Ok, friends. This precious little girl is obviously not a Giant but that doesn't matter, she needs our prayers and help with her medical bills big time.
Maddie is a one year old English Springer Spaniel who is fighting for her life. Kate Kyer has her at her vet's. She came by way of the Young County Humane Society - Graham shelter. Maddie was owned by a young couple in that general area who got her as a puppy and threw her out in their backyard and basically forgot about her. It is questionable whether they remembered to feed her on a regular basis. An animal control officer finally got them to surrender her 3 weeks ago.
Maddie weighs 18lbs........that's right 1-8, eighteen....at a year of age. She is covered in mange.....and is fighting severe ehrlichia (I did say she came from Graham area). Light a candle, say a prayer...Maddie may not win this one. April 6, 01 UPDATE:
The good news is that her hematocrit has climbed to 20 from a low of 12, two
days ago. Her eyes have opened a little more, as she has become more
hydrated. When I went into her isolation kennel, she picked her head up to
see who was there. We've come to the conclusion that this poor dog doesn't
even know what a dog bowl is. She has no idea what to do with it. She will
eat out of our hands, though. We have her on a very easy to digest food
which is also supposed to be good for her kidneys. We have raised her dosage
of doxycycline and split it into two doses a day. We will most likely put
her on a separate antibiotic for all the little infections in her skin, once
we think she can take it. It will be awhile. Her three time a day eye
treatment with antibiotic cream has cleared away some of the gunk. Her left
eye remains very critical. She will have a nice bath every two days to clean
all her sores (which are literally little holes in her body) and to soothe
that poor bare skin. We have also come to the conclusion that she had no
idea what a nice, soft, warm dog bed was until yesterday, either. We took it
in to her and she didn't know what to do with it. We lifted her into it, and
she won't leave it now. It's obvious that little bed feels much better on
her poor little bones! I took a picture of her an hour ago in it, with her
chin resting on my vet's husband's hand.
This is also her first picture since we shaved her little body. She remains
very depressed, but it's obvious she's probably more comfortable than she has
ever been in her short life.
Once again, thanks so much for the prayers, cards and notes. Everyone has
pulled together for this little girl who so desperately needs help. I'll
update again tomorrow.
Kate Kyer
April 7, 01 UPDATE:
I went to visit Maddie about noon today. I called the vet ahead of time, and she sounded cautiously optimistic about Maddie's condition. I went to PetSmart first and bought her a soft little squeaky bone. When we went into the isolation kennel, Maddie picked her head up to see who her visitors were. We opened up the cage, and she verrrrry slowly got up and got out of her bed. She verrrry cautiously stepped out of the kennel and gave a little wiggle of her tiny stub of a tail. That was worth its weight in gold. She then parked in front of me in a sitting position while I stroked the only spot on her body with fur remaining-her forehead. She rested her chin on my hand and absolutely absorbed the attention. Her eyes are open a little better today. I'm not sure she's seeing out of that left eye, though. She has a tendency to bump into things. We'll have to watch that. That could also be due to a lack of coordination at this point. The good news is that she ate on her own for the first time today. She also showed more interest in her surroundings. I showed her the squeaky bone, and it became painfully obvious she has no idea what a toy is. Her ears did perk up when I squeaked it, and she sniffed it curiously. She started to follow me around the room when I stood up, so she must be feeling a little better. It was time to put her to bed, so we tucked her in and left her with her first new toy. We'll do a new CBC on Monday morning, which will tell us more; and perhaps we'll get a new picture of her, too. Thanks again for all your support-the prayers must be working. We'll update again on Monday.
April 9, 01 UPDATE:I went to visit her this morning first thing. Her vet told me that she nonchalantly opened the kennel door and turned around to do something else. Apparently she turned around a minute later to see Maddie out of the kennel, looking at her! That was a definite surprise.
