Kirby's Last Update...

Kirby has continued to deteriorate with his eating, diarrhea and willingness to take medicine.  His breathing became weaker this morning and the look in his eyes told us it was time.

This is the last pictures of the three of them together taken this afternoon before we left for Baldwyn.

He hates the 4th of July and the fireworks so today at noon Russ and I decided that we were going to let him go before he had to be tormented with fireworks this week-end.

We went to Corinth to the pet store and bought all of his favorite puppy candies and cookies.  We lay around with him in between the two of us and told him what a wonderful dog he was and how much we loved him and were going to miss him.  Of course, he already knew that.  Russ called Dr. Don and made arrangements for us to bring him to the office at 5:00 right as they closed and we called Glenn Coleman to meet us at the pet funeral home in Oxford.  Then we let the three dogs have some time together, we warmed up the fuzzy blanket in the dryer like Kirby loves and wrapped him in it.  He had been cold feeling all day.  Lots of tears and hugs and into the car for something else Kirby really enjoys...riding on my shoulder and then getting to put his little head out the window when we got almost there. 

We held him while Dr. Don gave the sedation shot and then he left us alone where we loved on Kirby as he was falling asleep and prayed to God thanking him for nine and a half years of having such a wonderful companion.  We wrapped him in his fuzzy blanket and I held him in my lap until we got to Oxford and placed him into Glenn's arms.  Such a blessing to have a former cub scout all grown up and taking care of the most important elements of our life without us having to worry. 

It has been a long, hard month that has seemed like half a year.  We have tried to prepare ourselves for this day since the day we fell in love with Kirby by enjoying him, spoiling him and being thankful for every bit of mischief he was capable of getting into.  We knew one day too quickly we would be saying good-bye to the first dog either Russ or I have ever had.  Still, it did come more quickly than we had thought (about five years) but as much as we will miss him...we loved him too much to keep him here any longer. 

Farewell Kirby Dog...you were our very first case of "puppy love" and we'll never get over it.  Hope you are chasing squirrels up the trees and basking in the sunshine.

KIRBY

January 28, 2006 to July 3, 2015

Finally Something Funny To Report...

KIRBY UPDATE: So this is FUNNY, for once! He wasn't eating the Hill's Kidney Chicken Stew Canned food he has always loved! I cooked him a chicken breast with coconut oil and cooked carrots and he ate it all and took his medicine! LOL
Tried the canned food off and on all day and he would just turn his nose up. I'd give him one of his special diet doggie treats and he'd eat it and I could slip his pills in. Who knows why all of a sudden he decided he'd had enough of the canned food that he had scarfed down previously but today July 2, 2015 was THE day. Heck, I'd rather have my mama's cooking than canned food, too. LOL So, I'm researching exactly how much of everything I should be giving him tonight on the Ohio State Vet page. Just thankful that this boy is eating and it was just a preference problem not a health issue. Gave him the medicine we thought was causing the problem, too.

I give God the glory for answering our prayers!

Kirby Isn't Wanting to Eat...

Two doses of the ace inhibitor benezebril which was the drug to lower Kirby's high, high protein levels in is blood and he has the associated anorexia. He ate a doggie treat and we were able to drop in the medication for nausea/vomiting and the sodium bicarbonate for excessive stomach acid which is a blessing. Where he has always eagerly eaten his new kidney diet dog food, now he just sniffs and leaves.

We have a call in to our vet at MSU and are anticipating her saying to drop the benezebril. I've read where often you can drop it and begin it at a lower dosage and build up. We'll see. This obviously is NOT going to work.

We talked to Jennifer, our vet student and she took all of our information to talk to Dr. Sullivant, our vet.  

About an hour or so ago he ate a piece of plain chicken and was very interested in it as opposed to his dog food.  He ate the binder chew, too.  Mostly he's been sleeping next to me.  Not doing the drooling and mouth breathing like he was earlier.

Our bodies, whether human or canine are so complex.  God designed everything to work so intricately and one or two things out of sync just throws the whole system off.  Poor little Kirby's kidneys are so sick and as is true of so many medications--right now even the medications to make him better are harsh on his kidneys.  We feel that we are so close to getting him help by means of medications that actually can help reverse some of the symptoms that are driving his kidney scores off the charts.

Jennifer just called and had talked with Dr. Sullivant about Kirby's condition.  She advised us to not give him the benezebril for a couple of days and if he gets better we will pretty much know that was the culprit and then try to reintroduce it at a lower dosage.  In the meanwhile, we are going to feed him a chicken and rice diet that we cook ourselves.  I asked her to find out how much he could eat a day and based on his weight, he needs 500 calories a day.  Theoretically he could have up to five chicken breasts a day.  That seems like way too much protein and of course, we would never give him that much but they say that's how much he could have.  I've got to get on the Ohio State website where they can help us develop a home diet for him.  In the meanwhile for supper, I've got some chicken breasts thawing and he can have white rice.  Funny that we eat brown rice because it's healthier but for him...white rice has less phosphorus.

Dr. Sullivant didn't really think that the benezebril was what was making him not want to eat but did agree that it was quite a coincidence that the two happened and there's no way to really know without trying him without it.  I know on so many occasions throughout my life I would have sworn that something was the cause of a particular response had I used a medication that day.  You just never know.  With a chronically ill person or pet there are more things that can go wrong than you can count.

Taking just one crisis at a time.  Trusting God to direct our paths.  Knowing that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to his purposes.  Romans 8:28

God Continues to Answer Our Prayers...

This morning God provided the remaining money that we needed to pay Kirby's vet bills!  We cannot begin to tell you how amazing our God is and how only he is able to work out the details of our lives!  The weight that is lifted from our shoulders having the remaining vet bill covered is tremendous but the fact that our God met the need as he said he would is worth more than money.  It is easy to trust God when everything is going well but often when things begin to go in ways we don't understand it's more difficult to be patient and wait to see how God is going to work.  How is God going to work?  In HIS own time and in ways we humans cannot even imagine.

