Sweet dreams, my love

Paws, lovingly nicknamed "MegaPaws", passed away this morning after a really terrible 48 hours, the worst of his last 4 weeks.
He spiraled downward so quickly in his last 24 hours and finally let me know he was not going to be able to recover from this most recent, unrelenting episode.

I will upload photos and videos sometime soon so we can remember Paws in the happy times, and not just during his sickness.

Thank you to everyone for their love and support, and for all the messages and calls too.

Right now, Momma is crying and cuddling with his brother, Trot, and are going to get through this difficult time together.

Like Paws always says, "Big love & Woofs to all."

Woof.

So sorry to disappoint, but...

still not doing well.

After what Momma thought was going to be a good night because I didn't get sick, she has been following me around with the WetVac for the last 3 hours.  These pictures show why.

See the food?  I ate that at 9:30pm LAST NIGHT.  It just sits in my esophagus while trying to get into my tummy.  So when it comes back up, it looks just like when it went in. 

Pretty icky so sorry if it grosses you out, but it's what Momma deals with everyday.

For now, Momma gave me more medicine but it really needs to stay in my tummy.
So cross your paws.

Woof!

How much will the feeding tube cost?

Momma is being asked by many people how much my feeding tube will cost.  
First, thank you so much to everyone for your interest, kindness and support.

So far, it looks like it will be nearly $2,500, after all is said and done - surgery, bloodwork, anesthesia, formulas, equipment, etc.
She is waiting for an itemized list from the specialty vet and will then have more information.
But it's going to cost a lot.

Momma's not sure how just yet, but she says I WILL get the tube.
She says people will love me and want to help me.  I sure hope so.

Momma will post the information as soon as the vet gets it to her, but she wanted to pass along what she knows so far.

Thanks for your love to everyone!!

Woof!

Maybe a "tiny" jinx yesterday...

Perhaps I jinxed us just a tiny bit when I told you how well I was doing yesterday.
I was fine all night until 5am when I started to regurgitate again.
And it's continued all day.


It's really because I just like to give Momma more work to do.  Even though she uses the WetVac to clean up after me, she still has to empty and clean it out. (What a yucky job!  PEE-YOO!)
WOL!  I love you Momma!


Momma is still feeding me the frozen meatballs today but cut my last 2 meals down to 3/4 of a can.  So I'm getting shortchanged BIG TIME today.  But she says she just can't stuff me with too much food otherwise it never goes down.  (This is where the feeding tube would come in handy.)


And every now and then a FULL one comes back up.  Guess it just sits in my esophagus waiting for its turn to get into my tummy.  But before it can get there, it just comes back up - and yes, it's thawed out by then.  But it's still in the fully-rounded shape of a meatball.  WOL!


And it's a very rainy day here in New England so I keep testing Momma every time she brings me to go potty.


You see...I LOVE to lick up the puddles.  BUT...then I get sick.  She even tries to put a muzzle on me so I can't drink, but I figure out how to get sips anyway.   I'm just a very thirsty puppy.  Momma says it's good that I'm still thirsty.  It's when I stop drinking that worries her.


Anyway, til next time.
Big love & Woofs to all!


Woof!

Momma told me not to jinx it, but...

...I wanted to tell you anyway.

I held down my dinner last night and we all got some sleep (finally - after 3 sleepless nights). Momma woke me up at 3:30am for my medicine, then we went right back to sleep.

And right now, three hours later, I'm holding down breakfast (a can of ground food made into frozen meatballs and 4oz of a milkshake - a total of 625 calories).

While I'm not nearly out of the woods yet, if I can continue like this for a few days, I might be on my way to recovery from this latest episode.

Momma received the report from the vet about my Wed. visit. She has more questions she needs answered about the feeding tube, procedure, costs, care, etc. Once she has those answers, Momma says she will start a campaign to raise that money so I can get the tube and recover from future episodes more quickly.

For right now, I'm just glad the last three meals have gone better than the last three weeks.

Keep your paws crossed for my 3pm lunch to go well too!

Woof!!

Still not doing well - Friday night, quick update

Momma and I are sitting here after I just finished eating a whole can of food. I ate half a can of food this afternoon and some ice but kept half of it down during the last six hours. And this morning, I didn't want to touch any food.


I haven't been well at all since Tuesday night when I started to get sick again (after I had an ok Mon. and Tues, after the previous two weeks of a nightmare.).


I had to fast overnight in case the vet wanted to do blood tests on Wed.
And I haven't been well since.


Tuesday night, Wednesday afternoon and night, all day yesterday and last night, Momma's best friends were put to good use - Bounty and the WetVac. I just couldn't keep anything down. No food. No liquid. No medicine. 


I had her cleaning up a minefield of mess all over the kitchen and living room - all day and night. And then I pant and pace all the time, so Momma tried like crazy to settle me down. Didn't work, but at least I know she loves me.


When we saw the vet on Wednesday, she said that these are exactly the times when the feeding tubes would be used - for when I'm having my episodes and I can't keep anything down. Momma could still feed me by the feeding tube so I can still get liquid and nutrition. And then when I'm feeling better, Momma can feed me like normal.


But right now, we don't have the feeding tube so Momma has to keep trying to feed me the normal way - which obviously isn't working too well lately. These last 3 weeks have been so tough.


Momma will fill in more details about the vet visit tomorrow but she just wanted me to give a quick update and let everybody know that we are still hanging in here.


Tonight, both Momma and I wish we had that tube already. It would start to make me feel a lot better. If I could just eat and keep it in, then I can get back to my old self in no time.


Then it will be back to eating pot roast (I'll never stop dreaming), bossing Trot around and moving Momma off that couch - it's still mine, Momma!! Don't get too comfy!!


Cross your paws dinner stays well and we all can try to have a better night.


Woof!

Back to regular food today - so far, so good

Well, Momma weaned me off the frozen meatballs and put me back on my dry food mix because it's less expensive than the canned food.


She grinds up the dry food into powder using the food processor, then mixes it with water, letting it sit in the fridge for a few hours to absorb the water - making my own ground food - which I still love to pretend tastes like pot roast.  Yum!


So far, I'm keeping it down (knock on wood).


My IV started to leak again today so tomorrow, when we see the new vet, hopefully, they will decide what to do.  Gotta figure out a way to keep hydrated.


