Our Last Year With Mallery

                                                              

                                                                   November 2015

Mallery's home cooked meals were made and frozen in advance for the 3 day journey to Gulf Shores, AL.

Once there she adapted real well in a day to her day and night beds at our new rented condo.  (December2015)

Like always Mallery wasn't keen on the Alabama grass. In the beginning she took a few walks in the neighbor, but really didn't like it much with so many curbs to go down and up. She
 did enjoyed it better than the State Park Campground where we stayed the years before in our Nest. "No sand burs here".

We went for a beach  walk for the first time in February. Gulf Shores waters had Red Tide that caused breathing issues for anyone with immune or respiratory problems. That included myself and Mallery. By February the Red Tide was gone. We walked up the beach for 20 minutes with Mallery in the pouch.

When we turned around, we put Mallery down and she took off.

She walked almost all the way back with no going in circles. (February 2016).

With out our everything already packed Nest, we forgot to pack the bike basket. I had to take her in the kangaroo pouch for our last bike ride two days before my hysterectomy surgery. (March 2016)

Before I went in for surgery, I had noticed Mallery seemed to be very hungry all the time. The internet said this could be a symptom of diabetes. I made an appointment to the veterinary and had a Senior Panel done. To my surprise, I was told she was doing extremely well considering her past, and her kidney disease was stable. Now I could go to surgery and not worry about her. On my return home from the hospital, Joe said, "I can see why you get nothing done! It seemed all I did was take care of Mallery!" She was getting 4 liquid and 5 pill supplements and 2 spray pumps a day, plus the subcutaneous fluids.

On top of her supplements, she needed to go outside every hour, and her food needed to be warmed up 2 times a day and some apple hand fed. I had stopped her Artemix in February, because she seemed to be whining for 20 to 30 minutes after I gave it to her, and I was concerned that it was causing her too much discomfort. (After doing this review of her life, I am now wondering if I had changed her over to the Artemisinin, instead of the Artemix. From previous blogs, I read that the Artemisinin cause her more discomfort verses the Artemix. Mallery had so much going on that it became hard to keep up with it all).

After 4 months we headed back north.

Mallery did really well sleeping on the floor next to our bed in her dog bed, even though it wasn't in her kennel in the hotels on the way home.

When we arrived home we had snow on the ground, but it soon melted and Mallery was glad to be in her yard again.

And to roll in "real" green grass.

Mallery started to like to bury her nose and eyes under her blankets.

I tried to wash Mallery's face everyday to clean her sleepy's out of her eyes, but because our schedule was so demanding with her, it got undone many days and then it was a real chore to get out. It got matted in her long hair under her eyes. I then had to hold a wet rag over those areas to soften the gunk. She was always a bobble head (wouldn't hold her head still) making this task challenging. On this day I decided to wrapped the rag around her eyes and muzzle, and she just laid there. I guess she was a spa girl. Mallery was such a tropper!

With our move from Iowa to Michigan, Mallery's birthday hat got lost so on her 15th bithday I was unable to get a picture of her with it. ( I did find it months after her birthday and kept thinking I would get a picture of her in it, unfortunately I waited too long). (May 2, 2016)

On May 11, 2016, my daughter, Alisha, had to let our Maggie May go home over the rainbow bridge. She was my second most favorite furr soul. She was 14 years old.

Just another cute picture of my Mallery after rolling in fresh cut grass that her dad had just mowed. I could tell she loved the smell of it, and I am sure it reminded her of her younger years in Iowa.

After she was done, I had to pick a lot of grass out of her hair, but that was OK. I just loved seeing her enjoying her senior years.

Mallery enjoyed the sunny days, when it didn't rain. She always liked to look out the sliding door, even if it was only because the light attracted her to it.  (May 2016)

In June Mallery got her summer cut from her mom.

This was a picture in the car going home after a trip to Petoskey to see another veterinary She was peeing constantly, and sure enough she had urinary tract infection, as well as intestinal infection. She got 2 shots with antibiotic and she was not feeling too hot afterward. I had them recheck her Kidney levels also while she was there. In June her kidney levels were at the best they had ever been since she had been diagnosed in May 2015

On our 2nd boat ride of the summer,

Mallery seemed to really enjoy the boat ride more than she ever had.