If you are waiting for prayers to be answered in your life don't give up.  Take a good look and be sure you are in the middle of God's will.  If you are and you are praying that he would have the final say in all your decisions...you can rest assured that not only is God in control but that he is only going to provide you with what is best for your life.  Is it going to be what you want every time?  Probably not.  That's the amazing part about having a heavenly father to take care of us.  He is able and willing to provide so much more than we his children can even ask for.  I'm so glad God doesn't always answer my prayers.  I am only human and cannot even word a prayer to equal the the wealth of promises God has for me.

Today Russ and I stand amazed in his presence and marvel how he could love us so much that he sent his only son to die on a cross for our sins.  We are humbled that he has adopted us as joint heirs with Christ and that one day we will stand before him in heaven redeemed because of his love for humanity.  You often hear the saying "You can't out give God" and nothing could be more true!

John 3:16-17  New International Version (NIV)
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Kirby is Taking Ace Inhibitors...

This was an exhausting day (yesterday) Our appointment was at 10:00.  It's an hour and a half drive.  We had blood tests done and some other tests and waited for the results (usually about 35-40 minutes).  We got out at 2:40 and were so hungry our brains were not processing most of what was being said to us.
There was a lot going on and the first thing is the BUN and creatitine levels were slightly higher but not much.  Last time the creatinine was 4.2.  This time is was 4.6.  We would have all loved for it to have been reduced but this is staying close.

I had to stop writing last night because our server was having problems and it just would not cooperate.  So I've picked up a day later.

He was diagnosed with renal tube acidosis which is a disease that occurs when the kidneys don't remove acid properly into the urine, leaving the too much acid in the blood (called acidosis). If identifed (as our vet at MSU did) it can usually be easily corrected by giving him tablets of bicarbonate of sodium (baking soda tablets).  He can't use tums or similar products because they contain calcium which he doesn't need more of.

He is also losing a lot of protein. The cells that researchers zero in on in declining kidney function are the podocytes (the cells in the kidney's filtering apparatus that underlies it's blood-cleansing abilities).  This is the exciting news for us sine there is considerable evidence that medications called ACE inhibiotrs can slow that loss.  In fact, ACE inhibitors might acutally restore or aid in renal repair.  The one our vet chose was benazepril (Lotensin).

A bi product of protein is phosphorus and it is harmful to dogs with kidney disease.  Phosphorus binders can block the absorption of phosphorus from the dog's foods while it is still within the digestive system so Kirby is taking these and his last blood test showed that his phosphorus level was a little lower so the binders are helping and the vet increased them from twice a day to three times a day.  It's actually for cats.  LOL  But can be used for dogs, too.

So we have added an ace inhibitor, benazepril;  bicarbonate of soda or the acidity along with the prilosec he was taking for the acid production and he's taking three phosphorus binders a day.  Kidney disease is not curable or reversible but some of the symptoms like the acidosis can often be reversed and can increase the quality of life and logevity.  And, none of these new medications are expensive.  Praise the Lord.

We go back next Tuesday to MSU to do more tests to see how the medications are working to reduce the problems they are prescribed for.  The number one factor that decreases the detrimental affects of kidney failure is adhering to a kidney diet which is low in protein and therefore lowers the phosphorus in the dog's blood.  He has been on the Kidney Diet since he went to MSU and also receiving subcutaneous IV hydration therapy daily.

It's a lot.  It's not for the faint of heart because since Kirby is weak and blind, he cannot always know when he is outside and inside thereby having lots more accidents.  Our washing machine is constantly going washing sheets and towels.  We have spent many hours doing iv therapy and dispensing his medications.  But it doesn't take but one look at Kirby trying so hard to go up and down the steps without being able to see.  Navigating the outside and kissing our hands when we rub his back...he's trying so hard to get back on his feet. 

He has vomited both times he went back to MSU for blood work and tests.  We can't go back with him due to policies at the MSU vet school.  It's obvious that it is stressful to him after having spend a week and a half.  Next week's tests won't be so extensive and they bring him out to us just as soon as they are finished.

He barked at other dogs while in the waiting room Tuesday.  The Alpha seems to be returning.  I guess it's frustrating for him to not be able to "size a dog up" visually.  We love our vet and vet student and they love Kirby and are so concerned that he gets sick when he comes.  They gave him a shot and treats to try and pair something pleasant with them again.  I told them it wasn't them, it was the fear of being left again.

This is our need for prayer this week.  We are adding several new things to his body that are supposed to help overcome some of the toxins that he can't filter.  Even things designed to help can be a stress to his system.  Pray that they all work together in harmony to help him get better.  The research for all we are doing is good.  It often increases the life of a dog by a couple of YEARS not just months.  Even as far along as Kirby's kidney disease has progressed.

We are hopeful but more importantly we are trusting God who is leading us to the treatments we are acquiring and utilizing.  Pray that the vets who care for Kirby will has wisdom and God's guidance to make decisions for him.  Pray that he continues to gain strength.  Pray that Russ and I will continue to feel the peace with our decisions for Kirby and our other two dogs, Kasidy and Kada-Joy.

We praise God for providing the remaining money needed to pay for Kirby's medical bills.  We give God the glory for all he has done for our family.

Kirby Has Been Home From ICC For A Week...

Today marks a week since we brought Kirby home from the ICC unit at the Mississippi State Vet Hospital.  It has been a long and hard week for all of us...especially our white doggie.  I can't imagine how hard it's been for him as weak as he's been but he has been a trooper.  Yesterday was not a good day for him.  He had very little energy and about four hours after he ate, he vomited.  We learned from that experience that the prilosec he was taking for acid suppression due to the kidney failure was not dissolving because I saw two days' pills.  So, this was good to know.  Apparently with the time release version there are little granules and a tablet within the capsule.  With the delayed release, there is just granules.  My daughter-in-law Brenda takes the delayed release version and she opened one and showed it to me this afternoon.  THIS is what we thought we were getting so tomorrow we will be buying the delayed release version that will actually help his problem.

