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!