Heidi

Heidi is currently curled up in her nest behind my desk & is giving off the most curious odour – like her normal one but slightly more toxic. Her nose is unusually hot but she appears settled. Yesterday she struck me as being slightly under par & today she had a brief limp on her hind left leg on our morning walk. We stopped for a few moments of TTouch after which she was more settled but still stiff in the hind quarters.

I’m not concerned about her blip but will be keeping an eye on her, especially as today is plussing day & the Carcinosin remedy tends to leave her more clingy than usual.

R

It would appear that I’ve been remiss at keeping up to date with Heidi’s blog. I’m sorry if this has been cause for concern for any of you, but rest assured HRH is still here, & don’t we know it.

Last week we had a complaint from a passer by that our dogs were “out of control”. He was ignoring the fact that on both previous ocassions we’d met he’d tried to kick either Meg or Heidi, even though both were on the lead & Heidi especially was minding her own business. Long story short, both dogs now kept on leads (Heidi always used to walk off-lead as she never bothered anyone but NO-ONE is going to get even close to kicking my girls). She is now the proud owner of a Flexi which she took to like a duck to water & is delighted to truss us up like a turkey in cohoots with Meg.

The incident above would have been avoided if he’d continued walking on his pavement on the opposite sideof the road instead of crossing over to walk (slowly) just in front of us, then stop with his Chow while he leisurely sniffed the pavement. His dog is great & looks somewhat other-worldly – pays my 2 vaguely interested attention, but why bother? We went to over-take, Meg had a little lunge as her lead was shortened (natural response), his foot came out & I gave him a clear warning to desist. Verbal abuse, barking dogs, Heidi spinning like a dervish (default at times of stress) & D & I walked away bewildered. Both dogs are fine & we just ensure that Chow-man/woman (she does the same) are not around when we walk.

I’m going off-piste here. Heidi is extremely well & I am realising that in letting her express her true Heidiness in day-to-day life she has now developed some traits which need addressing. Out walking she always used to hang around my legs or stick like glue to Meg. Not any more. She now ambles off (at the trot I might add) in any direction which takes her fancy. We went fora long walk recently & Meg took her for a spin around a field.  We think HRH got a little disorientated, couldn’t see us (eyesight rubbish) or hear us calling, whistling, etc (hearing rubbish) so worked out which way we’d just come from & ran parallel to the path for a while before going through a hedge to get back onto the footpath. She must have gone a good 1/2 mile before I caught up with her. Air-head that she is had no concern that we’d been separated & just looked at me as if to say, “Which way was it?” & then trotted past me to be with Meg again! She remained on the Flexi until we knew that she couldn’t get behind us again! Scary moments but I was, however, completely delighted that she has enough about her to work out how to get back to the van or home.

From the day we had her she would flatten herself on the ground if you did the palm down signal or say “wait” (regardless of how gentle). She would look at you constantly for direction & wait to be released before moving on. I guess a combination of failing hearing & eyesight & her new cockiness (confidence has been passed!) she just stands looking at you impatiently, waving her tail gently. It always concerned me that her repsonse was so quick & she looked fearful. That is all a distant memory now. Luckily the Flexi keeps her safe from harm & she’s still very responsive to very light signals.

I’m usnsure whether it has anything to do with the homeopathic remedies, the move, me being ill before Christmas, or anything else but she has turned discreetly into a velcro dog. Whenever I move she’ll be there. Rehab is required. We are currently working on quieting her excited barking before walking as it is now so loud it could disturb the neighbours. When did she get so strong? If she barks she’s asked to leave the kitchen (which she does very obligingly) then is allowed back in when she’s quiet while I take my coat on & off to get her bored with the procedure. We have been going great guns until this morning when she lapsed! She’ll get there.

Mrs. Velcro is currently attached to D’s legs as he’s cooking & there may be a tasty morsel (fat chance) if she’s alert in a curled up, eyes closed kind of way.

I never imagined that she would still be with us now. I’ve just been re-reading the Green Acres Rescue blog  http://www.greenacresanimalrescue.co.uk/greenacresblog.htm where they said that Heidi had gone with us “in her last stages in life”. She has a touch of angina, is slightly stiff in her back end, is on medication for her heart & thyroid, gets CV247 & flax/cottage cheese daily, but looks to all intents & purposes like any other 13 year old collie – maybe even more spritely. The walk the other week was about 2 1/2 miles but she did more with her detour. Meg was out for the count for about 4 days afterwards, but Heidi was up & ready to go out again as soon as we got home!

