wizard-of-roz

Boy! Talk about tears this morning!!!!! I am so touched by some of your stories!!!!

MARY: The pictures of the Guide Dogs on RCCL were priceless! Thank you for sharing them......Mason is so, so cute.... how lucky the person who gets him will be!!! We have not taken Brenda on RCCL cruiselines, yet! I'm so happy to see that they were so accommodating!

And, I know exactly what you mean about the "potty" question....I swear, I'm going to have a "T" Shirt made with the answer on it!!!!

PETER and Family: Cameron's life has changed so much....isn't it a miracle? Thank you for bringing Werin into his life. It's a lot of work for all of you....but, isn't a beautiful thing to see? That bond between the two of them says it all!!!!!!! And, what Werin will continue to bring to Cameron, well, it's just worth it all!!!

NANCY: How's the lizard? And, "Butt check", good words to remember!

Take care everyone....I'm off to "Brenda's Beauty Shop" appointment! I'm sure it will feel good, for her. After all the craziness that she's been through these past months, she will love the pampering!!! :)

Oh! And Mary, who do you work with? And, how long have you been doing it? :confused:

Mary: First, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You for giving of yourself and family to help people who you may never even know! You are a miracle worker; handing a miracle maker to someone else!!!!!!!

Your story was so cute.....Brenda is black; everything on the floor winds-up on her and can be seen by all! It can be disgusting, especially at the beauty and nail salon! She's in the habit of shaking herself and that does get rid of some of the debris but she's like a magnet. I can bring her out, from under a table, at a restaurant and she'll have a french fry stuck to her butt (believe me, if she could reach it, it would be gone!)

I am sickened by what can wind-up on her, after sitting in a bathroom stall and then taking her back to the dinner table. I give her the command to "stand", while in a bathroom and, she does. But, it doesn't leave much room for both of us in a regular stall! And, certainly not in an airplane bathroom. :eek:

Oh! Well! The trials and tribulations of life with a Service Dog!!!! :p

Please write again with some more of your great stories, I love reading them.

Have you cruised with one of your pups yet?

We usually sit in Bulkhead when flying:

"Bulkhead" seats are (the row of seats that have no seats in front of them, just a wall.) They, usually, are bigger in floor space, allowing the dog room to really lay down and not be "scrunched up!" It means that Brenda will take-up the floor space of the seat next to mine and even some of the space where my feet go! She's a big girl!!!!!! I can rest my feet against the wall or next to her!

Depending on the size of the airplane, the bulkhead seat can be quite large. And, then there's airplanes like; "Express Jet" which only holds 70-80 people; bulkhead can be a lot smaller but still bigger, in floor space than the other seats.

Sometimes bulkhead seats are already taken by passengers who prefer them. They're asked if they will move for a Service Dog and we've been very lucky....I hope that luck doesn't run out!

I NEVER take Brenda into the airplane bathroom with me. I try and do all hers and my bathroom needs prior to boarding! Although, if I must go, I give her the command "down/stay" and she waits for me! As it is....it requires manipulation, on my part, just to get past her on the floor (unless, I take the aisle seat) but, I love looking out the window so a little more concessions are made on both our parts.

Brenda is only given and occasional ice chip, while flying (if the weather is particularly warm) so her comfort zone is kept pretty much intact. She's fed in the early morning and evening, all of which is flexible (we try to keep to a schedule but have learned to bend it a bit!) I also try and fly inbetween her eating times, if at all possible!

We're the first to board and can be the first to get off.....I prefer to wait until everyone else has gotten off....then I know no one will be trampling her or rushing us down the aisle. I hate those people who will literally "push" you if you're not moving fast enough for them......

Walking with a Service Dog lends new meaning to the words "wide load ahead!"

Sunshine: Anyone on this particular Board would love your stories....Most them are owners of Service Dogs/Animals and appreciate every single little (big) "thing" that it takes to either raise/train or work with a service animal!

And, I can't say it enough.....THANK YOU!!!!!!!

I'm in the middle of planning an airplane trip, this weekend, to Eugene, Oregon. Brenda will be flying bulkhead. And, then we'll be doing the Golden, Princess to Hawaii (2 weeks), in November.