Today, however he began the day with a lot more energy.  When Russ went out of the bedroom to get breakfast, there were three little puppy heads at the end of the bed waiting for him to come back in the room.  We took Kirby outside and Russ turned around and there was Kirby already up the steps at the top one waiting to come back in the den!  All day he has walked around...down the hall and into the bedroom door without bumping into anything.  Outside, he still has bumped into boundary objects but has gotten around with a lot more energy and purpose.  When we came back from church, he was at the door with the other two dogs waiting as usual.  In fact, the second time we came home Kirby just about slipped out the door which would have been a real disaster since he's not wearing a collar or tags due to the healing jugular catheter spot.

Yesterday, we didn't get the needle into the right depth of the subcutaneous spot in the nap of his neck and the fluid went in but just a little bit.  We tried and tried and it just dripped a slow drip even though we squeezed the bag.  We searched the internet.  We appeared to be doing everything right and up until yesterday, it had worked.  Kirby had begun to express some discomfort when we stuck him so we were worried.  Then on the way to church I remembered the vet student telling us that if we didn't go deep enough the fluid would just barely go in.  When we got home from church we tried it again and sure enough that was the problem.  The fluid went in quickly and effortlessly and Kirby napped while we did it.  Thank you God for answering our prayers.

Tonight while we were finishing watching the news in the den, Kirby barked for us to go back to the bedroom.  Anytime he is barking orders, we know he's feeling better and are thrilled that he is.  If we can just get out of this one bad day, one good day routine and have several good days in a row...things will begin to look up significantly.  Of course, it has only been seven days out of ICC so he's doing very well.

Tomorrow the weather is supposed to be cool again so we can spend more time outside.  We take him back to the vet at MSU on Tuesday to do repeat blood work to see how his kidney values (BUN and creatinine) are doing.  We are sure praying that they have decreased and that we might be able to decrease the amount of ringers lactate we are giving daily.  It's hard to stick needles in him multiple times a day in the same spot without the area getting tender and the cost of the bag of ringer's lactate is about $15 a day.  If his kidneys can keep his toxins flushed out more efficiently, we will be able to reduce the amount over time.  With the cost of the prescription dog food and the frequent blood tests and vet visits, we could use a little break.  We are going to begin making his special food just as soon as we get a consultation with the Ohio State Vet School referred by MSU to learn exactly how much protein to use for his body weight and all the vitamins and other ingredients we need.  That will be both less expensive and we will use organic foods without preservatives.  His kidneys need as few things to filter as possible.

If you are working with a dog with kidney failure, we will be sure to post what we learn about creating a special diet.  We hope that our blog will help others going through a similar experience.  We have been blessed by our facebook friends praying for Kirby's recovery.  I think most everyone who reads Kirby's blog is an animal lover and understands why he is so important to our family.  Before we had Kirby nine and a half years ago we had no idea how much we could love a pet.  We had no idea why people would refuse to leave their pets during Katrina.  We just had no idea.  Period.  Now we've become those people.

We have experienced that bond that is pretty indescribable with mere words.  I totally agree with Charlie Brown.  Happiness IS a warm puppy!!!!

Kirby Continues to Bless Our Hearts...

Today was another good day for Kirby.  He is becoming more aware of the sounds and activities around him and seems to have a little more energy.  We are keeping to a pretty regular routine which I think is very beneficial for him as he learns to navigate his world of blindness.  He is venturing out more into the yard and today when I fixed his breakfast and called him over...he actually ran like he used to do kind of bouncing across the yard for a few steps.  It was beautiful to watch!!!

Kada-Joy still goes up and kisses him.  God love her.  They scooted up against each other and went to sleep.  She follows him around the yard a lot.  I'm so glad she does that.  Just makes me feel good.

This afternoon we left the three for a couple of hours to go to the movie and prayed all the way home that when we drove up, Kirby would follow the other dogs to the back door to greet us like he always did.  When we opened the door, there sat the white dog on the mat.  Boy, were we excited and just about rubbed the fur off Kirby telling him what a great boy he was.  He had to navigate across the den to the kitchen door.  That was big.

He has enjoyed lying around with me on the bed.  We do a lot of talking to him before we touch him and trying to touch him before we pick him up.  Tonight Russ and I worked on helping him walk up the four small steps from the patio into the den.  Russ made loud stepping sounds and I was behind Kirby gently touching.  He took a step, then Russ make a loud stepping sound and called him.  He made all four steps (shakily) but a great accomplishment awarded immediately with a piece of a doggie treat!  Doggie Rehab at its best.

The sticker is still nosing around the gate to see if there's a weak spot he can get out.  Some things never change and I guess even that is a good thing.  We just will have to make sure there is NO way he can find a way to escape.  Ever.  Even blind, I'm afraid he's smarter in that department than we are.  He knows that when the lawn is cut, sometimes the gate isn't quite as tight as before.  AND the lawn was cut yesterday.  How in the world does he know that?  He wasn't even there.   I don't think he has the strength to outrun us right now but with the wide open spaces...the adrenaline rush of freedom might kick in!  Not taking any chances.  We're working on that yet some more tomorrow.  We are learning a lot in the process of helping Kirby.  He is definitely strengthening our faith in God as we place Kirby into his hands.


We can learn spiritual lessons from animals. "But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; and the birds of the air, and they will tell you; Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; and the fish of the sea will explain to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this, In whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?" Job 12-7-10.

Kirby's First Treats....

Today was a red letter day in Kirby's life!  We bought prescription treats Tuesday at MSU that are low in protein and good for him on a kidney diet. 

Today he seemed to feel well enough to try them and they were a success!  He loved them AND he reacted when we said the word treats!  Can you imagine how excited we were?  

He went with Russ on an errand just riding in the truck today (and hanging his head out the window)...

It's so neat to see him get a little more strength and interest in things around him each day.  Tonight I put him in the chair in the den with Kada-Joy and Russ went out the front door to turn off the water after we had watered the garden.  I heard this "splat" and went to find Kirby had JUMPED out of the chair and walked to the front door where Russ had gone.  This is HUGE!

