Nicki's Story
Hello
Friends;
I would like you to meet Nicki
(scroll down). I rescued her from a high kill shelter a week ago
Saturday. I was told that her owner had died, and no one in the family
wanted her so they put her in a cage and left her there to die from
starvation. Somehow, she ended up at this kill shelter. She only
weighs 4 lbs too. When I got her home, she was so weak she could not even stand
up or walk. I immediately took her to my vet. The neglect and abuse was so
severe that she was dehydrated, had lost most of her hair which you can see in
the 2nd picture. The hair around her face was sticky and matted so I was able to
trim her up a little. Her back bone was protruding from starvation, and
you could count every bone in her little rib cage. She has a very bad skin
condition, she has an URI, cough, snotty nose and her nails were so long that
several had started to grow into her skin. She had an inner ear infection so bad
that when she was finally able to stand, all she did was walk in circles. Around
and around and around until she fell over. The vet suggested that might have
been caused by a blow the the head.
(sigh).
I took her home to nurse her with 3
medications, A/D food and Rebound liquids and shampoo for her
skin.
She was back at the vets office on
Tuesday because she was coughing all night long and pacing and again on
Thursday. I dropped her off at the vet on Friday morning, and I picked her
up on Friday after work. By now, she had pneumonia. It was 4:00, by 7:00 that
evening she had gone down hill so fast that it was just a shock. Her
tongue was hanging out and colored blue, she was having agony breathing and
gasping, her eyes and nose was filmy and
runny.
I tried to give her fluids but it just ran out the side of her mouth. She could
not lift her head or move. It was the worst experience for both me and her and I
haven't cried like that since my mother passed away. I was distraught and was
afraid to move her from fear that might kill her but if I didn't she was going
to die. I was just a basket case. At one point I thought she was dead and just
held her for the longest time. Then ........... she lifted her head and looked
at me. I was in shock. There was
hope.
I rushed her to the Louisville
Veterinary Emergency hospital in Middletown. They immediately put her in an
oxygen incubator where she still is at this moment. Dr. Messenger said it
would be touch and go for her. I cried all the way home that evening. I've
visited her every morning and evening since. When I talked to Dr. Messenger this
morning, she discovered she had a tape worm which she has treated. Her heart is
enlarged and she has a heart murmur
too.
She has a hernia near her tail which causes her pain when going to the bathroom.
She was not sure if this was caused by trauma or not. She will need surgery for
this when she is stronger. If she doesn't it could kill her. I saw what she was
talking about. She said for now, I could push it back in but it would just pop
back out. So, I'll have to do this until she is strong enough for surgery.
I know....could it get any worse for this little
baby.
My plea is for donations. As
much as I hated to ask for this, I cannot afford this entire bill and Nickie so
deserves a chance at life. If I knew who did this to her, I would send them the
bill. It's because of the neglect and abuse that she is in this
shape. I had to put down a deposit, and Shamrock has committed to
$200. The bill is going to be .... well, I can't even imagine right now what it
will be including the surgery. They did estimate the hospital stay could
be at $1,500.
If you would like to donate to help
this little girl have a chance at life, please send any donations to:
LVSES
(Louisville Veterinary Specialty Emergency
Services)
12905 Shelbyville
Rd.
Louisville Ky.
40243
and just indicate at the
bottom of your check "Nicki
Watson" and don't forget, your
donation is tax deductible.
Update November 9,
2006
I wanted to give you the latest news
about Nicki.
I went home for lunch
yesterday and I decided to stop by DQ and pick up a grilled chicken sandwich for
Nicki. I thought if she ate a little bit of roast beef maybe she'll eat
some chicken. It was about 2:00 when I got home. She was circling and circling
in her cage. She was disoriented and agitated. I picked her up to try to
distract her but she didn't seem to want me to hold her. She seemed like she
needed to use the bathroom. She knocked her head several times while circling so
I put her back in her cage for safety. I called the hospital and explained what
was going on and they said to bring her in.
Of course they were waiting
with her file in hand. They took her back for evaluation but said it may be
awhile as they had 3 emergency surgeries
waiting. I drove home crying
the whole time.
It's 6:30 now. The
doctor just called. She ask me some additional questions and said she had done
an exam. A rectal exam to be exact. The hernia is pushing into the rectum and
it's blocking it a bit. That's why she feels like she needs to go a lot. She
said the surgery is not an emergency right now because she has to get much
stronger before she can have the surgery. There's no way they could put her
under with her having pneumonia. She said that is a very complicated surgery and
they don't do it there. I think my vet does do this surgery though.
She's still having a small
issue with breathing but that is better. She's still coughing from the
pneumonia. At that time she told me that she may not make it. That even some
people die of pneumonia. I told her that I understood and did not want her
to suffer but that I wanted Nicki to have every opportunity to get well.
She took additional x-rays to
check her bowels and they are not pushing through the hernia so that's good
news. Her temp was good but she had lost 1/2 lb since I got her that
Saturday. I went to see her last night at 8:00. She seemed to be resting.
I held her for a while and she just curled up on my check and went to sleep
. The doctor told me that she noticed on the x-ray that Nicki has a pin in
her leg due to a fracture. Remember I told you that her back leg didn't
seem right. Well, that's the leg. And remember the doctor said this hernia
could have been caused by trauma. She said it was extremely rare that a female
dog have a perianal hernia. I have my own opinion how that might have
happened so I'll leave that alone.
