Winslow's Diary

[NeylasMom]

What a freakin' smart dog. I LOVE it, as usual. Winslow's stories ALWAYS brighten my day.

[maximum]

Winslow, you always make me smile. But I think we need more pictures - that is two new posts from Glynnis without any!

[Burpdog]

November 14, 2007

 

Hi Diane,

 

What a day! Winslow made a new friend today at the pool! Not a horse and not those yappy little Jack Russell boys that leave such a mess behind...No, Winslow's new friend is A CAMEL. Yes, a real live camel!

 

I took him for his swim this morning. He went right in as usual, swimming one lap and then having to go out the back door for a quick pee. He got outside and spied something down the hill... His ears went up and he just stood there. It was laying down, but looking up at us. Sure enough... it was a camel. Winslow couldn't take his eyes off of it. He really wanted to go down there and investigate.

Otherwise, the swim went as planned, except that he kept going for that back door. He did 11 double laps and his weight is good .

 

We finished the swim and I put Winslow in the car. I went back to ask Roger about the camel. Turns out, this camel is paralyzed. He is about a year old and is somebody's beloved pet. He got some kind of a parasite that comes from white tailed deer... It affected his nervous system and paralyzed him. They got rid of the parasite, but the camel is still paralyzed. ROGER HAS BEEN GIVING THIS CAMEL SWIM THERAPY. He's been with Roger for nearly 2 weeks and is now standing again but still can't walk. They lift him with a sling and take him to the horse pool. It's working! Roger goes in the water with him and works his muscles.

 

Roger took me down to meet him. This camel is a very gentle and sweet creature and he has a lot to say. I got to pet him so I could take his smell back to Winslow in the car. We didn't want to scare him, so I didn't bring Winslow down to meet him. When we were leaving, that camel started talking. I opened the window for Winslow to hear it. He was really excited.

 

Winslow has seen goats and horses but never a camel. When the camel is feeling a little better, maybe I will be able to take him for a closer look. Won't it be just my luck that Winslow will be best friends with the camel. I can see it now... play dates and swims with his best buddy, Indy, the camel. Next Winslow will be wanting to take toys and treats for him and inviting him to spend the weekend.

 

Craig called after we got home. Winslow was so glad to hear from him.

 

Winslow helped me pack the coats for Brody. He told me to send all of them, but I only sent 2.

 

I put a bunch of new pillows on the bed and Winslow has a new position. The 'half roach'. Propped up on the pillows with the hind leg in the air and head dangling off the bed. He's worn out. Probably dreaming about the camel.

 

Glynis

 

 

 

 

[Guest luckydog]

Love those pics of the camel. As I was reading the post about him/her, I was thinking to myself "we must get pics of that camel" and voila! there they were!

[Burpdog]

November 15, 2007

 

Hi Diane,

 

I think Winslow is in love.

He says Cricket is a real cutie! He says she's a real 'pin up girl' in that life jacket! Says she looks real pretty in that blue necklace.. Wants to know if she wants to go out for a swim sometime?...

 

Also says 'Howdy' to his nephew, Aero. (Trying to get points any way he can!-- next he'll be sending flowers and candy)

 

Gotta go... I see the "Burpdog Holiday" screen coming up on the laptop. Hope he doesn't have my credit card.

 

"No Winslow, Daddy does NOT eat Burpdog Biscuits.."

 

Yikes.

 

 

[Aerosmom]

Winslow: You can see me swim anytime! I will send you a more flattering picture of me.

 

Love,

 

Cricket

[Burpdog]

November 16, 2007

 

Good morning Diane,

 

Winslow is on the deck, enjoying the 30 mph winds. He doesn't understand why I don't want to sit outside with him. So, I sit just inside the door while he has his bed outside. We can see each other and I can stay warm while he enjoys "the big outdoor fanny".

 

Craig came home last night, so there will be no web surfing for Winslow today. Although he enjoyed it, I don't want him to become an internet junkie. He did enjoy hearing about the other hounds, helping Brody and making his moves on Cricket.

 

I was reading Carrier's story to Winslow. We both noticed that he is having some of the same chemo issues as Winslow. The metal bowl, for instance. Winslow still cannot eat from a metal bowl. He hates the way it tastes. Also, during chemo, his food tastes changed almost daily. His regular food gave him diahrrea. Stuff he would eat one day, he wouldn't touch the next. Winslow also has to have smaller meals more often. This started during the chemo and continues now.

 

He has a message for Carrier about food, chemo and recovery:

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Hey Carrier,

 

First, leave the grass alone. Your people will get upset if you keep vomiting. You need to keep down whatever you can, so cut the cow act.

