Wiggly is a miniature poodle whose birthday is
May 26, 1990. I got him while working
at a pet store (a bad, terrible, puppy mill pet
store, but I didn't know that at the time).
There was something wrong with his knees, which
proved to be congenital luxated
patellas. He had to have both knees completely
rebuilt surgically. The pet store
couldn't sell him because there was something
wrong with him. Luckily I happened
to work there. Against my lease, I took him home
one weekend. I was very
fortunate because Monday there was a call from
the corporate office to send him
back; they were going to put him to sleep! But,
since I already had him, and he was
already in surgery for his first knee, they didn't
make me return him. He's the
BEST dog in the world!! He's a wonderful companion
and terrific pal!!
He was diagnosed with diabetes on June 29, 2000.
I thought he had a bladder
infection and took him to the emergency vet.
He did have a bladder infection, but
he was also found to be diabetic. He was put
on Humilin L and pretty close to
regulated on it; after a while his numbers weren't
as good as I wanted and he had
some weird highs and lows. I spoke with our regular
vet, who uses Humilin N to
begin with all the time, and we switched him
to Humilin N in the summer of 2002.
He's now regulated on 6 1/2 units of Humilin
N twice a day. He tends to run
between 150-200, a little higher than some dogs,
but if we up his dosage
even a little, it is too much for him and he
bottoms out. Our vet is happy with
those numbers, so I am, too. Wiggly eats a mix
of canned w/d and dry w/d
that has been moistened and microwaved.
Wiggly had age-related cataracts when he was diagnosed
with diabetes.
His cataracts have gotten worse, but he has also
developed some other
eye problems. Most significantly, he has PRA
(Progressive Retinal Atrophy),
which is a deginerative problem and has caused
him to become blind. He gets
along GREAT though and at home you hardly would
notice he's blind at all. He also
has dry eyes as well as a luxated lens, blood
in the posterior chamber, and possibly
a detached retina in his right eye. The eye vet
says that Wiggly is blind and
comfortable, so to keep giving him the regimine
of drops and ointments and
hopefully everything will stay the way it is.
He lives happily with two yorkie "brothers" (Pudgy
& Kookie Doodle),
a poodle "brother" (Slimey), a big mixed-briard
"brother" (Hopple), and a cat "sister"
(Wendell). He also has a Doggie Daddy named Guy
who is wonderful and gives
Wiggly his shots whenever I can't.
I'm very lucky to have Wiggly and I love him
with all my heart
Wiggly's Photo Album
Kookie Doodle |
Hopple |
Pudgy |
Slimey |
Wendell |
Wiggly |
Date: Sun, 14 Sep 2003
GINGER'S HOME!!
MOM, I have arrived!
Ginger
Ginger's here. What I thought might take years or at least months to
accomplish--getting her love and devotion and trust--has happened very
quickly
and immediately. She growled at me just for a second when Catherine
pulled up
and they were sitting in her truck. But then she let me in and she's
liked me since.
She has growled a little at the dogs, just setting boundaries, but
even that
seems to have stopped. She is absolutely adorable!!! If I had gone
to eighteen
shelters looking for the PERFECT dog, I wouldn't have stopped until
I found
her! She IS the perfect dog for me! It's funny because Catherine told
me
she was a terrier mix, but she's really a poodle mix, with maybe a
hint of
terrier in her. The hair on her face is cut like a terrier, but I think
if it was cut
like a poodle, she'd just look completely like a poodle who never got
her tail
docked. She looks a LOT like Wiggly! She has been a doll baby and I
am
so lucky to have had all day to be with her. I got her a collar and
tag
(they have a machine to make them at Feeder's Supply) and a leash.
She won't walk on a leash yet, even with a harness on,
and she doesn't know how to go down stairs, but she'll learn.
UPDATE Date: Sat, 7 Sep 2002
He's on 6 1/2 units of N now rather than the L. He was on L for over
two years,
and at some point in there it quit working. He eats w/d dry (wetted
and warmed)
and w/d canned mixed.
He has fur-"brothers" Hopple (Briard mix, 88 pounds), Kookie Doodle
and Pudgy (yorkies) and Slimey (also a poodle).
He also has a fur-"sister" Wendell, who is a cat.
Wiggly also has arthritis and is on Rimadyl & Glucosamine/Chondrotin
for it.
He's also blind.
He has cataracts (pre-diabetes), PRA, a luxated lens, and dry eye
. He's on Indomethacin,
Atropine (in one eye), Optimmune, and Artificial Tears.
He also has some bronchial problems
and is on Theophylline for them.
Lately he has been having some trouble digesting his food
and is on Reglan and Pepcid AC for it.
Update Saturday, June28, 2003
Tomorrow (Sunday) will be Wiggly's three year Sugarversary!!!
I never thought we'd make it this far, and (knock on wood) it's been
a
(knocking very hard!) pretty easy road we've gone on. Much easier
than
I expected when the emergency vet said "Diabetes." Wiggly's blind
now,
but from PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy) rather than from diabetic
cataracts,
though he does have cataracts, too (although the eye vet doesn't feel
they are diabetic ones).
Wiggly's the same bouncy, loving poodle that he was three years ago.
He also
has about the same energy level, except that of a thirteen year old
dog rather
than a ten year old dog. And he's the same lap dog he ever was.
I couldn't have come this far without this list and the people on it!
I'm blessed to have found Judy and the rest before Wiggly even came
home from the vet after diagnosis. Thank you all so much for your help!
I'm so excited that he's having another sugarversary
and can't wait for another and another and another!
Best,
Elizabeth & Wiggly (dd)
Update! Update! Update!
Dawn has provided an update from Elizabeth.
Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2006
Here is an excerp from Elizabth's e-mail and her new baby that Angel
Hopple sent her!
I got a new dog and have been meaning to mail Judy and let her know
and ask that she let everyone know.
Here's a pic.
His name is Graysie and he found me camping at the Red River Gorge
in eastern Kentucky. He found me in the Gray's Arch parking lot, hence
the name Graysie. He's really sweet, but he tries to chase Ginger. She
sneaks around like a cat (in spite of being a poodle mix), so he thinks
he should chase her. The real live cat walks around like she's a dog, so
he just watches her walk by! We start Obedience classes next Thursday.
She has been thinking about everyone. but has been just way too busy
to keep up with the list..
Dawn~ |
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