The doctor called me at
midnight and said she was resting and they have done all that they can for her
and it's up to Nicki now. She is certainly a fighter but I know her little body
can only take so much. I have so many mixed emotions about this ordeal.
I'm so mad because I know this did not have to happen had she not been so
neglected.
I called the hospital this morning and it was about the same. She was resting
but had had bouts of circling and straining. They did feed her and she took that
well.
The doctor said she would call
me this evening so I guess we'll go from
there.
I'll update you all as soon as I can
...
The hospital said they have received
so many calls for her and donations have started to come in. They said a lady
walked in today and made a very large personal donation. I almost cried. I
called her to thank her myself. I know I cannot do that with everybody so please
just know that we are so very appreciative of your help and prayers. I am just
overwhelmed with all of this.
Update November 10,
2006
I visited her in the hospital last
night. A friend met me there and she was holding
Nickie.
Nickie just curled up and fell asleep
on her bosom for the longest time. She seemed to be resting
very comfortably.
:) The doctor did give me news
that I found very disturbing.
She discovered that Nicki has a
rupture ear drum which was probably due to some sort of trauma.
(growl) It just keeps on going
for this little thing. I mean, what else could go wrong for her.
I called this morning to check
on her. I was told that she was
having difficulty breathing and they would keep a close eye on her to see if
they needed to put her back in oxygen. I told them not to hesitate for a moment
to put her back in.
But....there is good news. She did eat solid food on her own.
Yeaaaa!! She ate some chicken
and they had mixed some dog food in there as well. Of course, she needed more
calories so they did have to syringe feed her too. But that was wonderful
news. I'm going to the hospital
right after work today. I was hoping to bring her home but since she's having
trouble breathing, I may have to
wait.
Update November 13,
2006
Well, it's Monday and little Nicki is
still in the hospital. I was hoping to bring her home over the
weekend. She's really not
gotten much better at all. Maybe I'm expecting too much to quickly. The doctor
suggested last night that she try another antibiotic. She tried to do an Echo on
her heart but she got so stressed out and turned blue so they stopped. She's
going to try again today. She wants to see if there is any heart damage since
she does have a murmur. If so, we need to get her on medicine as soon as
possible. She was able to take a blood sample. That looks pretty good she said
other than the thyroid. She said we would have to take another thyroid test at a
later date.
The pneumonia is the same. She's still breathing through her mouth and coughing
and hacking. Her nose is snotty and her eyes were watery and filmy. She's not
eating at all. I was happy when she ate some chicken the other day but she's not
eaten anything since then. They are still syringe feeding her. At least she has
maintained her 4 pound weight. Her prognosis is still very guarded and sometimes
I think the doctor is trying to prepare me for
something.
She says things that make me feel that she believes she's not going to make it.
I don't want to even think anything along those lines. I cry just thinking about
it. She has been a fighter so I
just know she's got to make it. She's been through so much. The doctor keeps
reminding me that she has so much wrong with her and if she does make it, she
may be sickly for the rest of her life. She ask me last night if I was willing
to deal with that. Well.....of course! Just because she's a little sickly,
that's no big deal. The way I
see it, if she gets over this pneumonia she can have the hernia surgery. Well,
that two of the biggest problems right there. She can take medicine for the
heart murmur and thyroid. And if the ear rupture hasn't cleared by the time she
has the hernia surgery, I'll have them to fix that
too.
The hernia is the same. She's got to
get much stronger so she can have the
surgery.
If you scroll down, you'll see a
couple of pics I took while visiting her this weekend. I go every morning and
evening and I just hold her for about 30 minutes and talk to
her.
She stays bundled in a blanket or
towel so she can stay warm. I know her hair looks awful. I would like to give
her a little wash clothe bath but I'm afraid she'll get to cold plus the doctor
said that might stress her out to much right now. She doesn't have much hair
except around her head and
face. I'll try to get a body
shot of her soon so you'll see what I
mean.
That's about it. I know, not much of a
change. I stay worried about
her all of the time. It's hard to concentrate at times. I go to bed thinking
about her and I wake up thinking about
her. I want to bring her home
but I'm so very afraid too. I'm
going to the hospital right after work and then again tonight to talk to the
doctor.
I've been getting a lot of emails
from people praying for her and keeping her in their thoughts. I can't tell you
how much that means. There's
also a little dog by the name of Lexie in the hospital. She's very sick right
now too. She's a rescue as well. Please say a prayer for her as
well.
Update November 14,
2006
I received an email from someone
today asking me to remove them from my email list. She said she was under enough
stress and did not want the additional stress of my sad stories about Nicki.
I certainly appreciate the
everyday stress that we all have. I know how hard it is to hear about
abuse and neglect especially when there's a little face staring at you. That
really brings it home. If you
would like me to remove you from my follow up emails about Nicki, please let me
know, it won't upset me.
On a good note........Nicki was much
brighter last night. She ate some chicken (on her own) and she was walking
around the room a little bit. The hernia was poked out like a golf ball but she
seemed to feel better regardless.
They are trying her on another antibiotic starting last night. Apparently, it's
a stronger one and may upset her tummy so they will keep a close eye on that.
