The vet believes Rufus is showing signs of improvement, but we must be steadfast in our resolve to keep him crated. It’s not fun for us, because as he feels better via the medicine and treatment, he naturally wants to run and play. So it’s up to us (his humans) to be responsible and keep him confined and his activities limited. A little sacrifice now will hopefully yield many more happy years of an active lifestyle to come. Thanks again friends for all the support and encouragement. Please know we read all of your comments. We may not always be able to reply to them all, but we do read them and your words, positive vibes and personal shares do help us. Thank you!
There he is, resting comfortably and peacefully in his crate. In Southern California today it’s rainy and cold so it’s the perfect occasion for the whole pack to be inside lounging and doing nothing. I’m so very grateful Rufus is crate trained. We never used the crate as a means of punishment so he only has positive associations with it. One friend wrote, “it’s harder on the human than the dogs to see them confined in the crate.” And I believe this true. Rufus, from everything we can see, is perfectly content in his crate. I’m also a good dad because I take his crate to the living room, the kitchen and to my office so he is always part of the action and right in the middle of everything. I think that inclusion really helps us both. The girls are very curious but respectful. Each time Rufus is let of the crate to pee and poop, the girls immediately rush over to inspect him all over. They especially like to smell his back legs, and I think they can tell something is not completely right.
Rufus continues to poop and pee like normal and his appetite is good and strong. He can still stand and walk on his own. His walk is a little wobbly, perhaps like how a drunk person might walk after a late night of fun, but at least he can still do it. Monday is our second laser light treatment and we have received some strong recommendations for a chiropractor and acupuncturist. We remain optimistic, and thank you all for the kind words and encouragement. We’re choosing to remember happier days and times, and can’t wait to get back to them (as seen in the video). With a little luck and strong resolve to the crate rest, we’ll hopefully get through this latest challenge together. Wishing you and yours all the best. Hug them hounds tight for us, and remember if you or someone you know is experiencing similar back problems, please visit our friends at Dodger’s List. They’re an excellent resource and wealth of information.
Sigh. It’s so very true friends: loving a dachshund is not for wimps. About four weeks ago Rufus was attacked by a big dog. His wounds healed nicely, he appears to be no worse for wear and that horrible day is just a distant memory now.
Trying to return to our normal life pre-attack, we were at the beach this week Tuesday and Thursday doing our weekly sunset walk as our source of regular exercise. Late Thursday night, after the beach, I noticed Rufus was walking a little funny. I wasn’t able to really pinpoint the problem initially, but as a devoted and dedicated dachshund dad, I knew something wasn’t right. Friday we waited and watched. The problem did not get worse but also didn’t improve. My personal philosophy is not to wait. If I’m worried about my hounds, I like to take some sort of action. I want peace of mind again. I decided against an emergency room visit Friday night, because the ER staff doesn’t know me and my dogs as well as our loyal vets. So instead, I emailed my vet and asked to come in Saturday morning. They naturally agreed to see us right away.
Friday night, I administered a common neurological test. It’s where you bend the back paws and see if it returns to a natural state or stays bent. Friday both paws returned to normal like a reflex, as one would expect. However, Saturday morning at the vet’s office the back left leg / paw did not return to normal. It’s one of our worst nightmares realized. Rufus is not paralyzed, which is the good news, but it’s clear there’s a lack of communication between the brain and his back left leg. Deep breathe.
Here is the point, I want to share. In that moment when vet and I realized there’s a problem I wanted to cry. There’s a flood of emotions, but I showed restraint for Rufus’s sake. I do believe our darling dachshunds take cues from their humans, and I didn’t want to add to any anxiety that Rufus might already be experiencing. Also, I think it’s important to remain optimistic. One of the main and basic tenets of Dodger’s List (our friends and leading experts on IVDD and other back problems) is that there’s hope! And there is.
