Hopper Update

HI all! So Hopper is doing great! We finally got rid of her UTI after a small surgery to fix her "hooded vulva". Somehow this was caused during some of her treatments and thus causing the bacteria to be flushed out as it might be in normal circumstances. I have to share the photo of her backside post-surgery.



Since then - she's all good. We've been doing chemo for the last 6 or 7 months and she seems to be completely back on track. We even went to the beach and she was running through the waves...it was truly a beautiful sight.





I just continue to hope that she doesn't relapse and thank all of my friends and family for the support. It's been such a long road, but I feel like we're finally back to before this all happened.

So Much Pee

It only took a couple of weeks for Hopper's hair to grow back almost completely. She was starting to act pretty normally - considering. The prednisone was making her ravenous and making her pee...often. Luckily I was able to take her to work with me and the antibiotics seemed to regulate the peeing a bit more. I still wasn't quite sleeping through the night - with a wake-up at least once a night for a bathroom run. But there was definite improvement. Finally with the frequent peeing starting to wear on me - and the inability to leave her alone for two hours - I invested in Pup Grass. Once I un-housebroke her and she was able to use it, life started getting a little easier. Too easy - fate would say. I finally was able to leave the house with the Pup Grass on my balcony and I went to a museum with my friend. When I returned home there was an empty pill bottle on the ground and a puppy with a belly ache. She has somehow opened the drawer on my coffee table and eaten 10, to my best count, doggy IB Profens. They had smelled like beef and she had been so ravenous from the Prednisone, it was apparently irresistible. Not to mention, in hind sight I realize that the drawer in my coffee table is not the best place for medicines. This earned us an overnight stay in the hospital. Another unexpected financial burden, but she was taken good care of. The worry was that since the Prednisone was already harsh on her organs, this could definitely make it worse. It wasn't a fatal dose - thank goodness - but enough to cause some serious damage if not taken care of properly. So much regret on my end. But in the end, she came through that okay. This was just not my year.

When I finally took her back for another urinalysis, I got more bad news. ANOTHER urinary tract infection. More antibiotics and more putting off the chemo. We treated this for two weeks and then another urinalysis. And again with the UTI. This time one that was resistant to many antibiotics. So she was put on a stronger one, with more risks for side effects. And side effects we got. And we decided we couldn't put off the chemo anymore. More on this later! I must go to work now. (And I'm waiting once again to hear about yet another UTI and I'm nervous and can't focus on this!) TBC!

Finally An Answer

After two days of her being in the hospital, they had pretty much figured out what was going on with Hopper. They had done an MRI and seen inflammation in the brain. In the portion that controlled her motor skills, no less. The blood tests showed elevated levels of white blood cells - pointing to the immune system. Auto-immune encephalitis.

When I went in to visit her, she had a shaved head and belly. They brought her in on a stretcher and she had an IV in her arm.




She was not happy! They discussed with me that it is an emotionally turbulent disease, and I was already feeling the effects. Not an exciting time.

They told me there's a chance the medicines would not work. I stayed pretty hopeful and visited everyday. Much to my excitement - she seemed to improve every day I went to see her. Which was everyday. Luckily I worked close to the hospital and took extended lunches for the week she was in the hospital. She finally got to a point where I could handle her with the sling and she was ready to go home! It was an exciting time. I thought it was nearly over.

Not true.

The doctors decided the best course of long-term treatment was predinsone with a low dose chemotherapy for a few months to reduce the immune system.

Since there was a high risk of relapsing with this disease, we wanted to start as soon as possible. With her improving every day, I was hopeful.

We went in to get pre-chemo blood work done and when we left I noticed she was having to use the bathroom pretty frequently. When I got her back to work, she was going every 10 minutes and work was impossible. I called the vet and they said urinary tract infection. Ugh. With the predisone, her immune system was weakened and she was susceptible to these. I took her in and got an urinalysis. She tested positive and the chemo was postponed. We didn't want to do the antibiotics while we were doing chemo since the two would end up fighting each other. The first setback. She'd be on the antibiotic for 2 weeks. Then another before we tested her urine.

Things were starting to get complicated.

Hopper

Hopper is also known as an Australian Shepherd/Black Lab mix, a 5 year old, and as the sweetest dog to ever live. I've had her since she was 7 months old and we've been through a lot together. She was abused and has still not quite gotten over it, but is doing so much better today than when I first got her. She's really my BFF!

Recently she was diagnosed with a terrible disease called autoimmune encephalitis. The medical-savvy may need no further explanation, but encephalitis is basically inflammation in the brain. For Hopper, it is her immune system doing the attacking.

I searched high and low to find someone who was going through a similar experience so could know what to expect - have someone to relate with - but found little to no first-hand experience of the occurrence in dogs.. So I really wanted to tell my story and maybe someday someone will search "Dog encephalitis" and land here and find a friend to tell them what to expect and hear a story of (hopeful) success.

