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.

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.

On a better note, the vet now believes that he may have missed the stone the first time around. He went back to all the x-rays and thinks that it may have been there the whole time, just in a difficult spot to see on the x-ray. This is actually good news because this means that her body may not be making the stones as fast as previously thought. If that is true, we may be able to manage these stones after all.

All research indicates that wet food is a better choice in the case of calcium oxalate stones because it consists of 80% water. The more water she drinks, the more diluted her urine stays, and the less chance the oxalates have of binding together. We have switched her to the wet U/D, and so far, she loves it.

All we can do is take this one step at time and see where it takes us. We are hoping that brings us to a happy, healthy dog with a long future ahead of her.

Dixie in happier times above. Dixie seems to be doing a little better today. She ate a little bit and rested alot. But she admonished the neighbors for being in their own yard, kicked her back legs after peeing, and I even saw her lift her leg while peeing a couple of times. (Both her and Cheyenne do this.) She may only weigh 10 pounds, but she is strong and brave.