In Memory.

It's taken me a year to write this post and even now I am not sure I will be able to express myself to the extent that I want to.

One year ago today, my sweet Gordy passed away.

Some of you already know that, some of you don't. At the time, I made a decision not to post about it on this blog. First of all, we were in total shock and for a long time I didn't think I'd continue on with this blog at all. Once I started writing again, it seemed too strange. As much as I detailed the nuances of his life, this time it seemed too personal.

I sat down to write this post tonight to acknowledge what happened and to acknowledge Gordy. He was the true inspiration for this blog and, truthfully, one of the great loves of my life. I started to type out the details... but have once again decided to refrain. I know I would be curious if I were reading this so I'll tell you that the long and short of it is that he ate something he shouldn't have and as much as we tried to do everything we knew how to do, it was not enough and we lost him. Yesterday and today were sad days. However, we are so happy to have our surly, feisty little Petey who is actually, by a weird twist of fate, Gordy's half brother. We know just how short life can be are thankful for every day we have to spend with him.

If you're reading this and have a dog, give him or her a kiss and a squeeze.

Halloween Countdown...

A friendly reminder that there are but a few days left to acquire or create festive attire for you and your beloved for Halloween this Saturday. Speaking personally, I am losing steam fast on the holiday all together. That, if you know me at all, is blasphemous to the extreme as I happen to love Halloweenie more than anything ever?! I can't quite explain it. However, so far as dogs are concerned, I have never felt more festive.

Above, Petey gets fitted with a borrowed wig (his David Lee Roth impression? don't ask...). Sadly, it was a temporary loan.

Regardless, If you happen to be in the Brooklyn area this weekend, do not miss the third annual District Dog Halloween Parade where yours truly will be a JUDGE.

Be there or be square!

October 31st
1pm
McGolrick Park
(corner of Driggs and Russel St.)
Greenpoint, Brooklyn

www.districtdog.com

PETEY UPDATE: modern medical advancements

As previously noted, Petey emerged a champion after yesterday's MRI. And as predicted, it was revelatory and worth it (pet insurance coverage TBD... yikes!).

I have taken the liberty to nerd out big time and annotate the iPhone photos (?!) taken of the MRI with my feeble understandings of what's going on in each. There were words like SUBERARACHNOID being tossed around, so bear with me...

First, a side splice of P's spinal cord. (The off putting blur jutting off the top is his micro-chip wreaking havoc):



It's a little confusing to look at but from the top that's a layer of skin, etc. then vertebrae, then the spinal canal, then vertebrae, then guts and glory and so forth. The arrow notes the white fluid pocket which our vet believes to be causing the nerve compression etc. which is causing weakness and lack of feeling in is nether regions. (Note to the left along the top of the spinal canal there's no thick white line, i.e. this is abnormal. )



This is a frontal splice of Petey's spine. This was the most clear view of the fluid pocket causing compression etc.



Finally, a top view showing a clear perspective of Petey's wild assortment of malformed vertebrae, including butterfly, fused, hemi- etc. Sigh. Apparently this is to be expected to some extent for the breed but Petey's unique variety and possible trauma or inflammation is believed to have caused this fluid pocket or subarachnoid whatever. Again, my ongoing praises to AMC, they gave us a very thorough typed out description and explanation but I'll save the technicalities until after what will surely be hours and hours of googling and the what not.

The prognosis is basically this: Petey's spine is whack. Something (either the spine, a trauma, an inflammation caused from trauma or caused from existing with a spine like this) has caused this so-called fluid pocket. The fluid pocket is causing compression. Compression is causing everything we've been concerned about for the past month. Two solutions: medicinal or surgical. Obviously, we'll start with the former. I will spare you the descriptions of what the latter would imply but let me tell you, everything about it is terrifying (i.e. tempory and/or risk of permanent paralyzation). Medicinal means that Petey's going to start on steroids and an over the counter human medication that might also aid in reducing fluid. That's right, he's juicin'! Within the last 12 hours, we've already gotten past the first hurdle which would be his digestive system rejecting the steroids by means of puke and diarrhea... which hasn't happened. And now we wait to see if all of this has a positive impact on him. No fingers have never been more crossed in the history of time.

As for the crate rest, He's still on it (weep!) but he's allowed to walk around slightly more, just no stairs, jumping, intense playing, running etc. Believe me when I tell you that this small progression is already feeling like a miracle.

All in all, I am beyond relieved that the MRI went well and that we have some small sense of what's happening. FINALLY. Our vet also concurred that it's major progress to be able to pinpoint something that has treatment options. We are so NOT out of the woods but we're maintaining a sense of optimism and.... meanwhile Petey is so cute, adorable, and playful I think my head is going to explode.

PETEY UPDATE: all's well that ends well

All went well with Petey's MRI yesterday.  Screen shots and voyeurism forthcoming. 

Above, Petey emerging with one of his many lady friends. According one of the vets, he came out of anesthesia licking and kissing.  So not surprised. 

