Hazel's Pit of View

Hi doggie dog frends and humans, it's meez, Hazel!

I'm starting to feel so much better now that I stole da computer from mama.

Can we just agree that last week sucked? Meez felt so bad. My body was hurtin and meez didn't know why. My mama's eyes leaked all of the time so meeez tried to be brave for her. She kept saying to be brave and strong and meez was! Everyone said so.

Meez got to know my new vet more than meez ever wanted to. We had to go to the howspital every day. Meez didn't like being away from my home all day, but the people at my doctor's office were very nice. Everyone told meez what a pretty girl I am. My doctor let meez climbs into her lap and give her hugs. Meez likes to give hugs, even when meez is sick.

I've been in my family now for I don't know how many months cuz meez can't count, but it feels like a long time. Even though meez loves my family and have been a very good dawg if I do say so myself, mama said she felt me still holding back. Holding what??? I herd her tell da daddy that she thought I was still pawtecting my hart a little since meez been hurt in the past.

Something changed. I feel better on the outside; my medicine is helping thank DOG! But my insides changed too. Meez hart feels happy and meez knows I love my family sooooooooo much. My daddy and meez bonded lots. I found out how much he loves meez too when he took such good cares of meez. I have always been close to my girlz but now I know I have da daddy wrapped around my paws too. Hee hee.

Meez has become even more snuggly, and just to make sure nobody feels left out, meez takes turns hugging, kissing, and sleepings with everyones.

I am feeling real good now and can't wait to go on da mountain again with mama. She won't let me yet, but soon if my medicines keep werking. I'm ok with not being able to do the fun outside stuff yet cuz now meez knows that no matter what, my family will always bee heres for meez. They told me that before, but for some reasons I beleeve them now.

Now meez knows that family is forever. I wish I didn't have to feel so bad to figure that out on meez own, but at least I knowz now.

Peace out doggy dogz!
licks and hugz,
Hazel

Hazel Update

It's been quite the week!!! Hazel has spent every day this week hooked up to IV's for fluids and antibiotics. Our Dr was able to get her temp down each day, but it always came back as soon as we took her home in the evenings.

Hugs for sissy after spending a long day at the vet

After numerous tests and x-rays brought no answers, our regular vet was at a loss. I received a scary call on Thursday. Her fever had spiked even higher and I was told to take her to ER for the specialists to take over. We were there for hours. An ultra sound was ordered and we hoped that it would finally reveal the cause of illness. Nope. Nothing.

We waited for hours as specialists reviewed her charts. Calls were made to other doctors, the team worked so hard to try to give us an answer. Finally, our primary dr in charge came in for the last time with a look of defeat on her face. She wanted so badly to give me answer, but once again, nothing. There were very minor abnormalities, but nothing that stuck out. She gave us some options..we could biopsy portions of her liver, spleen, and lymph nodes as a conservative measure, but she recommended exploratory surgery.

I was in no position to make a decision at that point. I was emotionally and physically exhausted, as was my girl. I could not imagine cutting her open when she was in such a fragile state. It was at this time when my fear of losing her came to an all time high. If we were going to do surgery she wanted us to be there the next morning.

We left the office with the intention of discussing it as a family. My wonderful husband is very, very good with all the medical stuff. We didn't feel like surgery was the right option for us as this point.

From everything that we have heard and researched, it was still possible that Hazel could respond to her "fever of unknown origin" with medication and time. We decided to give her the weekend to see if she has made progress. As long as we kept her temp down below 106 they did not feel she was critical. Friday, Hazel's temp was 105.5 so back to our vet we went. She was hospitalized all day, hooked up to IV fluids again, and a new drug that my vet wanted to try. It had a broader spectrum and was quite strong. We were up for anything and gave it the green light.

At this time, I was at a loss. I was so afraid that we would be looking at surgery and still have no answers. I didn't want to put her through that if they were still grasping at straws. I prayed all day.

When we went to pick her up that evening, Dr J came out with a little smile. She told me she was very cautiously optimistic that Hazel was responding to the new drug because her fever was down around 100 and it was the fastest she has been able to get it down. It also remained down even when she reduced the amount of fluids.

