So yeah, learning things the hard way...

So lately I've been finding (the hard way, mind you - the hard way being in my bare feet) Scooter's teeth all over the place. That shit really hurts to step on sharp little dog baby teeth. I didn't know dogs lost teeth until now. Common sense would say that they do, but it's never come up before so I've never had a reason to give it any thought until now. (I've never shared quarters with a dog before).

Anyway, and tonight I exploded an egg. Not on purpose, though. It hurt and it was loud. Haha. I won't be doing that again. 😝

The End.

Newest family members (^_^)

Not too much to say... just wanted to post up some pics. Tell me how cute they are. 😁

This is Niq and our newest guinea pig right after having a bath... we haven't named him yet (the black one), though they called him "Big Perm" at the pet store. 😂

This is Testiclees (the proud papa) with two of the babies. I didn't know this until recently, but the dad gerbil will do everything for them (aside from nursing them) that the mom will do, too. So far I think he's been a good helper; I've seen him fluff up the nest to keep them warm and run down to check on them lots of times. I like that... they're a little family. 😍

This is Blondie (the mama), with two of the babies. She's chewing up a toilet paper tube to go in her nest. This morning one of them got too far away from the nest so she picked it up by the leg and carried it back. I know she didn't hurt it, but it was funny to see.

This is Cleo, (who was Blondie's roommate before they came to live with us, btw - we didn't name either of them... the girl who gave them to us did). Anyway, this is Cleo snoozing on her back with babies piled up on her. *sigh* She looks so comfy I kind of wish I was a gerbil...

And this is Cleo and the babies again... it's really neat how everyone pitches in to help out (they all check on the babies and try to keep them warm and stuff). So as far as we know there are only four... but yesterday we thought there were only three, so... we don't really know how many are in there. Put it this way - four is the most we've seen at one time. 😄 Anyway, there you go. 😊

I'm a manly man...

Shadow and school seem to be going fine - he likes his teacher and so do I... But I'm not very fond of the Saks Elementary School yet because they don't appear to be very concerned with letting parents know what they need (or giving the parents any information, either). I don't dig a lack of communication between myself and the system that is supposed to be educating my kid... and I definitely don't dig being treated as though I'm stupid for not just magically knowing everything. But that's not going to stop me from doing whatever it is that I need to do in regards to Shadow's education and well-being.

Speaking of Shadow:  He got his head pretty much shaved the other day. He's been wanting to look more like his Uncle Cade and Nick. That made him REALLY happy... he got in the shower to wash the hair off of him singing something with the words "I'm a manly man, I'm a manly man now" in it. Haha. He's so funny. I love that kid. I'd like about five more right now. (Was I kidding? You decide.)

Anyhoo, that's it for now. *LOVE*

Ups and downs; some fucked up shit.

As the title implies things are hectic right now. Scooter's doing better... he actually wanted to play a little last night. That made me happy because that means he's feeling a bit better. Unfortunately, as soon as something good happens something bad must balance it out, it seems. Well, things are not THAT bad (I'm in a terrible mood so please pardon my negativity), but I'm pretty stressed and disappointed and frustrated. So here's what's going on now:

• Yesterday, I got pulled over and ticketed for running a stop sign I didn't even know I'd ran. That makes twice in about a week's time that I've been stopped... the other time I was driving too slow. (Thankfully, no ticket for that one.) Oh, and one of the officers was kind enough to point out that my license is expired...

• When we got home from work ants(!) were devouring our crickets.  (We've been attempting to raise our own because some of our animals eat them and that way we don't have to buy so many).

• Our hours being cut at work is super NOT a good thing. I was already stressed about that before Scooter got sick (which was - as you all know - a terribly stressful event in itself).

• And finally, I'm going to have to cancel Scooter's welcome home thing today because due to the situation I'm about to explain I have no time left in my day for it. I am extremely disappointed - as I was really looking forward to the company. I'm really sorry if I've inconvenienced anyone and hopefully we can get together soon.

