Healing Weekend

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend. I'm feeling a lot better. We are still keeping our fingers crossed until my next blood work this week. I'm not back to my regular kibble or routine yet, but I'm coming along well. Slow and steady, says Mom.

Remember: Aleve--naproxen--is TOXIC to doggies. Even one pill can land a doggy my size in pet ER and on an IV for days. I can tell you firsthand that it is scary. If you ingest a pill, do not wait for symptoms. Seek medical help immediately.

Thank you for all your wonderful thoughts, comments, and prayers. I had a healing weekend and soaked up all of your loving. I participated in some healing activities that I wanted to share:

I received encouragement from my fur brother Truffle and my mom's God-son.

I took a lot of naps between taking my medicines. Most of my naps were in Mom's arms. Here I am snuggled up in my big chair.

Special vet Dr. Ward suggested sun therapy was a good idea. I even sat outside in the sun, too. I believe in sunbeams.

After nursing encouragement and all your wonderful comments and prayers and good thoughts, I even felt well enough to take a few brief walks with Truffle!

I love Mom's God-son. He has such a positive and beautiful heart; he made us all feel better. 

More updates and details soon. Until then, keep on wagging.

Love,

Tootsie

Tootsie Comes Home

Our hearts overflow with your concern. We want to reach the 7-10 mark before we feel relieved. That will be next Monday-Thursday.

This is me, home, with Grandpa's healing hand.

I came home late yesterday afternoon, Thursday, and I’m receiving my nursing care at home now. I’m feeling better, but I am very, very tired. Still, I actually hunted a little last night before I went to sleep.

I want to thank my incredible special vet Dr. Michelle Ward who has done everything for me this week, giving me constant 24/7 care. Dr. Ward says we are doing everything we possibly can to help me. It’s true. Thank you, Dr. Ward. We love you.

I also want to thank my entire vet team who have given me care during this emergency: Dr. Bowes at North Idaho Emergency Pet Care and tech Stefanie; Dr. Vogel and tech assistants at Pend Oreille Veterinary Service; and special tech Brenda. I’ll tell you more details about what Dr. Ward did and about my whole team another time.

Me and Mom on Wednesday. Note my IV tube.

This is me on Wednesday.

Special vet Dr. Ward phoned this morning to let us know that my blood work looks good. Again, we still need to reach the 7-10 day mark. I have transient damage in my GI tract right now, and we are hoping this is not permanent and that there are no other permanent problems. We are hoping nothing shows up in the kidneys. As I wrote earlier, I’ll tell you more details later, so all your humans can learn from this very challenging time.

I’m still receiving meds, and I’m under Mom’s nursing care. I’m eating a few tablespoons of rice and chicken throughout the day between meds.

This is me today, sleeping and healing.

I also want to thank special friend Kim who made us a felt Tootsie dolly with a superpower cape, which the dolly has worn all week. More about Kim’s artistry and gift later.

I also send a dog-gram to my fellow patient--puppy Bentley--who is healing from a broken leg. Hi, Bentley.

Please keep sending your generous thoughts and prayers and love. It makes all the difference. Just think, you can start the week being worried about how much coffee your mom drinks and end the week being grateful for your life.

Life is precious. It’s fragile, too. Be safe out there. Keep wagging. Don't eat human pills.

Love,
Tootsie

Wednesday Night Update

Dear Hearts and Kindred Spirits,

Tootsie is wagging her way back to health, but she's not out of the woods yet. She is done with her last IV round; at this point, at least half of the naproxen has been flushed out of her system. She's still with Dr. Ward, who's giving her the best possible care.

On Thursday morning, we will draw blood and urine for a full panel; we will have our results by Friday.

Your prayers, healing thoughts, super vibes, and crossed paws are helping; please keep them coming our way.

Here's one more picture of Tootsie and Dr. Ward's furkid Bug from last year, before Tootsie began to bless our lives. Back then, she was recovering from major surgery. Now, she's recovering from naproxen intoxication.

Tootsie, please, keep on healing, and keep on wagging.

Love,

Tootsie's Family

Tootsie Update - Please Keep On Praying

Dear Hearts and Kindred Spirits,

Our sweet, sweet Tootsie is hanging in there. She's still with Special Vet Dr. Ward and she's getting the best care in the universe. There have been ups and downs, but she continues to wag, because she loves life.