We were to take our girl home and take her temp before bed and then again in the morning. I was so nervous to do this because every other time she's come home from the vet, her fever spiked back up.

We were incredibly relieved when her temp was at 100.6 that night, and 100.1 the  next morning. Our vet called to check on her Saturday and was so happy to hear this! So now our plan is to continue the two different meds she is on and hope this does the trick.

It is now Sunday and Hazel is still fever free. She's eating and drinking like a champ, but I'm still guarded. She is still very weak and lethargic, and there's no sparkle or life in her eyes yet.

Though...this brought a big smile to my face.....

 

It's the very first time she has picked up a ball in over a week. It didn't last long, but it's progress!!
Shortly after that I picked up her leash to hang it back in it's proper place. She immediately perked up and sauntered over to the door. She wanted to go out! I didn't want to push her with as weak as she has been, but she has also been cooped up inside a hospital for days, and outside only to potty. I chose to take her lead and took her out front. Our neighbor's old Golden came over to say hello and Hazels tail wagged. She pulled me in the direction that we usually leave on our runs, so again, I took her lead and walked her down just about a block. She wanted to go more but I knew it would catch up to her so I made her come home.

She is currently resting and we are all feeling optimistic. I am praying that our nightmare is almost over. There was a time when I couldn't bear to see her picture, because I was afraid I was looking at life without her and I just couldn't go there. Her daddy has been such a source of strength for us both. He didn't allow me to give up hope and promised we would do everything possible to heal her and get to the bottom of her issues. The thing is, we may never know. If this is it, if she rebounds on these meds, once again, just like many months ago, we will never know what is causing this volatile reaction in her body.

Our girl appears to be a medical mystery, and I don't do well with the unknown. What makes it more bearable is the fact that I know I am not walking this alone. Her rescue family has been a huge support as are my Hazel loving friends. I thank everyone so much for being there for us...I am hoping this is over..at least for now.

My baby is sick and I am losing it

My baby is sick. Really sick. I am at work which is the last place I want to be right now, but I had to come in due to being short staffed. I am feeling helpless, so I write.

Hazel is not home alone..daddy is home taking are of her while I wipe my tears.

Our girl started showing signs of not quite being herself Sunday morning. When I took a Mother's Day photo, I noticed that her eyes were not sparkling, and she was just not herself. She had become less and less tolerant of our new foster, so I initially chalked it up to her being annoyed and pouty.

As the morning grew on, I knew something was wrong. She felt really warm to me so we took her temperature and sure enough, she was running a fever of 104. I know they say not to really worry until it's 105-105.5 is what I was told. (You don't want to wait until 106 because then we're talking potential organ failure.) We kept her comfortable and made sure she ate/drank. Monday morning she was the same so I got her into the vet. I was inititally relieved because once the vet took some history, knowing we just got a new foster at exactly one week from yesterday, she assumed Hazel must have picked something up from her. She said that she could be a carrier of something without showing symptoms herself. She gave an anti biotic just in case and told us to call if her temp got up to 105.5

Last night was scary. I looked into Hazel's eyes and they looked sunken and just glazed over. I took her temp and it was 104.8..getting close. I am not an overly religious person, but I put my hands on her and prayed and prayed. I was asking favors from everyone I knew in heaven, including my dad, to please help my girl.

Eventually she jumped on the bed which I took as a good sign. She asked to get under the covers to which I obliged. This morning I fed her breakfast in bed and she ate and drank. I thought she looked better. I gave her a big kiss and left for work. Hubby just called and her temp is now 105.2. :(

We are both hoping it's because she was under the covers. Hazel is now on the couch and we are cooling her down some. Hubby will take her temp in another hour, if it's still high, we need to take her in again.

Hazel on her way back from the vet. She did not want to get out of the car.