I'm going to a new special vet to see if a feeding tube will be better for me.
Neither Momma nor I have any idea of what to expect.


Cross your paws!!


Woof!

Let's catch up, shall we?

Let's see...looks like this current "challenge" in our lives started about 3 weeks ago, so I'm very behind on my doggy-blogging duties.
But Mommy could make it a lot easier for me if she would just hold the laptop for me (oh wait...that's right...she actually hasn't been all that well, either.)
Ok, so we have both been neglecting our fans and furpals.

But I'm back.  Wanna know what we've up to?


Let's go back a bit...yes, quite a bit...


Sun, Mar 25
I had my first attack of pain - not sure what happened, but I just started yelping and ran to Momma for help.  Momma wasn't sure what it was either, but she just stayed with me, petting my neck and back until I settled down.  Good Momma, good. WOL.


Mon, Mar 26
Another pain attack and more yelping. 

Then Momma got a cut on her hand and had to go to the ER - and by ambulance no less.She drops like a tree at the sight of her own blood.  
Mine, Trot's, the kitties or anyone else's...she's a hero.
Hers? Thud.
(But really...she's just trying to steal my thunder.  WOL!)


Tue, Mar 27
All seemed ok.  Both Momma and I were doing well.


Wed, Mar 28
Ok - now Momma was REALLY trying to steal my audience as her hand and arm became so infected it looked like a cooked lobster.
So she had to go to the ER (again), per her own doctor, this time.

There, they gave her IV antibiotics, so at least she got a taste of what I have to go through when she hooks me up to all of those bags and tubes.  WOL!

But then later that night, I had another one of my painful attacks and Momma decided to call the vet in the morning.


Thu, Mar 29
The vet scheduled an appt late in the day, because in the meantime, Momma had another return visit to the ER where they told her they wanted her to stay in the hospital for monitoring and IVs, but she told them about me and they compromised.

Instead, she had to return every day for a week to get a daily IV of antibiotics.  So she came home that very afternoon to bring me to the vet.

While on the way to the vet, Momma, Trot & myself were rear-ended at an intersection (really, folks, even Lassie couldn't make up this stuff).  No one was hurt, but was someone playing with a St. Bernard voodoo doll somewhere?

Vet said she thought I have a slipped disc in my neck, gave me more medications, and did some Laser therapy on me.  Mmmm...my neck was all warm and cozy.  But...I had another attack around midnight.

And then, I decided to stop eating and just started to throw up everything Momma put in my tummy - food, ice, medicine.  Yuck.

So for Momma and me...Thursday was a very long day.

ps - Great news though (sorta) - I weighed in at 135lbs - up 20 lbs from October.  But bad news on the way...see Apr. 2.


Fri, Mar 30
Momma continued to go to the hospital for her anitibiotics.

Memere & Pepere (French for Gramma & Grampa) said they were going to visit over the weekend.  And Memere was actually going to stay for a whole week!!

We love when they visit!!

But I continued to go downhill, not eating and throwing up all of my medicine.


Sat, Mar 31
Momma went back to the hospital for another IV...again.

Then, Memere & Pepere arrived.  BIG WOOFS from me and Trot!!

Pepere moved our kennel onto the patio so I could stop eating grass and dirt, which Momma thinks was the biggest contributer to my upset tummies.

I still couldn't eat real food all day and Momma kept trying to give me the medicine I needed.  But I threw it up all night.

Poor Memere & Pepere - I think I kept them up most of the night too.  Momma and I are used to it, but not Memere and Pepere.


Sun, Apr 1
More antibiotics at the hospital for Momma...

Pepere returned home, and...

Memere stayed for the week - just to be with ME!!  
(ok, maybe it's not really the case - but in my mind, she wanted to visit her favorite St. Bernard - and yes, of course, her favorite Germand Shepard too.  Momma keeps reminding me not to leave Trot out of my blog.  WOL!  Ok ok....and maybe Memere was here to see Momma too!)

But I just keep throwing up my medicine.  Momma didn't even try to feed me today.
She was just hoping I could keep my medicine down, but that didn't work.

I'm AM thirsty though because every time Trot drinks from his water dish, I'm right there too.
Of course, neither Momma nor Memere let me have anything, but Momma says it's a good sign that at least I want to drink.

So, we're off to the vet again tomorrow.


Mon, Apr 2
Momma keeps going to get those bags of IV antibiotics.  What a pain.
At least mine can be done in the comfort of my own doggie bed!!

Memere and Momma keep trying to get my meds to stay down but I had to go to vet since Momma said I was getting too bad.

Turns out she was right:  since my last visit only on Thurs., I lost 17 lbs and was now down to 117.  Vet says mostly because I was so dehydrated.

So I went home with a catheter so Momma could give me my own IV liquids.  Now whose thunder is stolen?!?  WOL!  (Still woof ya Momma!  It's ok.  Like you always say, we're in this together!!)


Tue, Apr 3
More antibiotics for Momma and more liquids for me.
I'm still not eating yet, but Momma and Memere can already see a difference.  
And I just want to keep drinking Trot's water.  
Hopefully, Momma will give me ice cubes soon.


Wed, Apr 4
Uh-oh.  Another pain attack.  My, and I was doing so well without them!!
Momma just rubs my back until I settle down.  Yikes!  What is that?!?!

At least is was the last day of antibiotics for Momma - yippee!!


Thu, Apr 5
I'm still vomiting all of my medicine - including the $20/dose antibiotics Momma had to buy - and she bought a bottle of 5 doses.

But I have thrown up 2 doses so far.  Sorry Momma. 
(No worries, she says to me all the time, and just gives me big, dry human kisses.)

So tomorrow, she will get an injectable antibiotic that will go right into my IV line.  That should be much better.


Fri, Apr 6
Momma continued to see her doctors (for her hand and then some others too - she has lots of doctors, but this isn't her story...it's ALL about ME!!  WOL!)

Then, on her way home, she picked up more IV bags and the special antibiotic.  And was told that the vet wanted to see me again on Monday and wanted to have the "Quality of Life" talk with Momma.  Uh-oh.

Pepere came back - Woof! - to get Memere to bring back home - un-Woof!
But it's so nice to see my favorite grandparents!!