Today Rufus got a cortisone shot and 8 minutes of cold laser light therapy. Rufus is able to walk, but his back legs are cross-stepping – which is not good. If you don’t know what that means, it looks a little like he is walking in repetitive circles because that left leg is having trouble getting timely information from the brain. Therefore, he is on mandatory crate rest for a week or longer. As a good reminder here is the definition of crate rest: Rufus is confined to the crate. He is able to walk and stand, but we don’t want him to run, jump or raise up / stand on his hind legs. We basically want to keep his back and his spine parallel to the ground at all times. If we’re sitting on the couch or in bed, Rufus is welcome to be with us, but we have to be vigilant; we don’t want him to hear a noise (like the doorbell) and take off running. We also don’t want him to climb steps – not even a small curb. When he is outside eliminating, it’s ideal to keep him on a leash also to ensure he doesn’t take off running, in the event that he hears our neighbor’s dog barking or something. This is probably the toughest part for both dog and dad. But, it’s imperative to him getting better. Hopefully our commitment and steadfast resolve with pay off. We go for our second cold light laser therapy on Monday.
This is Rufus’ 4th episode of back drama. Most recently, in May 2014, Rufus showed small signs of back discomfort. At that time he passed the neurological test, but we decided to do a series of cold laser light therapy. By mid-June 2014, he was back to his normal self. This is the first time Rufus has ever failed the neurological test, and it does break my heart. He is 11 years old though, as I was reminded at the vet’s office today, and the price for getting older is slower recovery time. Rufus is resting comfortably in his crate next to me as I write this entry. He’s actually sleeping peacefully, and looking at him it’s a challenge not to cry. Our hounds are a tough, loyal and determined breed, and Rufus and his pack have taught me a lot about being strong and bold in the face of adversity. So we’ll put on a good face for Rufus and meet this newest challenge head on. We plan to stay home all weekend with Rufus and hope tomorrow will bring better news.
The two videos in this post are from Thursday night, and as you can see Rufus appears to be perfectly fine, which reminds me, it can all change in a blink of an eye. We’ll update everyone as we know more.
Thanks in advance friends for your support. We continue to write about Rufus’ adventures, both good and bad, because we believe through our shared experiences we learn key life lessons. Have a wonderful weekend friends, and hugs those hounds tight for us. Enjoy each and every day you have together, because for us L O V E is a four-legged word.
Rufus and his pack want to wish everyone a very happy wiener dog weekend. Whatever you do this weekend, be certain to include your best canine friends. We started early and enjoyed a very lovely Thursday sunset frolic on beach. Proof is in the pictures. We plan to just take it easy these next few days and lounge around the house. Enjoy friends.
Hello friends. Let me impart some words of wisdom and experience. Between 2005 and 2009, I had Rufus‘ portrait taken by some of the best pet photographers LA has to offer. We had his photo taken by 6 professional photographers in the span of four years, and his likeness captured in paintings and other illustrations by 6 other artists. I can tell you without a doubt it was some the best money I spent. I have personally never known anyone ever to say, I have too many photos or sweet keepsakes of my beloved canine companion. It just doesn’t happen. How could it?!?
Listen, I could probably change the oil in my car if I was really committed to the task. But, you know, I feel like it is a better use of my time to pay a professional to do it. They have specialized knowledge and equipment to do it easier, faster and in all honesty better. Today nearly everyone owns some sort of digital camera and happily captures lots of precious images of their dogs, which is fantastic. But I do assert that it’s worth the money and effort to have your dog’s portrait taken by a professional at least a few different times in their life.
Do you remember growing up and attending 12 years of schooling and taking those school pictures each year!?? At the time we probably didn’t give it much consideration, and being frank, we probably thought these silly posed portraits were lame. However, cut to several years later as adults, and it is nice to look back at those pictures and remember what we looked like, what we felt and have that rush of many other memories that a nostalgic picture can cause. These photos are nice to share with family and friends who perhaps didn’t know us back then. I’m a huge advocate of printed and framed pictures on the walls and in photo albums. Don’t let the age of digital media rob of you of those mementos.
I consider myself a dachshund artist and not a pet photographer, because I specialize in the dachshund breed and temperament. I also do a lot of painting these days in my images during the editing process in photoshop. I work hard to create a special and lasting image for my clients. I’m not the cheapest photographer nor am I readily available to all. I’m very selective about which clients I accept because for me, it’s a very personal relationship. And although I’d love to photograph every dachshund in the world, and I have photographed a lot, the truth of the matter is I simply can’t shoot them all.