I am someone that needs answers and wants to get to the bottom of things. I was floored that they did not even do blood work yesterday. I saw a new vet in the office and while others might appreciate a "wait and see" approach and not having unnecessary tests taken, I am kicking myself for not insisting. The vet is now off today and was going to call me tomorrow to check in. I am just praying that things turn a corner, and SOON. It's heartbreaking to see my strong girl so weak. :(

I have a tendency to worry about the worst case scenario. I was afraid my baby would just stop breathing last night. You know the saying, those you love are who you fear losing most. We had weird medical issues with Hazel when we first got her. Nothing was ever diagnosed despite numerous tests. I am not good with mysteries. We feared that there was some underlying issue that would go undiagnosed until it was too late. Hazel has been incredibly healthy for the past 9 months with not a single issue, so am praying that my baby rallies. Please??

Thank you for putting up with my rambling and scattered thoughts.

Foster Guilt

Fostering an animal saves lives, no doubt. I often hear people say, "I could never foster, I would just keep them all!" or, "how can you let him go? he loves you!!" My response is, yes, it IS hard to let them go, but it's better than seeing them die, as they would have had a foster home not been available in their time of need.

I have to admit, the latter one has been getting to me lately. The "how can YOU let him go?!" as though I am re-homing a beloved pet. "It's not fair to him, you need to adopt him", another stab to the heart. Here's the thing, fostering is hard enough. Foster parents are in short supply compared to the need. It doesn't help when there are outsiders, well meaning, don't get me wrong, pushing you to adopt your foster and then giving a guilt trip when you explain why you're not adopting. (It's fostering for a reason, right?? If everyone adopted their foster dogs, we would have no fosters!)

It's especially painful when you would love to adopt your foster, when you have fallen madly, deeply in love with him but don't feel you are the right match.

I just ask others to have sensitivity to foster parents. You might see all the cute posts and pictures, but there is much more to consider when making the decision and commitment to add to the family. Trust us. We love our fosters with all of our hearts and want the best for them.

We had a meet and greet for Truman over the weekend, but it wasn't a match. I know his forever family is waiting for him. He's the most precious, loving guy ever. I have never been a small dog person, and especially not a chihuahua person, ha ha, but Truman taught me a lesson. Just as I don't want others to judge my pittie girl, I have been guilty of believing the stereo types that are known to the chihuahua breed. In my defense, I have experienced the "stereo type" many times having done rescue for 15 years, however, Truman breaks all stereotypes.

He's my little man who I love with my whole heart.
Will it be sad to see him go? It will rip my heart out. But, I am also very eager for him to move on to his "happily ever after".

Introducing foster pup Truman

Wow, it's been awhile. I've been in a writing slump and have had zero time for updates.

Soooo...nearly 3 weeks ago, little D and I went to walk our RESCUE dogs and provide some play time. We had actually picked up another pup to bring home for a play date. When we were bringing him back to boarding, a kennel worker said, "have you met Truman yet?" We hadn't. He was newly rescued. He had not been out yet for a walk, so we said we would take him out.

Little D melted when she saw him. "My dream dog!" she exclaimed. She has been wanting a chihuahua for over three years..since she fell in love with two of them we rescued on her first "pound run" with me. They were exceptional dogs and I loved them too, but at the time, we were not in a position to add to our family.

We really enjoyed our time with the little turkey, so we decided to take him home and introduce him to Hazel, "just to see". I was warned from another volunteer that he had growled and snipped at a bigger dog the day he was rescued, but that is such a stressful time for a pup so we thought we would try.

I warned D that we may be in and out in just a few minutes. Because Truman is so small, I held him as we walked into our house. Typically I handle introductions quite differently, but something told me this was the way to to go given his size. I knew Hazel would be ok and take cues from me, but after having another (very bossy) chihuahua over recently, was fully expecting Truman to growl and or/bark his little head off. Instead, I was greeted with interest from Hazel, but not too pushy as she typically is, and a very happy wagging tail from Truman who was trying to get out of my arms to meet Hazel. I put Hazel on a leash and let him down to explore. I was getting soft, playful body language from both. I kept the leash on Hazel, and the below video was taken within 5 minutes of them meeting.

