Pup of the Week: For Our Moms

I know Mother’s Day is not for a few week but we should be celebrating our Moms every week, and I am going to do it today, especially for those Mom’s who are struggling right now.  

There are some, like my Mom, who struggle with pain every day.  Besides the pain from her worn artificial knees and bad neck her vertebrae is compressing giving her back pain.  She is also getting smaller.  Don’t tell Daddy.  He thinks he is getting taller (and larger.)  When it comes to humans men are much sillier.

When something is wrong with us our Moms go on the Humanbook and spill every little embarrassing detail of our illnesses.  Us dogs do a much better job of protecting our Mom’s privacy, and sometimes all we write is that our Mom needs prayers.  Pups don’t ask questions, we just pray.

This week, at the Bridge Cathedral on Tanner Brigade, Benjamin, Butkus, Barry and Pepper asked for prayers for their Mom,   We don’t know why, but we pray very hard that she is OK, for her, and for Benji and his pack.

I know some of you have not heard from Matilda for awhile.  And I know that many of you remember her big brother Moses.  Matilda’s Mom lost her Mom a short while ago and it hurt her very much. Matilda’s Mom is a wonderful dog Mom and a wonderful human 
being and she needs our prayers.  Pup prayers are the best and I know you will help out.  

Molly’s Mom has a problem that often occurs with us dogs.  She got bit by a tick and developed Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.  She is in need of prayers too.  I hate those ticks and I can attest that ticks are not allowed near the Bridge along with other bothersome insect life.  I think they all go to the bad place to bother bad humans.

Tupper, Boris and Max’s Mom has had terrible problems with a tooth.  She went to the dentist who would have fixed the problem, except the dentist worked on the wrong tooth!  So now she has two tooth problems and no money to fix either.  So you can add her to our ever expanding prayer list.

While Buddy Boy Smith’s Mom is fine, his Aunt is having a very difficult time, she recently put down her pup Sandy Girl after 14 years together.  I swore Sandy Girl in and she is doing very well but please say a prayer for her Mom.

Finally we have to give a shout out to a Dad, Buddy, Moose and Sydney’s Dad, who is in the hospital until tomorrow with spinal meningitis.  While this was quite scary for his family he should be fine.  Even though it left Moose very depressed while his Dad was in the hospital.

Moms (and Dads) say so many prayers for us they deserve a few of their own so let’s rally together and keep all our parents safe and healthy.

Moose is our March 17, 2013 Pup of the Week

This week we received the sad news that our friend Willie, who I have written about recently, had a recurrence of his cancer.  Right now his parents are counting on a miracle.  But they shouldn’t give up hope.  Because we do have proof that miracles happen.

Moose has a blood disease the is quite deadly.  I think it is the same one that took Mollie from us.  It is very bad and hard to cure.  Less than a month ago Moose had a recurrence of this disease and his his prognosis was quite dire.

On February 24 his Mom could tell, the way Moms can tell with us Pups, that he wasn’t feeling well.  She started him on a bland diet hoping that it would help.

She took him to the vet who tested his blood.  A normal PCV should be between 37 and 55 percent.  Moose’s was down to 18 percent when his Mom dropped him off at the vet and had risen to 23% when she picked him up.  He was diagnosed with Autoimmune hemolytic anemia.  The doctor recommended a blood transfusion, but it was very costly, and the odds weren’t with Moose.  His Mom, who is studying to work in animal medical care decided to count on prednisone and a miracle.

Over the next four days his numbers continued to sink as low as 12.   Moose was lethargic, not eating, not playing, no energy at all.  His parents were hand feeding him anything they could think of to make him eat:  Cheeseburgers, minute steaks, liver, cheese,  along with prednisone and Doxycycline for his health but his condition was not improving.  His mucous membranes turned from pale pink to white, a very bad sign. On the night of March 3 his breathing became labored and his parents prepared themselves for his inevitable trip to the bridge.  

But the next day Moose rallied.  He ate that night without having to be hand fed.  There was some pink back in his gums.  For the first time in a week he showed interest in dry food scoffing down Sydney’s supper as well as two small hamburgers.  Moose’s parents prayed he was taking baby steps back to good health.  

A couple of days later Moose was back to being himself even charging into the snow to play.  He didn’t have the energy to do so for long but the will was there.  His appetite came back stronger than ever and his parents began to believe his was on the upside of the disease.  

A week and a half after his parents brought him home prepared for his trip to tbe Bridge Moose was doing very well.  They took him to the vet on March 9 and his PCV levels had risen to from 12 to 29, still in the danger zone but rising, and his total protein was up to 7.4.

While Moose needs prayers to keep improving the fact that he is  still with us is a miracle, one both Moose and his parents deserve.  He received hundreds of prayers from his social network friends and his parents are convinced they aided greatly in his recovery.

So, while Willie, and some other friends might need a miracle, never give up hope, because sometimes, like with Moose miracles do occur.  Keep it up Moose, you are an inspiration to us all.  And we will keep praying for miracles.