They are not sure if the pneumonia is bacterial or fungus. The only way to be
sure is to sedate her, go down her throat and extract some fluid. The doctor
said if they tried to do that, it would kill her. So they are treating it as
bacterial. They were not able
to do the Echo again because it just stressed her out to much. They will keep
trying. She has 2 doctors. One
is more hopeful than the other. I too am very hopeful and if she continues to
eat on her own, I may get to bring her home by the weekend. Wouldn't that be
nice.
Lexie, the other sick dog I
ask you to pray for made a complete turn-around. She was eating and barking and
got to go home with her foster mom last night...AND when she's completely
recovered, she has a forever home with one of the vet techs at the hospital.
Update
November 15, 2006
I'll start off by asking if
it could get any worse but I suppose the answer would always be... yes it
could. The doctor was able to
finally do the Echo. And yes, (sigh) Nicki has heart disease on top of
everything else. I just wanted to sit down and cry. They immediately put her on
heart medication which she will be on for the rest of her life. She said the
medication will slow the progression of the disease but will not prevent it all
together. She feels that if she can get through this pneumonia and then the
hernia surgery, she could have a few good years before the heart disease
takes it's toll. She also said Nicki could really go into heart failure at any
time but let's just hope that doesn't happen.
They have sent her medical records to specialized surgeons at Metropolitan. I'm
calling today to make an appointment for her, hopefully for next week. They will
decide if she is a candidate for hernia surgery and when. The doctor could
not really say whether or not she thought she could have it. She did eat again
on her own and they've taken her off of the nebulizer treatments. She also said
that Nicki's ears are still infected. She said I should have the surgeons to do
a deep flush when they have her under sedation. She said she would be surprised
if Nicki could hear at all. She felt that due to the infection and the ruptured
ear drum, that Nicki could not hear out of one ear and probably very little out
of the other.
I wish I had taken my camera with me last night because one of the techs there
had cut some of her hair around her face because it was getting kind of matted
from the feedings. She washed her face and head and put a newborn t-shirt on her
with the Gerber baby on the back. It was actually a bit big for her too. She was
the most adorable little thing. I just wanted to squeeze her. When they brought
her into me, for a moment, I thought Nicki actually smiled. She seemed so
happy to see me. Then she just curled up and went to sleep. The tech had carried
her around all day so it must have worn her out. :) I think they've
fallen in love with her too.
She gets to come home on Friday. I'm happy...I'm scared....and I'm so
stressed. Do you ever get a fever blister when you're stressed out?
Well, I have several now and my nose is so sore I can't even touch it.
Geez.....I guess I had better start taking some medication too. One pill for
Nicki and one pill for me. :)
I guess that's about it. I'll be going to the hospital right after work
today and I've got my camera with me. If she has on that little shirt, I'll get
a picture of her.
I want to thank everyone for their donations but especially your words of
encouragement and prayers. Some of you have sent me recipes to fix for her to
help her eat, information on canine influenza and pneumonia and ideas to help
with her breathing. That has been such a tremendous help to me.
Update
November 16, 2006
I just had to send these
today. I took them last night while I was visiting her at the hospital. I am
sooooo excited. Doesn't she look good? She was very alert last
night and had eaten (again) on her own. The 2nd picture is me, of course,
and her . The 3rd one....well, I know it looks like she is poo pooing but she
isn't. It's just her normal stance. It' because of the hernia pushing on her
that she feels like she has to poo poo all of the time. The second I put her
down, she started circling so it was hard to get this pic until she stood still.
But I just had to get one of her in her baby t-shirt. The vet tech washed her
little face and brushed her hair and she just looked wonderful. They are really
going to miss her when she comes home but she's ready to come
home!
Update November 20,
2006
Here are some new
pictures of Nicki. The first and second were taken last night at
bedtime. She had just eaten her chicken and her belly was full. The third
is yesterday. She was walking around exploring. The fourth one is this morning.
Notice...she has her own little baby
pillow. She's really starting
to look pretty good. Her skin is looking really good and the yeast has cleared
up. Her hair is growing back but still a bit bald in some spots around her back,
leg and chest area. I think she is beautiful though.
Update November 29,
2006
Before I get into my
update, let me apologize if I may have worried some of you yesterday. I
certainly didn't mean to but I have been so worried, so stressed out and have
not had a lot of sleep in the last 4 weeks. Everything that I have done has
revolved around her and trying to get her well . I just love that little
furry baby. I am so emotionally invested and as you may have guessed by now, I'm
a very devoted feeling person. With that being said, here's the latest on her
condition.
First, I'll tell you a bit of good news. She's gained 5 ounces. Yea! That's a
lot for her and her belly is starting to fill out. You can't see her ribs
anymore and her back bone is not quite a protruded. We saw the surgeon on
Monday at 1:00. Of course, there were alot of Q&A. Of course, some
answers I didn't know because I've only had her a month. He examined her
eyes with a very bright light and she didn't even blink. He stomped and whistled
and she just went about her business and didn't even look his way. He said there
were no visible signs, no cataracts, no glaucoma, no obvious reason why she
should be blind or deaf. I know she can see a little even though she
does bump into things. She's even bumped into one of my cats. I do think she can
hear somewhat because when I yell her name, she starts looking around for me
even though I'm standing right there in front of her.
