You Groom Me While I Groom Me

I saw blind Callie grooming Dexter in the kitchen -- yes, in the exact same spot that Daisy and Dexter were in for yesterday's post -- and got this photo.  I don't know if Callie started grooming him and that prompted Dexter to begin grooming himself, or vice versa.  A number of people have been asking in their blog comments how Callie was doing, so here you go!  We were very pleased to see Callie doing this because she has really not been herself in recent weeks, and it's been rare to see her grooming her various clients.  The phenobarbital has really knocked her for a loop.  So we've been adjusting the dosage to try and find that right balance between a therapeutic level (i.e., where it's effective) and not having her so doped up she's checked out.  Her circling from the inner ear problem has diminished a lot, and she acts "lost" much less.

But to be honest, she still is far from her original pre-tumor self -- but how much of that is due to the tumor and resulting radiation treatment, the inner ear rupture during her hospital stay at WSU, or her medications, we just don't know.  Suffice to say, when we see the "old" Callie back in action like this, we're very happy!

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We're on the final stretch -- voting ends Sunday, July 26th -- so please keeping voting for us every day in The Animal Rescue Site/PetFinder's Shelter Challenge.  Enter "Rolling Dog Ranch" and our state postal code, MT for Montana, and it will bring up our listing so you can cast your vote.  Invite your family and friends to vote, too! 

Wow .. still No. 3, and that means a $3,000 grant if we can hold that spot!  Thanks for voting!

Comments

[pet sling carrier]

awww so cute!

[Colleen & Sweet Kitty Erin]

Oh, sweet Callie. You went through so much I know when you do act your old self & groom your clients it does your parent's heart good. What great testimonies to help understand that you will be your old self again, very soon! Erin & I send our love to you sweetheart! And, hopefully you'll be back to serving all your clients very soon!
Thanks for the update on her!

[Margaret]

We share your happiness. Great to see the Callie "action shots". Go girl!

[Amy A]

I had to put my dachshund on phenobarbital as well, but after a week or two, I cut the dose in half, because I was coming home to a zombie dog. I now have my ol' Cedar back. She is much more alert and participates in trouncing her children in wrestling matches. :)

[Linda]

Steve - My dog, Jenny, had radiation treatment last fall at UC Davis. After her 3 weeks of treatment, being sedated everyday, and then on prednisone for the expectant skin irritation, she was also not really herself for a while... and she was only 7 at the time. She went off prednisone and then back on for 6 months due to over-radiation of her lung, which couldn't be avoided. She just came off the prednisone 2 weeks ago, and we finally have our dog back!

As resilient as they are to so many things, the treatment, the daily anesthesia, and follow-up meds (not to mention Callie's ear problem) messes with them for a while. I hope she fully recovers!

Now, after 11 long months since her initial surgery, Jenny's fur is finally starting to grow back and she's acting like her old self.

Jenny sends her prayers and love to Callie.

[Barbara Techel]

So glad to see Callie back in action with her grooming salon. I can feel your heartache in Callie not being totally herself yet. So hard to know what those little ones go through. God Bless You for being so good to her though, and taking such wonderful care of her.

~barbara
Frankie, the Walk 'N Roll Dog's Mom
http://www.frankiethewalknrolldog.blogspot.com

[Carla Polastro-Nigro]

And I'm very happy, too, to see the "old" Callie again!

Please give her a big hug for me.

[oregon24]

My 10 year old Skip,Yoda, was on phenobarb for seizures for 6 years. 2 years ago I changed his diet to Wellness white fish and sweet potato and started him on Denosyl ( canine SAM-e) and Marin(milk thistle) because he was in liver failure from the phenobarb. His liver has recovered and now 2 years after being off the RX he is his normal Skip dog self. He had been so old dog acting and listless on the meds. Yes he has seizures still but now they are not as often( the diet and SAM-E seem to help) and he plays with our female Skip like a much younger dog. I am blessed to have him back personality wise! I hope Callie can wean down off the Meds and be her old self again. Yoda was barely in therapeutic range, at my request, as I feared the ravages of the Phenobarb yet he had liver damage.

[Penny Heinrich]

Sweet Callie! She just had so much happen to her....it just takes awhile to get "your wind" back and feeling better. Luckily she has a wonderful mom and dad to look after her. Take it easy, Callie.... and groom away!