that it’s urgent and if we don’t move it, we’ll be in cleaning mode!

He slept upstairs with us last night and had one accident at 3 AM. M and I were sleeping and we woke to see him walking in the room, and we flicked he light on to find he had been trying to get to the bedroom door (which we close at night so he can’t fall down the stairs). Anyways we were able to clean him and the room up pretty fast (we are getting to be pro’s! We had the windows wide open and the fan going and this morning the room smells pretty good 🙂 It’s all good. We are just so happy to see him using that front left paw some… it’s hopeful.

I slept in this morning to almost 10 am, and came down to find him resting in the family room with Maurice, Karen, Dick and Nick.. so he’s not lonely! 🙂 I’ve got his bedding in the wash, but it’s no hardship for him as he has 3 beds.  He ate his morning pills, I had sneakily cut a slice in a piece of sausage and gave it to him, and he spit the pill out, but then when he  realized it still had part of the sausage smell on the pill, he ate the pil! Then he started licking the carpet where the sausage had been briefly when he spit it out with the pill…  I think he likes the sausage! It’s one way to get a clean carpet  lol

Something About Us

Grouse Grind

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The Grouse GrindYesterday (Sunday) was a busy day. I had made plans with Michelle, someone I used to work with, to check out the Grouse Grind. She had done it before and was looking for someone (some sucker?) to share in the abuse.

If you don’t know what the Grouse Grind is, it is sometimes called Mother Nature’s stairmaster. It’s a STEEP climb up the side of Grouse Mountain. Stairs have been cut into the mountain, and some sections are so steep that you need to use your hands to pull yourself up. It’s roughly 2850 steps straight up Grouse Mountain.

Grouse Grind Gondola.Sunday was not the best weather, and the further up the mountain we moved, the more the weather became overcast, drizzly, and flat out raining. It is very challenging. I’m not great on stairs, even though I do quite a bit of running. I was pleased to make it in at 1 hour 35 minutes.

Michelle did much better – making it in just over an hour. A really terrific time for her. She had set a goal of 1:35 for herself – so I was happy to make her goal! Way to go Michelle.

It was too bad the weather was so overcast that the views were totally obscured from the summit. So we had a beer and took the gondola back down. The larger pic here was taken on the journey down.

All About Max

Max update: Sunday Sept 6th 1:30 pm

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Max had a pretty good night. I didn’t sleep all that well even though I was in my own bed, I ended up drifting but waking every hour or so as he shifted or moved, I was worried he had gotten into an awkward position with his left paw … not to worry, he did great. No pee’s or poops during the night.

M got him up when he got up at 0600 and took him out and he pee’d.  still no poop today so I’m hopeful the diarrhea is slowing or over.. PLEASE let it be done!

Today was M’s day to do the grouse grind and he and Michelle completed it. M left the house to meet Michelle at around 8 AM, and about 8:20 Max tried to get up and come towards me.. I felt a warm glow inside thinking he wanted to be near me…   NOPE… he wanted up the 3 stairs to the kitchen area, and he hung a left and we walked to the door, and he promptly sat down at the top of the stairs, Waiting for Maurice!  I went to the front door and opened it and asked him if he needed to go out? he got up and we made it down 2 stairs and he stood their looking at where the car should be… Maurice wasn’t there.. so there was nothing for it but to wait.. so he plunked his rear down on the cement, and the vigil began… we waited for 3.5 hrs or so.. for the first 2 hrs each car that came by, he would lift his head and look… after 2 hrs, he didn’t lift his head any more.. he seemed sad..   I knew M was on his way home, but Max got up and turned to the house to go back in…  we went inside and to the top of the stairs, and M pulled in the driveway.. we had just gotten inside.  The neighbours were giving Max and me the fisheye as they looked at the pair of us sitting out on the stoop, but to heck with them.. 🙂

When M walked Max back into the family room, we saw him take 3 normal steps with his left front paw.. things ARE looking up, and we continue to marvel and the leaps and bounds our boy is making. GO MAX GO! Many thanks to those who are emailing or phoning to see how Max is doing, and who are reading our blog. We all appreciate your support.