She will pull through. She has to. She's a trooper.

It's going to take three days to flush half of the naproxen out of her system; we'll be at that point on Wednesday evening Pacific Time. We're hoping and praying there hasn't been any permanent damage to her GI tract and kidneys.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers, and please be sure to keep your medicines safely stored away, because one caplet is all it took to put Tootsie's life in danger.

This is a picture of Tootsie and Dr. Ward's furkid Bug from last year, when Tootsie lived at Dr. Ward's after her bladder surgery and before we adopted her.

Tootsie, we love you so much!

Wordless Wednesday: Tootsie Please Keep Healing; We Love You

Tootsie Please Keep Healing; We Love You

Prayers Please

Dear Hearts and Kindred Spirits,

We would be so grateful if you would send good thoughts and strong prayers our way.

Last night, Tootsie accidentally ate an Aleve caplet. This is 220mg of Naproxen, which is a toxic dose for doggies her size. Mom feels beyond awful and continues to cry.

The long and short of it: Our special vet Dr. Ward helped us induce vomiting for Tootsie, and at eleven p.m. we drove to North Idaho Emergency Pet Care where Dr. Bowes setup an IV catheter on Tootsie and began to flush her system.

Today Tootsie has vomited five times and the last time looked very bloody, which is very worrisome.

Now Tootsie is with her special vet Dr. Ward for care -- who is monitoring her and continuing to flush her system -- and she is not feeling well at all. Special vet Dr. Ward helped Tootsie find her home with us, and we love Dr. Ward.

Here is a photograph of Tootsie taking a moment's rest in the sun today before going to Dr. Ward's Pet Mobile to hook up to the IV flush again to maintain it overnight and Tuesday and probably longer. You'll notice the bandage on Tootsie's foot where the IV is inserted.

You'll also notice that our special lady does not feel her perky self. Here is Grandpa's hand giving her healing love in the car after vet visit number one.

Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers. We appreciate it very much. Mom has not slept and Dad is feeling way too far away and Grandpa is very worried. We all so appreciate your kind thoughts and support and love and prayers. We will update you when we have more information.

Love,
Tootsie's Humans & Tootsie, too

Canine Coffee Concerns Continue

I have a concern. I know I have shared it with you before. Alas, my canine coffee concerns continue on the North American continent. What am I to do?

When I wrote my plea to you from Switzerland, I had collected all the coffee in our home as evidence. I haven't done that this time, but trust me, there's a lot more than these coffee bags gathered here. Just look how Mom runs the breadth of coffee: Dunkin' Donuts, Starbucks, and an indie label named Raven's Brew. Raven's Brew is the best. (Sometimes Mom just drinks any coffee brand because she is desperate. You see why my canine coffee concerns continue.)

And check out one Raven's Brew roast: Deadman's Reach. "Raises the dead!" Yikes. So don't tell me not to be concerned! Another brand called Bruin Blend has a grizzly picture on it. "Grin and Bear It"; is that what I'm supposed to do with my coffee concern?

The art is totally wotten waven and is designed by Ray Troll. When we were in Big Sur for the California portion of Mom's book tour, Mom got all excited to take this picture with the Raven's Brew sign at the new Big Sur Taphouse.

Guess what Mom had to drink inside? (Actually, she just reminded me that she drank a super yummy raspberry lemonade ginger ale. But that is no defense. Do I even need to tell you that Mom does not think she drinks too much coffee?)

We are great big fans of the fishy artist Ray Troll, and he designs the labels for Raven's Brew Roasters. I love Ray Troll's art! But I don't like my mom all shaky achy from drinking too much brew. I do like the Ray Troll "Da Vinci Cod" T-shirt that my dad wears. Wotten waven! And Mom said it is okay for me to include a rare photo of her here, wearing her favorite Ray Troll "MAD COW / HAPPY SALMON" T-shirt in Sicily last year. (By the way, the trip to Sicily was before I came on board.) Doesn't Mom look happy?

Back in Idaho, my canine coffee concerns were interrupted by this moose walking through the pasture. Mum sipped coffee from her favorite coffee mug, and we watched the moose through the window. I didn't even bark. (Um, yes, it is April, but that white ground is all snow!)

Love,
Tootsie