From Special's foster mom:
November 12, 2005
Poor Bella has had a terrible time.
On Friday she wouldn't walk around, and wasn't eating or drinking. I
took her to the vet and we discovered she'd fractured her right leg
during the night. Her bones are brittle, and there is little fat to
protect them. Because of the atrophy, there is also little blood flow
to the legs. On closer examination, it was found that she had ruptured
the Achilles tendon in both legs. Because she doesn't feel any pain,
there were no signs of trouble. Today, the surgeon amputated both legs,
fearing she would probably die of sepsis because the fracture was
displaced. We're heartbroken, because just last week Bella started to
move both legs voluntarily. She also, for the first time, knew when she
needed the bathroom.
I've just heard from the vet, and
she's out of surgery and doing well. It was touch and go for a while
because her body temperature and blood pressure dropped. She is in an
incubator and on an IV push to keep her pressure up.
Unfortunately, I'm leaving in the
morning to speak at a conference in Phoenix. Thankfully, Gord is off
work and will be allowed to visit every day. She will be released next
Monday.
We're hoping that Bella will
accommodate to this as well as she did to being paralyzed. She will
still be able to sit up and "bum" through the house. The vets and the
surgeon are working on a bum pad/diaper with a harness.
I don't think I've ever cried as much
as I have since Friday. But we love our little girl and would do
anything for her. We can't wait to have her at home. She will be using
her wheelchair or the stroller now for walks, and I have a carryall that
straps across my chest to take her with me wherever I go.
Everyone, PLEASE pray for Bella's
quick recovery!!
June 25, 2007
Bella has been coming to work with me
most days. She trots around the office and makes friends with everyone,
although she is still very nervous around men, especially tall ones!! All
the docs in our office building know her, so she even visits other offices
on her rounds. When I see patients, Bella curls up on my desk and watches
the proceedings. When she gets bored, she falls asleep.
She hasn't been using her wheelchair
unless we're going for long walks. She moves very fast, and can keep up
with Portia when we go around the block. She loves to run. She keeps most
of her weight on her front legs, but has learned to stay pretty upright.
She now only drags her feet and not from the knees down, unless she's
pooped. Bella has gorgeous pink hiking boots that keep her feet in the
proper position when she walks (rather than bent backwards). When she has
her boots on she can move even faster.
Everyone who sees her is amazed that she
is paralyzed, because she moves under her own steam.
Her feet are perfectly healed, she no
longer has open sores from dragging them. Each morning I still use an
antibiotic cream and a cotton pad, and then wrap her feet with pet wrap for
added support and protection for when she's running around on the rug at
home. Pet wrap comes in a number of colors, but she likes pink the best.
Bella's coat is very soft and shiny. We
use a special conditioner, and she takes Omega-3 oils each day. This tastes
like chocolate and she loves it.
She now weighs 5 pounds, so she has put
on some weight. Her ribs and spinal vertebrae are no longer visible. She
eats moist dog food at lunch, and has her kibble for dinner. The kibble is
especially for dogs like Bella, and has very little fiber. This reduces the
number of times she needs to go potty. She lets me know with a bark when
she needs a new diaper. I sit on the floor and she stands facing me with
her chin on my knee and lets me change her diaper. She wears a denim panty
over her diaper, which we call her "jeans". Diapers are changed in the
morning, at lunch, after work and at bedtime. Bella no longer has
diarrhea. Just after we got her she stopped eating. The vet found that she
had tapeworm. This has been treated and she's eating up a storm. She loves
treats, especially veggie cookies (which are fat free). On very special
occasions she gets half a pepperoni.
Each day she gets physio from Mom. Her
hips joints are completely flexible now, and she can move her legs a little
at the groin. Her knee joints are also completely flexible, although there
is no voluntary movement there. We're now working on her ankles. She had
been contracted, with no movement in any joint (her legs stayed completely
straight).
We took her to see a neurologist and an
orthopedic surgeon in Toronto, but they felt there were no treatment options
available to her. They said that she was a complete paraplegic, but when
they saw her wag her tail they said, "Prove us wrong, bring her back next
year walking"! On the weekends, Bella exercises in the pool. She loves the
water, but wants us to hold on to her at all times. So far, she hasn't
moved her legs much, but we're hopeful.
Bella has learned to walk up three
steps. This gives Mom heart attacks, as does her flying leaps off the
couch. She loves to roughhouse with Portia, and she really holds her own.
When she looks fierce she shows her snaggletooth and Portia will back down.
Bella loves being tackled, believe it or not. Portia wraps her arms around
her, and throws her the the ground. Bella jumps up and down with excitement
and chases Portia until she does it again. They love to steal each other's
toys and snacks. They love to curl up in each other's crate.
Although Bella sleeps in her crate,
before bed we have "Mommy and Me" time. I lay on the couch with her in my
arms, and she puts one paw on each of my cheeks and kisses and kisses me.
Both Bella and Portia love going for
walks. Bella has a beautiful pink harness and leash. Portia picks up
Bella's leash in her mouth and walks around the house while I put on my
shoes. Very cute. Everyone in the neighborhood knows the girls and they
come out to see them. We have new neighbors across the street with two male
Jack Russell's. We're keeping our eye on them.
May 20, 2009
Carla,
Bella (Special) is doing just great!!! She still doesn't use her
wheelchair and gets around perfectly well. She climbs herself up onto
the couch paw over paw, and jumps off and runs around with Portia and Willie
(was Mason).
Bella looks very healthy, she's plumped out a bit (although she's still a
svelte little girl) and has a beautiful shiny coat. She loves to kiss
and cuddle with both mom and dad. Portia is very good with her.
When they play tug of war, Portia is gentle so she doesn't knock Bella over
(usually Portia is ferocious!). Willie always brings toys over to
Bella. Bella comes to work with me and snuggles with patients.
She loves to look you right in the eye and have a long conversation.
She has the best temperament. When it's bedtime, we say "Night, night"
and she runs into her crate, lays down, and pulls her blanket over her with
her teeth.
Is the other chihuahua amputee Peanut? I had wondered what happened to
Peanut. It's funny, but other than her dad, Bella doesn't trust men at
all. Funnily enough, however, she is very good with my male patients (like
she's knows they've been hurt and aren't a threat to her). Bella had
problems with diaper rash, so when we're at home she runs around with a bare
bum. We've put shower curtains down on all the carpets, and run around after
her with wet ones. When we go out she wears bottoms (like boxer
shorts) from Build a Bear Workshop. They even have a slit for her
little stubby tail!!
Hope you're doing well.
Jane and Gord