 

Now is the best time for you to get table food. Your people will be so happy to have you eat that they will feed you anything! Try some eggs, boiled chicken, ground turkey, and whatever they are eating. You now have carte blanche at the food bowl, buddy, ENJOY! Have you ever had a Burpdog Biscuit? They are heavenly!

 

When you are done with the chemo, you will probably have different food.. I do and I love the new stuff. Make sure you try everything. Trust me, your people will keep trying until they make you happy. If you want to know what I'm eating, it's in my diary, but I didn't get a lot of supplements until after my chemo. My mom believes that anti oxidants aren't good with chemo. During my chemo, I got anything I wanted and I was picky!

 

Those barf pills you have are really good. I took one an hour before eating, the food stayed down a lot better. I took them for about 5 days after each chemo. I never puked.

 

Laser treatments and massage helped me a lot after my amp. A lot of people say acupuncture does too, but I never tried it. Remember to get some exercise, but don't overdo it. You need plenty of sleep, too... (you are still a greyhound).

 

It's a long road, buddy, but you're gonna be just fine. Some things will be different, but we're adaptable, strong, brave AND SPOILED.

Next time you're in Ohio, give Dr. Couto a big wet nose from me!

 

Butt sniffs,

Winslow

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

I'm off to work. I've had a week of camels, girlfriends, and now he's giving advice. WHAT NEXT?

 

Glynis

 

[Guest Hannah]

That camel looks very friendly (for a camel) and I can just picture the play dates

[LadyBailey]

Thanks for the note Winslow - I responded in my thread "Carrier's Progress", cuz it was posted there too. We have a lot of things to teach these people eh? Thanks for the tips.

 

carrier

[Guest Bodie]

Winslow, you have such delightful adventures. I can't wait for the pictures of you meeting the camel.

 

By the way, Bodie says HI! He thinks we ought to form an "amp play group" so you guys can all get together and sniff butt!

[Burpdog]

November 26, 2007

 

Good Morning Diane,

 

How's everything at Casa Burpe? Is Tootsie feeling better? How was Thanksgiving?

 

Here's the update from The House of Winslow:

 

Last Wednesday, went for the weekly swim, as usual. Unfortunately, Indy the camel had a setback and they have started new medication. This is a TBD and it's really hard to treat. Winslow got to see him again, from a distance, but we couldn't get too close. The poor guy didn't look so good. We are wishing him well.

 

Fatso is back up to 79 lbs. He's going to back off on the peanut butter and bananas. (Elvis).

 

Later that day, I drove to Harrisburg and picked up the grandkids. They are really good with Winslow and old enough to know how to respect his space. He was happy to see them. Surprisingly happy. Usually there is a little pouting on Winslow's part because of the loss of attention. Not this time. Hmmm. Maybe he's growing up... or they are.

 

Wednesday night, I found a TICK on Winslow's neck. Although I hate it, I give him Frontline plus because here in VA, the ticks are really bad. I have never found one attached to him. Usually they hitchhike into the house on him and then I either find them running around on him OR on me. I vacuum constantly..Winslow, the bed, the furniture... part of that is tick paranoia. I'm always checking. One of our human neighbors had Lyme disease and nearly died.

DOES IT EVER GET TOO COLD FOR THEM?

 

This tick was firmly ATTACHED to Winslow's neck. I don't think it was there too long because it wasn't fat. I was able to get some fine tweezers in there and uprooted it. After close examination with a magnifying glass, I determined that there were no parts left inside the dog. Winslow was a champ about the whole thing. He just sat there.

 

The very last thing we need is a TBD. I think I'm just going to have them run a tick panel at his next cancer check up in January. Meanwhile I'll be watching for any oddities. Do you have any other suggestions?

 

When he had the malamute foot incident, they did a tick panel and all was well.

 

We went out to dinner for Thanksgiving, but I did cook a turkey breast for Winslow. Surprised?

 

Friday, the family went downstairs to play music. (Craig and they kids all play instruments). Winslow went along. He was dancing around and throwing his toy in the air. It was really funny. They played their instruments and he played the squeaker on his toy. Again, surprising, because Winslow usually doesn't like all the noise. He really wanted to be a part of it. So, the band played on. I envision drum lessons in Winslow's future.

 

Craig and the kids filled the bird feeders and hung them from the deck. Winslow enjoys watching the birds from the kitchen windows. He still spends his mornings out there in the cold... I think he wonders why the birds don't come back while he's out there. He keeps watching for them.

 

So, all is well here. The kids went home yesterday. Craig got to do the 3 AM Jammy jog last night. I'm sitting here by the window, watching Winslow nap in the cold of the deck. He will come in and ask for his egg and then off for his morning snooze on the sofa.

