Alivia was recently diagnosed with Cushing's - Alivia has passed

Hi Mary Beth,

My Izzy is like that. I have no idea how she knows there is a pill in there because I try all the same tricks you have, but she knows!!! I have found them in the other room as well, and then have to play detective and figure out which pill it is, which dog it belongs to, etc. because there are so many pills being taken around here. Usually it is Izzy because like Addy, I also have a Hoover named Hannah who would probably eat a pill plain as well. She only needs the tiniest dab of anything to be happy with her pill! And she thinks her Denamarin liver pills are treats and begs for them in the morning! She sure makes it easy on me.

Good luck for the next 11 days! If you are able to figure out enough tricks during that time, you're my hero! :)

Julie & Hannah

Hi, Julie!

I even bought two flavors of "Flavor-Doh" online. It looks like Play Doh and you pinch a piece off and wrap it around the pill. It sounded like a great idea, but no luck. She found it! I dread pill time.

I wish Ali was more like Hanna and Zoe when it comes to pills. She will not even take a meat flavored supplement of any kind. What's really strange is years ago when she had IMHA, I had to give her injections twice a day for awhile. She was fine with those! I would just tell her it was time for her shot and she'd come sit in front of me with her head down and looking a little sad, but she'd be perfectly cooperative. Any kind of pill or supplement, though, and she acts like I am trying to murder her. :eek:

9 1/2 days and 19 pills to go. If I come up with anything creative I'll let you know...

I found this poem and it makes me cry every time I read it. I wanted to share it with everyone here:

Before humans die they write their last Will & Testament, give their home and all they have,
To those they leave behind. If with my paws, I could do the same; this is what I’d ask…

To a poor and lonely stray I’d give:
- My happy home.
- My bowl and cozy bed, soft pillows and all my toys.
- The lap, which I loved so much.
- The hand that stroked my fur and the sweet voice that spoke my name.

I’d Will to the sad, scared shelter dog, the place I had in my human’s loving heart, of which there seemed no bounds.

So, when I die, please do not say, “I will never have a pet again, for the loss and pain is more than I can stand.”

Instead, go find an unloved dog, one whose life has held no joy or hope and give MY place to HIM.

This is the only thing I can give…the love I left behind.

-Author Unknown

That is beautiful, Mary Beth. Thanks so much for sharing.

How is Ali doing?

Thanks for sharing that, Mary Beth. It brought tears to my eyes. It is so true. It is so hard to say good bye to a pet you've shared such a close, special bond with, but there are so many homeless pets out there waiting for a chance to be loved. We were a one dog family when I was growing up, and ever since my parents adopted the first dog when I was in high school, they (and now I have not stopped). My parents have had four rescue dogs at all times for the past 10 years (because that's the limit before you need a kennel permit in our city). I have had two for the past 10 years.

It is so hard to lose one, and it will be incredibly, incredibly hard to lose my Hannah, as she will forever be that special "once in a lifetime" dog for me, but in time, I know there will be another. It is so good to be able to provide a good home, good care, a lap, and lots of love to a pet who needs it so much.

I recently told my husband that I wasn't sure I would be able to get more dogs after Hannah and Izzy are gone because the thought of losing Hannah is almost more than I can bear; however, I know that won't be the case forever, and this poem was a good reminder.

Thanks again for sharing. I hope Alivia is doing well!

Julie & Hannah

Hi MB,

lovely thoughts, thank you. Hope Ali and Maxwell are well. I hope Zoe can be a miracle dog like Ali.

Thinking of you all.

Well, Ali had been doing amazingly well until the week of the 4th. She was going out the door and it looked like there was a spot of something on her back. When I checked it out a 2 inch diameter circle of fur was crusted at the roots and came out completely in my hand! Pyoderma, again. And, checking back here it was exactly one year since she had it before. Of course it was a holiday, but fortunately I had a refill of the antibiotic she had for it before and started it right away. Maxwell had just started itching, too....just like last year at this time. I had gotten flea stuff for them but hadn't put it on either of them, yet (I kept procrastinating thinking I would bathe them both first). I remember her vet saying the Pyoderma could be a reaction to flea bites, so I am thinking that's what it was! I felt so bad since I probably could have easily prevented this!! Anyway, the antibiotic has kicked in, the flea stuff is on and her bald patch is growing back in already. Which, actually makes me feel good because when she was having cushing's issues her fur would NEVER have grown in like that! She still continues to have the itchy butt problems that I can never quite get cleared up. That was really bad for awhile, but has also improved recently. Always something! But, overall, I shouldn't complain...Alivia is 14 1/2 and she's doing well. Max is 12 and looks and acts like a puppy!

Oh MB, I am glad you are able to nip it in the "butt" oh, I mean bud:p

What the heck does that expression mean anyway?

Have three glasses of Chocovino!!!! One for Zoe, one for Maxwell, one for Ali.

Good catch, Mary Beth! It does sound as if the fleas could be the culprit, huh? So glad the treatment went to work so quickly. Trinket got into a seed tick bed last summer that did a number on her skin just above the tail. For quite a while, it was raised up and felt like a hard welt, red for a bit, too. You are so good to watch Ali close and take action quickly. Our miracle girl has a super mom! :)

Addy, my understanding of that saying - nip it in the bud - means if you nip a plant at the bud it won't flower; if it won't flower, it won't seed; if it won't seed, it won't spread/come back; so nipping the bud prevents growth in areas you don't want. But I have been known to be waaaayyy off base. ;) I love sayings like this and learning what different areas of the country/world think they mean and I love how different areas will have different slang for the same thing. I just find linguistics interesting. Yeah, I'm weird - SURPRISE! :p

Keep in touch and let us know how Ali does. I hope it is a bit cooler in your area than it has been in ours. I really think our ticks and fleas have been charbroiled. :p

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

Hi Leslie, Addy and all,

Checking in while I seem to have internet access. Alivia continues to do very well. The skin issue has resolved and the fur grew back VERY quickly - good sign. Her itchy butt issue is also MUCH improved. It seems like after much trial and error, many prescriptions and a ton of OTC things, the best thing is a combination of hydrocortisone spray, and human grades of hydrocortisone cream and antibacterial cream. I rotate between the three and it has cleared up dramatically. Not completely, but much better than it's been in months. We have had NO trips to the vet since Alivia's last regularly scheduled six month check up a few months ago. :D

Me, on the other hand, is a different story...I am finally starting to get better after being sick for two months. Long story, but the short story is I have a compromised immune system (RA and Crohn's) and the injections for that lower my resistance to infection. I had severe flu like symptoms that turned into an antibiotic resistent ear infection - had to get a tube put in my ear to drain the infection, which took weeks - along with multiple meds. And, it's been a Catch 22 - had to stop the injections because of the infection which has caused the RA and Crohn's to flare up...that was a long short version!

So, since I'm a mess, it's been doubly good that Ali has been doing so well!