Not sure if this posted the first time...but today, finally good news! And dare I say it...a little warmth shining through on my part.
Good news, less good news, hopeful news I took Pia back to the vet today. He says her lungs are sounding better - before she had some congestion. Her heart sounds good. It's now an issue of getting through that remaining, residual cough. I have received another five days of Clavanox as well as an anti-inflammatory that she will be receiving a quarter of twice a day for two days than once a day until the medication is complete. I've been giving her half a pet-ease in the morning and half in the evening which helps keep us both happy. In her case, she's relaxed enough that I can take care of the other critters in the morning. And she sleeps better at night. She's definitely on the mend. The KC has not progressed to anything nastier as of yet. Her lungs are clearing up. The cough is becoming less frequent, and this little bundle of energy is finally starting to act like a dog without the constant hacking interruptions. While there may be minor separation anxiety, I believe that the bigger issue is an avoidance of enclosed spaces paired with being left alone. That seems to be the trigger. Those two factors in tandem seem to elicit the howling response. The enclosed spaces seems to be the bigger issue. Although I've been unable to test it, I believe that she won't prove a persistent howler once better environmental arrangements can be made. But until the crate/x-pen get here, I can't say for certain. I am hopeful. For my part, I am doing what I can to better accommodate her personality - lots more snuggle time, lots more play time and that seems to compensate for the lack of lap-dog time. Either way, it seems to be having a positive effect for both of us. Or at least helping keep the anxiety and frustration at minimal levels. Today I caught her playing with her stuffed toy. Another first - I've even caught it on video because I couldn't quite believe it. She hasn't discovered the squeaker yet. We still play paw-pounce and 'fetch' with the whatever chew it is I got her. The one Peggy or one of you lovely folks recommended - starts with a B. Either way, since our play time, she's been busily chewing on it since we've been home. I did have her in her pet carrier on the floor beside me last night. I got about five minutes of whimpering and a little scratching, but I told her - 'It's in your bag, or in the bathroom.' And sShe did settle down pretty quickly and we both got a good night's rest. The first night in over a week where I wasn't ready to shove my head in the blender just to stop the howling. Hopefully her crate and kennel will be here soon provided it doesn't get held up in Bell Gardens postal facility which has a nasty tendency of holding on to parcels for well over a week. I believe that these new accessories will be a huge relief to us both. It will certainly ease my anxiety, and that in turn should be beneficial for her too. And it means she won't have to be in the hallway again. And I won't have to deal with the howling. And I can leave with the confidence that she is in an enclosed space where she hopefully can't get herself into too much trouble. Besides, crate training is always useful. I also feel a lot of the pressure has been lifted as I spoke with a woman who runs a non-kill shelter up here in Acton. Once Pia's healthy, has finished her shots, and has been spayed, this woman has tentatively offered to take her in exchange for volunteer hours. Well, I offered the volunteer hours. I think seeing that there is a way out, that this will work out, has been tremendously helpful to me. I don't feel so trapped in this situation. I believe some of the problem is indeed energy. Her energy levels are much higher than mine, and some of that is just the nature of her age - at one year old, she's still quite the little baby. On my own, without someone to distract her for awhile, she becomes overwhelming. So now, the goal is to get her healthy, finish up her vetting and maintain this level of peace and harmony and keep bringing out her inner sweetheart until better arrangements can be made. Hopefully the darkest days are behind us. It's also nice to look at her, and rather than feeling this sort of panicked frustration, see what first attracted me in the first place. Please send good vibes our way. Hopefully this will be one of many peaceful, happier days while I get this little girl healthy again. -Autumn ------------------------------------ We are now on Facebook! Join today! http://www.facebook.com/groups/chihuahuasclubYahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Chihuahuas/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Chihuahuas/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