And big news...Momma stopped my medicines - all of them, except the injectable antibiotic.
Since I'm not holding anything down anyway, why keep making me go through the motions of regurgitating?  Good thinking Momma...


Sat, Apr 7
...Because now that she stopped the medicines, I haven't vomited all night.  
What a relief!!  Finally!!
And later in the day...she even gave me 3 ice cubes.
BIG Woofs!!  (and amazingly, I kept them down!!)


Sun, Apr 8
Still no meds.  Still no vomiting.  Go figure!!  Maybe Momma's on to something!!

So guess who got to eat 6 frozen meatballs today??

But my IV doesn't seem to be working anymore.
It took 3 hours to empty a bag, whereas it was only taking 30 minutes earlier this week.
Momma says I might need a new line so we'll haved it checked at tomorrow's appt.


Mon, Apr 9
More meatballs.  More ice cubes.  No getting sick.

Then...the vet visit.

And phew!  The vet was so surprised and happy to see that I was back to my perky ol' self.
Even when the tech brought in a bowl of water for another laser treatment on my neck (they use it to wet down my hair), I followed her around the room, in hopes she'd give me some.  no luck, but a boy's gotta try!!

So they all had a chuckle and the vet agreed it was't quite the time for the "Quality of Life" talk with Momma.  But she did say that she didn't think I'd make it through another one of these bad episodes.

Her suggestion, if money were no object, is to put in a feeding tube because no matter how much Momma tries to feed me, I just won't be able to gain the weight or muscle back that I really need without specialized formulas that they can use with feeding tubes.
So this means more vet visits.  Darn.

And since money IS really an object, Momma is really going to have to figure out what to do.
And fast.

Well...at least I'm the best patient they say they've ever had.  WOL!
Especially when I'm getting my IV lines inserted or checked - I just lie there.
Let them do there thing.
Then get praised for doing nothing.
WOL WOL WOL!!  I know how to work the system!!


Tue, Apr 10
Speaking of IV lines...I had to get a new one.  Even though they checked it yesterday, it just stopped working today.  And again...best patient ever!!

Then, Momma had to go to the human hospital to pick up more injectable antibiotics for me.  Did you know you can do that?

Anyway, I'm eating more and more meatballs and eating more ice cubes.  Big Woofs!!


Wed, Apr 11
Quiet day...shhh...don't jinx it!!


Thu, Apr 12
Yup.  It got jinxed.
Today, my new IV line got infected and my leg began to swell and get red and hot - just like Momma's arm did last week.  
So Momma pulled the catheter and tomorrow, it's back to the vet.

But more meatballs and no getting sick.  
I'm really starting to like this!!


Fri, Apr 13
Back to the vet. 

Trot too, this time - he has a hot spot that he keeps licking - bad Trot, bad.  And he DID NOT like it when the vet put a needle with some steroids into it.  Woof - did he bark and yelp!!

As for me...my legs just did not want a new IV line - too swollen and irritated.  So they wrapped me up and we're back in the morning.

(Geez - we should just move our beds into their office - WOL!!)


Sat, Apr 14
New IV line.  
3 EASY bags of fluids.  
3 full meals of frozen meatballs!!

Pretty good day for Mr. MegaPaws, if I do say so myself.
(And I do.  WOL!)


Sun, Apr 15
More fluids - nice and easy.  
More meatballs for breakfast and lunch.
Then meatballs AND pure canned food cut into chunks for dinner - BIG WOOFs!
Now that's progress.

I had a bit of a hard time overnight though (Sunday into Monday) - gurgled alot since I had such a big dinner.  
So Momma is just going to give me a bigger breakfast and lunch, and then a smaller dinner - so we can all have a better time overnight tomorrow.

We really need our beauty sleep.  
Well, just Momma and Trot, really.  
I'm already the best looking St. Bernard around!!  WOL WOL!


Mon, Apr 16
More good fluids.  
More meatballs and canned food.
More ice cubes - AND Momma added in a little bit of milkshake too!
Big breakfast and lunch so far.  Smaller dinner later.

Momma got more bags of fluid too!  So you'd think everything is on the up-and-up, right?
But...not everything is as pretty as it seems.  (Get ready.)

What I haven't disclosed yet is that I have had terrible "runs" since Saturday.
Just plain explosive.  (Sorry to the squeemish, or those who have never had pets - or even children, for that matter - WOL!)

Apparently, the antibiotics are wreaking havoc on my stomach.
So let's cross our paws that goes away soon.  
Poor Momma (and yes, poor me too!)


Anyway, another meal and IV are in store for later this evening.

And then of course, another middle-of-the-night session later - although that's just a tiny "snack", really.  IMHO, of course.
Momma says it's just enough to get me to stop whining in the middle of the night.

But hey, at least I'm hungry!!  And eating!!  And not getting scik!!


And, Yes - food and fluids 4 times a day - you do the math - every 6 hours - good for me since I get to eat, then just sit or lie there.  
But not so much for Momma.  She can't go to sleep since she has to watch my IV bag so it doesn't run empty.  But I keep promising her, I'll be better soon.


In fact, we see a special vet on Wed. who will give us more information about a feeding tube.
Let's cross our paws!!


All is ok for now.  I'll keep you updated.


And I want to say a very special Thank You to all of my fans, friends, followers, and especially to my furpals!!  Big Love & Woofs to you all!




Woof!

To all my furpals and friends...

I'm writing to say that Momma and I need to take another week off.  I am really having another bad episode, since Thursday - which is when I also saw the vet who thinks I might have a slipped disc in my neck - so now I have meds for that as well.

Right now, I'm not eating and will not keep anything down - not even my medicine.  Momma also sees "streaks" of blood in my regurgitation - so tomorrow has another trip to vet on my schedule.

Momma says "streaks" are better than clots or pools.  Streaks usually mean that my esophagus is irritated.  But any blood still just isn't good.  We'll see what the vet says - I'm sure more antibiotics are in store.

Now I'm not supposed to tell you this, but Momma has been in and out of the ER all week, so she's a bit out of commission too and we are really not doing well on the computer this week.  Give us another few days and I'll bet I'll be back to my doggy-blogging in no time.