Company is coming in 3 hrs or so, I’ve got a few more things to do around the house, will give another update tomorrow. We will try Maxie in our room again tonight, with the door closed so he can’t wobble out to the stairs and fall.  he was good as gold last night and today. I think he’s depressed when Maurice is not with him… as soon as he came home, all was right in Max’s world.
…Pam…

All About Max

Saturday Sept 5th 10:45 pm Max update

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Well we took him out and he only pee’d.. we are going to try and see how he does tonight sleeping upstairs with us, we gave him his pain med, he settled so well last night we are hoping that tonight he will do the same. We’ve not seen any Bowel movement yet today so hopefully the diarrhea is slowing.. we have pads upstairs in case,  if we catch it in time, fingers crossed! I know.. TMI (to much information) but it’s a part of what we are dealing with here.

Tonight, i broke down when he came back in the house, I saw him use his left front paw for a few steps, so it’s given me the lift I needed. I don’t know if it was sheer coincidence or not, but he looked like he was using it…

Anyways, he’s got his bed upstairs and it’s in the spot he usually sleeps in. I know I’m not really going to get much sleep tonight, but i miss being with Maurice and so we need to try this, it’s too hard the other way. So as a family, we sleep upstairs tonight! Wish us luck.

Tomorrow M and his friend Michelle are tackling the grouse grind, GOOD LUCK YOU TWO!  and I’ll stay home with Maxie. Karen, Dick and Nick arrive later in the day so thats nice we will be able to see them. 🙂 Life can sure change in a heartbeat, and this is one more confirmation that you need to live your life to the fullest because you never know when something like this can strike you…  well, enough of my musings, I’m off to join the guys upstairs.

…Pam…

All About Max

Saturday – 10:30 am

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Max looking sharpPam tells me Max had a restful night. The vet gave us some pain pills for him, so we gave him one last night and he had a good sleep. He ate a nice breakfast, too and got his meds.

This morning, it’s raining, which he hates. When he was healthy, he’d come over to the door, and raise his paw to let us know he wanted out. We’d open the door, and he’d charge out, but as soon as he’d see the rain, he’d slam on the brakes and run back in the house! Made of sugar!

I just took him for a squirt; he was reluctant to go on the wet grass lol. But his rear leg is amazing today. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but he’s walking normally on it! When he balances, he puts it in a strange way I haven’t seen him do previously, but it works!

When I brought him back in, there are 3 beds in here, so I put him in the middle of them, and let him chose which he wanted. He’s decided to lay on none of them! Crazy guy.

My sister Karen arrives tomorrow, with her husband and son. They have not met Max. I’m hoping he doesn’t get too stressed over it. He’s not the best with ‘strangers’ at the best of times. Maybe we’ll give him some St. John’s Wort and see if we can calm his nerves! haha

Anyways, he’s good today. All positive!

All About Max

Max update post Vet visit 5:55 pm

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We took Max over to see his Dr , Dr Shawn Llewellyn at the Scottsdale Veterinary Hospital at 3:30 today for an assessment. Shawn checked him over, was pleased with his progress. He saw that Max was able to move his left hind, responds to pain stimuli quite easily on the hind leg, so it’s really good news. He’s not making big progress on his left front, but he’s still trying. The vet decreased his prednisone because we were noticing a bit of blood in his stool. Not good, prednisone can be so hard on the gut. He’s on sulcrate but it’s not enough so we are adding new meds to the regime.

Also we mentioned the pain med situation. He’s ordered tramadone I think the name of it is, and we are just going to give him one at night to help him calm and sleep as he seems to be more antsy at night. I think we are going to take him  upstairs with us tonight to sleep and hope he has no diarrhea upsets and if he does, that we can take him in our bathroom as it’s got a vinyl floor. we all need to get a good night sleep and it’s worth a try.

Today is another day, and while we have not seen great improvements today, he’s holding his own. He did vomit earlier today, but the poor bugger had eaten some of my cooking, so who can blame him?