He examined her entire body, belly and back. He turned her this way and that
way and even upside down . Examined her legs and joints. He
ask if she ever tilted her head. I said not that I noticed. He asked me to put
her down on the floor. She started to circle as usual and did walk a
little. After all that, he told me she had all of the signs of a brain
tumor. He felt that the hernia was the least of her problems. His concerns were
her heart, her lungs and her brain.
I'm just standing there not believing what I've just heard. I'm crying by
now because I was not expecting this at all. He advised me to run additional
tests so he could get a better idea of what was going on. He said I would have
to leave her for a few hours. I walked out crying and with a busting
headache. I just couldn't believe that it could get any worse for her.
I picked her up about 5:30. Kas went with me. I needed someone else there
to hear what he was telling me and to help me to understand it all.
He consulted with another surgeon there and both felt she did have a brain
tumor. He suggested a CT scan which would cost $800 in addition to the $500 for
today's visit and tests. I wasn't expecting $500 much less an additional $800.
He also said they would have to sedate her to do the CT scan and that in itself
would be risky. Well, if she dies during sedation, I would rather her die during
the hernia surgery trying to fix her than to die during a CT scan that won't
help her anyway. I asked him if she did have a tumor what could be done.
He said there was nothing they could do for her. I thought, then why do the scan
. If nothing could be done for her. No surgeon in Kentucky does
brain surgery. He knew of one in Tennessee but it would cost thousands of
dollars and it would kill her anyway. Her heart is enlarged and
diseased but was not in active failure. He did say that even though she still
has a cough, it was not related to the pneumonia because according to the xrays,
that was cleared up. Gee, it's about time I had some good news here.
The cough was due to her enlarged heart pressing on her esophagus. He said the
heart medication she is now on was appropriate for this condition. The blood
work showed signs of high liver enzymes. I guess medication will take care
of that. My mind was starting to zone out so I missed that part. Her other
organs seemed to be ok.
He told me that her bladder could , at any time , rupture through the hernia. I
asked him how would I know this. He said she would become sick and would not be
able to urinate. So, I'm watching for that now just in case. He advised me to
cut her stool softener in half so she would not have so much diarrhea. I
feel so sorry for her because she is straining all of the time. Apparently, that
is what will cause the bladder to rupture. When I hold her I always have one
hand on the hernia to keep it pushed in. She seems to feel better. I asked him
if she could have the hernia surgery. He said he didn't see why not. He said the
risk was high though. I asked him how much it would be. His estimate his
cost was $2000. I don't have anywhere near that much money so I asked if
he would give me a discount. I thought it couldn't hurt to ask. But he said no.
I asked if my vet performed the surgery, would the risk be higher and he
said no. He did call my vet to consult with him later that day. I went to
see my vet yesterday at 5:30 to also talk with him . He had an emergency
at home and had to leave before I got there so I spoke to his
partner instead . I explained that at this point it didn't matter if she
had a brain tumor since there was nothing that could be done about that. I'm
just not going to even think about it now. If she dies of a brain tumor or if
she dies of heart failure, who knows when that could be. He did say if she
did have a tumor, she could eventually start having seizures. If and when that
would happen, I suppose we'll have a different discussion. I at least want
her to have some quality of life before that happens. The hernia is causing her
a lot of discomfort so if she can withstand the surgery, then let's do
it so she can at least be comfortable until her life comes to an end be it
in a few months or a few years.
Other than the hernia, she is not suffering. I would never ever be selfish and
let her suffer. They feel that there is hope and have not suggested she be put
down. I have told them that at any time, if they feel like she is
suffering, they need to tell me. My vet is going to call me today and
we'll talk about the hernia surgery and the cost. In talking to his
partner last night, he told me that this surgery is very complicated and he
himself would not and could not do it. But if my vet could do it, he would
assist him. He did suggest that if the surgery can be done, it should be
done sooner and not later because of the possibility of the bladder rupturing.
This is the second time the bladder has come into conversation. So, if my
vet can do it, I'm going to ask him about scheduling it tomorrow.
She did not eat very well last night or this morning but she was resting well.
I, on the other hand, was sick most of the night and somewhat this morning. This
has been so stressful on everyone involved. But by gosh, if Nicki has some
quality time left then I want her to have it. A friend ask me if I was going to
place her once she was well. hmmmm, I don't think she will ever be truly
"well" and I would be surprised if anyone would want to take this furry child
on. So, she'll stay with me until her life (or mine) quietly comes to an
end...which ever comes first. :)
I want to thank Vickie and Angie for the beautiful sweaters they gave to Nicki.
She'll really need them soon and I'll get pictures of her in them.
As soon as the surgery is set, I'll let you know.
Update
December 5, 2006
I consulted with my vet Saturday morning about surgery options. Unfortunately,
her hernia has doubled in size. It is as hard as a rock and as big as a small
egg. It looks awful. I can't even push it back in anymore. He did tell me that
her surgery was doable and that he COULD do it. That was great news. He said to
call him Monday morning and we'll schedule it. She ate very good over the
weekend and seemed to rest alot.
Sunday night about 11:00 she became very restless. It did not worry me because
she's been restless many nights in the past few weeks. I put her to bed as
usual. A short time later, I heard her crying. My first thought was "ooohhhh
that spoiled little brat, she just wants up in the bed" She loves to sleep with
me and I've put her in the bed many times. I had never heard her cry so that's
what I thought the problem was. I got her out of her bed and put her in with me.