I'm glad she won't need her Rabies Titer test until October along with the Agricultural Inspection Form. She's been through enough these past 2 months, with Vets/shots and medications. I'm going to give her a little break. :o

Sunshine: Thank you for my tear for the morning.....what a wonderful story! And, although it makes us cry, it's reality and the job that you do is beyond reality, you bring "hope" not only to a dog who possibly would be turned into a "pet" but to a soldier who will get years and years of "hope" and love from his dog partner!!!!

It's always so inspirational to hear the true "beginnings" of these amazing animals and I'm sure that you have lots and lots of stories you could share with us. Please do it! I love them!

Peter/Werin & Family: Thank you for sharing more of Werin's Adventures; do you believe the Safeway market? G-d, what is it going to take for the public to understand that not all service dogs work for the blind?

I, too, have run into the "where's the plot of grass/dirt/mulch, etc., etc. where Brenda can relieve herself? It can be an adventure in its self! She was trained to "potty" on cement but refuses to do it.....I swear I'm going to carry a baggy full of mulch with me whenever we travel and I'm not sure if there will be a place to "go!" I'll take out my baggy and spread the stuff on the cement and keep circling her over it.....I haven't tried it yet...but, it's in the works!!!!

When we go somewhere, for meetings or events, the first thing I look for, while parking my car, is the availability of her going potty!

We, who walk with a Service Dog, can all relate!!!!!!

Keep traveling and letting us know about what you've done and where you've been!!!!!

Quam: Thank you for your good wishes. She's all better and being her "bouncy", "happy" self!!!!!! It's such a joy to watch her now!!!!!!!

S.S.: Thank you for your good wishes. I so appreciate it!!!!!!!!

I know exactly what you mean by the "tail" thing. Being a very smart and well trained Service Dog, Brenny will "back out" of tight situations and not move her tail! She's yet to knock over a nic-nac or a glass of wine!

However, I/they forgot to teach her what to do when a toddler approaches to greet her......Scenerio: Brenny spots the child approaching; the tail is going at great neck speed...the toddler goes to her rear and "wham" gets hit with that powerful, beaver-like, device, that it seems she has no control of when she's playful and happy!!!!! :eek:

Either the child will laugh with glee or scream because it has been thrown to the floor and is now scared to death. While poor Brenny has no idea what happened!!!!!!!!! :o

Carl: Thank you! It's such a joy to watch her play and romp on the grass again, chasing her ball and doing her funny little "Brenny dance" when she's walking!

She's such a goof! And, I love it!!!!!! ;)

Nancie: Talk about an amazing "heroine" story....You, my dear, win the prize for rehab. Your tale is a novel!!!!

I'm so glad to hear that you are finally on the mend.....Your cruise sounds amazing. You have such wonderful things to look forward to.....YOU'VE EARNED IT!!!!!! :p

Nancie: The beginning of June I took Brenny to the doctor to get a yearly check-up. Simple, so you would think!!!! It turned into a NIGHTMARE!!!!! He checked her ears and couldn't believe what he was seeing, he said both ear canals were extremely inflamed. He took a culture....came back into the room and said she has the most extreme case of a yeast infection, in both ears, that he has seen in a very long time!!!

Imagine my shock......she never displayed any symptoms!!!!!

The doctor gave her a shot of cortisone, another shot of antibiotic, ordered an ear lavage and prescribed anti-fungal pills and a course of Prednisone.

Brenny is 8 1/2 years old, she's had ear infections before (after all, she is a Lab) and, she got over them. The doctor said that her tolerance to pain is extremely high because this had to have hurt her.

And so the nightmare begins.........

She developed a severe reaction to the Prednisone.....weak/depressed/agitated/joint pain/excessive thirst/frequent urination/sleeplessness/raging fever and on and on. And, you can't just take the Prednisone away, entirely, you have to wean them off of it. It was frightening to watch.........

Her medical chart is now marked "HIGH SENSITVITY TO PREDNISONE!"

It almost killed her! Her ear infections are gone.......she will have to have ear lavages the rest of her life......and be watched closely for any more symptomotology of the Prednisone!!!!!!!!

And, because she has such a high tolerance to pain......I watch for any changes of any kind.........I'll never know if something's wrong, unless I can spot it early!!!!

Very long story-short; she's herself, again and that's the way I like it!!!!!!!!!

Darcie: I so agree........................

BRENDA - HEALTH UPDATE: SHE'S BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The amazing, wonderful, laughing, giddy, playful, perky, bouncy, jumping-into-and-out of-the SUV girl IS BACK!!!!!!!!