He is eating and drinking water.  He is sleeping most of the day but so do the girls!  LOL  He's also using his paw to tell us to rub him which we absolutely love.  Kirby is very weak and we know that the best thing for him is to keep things as calm as possible.  Lots of rest.  Lots of rubs and hugs.  Trying to keep the routine as normal as possible.

Tonight when Russ laid Kirby on the bed and went into the next room to get his medicine, Kirby barked at him.  That's always been his routine that he usually barked when it was bedtime.  Our personal alarm clock for activities.  LOL  Then although Russ is only out of the room for a minute or two, Kirby always barked (just to let him know he was on the clock, so to speak).  Tonight, he did it!  It was kind of a quiet bark and I thought I heard him bark but I wasn't sure.  I looked at Russ and said "Was that Kirby barking?" and it was!  We went and told him what a wonderful boy he was.  He seemed to agree.

This has been a good day where we have seen just little glimpses that Kirby is mending.  He's getting lots of supplements and a phosphorus binder to help the kidneys flush out excessive phosphorus since his kidneys can't filter it out effectively on their own.  He gets extra B vitamins in his Kidney Diet dog food and extra fish oil and vitamin E as supplements.  Then he also takes prilosec to avoid ulcers from the kidney disease.  Luckily he just gobbles them up in his food.

We are sure praying that his levels will be a little better so that we don't have to move to the next step which is a medication to lower the protein in his blood.  It's great to have that option and the results are usually longevity for the dog but it would be such a blessing if his body could heal enough on it's own to avoid another medication at this time.

Next week we are going to speak with vets at Ohio State per our MSU vet to learn how to make our own dog food for Kirby from organic ingredients without the added preservatives.  We have to be sure we are adhering to the exact amount of protein daily and the other nutrients needed.  The cost of the canned Hill's prescription food is quite high and it is a large part water.  We batch cook for ourselves and can surely do it for Kirby, too.  We have learned that vegetables need to be cooked and drained to get rid of phosphorous.  We probably will just feed this to all three dogs when we get the hang of it.  It won't prevent kidney disease but we didn't know that Kirby even had kidney disease so there is a good chance that the other two have the beginning stages and this will help take some stress off their kidneys and livers.  It will just make it easier than having two kinds of food and one of which Kirby can't have but he's likely to steal when he feels better.

Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.  We are thankful for tiny little steps toward a stronger Kirby.  We don't expect him to return to the previous activity level even if he gets stronger because he is blind but we are enjoying watching him want to be held and loved on.  In the nine and a half years we have had Kirby, we have gotten to hold him more in the past month than all of the previous years together.  Not only are WE loving it...HE is loving it, too.

Thank you God for your blessings and for answering our prayers for Kirby to not be in pain and to have a happy life.  We will treasure every day we are given.  

Lynda and Kirby...the Connection

As most of you know my daughter Lynda became critically ill two years ago and was placed on life-support.  We struggled to find out the extent of her illnesses which had begun with aspiration during a seizure resulting in immediate life-threatening breathing problems necessitating being placed on a ventilator.  She developed sepsis and began to actually improve only for us to find she had cancer in her entire abdomen.  At this point, four days after entering the emergency room, there was no doubt that we were going to remove her from life support and allow her to be comfortable and loved in hospice in the hospital.

When I came home after she died and we were planning for her funeral, this little white dog's ears and face were soaking wet with my tears...day after day.  Night after night.  He knew I was in pain and he stood looking at me with such concern in his eyes, I would dry my tears and explain to him that I was okay.  He lay with me.  I held him and closed my eyes and could still feel Lynda near me when I felt his soft hair next to my face like hers.  I felt his warm body and the sound of his heartbeat was comforting enough to sometimes fall asleep for a few minutes.  He was my therapy.  He was my friend.  He was one of God's gifts to me to ease the pain of the loss I was feeling having experienced my child die in my arms.

Now he is sick and I lie with him and comfort him as he comforted me.  There is a special bond between this gentle soul who quickly adjusted his activity level to my needs.  I know that if I can bury a child and walk through the shadows of uncertainty and come out of it on the other side knowing I made the right decisions for Lynda...I will know when it's time to let Kirby go, too.  Like with Lynda, it was always a desire to be sure there was nothing else that could be done and being sure that when this was true to not allow suffering to continue.  We aren't there yet but it will come.  That is the same situation with Kirby, even though he is an animal and not a human child.  He is loved and he is cherished but it is a category much different than that of a child.  Still this dog has connections to my child.   And when the time comes to say good-bye to him, there are more deep emotions involved than simply losing a pet and that would be hard enough.  Kirby was here when Lynda came home to visit.  He was here when she went back to NMRC and I lay in the bed and cried.  God blessed me with a warm, soft living creature to comfort this mother when the nights were long and relentless.  He seems wise beyond his years.  Overnight he became blind.  Overnight he became old.

When it's Kirby's time to go I believe dogs do go to heaven and I know Lynda is going to be there waiting to play with her first dog.

I imagine him snuggling up next to her as he does me and hopefully she will feel me next to her through Kirby as I felt her presence with me.  God is amazing and I know that when he describes heaven as the perfect place it is going to include our beloved pets and all of the animals he created.  They can all walk the streets of heaven because they will be tame and harmless since heaven is perfect.  The Bible doesn't tell us this.  It is just my opinion and I trust God to design paradise with so much more than human hearts and minds could ever fathom.

The anniversary of Lynda's death is this August 3rd.  It will be two years.  I know that this makes Kirby's illness even more emotional for me because I'm thinking about Lynda so much.  We have said since we first got our dogs that we knew one day we would be called upon to give them up.  We decided long ago to enjoy them every single day, to spoil them and when we had to give them up we would look at the good times and try not to dwell on our loss.  We have sure loved and continue to love Kirby and have such wonderful memories of the past nine and a half years.  So happy God is allowing us to take care of him in his time of needing his people.


from ----  www.lyndataylorsmith.blogspot.com

A Follow-Up Visit at MSU Vet Clinic Today for Kirby...