Hands down the easiest introduction I have ever done! I have never had a symbiotic relationship with Hazel and another dog so quickly. She is typically a little rude in her approach, and plays rough with most dogs. Needless to day, she surprised me and has continued to do so since we've had him.

Seriously..Just under 7 pounds though I know he has gained some needed weight now. I have no experience with tiny little dogs.

My, what big teeth you have!

He was going to work with me full time the first 2 weeks we had him. In our third week, we are alternating between staying at home with Foster daddy, or going to work with me for a half day, and then back home with foster dad and Hazel.

Truman is looking for an amaaaazing home to call his very own...if you know anyone, send them our way!

Sunrise Sunday

I talked with the little human about joining Hazel and I on a sunrise hike. The last time I took her at sunrise was last year, and it was winter, so the sun came up much later. Sunday morning, I woke them both up at 5:45am so that we could hit the road. I admit, it was tough waking them..we had a "slumber party" in the living room floor. The little human was snuggled right against me, and Hazel was snuggled against D. I was so full of the warm fuzzies and didn't want to disturb the moment, but the sunrise wouldn't wait!

We hit the trails when it was still a little dark. I promised D, (who is a little afraid of the dark), that you really can see; it was more like "dusk". We waited a few moments while our eyes adjusted, and then were off. The first thing we experienced was a hooting owl..little D thought that was pretty darn cool. The smell of the desert so early in the morning was awesome. There is nothing like it.

Taking in the view

I loved sharing this with both of my girls. The time right before the sun rises is my very favorite part of the day. There is something about it that gives me such peace. I feel lucky to experience it and feel sorry for those who miss this special time of day. (Though they are probably really enjoying their sleep!)

Hazel is looking forward to this week. Sissy is off for Spring Break, and I am taking the rest of the week off, so we will have lots of adventures!

The only down side is that the temps are climbing already, so anything active and fun needs to be done early, or in the evening. I am sooooo not ready for the heat!! Boo.

Happy (belated) Birthday to me!

Every year we have a HUGE event for our rescue that lands either on, or very close to my birthday. This year it was on my actual birthday which was Sunday. I had to leave my house by 4:45 to get all gussied up for a TV appearance featuring our foster dog, (more on that later), so my traditional sunrise hike went out the window. Boo.

Hazel and I made up for it. I took Monday off and took her with me to drop off the little human at school. Hazel was so funny..when little D got out of the car and we started pulling away, she was SO confused! She whined a little and kept searching for her little sissy- sweet girl!

With reassurances that all was ok, we headed to some trails not far from school. My foot is still injured, so yes, I did cheat. I was going to stay on level ground as I had before, but there was a trail going up a mountain that needed exploring.....

So, I need to figure out a way to work from home again, because hiking first thing in the morning during the week is where it's at! The parking lot was completely empty, which meant we had the entire freaking mountain to ourselves!!! Off leash time, whooo hoooo!!!

As we climbed the mountain, rays of sunshine shone down from the heavens above as though reaching for my sweet girl.

It was SO windy when we reached the top. Hazel's little ears were flying everywhere. The wind was so loud we didn't stay up there long because it was hurting my ears, so I couldn't imagine how Hazel must have been feeling.

We were racing against the storm brewing..

On the way down I put Hazel back on leash when we didn't have a clear view to see if anyone was coming. We ran into a woman with her dog (who was off leash and very friendly). I asked if anyone was behind her on the trail and she said no, so we let both dogs off to froclick. Hazel and this Golden raced down the trail together and then came running back to us with big ol' silly grins on their faces. I loved it!

With my last girl, on off leash dog was my worst nightmare. She would attack any dog who came into her space, so it was very stressful for me to come across someone who didn't obey leash laws, or at the very least, leash their dog when they saw someone coming. It is such a relief to not have that stress over me now. I loved my girl dearly and would not have traded her for the world, but the dog aggression is something I do not miss managing.

spotting some birds

Our hike was so lovely! Being in the mountains is definitely our happy place, and I love sharing it with Hazel. She is so in her element on the trails. I love sharing our passion for the outdoors...it's such a bonding moment at the risk of sounding really corny. There are no words!

It was a perfect way to celebrate.