Genrewonk » pet pictures

Canine reaction to my current WIP

S Andrew Swann — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 17:24:09 +0000

Truffle Update

S Andrew Swann — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 12:00:36 +0000

Unfortunately, Truffles has begun taking a turn for the worse. Again, she can no longer walk, and still no firm diagnosis. The steps outside were really becoming an issue, especially since I’m going to cons and such and Michelle can’t lift Truffles all by herself. So, now we have the Trufflevator:

Going up:

Top floor, everybody out:

That mechanical engineering background finally came in handy.

Spring is here

S Andrew Swann — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 19:20:26 +0000

Spent this weekend building raised beds in the back for a vegetable garden. Spent most of Saturday building these, three boxes 8x4x2 and three 4x4x2.

And Truffles is much more mobile now, and she can hang out outside now.

Another Truffle Update

S Andrew Swann — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:00:04 +0000

If you’ve followed my blog, you’ve seen me talk about our dog Truffles. Back during the summer, she was stricken with something, no one has yet diagnosed what, that weakened her until she was unable to walk. At first we thought it was neurological, but she was never completely paralyzed. In fact, even when I had to carry her outside three times a day she still has had fewer accidents in the house than Lilly the boxer. So we got her a cart, and started swimming her three times a week. And just recently, we discovered that I could get her to move around with some physical support and the promise of a cookie.

Now, I am happy to report, Truffles has gotten strong enough that she can walk again:

She’s still rather unsteady, and can’t keep it up for more than a dozen feet or so, but this is more than we’d ever expected.

Heretics is out today!

S Andrew Swann — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 12:00:08 +0000

Zoe doesn’t seem too impressed, but it may be because she can’t read.

If you want to buy it on-line, but you’re pissed at Amazon’s antics of late, you can buy it here. Or here.

Truffle Update

S Andrew Swann — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 12:00:44 +0000

Truffles is still having a hard time. We’re still swimming her 3 days a week, but she’s still unable to walk on her own. All the vets we’ve talked to have given up on a diagnosis so we have no clue what’s up with her.

However, we’ve made a bit of a discovery. If we wrap her paws with vet wrap, she has a lot more traction to go about in her cart. And today we tried getting her to walk with the assistance of a handle we bought when her legs were first going bad. The combination of the vet wrap and cookie motivation (Truffles has always been very food focused) we eventually got her to walk across the living room with assistance. Vast improvement over the last time we tied this, when she didn’t hold up herself at all and was just so much dead weight.

Snow, we has it. . .

S Andrew Swann — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:22:55 +0000

Merry Christmas

S Andrew Swann — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 12:00:46 +0000

Christmas is quickly upon us

S Andrew Swann — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 12:00:27 +0000

We got our tree up, so here are some festive fictures to put you in a seasonal mood.

Zoe has a theme

S Andrew Swann — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 12:02:09 +0000

Three different pictures on three different dates:

Happy Halloween

S Andrew Swann — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:00:53 +0000

Truffle Update

S Andrew Swann — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:25:27 +0000

The Lab is showing marked improvement in her mobility. She’s still unable to stand on her own, but she can push the Trufflemobile around now without assistance (she still needs to be bribed with treats, but that’s different.) and last session at the pool she wasn’t having any of that stupid “taking a break” stuff, and managed to swim a whole length of the pool without assistance. Then there are a host of other little things; she’s holding her head up a lot more, she’s not crossing her back legs when she’s held up, and generally seems to be in better spirits. It looks like whatever is wrong, it isn’t degenerative myelopathy, otherwise she wouldn’t be improving like this.

And now, the Boxer

S Andrew Swann — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:47:18 +0000

Truffles the Lab is improving slightly, but our Boxer Lilli is jealous of all the attention Truffles has been getting on my Blog, so in the interest of equal time, here’s the Boxer.

Smile:

(more below the cut)

Not too impressed:

Don’t you want your picture taken?

And now, of course, Pumpkin the cat is jealous.

Apparently Pumpkin is a fan of the Carrie Vaugn’s Kitty Norville series:

More Truffles

S Andrew Swann — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:00:15 +0000

I mentioned Monday that Truffles was having serious issues, and was unable to walk. She is still, however, able to swim. Today she had the best day swimming she’s had to date. Here are some pictures.

The Trufflemobile

S Andrew Swann — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:00:59 +0000

Truffles, our Chocolate Lab, has not had a very good couple of months. She’s been slowing down for a while, and showing some weakness in her back end that we assumed was due to age. Last July we took her down to Bow-wow beach for what was probably the last time. By the end of July, she was unable to walk for extended periods. By the beginning of August, we took her in to a neurologist for an X-Ray and an MRI. By the end of August, she was unable to stand or sit on her own. The most likely culprit at this point is degenerative myelopathy, though if so it isn’t a typical case. So, at this point we have no definitive diagnosis. (We know it isn’t cancer, or a slipped disk.) I’ve had to carry her outside to go to the bathroom for the past month and a half.

Still, immobile as she is, she still looks up at us with the same goofy grin, and still has her tail waging for us all the time. So we’re not giving up on her yet. We can’t afford official hydrotherapy, but there’s a doggy “spa” just down the street that has a pool and a very nice staff person with experience in special needs dogs, which costs much less than having the vet do it. So we have Truffles swimming again twice a week hopfully going to three), albeit with human assistance and a life-jacket.

And this past weekend we saw a guy who has made it his hobby building wheelchairs for dogs. Every job he does is custom work, which is good because Truffles needed some custom assistance. Unlike hip dysplasia, the strength is gone in her front so badly that she can’t support her weight, even if her back end’s supported.

With her new cart though, she actually managed to push herself along a few feet on the first try. Best case scenario, we’ll get enough muscle back on her so she can move around a bit on her own. But failing that, at least she’s happy to be out and about for even a little while.