They only did a PCV today, and told me she wants to hold off a few days on the complete CBC. The results were a new hematocrit of 26, a definite improvement in her anemia. She told me that it was very encouraging, as her first blood tests indicated that her bone marrow wasn't producing the necessary red blood cells. This latest number tells a different story. While she's not out of the woods yet, her prognosis is more promising. Her left eye looks a little better, and she apparently sees some out of it. We're not sure how well, but it's not totally blind.
One concern is that she just doesn't seem very interested in her food, as one might think a poor, starved animal would be. She occasionally nibbles, but still prefers it when she is hand-fed very soft food.
Maddie wiggled her tail and stood up when I arrived for our morning visit. I gave her lots of pets and ordered her back to bed. This evening I went in for a visit, and it was obvious she was very tired. She had been out back in the yard for a little fresh air, and was relieved to be back in her warm bed. All she wanted was to rest her chin in my hand and be stroked on her little blaze.
Everyone keep the good thoughts and prayers coming-we must be doing something right!I'll have another update in a day or two, unless something new comes up.
I have my eyes open a little bit now
April 10, 01 UPDATE:
I went to visit Maddie at her "lunch" time, so I could see her eat. They let me go right back to get her and take her outside for some fresh air. When I opened the cage and stuck my hand in, the first thing she did was give me a lick! I was so surprised. Then she tried to take my hand in her mouth. It was funny. I think she thought maybe I had food. She followed me right outside, where we sat in the grass together. She wiggled her tail more today than I've ever seen her. Kathy, the vet tech, brought her bowl and spoon out with some nice soft food mixed with softened dry kibbles. Maddie put my fears to rest about her eating this time. Kathy handed me the bowl and spoon, and Maddie stuck her nose right in. She kept trying to bite the spoon at first. The top picture is of her licking the spoon to make sure she got all the food (note her little tongue sticking out!). I was impressed with her appetite today. We sat outside for a little while longer, but I could tell she was getting cold in the breeze. Poor thing, it was about 80 degrees, and she was shivering.
She is obviously enjoying the human companionship at this point. The bottom picture is of her and Larry, my vet's husband. She seemed like a lot happier dog today. Having her outside like that only reinforced what tiny little dog she is in such a big world. What we appreciate is all the people who have come together to help this little dog, and prove to her that all humans are not monsters. Next update in a few days!
April 13, 01 UPDATE:
I've been in with her every day, to visit her and tell her about all her well-wishers. She's been moved out of isolation into the general treatment area now, so everyone talks to her when they walk by. I even got to "help" with her medicated bath the other day. There wasn't much to do, I just stood there and pet her while the vet tech did all the work. Oh, how she shivers, poor girl! You can tell she's a little tired of being "picked on" with the baths (they're gently soaking and pulling off some of the scabs so they can flush her numerous sores)-she gently "mouths" whoever is giving her the bath. It's kind of funny to watch, because it's an indication that her little personality is starting to emerge from the haze.
After extensive discussions with the doggie dermatologist (who thought her weight was a misprint), Maddie's vet has elected to go with oral Ivomec vs. the Mitoban (sp?) dip for the demodex. She remains on oral Doxycycline and has started oral Cephalexin (another antibiotic) for her poor skin. Her hematocrit was up to 30 yesterday-that's pretty good, considering she was at 12 a week ago, and about 37 is normal. The results of her full CBC will be back tomorrow.
While Maddie's last update had been encouraging regarding her eating habits, she has managed to actually LOSE weight. She has dropped to 15.75 lbs. That prompted the vet to call me and ask if I'd be interested in cooking for her. While there have been many suggestions on her diet, we've started a little on the bland side. Turns out she loves fresh scrambled eggs from the barn behind the vet. I boiled her a whole chicken and giblets, two bags of rice, and broke up some eggs in the broth. I strained the entire mess, and chopped up the chicken with my chopper. My two (Pablo and Sadie) were going crazy as I deboned that chicken. They insisted on performing a quality control check on the final product. As it passed inspection, I carried the bowl to the vet the next morning. Maddie gobbled down the first bowl. Then she went into the kitchen and stood by the microwave looking at us like, "Well? Where's my next bowl?". It was funny to see. I guess I'm her personal chef now. :-)
Even though Maddie's weight has dropped a bit, her little springer personality is just beginning to make itself apparent. We see it in her step-she has a little "spring" to her walk now. She exhibits curiosity about everything around her. We had to laugh when she started sticking her nose in the garbage to investigate its contents. She wags her tail at people she recognizes, and doesn't really seem to have any fear of people.