This all began in January of 09. She woke me up one morning whining beside my bed. She looked as if she wanted to jump up but couldn't seem to do so. When I stood up, she also stood up and started to walk. It was then I noticed a considerable limp in one of back paws. My first instinct was something stuck in her paw. I had her lay down and and looked but saw nothing. I gently squeezed up and down her leg and she seemed to wince a little around her elbow. Calm, but worried, I called the vet. They said she should come in.

I literally throw on clothes and go out the door and already it seems a little worse. She can't really jump in the car, so I help her and am surprised she lets me. Then I was getting worried. She's very independent and does not like help like that usually. We get to the vet and she gets out of the car okay. Still a little wobbly. On the slick floor in the vet's office, she slides a lot. I had noticed a little of that the week before, but hadn't thought much of it thinking that the bottom of her paw had lost a little grip or something. We see the vet and I tell her that it seemed to be in the knee. They do x-rays but nothing. I am told to rest her.

We go home and the limp seems to get a little worse but I am convinced it's her knee so try and encourage her to rest. The next morning it is unmistakable. There is a limp in both of her hind legs. I call the vet and they say come in immediately. We do. We're the first ones in the office that morning and they come and help her out of the car. At this point she's unable to get in or out by herself. I am told that it seems neurological. They think stroke. I panic a little. They explain to me that dogs recover from strokes a lot better than humans and that she needs rest and it will most likely get better in 24 hrs. If not, there's an emergency pet hospital I should take her to. It was so hard to hear the word "stroke" and not become cold and clammy with fear. I was light headed and hopeful, holding my dog's hind legs with a sling.

We spent the afternoon resting and I was really trying to act as if all was normal, but every time she walked my heart broke a little. I'm known for being overly-paranoid, so when I first saw a little unsteadiness on her front paws, I tried to brush it off. Around 5pm, I knew it was getting worse. She was hardly able to walk. I tried to coax her out of the door, but she could only walk a step or two before falling. I had a sling and was holding her harness, but she gave up walking completely just outside my door. Overcome with as many emotions as I could attempt to write here, I knocked on my neighbor's door and not-so-calmly asked for assistance getting Hopper to my car.

Once we got her there, I called the hospital and told them we were on our way. And she couldn't walk at all. They said they'd have a stretcher ready. A stretcher??! I drove shakily and extremely concentrated. Somehow making it in good time considering the usual LA traffic at that hour. They weren't kidding and come out with a stretcher. Hopper is not happy to be on it, but she takes it like a champ. Oh the woeful glances the dog on the stretcher and the tear-stained face girl get.

They take her back and put me in a stuffy room beside a box of Kleenex. They come in and explain she will have to stay overnight. They aren't sure what it is. Neurological...they say. They can't do an MRI here and we'll need to go to a neurologist tomorrow. $1200 for the night. They make me sign a sheet saying if I'd like to resuscitate her if necessary. Blood drains from my face and the tear stains become a bit larger. MRI...neurologist....$1200...none of this sounds cheap. I have no dog insurance. I have no expendable income to speak of. I had a small savings, (thank goodness), of $3000. And money is only an issue become in big bold letters across my brain is the question...what happens if I can't afford this? And I know the answer. I nod numbly. I have to pay for half here and now and thank goodness for mobile banking. I ask to say goodnight to her. I go in the back where she's in a sad cage. She just looked so sad. I told her I'd be back tomorrow and tried not to let her see me cry. I walked away and she barked. I heard her until I left the building.

The next morning they call and say the doctors checked her out last night and she needs to definitely go to a neurologist. I pick her up and we make the journey across LA to a little place we will soon call a second home. The Animal Specialty Group in Glendale, CA.

They pick her up and out of the car and take me into a room where I am greeted by two doctors. They check her out and then the possible diagnoses begin. Cancer, spinal injury, slipped disc, encephalitis. To name a few. MRIs need to be done. Spinal taps. Possible cat scans. Then the estimate. "Expect to pay $10,000." There was always the option of blindly treating her, but I couldn't stand the thought. I really felt like I couldn't breathe. But they were so nice. The billing manager made a call to my Care Credit to try and get me more credit. I had my American Express. I had a Visa. I said let's do it. She was checked into this hospital, to prepare for her tests the next day. As terrible as it made me feel, I was almost relieved that she would be in the hospital. I live alone. My dog is 75 lbs. The emotional pains were so terrible, but then putting physical pains on top of that was nearly unmanageable. Good hands. They kept saying she was in good hands. And I was alone, except for them, so I believed them and left Hopper with them and tried to lessen the burden I was feeling. Once I committed to paying as much as I needed to until all my credit cards were maxed out, I felt a little relief. Like it wasn't completely hopeless. That was the biggest thing for my mind. The ease of knowing I was committed. The first thing in the whole mess that was set in stone.