Mallery napping after a hour on the water.

Mid July Mallery and I flew to Alabama for 10 days to help my daughter Tiffany after a knee surgery. I took Mallery because she was so high maintenance and too much work for Joe to handle for that long. Mallery had never flown before.

Once again Mallery adapted amazingly well to my daughters home in a day.

Even in 10 days, Bella, Tiffany's cat, and Mallery became tolerate of each other, enough to be this close.

Our flight home was a long, stressful one with delays and missing flights and arriving back home at 4AM. I was unable to give Mallery any tranquilizers due to her respiratory issues. We had taken her to her Dr. to see if she could be on anything, but they said no, just Benadryl, which didn't help a bit. I tryed melatonin on the way home which helped a bit.

It was good to be home again away from the very hot and humid conditions in Alabama. (July 2016)

While we were out for a evening boat ride, we saw this full rainbow around the setting sun, and wings of angels under the rainbow.

Mallery showed signs of not doing well the first day we got back from Alabama. She was waking me up during the early morning with urinary track symptoms reoccurring. Since we arrive back home late Thursday night we had to wait until Monday to see a veterinary again. During the weekend, she continued to wake me up early in the AM's

The trip back from Gulf Shores, AL was hard on little Mallery. As soon as we got through the weekend, I made another veterinary appointment. She was diagnosed with recurring urinary tract infection, and given 4 different medicines, one to help with trachea collapsing. On Friday we went back to the veterinary clinc because Mallery was continuing to have issues, this time with more of howling symptoms. The video below, was what she was doing for the last few days none-stop off and on until she got worn down and fell sleep. This howling was something we had never heard from her before!

We stopped at McDonald's for lunch (Mallery's favorite fast food smells) before her appointment. She had not howled that day, so because she was going crazy while we ate our lunch, I gave her a few bites of hamburger. Ten to fifteen minutes later the howling started again.

The doctor decided to do a ultrasound and said she was full of gas. No more hamburger for her, which had been her steady diet of turkey, chicken, or beef with veggies, and a starch. No more cottage cheese, creme cheese to wrap her supplements. No more peanut butter to wrap her supplements. No more yogurt or an occasional ice cream. The doctor diagnosed her with gall bladder problems. No more high fats for her. She was given prednisone  and recommended we give her 1/8 of over the counter  prilosec. How was I going to get her pills and supplements down now without the creme cheese, cheese and peanut butter?

On the following Monday we had to drive 7 hours to Wisconsin to pick up my mom at my sisters and turn around the next day to get home for our 9 other guest coming to visit us for a week. Once again our little Mallery did real well for this stressful 2 days of long drives and a stay at a new environment for one night. (August 3, 2016)

Mallery's Senior Years Part 3

                                                             February 2015

After our breathing scare and need for predinsone, after a month or so Mallery was back to herself. We were able to continue life with biking the bike trails in Gulf Shores.

And shopping at Lowe's to pick out stuff to tell our contractor what to use for our bathroom renovations.

Before we left Gulf Shores AL. for Michigan, I was having a lot of problems with Mallery eating. I didn't know if she was just being her picky self or she didn't have an appetite.

More bike rides in a Bike trailer that I purchased for my granddaughter Madalena and Mallery.

We left Gulf Shores, AL. April 10 and drove to our home in Michigan. After unloading our Nest, we drove to Flint, MI. and delivered our Nest to her new owners, than headed to Iowa. At Joe's mom's, I made an appointment to have Mallery seen by her veterinary. Her lose of appetite continued and I was told after a call to my veterinary in Gulf Shores, she should be seen when we arrive in Iowa.

Mallery watching TV. Not sure what she was seeing, excepts maybe some light?

Test confirmed Mallery was in Kidney Failure. She had always been 7 lbs, and now was 5lbs. (Lack of appetite is a symptom of kidney disease).

We were sent to the Eastern Iowa Veterinary Specialty Center, and given the choice to put Mallery to sleep or to put her into the clinic for 1 to 3 nights. (April 2015 Cedar Rapids, Iowa).

She stayed in the clinic for 3 nights, and was evaluated on her kidney failure degree. We were trained how to deliver daily subcutaneous fluids at her regular veterinary.

