Appetite Satiated At Last

Joey looks up from reading his emails and comments, Monday evening, August 30, 2010The update is late, but the news is good!  Your 'Long and Short of it All' host 'Joey' has eaten food and water for over 24 hours now without any vomiting!  He doesn't eat much - it will take a few days to get him used to food again, but he's eating enough to slightly form his stools, and keeping it down without the aid of any anti-nauseants.  Dad had a ruff morning, hence the late update - it seems that Joey has developed some "sludge of the gallbladder and mucocele" which is potentially quite bad, and after reading about it on several veterinary...

Hungry Boy

Joey, Sunday, August 29, 2010Today is the big day for your 'Long and Short of it All' host 'Joey.'  After resting his pancreas following the second bout of serious surgery-induced pancreatitis last Tuesday, he will be offered water and food today.  He's got to be able to keep the water and food down.  He finished his three-day course of TPN early this morning.  Next up is labs, and another ultrasound to look at that troubled pancreas.  Then he will most likely be offered some water, and then a small amount of food.  And boy is this dog HUNGRY - which is a good sign.  He hasn't really...

Love Letters

This is just a sampling of the many Love Letters for Joey.  Thank you. Love letters straight from your heartKeep us so near while apart.I'm not alone in the nightWhen I can have all the love you write.I memorize every line,I kiss the name that you sign.And, darling, then I read again right from the startLove letters straight from your heart.Hello Joey and Maggie,we went to the sea side the other day, when Lea decided it might be sweet sending some sunny fotos of Croatian cost line for Joey to have some sun...we keep our paws crossed for Joey. We're keeping him in mind and share Maggie's nervousness end worries!Lea hopes the sun will bring...

The Whirr of the Tail

Joey coming in back in the hospital after potty break, Saturday, August 28, 2010:  This is Joey's way of saying "Thanks!" for all the prayers and well-wishes that have been sent to h...

Guarded Optimism

Joey, Friday evening, August 27, 2010Your 'Long and Short of it All' host 'Joey' continues to recover from his bilateral adrenalectomy and spleenectomy surgery.  Surgery took place Tuesday, August 17, 2010, and this is day 12 in his recovery.  He survived a pulmonary embolism post-surgery and is currently dealing with severe surgery-induced pancreatitis.  His pancreatitis spiked a second time a few days ago, and he was started on Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) to feed him and to allow his pancreas to rest.  He is on his second day of TPN therapy, which will run a total of three days at this point.  And...

Time is the Wisest Counsellor of All

We're having a bit of a writer's block today, we're not sure where to start or where to finish.  Joey was very sick when Maggie went and visited him in the hospital, which was the primary reason for her visit.  We can't bring ourselves to go into the sordid details, but suffice to say it was almost all over for him.  The docs did an ultrasound of his pancreas to get a better picture of what is going on, and the result is that his pancreas is "really messed up" as a post-surgical complication.  There is a possibility that his pancreas may also have a blood clot which has lodged there.  Hopefully by not allowing...

Dad's Little Angels

Cell phone photo:  Maggie and Joey, August 25, 2010We took Maggie to visit with Joey at the veterinary specialty center last night.  It was a nice visit and they sat together for a good hour or so.  Joey rested his tired little head on his sister.  Joey is not doing well.  The surgery-induced pancreatitis is getting the best of him.  We haven't given up hope yet, but will know more after we discuss his options with his internal medicine vet this morning.  Thank you for keeping him in your thoughts and prayers.  &nb...

The Never Ending Story

And so the saga continues.  First off, thanks again for all your love and support for your 'Long and Short of it All' host Joey in his recovery after his bilateral adrenalectomy, and the complications which ensued.  Honestly, it means more than you'll ever know.  We wish his story would have had a happy ending by now, but a week after his surgery, it goes on.Yesterday was another ruff day.  After being discharged from the veterinary specialty center on Monday, when he was eating and doing fine, he wasn't in the best of shape just a few hours afterwards.  We should have recognized this fact when he refused to eat a small...

Dachshund Relaxation: Veenershnitzel Glide

Featuring 'Phyllis' and 'Rhoda,' fine swimming canines.  By vimeoer Vyusher La Ka...

The Big News: Slightly Dampened

Yesterday was an exciting day in the recovery of your 'Long and Short of it All' host 'Joey,' and his continued recovery following his bilateral adrenalectomy and the complications which ensued.  Dad went back to work because he's gotta pay that vet bill, when he received a call about 11 AM that Joey is ready to go home!  So, it was a day earlier than expected, and off to the veterinary emergency center we went.It was exciting to bring him home and let him see his littermate sister 'Maggie' again, and do you think she was excited?  Not so much.  A couple of sniffs, and a few tail wags; she was more excited to see her...

The Road to Home

Cell phone photo:  Joey gets temporarily disconnected from his IV's and oxygen to go outside Sunday, August 22, 2010We've got more good news for your 'Long and Short of it All' host Joey's recovery and the beginning of the Road to Home.  He has been completely weaned off his fentanyl drip, but still has his fentanyl patch which will help provide pain control when he is discharged.  On Saturday, they attempted to remove his oxygen, but it was not successful; his breathing began to labor, and his pulseox showed low values.  This was a bit of a frustrating setback.  But the good news is that he kept the water down that he...

This Thing Itches My Schnoz

Joey, Saturday morning, August 21, 2010Nothing but more good news for your 'Long and Short of it All host!  Joey continues to mend after his surgery and post-op complications.  We went to visit him last night, and he was again fairly animated.  He was so overjoyed to get the lap again, which has been the center of the last few visits, along with reading him all his most recent comments and emails.  He just loves it.  His wonderful vet techs note that he spends most of his time in a deep sleep unless he has visitors.He slept very well last night, so much so, that he appears to be in less pain, so...

What A Difference A Day Made

What a difference a day made Twenty-four little hours Brought the sun and the flowers Where there used to be rain We've got nothing but good news to report on your 'Long and Short of it All' host 'Joey' and his continued recovery after his complex bilateral adrenalectomy, vena cava tumor removal, and spleenectomy.  His surgical complications have included a pulmonary embolism on Wednesday and identification of post-surgical pancreatitis on Thursday.     Dad and a friend went to visit him last night, and got tail wags a-plenty.  Tail wags!  He wanted so badly to sit in Dad's lap, that he struggled to...

The Test of Time

When it rains it really pours as they say.  Visited with Joey last night and this morning, and about to head back up north to visit him again.  He's very happy when Dad and his friends come to visit, and we saw a partial tail-wag this morning.  He sits on his little bed all hooked up to tubes and such, and we sit on the floor next to him - he wants so badly to sit in his Dad's lap, he gets up and inches closer and closer with all the strength he has, but there are just too many tubes that keep him separated.  Maybe one day very soon.Joey continues to be stable, which is the good news.  He is resting well, his blood...

A Little Pick-Me-Up

Sometimes laughter is the best medicine.We can't think of anything that goes better with a Dachshund around:  Bounty Paper Towe...

Joey, Baby

Joey staring in his Dad's eyes, August 18, 2010 (photo by a friend)We wish we had better news to report about your 'Long and Short of it All' host Joey - everything was going so well with his surgery and then postoperatively, all things considered, but later this morning he was throwing up, and the thing that we didn't want to happen during recovery has happened - he threw a blood clot which has lodged itself in his lungs - a pulmonary embolism.  The internal medicine vet suggested that we visit him as soon as possible, and we were out the door and at his side in record time (we were planning on a visit a few hours later). ...