She’s incorrigible & we adore her.

Rachael, Heidi & Meg x

Heidi’s being naughty! I caught her with her head in the bin yesterday eating a sweet wrapper, then she went & had a good lick at Meg’s bowl (unheard of), & on our walk she ambled up someones drive to have a good root around their garage! In all the time Heidi has been a part of my life she has always looked to me for direction & will check in to see whether it’s ok to do something, so this wanton behaviour is an utter delight. She’s started to make her own decisions & use her own brain (which is possibly an organ underused until now) – it’s great fun watching her blossom. She’ll even sit with her chin resting on the table while we eat.

Meg & Heidi have had a couple of spats in the last few days. Heidi invariably ends up squashed on the floor but is now giving as good as she gets. The dynamic between the 2 of them is definitely changing. Thankfully, when it’s finished they are completely happy together & trot along on their walks like a couple of old twits sometimes.

After the Pulsatilla plussing HRH was extremely clingy again & spent much of it pushed up against my leg, & then after the Carcinosin her bark got stronger – it’s positively loud now! 

Every day she presents us with a different aspect of this amazing personality of hers. She will never be a bad dog & we celebrate her naughtiness.

Heidi had another leg “episode” the other night. Fortunately, Demetri was still up & we were able to support her through it. It lasted longer than her previous ones, going on for about 1 1/2 hours when she was in obvious discomfort. When we had spoken to Sue about it on Monday she thought it might be cramp; consequently we took very detailed notes about the tightness of her muscles, her posture, heat/cold, response to touch & so on. The way her toes curl back during an episode made it look very likely that this is what’s happening.

The following morning she was as bright as a bright thing (we were wrecked having only had about 4 hours sleep but that was by the by!). Her bark was sharper & louder & she positively skipped around her walk with no evidence of any limp or discomfort. She’d had loads of healing & ttouch from 2 of us, but I don’t know what the after effects of that would be. I took them both to the park in the afternoon & Heidi decided to try being a lurcher, speeding off at such a rate with another dog that I had a momentary panic about her heart. I had to let it go. She was having the time of her life & it is surely better to have a fun life than a long boring life? She came back after a few minutes & had the biggest smile on her face. I kept half an eye on her but there appeared to be no ill effects from having had some fun

Sue has now sent us a new weekly remedy – Calc Sil – & we shall see how this goes. I was interested to read that it also covers absent-mindedness. I’d not really looked on her that way, but realised quickly that she’s as absent-minded as you can get! A little other-worldly sometimes when she’s whacked her nose on the same piece of table 3 times on the trot (but does at least close her eyes on the last one).

We are on week 3 of plussing today – Pulsatilla 4 times. She’s been attached to my leg since the first dose so am having a quiet office day until we go out this evening to a family do. My fingers are firmly crossed that there are no fireworks going off as both dogs will be in the van & I know that Meg is uneasy about bangs at the mo (she is getting stiffness in her hind quarters which I believe is contributing to the problem). They both live in their jumpers now (we are still trying to suss out the central heating in a Victorian house with original windows – fantastic windows, but accompanying draughts!) & Meg is much calmer as a consequence. She’s even free running in the local park without me worrying about who she’s going to duff up next.

Back to the vets next week for more bloods (to check electrolytes). The ones from Monday have indicated slight liver damage but I’d like to know how they compare to previous tests as this has been flagged up previously. My understanding is that the liver can regenerate (if the damage isn’t too severe); it would be good to know which way HRH’s is going.

Pictures being sorted as I write & I’ll post them up later.

R

Just a short update on our visit to the new vet (Sue Armstrong) in Wetherby. I have never seen Heidi look so relaxed or sparkly in the eye department as she was discussed & as she went around from person to person for strokes & tickles. Within minutes of arriving 2 nurses appeared to take some blood & Heidi was very sweet; she made a slight sound but she didn’t tighten up at all & looked quite calm. The nurses were lovely & were happy with the suggestion to allow HRH to drop her head down a little (her neck gets quite tight / stiff sometimes).

The timing was great as she then had an hour to mooch around the room & explore who was going to give her the best attention & was utterly delighted at the end when Sue gave her 2 more liver treats. I think she’ll be happy to return!