We'll have another update after the weekend. Thanks so much for everyone's messages of encouragement and all the prayers. Have a great Easter!
Kate Kyer
Here's a little Maddie movie Kate took today, Easter Sunday.
April 16, 01 UPDATE: Not a Good day for our little angel.
For all steps forward, we must occasionally take one back in circumstances such as Maddie's. Her vet called this morning, and told me that she was concerned about Maddie. She hadn't come along as she had hoped over the weekend. While she did gain almost a half pound this weekend, Maddie started stumbling a little this morning as she walked.
We discussed different tests we felt were relevant to the situation. These include: TLI, which measures her enzymes in her pancreas (we want to see why she isn't benefiting all this nutrition we give her); a liver enzyme test, and a bile acid test. Along with these, we discussed the possibility of x-rays. The vet feels that the x-rays won't come out as well as we'd like, simply because Maddie is all skin and bones. We agreed to refer her to the Veterinary Surgical Center of Dallas, where there are numerous specialists who could help her. They agreed to see her Friday, which we thought would be reasonable at the time. They would see her sooner, if necessary.
Sadly, Maddie continued downhill over the next couple of hours. After we discussed all available options, we agreed that a CSF (Cerebro-Spinal Fluid) sample be taken. Basically, a spinal tap taken at the base of her skull. We want to see what has caused such a downhill turn so quickly. The major risk involved with such a procedure is "herniating" her brain, which would be fatal. We also agreed that we need to know as quickly as possible what is causing this, so we can seek proper treatment, if available. The signs at this time point to rickettsial encephalitis, an effect of the ehrlichiosis. ( <--I think I got that right) That would be an infection in her brain and/or spine, from my understanding. The treatment for such a thing is likely IV antibiotics.
I am getting ready for work right now, and have to leave. They were preparing to perform the procedure as I left. If she gets through it, she will be transported to the Dallas Emergency Vet Clinic for overnight observation. Should she make it through the night, I'll be there (if I don't get rescheduled) to pick her up first thing, and take her back to the vet's. I apologize if this update sounds somewhat clinical and factual vs. emotional and descriptive. I have to run out the door and deal with flying all night now, and don't want the situation to get the best of me.
Please keep Maddie in your thoughts tonight! I have attached a picture I took of her as they put her on the table for her procedure. I gave her a pet and a kiss from everyone.
Regards,Kate
April 17, 01 UPDATE: Another bad day for our little angel.
Here is Maddie's update for today. I checked on her overnight last night as she rested at the Emergency Vet Clinic of Plano, TX. Of course, the doctor was very concerned about her condition. She had asked my permission overnight that if Maddie began seizing uncontrollably if she could end her suffering. I agreed that it would be needless to prolong it. It was an extremely long night for me as I soared the heavens at mach .84.
Maddie's tendency to display neurological "signs" were suspiciously similar to distemper, the all-night vet told me. Funny, as she said that, I felt as though I had been hit over the head. We've been conducting all these fancy tests, discussing encephalitis, meningitis, ehrlichioisis, babesiosis, PCV's, CSF's, TLI's, x-rays, ultrasounds, and aspirations, that such a simple diagnosis had never occured to me. I say simple, yet of course, so complex.Her final results on her cerebro-spinal fluid came back this afternoon. She does have encephalitis and meningitis (inflammation of the brain and its surrounding membrane), but it could be secondary to ehrlichiosis or distemper. It could be viral (most likely), bacterial (less likely), or fungal (even less likely). What we've done is try to cover all our bases here. When it's viral, all you can do is provide "supportive" treatment, and make her as comfortable as possible. When it's bacterial, you treat with antibiotics. She is on a new antibiotic (I can't remember the name) which penetrates the nervous system better than any others available. There's not much you can do if it's fungal, but it's extremely unlikely that it is fungal.
