A Scare
Before I launch into the story of the week, I thought I would post a video that I discovered about wiener dogs. Apparently I'm not half as bad in my love for dachshunds as some people.... :)
Anyway....
Friday afternoon I came home from work, as usual. Jody came over from the church and we sat down for lunch together. It was the end of another workweek, and that is always cause for celebration. :)
It was then that we noticed that Eu-mi was twisting backwards to check herself. Now, this can mean several things. Sometimes it's an indication that she needs to go outside and go potty. Or sometimes it's an indication that she needs to have her anal glands drained. (Sorry, this may be too much information, but it's true - all the joys of owning a dachshund.) So we decided to let her go outside and take care of business.
However, when we came back inside, we noticed that she was no longer her usual self. She was slow to want to jump up on furniture. She would sit down - almost involuntarily - and her lower back would twitch. She acted as though she in pain, though she didn't cry out, which is how she has usually conveyed pain in the past.
This made us very, very afraid. The reason is, dachshunds are known to struggle with something called Intervertebral Disc Disease, which basically means their backs are known to 'go out' and require surgery that can cost around $3,000. Obviously, Jody and I cannot afford that, so if Eu-mi's back goes out, we'll have to put her down. We didn't expect to have to deal with this so early on, though. Eu-mi just turned 2 years old this week, and dachshunds can live to be 15 plus years.
Anyway, the short version is: we decided to take Eu-mi to the vet. Our vet checked her out, affirmed that she was in pain in her lower back, and that x-rays would be needed to assess the damage. We left her for an hour or more, and of course I just cried in the car.
Though Eu-mi is just a dog, she has weaseled her way into my heart, and I love her so much! She has brought so much laughter and joy into our lives amidst the stresses of seminary, church ministry and health troubles.
We went back to the vet to pick her up to find out relatively good news. Her back had not blown out; she would not need surgery. However, she would need anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxants and crate-rest for about a month. Also, we discovered she was a little overweight at 14 1bs. Fourteen pounds! Holy mackerel! We also realized we'd need to change some things at home. No more crazy jumping off of furniture, twisting to catch toys, and a careful eye on her diet.
So yesterday, Jody decided to build Eu-mi a ramp. Yes! He finished it in one day with some wood from our backyard and leftover carpet from when our carpet was redone in the spring. This was the end result. GOOD WORK, JODY!
Please pray for us and for 'Baby Nation'. She needs to slow down, eat less, rest more, and use her ramp to get on and off the couch. Pray for quick learning!