She would not settle down and was up and down, up and down. After a short while
I put her back in her bed. She continued to cry and began to circle.
Again, I put her in with me. We went back and forth like this until 2am. She had
diarreah twice in her bed and I cleaned her up as usual. She sometimes goes
through 4-5 puppy pads a night. At 2am she had vomitted in her bed. That was
very unusual as she has never done that before. I then thought that her tummy
was upset and that now she may feel better and settle down, just like us
humans....but no such luck. So I got my a blanket and pillow and laid down on
the floor with her as I did not want to take the chance of her falling out of
bed. She still would not settle down. At 3am, she started spinning
so fast that I could not stop her. Usually, if I put my hand on her, she will
stop but not this time. I jumped up and turned on the light. She was really
going by now and was bumping her head. I tried to pick her up to stop her. She
was so aggatated that I could not hold her. Within seconds, she was disoriented
and lost her balance. She could not stand and her back legs
had collapsed. She then started screaming. That's right...screaming!
I had my clothes on so fast and was out the door within minutes headed to the
hospital. I had called them so they were ready when we walked through the
door. By the time we got there, she had settled down somewhat but had lost
control of her bladder. She had had a seizure. I'm sitting in the waiting
room crying for fear that I may have to make a decision. Fortunately, that was
not the case.
The doctor felt she was not ready to leave this world yet. I was relieved. I got
home about 4:45am and was up for the entire day. Have you ever been so tired,
worried and worn out that you just could not sleep? That was me. I called in
sick to work. I just could not deal with it plus I looked and felt absolutely
horrible. I then started making arrangements for her surgery
and aftercare. I washed all of her blankies and bed so she would be ready to
come home and rest. I picked her up at the hospital later that day. She
did pretty well the rest of the day. She had one of the best nights she's
ever had. She was very alert this morning and very hungry. I hated that I could
not feed her. I dropped her off at 8am this morning for her surgery. I probably
won't know anything until at least 3:00. Her surgery will start at noon.
So please keen her in your thoughts around that time. She is the only one they
have scheduled today.
I will pick her up after work today and then immediately transfer her back to
the hospital where she will stay until Friday. I felt this was the best way to
go since there is a doctor there 24/7. The hospital agreed. I don't want to take
any chances especially with this (new) latest episode. I'm telling you, the
staff and doctors at this hospital are absolutley wonderful there and they truly
care about, not just Nicki, but all animals. This is not just a job to them.
Once she comes home, she will continue on her heart medication for the rest of
her life. She will start on an anti-seizure medication and may also be on some
type of medication that will help her rest at night. Gee, can I get some of
that? :)
As we all know, she is a very high risk during this surgery. Let's pray it all
goes well.
I'll send a quick update once I hear from my vet.
Update
December 5, 2006
Nicki is out of surgery and is doing great. She is just now starting to wake up.
She tolerated the anesthesia really well. He said, in some what of a
surprised voice, that her bladder had started to push through. Maybe
that's why the hernia had doubled in size. Since she had had infection in both
ears, he also did a deep flush and said they looked good. I will pick her up
after work today, talk to him and then take her to LVS where they will take care
of her until Friday. I will take her back to the vet on Saturday for a recheck
and we'll talk about seizure medication then.
More good news.......with the donations that have actually been received and
what has been promised, we will have enough to not only cover her surgery but to
cover this hospital stay as well.
I just don't feel that I will ever be able to truly thank everyone for the
support, prayers and donations. You all have been a blessing to Nicki as well as
me. It's amazing that strangers from as far as California to New York to
New Hampshire to Kansas have all come together to help this little baby have a
chance at a happy healthy life...no matter how long or short it may be. She is a
survivor and I know she will take advantage of every moment she has from here on
out. I will continue to keep you updated and will send pictures next week.
Thank you all for this wonderful early Christmas present.
Bev. and Nicki
Update
December 7, 2006
I went to see her last
night at the hospital. Of course, they had her wrapped up when they brought her
in to me. Since she can't really see very well, she naturally did not see me
standing there. But when I said "Hi Nicki" in a loud excited voice, she perked
up.
I mean, I've never seen her so happy to see me. She was so excited that she
almost wriggled out of my arms. I almost cried just from pure joy.
I sat there with her and scratched the back of her ear and her chest area.
Usually, she doesn't really care one way or another but last night, she truly
enjoyed the attention and it really seemed to feel good to her. I think she can
hear much better since her ears were flushed out and a deep cleaning was done.
She was very alert and was looking all around at every little sound.
She has a pretty good size incision but it looks really good. The vet said that
alot of her bladder has ruptured through the hernia. But you sure could not tell
it had been there. I put her down on the floor and she just took off. She walked
in and out of every room and all around the waiting room. Of course, she had to
pee about 3 different times. Before the surgery, she would squat every few steps
but nothing would ever come out but now, when she did, she actually did pee.
Even though it was all over the floor and I had to clean it up, I was glad.
She's eating good but had not poo poo'd yet. Hopefully, she will do that before
she comes home tomorrow. I'll send out new (Christmas) pics next week. :)
Update
December 12, 2006
Here are some new
pictures. In the first one, I was putting up the tree. Nicki was on the
move so she was walking around. The next thing I knew, she was under the
tree....my little present. :) The second one is with my other little one,
Lucy (she's a Chiweenie). Lucy has been trying to get close to Nicki since she
got home but Nicki didn't want to be bothered. Apparently, she changed her mind.