There were no messages for me this morning, but I was too afraid to call. I just went over there in the early Dallas traffic, as I would want to pick up her things and clip a lock of her fur if she didn't make it through the night. Well, she was waiting for me when I got there. She seemed to recognize me through her little fog, too. We placed her as comfortably as we could on my right front seat. That's the picture you see attached.
I drove her directly to the Dallas Veterinary Surgical Referral Center. They only take referrals from other vets, and have the finest care available. I alternated between frustration at the horrible traffic and slick roads and wanting to stroke her little head and reassure her that all was well. She made the 45-minute drive allright, resting her chin on my hand and occasionally looking around. I suspected her temperature was rising, just by touching her sensitive skin.
She had one seizure this morning-and I happened to be there for it at the surgical center. I can't tell you how grateful I was that it didn't happen in the truck on the way over there! I don't know what I would have done. Her temperature had spiked to 104.5, which was becoming dangerous. I've said time and again that I've never heard her bark before. Well, while she seized, she became quite vocal. It's not necessarily common for that to happen, but meningitis can produce strange symptoms. Her little tiny bark matches her little tiny body. They gave her some valium and phenobarbital, which calmed her and stopped the seizing.
I might add that her neurologist (an old classmate of our vet's at Texas A & M), is a very kind and compassionate person. Her name is Julie. I was touched by how personal and concerned she was, for such an impersonal-looking, professional facility at first glance. Her first concern is Maddie's well-being, as is ours. I spoke to her just a few minutes ago. Maddie's temperature has dropped back into the normal range, and there have been no more seizures today. There are some indications that her brain is possibly swelling from the inflammation, as she isn't herself. Of course, it's hard to define when she's "herself", when she's been sick this entire time. She remains on her IV's, and is resting comfortably. She will be attended constantly and receive the best of care 24 hours a day at this clinic. Her Julie reassured me that she would check on her personally later on tonight and keep me apprised of the situation. I won't hear from her if nothing critical happens. In other words, "no news is good news".
As I sit here and hope for the best and prepare for the worst, I'd like to thank everyone for their kind notes and prayers. I promise we'll do everything we can for her, yet keep her best interests in mind. I really hate the idea of having to let her go, but it would be selfish to needlessly prolong any suffering she may endure. Please keep her in your prayers, and I or Marie Devaney will update tomorrow.
April 18, 01 UPDATE: Another bad day for our little angel.
This will be a short one tonight. Maddie made it through the night last night and didn't show any decline in her condition. I spoke with the vet this afternoon (after trying to get some sleep), and she saw some slight improvement. Her temperature has dropped back into a normal range, and her "tremors" have stopped. She has stopped "biting" at people, too (she was doing that yesterday-most likely an effect of her illness). She is depressed right now, definitely in part to the Phenobarbital drip. At our last talk, there had not been any further seizures. They plan to slowly drop the Phenobarb to more of a maintenance level, yet enough to prevent any further seizures. They hope that with their expeditious treatment yesterday, they prevented any long term effects. I'm a lot more focused on the short term, as she is still in very grave condition. The vet thought it would be best if I let her rest and visit her tomorrow. I also let myself try to catch up on a little rest today. Keep your fingers crossed tonight, our Maddie needs all the prayers she can get.
Regards,Kate Kyer
April 19, 01 UPDATE: From ICU
I went to visit Maddie in the ICU this afternoon. Her vet told Marie this morning that one of her main problems is regulating her body temperature now. This is a function of her hypothalamus. They have sort of a "puffed up" very light blanket over her, which blows warm air very gently to help keep her warm. They use these in incubators in post-natal ICU's for preemies. That's the big white hose you see in the picture.
