Chummie says "don't count me out yet"
She struggles to get up on slippery and on carpeted floors, but once she is up, she looks pretty spritely and she positively zooms if she sees treats. Also, this past week, she has started climbing up the slippery, wooden front staircase to the 2nd floor. Previously, she always went up the carpeted back stairs. I was so shocked the first time I heard her making her way up, slowly but surely, one step at a time with rests in between. She has probably done it 5 or 6 times. Luckily, she has not yet attemped to make it down those stairs as I am sure it would be a disaster. She's off the pred and I will start her back on NSAIDs next week. At this point, her troubles seem limited to the painful arthritis in her hips and the neurological problems seem to have faded away. To show it in pictures, she has gone from this: 
to this: 
Go Chum go!! |
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| The change in pictures is dramatic. keep it up, Chum! |
| Always nice to hear something positive about Chummie, the fighter who won't quit!!! |
| Way to go Chummie! That girl is a role model for all of us. |
| Chum's life is never dull, that's for sure. Poor kid. I hope she continues to do well. |
| Its great to hear a positive Chummie update!
What a gal!  
Could a lot of the problem have been a reaction to the medication? Or just a pulled or strained muscle from her ravine tumble? 
Keep the good news coming!  |
ravenmoonart wrote: Could a lot of the problem have been a reaction to the medication? Or just a pulled or strained muscle from her ravine tumble?
After the ravine, she seemed fine. She started going downhill after getting attacked by a mean dog at the local playground. He threw her to the ground and thrashed her. Also, maybe the Deramaxx just wasn't doing enough for her. It seemed to work great at first but then maybe her condition worsened. I am going to talk to the Vet about trying something else. . . There have been a number of alternatives recommended to us that I need to ask about. |
| Come on Chum, we're all rooting for you! |
| That Chummie!! "Takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin" should be her moto.
We are so glad she is doing better. She is such a trouper! A big ole hug from me and a sloppy kiss from Max! ( if he can muster up the energy- Vet is on his way to look after his latest "problem". Did you mention your Vets kid's college fund a while back?? We hear that  )
Lori |
| goooooooo chummie.. were did you get the halter for him.. my daytona is 13 her hips are in bad shape on the tile floor i need to help her up |
| This is just such GREAT news!! Just when you think you have them all figured out, they go and surprise you - hooray!!
Atta girl, Chum!! Keep that Mommy guessing!! |
Hi I'm so glad to hear good news, you can totally tell in the pictures how she feels better. Shamu says she would love to meet her  |
suzptcruise wrote: were did you get the halter for him.. my daytona is 13 her hips are in bad shape on the tile floor i need to help her up
Awww sorry to hear about Daytona's hips. . . 
The Outward Hound Up n Out Lift Harness has been a huge help in dealing with Chummie's lameness. We've tried them all and this is our favorite because it stays put (no more running for a towel), the straps don't get in the way, and it is a nice wide band for support. http://www.amazon.com/Outward-Hound-Out ... 885&sr=1-1 |
| OH CHUMMIE GIRL, HANG IN THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Val, I wonder if the neoprene boots that ORVIS sells would help Chummie on the slippery floor? They have a rubber sole and might help her not to slip. |
| to Chummie! |
You go girl.  |
That's the Happy Chummie we  to see. |
Glad to hear she is doing better  |
| glad to hear she is doing better |
| That is great news - yay Chummie!!
She looks so much happier in the 2nd picture. |
| It's so nice to see her happy face, she's a fighter!!! |
| I think of Chumley so often and am very glad to hear she's improving. That girl is such an inspiration. You can't help but love her. |
| Yay Chummie!
Glad to hear you're doing better girl |
| Good girl, Chummie! Always an inspiration, she is.
Also, maybe she looks happier in the 2nd picture because you've taught her how to read the paper? |
| WE LOVE YOU, CHUM! |
| Oh Chummie, I am so happy to hear that you are improving! Life with Valerie must be just too good to give up!
And that mean dog that did this to you. *^#* (I just can't even say it! )  How could that dog pick on Chummie?! |
| Thats my Chummie!!!! |
Go Chummie, Go Chummie!    |
| Millie was on Duramex for a couple of years, but at one point we did take her to an acupuncturist.( prob. misspl.).
The results were amazing. After only one session she was able to get up on her own and she was relaxed and her movement was less strained. After a couple of weeks, she really became her old self. It was great and then he moved somewhere east and we couldn't find another vet that knew acupuncture..  and we had to go to Duramex.
