And the hits keep rolling......

When spouse went to pick up Caya and discuss things with the vet, Caya had an accident on the floor.

They got out the door, but the doctor decided to take a uriniary culture sample from the accident.

Sure enough, Caya had a urinary tract infection from the catheter. Even more groovy? It was a very antibiotic resistant form of E. Coli.

ARRRRGGGGH! For once, couldn't things be simple?

We are in a ritual of drop off doggie, pick up after work, syringe feed, SubQ.

She's been very playful, and super glad to be home, but STILL fussy with food. The only things she shows interest in are high protein snacks. She can't have high protein because of KIDNEY FAILURE!

Her kidney values are remaining steady, but not really improving, and that's a bit discouraging.

Also she's a bit incontinent in her sleep right now, (trying to catch up on almost 2 weeks of not sleeping), so we've had her sleeping with us, but we have the bed lined with towels and puppy training pads. Oh, getting 6 L of fluids a day probably isn't helping.

So, the couple who didn't want kids? We are doing the equivalent of bottle feeding, diaper changing, constant supervision, etc, etc.

Is it karma?

All I know is 24 karat puppy should thank her lucky stars that she wound up with us. We've put our credit score back in the dumpster and stretched ourselves pretty thin for her highness...

But she's worth it!

Caya comes home from VSEC

She's in no way out of the woods yet. Her BUN and Creatinine are still very high.

However, she hasn't eaten in the 10 days she has been there and they had to put a feeding tube in.

We would visit her everyday, and every day she would look more and more depressed. I told hubby, we HAVE to get her out of there, she's losing the will to fight.

I don't think that the internist at the hospital wanted to release her, but we stood firm.

So she's home now, and will be getting IV fluids during the day and we will do SubQ fluids at night.

We'll see if we can get her eating, if not, break out the syringes and blender! I'm going in.

Her titer test indicated infection with three strains of Lepto.

We started taking Doxycycline in case of exposure, and Caya will be taking Doxy to kick out the rest of the infection.

RIP, my sweet baby Tika

No matter how much you try, you can never prepare yourself for when it is time. Even though you know you are doing the right thing, your heart just shatters into a million pieces.

Yesterday, after the big meltdown, we calmed down and laid our hostilities and anger to rest. Hubby comforted me, apologized to me and I did the same. We went to visit Caya who was looking like a train wreck. She was also in the same kennel that Tika was in after her amputation. I told the vet staff to please name this kennel after us.

About 2 a.m. this morning, he comes up to me, the first time in 12 years I've ever seen him crying, he tells me...It's time. I get up, and go downstairs and gather Tika to me, she's gasping for air, I rub her chest and back until she can get her breath back. Once she is comfortable, we try to get a bit more sleep ourselves.

This morning, my husband has shut down, I make some calls and get in touch with the vet. We decide to bring Tika to the office, they have a special room, and we'll have the place to ourselves. We have about an hour left with Tika so we hugged her, and I told her that she needed to be Caya's guardian angel now because she's really, really sick. Pretty soon, I told her, you won't hurt anymore, and you'll have all your legs and breath and will be running around chasing rabbits.

We loaded Tika up into the truck and made our last car ride to the vets last as long as possible. Tika looked so worn out, there was absolutely no color to her gums or tongue. We get her into the office and start talking to the vet about what was going to happen. Tika of course summons up the strength to wag her tail at the vet, and vet tech.

In the end, it was very very peaceful, she just laid her head down and that was it. It was the first time in several weeks I hadn't seen her struggling to breathe. How can your heart break yet you feel relief at the same time?

Goodbye, sweet princess, I will always love you so.

The thin wire snaps

We have one dog in end stage cancer, our other dog is in acute renal failure with 50/50 chance of survival.

The very, very, very thin line we've been doing our balancing act on has snapped and we are free falling.

Spouse and I got into a horrible argument this morning. I'm not trying to make him out to be an asshole (even though I did call him one at the time), I know he's scared, and I know he doesn't want to let go.

However, I did not appreciate hearing: "I'm tired of you lobbying to kill Tika." This is the sort of stuff we shouldn't be saying to our very strung out wife who's been spending the last few weeks cleaning up blood, urine, phlegm, helping a dying dog breathe, running back and forth to vets offices and trying to work a full time job.

So needless to say, the situation went critical in a hurry. Lots of cruel things were said to each other, it was horrible. I'm actually surprised we hadn't cracked before this.

I ended the fight with, fine, you have full responsibility for Tika the rest of today, and you sleep with her tonight. I only have cuddle duty. Not hospice duty. Spend some actual TIME with her, you'll understand what I'm saying.

This is the worst time of our lives right now, and we shouldn't have taken it out on each other, but we did. Thankfully, our relationship is strong enough to survive it.

Caya goes to emergency hospital

Today the vet called, it's time to transfer Caya to the emergency hospital. She needs to have heavy amounts of fluids pumped into her to help flush her kidneys.

We are still waiting on the Lepto titer test, and ironically enough almost a year to the day of when I was freaking out waiting for Tika's results, I'm once again freaking out waiting for Caya's results.

She will have a jugular catheter, urinary catheter, sonograms, all sorts of fun stuff. Poor baby, she's not like TikaBear, she is not fond of going to the vet.

I gave Tika her first pain shot today, she looked miserable. When we got back from KC, she had perked up quite a bit and we had a nice meal together and she was nice and goofy. I just hugged her alot, she doesn't realize what's going on, but I try not to cry in front of her.

Oh, lookeee, it's Friday the 13th. And I'm really living it to the fullest today.

Caya is still at the vets office. They have her on IV fluids and they have sent off to confirm Lepto through a antibody titer test.

The news we are reading is not reassuring. She's in massive kidney failure right now.

I went to visit her, she's so quiet, not used to that. I'm scared, but it all feels so surreal.

Tika is hanging in there barely. I've started discussing 'it's time' with my husband, but he's just not willing to accept it yet.

In the meantime, I try to comfort her and worry about Caya.

Earlier in the week Tika had a bloody nose, I got her cleaned up, but the doc said the cancer has probably spread to her sinuses. We have some synthetic morphine for her if it gets too bad. We've upped her Prednisone.

The coughing is getting so bad.

The day the earth stood still, Pt. 2

I took Caya to the doctor today. She suddenly stopped eating, drinking tons of water and being very lethargic.

After a urine test, our vet decided to play it safe and admit her and start her on fluids.

Later this evening, we got the results of the blood test. She's in renal failure.

WHAT?

They are thinking it's Leptospirosis. WTF is that? Well, it's something that they can pick up from drinking contaminated water, it's passed through rodent urine, etc.

So, I'm dumbfounded, I have nothing. Tika is starting to rapidly decline, and now Caya is really sick.

Oh, god. I can't lose both the baby girls at once.

Day at the lake

Well, true to form, the famous Midwest weather decided to bring us Summer in November. Tika is slowing down but had enough in her to enjoy our outing to the lake.

Where you goin' three legs?

World Famous Canadian Goose Herder, Caya

Tika's Attempt to Drink the Entire Lake almost successful

Coolest. Fetch. Stick. Ever.

Hmmm, should I go drink more water or lie down for awhile?

Tired. Soggy. Stinky. Happy......