Grumpy Old Bear & A Grumpy Old Dachshund

You probably already realized that I've been making lots of baby stuff lately. Last night I finished making the Grumpy Old Bear from ITTY-BITTY NURSERY by Susan B. Anderson


I am not sure who the recipient of this little bear will be yet. I asked my husband who at his job was having a baby or who had a baby that I didn't make anything for yet. He gave me a list of ladies that were having babies within the next few months and a couple that had babies when I wasn't able to make them anything (after my surgery). There will be lots of baby stuff I will be showing off in the coming months.

For the past few weeks one of my older doxies (11 years old this last Nov.) has been feeling under the weather. About 4-5 years ago he was completely paralyzed and it was so bad at the time that we considered putting him down. I had even went ahead to make the appointment with the vet. I know there are lots of dogs that live a good life and are paralyzed but he was in so much pain that he wouldn't stop whimpering and crying. The night before the scheduled appointment I couldn't sleep and made the decision to not put him to sleep and try high dose steroids and cage rest for 12 weeks. The vet had told me not to expect a miracle because there was no deep feeling in his back legs meaning that when the vet squeezed his toes with a hemastat he didn't flinch or feel any pain. As the days went by the pain subsided and he sat quietly in his cage. I took him out to do his business (which he was able to do on his own) every 3 hours. I even ordered a custom made wheelchair from a wonderful man who makes them for animals. When the wheelchair arrived we put him in it 2 times a day for 20 minutes at a time. The lady whom I talked to on the phone regarding the wheelchair said that the exercise would help the dog and maybe even improve his status. I didn't think to much of this statement as the vet had told me not to expect miracles. Being a veterinary tech for so many years I had seen my share of amazing stories and hoped for the best with my doggie. At around the 8th week I was sitting in the rocking chair next to the dogs crate and watched as he attempted to scratch his ear with his back leg. I couldn't believe what I was seeing! He was moving his leg! I immediately called the vet and he told me to continue doing what I was doing and not bring him in because the risk that he might get stressed and hurt himself again was a possibility. As the days passed he got better and better and after 4 months from the date that he became paralyzed he was walking again. Not perfectly mind you but walking without the help of his wheelchair. So now he has residual problems resulting from his intervertebral disc disease. The vet gives us dexamethasone (corticosteroids) when he starts to show the beginnings of having back issues and it resolves itself with lots of rest and medicine. Thats whats happening now and the heart murmur he has is not making him feel any better. I am hoping he feels better soon.