So here is my next big problem:

School starts tomorrow and Shadow's not even registered. I tried last week on one of my off days to go get that done and the principal gave me a bunch of paperwork to do and a list of documents he needed and told me to bring it all back on Tuesday - the day of orientation. One of those documents was supposed to be an Alabama Power bill with my name on it (for proof of residence). I told him that the bill is not in my name (it is in Nick's) and asked him if any other bill or perhaps my mortgage papers would suffice. He said no. WTF? A mortgage isn't proof of residency? He told me to get a letter from the power company. That just doesn't make any damn sense. I told him that I didn't think I could because what could the power company say about me when I'm not even one of their current customers?

Having done everything BUT get a letter from the power company I (with my hopes up) went to orientation with everything else. Let me just say that those people were complete ASSHOLES to me. They wouldn't give me any information about ANYTHING. Finally, someone came out and gave me these papers to fill out and GET NOTARIZED (in place of getting a letter from the power company) and told me I could go home. They wouldn't even assign Shadow a teacher or anything and let him attend orientation. Those papers should have been given to me the other day so that I could have them done! So Shadow missed orientation and I am angry. But it gets worse.

I got home and started reading over those papers. One is for me to fill out and the other is for Nick to fill out. Mine was called an Affidavit of Residency. The second sentence underneath the title read:

"The information will assist the school in determining if the student meets the definition of homelessness."

WHAT? We are not homeless! I read further and got to question #4, which read:

"The student is currently residing with me at the following type of location:  (check only one)

A. in a shelter

B. in a motel / hotel

C. in a car or at a campsite

D. abandoned building, or another location not intended for residence

E. together with another family because the student's family does not have a place of it's own

F. other."

Skipped down to question #6 and it read:

"Since (date)____, our family has not had a permanent home, but we are currently residing within the school district boundaries."

Ok, so I got Nick's paper and looked at it. His was called an Affidavit of Host Resident and had the same second sentence as mine. His also contained such statements as "The child named above and his parent or legal guardian are living in my home because they do not have a place of their own to live."

😠😠😠  THAT'S SUCH CRAP! We are not signing or notarizing anything stating that we are homeless. Not only is that a lie, but that could potentially cause me problems should anyone try to prove me an unfit parent. So I called the school this morning and they said they won't waive those papers - that they HAVE to be filled out or I have to bring them a POWER BILL in my name. That's the dumbest shit I've ever heard... you can have utilities turned on ANYWHERE as long as you have the money for it. I don't understand why they wouldn't take my mortgage papers. To me that would be more proof of residency than anything else.

Well damn that shit. I called the Board of Education this morning and talked to someone over the damn principals head. He said that they CAN use my mortgage papers and to bring a water bill or something else just to have with it. Also, the man I talked to said that he had to come by my house to make sure I lived there. So he's coming over. And I find that weird. But he's helping me out so I won't complain... much. Also, when he called me back to let me know that he would talk to the principal he said that when I tried to go register Shadow again things should go much more smoothly. I like the sound of that.

Unfortunately, I am pissed that these are the type of people I will have to deal with all year and that we've started out on such a bad note. I guess there's not much I can do to change that at this point. I'm not looking forward to seeing them today, but I WILL have to in order to get Shadow registered. Anyway, that is the main reason I'm canceling Scooter's thing... I've just got too much going on AT THE LAST MINUTE and I'm not sure how long it will take.

Again, I'm very sorry if I inconvenienced anyone... and I really do hope to get to see some of my friends soon. Until next time...

Scoot's first day home...

So yeah I got him yesterday and that was good. It was really nice just to have him back in the house with us (even though all he does is sleep, but hey - I completely understand). He still can't walk very well... he staggers and stumbles and falls a lot... I'm not sure if it's the Ivermectin still in him, or if it's from him not really moving all week, or if he can't see (his eyes still look pretty dilated), or if he's just weak from the whole situation, or if it's just a combination of all of those things. He's eating and drinking well, though, and he'll come to me if I ask him to so he's doing much better than he has been. I'm very proud of him for his progress and for being such a fighter. He's such a good boy and I am THRILLED to have him home.

