Date: Wednesday, December 08, 1999 12:11 AM
Prayers are in great need for my 7 and a half week old Lhasa Apso puppy. I just returned from the vet, he is being started on IV and may not survive the night. Cause of illness is unknown and happened quickly. 

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Date: Wednesday, December 08, 1999 8:07 AM
At 7:30am this morning I called the vet and the tech took his temp while I was on the phone (I have known her since she was real young). His temp is down to 104.2. He is 'in and out' so I am going to visit him.

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-----Original Message-----
Date: Wednesday, December 08, 1999 11:49 AM
I went to visit Chakotae and sat on a stool with him in my lap, 'cupped' in my T-shirt like I do at home when I am on the computer. This way it is something familiar to him. He has his IV.

His update isn't good. His temp is still high but holding at about 103. Right now, he is blind and deaf, not eating or drinking. He just slept on my lap while I talked and pet him. He is non-responsive. He did 'wake' to whine and get squirly so I put him in the kennel and he piddled after doing circles. He is real ataxic at this point and struggling. After he went pee, he layed back in my lap. I stayed and hour and a half. A full blood panel is being done today. I will go back and cuddle him again this afternoon.

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Date: Wednesday, December 08, 1999 11:42 PM

At this time, it is diagnosed he had a grand mal seizure the first night, no hope for him but he made it through the night  This morning he just layed in my lap for an hour and a half at the vet's office, except to wake up to piddle, then back to nap. His held is usually tilted to the left.  In the afternoon he was really restless and whining terribly when I arrived, so I held him until he calmed down and he went right to sleep.  At about 6 tonight I brought him a blankie from the house, a toy and a coop cup so he did not spill his water. He has gone blind and is deaf at this time. We hope for this to reverse if he progresses. His temp is holding at 103. I did, however, get him to eat some kibble tonight and they removed the IV for the night because he does "circling" to the left repeatedly and wraps himself up in the IV cord. After he ate a few kibbles he went right to sleep. He will be 8 weeks old on Saturday. I took him the blanket off the bed because he slept in bed with me most of the time. He is a special pup.  It's another ~long~ night for me with a lot of prayers for him to pull through another night. The blood panel should come back tomorrow and more tests are due back next week. Right now, it is one day at a time.

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Date: Thursday, December 09, 1999 12:31 PM
Distemper was 'thought' of in this case, but we are stumped as to how he could have come into contact with it. None of the dogs here have traveled and the pups were not vaccinated yet.  I have to wait for the test on Distemper to come back but they are leaning more towards hydrocephalus at this time.  He is being kept in the cat ward to be safe.  I wish the Distemper test came back quicker. The other 4 pups in the litter are doing really great so far. No signs of anything.  This is very confusing. A long waiting game.  They had been wormed twice already. The 4 remaining pups are still doing great and no signs of anything at this time, playing, running, barking, etc.  One side note: The dam of this litter became very ill for an unknown reason 6 weeks into her pregnancy. Several tests were done with no results. It took her 3 days to recover so this may have effected this pup in some way. Now it is just a waiting game. There was a slight response in his pupils today, but still blind, hope is there.
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Date: Thursday, December 09, 1999 12:41 PM
Today is day 3, he is slowly improving and ate a few more kibbles this morning at my visit with him. His IV is removed at this time. He still only goes to the left so he gets 'confused' if he gets stuck in a corner with only a right 'opening'. He loves to just rest and nap in my arms with me when I get there, he certainly recognizes me and relaxes.  He has difficulty chewing and swallowing but does OK and gets some food down.  The blood panel is back with inconclusive results as expected. The pups have not been vaccinated yet and never been outside nor have the other dogs here been off the property, but we did a Distemper test anyway. Distemper is not common here on the island but I am doing everything to rule out anything.  Right now, preliminary 'diagnosis' is a neurological disorder, possibly Hydrocephalus.