 

Yep, we're thankful.

 

Glynis

 

[Patsy]

Great to hear--scritches all around.

[Burpdog]

November 27, 2007

 

Winslow lost his furry friend From Indi's caretaker (Glynis sent pictures)

 

It means even more to me as Indi died early Sunday morning. Although we don’t know for sure, and the owners elected not to do an autopsy, it was probably due to complications of the infection he had. He was deteriorating over the last week and we started re-treatment for the parasite infection but unfortunately we lost him. It has been a terrible blow to me as I had become very attached to him. Although when we started the therapy the odds were already against him, but we appeared to be making progress but then he slid backwards.

Indi is/was the baby camel......

Edited November 27, 2007 by Burpdog

[Guest SYMBASMOMMY]

Godspeed sweet Indi....

 

Kisses for Winslow...

[Burpdog]

December 4, 2007

 

Hi Diane,

 

Thanks for the card!

 

I was web surfing with Winslow yesterday.

 

 

We usually read some stories on GT and I allow him to watch a few youtube videos. Not too many videos. They're a special treat. We were very happy to know that Tootsie and Huston are doing well. Winslow sends them both big butt sniffs. They probably won't want to reciprocate. Whew!

 

I don't know if it's the canned food or the eggs, but now that our windows are closed it's pretty bad here. Some nights I wake up and I would swear my eyes are on fire. Winslow has always been rather stinky during the night and I'm not sure it's any worse than usual, or just seems it. I'm going to check into the prozyme. He's getting so many supplements now that I hate to add another, but it may be a matter of survival for Craig and me. He gets daily yogurt, always has. Doesn't do it. Any suggestions? I can't change his food and he insists on the daily egg. It's a ritual. I've already thought of gas masks but they would be uncomfortable to sleep in.

 

Winslow has a new job. Last week we hung the bird feeders on the deck. Today, the squirrels found them and were trying to break in.

 

 

Winslow went out there and chased them away. Then he went for his outside nap as usual, but he kept a watchful eye on those bird feeders. Oddly, the birds aren't afraid of Winslow if he's out there asleep. He likes to watch them and now he protects them from those evil squirrls. When he came back inside, he spent some time watching for the little monsters from inside the house.

 

Winslow needs things to engage his mind. I try to keep him busy. This is going to be another good project for him during the winter. He's not at all interested in the birds but he knows the squirrels aren't supposed to do that. I put peanuts out downstairs for the squirrels, but Winslow can handle those rogues that want the birdseed. We do try to take care of the wild critters around here but it's Winslow territory and he'll have to monitor the behavior.

 

I found a 35lb. bucket of Safe Paws Ice melter...( I know you don't have a lot of weather in Texas, but you are in touch with people who do) 49.95 and 8.95 for shipping. I found it through Amazon.com! It's a good savings since our Petsmart gets about 17.00 for 8 lbs of it. I use a lot of it on all those stairs. It's non toxic to Winslow and works well.

 

I have always tried to keep him away from the chemically treated roads. Since he won't wear any kind of boots I really have to be careful about his feet. We put mushers wax on them before he goes out to protect his pads and I clean them with baby wipes when he comes in. We managed to keep his feet in good shape last year and I'm hoping for the same results this winter. It's always a struggle, but we don't want to live in the basement again!

 

We are happy to say that things here are uneventful. That's always good. Winslow had his swim last week and he is less than thrilled with the heated water (65 degrees). He doesn't like that or the steam that comes up because the building is not heated. He was a little reluctant, but swam anyway. I hope he gets used to it. He really loves his swim. Tomorrow, we go again.

 

Winslow noticed that Indi was gone. I explained it all to him. He really tried to comfort Roger, who is devastated.

 

Good news: He did 13 double laps and his weight is a perfect 78 lbs.

 

Today Winslow is working on his holiday greeting cards. He usually does them every year. We missed it last year because he was really sick. The holidays were cancelled completely for us. This year, we celebrate. Attached are his Hannukah cards. The first in his holiday series.

(Maybe some of your pack is Jewish and didn't tell you?).

 

Glynis

 

 

 

 

 

to which I should reply:

 

cut the yogurt, add acidollphilus and install an exhaust fan I'm sure at least Mizzy is Jewish. Maybe they all are.....

[turbotaina]

Aw - I was just thinking about Winslow this morning. Glad to see an update.

[Burpdog]

December 5, 2007

 

Hi Diane,

 

As I was driving 85 miles in a snowstorm with the window down this morning, I had to keep thinking just to keep from freezing.