I did not put them in there. Lucy just climbed in there herself and snuggled
under the covers. The third is, of course, her resting. Believe it or not, Lucy
put that little dog there. I just had to take the picture.
Nicki has been doing so well since her surgery one week ago today. She went for
her follow up on Saturday and he said her incision looked great. For the first
time in 7 weeks, she finally had a solid poo poo on Saturday afternoon. I can't
tell you how happy that made me. I was afraid it was going to hurt her but it
didn't seem too. She is eating really good and walking everywhere. I've
discovered that she loves bagel chips and Lays Ruffles. I don't give her to much
because she's on prescription food. For the first time last night, she was
actually playful and running around a little putting her paws up in the air. I
know some may be wondering about her circling. Yes, she is still circling but
not quite as much. Not spinning like she was. I've read some info on brain
tumors. From what I've read, I do believe she has one. Where and how big, who
knows. Her right eye is not in sync with her left eye and at times, she is a bit
unstable in her walk. She walks like a little soldier...legs straight out, not
bending. She's so cute. It's obvious that she can hear better and I'm so
glad about that. If the weather is warmer this weekend, I'm going to try to put
a sweater on her and let her walk out in the front yard a bit. Get some fresh
air. I'm thinking of having her picture taken with Santa. If so, I'll send
it out. That's about it for now. I know I've said this many times, but I can
never say it enough. Thank you all so very much for your donations and keeping
her in your thoughts and prayers. Because of us all, she is still here and has a
chance at a better life.
Update
December 18, 2006
Hello Friends
Nicki had her picture taken with Santa on Saturday so I thought you may want to
see them. She also had on a red sweater and a Santa hat too. She did really well
sitting in his lap and riding in the car. She's a great traveler.
She saw her hospital doctor on Friday night. Her heart sounded good and she
thought she really looked good too. You can tell in the last picture that she is
still missing some hair on her legs and around her butt area but it's really
starting to grow back. The lack of hair around her butt is due to the surgery.
She put her on a new medication for her cough. She coughs allllll night because
of her enlarged heart. The medication really helped her and she didn't cough at
all on Friday or Saturday night. She did start to feel bad Saturday afternoon
though. She didn't eat much at all the entire weekend and had diarrhea. She
didn't even eat her KFC chicken which she loves. I noticed her straining some so
I watched her like a hawk the rest of the weekend. Then I saw it.............a
hernia poking out on the other side. I just couldn't believe my eyes. I felt it
and sure enough, it was there. I've already called my vet and we're doing this
surgery on Thursday. I don't want it to get as big as the first one. He
does feel that she is strong enough to handle this one too. I told him that she
did have a seizure on Sunday. I'm certainly not an expert on seizures but it was
not nearly as bad as the very first one she had. There is very little money left
over from the first surgery (and the 2 hospital stays) which I was going
to use for her medications. I'm just going to bite the bullet and have it done
no matter what. I ask him if I could pay half now and half next week. He said
not to worry, he would work with me. I just love that man. He is the kindest
most caring vet. She's not urinated much this last couple of days and I wonder
if it's because of this new hernia. The surgery specialist that I took her too
did think she had a bi-lateral hernia but neither of my vets could detect it. I
couldn't either until now and was just hoping he was wrong about it.
I think this hernia popped out because she coughs so much and that really puts a
strain on her. Again, I'm not an expert so I don't really know. This new
medication has really helped that cough at night but I guess we just didn't get
it in time. So, be thinking of her on Thursday at 12:00. That's when they will
start this surgery.
As usual, I'll let you know the minute it's over.
Thanks to everyone for your continued prayers and thoughts of her.
Update December 22,
2006
Hello Friends
I know many of you are biting your lip waiting to hear about her surgery. My
email was down allllll day yesterday. I know, of all days....
She came through it with flying colors. My vet is amazed at her. She's such a
fighter. He did have to make 2 incisions. Just try to visualize this...if you
are looking at her from behind, there is the incision on the left side of her
butt from the first surgery. The new hernia incision is on the right side of her
butt and then he had to make another incision under her butt. Like a smiley face
or a half moon. He just wanted to make sure there were no more hernia's. He said
the entire back part of that area is weak. I guess that muscle wall is weak. I'm
not sure why. I think it's probably due to some sort of trauma. That's just my
guess. Remember we talked about that in one of the very first emails. One of the
vet techs tried to clean up her face a little bit because her hair was getting
long and sticky.
I had to laugh because she meant well but she's no groomer. Poor little Nicki
looks like she's been butchered. It's my fault. I ask her to try to do it before
she woke up. A friend said I should have a t-shirt made up that says, all I got
for Christmas was my a** cut open and a bad hack job. I had to laugh. I'm not
sure I'll be taking any pictures soon. :)
The main thing is that she made it though yet another surgery. I took her
straight from the vets office back to the hospital where they will watch her and
take care of her until I get off work today. I'll pick her up around 5:00.
Nicki's primary doctor was working last night and today so she took her and will
watch her closely.