She's eating, drinking, peeing, pooping and most of all working like her old self, again!!!!!!! It was 5 weeks of pure HELL for her..........

:) Thank you to everyone who had her in their thoughts and prayers!:)

I'm exhausted from it all but so, so thankful that it's behind us now.

We're cruising in November and I wasn't so sure it was going to happen......but, the plans are going to remain the same and I'm looking forward to it more than ever!

I hug her a little harder, (if that's possible), and I look at her with different eyes now!!!!!!!!

Darcie: Good job....that's the one that "Brenny" has! They look so cute in them....But, when I think about her chance falling into the ocean or God Forbid a real emergency....these vests will certainly keep them afloat. ;)

Great suggestions Quam and "feeding the fishies" how funny is that? :D

Brenny has never been sea or car sick. I don't know what we'd do if she was. We're always in our car or on a cruise. We just did a road trip from L.A. to Eugene, Oregon. She did very well.

And, cruising is my life........

It's very important to allow your SD time to potty and to walk a bit. It helps in "grounding" them either while their on a boat or in the car. On long road trips I stop every 2 hours and allow her some "motionless" time!

Nancy: Brenny has a PaPa too! I've been calling my DH "PaPa" since we first met....I was about 18 years old and he was 25. I have no idea why....except that he's such an old soul and it just seemed to fit. Our kids got so used to it as they were growing up, it actually sounds funny when I call him by name (not too often!)

When I driving home from work, I always say, "let's go see PaPa", Benny's ears perk-up and her walk is brisker! Especially since she's been sick, I use "PaPa's" name a lot to encourage her to move along! She adores him and he feels the same! (He asks nothing of her other than her love, I ask her to work!)

Brenny knows how to tell time too! She can be in the deepest sleep and the time for her snack comes and, waahlah, she's up and staring at me. Same thing for breakfast and dinner. She'll nudge my DH at 4:30am, every day! What's up with that? And, how come she knows not to nudge me? Maybe it's because my mood in the morning is not so friendly!!!!!!! She's so smart!!!!:p

Nancy: You brought tears to my eyes.....I lay down, next to Brenny and I put my head next to hers and kiss her all over her face.......I whisper in her ear to not ever, ever leave me!!!!!!! OMG! I'm crying as I write this......

Her weakness and inability to "jump" in and out of my car is still there. The ramp is wonderful....it can either be used in the short version (which has more incline) or, it can telescope (which gives it a more level feel)...time-out....I have to go wipe my eyes............:o Okay! I'm back.....Now, I have to smile because she's laying down, in her crate, in my office and she's snoring so loudly that she's vibrating the floor!!!!! So cute!!!!!!!!

She is using the ramp, as if to say, "thank you for thinking of me!"

Be well everyone.......And, again, thank you so, so much for all your encouraging words....

YOU mean so much to me and my girl!!!!!! ;)

Darcie: What fun! Universal Studios (not the move!) Although, new homes and new adventures, in today's economic times, is a wonderful thing! You are a lucky woman! Congratulations on all the wonderful things happening in your life!

Quam: I hope you get to go on that cruise....It's always fun to cruise with our SD's!

Brenny is coming along....honestly, that would be the key words "coming along!" She's still not the girl I knew before the Prednisone! Isn't that amazing, how certain drugs can react on some dogs and some people for that matter!!!

She's still very weak. We purchased a ramp for her to use in entering and exiting my SUV! And, she's doing really well with it. She wasn't too sure of it, at first but got used to it after some "food coaxing!"

We pray that she'll return to her usual spunky self! :)

Quam: Brenda's commands for entering a car are "Car" or "Jump".....she never, never, never leaves the car until I give her the "Off" or "Down" or "Jump" command......when I open her door I always say "Wait", until I'm ready to command her to leave the vehicle. Not leaving a car until commanded to do so is very engrained in well trained Service Dogs!

We've done the Norwegian Star and they were very accomodating with placing Brenny's box, filled with mulch (the biggest box on any cruiseline), in a closet right down the hall from our cabin. They were very, very nice to us!!!!!

Marcia: I know we'll see each other again.....

Nancy: Your stories of "Reno" are wonderful!

Barbara: Please tell Valentine "Thank You" for caring so much about my girl......Or for the "head-tilts", of which I love!!!!!

