The vet took x-rays and found that the lump we are feeling is simply arthritis from an old injury and ACL surgery. What an absolute relief. Jackson is almost 10 so a little arthritis is not unexpected. For now his discomfort is mild and intermittent so no real intervention is needed yet other than some supplements and the occasional Rimadyl.

I can’t help feeling as though one of these days my luck will run out and we will receive The Diagnosis and it will be time to say good-bye. But for the time being, I will hug him close and throw his toy and breathe the biggest sigh of relief.

After laying around all day Saturday, yesterday afternoon and all day today she has been absolutely wild, clearly feeling better, so I was not surprised to find out that the stone had moved. I am starting to call her my little Timex dog–she takes a licking and keeps on ticking. And as small as she is, her courage knows no bounds and her determination is resolute. I have learned to never count her out. She proves that being tough has absolutely nothing to do with one’s size. And I, for one, am inspired by that.

We took her to our regular vet first thing the next morning and found out that the stone itself is actually quite tiny—only 2 to 3 mm—and they completely expect her to pass the stone no problem once it gets to her bladder.  Her kidney function is fine and her electrolyte levels are normal. So they are giving her IV fluids to try and help flush the stone through. The stone has moved a little bit, but it is a slow process and right now, it looks like at least 2 to 3 days longer.

To review, Dixie has had 3 surgeries, and has been catheterized twice since last October—her bladder was flushed just two weeks ago and 8 small stones were removed at that time. She has calcium oxalate stones, which are notoriously hard to treat and often reoccur. Although uncommon in females, it is a known issue in Yorkshire terriers. And, as I understand it, in canines, the stones normally form in the bladder, so it is again unusual that this stone formed in the kidney. Information about these stones is readily available but beyond conflicting.

Trying to determine the correct course of action is worse. I feel as though I am negotiating an emotional landmine and there are no easy answers. Her quality of life is the most important consideration, but nearly impossible to sort out. This isn’t a life-threatening condition, just painful, and the condition can be easily managed through surgery… which is clearly not ideal. Unfortunately, I need to be realistic about the resources we have available and the health and needs of the rest of the pack. I have no idea how this will all turn out, but I do know that unbearable decisions lie ahead in the coming days and weeks.

Dixie shows off the spring in her step… OK, yes, that was a really lame attempt at a pun. But it is true that Dixie is happier than I have seen her in years. She has had 3 stone-free X-rays since February’s surgery. Her energy level is through the roof. And we couldn’t be happier.

When Jackson came out of anesthesia, I was reminded of the famous David After Dentist video. I’m quite sure that he would have asked “is this real life?” if he could speak. When I first saw him, his head was on a vet tech’s lap. I started speaking to him and he couldn’t figure out how to move his head the other way to look me. He seemed to be able to move his body in only one direction. Eventually he figured out how to move his head, but coordinating even 2 of his limbs proved difficult. Although he was laying down, he managed to get his legs twisted together and smack his head on the floor. His poor little tongue was caught between his teeth, but thankfully he didn’t actually bite his tongue. It took awhile for him to gain contol of each one of his limbs and then to be able to coordinate the movement of all of them at once. And for the first time, I understood where the dad was coming from in that famous video. Prior to this incident, when I watched it, I felt sorry for the kid and was somewhat in disbelief that the dad was laughing and videotaping it. And then. I’ll admit, I was cracking up while Jackson was coming to. Yeah, that’s right, the whole thing was my fault and then to top it off, I had the nerve to laugh at his misfortune. Just call me Pet-Mom of the Year.

It’s been a long, long couple of days without toys.

Dixie went to the vet tonight for follow up x-rays. She is presently stone free! We got the results from her last surgery and the stones were the same type as before, calcium oxalate stones. We have switched her to the wet food option and we are hoping that this will help. The wet food insures that she will take in more water than she would normally. This means her urine is more diluted which hopefully discourages the oxalates from sticking together. So fingers crossed, this trend continues. We made an appointment for 6 weeks out this time, and we will see. Beginning about 24 hours after the re-suturing surgery, Dixie has like been a brand new dog. She seems to feel better than she has in a long, long time and we are thrilled.