I don't have the energy to write a blog entry tonight but I want to update everyone about our sweet Kirby.  We spent the afternoon and early evening at MSU vet clinic for repeat visit to run blood tests.  Kirby had been coughing and they did extra tests and chest xray.  His creatinine level is edging up again.  It's up to a 4.2 and had gotten down to a 2.5 in the hospital.  It was a 6.1 when we began all of the SARDS and kidney failure two weeks ago.  The vet was concerned and added a binder to try and take some of the toxins out of his system and is talking about adding another medication next Tuesday when we return.

Today after we got into the car to come home, he vomited in the car.  First time since we began all of the kidney problems.  We took him back to the vet clinic since we had just left less than 20 minutes before.  They gave him some meds for nausea and figure he was just worn out from the tests.  He slept hard all the way home and was still limp when we were doing his IV before bed.

We want to believe that there is a light at the end of the tunnel for Kirby just around the bend...like the day when he was still in ICC and was bouncing all over the place--pulling on his leash and checking everyone and everything out.   There were moments today when he barked and was really interested in his environment but today has shown us that he can't spend all of his time having tests run and using his energy for that.  It is important for the vet to check his BUN and creatinine levels to see how to adjust his fluid intake and try to keep the proteins as low as possible in his blood.  But how long do we chase this?  We are seriously thinking we are moving to a hospice type approach and not wear him out checking to see what his blood levels are.  We know they are going to keep climbing if they have already done so since he went from regular IVs to subcutaneous IVs.  So, I think we are going to try to let him rest as much as possible the rest of the week and return on Tuesday for our appointment and if the creatinine level is elevated beyond the 4.2 of today...I don't think we are going to opt to add the other medication.  He is already taking 4 or 5 pills a day and that can't be good for him either.

He has not been out of ICC except since Sunday.  He was and is a very sick little dog.  When we ask the vets how long we are talking about of course they don't know but the best guess is months.  We believe in miracles and know all things are possible with God.  So, I think my faith says anything is possible and God's will be done regardless of what Russ and I do or don't do.  We are going to love on him and feed him his special kidney diet and keep him hydrated and comfortable at our home instead of on the road between Booneville and Starkville.  We have grown to respect and appreciate the vets who have fallen in love with our Kirby.  They are bending over backward to try and find any and everything they can to help him.  They see the look in our eyes and know how much we love him but we love him enough to let him go peacefully without being poked and prodded anymore.

Pray that we are making the right decision and if we are not that God will impress upon our minds to do things in a different way.  We have grown to love this little guy for the past 9 1/2 years.  We are dedicated to taking care of him.  If his only problem was the blindness, that would be a difficult transition but it would not come with health issues.  He doesn't have the energy to pay attention to Kasidy or Kada-Joy but he knows his people and takes comfort in being close.  I wish life came with a manual for things like this but it doesn't.  We would appreciate your prayers and your feedback.  This is our first dog ever and the first one to become critically ill and know that his life is numbered in weeks or months. Share your experiences with us, please. 

Happy Father's Day From Kirby...

 Well, they say a picture is worth a thousand words and I believe it's true.  The smile on Russ's face to finally be taking Kirby home says it all.

When we arrived, Kirby wagged his tail for the first time since he's been sick!  He walked around the waiting room and even ventured over to other people who were waiting on their pets and allowed them to pet him.

He explored the large room in a very methodical and interesting way.  He began at the wall an kind of bounced his head gently into it.  Then he criss-crossed to the other side where there was soft furniture and did the same thing.  Then a diagonal pattern back to the wall and so on.  When he got to the glass door, he obviously recognized it as different than the other walls.  We don't know if it's a light perception or what but there is obviously a difference.

We learned to do subcutaneous IV in the skin between his shoulders.  He wasn't the least bit bothered by it.  It takes a few minutes to complete the procedure because we are forcing the fluid in and not using a drip (which would take forever).  I told him he was like a camel now.  He still drinks from the bowl but this procedure helps keep him hydrated better since his kidneys are not doing their job very well.  We will do this once a day.  Probably at bed time.  Kirby was so happy to get into the car and go further than around the parking lot and downtown Starkville.

 He would sit with me in the back for a while and then let us know he was ready to go find Dad.  By the time we got to Booneville, he was hanging his head out the open window and loving it.  We couldn't wait to see how Kasidy and Kada-Joy would respond when he came home.  We videoed it and it was sweet.  They were so happy.  Kada-Joy kissed on him.  Kasidy tried to get him to play with her.  It was then that we saw even more evidence of just how sick Kirby is...even after so much improvement.  Seeing him by himself at the vet hospital was different than seeing him with the other two healthy dogs.  It hit me like a ton of bricks.  Yes, we know he has a long way to just recuperate from being in the hospital and we know he won't ever be the same as he was before the SARDS and his blindness.  I guess it was just such a defining moment when they were all three together.  It has been less than three weeks since all three were running and playing together.  Kirby was alpha and in control of his kingdom.  It wasn't a gradual, growing old pattern like we had prepared ourselves for since they were puppies.  It was an overnight change that our hearts weren't asked permission for and our brains obviously didn't get the complete message.

I can't figure it all out.  Thank goodness I don't have to and that I can still my heart by remembering that God is going to work it out.  I don't know how he will do it and it certainly is likely to be a plan different that Russ and I would have chosen but that's why we put our trust in Jesus.  His ways are always the best.

We are oh so tired.  Kirby has been sick 22 days...just about every day since we've been out of school for summer "break".  We go back to school at the end of July and we are exhausted.  I'm doing "doggie day care duty" while Russ drives to do dyslexia therapy about an hour's drive from home.  Today he has Morgan, our five year old granddaughter with him as an assistant while her mom and big sister are in Alaska with our church.  Life is busy.  Life is good.

Satan has won a scuffle with me because he managed to get me to take my eyes off Jesus for a second when we arrived home with Kirby and in that second...he flooded my heart with doubts and fears.  Kill, steal and destroy.  That's his plan.  That's okay, though.  God reached down and hugged me close and said as he always does...I've got this child.  Just give it to me.  I've got this.  And, I did.  And he does.  Give your burdens to Jesus.  Even the ones you think are to insignificant for the God of the universe to care about because he cares about every single care we have and promises to hear us when we pray.