I was very glad that Demetri was there; he was able to gently hold Heidi while Sue checked her heart, etc. & filled in the gaps of information which I had forgotten. It’s also good to have another dimension added to her life – someone who is really observant of how she is, how she responds & other facets of her personality.

I commented last night how supported I felt, but it’s more than that. I feel that the responsibility of  observing her, being mindful of her or maybe just an awareness of how she’s feeling is now shared. I was fairly emotional when I realised this last night – truth can sometimes feel overwhelming. Heidi’s care has never been. She is a truly special little dog who is growing into her skin daily & I can see her achieving the potential that she has had within her all this time but has maybe been a little reluctant to explore it. It is a joy to feel that the fire-fighting stage has ended & we can now help her peel away the layers from her past, of her health & her daily expectations to reveal this shining light that we have been getting glimpses of.

Shine on little one.

R

I’m beginning to realise what a part of the vet issue has been. Throughout Heidi’s time with me (nearly a year now) I have taken the viewpoint of boosting health to deal with the cancer & this has been reflected in her veterinary care to date. The local vet I saw (post Barbara) allowed me to create an internal dialogue which gave the strong option to see her as a sick dog who needed pity. Seeing Sue on Thursday enabled me to revert to my preferred stance of seeing Heidi as an extraordinary, elderly collie who has the brightest personality, cheeky ways & breath which makes your eyes water who just needs our loving support.

I have no idea whether there is any cancer left in her body. To focus purely on that now when she’s showing who she is would be folly. It’s a balancing act of acknowledging what may be there & giving her body the necessary support to deal with it whilst ensuring that each day is restful & fun, with space for her to show us & share with us anything she wants to express.

Yesterday we found a ball on our walk. I remember the communicator saying how much Heidi wanted to show us how bright she is so I started to toss her the ball. Her eye / mouth coordination was rubbish but she had a grin as wide as any Cheshire cat as she bounced the ball off different parts of her head in her attempt to get it into her mouth. The last attempt saw the ball shoot under a parked car. I wonder whether it was deliberate as she made no attempt to get it; it’s possible it was “This game is getting a bit boring. Yes, my face is entertaining, but my poor heart…” We collected the ball this morning, much to both dogs delight.

We’re off to see Sue (vet) this evening. we shall report in when there is more news.

Happy day.

R, H & M.

Aha! I think young Heidi is in season. She’s spending a lot of time licking herself & is slightly swollen. We’d been unable to categorically say that she was unspayed but it’s looking that way.

Last night I had to shake her leg really quite vigorously to wake her for her bedtime neem treats (shades of being awoken at 4 for a cup of tea…). I could see few signs of life from her & it was just beginning to cross my mind that something had happened when she lifted her head for a whiffle. I came downstairs to her later as Demetri had said that she was hugging the bottom step & may be a bit chilly so I put her red jumper on (a good warming colour) & made her bed more snuggly. When I went in to check on Meg, Heidi followed me, jumped onto her sofa & was asleep in seconds! I believe she was still in the same position this morning. Meg was in the new bottom step bed this morning!!

R

I changed my mind! After lengthy discussions I made an appointment to see Sue Armstrong up in Wetherby (who just “happened” to have a cancellation the very next morning) as being the vet who was originally recommended by Barbara & has a respected knowledge of treating cancer homeopathically. We are also able to get the CV247 there without having to order it in by mail (something I disliked doing, especially when it’s meant to be kept refrigerated.)

I wasn’t disappointed. The waiting room was welcoming, as was everyone we encountered; the shelves were stocked with good quality dog & cat food (no Hills in sight – hurrah!), & other beneficial goodies.

Long story short, we both felt that Heidi is now in the right hands & our confidence just grows & grows. We are back in a team all working to the same end but, most importantly, from the same hymn sheet.

The plussing that we started with Brendan is being continued & Heidi had the Carcinosin remedy on Friday (this time 4 doses in 12 hours). She was great about being given the remedy, even though, as I realise now, I didn’t explain to her what it was or what it was doing. Mental note not to be so rude next time.