But I just wanted to give a big WOOF to all of my friends and especially my Twitter followers, RTers, DMs and Mentions for right now.  And REALLY big WOOFs to my friends who have sent donations too!  Your love is much appreciated and Momma and I will thank everyone personally when we get back online.

Big Puppy Love to you all!
We'll be back soon.
(Right now, I actually have to go cuddle Momma - she needs a great big wet, doggy kiss!!)

Woof!!

Better day today - Woof Woof!

I finished eating a full dinner, sat in my special chair, napped on the couch next to Momma, got up to go potty for the night, and am now crawling back into bed for the night.

No pacing.  No gurgles.  No coughing or hacking.  No spitting up.  Nothing - for the entire day.
I would say this latest "episode" is over for now.  Woof!

Now Momma, Trot, the kitties and myself are going to sleep for the night.  Hopefully, Momma can finally get a good night's rest as it's been a pretty long week for all of us.

Maybe she'll make me some pot roast tomorrow!!
OK - a dog can always dream!  WOL!  Nite Nite!

Woof!

So far, So good...

Well, so far, my breakfast is sitting well.  I'm not panting or pacing.  And the gurgles are gone!!

Momma says she thinks I'm getting close  to being out of the woods for this time, esp. since I've been trying to move her off the couch all day because I need more room.  I'm a big fella!!

We skipped lunch and we're gonna do an early dinner.  Momma wants to ease my tummy back into eating full meals.  So I'll just have to keep dreaming about pot roast!!

With that said...back to my nap.  Momma - move over.

Woof!

Momma plays the bass drum - and it works!

Last night, Momma played me like the bass drum three times during the night.  She does this because my chest gurgles as food just sits in my esophagus and doesn't go down making it easier to spit back up - and get into my lungs.  So she "bangs" on my chest like a bass drum - ok, it's really heavy tapping, sorta like burping an oversized baby - WOL!  But it really makes a difference sometimes.  And last night...it DID!

By 3am, I wasn't gurgling anymore, nor was I coughing or regurgitating anything.  BIG Barks!! And from 4-7am, I actually stayed on the couch without getting up to pace - or at least that what Momma thinks, since she went to sleep too.  (I'm not telling her whether or not I actually got up again.  All she needs to know is that she found me where she left me.)

This morning, for my breakfast, Momma only gave me a half-portion at first, but I was soooo hungry so she gave me the other half.  It might come back (pun intended) to bite her in the behind, but she gave it a shot.  And YUM!  Let's see what happens!

Today is going to be a big slumbering, movie day.  Momma needs to rest (long week and sometimes Momma simply does not feel well herself - hence all of her doctor appts and having to leave us in the kennel).  So we're going to set up camp on the couch, eat popcorn (just Momma, of course) and watch movies all day.

Hopefully, no more bass drum.  No more pacing.  No more gurgling.  Cross your paws!!

Woof!

Not out of the water yet, but a "little" better day (knock on wood)

I just woke up from a tiny post-dinner nap and thought I'd write before I cuddle on the couch with Momma. (Trot has been hogging it the whole time since we settled down after dinner.)

My really hard breathing and panting is much better.  (Remember - Panting for me is an extra challenge because my esophagus presses against my lungs.)  But Momma says it's definitely related to the heat.  So that's good news for now, as this week will be much cooler.

Not-so-good-news is that I'm having a hard time holding down dinner - another half-portion.  I sat in my special chair like I'm supposed to - then I took a nap - and now I'm up pacing and belching again.  Momma can hear my stomach and esophagus gurgling and making lots of noise.  She says sounds like a pipe clogged with thick sludge that gurgles trying to break clear.  Ick, I know.

I cough the food back up, but right now, I'm actually able to catch it in my mouth before I actually spit it out (progress, believe it or not) - then I just swallow it again.  Yes, yes...ewww, for you "non-dog" folk, but tis-is-what-it-is.  And it IS a tiny bit of good news, in my case.  Hopefully, I'll just get better and better as the days go on and soon I'll have less gurgling, coughing and spitting up (until next time, of course - tis-what-it-is).

Right now, Momma is watching our favorite movie as promised - Beethoven - but Trot & I are zonked so we're napping right through it.  Every now and then, Trot looks up and starts to whine when he hears the other dogs.  WOL!   Me?  I'm just napping, pacing, gurgling, belching, and coughing up...napping, pacing, gurgling, belching, and coughing up...napping, pacing, gurgling, belching, and coughing up.  Oh, you get the idea.

So, it's back to napping - since I just finished pacing, gurgling, belching, and coughing up.
All in all - I still say today was a little better.
Now to the couch...it's my turn!!

Woof!

Slept a little but still having a hard time

Momma and I actually got to sleep a little bit last night because she put the fan directly on me as we cuddled on the couch.  Even still, I kept getting up to pace around the living room.  But we did steal some nap time here and there.

By the morning, my tummy was completely empty again because I just kept coughing up my dinner from last night, even though I hardly ate anything for supper.  Yuck - it's such a mess.

This morning Momma gave me my medicine but when it was time to eat, I just wasn't interested.  So she decided if I don't eat later today, then we're headed to the vet tomorrow - even though it's just part of the new life we live. 

I have good days and bad days - right now, it's just been a few bad days.  But I think it's just cuz it's too hot and I need the cool weather to return.  Tomorrow's high is only supposed to be 60 degrees.

Trot & I will spend more time in the kennel today while Momma's sees her doctor again.  Then tonight, Momma has promised that we can all cuddle on the couch and watch the movie "Beethoven" - what a great actor - WOL!

Let's hope I can eat later today because I really, REALLY do not like going to the vet - even though they do treat me like the great cuddly MEGA-star that I truly am!  WOL!

Woof!

Not doing well right now...

Momma thinks it might be due to the hot weather that came so fast and didn't give me a chance to adjust.  Yesterday and today had highs in the 80s - and I'm still wearing my winter coat!   :(   I usually don't change into my summer clothes until sometime in May, sometimes June.

I'm just panting and breathing so hard, which makes me cough and gag, and then my food comes back up.  And when my food comes back up, liquid (and pieces of food too) can get swooped up into my lungs and cause Aspiration Pneumonia - which is really scary and is Momma's biggest worry - so she even tries to stay awake as much as she can at night to listen and make sure I'm breathing ok.  She only "cat-naps".  WOL!