PETEY UPDATE: Anticipation

At this very moment, our little mister is getting an MRI. 

Yesterday morning he had his follow up with our new (beloved!) vet to see what the progress was on his miserable crate rest. The progress was that there was no progress. Which we basically knew. An appointment was made for a neurological consultation at the Animal Medical Center (one of the single most fascinating establishments in this city, by the way) for this morning at 9:30am.

The neurologist (lovely woman who was so helpful and informative last week) observed him with us for a bit and then took him on a long stroll where we're told he charmed the entire staff of AMC. She then came back and told us her various theories. The oversimplified scenarios in order of perceived likelihood: a malformation he was born with (something surgery cannot fix), a herniated disc or similar injury (something surgery could potentially fix), or something infectious/cancerous/etc (least likely but cannot be ruled out). In her estimation, an MRI will reveal all. 

So now we wait. 

Can I just say, anesthesia is the most nerve wracking element for the very short time being. And/or leaving him there in general. I! AM! FREAKING! OUT! I will be getting a call in approximately one hour's time to let me know he's come out of it safely. Trying to stay incredibly busy all the while.

Pins! Needles! 

To be continued, as usual....

Save the Date: District Dog Halloween Parade!

Everyone: we are psyched!

District Dog has delivered their official save the date for their THIRD (!) Annual Halloween Parade in McGolrick Park.  Believe me when I tell you this is one of my very most favorite events of the year.

The theme this this time around is "Dress Your Name" so put your thinking cap on. Too bad we didn't have the foresight to name Petey something like Taco or Susan Boyle...

October 31st

1pm

McGolrick Park

(corner of Driggs and Russel St.)

Greenpoint, Brooklyn

Expect reminders!

www.districtdog.com

PET-a-PORTER

I could not love this more...

Five Swedish fashion and design students were put to the challenge of designing fashion for dogs in conjunction with Carlsberg's new PET bottle launch (which impacts the environment more than two times less than a traditional glass bottle). Judging will be left to the public along with "four strong judges" from The Pet Elite, Black Market, the Swedish Fashion Council, and Carlsberg Sweden. The well-deserved prize is 10 000 sek in travel vouchers. Yowza!

 

 I love every single one of these but a personal favorite is the above fashioned from POO BAGS (!) and, naturally, titled Eco Blue Poo.

In the spirit of my typical Tuesday morning procrastination antics, I encourage you to be one with me and peruse the site to read through all the brilliant descriptions (and, of course, vote for your favorite).

And here's a video!...

You have until October 21st to vote here.

Now back to work!

www.premiumpet.se

PETEY UPDATE: Convalescence, Days Three through Seven

As the title of this post implies, we've not even bothered to chronicle the details of the last five days. Mostly because they've all melded together into one big lump of crate time, chew time, and sleepy time. To put it simply: CRATE REST SUCKS.

Ahem... with one exception.  And this one's a revelation, folks:

Holy crap. 

These might be the best dog chews ever? They're as tough to widdle down as they are irresistible... and during a time when laying down is all one can do (and remember, no rope toys!) these are a tiny little miracle. They're not stinky, they don't splinter, and as far as Petey's concerned, they're the equivalent of catnip. Or heroin?  With three weeks left to go, I literally have orders in at several of my favorite sites and my eyes peeled at all pet shops. If you're in the Brooklyn area, you can buy the above ANTLERZ (the name!!!) at PS9 where I'm told a new order is en route. Petey happily tackled the large size of this particular brand and got it down to teensy weensy choke hazard size in two exuberantly chew-filled evenings. 

Knowing me and my nerd-out potential, there's a high probability for comparison chew tests so stay tuned.

$7 and up 

(Available at PS9, Olive, Uncommon Hound, etc.)

(photo from olive)

Mascot introduces Little Devil Toys

Whilst strolling through the internet this afternoon, I found myself totally seduced by Mascot's recent introduction of Little Devil Toys.  Here's why:

1) Love the names

2) Love the weird noises they make (check out Mascot for a preview)

3) They TOTALLY remind me of the Roger Hargreaves books of my childhood..

www.mymascot.com

$12

(photo from mascot) 

Molly Mutt: New Products + 10% off!

I was so happy to get an email this morning from the clever folks at Molly Mutt letting me know they've recently added new prints and products to their shop. No surprise, they're easy on the eyes, to say the least!

If you haven't already stumbled upon Molly Mutt, here's the idea: we've all got a shameful assortment of old clothes, blankets, towels, and the what not that we've failed to donate or tend to. My neighbors who stroll past my array of clothes-filled Ikea bags that I store in our hall with the best intentions to re-sell to Beacon's Closet yet never get around would happily attest to this sad fact.  The very worst case scenario would be for me to throw it away, right? But given my undeniable laziness, what's the solution? Enter: Molly Mutt.  They say stuff the clothes in their ingenious stuff sacks, cover it with one of their adorable, song themed, machine washable duvets, and everyone (you, your neighbors, your dog, and mother earth) can rejoice! Hooray!