My three doggies are sleeping on the bed.  They went out a few minutes ago  and Kirby lay in the grass and sunned for a few minutes.  I could see the peace come over his little body as he was laying in his backyard with his people.  Welcome home, Kirby!

Kirby's Coming Home Tomorrow...

We can hardly sleep!  It's like getting a new puppy.  Kirby is coming home tomorrow for Father's Day after being sick and in ICC for 10 days.  We had planned to bring him home Friday and we had a setback when he began running a fever and going down hill fast.

Now after finding the source of his infection and staying an extra couple of days to get him back on his feet, we are looking forward with great anticipation and excitement to getting him home to his sisters...Kasidy and Kada-Joy and in his home environment.

There is a little anxiety about taking him from ICC home.  It's always nice to visit with the vets right around the corner to answer any of our questions and take care of the problems as they present themselves.  Now, I feel like a new parent taking a baby home for the first time.  We haven't dealt with health issues with our dogs before and certainly not blindness.

This is where I am claiming the verse,  I can do all this through him who gives me strength. ... Philippians 4:13  New International Version (NIV).  There is NO way we could do anything without Christ who gives us strength.  

We will be going to worship our heavenly father and honor our earthly fathers, our sons who are fathers and after lunch, drive to Starkville to learn how to perform subcutaneous IV and the other things we will need to do for Kirby.  Then, we will be driving back to our home in North Mississippi to watch the three dogs get reunited.  Can't wait.  I know it's going to be a long and emotional day and one we have been praying about and looking forward to for over a week.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!!! 

Kirby, Kasidy, and Kada-Joy...

June 16 at 6:33pm · Edited ·

KIRBY UPDATE:
Looking forward to getting this trio back together again! Friday is our projected discharge day. We got down to Starkville later than usual and visited with Kirby, Jennifer and Dr. Sullivant for a while as Kirby lay on the sofa and "held court" being rubbed by both mom and dad.
His kidney values were the same as yesterday. Still improved 50% but Dr. Sullivant says sometime it can stay the same for a day and then jump back down the next day.  We talked about a lot of things like the Cushing's Disease test later and his allergies. He was much more alert today. Hard to get to used to him stumbling into my leg though. It's going to take us all a while to grasp the blindness. We've ordered a leash and vest that says BLIND DOG so parents hopefully won't let kids walk up and try to pet him. He wasn't real fond of little kids before and being unaware of them until they are right there might not be good. We'll see if the fear of them goes away now that he can't see them as LARGE dogs which is what we felt like he thought.

When they left him with us for a few minutes and checked to make sure Kirby could be last of "rounds" this afternoon, he was determined to "mark" the carpet in the room because another dog had just been there and there was fur and scent. He walked around, tangled his catheter tubing around the leg of a side table and while Russ was trying to redirect Kirby around the obstacle AND keep the tubing straight...IT HAPPENED! Kirby pulled the catheter out. Completely. AND he marked the floor with his own pee out of his own body (thank you very much). He was pretty proud. Us not so much since we were deep into Bulldog territory and had goofed. LOL
They were very gracious about how easy it was going to be to put it back in (although they had it "stitched" in before) so we hugged Kirby good-bye and hit the road. Jennifer will call us for the nightly report later. He still has all three of the ports in the neck for medications and IV fluids. OR, he did when we left. LOL
We'll go back about 2:00 tomorrow and try to avoid any catastrophes. Thank you for your continued prayers. We appreciate it more than you can know.

Today Was Kirby Day...

We got up bright and early and left for Starkville this morning to arrive at 9:00 instead of our usual 2:00 afternoon visits.  We were concerned about the infection and wanted to spend more time observing him today.  There's not as much going on during the week-ends and not as many people in and out so we felt an extra set of "Kirby Keepers" would be good.

Jennifer called about 8:45 to say that he had not run any more fever during the night which we were happy to hear.  They did a subcutaneous IV for fluids in the early morning.  When we arrived we asked Jennifer if she thought our vet would allow Kirby to have a bath since he had all tubes removed.  She went and asked and Dr. Sullivant gave the okay.  Kirby came out a little while later wrapped in a towel and looking like a WHITE dog again and smelling sooooo much better.  Days in the kennel and all of the things that he's been through it was so good for him to get a bath.  She said he really enjoyed it.  It just made him look like he felt better.

We made our camp site in our private waiting room and Kirby lay between us trying to sleep.  He made some strange wheezing sounds while sleeping and Russ recorded it and showed it to Dr. Sullivant who came down and said it wasn't wheezing but whining.  It was nothing like we have ever heard before and we were pretty concerned what might be causing discomfort.  She said he had been given a pain medication at 4:00 am which had made him pretty loopy and off balance but she would half the dose.  We decided to wait and watch a little while and were glad we did.  This was Kirby's way of trying to tell us he wanted to go outside to do his business.  He did all of his outdoor chores and enjoyed being outside.  Not the energetic dog he was three days ago but nothing like the lethargic dog we had yesterday either.  I think we are on the right path.  Dr. Sullivant said when they took the jugular PICC line out there was some puss on the needles so it wasn't just a superficial skin infection.  We are so blessed that God led us to question things yesterday and draw attention to the fact that his behavior was not characteristic even for him as a sick dog with kidney disease.

Today he has taken numerous car rides with his head on mama's shoulder or his head hanging out of the window with dad.  You can tell when he's trying to get us to DO something.  LOL  He also stands his ground when he doesn't want to go back inside.  Digs in with those legs and regardless of how shaky his balance is --there's no doubt what he's saying.  We are so proud of these behaviors.  We have not gotten used to his sweet eyes wandering aimlessly yet.  It is a really hard transition for all of us but he is teaching us about resilience.  God is teaching us about trusting his timing.  