Last night, to try to cool me down, Momma hunted down the fan and set it right on me.  Then, she used some ice packs to rub all over and cool me off too.  Aahhh...I really like that cool touch.  WOL!  But then today was hot again.  Yuck!

So tonight, she did the same thing again - Aahhh.  But I'm still panting.  I just need the cool weather again, which is coming back next week.  Momma says we'll have 40s and 50s again.  That's my type of weather.

Right now, Momma is keeping an ear on my lungs as much as she can because we don't have the medication I need if I start gurgling deep in the lungs.  (That's the med that is on nationwide shortage - so it's really hard to find, and when you do, it's really expensive.  Even for humans too.)   The medication helps to get rid of the extra liquid that is stuck.  So without it, she tries to do "percussion therapy" and bangs on my chest like a bass drum so I can try to cough it back up and spit it out.  Really not my idea of a good drum solo.

For now, Momma just fed me dinner, but I wasn't even in the mood to eat it all.  That's when Momma really knows I'm not feeling too well, 'cuz usually, everything just reminds me of pot roast, and who doesn't want to eat pot roast?!?!  But just not tonight.

And Momma knows I didn't hold down lunch either because when she came home from her appt, I had been sick all over our kennel.  And I really only ate a "snack" portion for lunch too.

Oh let's just hope tomorrow starts to bring better, cooler weather.  For now, as soon as I'm done sitting in my special chair, I'm going to lie down in front of that nice breezy fan and try to get back to dreamtime.

Woof!

Pretty tough night for me and Momma

At least I was able to eat dinner...but it all came tumbling out throughout the nite :(

Overnight, I continued to gag and hack and just couldn't hold down my dinner.  Momma only fed me a "half-meal", but it didn't matter.  Sometimes I just can't hold down my food no matter what.

Momma & I have been napping on and off together on the couch since midnight.  But I keep getting up, pacing around, huffing and puffing, and looking at her with my big, brown, puppy dog eyes.  Poor Momma - I know she gets so scared when I'm like this.

Well, I just woke up again and Momma gave me more medicine.  I know Momma wants me to settle down, but I'm still pacing - I'm just not very comfortable right now.

She made me skip breakfast so my tummy can settle down but boy, am I hungry!!  My tummy keeps growling and gurgling - and it can get pretty loud sometimes.  WOL!

Maybe if I were able to eat a nice, juicy pot roast, I'd be able to slumber down.  (Momma's looking at me with those eyes.  Even though I'm not feeling well, a boy can still dream, can't he? WOL!)

Anyway, I'm probably going to nap again.  Big 'nards like me do that ALOT!
For now, let's hope my tummy settles down so maybe later I can eat a small lunch.

Woof!

Backsteps today but we never know why

Tonight is another heavy breathing night. It might be related to being in the kennel today, but Momma can't really tell why. It just happens sometimes - no rhyme or reason :(

And when I breathe and pant heavy like this, I get myself so tizzied up that I end up hacking, coughing and bringing my food back up. Yuck. Momma says "poor Paws", but I say "poor Momma" cuz she has to clean it up.

Momma just gave me my medicine so we'll have to wait and see if it calms me down enough to eat my dinner later. Let's hope so!

Cross your paws!

Woof!

More OhBoyOhBoyOhBoy - playing in our kennel! (photos)

Later today, Trot and I get to play outside in our kennel while Momma goes to the doctor again.  We WOOF the kennel too - not as much as the car, of course, but we get to talk with the neighborhood dogs and bark at the pesky wandering chickens.

Our Pepere built the kennel for us and it even has a big roof (which we never stay under, but nice try) and Momma gave us a big bed (again, which we never use - WOL).  Here, look at our kennel:

Woof!

Boy am I refreshed! Now where is that Pot Roast, Momma?

Ok - Momma says it's STILL just mush, but I will STILL pretend it's Pot Roast.

I had such a long slumber last night.  After Momma gave me my meds, I didn't want to wake up to eat - yes!  Can you believe that?  Such a big dog wanted nothing to do with my nightly meal.  (Maybe if it were REALLY pot roast, I would've budged, but nothing doing.)

And I've gotta give Momma props and all 4 "Paws-Up" because she sure did try to lure me to my chair.  But i just stayed on the couch looking at her - "yeah right".  WOL!

So this morning, I sure am hungry, but I had to take my meds first.  I'll be able to eat soon - ohboy!

Woof!

My boys are tuckered!! (Momma writing)

Well, let me tell you...I have 2 very tired puppies (they'll always be my puppies, no matter how big they are).

Today, I took them for a car ride and then stopped in nearby woody fields to let them play a little bit.  They LOVED it!!  So much so that Paws is snoring away louder than the trains that roll by in the middle of the night.  So he's unable to blog right now since he's sleeping like a log.  (WOL!)

After we came home, I sealed the deal with a nice, full, mushy, (non-pot roast) meal for Paws and some good ol' crunchy food for Trot.  Add a big meal to lots of play, sun and nice weather and it all adds up to a nice, long nap!

What good boys Momma has.  I love my Paws and Trot.

As MegaPaws always says...Woof!

OhBoyOhBoyOhBoy! Car ride today!!

Momma has appointments today and she needs to get more food and medicine for me, sooooo.............OhBoyOhBoyOhBoy!!!  


Trot & I get to go for a C-A-R ride.  (She thinks I don't know how to spell by now - WOL!)
What a Woof-ly day it is!!


Last night, I started to gurgle and cough a little, but Momma just got up and did her "bass drum" therapy - she taps me like a bass drum to help my chest stop gurgling.  She thinks she's cute.  (Ok - I guess she is, sometimes.)


This morning, breakfast went well.  Momma added my heartworm medicine to the mush - along with the normal meds - but since the weather got so warm so quickly, those nasty mosquitoes are already visiting. Bark!  Not Woof this time - Bark!


Now that I ate,  I'm still belching a bit but I'm gonna take a nap while Momma gets ready to take us for a car ride later - OhBoyOhBoyOhBoy!!!!!  And of course, I'm gonna feel PAWS-itively Woof-ly for that!!


Woof!  OhBoyOhBoyOhBoy!!!

Medicine....Yuck!