Brenda is still very, very weak as of this writing and is still having a hard time getting into my car. She is trying to do her usual "jump" but falls short with her hind legs....that's where I come in. And, yes she weighs 75 pounds.....not as big as some but bigger than most! The doctor said that he doesn't think that the weakness will last and for some dogs it could take as much as 10 days to 2 weeks to regain their strength after prolonged Prednisone use! Never again!!!!! :mad:

I've ordered a ramp for her from Drs. Fosters & Smith......I can't wait til it gets here.....it will make hers and my life much, much easier!!!!!!! If she gets stronger and doesn't need it, at least I'll have it for her "old age!"

Marcia: Hi! How nice to hear from you. Of course I remember you! Morey still has the gift that you brought to the CC gathering and the lovely little frame that you gave us for our Anniversary is hanging in my office and I'm looking at it as I write this. (Of course, there's a picture of my dear, sweet Brenny in it!) You are such a warm and friendly person, how could I forget?

Thank you for asking about "Brenny". Her visit to the doctor went very well! Other than the fact that I had to pick her up to enter my car (SUV). She was so weak from the steroids, she could hardly stand.....This is so unlike my girl. She's usually a fireball of energy....not now!!!! It makes me tear every time I look at her.

The doctor saw, immediately, that she was acting differently and noted in BIG, BOLD letters, in her chart, that she is "hyper-sensitive" to Prednisone and, in the future if (God forbid) she needs this medicine again, he would make sure that she is given very low doses of it!!!!!!! He took her off of everything (her ears look very good), there seems to be no residual damage. The only difference for her is she will have to have ear lavages once a month, forever. I can handle that!!!!!! A nurse had to accompany me to my car to help me lift her into it!!!!!

This morning she's still a bit lethargic but the doctor told me it would take a few days for the medicine to completely leave her system. She's not drinking water like a fish and needing to go potty every half hour or appearing to be restless and agitated anymore.......there's a light at the end of this tunnel!!!!!!!

To all of you who have written me and who sent your good wishes to my girl........THANK YOU!!!!!!!

Marcia, come on....hop onboard the Golden to Hawaii!!!!! :) We leave on November 12th.

Quam: What a relief, is right! I'm sure you're very happy! And, so are we!

Well, I spoke too soon, about Brenny. She's starting to show symptoms of the Prednisone. More than she had on my last writing. She's having a lot of joint pain (exhibited by her refusals to jump into my car and to not stand on her hind legs, to reach things on the counter, etc.) It's very difficult for me to watch this, in her!

She's always been the "first" one to reach the counter and, I never have to give any command on entering my SUV.....this morning I had to physically lift her...she would rather lie down. She doesn't wimper or cry in any way....she, as I mentioned before, has an extremely high tolerance to pain...she just exhibits the "refusal"...many of you who work with Service Dogs will recognize it!!!!!

She sees the doctor, this morning and we'll see what he says. I don't think the symptoms are permanent (please, NO!!!) Once she's totally off the dosage (which is now down to 1/2 tablet every other day) along with Nizoral (anti-yeast) medication, I'm praying she will improve. We'll see!

Maybe the doctor will take her off of everything!!!!!!!!!!!!! And, then she can start coming back as herself......I'll let you know!!!!!!

I don't sleep much...I get up severa times to just observe her.......I'm going to start exhibiting "refusals" pretty soon!!!!!!:o

Barbara, isn't that the truth.....Something about "those eyes", "that tail" and the body language......I"m so done, when I look into her eyes....she's got me....I fall for the fur.....and, she can have anything she wants!!!!!!!!

Leona Helmsley left her millions to her dog...She was an evil witch to every human she ever encountered but adored her dogs..What a smart lady!!!!!!! Just kidding......

My heart is lifting as my girl is going down, down, down on her Prednisone and the "real Brenda" is starting to appear, again!

Thank you, Sunshine, please don't stop doing what you do! Without wonderfully giving and loving folks like yourself, there wouldn't be service dogs and the people who need them would be truly lost!:)

Brenny, our DH and I are planning for our 2 week RT to Hawaii, in November. I'm getting some more Hawaiian shirts for us and some silk Lei's for her. I know we have lots of time....but, you know how that goes by so quickly! :o

The packing for Brenny will definitely be more intense and thoughtful. The longest cruise she's been on is 8 days.....14 days will be a true test in not forgetting anything for her. Last time I didn't bring enough CET Chews and had to go to the Purser's Desk to have them cut into smaller pieces (so they would last the rest of the week!) They had to use an electric cutter......I've learned my lesson on that one!!!!! :(

Just like we make a list for ourselves....I'm now making lists for her!!!! And, to think I raised 3 kids......;)

Stay cool and enjoy the rest of your summer!