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Date: Friday, December 10, 1999 1:23 PM
I went in to visit Chakotae this morning. His IV is completely removed now and he was getting a bath. I blow-dried him and played with him for a bit.  I am setting up the bedroom for him to come home at 3:30 today.  Eyesight and hearing is still gone, but we have hopes.

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Date:  Friday December 10, 1999  4 PM

Home from the vet.  Gets prednisone (1/4 tablet) twice a day for 5 days, then once a day for 5 days and then every other day.  He is also getting antibiotics (1/8 of a 480mg tablet) called Sulfa Trimethoprim  for 10 days.  He is lethargic, very thin (skinny), no sight, circles constantly to the left.  He recognizes noone, not even his mother, he just bumps off her in his circling pattern.  Bumping off walls, etc.

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Date:  Saturday December 11, 1999

I hand fed him canned food mixed with dry kibbles and he ate about 10 kibbles, seems to have trouble chewing and keeping food in his mouth, keeps held tilted.   I showed him his water and he took a lap.

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Date: Sunday, December 12, 1999 8:08 PM
Chakotae came home on Friday. He didn't eat or drink the first two days but I had fed him a few kibbles last night, he is still trying to chew and falls over when he does or the kibbles fall out of his mouth.  He is still circling to the left a lot, but has made some right hand turns.   Sometimes I watch him start in a really wide circle and get so small he goes so fast I get dizzy and have to re direct him!!!! It is going to be a lot of rehab and time, but if it is hydrocephalus, he may not live long, it could worsen or he may never improve. Or.......maybe it will get better....... If we need to find him, we just listen to him, he usually 'bumps' the walls behind the water bed on his 'rounds' around the room.  This morning when I woke up he was lying next to his food bowl eating by himself, then wobbled over to his water bowl and took a few laps of water.  I was proud of him.  Circling Left about 70% of the time.

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Date: Monday, December 13, 1999 9:35 PM
Yes, I do plan to keep him. I had originally picked him out as a show pup.  He is so very handsome and represents his breed structurally well. Of course, that is not going to happen now, but we will make accommodations for him for the life span he does get to have and love him as a beloved 'pet' in our home.  He may live a few days, he may live a year, I will accept all the time given as a blessing.  This litter was unfortunately born with a poor immunity (we are finding out now) and has been a real challenge. He is the only one that we know of at this time affected with hydrocephalus and of course, we are still awaiting more test results.   At this time, I have no intentions of placing any of the puppies in this litter for several more weeks. His sire is being neutered tomorrow morning and his dam in a month. Their bloodlines are fantastic but mamma was sick for an unknown reason 6 weeks into her pregnancy and this is thought to have affected the immunity of the pups born. I won't take any chances on this happening again

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Date: Monday, December 13, 1999 9:43 PM
All blood tests have come back good on the liver and kidneys, the vet feels confident it is hydrocephalus. I am still awaiting more test results due back soon and he is being medicated here at home right now. There is a lot more info I got from the vet on this litter today that is finally piecing this all together.

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Date:  December 15th, 1999

Chakotae seems to respond to shadows (he goes faster in lit areas) and may possible hear loud noises or could be responding to vibrations.  We are not sure yet.  Finding water on his own and drinking, finds food and eats (prefers Gaines burger right now).  Left Circles 60% of the time.

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Date:  Sunday, December 19th, 1999.

Chakotae eats his first dog biscuit.  He puts it between is front feet and chews it into small pieces.

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Date: Monday, December 20, 1999 2:03 PM
This little Lhasa monster has a strong will and a big heart!!   He is now able to walk a little straighter a lot of the times but still does circles a lot and for most of the morning (starting at 3am) he has been expressing his voice with barking!!! It has been an exciting week.  Every night I put him on the bed with me and play with him and cuddle, but he doesn't know his own strength and bites very hard!  I am listening to him now barking at himself in the room.   It's a nice noise to hear from the little guy!