Momma just gave me my pre-dinner medicine.  I have to take this medicine an hour before I eat - so at least I still have another mush-meal to eat soon.


When Momma gives me my meds, she has to crush up two tablets into powder, then use a funnel to add it to a syringe, then add water, shake and mix.  Then....she squirts it into my mouth.  Yuck!  Sometimes, I spit it back out or it just squirts right back at her - WOL!


But at least it helps coats my esophagus so the food doesn't irritate me, and it also helps control nausea and stomach acids.


So I guess since it works, I better just woof it up and let Momma do her thing.
Especially since I'll get to eat again soon!  WOL!


Woof!

Ok - Momma really needs to get us another couch!! (photos)

This is ridiculous!!  Trot and I have been trying to tell her (forever) that we need another couch - NOT to replace this one, but an ADDITIONAL couch.  Look at us!!  

Look at what we put up with just because we love her so much!!

And to think that sometimes SHE wants the couch.  WOL WOL WOL!  

Woof!

ps - she took these in the middle of the night, so they aren't the best - but you still get my point!!

Breakfast went ok and it is 70 degrees outside!

I ate breakfast this morning without much to say.  I'm having a slight problem holding it down but Momma put me back in my special chair for another 15 minutes.  Now I'm heading for a nap.

It's also 70 degrees already.  What weird weather for March 18 - don't forget - we live in Maine - so it's probably even more bizarre.  Momma opened the windows and now I can hear the other dogs outside.

Even though I'm not outside, we still "talk".  And boy, Momma does not like it when Trot and I bark inside the house.  She says we're too loud.  Hmpf!  And I was thinking we weren't loud enough since none of the other dogs actually come over to play when we call them.  WOL!

Well, my big task for the day is to let my food settle, nap, and then enjoy bugging Momma with our barking.  WOL!

Momma's task is to order more food - again.  And this time, she needs to order medicine too.  Get on it Momma!  Mush!!  WOL WOL!

Have a beautiful day my non-furball friends!!

Woof!

Momma can be so smart sometimes......

Last night when Momma made my food, she ran out of old cool whip containers ("someone" forgot to set the dishwasher yesterday, but I won't mention her name.  *sigh*  humans...can't live with'em...can't...well, actually...this dog can. WOL!)

So she decided to put all 3 meals into one large tupperware casserole dish in hopes she could just scoop out even portions.  Well, it worked.  (woof - even I coulda told her that.)

So she has now streamlined the process even more.  No more measuring and pouring into multiple containers - AND it takes up less space in the fridge.

I guess she is a slow learner.
Geez - even Trot figures stuff out faster than she does.  WOL!

Still doesn't matter to me at all, just as long as I get to eat.

Woof!

Happy Woof-day to Me and Trot (with photos)

Happy Woof-day to Me and Trot.
Happy Woof-day to Me and Trot.
Happy Woof-day to Me and Trot.
Happy Woof-day to Me and Trot.


Enjoy some of our photos...(click here to see full-size photos in our photo album - but watch out - it includes our feline family too.)

Awww...look how we've grown.

After a nice, mushy (still non-pot roast) dinner...

...I bid you all a PAWS-itively WOOF-ly evening.
It's time for my night-time nappers!


Woof!
(ps - another car ride tomorrow - Woof!  Woof!)

Do I look comfy or what?

This is what a nice long lunch will do to a nap-inclined fella.

Woof!

Spring might be on the way...

Momma had the window open and I can tell it's just beautiful outside.

The week is supposed to be nice all week long and hat's good for all doggies...especially this doggie.

Tomorrow, Trot and I get to go for another ride with Momma so she can get more medicine for me.

Maybe she'll take us to the dog park this week too! Cross your paws!!

Woof!

Another good day yesterday - hope for another one today...

Yesterday went really well.  
I didn't get sick.  
And I got to eat full meals ALL day.


Momma started to feel better too (she's had a really bad week).  
And Trot chased one of the kitties.  (Woof!  really good day!)


We all slept through most of the night too - that makes Momma very happy.
Let's hope for a good day today too.


Woof!

Not a bad day for MegaPaws!!

Today was pretty good.
I didn't get sick.
I started eating again - just a little, but better than nothing.
We have a new baby in the family.
And Trot and I got to go with Momma in the car.

Pretty good day for this good ol' St. Bernard.

Now onto the couch!!

Woof!

Cross your paws

My breakfast (half portion) is staying down so far. Great news for now.

Let's see what happens with my afternoon lunch. Maybe I'm on the mend.

Woof!

Momma is an aunt again...

To a non-furball, but that's ok.

Last night, Momma's baby sister had a beautiful baby girl.

Trot, the kitties and I send our biggest wet nose kisses to Aunt Tiffany, Uncle Andrew, Daisy, Heather, and of course, new baby girl Aislin.

Woof Woof!!

Sad tummy still.

Not much to say tonight. Tummy is still so very yucky.

So I'm just cuddling with Momma on the couch for now. She always makes me feel better - even if it's only with a hug.

woof.

No meals today :(

I do not like when Momma does this, but she's not letting me eat today so my system can settle down. This happens every few weeks when I have a flare-up.

I only get medicine. Yuck. I hate when she sticks that syringe in my mouth.

On another note, once she got me to sleep by cuddling with me on my doggie bed, I let Momma sleep almost 2 hours sometime after midnight. When she woke up around 3:00am, she moved from my bed to her bed - which is in the living room, so she's always near me - and she napped even more here and there between more of my heaving fits. And so did I!!

We were still awake more than we slept, but dognaps are good too. (Momma says she spreads her love and calls her's 'catnaps' to honor the feline furballs in the house. She says cats have mastered the napping technique so we should give credit where it's due. But I disagree. Hasn't she heard me snore?)

Anyway, it was a very long night again but hopefully my tummy can settle down today so tonight won't be so bad.

woof. (only a small one for now)

I love it when...

Momma gets right down on the floor with me, cuddles up on my doggie bed, and strokes my ears until I fall asleep.

I lost my cushy couch to Trot when I got up to pace again. So Momma coaxed me to my cushion, snuggled up and now I'm snoring.

Woof Woof!

(and now Momma is gonna try to catnap until I wake up again.)

Oh what a long night it has been...and is going to be...and it is not even midnight yet.