Well, other than that things seem ok. I talked to the vet and they agreed to split the bill down the middle... They said that it wasn't my fault he got sick (ummm, YEAH)... but they said it wasn't their fault either; that they couldn't have known that was going to happen. Nevermind the fact that he obviously looks to be one of the breeds that has trouble with Ivermectin, or the fact that there are simple tests they could do to tell if he was particularly sensitive to it... Apparently, I still wholeheartedly believe that it was indeed their fault, but I'm glad (even if they didn't come right out and say it) that they accepted some responsibility for it.

Well, one more thing and then I'll end this one. For those of you who haven't seen my bulletin - Wednesday after 5:00 there will be a little "Welcome Home Scooter" thing. It's not really planned to be a party (I'm too broke at the moment to throw a party), but anyone who would like to visit him or come by and hang out is welcome to do so. If you are interested send me a message and I'll give you my number and some directions. And thanks again to everyone who has shown so much love and support. I have some of the best friends ever! I'll have to do something great for all of you when I'm less broke, for real.

Love,

Blu

Good News!!!

Well, just like the phone call I received this morning said - Scooter is doing much better. He can eat on his own, but not without making a giant mess. He can also pick up his head, (and even move around some), but not well. He's still trembling and shaking terribly and is not nearly in complete control of himself just yet. But progress is progress and I'm proud of him.

ALSO... (this is the best part) - WE MAY BE ABLE TO BRING HIM HOME TOMORROW!!! It's not definite yet; they want to keep him and make sure he's doing well enough to not be under their care, plus we're going to have to get set up to care for him before we can have him. So here's where it looks like I may need your help again. (I'm so sorry; I'm not usually this needy.)

We are going to have to have a kennel one of the ones with a grate in the bottom and a pan underneath for when he goes to the bathroom since he can't always move out of his own way. We are so broke right now... (for those who didn't know, me AND Nick got our hours cut at work), and we just spent everything we had extra on school supplies for Shadow.  Anyway, if you or anyone you know has one that they would loan us or sell for cheap - PLEASE let us know. We desperately want to bring our fuzzy boy home. Thank you all in advance.

Love, Blu

THE VET JUST CALLED!!!!!

SCOOTER'S EATING BY HIMSELF THIS MORNING!!!!! SHE ALSO SAID THAT HE'S MOVING AROUND BETTER TODAY, TOO!!! I AM SO EXCITED AND I CAN'T WAIT TO GO SEE HIM!!!!! I'LL LET YOU KNOW HOW THE VISIT GOES! I LOVE YOU!!

BLU 😁

Scoot Scoot today...

Of course I went to see him this afternoon. He was sleeping when I got there, but I petted him and talked to him anyway. He ended up waking up and his little body began to jerk around... I suppose that's the way it's going to be for a while, though - at least until that medication gets out of his system. 😟 On the bright side he was blinking his eyes and attempting to look around (I don't know how well he could see - his eyes are still very dilated), and also he licked his nose a time or two. None of those things was he able to do yesterday, so, THANKFULLY, that was more improvement. 😀

Also, the vet mentioned putting a feeding tube in him tonight which would provide him with more nutrition than he's currently getting from his IV. I feel pretty good about that because he's looking puny. (He hasn't eaten anything since Tuesday evening and with as much as he vomited I doubt he kept much of that down.) Anyway, I petted him and loved on him until his spasms calmed and he fell back to sleep. I felt nice knowing that I may have helped soothe him and that maybe our visits really do make a difference. *sigh*

I'm a firm believer that it's the thought that counts so certainly all of that (as well as thoughts and prayers from all of my awesome friends) is helping with his recovery. Well, please don't stop yet - he's gotta hold on until Monday-ish (that's when the medication should FINALLY be wearing off)... and as for now I'm uncertain as to what happens after that. But I will definitely keep you posted.

I love you.
Blu

Just came across these... Go ahead - have a good laugh. :D

Just thought I'd share... It's a nice change of pace from the last few days' postings, at least.

Before Shadow

Possibly shortly after Shadow... *shrugs*
(Btw... I think that spot on my face was from the scanner or something).

Senior portrait; my hair was purple with blue streaks (though you probably can't tell).

Right after high school graduation. Yes, my hair is really green.

More on Scooter...