We are all sending Chummie out good thoughts and best wishes.... Val, Pearl, Cosmo,and of course Heart.... |
| Keep On Truckin', Chummie!!!!
Laurie and Oscar |
| Whenever I need an inspiration, I think of Chummie! What a trooper!! |
| She is in good spirits these days -- very cheerful -- but the buckets of pee and piles of poop I am having to cleaning up aren't exactly inspiring to me. She basically just lets loose whenever she has been lying down for a while and then struggles to get up. I am generally keeping her in the mudroom to limit the range of destruction but then when I let her out, if she hasn't gone already, she will often pee as she is running to the door.
I think I need to look into keeping her in a diaper. . . eeewww! |
| I feel your pain, Val! Drez is doing the exact same thing. Yesterday she was just lying there and all of a sudden we smelled the foul smell. There it was - a pile of poop laying on the floor behind her. She hadn't moved!! Sometimes she tries to get up, other times, she just lets loose. Bad hips are indeed a curse, for both dogs and people.
We have diapers for her, too. We occasionally put them on her at night because sometimes she'll pee in her bed in the morning before we can get her out. Problem is, I am buying the largest size they make (XL) and they're STILL too small! It's an effort trying to get it around her, and her hair is short. I can't imagine what it would be like to get it on a full-coated sheepie!  |
| Are you using diapers or pull-ups? The pull-ups come in bigger sizes since they're for toddlers. Just a thought. |
| I'm using doggie diapers. Bought a box of the biggest pull-ups too, but they were too small too. |
Drezzie's Mom wrote: Yesterday she was just lying there and all of a sudden we smelled the foul smell. There it was - a pile of poop laying on the floor behind her. She hadn't moved!! Sometimes she tries to get up, other times, she just lets loose.
Same with Chum. It is really hard to manage. How much does Drezzie weigh? If the diapers don't fit her, I don't see how they could fit Chummie. |
| If the toddler diapers don't fit, what about the incontinence disposable adult/elderly diaper thing. You can usally get them at a chemist, there like a padded pull up pant, disposable type of diaper thing and they should fit a sheepie butt. |
Drezzie's Mom wrote: I'm using doggie diapers. Bought a box of the biggest pull-ups too, but they were too small too.
Of course Max is a boy- but we have found that the men's Depends "guards" work well for the pee... we use a velcro strap around his belly- and insert the pad into the strap. When he was wearing diapers after surgery ( pee and poop) we used the Men's Depend that looked like underware. Worked really well. Maybe try that. And - they also make an adult "plastic pant" that we were thiking about. The adult supplies seem to work better than the "doggie" stuff. |
| Boy it helps to know other people have been through this.
How on earth am I going to brave purchasing men's depends??? |
Valerie wrote: Boy it helps to know other people have been through this.
How on earth am I going to brave purchasing men's depends??? LOL- John says he can't show his face at the local WalMart--- that is where I buy the Depends, and he is sure they think I am buying them for him! In a small town... people talk.  |
Valerie wrote: Boy it helps to know other people have been through this.
How on earth am I going to brave purchasing men's depends??? Look on the positive side Val, people will think you are the caring person you are because you are willing to pick up "his" depends.
Hang in there Val and Chummie |
| I was trying to think of the name "Depends" thanks abuckie they have female ones too, might be better the girly ones for Chum. Like a ladies pantie but absorbent & disposable pads, all sizes to cater for big butts.
Might be better the female version then buying the blokey ones then as that is in a higher position on the undercarriage of the dog then what it is for a female pooch.
The things we do for our fur kids.  Wear dark sunglasses when you buy them in the store, so no one knows who you are then  |
| I'll have to try the ladies Depends for Drez. I can't imagine how they can say that the XL doggie diapers are for dogs who weigh 60-90 lbs!! Drez weighs 70. It's not the weight, it's the circumference around. Just too small. |
Drezzie's Mom wrote: I'll have to try the ladies Depends
So are you actually going to go to the store, pick out a box, and buy them? Will you be wearing shades and a wig? Or with the abundant advertising, are these just accepted and not embarassing anymore? Could someone please buy a box and send them to me (in unmarked packaging)?? |
Valerie wrote: Boy it helps to know other people have been through this.
How on earth am I going to brave purchasing men's depends??? At least if you purchase men's and not womens people will know they aren't for you |
| Val - I'll go buy some and send them to you. I got over the embarassment when I used to have to do my grandmother's shopping. |
| Just got back online after being off for a while and needed my Chummie update fix.
Good girl Chummie you keep going!!!! Blue, Merlin and Panda are sending you sloppy kisses with lots of love.