On May 2, 2015 Mallery turned 14 years old while we were still in Iowa. What a Blessing she got to live much longer than I thought she might.

I stayed at my mom's a few nights. Because her building doesn't allow dogs, we had to sneak Mallery in, in a bag with a blanket over it. I would tell her to be quiet while I climbed the 3 floors to my mom's. She always knew the memo to be quiet!

The kidney disease was causing Mallery to have incontinence, so we started putting diapers on her.

While in Iowa Mallery enjoyed backseat drives with the moon roof open. Her nose was enjoying all the fast food smells.

We headed back to Michigan after loading up a moving van full of our stuff that had been stored in Iowa for the 6 years, while we had traveled the USA. Mallery's booster seat fit between us in the truck front seat. ( May 2015)

Mallery's kidney levels greatly improved after taking Pet Wellbeing Kidney Support Gold (which has excellent reviews) and her daily fluid treatments. (June2015)

She was eating better but her weight maintained at 5 lbs

Once we got back to our Michigan home, Mallery enjoyed many good days enjoying her front yard. (May 2015- Boyne City, MI.)

She took many naps in and out of the sun.

And more naps.

June had a few cool days where I would put a blanket on her after she would crawl into her kennel. She has no fat or muscle and is very boney, so she gets cold very easy. Many times she would come out of her kennel, blanket and all.

We bought a new SUV, and Mallery didn't like it for the first day, but she adjusted pretty fast in a few day.

We took boat rides, but Mallery was very nervous. She didn't like it when we left her, so we had no choice but to bring her. (June 2015 Michigan)

Most of the time I had to hold her real tight and tell her, she was OK and I would protect her. Rides only lasted for an hour and it was time to head home. (She had to go to the bathroom, and didn't feel comfortable wetting her diaper in the boat).
In June Mallery started new symptoms which ended up being seizures. They started out with her front leg going up and or her head down as seen in video below. (June 2015)

After that she had a couple full blown seizures I put her on Vet Select Nuroplex Formula which completely eliminated the seizures. Mallery really enjoyed her 2 to 5 times a day, walk up and down her alley. It was her favorite thing to do each day. It is something that didn't change unlike the inside of our house. With the construction of the bathrooms, at first the bedroom was in the living room. Then we moved to the bedroom and the dining room became the living room again. So confusing to a half blind dog who also has some confusion already. (July 2015)

Company came for the summer and we picked them up at the airport.

At a outside restaurant with guest, and Mallery was parked just on the other side of the cable next to our table. (It was a really breezy and cooler day so she didn't get hot).

Mallery was doing really well and we had stretched her fluid treatments out to every 5 days.

After we finally got our furniture in the living room, she very seldom sat with me in the there. This was a rare occassion when she fell asleep with Joe on the couch. She liked to be in the kennel in the dinning room when napping.

Once the fence was up Mallery really enjoyed her freedom wondering around without her leash.

After wondering for a while, she would find a shady spot and took a nap.

When we went shopping in stores that she was not suppose to be in, she was really quiet, but would poke her face out every once in a while.(August 2015)

 Mallery was almost blind from cataracts, so she fell out of bed a few times because of her limitations, hence the bed rails. She was a morning sleeper, so she sleeps way past Joe and I getting out of bed in the AM. I had to keep an eye on her, to make sure she didn't fall off the bottom of the bed, so I attach her leash to our two pillows.

She usually barked to let us know when she had woke up and wanted someone to come get her. Here, she still has her blanket on top of her!

Another morning view of our "Sleeping Beauty" Not a morning girl at all!

The constant stress of weeks of visitors was not easy on Mallery. Her subcutaneous fluid administration treatments quickly returned to every other day or daily with all the confusion, starting with Joe's family through my family. She seems to be doing a little better after a month of normalcy.

On a boating day, Joe drove slowly, as we enjoyed the beautiful weather, which also made it much better for Mallery.

Because Mallery had a digestive episode the prior day the vet  wanted us to give Mallery her fluid treatment daily for 2 weeks and then back to every other day. We just finished up the 2 weeks of daily treatments and started back to the every other day. Luckily Mallery has seemed to mellow out with the treatments. I must have got better at it, because Mallery hardly flinches when sticking the needle under her skin. This of course makes it much easier for all of us.

When we got home Mallery got real excited  to be on land again! She always did this after boat rides.