And as a super party bonus, they're currently offering WAG/BARK readers 10% off when they wagbark at checkout ! You can pick and choose your duvets and stuff sacks separately or buy one of their ingenious DIY Kits.  Free shipping on orders over $75. 

www.mollymutt.com

$10-$72

(photos from molly mutt)

PETEY UPDATE: Convalescence, Day Two

Another trip to the vet and things are, for the most part, status quo.  More than anything we are feeling reassured and also very grateful to have stumbled on such warm, educated vets such as those we've seen and talked to in the last 48 hours. Poor little P is still prescribed strict crate rest but we're no longer keeping ourselves up at night wondering whether or not his circling around in his crate or standing up on the couch will result in his being paralyzed for life. And to be clear, he's not paralyzed - he's wonky! But, the vet is very concerned.  And for all we know, this is going to be a challenging road ahead of us. 

Meanwhile, he's as peppy as ever. The vet confirmed he's almost definitely not feeling pain at all. Which is great, of course, but we can still see the WTF look in his eyes when we deny him all manner of fun and playfulness.  To add to his frustrations, it's been decided he also needs to lay off the rope toys due to his overly physical habits i.e. entrail removal simulations. Sigh.

The quest for four weeks worth of entertainment lingers on.  If only he could get into Lost and Mad Men?

GAME DAY CONT'D.

We're busy catching up on some of our favorite blogs and stumbled upon this cornucopia of game day goodies via Phetched.  In the spirit of thematic posting, we thought we'd share. 

Behold: the Tail Waggin' Tailgaters Party pack (how's that for a name?). You got your orbee football,  your popcorn, your buddy biscuits, and, let's not forget, your doggy beer (!)... what more could a game day loving canine want from this world?

Game on!

www.dogtoys.com

$25

(photos from dogtoys.com via phetched)

UNLEASH GAME DAY!

We definitely owe the glory of Unleash: Brooklyn a full, in-depth post (I am so in love with this place!) but in the meantime, check out their current Game Day promotion....

So you want to go watch the games, but feel bad about your dog getting shafted while your away?  Unleash has got you covered! Introducing our new service for the ENTIRE SEASON. 
Playoffs and Superbowl Party Included! Enjoy Sunday or Monday Night. A Portion of the Game Day Proceeds goes to support Dog Habitat Rescue Dogs.

Need I say more?

I have been assured by someone in the know that I need not love football to enjoy these weekly events...only dogs and/or beer. And lucky for me, I happen to love both of those things! 

Check out the recent coverage from the Daily News (including a video and, dare I say, dog cheerleaders in training). 

Fingers crossed of my bizarrely full weekend schedule clearing sometime in the very near future.

www.unleashbrooklyn.com

PETEY UPDATE: Convalescence, Day One

This is the back story:

We recently noticed that little P had some awkwardness in his back legs.  This primarily manifested itself as a wonky gait and a scuffing of back toes, particularly noticed after prolonged activity and a series of action-packed vacations/day trips. A physical examination occurred,  followed days later by an x-ray. As is common in this breed (and similar breeds such as boston terriers, etc.) it was obvious that there was a malformation of sorts in his spine. This could be hemivertebrae, block vertebrae, etc.  Apparently this could not be determined with this caliber of x-ray.  My vet, as per usual, went into a mild panic (which I can appreciate to some extent) and we scheduled another x-ray, which would have happened this morning. In the meantime, she didn't really have any advice other than to attempt to protect his toes from his scuffling and to wait.... We decided to seek a series of second and third and fourth opinions (oh, the googling I have warped my better judgments with!) and managed to connect with a friend-of-friend who just so happens to be a resident specializing in neurology. She suggested that Petey might have experienced some sort of injury/strain/bruising/tweaking/trauma during the seven days solid that he was romping and frolicking in Cape Cod and that only 4 weeks of strict bed rest a.k.a. "crate rest" were in order.  Her advice was to forgo the second x-ray (which would have required mild sedation) and start immediately on "aggressive rest therapy". According to her, this will be the most indicative thing we could do. Throughout we are to observe him and if he got worse or stayed the same, we'd take him in for further analyzation.. i.e. MRIs and the what not. Meanwhile, we're going to go ahead and take him to yet another vet tomorrow morning for the purposes of confirming this treatment and obtaining yet another set of eyes cast upon his situation.

So. In the meantime: "CRATE REST".

Uhm, yeah. As obvious as it sounds, I am somewhat at a loss. Supposedly, this will entail 23 hours a day in a crate or on our laps if we are home (and presuming he is still?). He is allowed to go for short walks, a few minutes at a time, and otherwise must be carried to and fro, up and down stairs, etc.  At this point, after one night,  I implore you... if you have any experience in crate resting an active, surly, jazzy, snappy little one year old pup... please share your trade secrets. My current thoughts are that there is no amount of peanut butter stuffed goodies in the entire world that could quell my mister into sitting down, much less laying down for four long weeks, much less four long minutes.

To be continued....