Speaking of timing, we are going to take Kirby home tomorrow afternoon.  Happy Father's Day to Daddy!  We will go to church and lunch with Kelly and Morgan and then head to MSU to begin the training of how to take care of Kirby all on our own.  We plan to take him back on Tuesday afternoon for them to check his fluids and kidney values to see how it is all working away from the hospital environment.  I know he will be so happy to get back to his house and backyard and companions, Kasidy and Kada-Joy.  They look for him every day when we come home.  They smell his scent on us and try to find him.  Bless all three of them.  Kirby didn't sleep very much today which is good.  For a few minutes he let Russ hold him and went to sleep.  We hope that means he will sleep tonight.  It was hard to leave him knowing that he didn't want us to leave.  Every time one of us moved, he was concerned.  He cries when he goes back to his kennel.  Yes, it is time to come home!  Thank goodness he is alert enough to know when we have been there or when we leave.  We thank God for these blessings.  As we lay with Kirby between us protected and loved, we thought about all of the children of the world who do not have this care.  I said prayers for them and thought about how wonderful heaven is going to be.  This world is not our home and one day every little child will feel our heavenly father's arms wrap around them in love.  I pray that someone will provide hugs for them while they are traveling this earth, too.

Thanks for your continued support and prayers for our Kirby.  We can feel the prayers.  God is good and we give him the glory for the marvelous things he has done in our lives.

Miracles...

This is the thought that I am going to sleep with tonight for our Kirby Dog.  I am trusting God and knowing that regardless of how the morning finds our sweet dog, God is right there with him.  God created the dogs that we have come to love and he loves them as only their creator can.  If he knows when a sparrow falls from the sky we know that he knows when our sweet Kirby is struggling to fight off an infection in his body.

We saw a miracle two days ago when Kirby rebounded in a way that had him practically running around the Mississippi State Vet School Campus.  We saw a miracle when he was able to orient toward the two glass doors that showed us he had some vision for light and dark although Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome (SARDS) has recently robbed him of his sight.

We believe that God led the vets to find the jugular catheter infection just as his temperature was beginning to rise.  We praise him for his attention to the details of our life.  We give him the glory for the hope he gives us each day.

Tonight as our hearts are saddened by Kirby's additional infection and pain, we are not discouraged because we serve a risen savior and a powerful God.  With all of the heartache that has happened in Charleston and our country we lift these grieving families up to our God who teaches us every day to never stop believing in hope.  That's what satan wants us to do.  God reminds us that miracles happen everyday!  The hope is in Christ Jesus.

Kirbys PICC Line Was Infected...

KIRBY UPDATE:   Friday, June 19, 2015  9:39 pm
When we posted the previous blog post about our visit today, the last thing we were discussing with the vet were the changes in the last two days and things that might be responsible.

We have NEVER been so excited to find out that there is an infection but we had talked about the fact that although his PICC line in the jugular vein looked good, we were all concerned about there be a possible infection around it.  It has been in since last Thursday and of course they wanted to leave it in for another day but when we got into the car to come home, I asked Russ to call them back and ask them to go ahead and take it out.  We couldn't get through to the hospital and decided to just wait until Jennifer called us for our 8:00 pm update.  When she did call, she said he was running a temperature and they had gone ahead and taken it out.  We are praying that this is the sudden decline during the past two days!

He doesn't have an IV now so they are doing subcutaneous IVs.  Finally, something that makes sense!  It is so frustrating that he could have been feeling so well two days ago and decline so quickly into lethargy again but this could certainly be the key to the mystery. 

Please pray that Kirby does not develop sepsis from the infection from his PICC line.  Pray that the antibiotic will begin to knock out the infection immediately and that his kidneys can handle this additional burden. 

We had a glimpse of what he can be like after his kidneys have been treated.  Without the infection, it is very possible that we can be back to that happy little dog again.  We may not take him home tomorrow as planned since he has this infection and I'd rather he get IV medications for a couple of days...but we are going to be there bright and early tomorrow morning to hold him and make sure he gets lots of TLC.  Who knows...maybe even a bath. 

I Don't Even Know Where to Begin...

Today's visit with Kirby has been so frustrating and painful.  He has continued to go down even from yesterday as far as his activity level is concerned.  He is eating and is hydrated but after sleeping with us for a couple of hours, he was as unresponsive and lethargic as when we first brought him to Starkville IN SPITE OF all of his kidney values being good and all other lab results being good.  The vets are as concerned as we are and immediately scooped him up and ran some more blood tests.  We are still waiting to get the last test results at 6:00 p.m. 

We decided to try a tactic that I used to use with Lynda when she was little and having seizures.  Sometimes if she looked like she was about to go into seizures, we could take her riding in the car (toward the hospital) and sometimes it would relax her to the point of stopping the onset of a seizure.  Kirby loves to ride with his head out the window with the air in his face.  So, we asked the vet if we could take him out and ride around the block to see if he would respond to one of his favorite activities.  When we first got into the car, I rolled down my window and nothing.  He was limp.  I cuddled him and we rode around while I cried and Russ and I told him what a good puppy he was and how much we loved him.

Then he kind of moved toward Russ just a little and I put Kirby in Russ's lap.  Russ rolled down the window and Kirby leaned toward the wind.  Then, he leaned more and put his paw out on the car door.  He was obviously enjoying being in the wind on the driver's side.  We were ecstatic .  When we got back to the vet hospital, we could tell Kirby was kind of confused like he had thought we were going home.  Russ was carrying him in and he peed on him.  We think it was not an accident.  LOL

The vet met us at the door and was waiting to hear the verdict.  YES, he had responded!  She was excited, too.  We videoed Kirby walking around the room and during the time he was exploring the space, he would cross his legs and fall over or he was just loose his balance and fall.  The vets had not seen this with him before (and neither had we).  They are running another liver test right now because that can cause some encephalopathy problems.  Also, there is the possibility of mini-strokes from blood clots.  They suggested a CAT scan of the brain but we are already thousands of dollars into this and there is nothing that the test would give us as far as treatment options.  This is heartbreaking to see him be so animated and energetic two days ago.  We wish if that was an anomaly that it had not happened because it gave us such hope.  We are in the situation now of trying to make the best decisions about his care.  Would it help to just get him out of the hospital environment and home?  Is this as good as it is going to get?  Russ and I don't mind anything that involves taking care of him.  It doesn't matter to use that he might not be house trained anymore.  It doesn't matter that he might spend most of his time sleeping.  It just matters if he is not living a quality life and right now...we still don't know.

