Straydog UPDATE posted WEDNESDAY 2/5/03 at ~8:17 p.m. CT

Pat Arnold's Daily Dog Log

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 5 2003

Julie goes for eye check, and Betsy is doing okay

      Julie is Straydog's diabetic dog, who suddenly went blind more than a year ago. During an emergency visit to the vet because of her sudden blindness we discovered Julie was diabetic. This was quite a long drawn out process of first getting her diabetes under control, which took many, many weeks (all the while blind). Then after getting Julie's diabetes under control we took her to a veterinary eye specialist in Arlington [Texas] for surgery to remove the cataracts from her eyes (which had been caused by the diabetes), and after her surgery her sight was restored. She's been to see the eye doctor in Arlington for periodic checkups (the specialist schedules for her).

      This week Julie's eyes have begun to look cloudy, so I took her this morning to see our regular vet here (Dr. Morton), and I also planned while I was at the clinic with Julie to check on Betsy (who broke her leg Monday).

      Julie's eyes are cloudy, the doctor said after he examined her. He gave me some drops to administer to both eyes several times a day, for a week, and then we are to take her back for a recheck. She may need to see Dr. Paulsen (the eye specialist in Arlington) sooner than her upcoming scheduled visit. I hope nothing serious is wrong. I think I'd better call Dr. Paulsen tomorrow to let him know what's going on with Julie and ask him what he thinks we should do about Julie. If he wants to see Julie, we will make the 180-mile round trip and go see him. Again some of my mail responses to friends of Straydog I owe letters to will have to again be postponed.

Betsy is doing okay

      After I put Julie back in her crate in the van, I went back to the clinic to see how Betsy was doing and to give the vet techs the kind of food that Betsy is used to (which is different from the other bag of food we leave at the clinic) so she could stay on the same diet once she feels good enough to begin eating again. Betsy is on IV fluids including morphine "drip," which will, of course, keep her very calm and quiet and pain free for several days, the doctor said.

      Dr. Morton showed me the x-rays he took of her leg after the surgery, and I saw the three screws that are now holding her bone together in the upper part of her leg. We thought the doctor was going to put a plate in, but he explained why he put only the screws in the upper bone that had split all the way down to her elbow. Then the doctor explained several options he had for further protecting her leg before he sends her home this Friday.

      Dr. Morton knew I wanted to see Betsy, and said he wanted me to see her, but he didn't want us to disturb her since she was resting peacefully, and it's so important that she stay as calm as possible and not try to put any weight or pressure on her leg, so I just peeked around the open door leading to the row of kennels and got a good view of Betsy (she was in the first kennel) without her seeing me. She was facing the opposite direction from me, sort of sitting in a mostly slouched position on her blanket, leaning her back against her kennel gate. Just from seeing that much of her, looking so totally "wiped out" I couldn't believe that she'd be recovered enough to come home in two days! But the doctor said that once she is off the morphine, she will perk up a little and look more like herself again.

      We are giving her big brother, Buddy, lots of extra attention because we can tell he misses his sister. They are both such wonderful, sweet, loving dogs.

Why haven't Buddy and Betsy been adopted?

      Why haven't these two beautiful big dogs been adopted, a few people have asked when they visit our shelter?

      The answer is that the people who have inquired about Buddy and Betsy have wanted them either for breeding purposes (and this we never allow [plus all dogs here are spayed and neutered]), or the people inquiring about the siblings have been interested in adopting these wonderful dogs up until they hear that both dogs have imperfect hips. The issue of "imperfect hips" (hip dysplasia) stops possible adopters cold! They see any dog with such a "handicap" (as they call it) as an unadoptable dog. We don't see it this way at all!

      We don't see that their imperfect hips cause Buddy and Betsy to have any handicap at all. Both dogs get around beautifully. They may have achy bones on cold, wet days, but so do Bill and I. We've talked to the bone specialists in Dallas about both dogs, and they say to do nothing.

      Buddy and Betsy would make the most wonderful pets in the world. They have so much love to give.