Nancy: Thank you for the good wishes and especially the "hang in there", and "I totally understand" attitude. Living in southern California certainly is not as hot as where you live but with the heat waves we've been having, Brenny stays pretty much in the air conditioned environment, with me!!!!! I love watching dogs when they languish in wading pools......they're so cute!!!!!!

Truly, only people who have and treat their "fur" working-babies as well as they treat their children would really get it!!!!!

Quam: I'm so sorry that you're going through the trauma's and expense of illness for your service-baby! I hope she's better by this writing and that the diagnosis is an easy "fix!" Well, it's never easy but it can be less traumatic if it's a "common illness!" Whatever that is. We too, are budgeting much differently with the expense of Brenny's illness!!!!!!

Brenny is now on a lower dosage of Prednisone but still on her anti-fungal meds, it seems to be a more tolerable dosage for her and she's not quite as weak, restless or depressed!!!!! She's still drinking water like a fish and going potty every hour on the hour (I guess that goes with the territory!)

I get more of a response from her and she has less of that "who am I and what am I doing here" stare/glaze in her eyes!!!!!! I would tear-up everytime I would look into those big brown eyes of hers!!!

Again, thanks to all of you, who help each of us get through either our cruising problems and antics with our dogs or the illness's and challenges that go with "life with a dog!" :)

Peter: Thanks for the good wishes!! Werin is young and you really did get lucky! By the time Brenny was 2 she had had one cancer surgery (on her leg), (about 2 months after we got her home from Team Training) and 1 other ear infection although not as severe as this one and has grown several tumors in her rib cage and tummy (they're benign and are examined often.)

Eventually, if the tumors grow larger, she will have to have surgery! It's no big deal, you can't see them, they don't bother her....it's the Lab thing - along with easy weight gain and ear infections. :(

My next service dog will be a Chihuahua!!!!!! :p

I know what's wrong......Brenny hasn't cruised sinced April.....And, our next one isn't until November.

The cure for everything......CRUISING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

Peter: Thanks for the tip about the book....I'm going to research it now....Just what I need another week of tears.....Brenny has had a yeast infection in both her ears. She had absolutely no symptoms of ear problems, other than some black stuff that was coming out when I'd do her normal ear cleaning (which is, at least, every other day!)

We took her to the Vet last Thursday for her normal, yearly checkup and he discovered the infection in both ears (very indicitive of Labs)....he was apalled, as were we, at how severe it was and she was displaying absolutely no symptoms. He said she's a very brave and tough girl and that I'd better keep my eyes on her even more closely than I do because she, obviously, has a very high tolerance for pain. Well, after two injections, deep cleaning with ear swabs and an ear lavage, I was sent home with Prednisone, anti-fungal pills and a liquid antibiotic to squirt into her ears twice a day.

Don't ask; my beautiful, calm, patient, happy, playful, carefree, loving Service Dog was turned into a; restless, depressed, weakened, fatiqued, anxiety ridden mop of a dog!!!!! Who couldn't drink enough water, subsequently going to the bathroom every hour on the hour and would look at me with her big brown eyes, begging me to help!!!!!! I lay with her, on her couch, with her head in my lap stroking her face and singing to her!

The steroids are taking away the inflammation and her beautiful personality.....it's very painful to watch and as you can imagine, the past week has been horrendous for all. I haven't slept well, either has she.....I'm up checking on her every few hours....she's acting so differently that my fears were that she'd die while I was sleeping......I know, I know a bit overly dramatic but I can't tell you how important she is in my life, my heart and my soul and watching her like this is the worst!

She starts tapering off the steroids today and won't be completely off of them for another two weeks. As you know, you just can't stop them "cold turkey"! Hopefully, my beautiful girl will re-appear as soon as she's totally off of them.

I don't know if I would ever let a doctor put her on steroids again.

Okay! I'm sorry for going on-and-on......and, I'm sure you've all had some sort of health issues with your dogs but it still doesn't take away the anxiety of it all......(at least for me!)

I raised three children and helped to raise 6 grands.....you'd think I'd toughen-up by now!!!!!! GEEEEZZZZZ!!!!:o