My tummy is pretty empty now because I've been throwing up my "half"-lunch all night. Momma didn't even bother feeding me any dinner. And now I'm just dry heaving since there's nothing left in my tummy.

After 4 hours of pacing, Momma somehow just got me to lay down on the couch. Finally.

I'm still moaning, belching, and hacking and my stomach is still making crazy noises. But maybe I'll be able to settle down enough so we can at least take a nap.

Well...just as I wrote that, I went into another dry heaving fit.

Just cross your paws and wish good thoughts. I'd really like to eat a good meal tomorrow. But first, I really need to get a settled tummy.

woof.

Momma needed the WetVac again :(

It wasn't my fault.  Honest.  I don't know why I do it.  But I just couldn't hold my food down.  I was sick 3 times during the night and was hacking and burping the rest of the time.  Poor Momma - I know she had a tough night even though she doesn't tell me and just smiles and tells me how I'm such a good boy.


But I only got "half" of my breakfast again this morning since my tummy still isn't settled.  I just finished my post-dinner chair sitting and now I'm back on the couch while Momma is cleaning out the WetVac.  Hopefully, she won't need it again today.

And...hopefully I'll feel better by then, but Trot and I get to play in the kennel this afternoon while Momma has an appt.  We LOVE playing outside.  Hopefully, my tummy will feel better.

Ok - gotta nap.

Woof!

Dinner may not sit well tonight...

...I've only been out of my after-dinner chair for 10 minutes and I'm already coughing and spitting back up.  Why? Momma asks. Why?


So far, I haven't let anything get onto the floor yet - I just spit it up into my mouth - it's called "regurgitation" - yuck, sorry.  And I won't sit still either.  


I'm just not feeling too well.  Momma and I might have another long night in front of us.  :(  
Say your prayers and wish good woofs our way.


woof.

What does my medication cost?

Wondering what my medications cost every month?  (There's one I can't take because it costs too much.)  But here's a rundown of what, how much and why I have to take it:


  Name                        Dose           Cost/month          Reason         

Sucralfate                1mg  3xDay      $80/month      Coats esophagus
Metoclopramide    10mg  3xDay      $15/month       Reduce acid/gagging
Zantac                  150mg  2xDay     $10/month       Reduce acid
Probiotic tablet         1 Tab/day        $12/month       Promote good bacteria
Fiber Powder           1 Tbs/day        $10/month       Helps reduce diarrhea
Tums (mint)            4-6 tabs/day       $4/month       Reduce acid


Atropine injection*    1 mg as needed   $50-$300/month    Liquid in Lungs
   * currenlty not using due to shortage and increased cost             ($3.25/inject. up to 3xDay)

Food arrived today

My next installment of food came today. It'll last about a week. Momma says I eat like a horse. WOL!

Thanks again to those who donated. I'll think of you with every bite.

(Now get to work Momma. You have a lot of work to do. Grind it up in that noisemaker just like I like it - good ol' pot roast tasting mush. WOL!)

Woof!

Those darn kitties

Really?? Must they be around all the time?

When I eat my food - they sit on the counter and watch.
When I cuddle with Momma on the couch - they do too.
Even when I lie down on my dog pillow - they circle as if I've invaded "their" space.

And what is with that wimpy 'meow' that comes out of them? They sound like one of my squeaker toys!!

Woof! Say it like a dog!

Woof!

Backwards day

Today is a bit backwards cuz Momma had to give me medicine at 3:30am cuz I wouldn't stop burping and hacking.
So that threw off my 8am meds which I usually take before breakfast. Needless to say, she only fed me a half portion this morning.
Momma gave me my next dose at noon and I just ate another half lunch this afternoon.
Hopefully, we can get back on track at 8pm for meds and a full dinner at 9:30.

Cross your paws
Woof!

As promised...

...video of my heavy breathing - and I had just awoke from a nap so I definitely wasn't doing any heavy lifting.  WOL!  (ok - Momma says it's nothing I should WOL about.)

The vet says that since my esophagus has little muscle control, it can't hold itself in place and so it pushes against my lungs and makes it harder for me to breathe. Whatever the reason, it sure scares Momma.

These videos aren't even as bad as it gets, but Momma had a few people ask about me so she took these yesterday and wanted to share them.

Woof!

Dinner tasted like...

...ham and bean soup.  Momma and her crockpot meals.  WOL!
Trot helped her so he had a first-hand account of whether it was as good as it smells.
His verdict?  WoofWoof!

Heavy panting and breathing still, but it's not worse than usual, so that's something.
Now it's on to dreamtime.  Tomorrow, I'll post more videos Momma took of me.

Til then...Woof!

Wanna see me play in the snow?

This is not from yesterday's storm, but it's still me having a blast!!

I'm ba-ack!! (Wasn't even my fault this time.)

Sorry all.  Momma has been under the weather for a few days and she's the one who holds the laptop for me while I type.  So we've been offline for a day or two.  (I keep telling her just to get me a nice, light iPad - WOL!)

Anyway, I'm very happy to report that I haven't vomited in over 4 days now - Woof Woof!  (cross your paws, knock on wood, etc.)  However, I'm still hacking and breathing really hard, but my next month of medicine came in the mail today.  So all in all, let's say I'm doing ok for today!!

And woof woof!!  This morning, Momma let me and Trot play outside in the snow.  We got over a FOOT of snow yesterday!  I love love love snow!!

Woof to all!

My Favorite Tunes

Every night when I eat dinner, Momma plays classical piano music by her best friend's mother, Caren Goodin Evarts.  You can find her on iTunes or CDUniverse.com.  Her music is beautiful, quiet piano classics and masterpieces.  She's even played at Carnegie Hall.

Momma's thinking is to play calm, quiet relaxing music for us all to begin settling in for the night.  Sometimes she plays it during the day too when she wants us to settle down, esp. when she needs to work or take a nap.  Trot and I both love to listen and it calms us right to sleep like a sweet lullaby.

Momma calls that our "Puppy Relax" playlist.  Then.....every morning, breakfast brings out the playlist called "Puppy Dance" - it's all lively, wake-up music (Black-Eyed Peas, Rascal Flatts, Stevie Wonder and more) to get us (and, mostly, her) energized for the day.  Sometimes Momma gets Trot to dance with her - what a dorky duo.