Today we have found her to be very clingy (was on my lap at one point, which is unheard of) & wherever I go & she can follow, she’ll not be far away from my leg. I got up at 4am after I was woken with a cup of tea with the words, “I made you a cup of tea to help you sleep”!! For the first time in ages she needed to go out for a wee & pretty urgently. Meg had been unsettled most of the night which hadn’t helped. Heidi’s appeared more hungry today too & has found it difficult to settle down to sleep, even though I’ve been in the front room with them both for most of the day.

Her eyes this evening are pink / red tinged, again this is unusual. It’s now just gone 10pm & she’s under my desk, seemingly deeply asleep on her side, but I’m sure that the second I move she’ll be up & following me. While I was cooking supper this evening I turned around to see her doing a play bow & it appeared she’d been in that position for a while. Her expression was one of anxiety rather than playfulness but I could have been mistaken. I called her to me to break it. Could it be her way of getting comfortable if her anal glands are blocked? I don’t know if anyone else has experienced this (with their dog I mean).

Meg has been behaving differently this evening too; she’s also been cuddly but has also had the odd grumble at H – not in itself unusual but H’s response has been to first back off & do frantic eye-slides to get Meg to ease up, but she’s then followed it with an almost imperceptible rumble.

We return to the vet on Monday for a full homeopathic consult & to discuss where we go from here. Sue is keen to simplify Heidi’s regime. It would be good to have a smaller box of tricks on the side which will reduce the time it takes to  prepare her meal.

I hope we can take them both for a lovely walk somewhere tomorrow & get Meg to run off some of her energies. Her new regime of short, daily, on-lead walks & a longer run around at the weekend appears to suit her very well. We are getting far fewer outbursts from her & she spends most of her day (more frequently, all of it) without her muzzle. Hurrah!

If there is any change in HRH tomorrow, I’ll write more, otherwise it will be Monday evening.

R & H.

PS Just had to “bounce” on the floor to rouse Heidi to go out for a walk! We went out, she was obviously busting as she only just made it out of the door, & her coordination appeared a bit dodgy; first she tripped over a twig which was blown out a tree, then she nearly walked headlong into a bollard. I have no recollection of her ever giving up on a walk & turning around to come home half way but that was what she did. Her metronome tail was in its usual rhythm with her walking & she appeared to be ok in all other senses but she headed for home at the trot. I don’t know what influence Meg’s decision to stay home had on her, but it’s never really bothered her too much in the past (she just walks a little closer to my leg so she doesn’t get lost). Hope she’s brighter in the morning.

We’ve moved house!

After separating earlier this year Chris & I realised that sharing a house was no longer tenable for anyone. The day after Paws in the Park  Mekuti was packed up, put it in the back of the van & the girls & I moved up to West Yorkshire. They have been so good, Meg especially as she is generally poor with any kind of change, let alone something like a move. She is great wearing her muzzle (there are youngsters around & plenty of things to eat besides). We may have sussed out the bin raiding – the kitchen is now resplendent with a “dog proof” bin. A Google search revealed a bin by Superhuman which has a lock on it & has no bag sticking out over the edge for Meg to suck inside her muzzle to pull the bin over. Not as pricey as the Brabantia & so far so good!

We went to see Heidi’s new vet – a homeopathic vet who is a Leeds 2 minutes away (7 minutes to the rest of us). It’s always difficult going to a new vet & re-establishing a relationship, especially when there is a tough act to follow. It was pointed out to me gently that I need to consider that my expectations & prejudices may affect how the new vet communicates or interacts with me. The prejudice comes from having had several bad experiences with male vets – I must add that I have also had good experiences with male vets too, one to be exact. The relationship with Barbara felt very much like being a part of a team there to do what was right for Heidi & that was based on intuition; if something felt wrong we didn’t do it, even if logic said otherwise.

It will be good to work with someone different, especially now we are no longer fighting fires with Heidi. Her health is generally good (except for a minor episode a couple of weeks ago when her front leg was uncomfortable & she became very clingy for a couple of days, but soon forgot about it when we went out into the fields for a leg stretch). It will be interesting to see where the journey takes us with Brendan.

Last week we started “plussing” where a remedy is diluted further which increases its potency. She had 6 doses of Pulsatilla in an hour last Friday evening which will be repeated next week. She has been even more clingy since & her bark has changed. It’s been a bit of a comedy bark to date & always raises a smile, but she has been slipping in a real “woof” occasionally. The other curious thing is that she & Meg swapped personalities yesterday – Meg was tapping our leg for attention & got under our feet, Heidi took over Meg’s bed under my desk & had a period of picking things up in her mouth & wandering around with them. Demetri took them for a walk yesterday & Heidi noodled off & was reluctant to return while Meg stayed really close.