I went to see him today... again - there was some slight improvement. He's moving around a LITTLE bit on his own... not much, though. He still can't stand up or even pick up his head, for that matter. *sigh* I guess for lack of a better word he scoots around, but he can't move any more than about an inch at a time and it looks like it takes a lot out of him to do so. His eyes are still dilated crazy-huge and his tongue just hangs out all the time so he's covered in snot and drool. Also, he smells like rot since no one's been able to wash him since he vomited all over himself the other day. His body's still jerking a lot and the paw his IV is in was really swollen. They said something had happened to it, but that they fixed it; the swelling just hadn't gone down by the time I'd got there.

Right now the only thing keeping him going is the IV... I suppose it's also a good sign that he's not on any medication other than that. The only thing that still has him in the shape he's in is the Ivermectin I gave him... and like they've said before we just have to hope he holds on until it all gets out of his system. ... Still no more seizures since yesterday and that's also a good thing... Sadly, they are not yet able to say that they think he will make it - only that there is hope for him to.

Today I have felt pretty down, but I haven't cried as much as I have over the last few days. I don't know why that is because I'm still very upset and he's constantly on my mind; perhaps it's the fact that he's improving at all that comforts me. Also, today they said that they're pretty certain that he's becoming more aware of his surroundings... he doesn't move for the most part unless they're doing something to him or someone comes to see him. So I know he hears me when I tell him how much I miss him and that he HAS to get better so he can come home. He'd better be listening to me... at home I was about the only one he'd listen to, anyway. *half smile* I always felt special because of that. Scooter is my buddy. *wipes tears*

... Well, the only other thing I can say about the situation is that it's starting to look like the doctors are trying to make me think he was allergic to that prescription in which case his reaction could not have been predicted - therefore relieving them of liability for what happened. Well I'm not buying it. He has EVERY ONE of the symptoms of Ivermectin Toxicosis which means the medication poisoned him. He was given WAYYY too high a dosage and without being tested for sensitivity first. THEY KNEW that that stuff kills some dogs and THEY KNEW that he was a mutt (therefore they couldn't know what all genes he might carry). I can't help but feel like they are at fault and that makes me angry. The little bald spot on his forehead was not such a big deal that we couldn't have waited for test results before giving him that medication. ... Damn, I feel sick.

Update on Scooter...

I went to see him today after work and he looked about the same. I talked to him and petted him and he blinked his eyes a little... I don't really know if that was the effects of all the meds he's on right now, but I'd like to believe that he knew I was there. The doctor said that he'd had no seizures since this morning and that was a good sign; however, a recovery for him would inevitably be slow (i.e.: weeks), if at all. They've pretty much come to the conclusion that he has Ivermectin Toxicosis, which does basically mean that he was poisoned by the prescription he was given. The symptoms include: dilated pupils, depression, coma, tremors, stupor, loss of coordination, vomiting, drooling, in rare cases seizures, and death.

Right before I got home today I received a call from Animal Medical Center. I hate to admit it, but I was expecting the worst. I answered the phone with my heart pounding and my eyes tearing up. As it turns out, Janie (the lady who's husband found Scooter) wanted to visit him while he was there and the vet just needed my permission. That really made me happy and of course I said it was fine for them to go. I'd been keeping in touch with her via email so she knew what all has been going on. Also... I'm going to throw this in here just because it makes me smile... she has a picture of Shadow and Scooter (the same one from my page) on her kitchen table at home. 😊

Despite all that is going on, at this moment I feel very hopeful. That's probably got a lot to do with all the emotional support and reassurance that all of my friends have been giving me. To everyone here that has offered encouragement and support - I thank you. I desperately need it. The battle my furry little baby is fighting seems to be far from over. 😭 But with friends who offer such reassurance and good will - I feel like anything is possible. Thank you SO MUCH for giving me hope. I truly can't express what everything all of you have done means to me. Thank you, again.

Love, Blu

Oh no! *cries*

So I called the vet this morning to check on Scooter and things are not looking good. He's gone from being "sedated" to being in "a drug-induced coma," and it's changed from him being there "a few days" to him being there "about a week." Also, things have gone from "he'll probably pull of out this" to "there's a good chance he won't make it." I am extremely sad right now... I really miss my boy and I'm so worried about him.