If you cannot have me because of price or geography, please do find another photographer that you can. I really believe it’s a great investment to hire a professional photographer(s) to capture images of you and yours – if not annually then every few years, whatever your budget will allow. The pictures you’ll have afterwards will yield many happy memories in the present and future. Do it friends! I promise, you won’t regret it. One of my favorite modern illustrations of this point is Dog Years: Faithful Friends, Then & Now.
It truly warms the human heart when I happen to walk into the kitchen and find all three dachshunds piled up together basking in the warm rays of sun. To me that’s the look of genuine unconditional love. These three little sausage hounds really brighten my day by simply being them. No matter what hectic things are happening each day, when I stumble across this pile of cuteness, I immediately smile big and experience this wash of warm sentiment all over. Living with dachshunds is really a unique and remarkable event. Anyone living with dachshunds (or dogs) knows exactly what I’m talking about. Happy hounds equal happy humans. The presents of cute canines surely enhances the quality of life for all of those around them. Have a wonderful week friends, and enjoy the photos.
Tuesday, 20 days since his attack, Rufus returned to the very same beach for a wonderful sunset frolic with his pack. Today was a very happy day for us. Rufus was certainly elated to be back at one of his favorite and familiar playgrounds. Proof is in the pictures. Truth be told, we were all very excited to be back; the beach is such good food for our souls and we all adore our outings in the sand, surf and setting sun. His wound is nearly unnoticeable and life goes on.
Thanks again friends for all the support and kindness. We’ll update you if anything changes, but I think we can happily close this chapter and say with confidence Rufus is back baby!!! Enjoy the photos friends.
Today Rufus attended his first LA Doxies‘ monthly meetup post dog attack, and he did great. He even climbed a tree chasing after a squirrel, which made me smile. It was also very nice to have a such a great turnout and warm welcome from some many friends. It’s always awesome to see familiar faces and meet new folks, and today offered both. We had about 30 dogs and their humans. Here are some highlights from today’s meet. Enjoy friends. Hopefully you and yours had an equally good day together.
Rufus got his stitches out yesterday (Friday) – yippee! The wound looks great, but we were reminded that we can’t bathe, play at the beach or do any excessive licking in that area for THREE MORE DAYS, sigh. So, we’re very close but not completely out of the woods, just yet. The countdown continues.
Funny story. Since the community has been so supportive I wanted y’all to be there with us as the stitches came out. I had my GoPro in tow and the vet staff was super cool about letting us record it. However, I recently updated my GoPro and a few features changed a little – which confused me at the time (though make complete sense now) so… instead of recording the grand event, I got two photos: the before and after. D’oh! I thought it was recording and instead it was on “photo” so when I click the button to start and stop, those are the two shots I got. Some of the best intentions and laid plans sometimes just don’t work out (for me).
I did manage to grab this video of Rufus enjoying a car ride around town. It was his ride to the vet to get those pesky stitches out so it was particularly special. Quick caveat: allowing our dogs to ride in the front seat, hanging out of the window without a seatbelt is nothing we recommend or endorse. Generally when traveling long distances my pups usually ride in the back. Nonetheless, Rufus does love the wind in his ears and snout, and it was a special treat for my little man as we were driving less than three miles to the vet. I do love to give him what he likes, when I can.
Okay friends. Thanks again for all the love and kindness. Have a wonderful weekend.
Today we got word that a friend went to the Rainbow Bridge. He was 19 years old. It hurts the heart every time we hear that another is gone, but we find comfort in that he lived a very long and happy life. My pack (Rufus and Emily; Lily never got to meet him) was first introduced to Pookie at the dog park while we were photographing rescues. We loved his raccoon face, frosty white paws and sweet old man disposition. These photos are from August 2012, and some of the last I ever snapped of him. By this time, three years ago, he had slowed down a little, but he still enjoyed circling the dog park, following his nose and barking at the big dogs across the chain-link fence; like many dachshunds do. I guess no matter how old they get, they’re true dachshunds to the very end. We will miss you Pookie, but now you’re free to bark, smell and run to your heart’s content. Rest in peace friend and peace be with your humans.
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