The 3 of us had a lovely snooze on the sofa last night – I was in a collie sandwich & it felt so good to see them so settled. That said, Meg’s t-shirt was in the wash after a dip in the river & she had episodes of whittering. I gave up waiting for it to dry & put it back on her slightly damp & she settled back to sleep really quickly.

I’m still counting my blessings – Heidi is so strong & vibrant & appears to be very happy here, as am I.

We return to the vet on Thursday for blood tests to see how the thyroid is doing & establish what needs tweaking remedy / medication-wise.

I’m sorry if anyone has left a comment & has been awaiting a response. Unfortunatley, the blog has been inundated with thousands of spam messages & it’s too time consuming to clear them down. If anyone knows how I can stop them would you mail me privately via the Mekuti website.

Happy day.

R, M & H

What a great weekend we’ve had & both of the girls were angels.

We arrived late on Friday so had to put the tents up in the near dark, but friends came along & helped us. The tide was in so both Meg & Heidi went for a paddle – Meg’s idea of paddling is swimming out as far as she can & waiting like a submarine (surfaced!) for someone to throw a pebble or stick. Both dogs slept in their crates in the van for the first time ever & they were good as gold – I think the sea air & calm atmosphere helped.

The weekend involved lots of sea, short walks & sleeping for the dogs. This worked for everyone as Meg’s eye wasn’t too good when I left Mid Wales so a bit of rest was called for. The weather was pretty warm on Saturday so we were grateful for the reflective sheeting over the front of the van which kept the girls lovely & cool. I’m very conscious of temperature as HRH has a habit of getting too warm, but this weekend we had the opposit problem.

Heidi inadvertantly went swimming. She has been carefully avoiding it since we’ve known her but always has opportunities to do so if it’s safe. When Meg is in the water, Heidi will stand up to her wrists & stare at Meg or bark delightedly. Over the weekend she went in deeper & deeper Until she was up to her tummy; Meg turned to chase a pebble & Heidi accidentally turned the wrong way & was suddenly out of her depth. Her face showed initial panic but then she moved her legs & got back to ankle deep in no time! She turned around & went back to tummy depth immediately but avoiding swimming again steadfastly. The waters were about as safe as you can get & it was quite warm on the full tide. The difficulty came later as I discovered that Heidi’s coat holds water, unlike Meg’s which lets it drip all over the upholsteryfirst. Heidi started to shiver after I’d rubbed her down gently with a towel & I was unable to tell whether it was cold or just the shakes after a rub down. I put her into her full fleece body suit anyway & tucked her up in the crate (it was quite overcast so there was little danger of her overheating) & did 5 minutes TTouch on her ears which is good for warming a chilled body through. It took about an hour for her to return completely to normal, but she was good throughout.

If pride is acceptable, that is what I felt about both dogs at the weekend. They were both so well behaved, Meg didn’t eat anyone, Heidi didn’t mug anyone – a habit she developed on one of her trips to Leeds when she sees another dog she’ll run up to them, spin around in circles in front of their noses & then when they are completely dizzy she barks at them & runs off! They were so quiet when in their crates (Meg used to get really cranky if she was left in it, but is so much more settled with Heidi in the adjacent crate) & happily went wherever we went.

I invested in a plug in cool box which meant I was able to keep both Heidi’s medication & our wine cool for the whole time. She was fed tinned food (either Lilly’s Kitchen or Butcher’s) over the weekend & as testimony to the health of her gut the sudden change form natural to tinned had no effect on her tummy at all. 

Overall, the camping experience for Heidi was a good one. She’s now deeply asleep on the sofa & awaiting her photos (a few camera problems so when Demetri has sent his through I’ll post them up). If any of you have an elderly dog & you are considering camping, with appropriate items (like comfy bed, something to warm, something to cool, plenty of treats!!) & lots of resting opportunities it can be a great time for everyone. We were fortunate in camping somewhere I know well so knew there were plenty of vets available if required, plus I had my usual armoury of homeopathic remedies, but this is always worth checking out before you go & ensuring you know how to get to them if necessary.

Enjoy the sunshine today.

R, M & H