Checkbook is still in the red; hailstorms tearing apart the north county threatening to destroy the roads and trail network; continued push by Northern Pass to ruin the landscape of Coos County with high tension powerlines; fellow musher dealing with a family tragedy and Ginsing’s health showing no signs of improvement.
Although Bob would tend to say otherwise, I work hard at viewing difficult situations in life as “Half Full” rather than “Half Empty”. Unless I am working in a professional setting, there isn’t a day which goes by I am not sporting a “Life is Good” t-shirt. However, this week I can not help but fall into a pattern of viewing life through the pessimistic lens.
About a month ago, around the time when Ana came down to perform the SNAP 4Dx tests on our dogs, Ginsing looked off. He had not been barking or aggressively wagging his tail or pushing his ½ wit brother aside to gain our attention. After detailed observation over the preceding days we decided that Ginsing’s changed behavior warranted a trip to the DVM. X-rays, health screening and a CBC blood work panel all came back as normal. When an animal is less than ‘normal’ and the result of these exams read otherwise….it is very hard, if not impossible to look at the glass as “Half Full”. Something is wrong…just can not put our finger on it. As it turned out, of the 14 dogs we SNAP 4Dx tested, two were positive for Lyme; Ginsing being one of them. After a lengthy discussion with a friend from CT who is surrounded by ticks, we immediately put Ginsing on Doxy. A week later, he had (in my eyes) improved a tiny bit. Not enough to comfort Bob, so off to the DVM they go. A bag of Lactated Ringer's Solution and soon after , Ginsing was walking around the kennel and licking food out of the bowl. DVM recommended increasing the Doxy dose along with a daily antacid. Five days later Ginsing began to look far better. However, he still was not eating or drinking to the degree necessary for long term survival. Between am and pm bottle/spoon feeding as well as mid-day visits by our friend Weston…Ginsing was consuming water and or Pedialyte plus approx 1 ½ cups of Promeat that had been soaking in an equal amount of water. By mid May, we had begun to blend in various probiotics to the Promeat mash along with organic babyfood and sweet potato soup. Every third day or so we would administer ½ bag of Lactated Ringer's Solution. Mind you, this was a huge undertaking for Bob. He HATES needles. During the week preceding his death, Ginsing began to regularly eat the mash and really seemed to be rallying. In hindsight, this was the “Calm Before the Storm”; we (replace with ‘I’) should have allowed ourselves to say goodbye to Ginsing then….
Memorial Day weekend I had been scheduled for a trip to East Tennessee to visit my ailing grandmother. Flight was cancelled. Immediately looked at the cancellation as a Sign; forgo any rescheduling options and requested a refund. At one point during the weekend I clearly remember looking at Ginsing resting in the kennel. His head in an odd position. Right away I knew we (replace with ‘I’) had waited too long. Ginsing needed to see the DVM...his body was failing. He was not going to be rallying from this..whatever “this” condition is that he’s suffering (we can only assume it is an advanced case of Lyme disease. Memorial Day Monday we have family up to the house for a BBQ. Around 4pm the kennel erupts in ciaos! Earlier in the day Ozzy had popped the snap on his chain. Perhaps the commotion is another dog joyously teasing his team members. No, that was not to be the case. Ginsing was having a seizure.
I’ll spare you the details of the hours that followed. It was heartwrenching. So not fair to our beloved sled dog to suffer in that fashion.
The sheer strength and determination of these dogs is humbling. After each seizure, Ginsing either got up for a walk around our basement to pee, drink or simply stand in the corner. When explaining this series of events to our DVM afterwards…he feels quite strongly that Ginsing was suffering from a brain tumor.
In the end, our DVM had to help Ginsing over the Bridge.
Ginsing is now in the DawgGarden beside his mother and Uncle Steel.
Ginsing’s brother’s Enzo currently seems unphased by the loss of his kennel mate. It’s probably all the pretty girls in season that are directing his concern elsewhere……
Imperial Elixir may you rest in peace. We will forever hold your spirit and those who have passed on before you, close to our heart.
