Lilly's Head Update: Vet Follow Up

Well there's good news and bad news after Lilly's follow up with the vet.

The Bad:

The muscle deterioration on the right side of her head has progresses even with a high dose Prednisone and has started on the left side now too. She will probably never regain those muscles so will always look a little goofy (which is really the least of my worries) and according to the research, she will need to be on the drugs indefinitely. The drugs are very hard on her, she's had numerous side effects and its making her irritable (she snapped at me a few days ago when I woke her up from a nap, that is very out if character; not acceptable behavior but I can kinda understand.). She has a very bulgey mid-section, I'm told that's from an enlarged liver which is worrisome.

The Good:

Although she has deteriorated a bit, it is not affecting her ability to open her jaw yet. And we have reduced the dosage in half and that seems to be easing the side effects. More and more, the old Lilly is coming back. Yay! She plays more with Diesel, plays with her toys, tries to play with the Kitty! If we can maintain this and have it keep her healthy, then I think that's the best we can hope for. Its still "wait and see" but its not as bleak as it was last week.

Some pictures of my little Dent Head :-)...

Photo Flashback: Cash and Me (and My Big Butt!)

As I was browsing through my photos folders tonight looking for a picture of Thor, I came across some pictures of Cash and I from the fall of 2013.  Just kind of reminded me of how much I love that big lug and how lucky I've been with all the creatures that have made their way into my little furry family :-)

As an aside, my butt looks pretty big in that picture!  Pretty sure its not that big now ... I need to go look in the mirror!  And 'em are darn shexshy boots too! ;-)

Lilly's Head



Just before New Years I noticed something funny with Lilly: her head was mis-shapened (if that's a word?)  Kinda flat on one side. 

 

It wasn't pronounced but it was definitely there.  Initially I panicked thinking that she had been kicked by one of the horses but she wasn't showing any signs of distress, was perfectly normal in every other way so I decided I was probably being a hypochondriac.  None the less, I took a picture in to the vet's office to see if they thought it was a 'thing' and without skipping a beat, the vet basically said 'yup, its a thing!'  The following week I took her in and the diagnosis is Masticory Myositis.  Something is causing her immune system to attack the muscles (or the nerve that feeds those muscles) on that side of her head which causes them to atrophy.  And its not just a cosmetic anomoly; left untreated, she would eventually be unable to open her jaw (those muscles control chewing).  Not good. 

She has been on a fairly high dose of doggie steroids for a week now to see if we can't get the muscles to rebuild but so far there's been no improvement, and I'm thinking the drugs are not fun for her.  My normally happy bouncy skinny little trouble-maker is lethargic, bloated, weak, sometimes seems confused and scared.  Her tail rarely wags anymore.  At the acreage, she is normally running running running, pester Diesel into a wrestling match and if he's not game, running running running some more.  And when its time to go home ... running running running until she gets caught ... then sleep all the way home!  One of the pure pleasures in my life is watching the dawgs run and play and exude the sheer joy of being alive. Now, its Diesel trying to get the game going and she is really not that interested.  It makes me very sad. 

This is all kind of reminiscent of 2012 when my heart-dog, Thor, developed a limp.  It was a torn ACL and I took him to Great Falls for TPLO surgery.  It was very expensive and very onerous but very worth it since he was just a young dog with his whole life ahead of him and he was my big buddy. 

Sadly, a month into his recovery, he suffered what I think was a heart attack, collapsed and died in my arms.  I was heart broken and I still miss him.  Once again, I have a puppy facing an uncertain future and potentially expensive treatment.  She will be 2 years old in February and I will probably do whatever it takes to get her what she needs even though it will be a big stretch financially.  She has her whole life ahead of her too, she's my baby.  We'll see what gives at her follow-up appointment next week.

When I first noticed the dent Lilly was about the same age as Thor was when he died.

Pulleeessssse can I come up on the bed for a snuggle? I'm asking as nicely as I can and I'll be good, I promise!

 

On a lighter note, she was given a Ginger bread man stuffy for Christmas.  I delayed the impending demise of the Ginger bread man for about 3 weeks but I finally gave it to her and she promptly shredded it to get at the squeaker.  She loves the squeakers!  She even sleeps with it!  Goofy dog!