We went and saw him this morning before going in to work and he didn't look too bad. He's not extremely skinny or anything so that made me feel a little better. His tongue was hanging out and he was drooling, but other than that he just looked like he was sleeping heavily.

So, for all of those who have asked and that I haven't been able to give a really straight answer to - here's what's going on:  He's not so much having an allergic reaction to the medication I gave him... it's more like it has poisoned him. Pretty much I (unknowingly) poisoned him. The vet said that some dogs have a gene that makes Ivermectin (his prescription) toxic to them... so much so that only 50 milligrams could kill a dog who has the gene (which is present in some breeds of shepherd). Well Scooter's a mutt, but he definitely has the markings of a shepherd. And I gave him his prescribed dosage - 350 milligrams. I had no way of knowing, but I still feel absolutely horrible. All we can do now is hope that he can hold on long enough for it to work it's way out of his system. *sobs*

Scooter's in the hospital. :(

It all started yesterday, I guess, when he had a check-up appointment to get his booster shots. All of the usual checked out fine - no intestinal parasites, temp was good, growing like he should, etc. Well, about a week ago he started getting this bald spot on his forehead... the fur had just been getting thinner and thinner until it went bald... Anyway, it didn't look serious or anything and I knew he had an appointment coming up so I just decided to wait and let the vet look at it when I took him in for his check-up.

In order to figure out what was going on they had to scrape up the skin on his forehead until it bled a little... they needed enough to look at under a microscope. As it turns out he had some kind of skin mites (which was nothing major at all - the vet said most puppies have them, but not all have problems because of them) and they gave him a prescription to clear them up.

So yesterday evening I gave him his medication about an hour before I went to bed. He seemed fine. But this morning when I woke up the bathroom was COVERED in vomit... I'm talking walls, corners - you name it. (It seriously took about two hours to clean it all up.) But that's not the worst part. The worst part was looking at our little Scooter and realizing that he could not walk - let alone even stand up. He was whimpering and pitifully attempting to push himself over to me with his back legs. His body was jerking and he was drooling. I felt heartbroken.

Immediately I called the vet and told her what was happening. She said that he probably was just stressed out because of the appointment yesterday and that the medication may have upset his stomach. She told me not to give him anymore and try to feed him around noon. Well, I ended up taking him outside so that I could clean the bathroom (but not before he bit me and drew blood). I wasn't mad... in fact I didn't really care. I was just worried about him.

So noon rolled around and I offered him food and water. He didn't even seem to notice my presence at that point. I call the vet back and they said I should probably bring him in. So me and Nick put him in a box (he was still covered in vomit - I didn't dare try washing him after he bit me), and he kept trying to get out. We finally got him to the vet and I asked someone to help me get him out of the car. As soon as the lady picked him up she went straight for the door. When she got inside she said, "I think we have an emergency."

That is the point at which I lost it. I was just standing in the vet office crying my eyes out. A nice lady in a pink jacket comes over and asks what happened to which I responded between sobs, "I don't know," and then she hugged me and told me everything will be ok. She said that I'd brought him to the best place and that made me feel a little better.

Also, the staff was really nice... they said they'd let us know something as soon as they could so I got Nick and Shadow out of the car and we came back in to wait. They offered us all a drink which I thought was a really considerate thing to do seeing as how we were all worried. They were just trying to make us a little more comfortable, I guess. I appreciated that. For anyone who is curious I took him to the Animal Medical Center on Quintard.

When we finally got to talk to someone they told us that they have Scooter sedated (with morphine and something else), and that he has an IV and a catheter and that they'll need to do some bloodwork later. They said that he was having seizures, (I suppose he had been all morning... I feel like a complete jackass for not taking him in earlier), and that it was likely a reaction to his prescription despite the low dosage he was on.

*sigh* They will have to keep him until the seizures subside which could last for a few days, even. I was really glad to hear that the seizures wouldn't cause any permanent damage (I was afraid of that... I know nothing about them). So yeah, if nothing else goes wrong we should have our little Scoot-Scoot back in a few days. I will be so glad.