Marianne and the boys |
| thanks so much for the site for the harness i feel so bad cause i hope my daytona lets me use it she is soooo stubborn when i try and help her she gives me that look as i can do it myself i am the queen.. i hate seeing her like this. but you guys had made me not feel so alone |
suzptcruise wrote: thanks so much for the site for the harness i feel so bad cause i hope my daytona lets me use it she is soooo stubborn when i try and help her she gives me that look as i can do it myself i am the queen.. i hate seeing her like this.
but you guys had made me not feel so aloneChum used to give me that look but I've kind of worked out a process with her where I very slowly approach and say "Ready" as she is trying to get up and then "need help?" and then "here we go." Somehow, using these words helps her know what to anticipate and seems to reduce her annoyance at being helped. If I just go and try and assit quickly and/or without words, she will still snap at me. Just a random observation from this experience. Maybe it will help in your situation. |
Beaureguard's Mom wrote: Val - I'll go buy some and send them to you. I got over the embarassment when I used to have to do my grandmother's shopping.
Would you please!! That would be so great! I am just not there yet. I am still wondering how to explain it if anyone sees her but I can get over that easier. . . |
| Sorry about all of this. I'm not looking forward to the day I need to check back on this thread for diaper brands.
Val, drive out a somewhere far to ensure noone would recognize you |
| id just go into the store, set them on the counter and if the person even dared to give you a look, you can do one of 2 things....
1. say "oopies happen ya know'' or my favorite 2. just squint really hard and make your face turn red..hehehe |
| Oh for heaven's sake....just buy them. Few cashiers even bother to notice and surely don't remember from week to week who bought what. If a coward, buy from different stores thus limiting your exposure to a few brief moments. We used them on Crumpet and later on Splash. Adult size, the tabs allow you to pull tighter around the waist. Now the problem is poop incontinence is a bit messier because the pants tend to spread it around the butt. For pee it was no big deal.....actually that was easier as it didn't require the full pants, just the belt and incontenient pads.
With poop (and pantless) it helped if they didn't try to get up after the accident as they'd often fall back onto it. That's when we made the call to the vet for Fox since he was over 100 lbs and neither of us could lift his butt at the time If they have an accident and can move away, cleaning up was no big deal (if not on carpet). Usually the turd is complete and easily picked up and the area enzymed....I can't believe I'm talking about this |
| Val - PM me your address and I'll get them sent out to you today. |
| I have seen ads for companies that send incontinence products to your home in a plain brown box. Perhaps this would help, Val? |
| Success!!
Tried them on Chum last night. I was a little unusure if they would work because they were a bit loose fittting. This morning, I was delighted to see that the mess was contained in the garment -- both pee and poo! I feel so creepy being excited about a full doggie diaper but it sure is better than cleaning more floors, rugs, and dogbeds. I took Chum outside to remove it because I thought I might need to hose her down, but she herself was perfectly clean. Somehow, she managed to get up without sitting in it. Yay!! Thank you Tammy for sending them to us. This is really a big improvement. |
| YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hugs to Chummie! |
| That's good news. If it eliminates the need to clean up a big mess in the house, then I'm sure Chum picks up on your positive mood. You all feel better! |
Wonderful news, funny how we can get soooo thrilled & excited over a full diaper. 
Glad they fitted her too and worked well, no more washing beds etc the next morning. |
| Yeah!!!
I'm impressed that she got up without sitting in the poo! What a gal |
| Yeah Chummie!!!
Now wish they would have some doll size ones for the little Manx kitty I'm fostering. Poor little thing always has poo stuck to her due to her protruding anus. I'm crossing my fingers that some form of surgery can be done for this little one. Sigh only us devoted furball lovers can talk about poo and not giggle about it. I'm happy you found a solution for Chummie!
Marianne |
| Well we will see if that was just beginners luck. I strapped her in for the night and I am crossing my fingers that I can depend on Depends!! |
| Marianne, what about some of the premie diapers? They are pretty small.
Chum is such a lady! Yeh! |
| Mom of 3
Nope wouldn't work as this baby kitten is the size of a normal 8 wk old kitten (she's 12-14 wks old), but thanks for the suggestion. I have poo proofed my foster kitty room and she does use the litter box , just always has some stuck to her so I always have to use a towel when I pick her up. Sigh what we moms do for love.
Marianne |
| Chummie must be really flexible - you should et up a nanny cam to se ehow she got up without making a mess! I'm very happy it seems to have helped! |
| That's terrific, Val. I'm so glad they worked and both Chums and your floors are staying clean. |
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