She seemed to be in alot of pain because she was crying and whimpering which she
doesn't do so as soon as we got there, her doctor gave her a pain injection. She
will be on her usual heart medication, an antibiotic, a stool softener and pain
medication for a couple of weeks. She will probably be on pain medication for a
long long time due to her severe coughing. That is the only thing that keeps her
from coughing. If she doesn't take it, she coughs alllll night long and it's
just so hard on her little body and it's hard to watch her do it and not be able
to help her with it. So, this medicine does help alot and helps her rest...and
me too. She's not eaten much this week so I hope her appetite picks up after she
comes home. I'm going to try to change her diet some what to more healthier
foods. But at this point, I'll just be glad that she's eating. She's lost a few
ounces and she really needs to gain them back. She's at 4.7 lbs but still up
from when I first got her.
That's about it for now.
I'll update everyone later in the week. Be assured that she will have around the
clock care for the next 9 days. And I will be staying home for Christmas so
we're just going to do the movie thing all day. I am looking forward to the rest
though. I've been pretty tired lately and it's staring to catch up with me. I
have talked to other people and even some organizations that said they would not
have spent the money on Nicki and would have had her euthanized. All I can say
is God has a plan and there's a reason for Nicki just as there is for us all. As
long as we are here for her, she will continued to be cared for and travel on
the road God has put before her. And when she cannot travel that road any
longer, we will still be there to help her onto her next journey.
We are all of God's creatures and we must continue to help these little
furbabies.... If we don't, who will?
I know I've said this many many times but thank you all. It's been hard and at
times I'm not sure I could have kept my sanity if it had not been for your
encouragement, your friendship and your phone calls. Not to mention your
donations. I want to take a moment to thank Donna. She is with a Yorkie
rescue group out of Ottawa Kansas. I just found out that her organization
donated a very large sum towards Nicki's ever growing bills.
Bless you all and have a very Merry Christmas.
Update
January 2, 2007
Hello friends
Here's the latest picture of Nicki. It was taken about a week ago after her 2nd
hernia surgery. As you can see, her hair is really looking good and really
growing back in all of the right places. You can see that her butt and tail area
had been shaved due to the surgery. I did take a really good picture of her
surgery area that shows all of the incisions. I won't send it unless you want to
see it but if you see it, you'll feel her pain I'm tell'n ya. I had her face
cleaned up somewhat because it was hard giving her medication. It would get
sticky and her hair around her mouth would clump. So, off with the facial hair.
But she still looks cute to me. She went for her follow up on Friday. He said
she looked great. He was a bit surprised that the hernia sutures were holding.
That muscle is thin and weak. But it has so far.
She takes Torbitraul (I'm not sure if I spelled that correctly) But that
medication keeps her from coughing so much. That has really helped. Had she
continued to cough like she was, I don't think it would have held. But the
medication causes her to be moody and snappy. I'm telling ya, she's a 5lb stick
of dynamite. She will be on this medication for, probably, the rest of her life.
Oh, lucky me. She seems like she's felt pretty good but she takes a notion and
she won't eat. She did not eat one bite yesterday. I was ready to start the
syringe feeding this morning but then she finally ate some A/D. The longer I
have her the more I discover things about her. Sometimes she's like a little
brat but then she wags that little stumpy tail and she's so happy then... I'm
just washed over with emotions. Ahhh, the joys of motherhood. :)
keeps my other 4 dogs in check. They try to stay clear of her. Smart
dogs.....
That's it from here.
Thanks again for being there for Nicki.
Bev.
Update
January 10, 2007
Hello
my little Nicki friends
I just wanted to let everyone know that Nicki is continuing to get stronger by
the day. She's a little fire ball too. She walks around all over the house.
Sometimes she'll just stand there and bark. I think she tries to tell me that
she's hungry. She'll get in moods where she won't eat for an entire day and then
she'll eat everything on her plate. I'm really getting to know her ways, her
moods and her personality. At times she is so loving and other times, I have to
throw a blanket over her just to pick her up. She's quick and she gets me
sometimes. I always try to stay one step ahead of her but ever so often, she'll
nail me with those little teeth. She might be 90% blind and 90% deaf but there's
nothing wrong with her teeth. Her hair is looking so much better and really
growing. Her skin condition has cleared completely.
All of her surgery incisions are healing perfectly. The doctor said she looks
great. She's at 5 lbs and hopefully will stay around that weight. She's only had
2 other seizures but they were small ones and she came out of them ok. She takes
medication 3 times a day for her cough which is due to her heart disease. Since
she's not coughing as much, that should help keep any more hernia's from
rupturing through. She takes her heart medication 3 times a day too. And that's
it for her medication.
She still circles but not nearly as much as she did. I'm hoping to schedule an
MRI soon to check for that brain tumor. At least we'll know for sure if she has
one, where it is and if there is a treatment for it I've stocked up on puppy
pads. I think I might have 225 left. :) She was going through about 5 a
day and she's down to about 3 a day now. She still has diarrhea most but not of
the time even though I do not give her a stool softener anymore.
As far as all of her medical bills......everything has now been paid in
full. I just don't know what I would have done without all of your
financial and emotional help.
