Tag Archives: Max

All About Max

Sunday in the park

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Eye on MaxMax and I went down to the Watershed Park today. We walked for 15-20 minutes. He is really eager to run, but I’ve been trying to hold him back. Pam is concerned that he’s regressed a little since we’ve stopped the steroid treatments. So, tomorrow we’re going to take him back to Dr. Shawn for a checkup.

He gets around just fine. He is alert and wants to play as much as he always did. He does “stagger” slightly once in a while, but he rarely falls. He doesn’t seem to be in pain at all. So really, it’s just precautionary, no cause for alarm.

He has a funny little quirk, very much like Buck. When he wants to go out, he goes to the back door and puts his right paw on the single step, then lifts his left leg as if knocking on the door. When we see it, we go over and open the door. He quickly charges out, UNLESS it’s raining, then he knocks you over turning around to get back inside! It is amazing how long he can hold it when it’s raining!

All About Max

Max has a long walk

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Max n M When I got ready to go for a run on Saturday, who should come sit beside me? haha Max seems to eager to come for a run! We did take Max to the Watershed on Saturday, but not for a run! We had lots of comments about how people liked to see Max trucking about, so we did another short movie.

This one is on one of the lower trails. When the movie starts, we’re already about 4 or 5 minutes into the park, after descending a rather steep trail. We have him on a retractable lead, and just let him go at his own pace. Which ever trail he picked, we let him, except the ones I knew were too steep!

As you can see, Max is moving really well. He’s curious about things, and handled meeting other dogs really well. He had had a really long outing,  walked over 45 minutes! So he has stamina too. He even did some slow speed running today too – we just couldn’t hold him back!

We are having a really nice fall. The almanacs say we’re due for a mild winter. Not exactly what the Olympic organizers hoped for I imagine.

Anyway, got your popcorn ready? Enjoy the movie!

All About Max

Re-blooming Roses

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Vancouver, from Grouse Mtn It’s been a weird year, weather-wise. Summer was late arriving, but we’re hoping that we’ll have a nice Indian Summer (is it still ok to say that??)

The picture of the roses I took this morning. All three rose bushes out front are re-blooming. But this one is kind of cool, since it has so many colors. It’s also very fragrant! Not sure when smell-inet is coming!

Our roses in second bloomMax is very spry today. He actually walked down the steps from upstairs, something he has not even attempted before today. He usually waits at the top of the stairs, one paw in the air, until I carry him downstairs. Not today though – he charged right down the stairs.

He’s definitely getting better! And the more we read about this, the more we’re thinking he’s in the clear. It seems that re-occurences are very rare. So if he can keep going on as he is, by Christmas he’ll have forgotten what happened!

I even think we might be able to run again! (Not that I can at the moment lol – my stupid knee is causing me some problems. It usually “clicks back” in a day or two, but I’ve been limping for nearly a week.)

Hope you are all doing as well as Max!

All About Max

Monday, so it must be the Watershed

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Max and I went for a nice long walk in the watershed today. I started him on the nice flat section, and he was really eager to go. Yesterday, he got tired quite quickly, after about 50 meters.

Max recovering nicelyBut not today! I hardly touched his harness, because he simply didn’t need my help. He even ran a bit on his own, without me running, or urging him. He just wanted to go! He’d look at every path, as if wondering if we should be turning. I let him go where ever he wanted, and he wanted to go for quite a while.

He didn’t seem tired when we finished our walk, but he’s come home and slept since. lol

Anyway – it’s all good. Nice weather, nice walk, nice day.

Added this comment on Wednesday…
(UMMMM – It’s actually TUESDAY! Nice try…)

All About Max

Sept 12 Update for Max

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Last night Dr Shawn called (our Vet) and he was pleased with the improvement Max has been showing and said that as long as things are holding the course and he’s improving, no need to see him yet, that he will call in a weeks time. Up to now the office has been calling every day or two to see how Max has been doing. I can’t tell you how impressed I have been by that. It’s really made me feel like we’ve finally found a vet that cares and goes that extra mile. If you want your pet to have good care, take them to Scottsdale Veterinary Hospital on Scottroad and 70th avenue, across from the Krispy Kreme.

Anyways no major change in Max since the post 2 days ago. He’s still walking now on all 4’s at times, but sometimes he knuckles the front left paw, and sometimes he walks normally. He’s unsteady at times and leans to one side, but he’s mobile and able to get himself in and out of the back patio area up and down one stair. He could not do a whole flight of stairs, but for the one, he’s able to manage. Last night was the first night he has slept without a pain med to settle him and he did ok. I came upstairs to bed at 2:30 and he was panting away , and after I gave him a good long drink of water he settled.

we have been keeping the bedroom window open for fresh air and the fan on oscillate to move the air around at night as it can get stuffy upstairs. and we have to keep the door closed at night so he doesn’t fall down the stairs.  Anyways that’s been more comfortable for Maxie, who is quite sensitive to the heat.

Our company has gone now and the place is quiet, Max was pretty good with having new people in the house, especially good really, considering he’s a barker and growler when “strangers” to him are around.. he did bark a bit at first but then he was pretty good. 🙂 Way to go Maxie!

A huge thanks to Nick for bringing us his gift of the watercolour of Buck. Nick you will never know how much this means to us. We lost Buck not quite a year ago now, and it’s still painful for us, so to have him back with us like this, is a great comfort. A great comfort. Our family is whole again. 🙂 Now when Maurice and I are in the family room with Maxie, we have Buck watching over us 🙂 Our angel Buck. You made that happen Nick, and it is an extremely meaningful gift.

Today is a lovely sunny day and my vacation is coming to an end. I’m back to work in 2 days, but I’m hopeful my brother Peter will be coming out to visit us after this next stretch I have to work…  Come Peter, and you can see Maxie’s recovery and fight to get back on the road to health. 🙂

…Pam…

All About Max

Encouraging words

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Max in the Watershed I feel very good about Max’s prospects for the future. It’s seems clear to me that he is going to battle through this. Max even played with us last night. We sat around and rolled a ball at him. He’d grab it and spit it back to us!

He’s willing to get up by himself and walk a few steps to grab a treat from my hand. His back leg is good, but not great. His front leg he can manage if we walk quickly, but when we slow down, he can’t seem to “throw the leg” far enough forward for the paw to hit flat, and “knuckles over.”

Yesterday was pretty hectic! My sister is here and I’m helping her get up to speed writing her own blog. As we were going over a few things, the coffee pot spilled all over the joint! We’ve got a finicky coffee pot, and we’d just put on a new pot, but the filter basket wasn’t seated properly and the whole pot is over the counter! lol Coffee not confined by a cup, tends to run everywhere! As soon as we got that mess done, Max leaves us a nice present in the family room! lol

At least he’s not constipated!

But seriously, Max really seems to be recovering nicely. I’m pretty much over the idea that this was a stroke. Of the three possibilities, (stroke, myeo-something, or the degenerative disc) I’m thinking it’s this myeo-whatever. His mind is clearly not affected. No facial paralysis either. So this “thing” seems to be that a piece of cartilage has broken off his spine, and lodged in a most unfortunate place. But dogs do recover from this. Doc M has spoken.

He sometimes staggers a bit when he gets up, trying to find a tripod balance, like maybe he had a couple too many beer, which is kind of comical, if it weren’t so serious. But he’s making the effort to get up and drink his water and eat normally too.

Have a happy Thursday, people!

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.