If yesterday was two steps forward and one step back...I don't know what we would call today.  Laying in the floor with Kirby and crying like a little kid.  That's the kind of day it's been.  When we get home tonight, from the time we brought Kirby to Starkville until tonight, we will have driven the same number of hours as from Booneville to Fresno, California where Kristopher lives.  Yes, we are tired but the vets have reinforced why we come every day.  We see things about our Kirby that they don't see in ICC.  He has two behaviors.  We knew that.  Just like any other member of the family, we are most comfortable and relaxed with those who love us most. 

We are trusting God to give us the answers we need to make these really difficult decisions and we are asking for your prayers and guidance for the vets who are working here at MSU Vet school with Kirby.  They are compassionate and talented people whom we have come to appreciate and respect.


7:15 p.m.  UPDATE

We are still in the private waiting room waiting to hear the results from the last liver test they did.  Unfortunately everything else came back fine which is good but doesn't help us.  Don't really know what to expect from this last one.  The last liver test was good.  That means there is no reason that he is having the differences from two days ago.  Except he IS so the vet is going to go back to doing exact medications he had then including the antibiotic in case he has an infection that isn't showing.  Then we are going to bring him home tomorrow afternoon to see if he's just depressed and wants to be home.  We will take him back on Monday to have them run all of the kidney tests to see how hydrated he is and how his BUN and creatinine are holding up with the change in hydration.  It's all we know to try and the vets agreed.  They think he might have had small strokes today causing the falling but we aren't willing to chase that because there are too many things that could cause the same symptoms right now in him.  So, this will give us a better picture of what we are working with I think to get him home in his environment and see how he responds.

Two Steps Forward...One Step Back

Well, our visit today with Kirby was as different as night and day from yesterday.  Where he was bouncy and energetic yesterday...looking like our old Kirby--today he was tired and lethargic.  Exhausted.  The urinary catheter had been removed and now he is able to "do his thing" and that usually was before he could get outside.  Of course, he has no idea where "outside" is.

He came back inside and took a nap between Russ and me for about an hour.  Deep sleep.  Protected by his people sleep.  He drank a little water and got to skip rounds today and stay with us longer.  They said he had been up at about 4:00 this morning when they had an admission.  He was circling in his kennel and kept getting tangled.  Bless him.

We left at about 5:00 and went to get a sandwich.  After dinner, we decided we would go back to the vet hospital and see if Dr. Sullivant was available to talk.  She was doing a discharge which is a lengthy procedure but one of the other vets came out to talk with us.  She stays with Kirby each night in the ICC so she knew him well.  Even knew he liked his ears rubbed.  God, I love these people.

In speaking with Dr. Chenn, we agreed that Kirby was probably having some discomfort from having had a urinary catheter for a week and had to have reinserted a couple of days ago.  Now when he's urinating, it's probably causing some discomfort.  So, she's going to talk to his vet about adding a little pain medication for tonight.  Parents feel better and are headed home now.

Kirby will not be discharged Friday.  It will be Saturday instead.  Hopefully.  Still praying.  Still praising God.

Keeps Getting Better and Better...

KIRBY UPDATE:
It just keeps getting better and better! When Kirby's IV fluids were decreased and he was encouraged to drink on his own AND they ran his BUN and Creatinine levels again...they had dropped from 2.9 to 2.4!!! This is such good news. They are dropping the IV even more and going to begin doing subcutaneous IV hydration today in preparation for him going home on Friday! We will learn how to do the subcutaneous IV therapy today or tomorrow. He's getting the catheter out today. Look out! Accident on Aisle 1-1000 at the MSU Vet Clinic!

We are going with our running shoes on today because we KNOW that we will not be sitting. All very exciting for these puppy parents to see that for now at least as he transitions out of the full force every day high level hydration, his body seems to be able to continue to flush the toxins out of his system.
We came home last night and worked on the backyard to "Kirby Proof" it for navigating without vision. Friday morning while it's a little bit cool, we will be able to pick up the rest of the sticks and get all of the bushes cut back to keep them from poking him in his eyes. It's quite a different thing to look at your yard with the idea of a non-sighted pet having no reflex blinking to protect eyes or vision to prevent running into things that might cause concussions. Think we've got it but when we are out with him the first days, we will know for sure.
Pray for his transition home to be as seamless as possible for he and Kasidy and Kada-Joy. They are still anxiously awaiting his return. Last night, Kasidy just knew Kirby was in the blanket we had brought back from him laying on it. She kept sniffing and trying to unroll the blanket like she thought he was tangled up in it somehow. I finally took it and washed it so she wouldn't be confused. She was trying to find where we had been hiding him all these days! LOL Bless their hearts. Animals are so much smarter than most humans give them credit. They're probably sitting around laughing at us all the time. It's obvious who is in control for sure.
Praising God for his mercies and giving him the glory for Kirby's progress!

Kidney Scores Consistent for Three Days...

June 18, 2015

KIRBY UPDATE:
Quick message from our MSU vet student. Kirby's kidney scores were 2.9 which is a consistent value for the past 3 days so the assumption is that it has plateaued at this point. This has been with constant IV hydration but is an improvement from the 5+ when we took him last Thursday. They have flushed a lot of toxins out of this little 27 pound doggie. He is taking his meds orally and Jennifer says she gave him a different canned kidney diet food today with more gravy that he seems to like even better than the previous one. Well, YEAH! Who wouldn't? LOL He does think he has happened into the land of "people food" and that's why he gobbles it up and they have to hand feed him. HA I know him, he thinks any minute they are going to discover that he's got their food and he'll have to give it back! At least one trade off for all that he's had to give up. We will head down today about 2:00 to take him walking in the large air conditioned building and hopefully two humans can keep the one little dog from pulling the urinary catheter out. No promises, though.