 

I joke about Winslow's heat issues, but I wonder how many people are giving pain meds to dogs who have developed something like this? I figured out what was going on last winter when Winslow wanted to be outside in the cold, but was panting whenever he was inside. When I started treating him like he was hot and NOT LIKE HE WAS IN PAIN, it worked. I have had him tested for all kinds of stuff and all was negative. I have asked Dr. Couto as well as my regular vet and oncologist. Nothing. We gave up and accepted it as part of the "new normal".

 

Please tell anyone who has mysteriously panting dogs to offer them something cold before pain pills. Feel their feet and inside their ears.

It would be really sad to medicate a dog or send one to the bridge because their people mistakenly thought they were in some kind of terrible pain! Winslow had cancer. This panting could have easily been misdiagnosed as pain. Fortunately he was very articulate about seeking cold and I knew a person who had chemo and said since then she's always been really HOT. Winslow doesn't run a fever. He just gets hot, like summer.

 

Now, here's what happened at the pool. It was snowing. The pool was heated. Winslow insisted on taking a pee break outside as usual. He got out there in his life jacket, soaking wet and ROLLED IN THE SNOW. He stood up, shook, and did a huge happy dance. He was jumping around and dancing and falling down and getting up. Finally we went back inside and he swam a few more laps and then was ready to go home. His ears were warm and he HATED that heated water. I gave him longer breaks between laps and reduced the laps to 7. He wants to go into the water, but doesn't like it once he's there.

It takes so long to heat it, Roger can't turn it off for him. I gave him a cooler shower and brought him home. Closed windows in the car, but no heat. Winslow was not cold. I was.

 

I'm going to keep spacing his laps and taking him outside for a "chill" between. He seems to really need that if he continues swimming in the warm water. I want him to have his exercise and he obviously needs it. It seems to be the only way.

 

He went out after he was totally dry and had a good romp in the snow. No jacket. When we came in, of course, a bowl of ice. It's 65 degrees in my house and Winslow is licking ice, in front of the fan. He's happy and will likely fall asleep for the rest of the day. If I turn off that fan, he will get up and start panting and whining in front of the fan.

 

Winslow's thermostat is broken. Nobody knows why and they don't know how to fix it. In the big picture, it's a small price to pay for his overall health, but I seriously doubt he's the only one with this problem.

 

Glynis

 

[NeylasMom]

How odd that the change is so extreme too? Thanks for the continued updates Diane. I think this thread may go down in history as the best one ever to appear on Greytalk, at least for the number of laughs and heartwarming moments it provides. I love the "bight the menorah" card, too bad I'm not jewish or I'd insist on glynis making me a set.

[maximum]

Winslow -we all know you're hot stuff, you can turn off the heat now so your mom doesn't melt! What a character- Winslow, you're one of a kind :kiss2

[Burpdog]

December 10, 2007

 

Hi Diane,

 

I've attached some photos of Winslow in his new collar. He's been prancing about the neighborhood, showing it off to everyone. We made some gift bags for the neighborhood dogs. Winslow needs to spread a little Peace and Goodwill to those he growled at all year. They all get a toy and some Burpdog biscuits. That should do it. He'll still growl at them, but maybe they'll overlook it.

 

I've also attached a video of the scratchie, which I find funny because I'm now so well trained. This has become a daily event. I think we have crossed the final frontier when it comes to Winslow's rehabilitation. I am officially the companion person for a dog with disabilities. Does this mean I can ride the bus with Winslow? Go into restaurants with him? Do the people who certify therapy dogs also certify therapy humans? Where do I sign up? Maybe I should be wearing the collar.

You may not want to post this. Others might not find it as funny as I do.

 

Gotta go. His majesty has requested that I have extra heavy tint put on the sunroof of his car. Says he gets too hot back there. Picky picky.

 

Glynis

 

 

Glynis:

 

I think the video shows just how well you are coming with your training!

 

Diane

 

 

 

 

[turbotaina]

OMG - I love the scratching!

[Lilysmom]

Hi sweet boy......you are simply an amazing hound! Heck I thought Lily and Marx had their humans trained but I was wrong, Glynis, he has got you wrapped around his paw

 

I just love reading updates.

 

 

[LadyBailey]

Love it!!! His face at the end.. is like, "Hey, where are you going?"

 

 

[Bevd]

I love Winslow

 

My gang wish Winslow and his people a happy Chanuka (as we spell it in this area!). My gang are half jewish and the want a dreidle (not that I ever learned to spell that one)

[greylyn]

That is the sweetest thing I've seen in ages! Winslow, you're an inspiration and your new collar is beautiful!