I know in my heart that it was (not me) but all of us that saved little Nicki's
life. For whatever reason, it was not her time to go home with God. She's
suppose to stay here. There have been times that I thought that I should place
her with someone, maybe retired, that could take care of her 24/7. I thought
long and hard about that. I only want what's best for her. Well, I've come to
the conclusion that she is suppose to be with me. She seems happy and she's
definitely loved and she's very well cared for. She's treated and fed like a
queen, she has several soft warm beds to choose from and she has many people
that love her. She's not ever going anywhere :) I've attached what I'm
calling our Christmas picture. Without you all, this picture would not exist. I
hope to send another one next Christmas.
I will, periodically, send updates and updated pictures of her.
Thank you very very much
Bev. and Nicki
Update February 6,
2007
I wanted to give you a
quick update on Nicki. As you can see she's looking really good. She has
maintained her weight of 5 lbs, she barks all of the time and she actually wants
to play for a minute or two. She's had a few seizures recently, one being this
morning. So far, none have bee too serious. She sleeps really well now and she's
not coughing at all anymore. I can't remember the last time I heard her cough.
The medication she's on now has worked wonders for her. She loves to walk around
and sometimes, I've even seen her trotting. She's so darn cute to watch. Her
hearing has improved greatly. She still can't see much but that doesn't stop her
one bit. I can tell that she's happy. She's very comfortable and she's always
warm and covered up with a blanket. She's definitely spoiled and pampered. I'm
so glad that she decided it wasn't a good day for her to die. I sure would have
missed her. Nicki has decided that she wants to have a little get together for
her new friends to personally say thank you. Nothing big. Just a chance for you
to come by, meet her and see what your donations and prays have done for
her.Please mark you calendar for March 10th. More details to follow.
See you soon.
Bev. and Nicki
Update February 28,
2007
Hello Friends
As you know, Nicki is having a party. Instead of an open house she's decided to
call it her open "dog" house party. There are times when I donate money to
a needy dog (or cat) and always wonder how that dog is doing. This is just an
opportunity to for you to meet her and to see for yourself what your donations
and prayers have done for her. Hopefully, she will inspire you to continue to
give whenever the need is there. This is not a "gift" party so you don't have to
bring her a present. I'm just going to have some refreshments and snack foods.
Again, just an chance for you to meet her. The party is on March 10th. Anytime
between 1:00 to 4:00 Just stop by to say hello. I've attached a map
to our house. I know a lot of you are not going to be able to make it since you
live out of state so I'll send pictures afterwards. Please call me or drop me a
quick email to let me know if you can make it. Oh, and Nicki is getting
professionally groomed (for the first time) on Friday for her big party :)
See you soon
Bev. and Nicki
Update
April 19, 2007
Hello Friends
I just wanted to give you a quick update on Nicki. She had a check up last
week. She weighs 5.5 lbs and is really a little butter ball. The vet said she
looks great. Her surgery was a complete success and everything has healed
wonderfully. ALL of her hair has grown back and her skin is a pretty pink. She
eats her favorite Arby's roast beef for dinner every night. She snacks on 2 dogs
treats before she goes to bed.
She loves to go outside when the weather permits. I usually stand with in 2 feet
of her but she doesn't go anyway. She just stands there and sniffs the air.
Sometimes, I take her bed out there and she'll just lay in there and nap while
I'm working in the yard. Let me explain the picture below. One of Nicki's
friends, Julie, recently went to Mexico. She bought Nicki a hat while she was
there. Well, the minute I saw the hat, I thought, uh oh...there's no way. But I
thought I would at least try to put it on her. hmmmm...you can tell that she was
not going to participate in this event at all. But I tried. No, that's not a
smile on me or her. I was backing up a bit and dropped the hat before I
got nailed. She's a feisty little thing and she'll tell it like it is.
Bev
Update September 5,
2007
Hello Friends I wanted to give
you a short up date on Nicki. I've had her 10 months now. It started out
pretty tough for this sweet baby but now, she's a little fire
cracker. I've attached 2 recent pictures of her below. In the first one, she's
giving Max a piece of her mind. He looks really worried doesn't he? She
was barking up a storm and her little tail just a wagging. He could care less.
He just wanted what I was fixing for supper.
Apparently she wore
herself out so much that she needed a nap with her favorite
friend.
She recently had her
first " official " vet visit since her surgeries last Christmas. He
had to take blood to check to make sure her liver was ok due to the medications
she takes for her heart. I was a nervous wreck. But she was a real
trooper...didn't even try to bite them. Not once. She didn't even flinch. I
waited for the test to be completed. The vet said that her liver was in perfect
shape. Her heart sounded good and her ears were fine. He said she may out live
us all. Unfortunately I know that's not true but she's going to definitely try.
I told the vet to go on and give her all of her yearly shots, heartworm,
fecal...you name it. She had it done. Yes, it cost me a small fortune but I'll
just hock my house for the payment. She's had several seizures this past few
months but none severe enough for medication yet. I take that as good news that
the tumor has not progressed much. We talked again about an MRI but have decided
to drop that thought all together because whether or not she has a tumor,
nothing is going to give her any more quality of life than what she has now.
This will probably be the last update for a while because she's as healthy as
she can be. I always take pictures of her so if you ever want to see her or know
how she is, just let me know. I feel that each and every one of you are a big
part of Nicki's life. Had you not given me the support, both financially and
emotionally, I don't know if I could have gotten through her tough
recovery.
Your
friends,
Bev and Nicki