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Date:  Friday, December 24, 1999

More improvements and weight gain.  He is given a variety of foods to choose from and prefers the soft chewy foods.  His spine is still 'roached' but he has a full belly and normal stools.  He circles less (down to 20%) and less often bumps off the walls.  He seems to be compensating for things around him.  Seems to circle most when confused about his surroundings and is getting to know his current surroundings very well.

We brought him into the office with us today and he recognized his dam, pulled her hair and ears, climbed on her and really acted as though he was a 'normal' puppy again.  He growled and even barked in her direction to play.  She played and cleaned him.

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Date: December 26, 1999

On the 23rd, we bought Chakotae a new bed and today he was in it, exploring and 'bouncing' around, being a 'puppy'.

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Date: December 28, 1999

This morning Chakotae was slow moving and was given his prednisone early.  He discovered the chewy chickens in the Kibbles and Bits food and picked them out to eat them.  By the afternoon, he seemed to be feeling better and got his first face trimming and combed out.

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Date: Wednesday, December 27th, 1999

Distemper test results were negative.

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Date: Tuesday, January 4, 2000

A lump was found under his right side of the neck under his ear.   Upon closer examination there was one of both sides, seemed to be a gland swollen but don't hurt him and he is growing at his pillows, plays tug-o-war and is growing.  He circles rarely, usually before piddling.

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Date: Friday, January 7, 2000

Today Chakotae had a vet visit and the lumps were diagnosed as his glands containing fluid from his brain.  Apparently there is possibly an infection (or just the fluid from the disease) in his brain and this is draining into these two glands only.  His treatment is antibiotics (1/8 of a 480mg tablet) called Sulfa Trimethoprim  for 10 days again.   Possibly longer if the glands do not shrink in size.  This may be a normal effect from the disease.

I can't begin to tell the improvements he has made throughout this time.  He acts like a normal pup, doesn't let his blindness or deafness slow him down and we have not seen any seizures either.  At the vet office he used his working senses to note where the walls were without actually running into them and he seems to use his feet like a walking 'stick'.

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Date:  Saturday, January 29, 2000

Chakotae was out with his siblings in the living room for a few hours, he adjusted to the area very well and did not seem bothered by all the sniffing to see who he 'was'.  He got his belly and inside of his legs shaved as they seem to get the dirtiest as he does lay in his piddle sometimes.  He also got his feet and nails trimmed but still doesn't like having the hair around his eye trimmed.   This is going to take more time to adjust him to.

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Keeping tabs on the vacuum hose for mom!

Date: Friday, May 5, 2000

Chakotae is a lively little dog.  He occasionally still circles and his prednisone has increased to 1/2 tablet every other day due to his growth! He is normal sized for a Lhasa Apso puppy his age.
We are very proud of this little guy. He was taken to the vet for a check up and an ultrasound but his fontenel had closed so this procedure was unable to be performed.   The only tests
available now are an MRI or CT scan and we have chosen not to pursue them at this time. He eats his gravy canned food, gaines burgers and Eukanuba Lamb and Rice for Puppies.   He is given a variety to choose from daily in order to keep his interest in eating.   Every night he gets a bowl of canned mixed with dry and fresh veggies. He is still blind and deaf and this is not expected to change, but he has compensated for such and has his daily antics of pulling blankets off beds, flipping his food bowl of dry kibbles and playing with his chewies. His favorites toys are beef covered rawhides, he was actually chewing on one!!!  This was a huge improvement.  He knows each person by smell and wags his tail at everyone he knows, he loves the outdoors on sunny days, doesn't bump into fencing and uses his feet at 'walking sticks'. He knows where his bed is under my daughter's bed and loves it. He still plays in his water bowl about 2-4 am, just one of his 'habits'. This boy is a true miracle story and we are proud to have kept him through this.
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Date: Saturday May 13, 2000

Chakotae took his last 'peaceful' breath at 4:15 pm while in my arms.  His weight was 7.61 pounds. He will be cremated and kept with us forever. I just wish he knew how much it hurt to say my 'Good-byes' to him. May God rest his soul and he be freely running and playing at Rainbow Bridge with all his hearing and sight.