"Good morning sunshine"  We still had nice weather mid September, so we took the boat out and got half way to the town of Charlevoix. The whole day we took it slow, and enjoyed the weather. It was too hot, so Mallery didn't have her life jacket on during our slow ride. As we headed back, the day cooled down and I put Mallery's life jacket on. Joe put his "foot to the pedal" so to speak, to get home faster. The video below is of Mallery swimming, either because we were going fast or because she had a life jacket on. She had never done this before, so either it was instincts or she remembers being put in water when she was younger with a life jacket on. Anyway it was way cute! (Sept 2015)

Mallery under the dash to cool down from the sun when it came out.

We took our last boat ride on October 11th.. This is a selfie of Mallery enjoying the sun and smells during our ride.(Oct 2015)

I try to get pictures of just her, but it is not easy, with a dog who is constantly moving and smelling all the different smells in the air. If Joe goes nice and slow, she really enjoys her rides now.The next video was back home. It shows how blind she had got in the last 9 months.

I have started Mallery on 2 new supplements that I heard about on a chat room for dogs with cancer. I started her on the Artemix first, but then read that most started their dogs on the Artemisinin first, as it is suppose to have less side effects. I found the exact opposite. When I gave Mallery the Artemisinin, she was very hyper and whined and wouldn't relax to go to sleep. (You must give it at night, 3 to 4 hours after her last meal). Where as when I gave her the Artemix, it conks her out and she sleeps most the night. So currently I am only giving Mallery the Artemix. The theory is that this supplement is like chemo that kills cancer cells without killing healthy cells. Because it kills cancer cells, her blood stream is over loaded with dead cancer cells creating an over load of toxic waste or what is called die off. Because of the need to eliminate the toxic waste, you need to be able to detox it from the body. The daily or every other day fluid treatments really help the flushing out of the toxins.Thankfully Mallery seems to be doing extremely well with the fluid treatments. There is talk that this might some day be a treatment for people with cancer, but it needs years of testing first.

Mallery was still enjoying her yard, even though she seemed to have more confusion. At least she was in a familiar place, which worried us about our upcoming time in Gulf Shores, AL., in another new place! (November 2015)

 

 

I started giving Mallery massages 2 times a day with essential oils, as I was using them also.

She liked the massages, but not the strong smells.

As colder weather approached, Mallery didn't enjoyed it much. (November 2015)

Every time we came home from our hour of exercise on walks, Mallery seemed out of sorts, because we had left her behind. I told Joe I was going to try taking her on our next walk. I got her kangaroo pouch out, and put her in, with two coats on.

Then I wrapped her blanket around on the outside. I was concerned she would want to get down after 10 minutes and want to walk, which ends up being circle walks, or very slow walks. To our surprise she loved it and never wanted to get down the whole time. She was snug as a bug in a rug and enjoyed all the smells from the pouch.

At this point Mallery had decided she didn't like sleeping with us anymore at night. She seemed much happier in her kennel in our bedroom. I tried many times to get her to stay with us, but she just kept whining and pulling on her leash which was attached to me, until I had to put her down to her kennel. I was the one who didn't want to let her go. While she is in bed with me, I can keep an ear out for her better during the night. I can feel her shiver and pull up a blanket on her. If she starts to pant, I can uncover her. You get the picture. Once a mother, always a mother!  This was really good though, because we could finally sleep without bed rails, and we wouldn't have to bring them with us on our trip to Gulf Shores. (which we really didn't have room for anyway. Funny how things just work out). It took me a while, but I got use to her sleeping in her own bed.

This picture was taken of Mallery just a few days before we left Northern Michigan. It was a miracle that she was still with us. Joe and I never thought we would be leaving with her. She was very happy at our new cottage cabin on the lake. It was a good summer for all of us.

My daughter sent a Facebook picture of how you could take a man's sock and cut it up and make a hat and sweater for a dog. I cut the hat too short, and the sweater, well lets just say, it was not going over Mallery's head and shoulders, and she wanted nothing of it. How little does the dog have to be, to fit this sock sweater. After all, Mallery is only 5 lbs!

One last walk up the alley before we hit the road.

The Beast was filled to overflow, with a tunnel view out the back window. Next stop, warmer weather!