When I walked into the room, she did respond to my voice. They say since they lowered the Phenobarbital, she's become more active and alert as she lies there. She picks up her head quite often and looks around. Even though she's not completely "with it", I know she knew immediately who I was. She struggled from her laying position upright, and tried to get closer to me. She laid her head next to me. I pet her little head and talked to her for awhile. The fact that she knew me was good, I thought. They were getting ready to take her temperature-they are doing that hourly. The other thing she is doing right now that really surprises everyone is the fact that she has been eating and drinking. I understand she's done that pretty well. I'd like to think that a dog who has lost hope wouldn't do those things.
I spoke to her vet for about 10 minutes afterwards. She is of the opinion that the ehrlichiosis is not causing this, and that it's more likely to be distemper. She bases that upon the fact that Maddie was responding pretty well to the Doxycycline last week, and then she took this sudden nosedive on Monday. She believes it's more consistent with distemper. Dogs sometimes survive distemper, but not many do. What we can do right now is support her, and raise her dose of prednisone a bit.
Maddie is struggling with huge odds now. We're doing all we can to make her comfortable, feel loved, and help her along the path she chooses. I don't want to raise false hope by pointing out the "good things", but I also want everyone to understand why we are allowing her to continue for the time being. Please continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers.
Kate Kyer
April 20, 01 UPDATE: From ICU
Here is a little better update for Maddie from Friday. I mentioned in the very short note earlier that she has shown a slight improvement. If you look at her attached picture, you'll notice that the big white tube and blanket are gone for now. Her temperature was measured at 101.4 at 4:00pm on Friday, and they're seeing if she can maintain it on her own. Keep your fingers crossed, this is a big thing. They monitor her temperature every hour.
The one thing that stood out in my mind as I walked into the room is that my first impression of her was a puppy taking a nap after eating. She was resting peacefully for the first time I've seen all week. The tremors were gone, she wasn't shivering, and she was just sleeping peacefully (I hated to wake her!). Turns out she had just eaten. Apparently, she ate everything they put in front of her on Friday. She looked like she needed a drink of water, so they brought me a bowl, and you see me in the picture holding it for her. She drank the entire bowl. She definitely knew who I was, and moved her little head over so I could pet her in the usual spot.
What the vet noticed was that when she walked into the room and called her, she picked her head up and looked around. She also made a couple of attempts to roll onto her belly and look around. They are hopeful that the swelling in her brain has begun to recede. She acted more "normally" today, too. We agreed to continue on the current course with her medicine.
This week has been a heck of a roller coaster ride for all of us. Once again, we don't want to raise false hopes with this improvement. It's way too soon to tell if this is going to go in the direction we all want it to. Only time will tell. Don't let up on the prayers! Please keep Maddie in your thoughts this weekend. I'll be visiting her again in the morning.
April 21, 01 UPDATE: From ICU
I went and saw Maddie during visiting hours at the clinic this morning. Her eyes look a little clearer today, and she appeared to be resting peacefully. The vet tech commented that it was obvious that she knew me right away. It was nice to hear it from an observer. I stood there with her for 45 minutes, talking to her and petting her on her little head. She kept falling asleep as I pet her, occasionally opening her eyes, and drifting off again. They say she ate well this morning. She's still working on controlling her temperature. The fluctuations are not what they were. You'll see her taking a little nap with her towel-blanket covering her in the attached picture. She's embroiled in a huge battle here. It's good to see her resting. I spoke briefly with her vet, who said she'd call me with an update tomorrow, as there are no visiting hours on Sunday.
Please, keep her in your thoughts & prayers this weekend.
We believe Maddie's medical needs have been covered at this time from the generosity of so many
wonderful benefactors. We will be adding your names here in the next day or so to show how much
we appreciate your generosity for this precious girl.
Maddie's story ~ Week Two | Maddie's Prayer Page
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