But personally, Caren Goodin Evarts is my favorite - since I'm the "quiet", relaxin' sorta fella.
So with that said, I'm going to finish my time in my special chair since I just ate a good dinner, then head off to lala land - with those wonderful tunes as my lullaby.

Woof!

Mush and Mary Tyler Moore reruns

That's about as exciting as my days get around here.
Momma canceled our TV service and watches reruns on hulu.com (free, btw, so check it out. They even have Dog Whisperer!!)
Right now, she's into Mary Tyler Moore and Bob Newhart reruns and just settled down on the couch for a marathon.
In the meantime, Trot is chewing his indestructible bone (it works - he actually hasn't destroyed this one), while I am working my way from my special chair to join Momma on the couch.
She can watch TV. Trot can chew his bone. Me - I'm on my way to a post-mush meal nap.
Woof!

Thank you for your donations

Today, Momma is going to buy another weekly bag of food.  Yum!!


Thank you to those who donated.  Your thoughtfulness will not be forgotten.


Woof!!

Momma gave me my 2am meds but...

I've been pacing the living room ever since - back and forth, round and round.
About 5 mins ago (a mere 90+ minutes later) I finally "plopped" on the floor, head on my pillow and I think I might...be...ready...to fall...as...lee...p. Zzzzz....

Dinner is done.

Now I'm just waiting for my food to go down and Momma can't wait to hit the pillow.

And I must tell you....Trot is so darn cute.  He can't quite put his paw on it, but he knows both me AND Momma are not feeling too well today, so he's sitting right at our feet - right at the bottom of my chair now, and he was at Momma's feet while she was making my meals for tomorrow (and not just to pick up any food that she drops).

You know, for such a goofy, whiny dog, sometimes he's all right - of course, not as good looking as me (even though Momma tells us both we're soooo handsome - I know better), but he's a pretty cool dude.  (Just don't tell him I said so.)

Anyway, tonight Momma gave me a full meal (instead of half like lunch and breakfast) and is going to give me another dose of meds at 2am to help me through the night better.  Cross your paws!!

Hopefully, tomorrow will be a better day.
Woof!!

Such a long night...

...I kept coughing, hacking, and moaning all night.  I kept Momma up all night walking around in circles and panting really hard.  She stayed on the couch with me, but I kept getting up, walking around, and lying down again all over the living.  I just wasn't comfortable.

Finally, around 4:30am, Momma gave me a Dramamine - she hates giving me those because they make me sleepy - but it was a good thing this time.  She says I finally went to sleep a little after 6am.  But I've still been yucky all day.  (And poor Momma is really tired too.)

I only got to eat half of my normal amount today so far, just to keep a little in my tummy, but at least I'm not vomiting.  I just hack a lot.  But right now, I'm going back to the couch to take another nap.  Gotta catch up on my Zzzz's.

Woof!

Watch one of my music video photo montages

Donate from Wishlist to help MegaPaws

For some people, donating money to a stranger makes them a bit nervous (understandably so).  So here's a great way to help MegaPaws without "sending" a penny!

Help MegaPaws DIRECTLY by ordering "approved" supplies from his Amazon.com Wishlist and know that your donation will be used for its exact intention.  


You choose an item from the Wishlist (similar to a Wedding or Baby Registry), process the transaction through Amazon.com, and the item is shipped directly to MegaPaws.  


Easy.  No fuss.  No worries about whether your money will actually be used to buy the food and medicine needed for MegaPaws - YOU buy it for him!

As always, Paws says Woof!  
(and Momma says Thank You!)

What is a "Bailey Chair" ?

MegaPaws in his "Bailey Chair"

For dogs with MegaEsophagus, a "Bailey Chair" is an invaluable lifesaver.  Nicknamed after "Bailey", a dog who lived with  MegaEsophagus for 13 years, the "Bailey Chair" is a "must" in the lives of dogs diagnosed with "MegaE".


from "Bailey Chair" Blog:

• Megaesophagus is a diagnosis that no longer must mean a death sentence for your dog! Megaesophagus is a disorder where the esophagus becomes enlarged, loses communication with the nerves, and loses its ability to transport food, liquids or medications to the stomach. In the dog’s normal position while walking, the esophagus is horizontal, which means that swallowed substances can come back up and risk being aspirated into the lungs, causing life-threatening pneumonia.
• When Bailey was diagnosed at 12 weeks of age and given a poor prognosis, Donna Koch found a way to manage his disorder and later, in collaboration, co-designed the Bailey Chair. The Bailey Chair holds the dog in a comfortable, vertical sitting position, and gravity does the work the esophagus can no longer do – moving food to the stomach.
• Since that time, the work continued, while Bailey Koch lived happily ever after, oblivious to his special needs, inspiring thousands of other affected dogs and their families, and helping to teach the veterinary profession to spread the hope!
• Bailey finished his work here on Earth in June, 2011, just weeks short of his 13th birthday. He died of cancer, unrelated to his megaesophagus.

Car ride...but to get more medicine

Oh boy oh boy oh boy. Momma took me and Trot for a ride in the car. We WOOF rides in the car!! But...It was to go get more medicine.

Still, I'll take the car anytime.
And since I can't escape the medicine, I'll just use it to my advantage.

Woof Woof!

Breakfast was boring and Trot is in one of his moods...again.

While I sat in my chair after eating another boring non-potroast meal, Trot was walking around the house whining. Sometimes he gets like that and it drive Momma bonkers.

Momma says it's cuz he's jealous of my special chair, but I think he thinks I'm a prisoner being held against my will. (Well, he's probably not wrong.)

Momma has told us both that she has a big surprise for us later. Can't wait to see what it is.

Maybe it's a potroast FOR REAL!!!

I'll let u know as soon as I find out.

Woof!

Uh-oh....Momma caught me...

...drinking from Trot's water bowl. That's a big no-no in my new world.

I'm supposed to only eat ice cubes instead. The ice cubes take a little while to melt and settle in my tummy so it's better than having a ton of water sloshing around in there.

I'm usually very good about it, but I just couldn't help myself. :P

And she never would've caught me but Trot decided he was thirsty too and started to growl a little. So Momma came to investigate and caught me.

No worries. I'll get him back sometime. WOL.

Woof!