Although Bob would tend to say otherwise, I work hard at viewing difficult situations in life as “Half Full” rather than “Half Empty”. Unless I am working in a professional setting, there isn’t a day which goes by I am not sporting a “Life is Good” t-shirt. However, this week I can not help but fall into a pattern of viewing life through the pessimistic lens.
About a month ago, around the time when Ana came down to perform the SNAP 4Dx tests on our dogs, Ginsing looked off. He had not been barking or aggressively wagging his tail or pushing his ½ wit brother aside to gain our attention. After detailed observation over the preceding days we decided that Ginsing’s changed behavior warranted a trip to the DVM. X-rays, health screening and a CBC blood work panel all came back as normal. When an animal is less than ‘normal’ and the result of these exams read otherwise….it is very hard, if not impossible to look at the glass as “Half Full”. Something is wrong…just can not put our finger on it. As it turned out, of the 14 dogs we SNAP 4Dx tested, two were positive for Lyme; Ginsing being one of them. After a lengthy discussion with a friend from CT who is surrounded by ticks, we immediately put Ginsing on Doxy. A week later, he had (in my eyes) improved a tiny bit. Not enough to comfort Bob, so off to the DVM they go. A bag of Lactated Ringer's Solution and soon after , Ginsing was walking around the kennel and licking food out of the bowl. DVM recommended increasing the Doxy dose along with a daily antacid. Five days later Ginsing began to look far better. However, he still was not eating or drinking to the degree necessary for long term survival. Between am and pm bottle/spoon feeding as well as mid-day visits by our friend Weston…Ginsing was consuming water and or Pedialyte plus approx 1 ½ cups of Promeat that had been soaking in an equal amount of water. By mid May, we had begun to blend in various probiotics to the Promeat mash along with organic babyfood and sweet potato soup. Every third day or so we would administer ½ bag of Lactated Ringer's Solution. Mind you, this was a huge undertaking for Bob. He HATES needles. During the week preceding his death, Ginsing began to regularly eat the mash and really seemed to be rallying. In hindsight, this was the “Calm Before the Storm”; we (replace with ‘I’) should have allowed ourselves to say goodbye to Ginsing then….
Memorial Day weekend I had been scheduled for a trip to East Tennessee to visit my ailing grandmother. Flight was cancelled. Immediately looked at the cancellation as a Sign; forgo any rescheduling options and requested a refund. At one point during the weekend I clearly remember looking at Ginsing resting in the kennel. His head in an odd position. Right away I knew we (replace with ‘I’) had waited too long. Ginsing needed to see the DVM...his body was failing. He was not going to be rallying from this..whatever “this” condition is that he’s suffering (we can only assume it is an advanced case of Lyme disease. Memorial Day Monday we have family up to the house for a BBQ. Around 4pm the kennel erupts in ciaos! Earlier in the day Ozzy had popped the snap on his chain. Perhaps the commotion is another dog joyously teasing his team members. No, that was not to be the case. Ginsing was having a seizure.
I’ll spare you the details of the hours that followed. It was heartwrenching. So not fair to our beloved sled dog to suffer in that fashion.
The sheer strength and determination of these dogs is humbling. After each seizure, Ginsing either got up for a walk around our basement to pee, drink or simply stand in the corner. When explaining this series of events to our DVM afterwards…he feels quite strongly that Ginsing was suffering from a brain tumor.In the end, our DVM had to help Ginsing over the Bridge.
Ginsing is now in the DawgGarden beside his mother and Uncle Steel.
Ginsing’s brother’s Enzo currently seems unphased by the loss of his kennel mate. It’s probably all the pretty girls in season that are directing his concern elsewhere……
Imperial Elixir may you rest in peace. We will forever hold your spirit and those who have passed on before you, close to our heart.
3 comments:
Sorry about your loss, Guys!
Gino
i am reading this almost a year after the fact, but I am so sorry for that terrible hard loss of your dear friend. Boy do I know those excruciating ups and downs, the hoping and the sorrow. take care Susan
i am reading this almost a year after the fact, but I am so sorry for that terrible hard loss of your dear friend. Boy do I know those excruciating ups and downs, the hoping and the sorrow. take care Susan
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