Life of Dave

Life of Dave

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Tannah

It’s funny how a plan comes together.

Literally minutes after posting my previous blog about Shelby’s passing, I got a reply from the Cocker Spaniel Rescue in Cloverdale about my recent inquiry regarding Tannah, a 3 year old parti-coloured Spaniel.
(Just to avoid any confusion that may arise, this dog's name was Hannah, but we're changing it to Tannah, considering she has tan-coloured spots.)

This all started when I had seen her a few weeks ago on the Cloverdale Rescue site. It may seem kind of strange that I would have been looking at available Spaniels before Shelby even passed away, but there’s a story behind it. Wendy, from the Okanagan Cocker Spaniel Rescue, is on the member’s list of the Metro Vancouver Cocker Spaniel Meet-up Group, of which I am the main Organizer.

Wendy sends me alerts periodically regarding Spaniels she receives so that our members can help spread the word in hopes of finding homes for the dogs. I periodically check her website to see what’s new, and that usually leads me to check the Cloverdale site as well. That’s how I came across Tannah the first time. She was listed with both her sisters, one of whom was named Emma; the other name I can’t remember. They had all been living with one family, but that family had to downsize from four dogs to one in order to move out of province.

When Shelby was diagnosed I informed the Meet-up members via email of her terminal condition. Many shocked members sent their condolences and one mentioned to me that she had seen an ad on Kijiji in December for someone selling three young adult female Cockers. By this time it was late December and I performed a search for “Cocker Spaniel”; they were not listed. I assumed they’d been placed in homes already.

A week or so later I decided to try again by refining my search criteria to simply “Cocker”. Strangely enough this time I was led to the ad. I emailed the seller, but it took a few days for a response. The dogs had not sold, and the family ran out of time before their scheduled move to Alberta. The dogs were released to a Cocker Spaniel Rescue in Surrey (Cloverdale). And I knew from having checked the Rescue site recently that they were no longer available. So I let it go.

Since Shelby’s passing we have been searching for a new canine companion. I sent emails to Cocker Spaniel breeders and had been monitoring Cocker Rescues in BC, as well as Petfinder, which is North America-wide. I found a few that sounded like good matches in Washington and California. At that particular time there were more available Cockers in the western states meeting my requirements than there were in BC.

The Okanagan Rescue is affiliated with Camp Cocker in L.A. They are planning to send 7 or 8 Cockers to Kelowna soon to be adopted in BC. I had been in contact with Wendy already to see if a California Cocker I had seen on Petfinder could be sent there for my wife and me to meet.

But…

Friday morning I accessed Cloverdale’s site, and I couldn’t believe my eyes! There was Tannah again. When I saw her last time I was thinking that although I overwhelmingly didn’t want to have to say good-bye to Shelby, it was going to happen anyway. If the timing had been better Tannah had sounded like a dog I wanted to meet. As it turned out the couple that had adopted Tannah couldn't keep her.

I immediately emailed Carol at the Cloverdale Rescue and asked if we could set up a meeting with Tannah’s foster family. By Friday evening we had set up a time for Saturday morning. The meeting went very well. We spent 2 hours with Tannah talking to her, holding her on our laps, and just generally getting a feel for her overall demeanour. We took her for a 20 minute walk on the foster family’s large rural property as well. We were impressed. And to top it off, when we left, Tannah was looking at us wagging her tail.

CCSR’s policy is not to release a dog to potential new owners the same day as the initial visit. It’s too easy to let emotions-of-the-minute trump reason. Instead, the potential adopters must go home and “sleep on it”. These dogs, by the time they are admitted to a Rescue organization, have been though enough upheaval in their lives to risk being adopted on the spot only to be returned a few days later. In the terminology of the Rescue Societies, the dogs are searching for their “forever” homes.

We knew we’d found a match with Tannah. She is a parti-colour Spaniel, which means she’s mostly white with patches of colour best described as butterscotch. She has the trademark American Cocker short snout, although I think hers is a bit longer than Shelby’s was. Tannah has quite long legs; in general a much more sporting body, as if there’s been a Springer in her past genealogy at some point. She seems to be calm and loving.

When Shauna and I sat on the couch upon arrival to the foster family's home, Tannah immediately jumped up on the couch to sit between us. We were flattered. Of course, at home were going to have to discourage jumping on our furniture but I think she’ll learn that very quickly. I get the feeling she’s eager to please.


Today was the home visit from a representative of the Rescue Society. For us, having had a Spaniel for the entire 7 years we’ve lived here, it was just a formality. Obviously we provide a safe and healthy environment for a dog. This evening Carol phoned us to set up our appointment to adopt Tannah next Saturday at 1 pm. We’re all smiles!

I have to say, something else happened to solidify our decision. My Mom gave me a Cocker Spaniel calendar for my birthday on January 2. But since Shelby had just been given a terminal diagnosis, I couldn’t bring myself to open it at the time. However, the good news of yesterday nudged me to rip off the plastic wrap to see if a similar Cocker to Tannah was profiled. And wouldn’t you know it, a parti-colour Spaniel with butterscotch markings is January’s featured pooch.

How’s that for fate?


Friday, January 22, 2010

Sad news

I have sad news to report. Our beloved Cocker Spaniel, Shelby, died on Monday evening, January 18th. She succumbed to liver disease at the age of 38 months. We were blessed to love and care for her for 20 of those months.

She really was the biggest love-bug of a dog I’ve yet come across. All this week, at times when my eyes welled up thinking of her, I just scanned my memory banks for images of her running across the living room, sliding to a stop at the front door as I arrived home from work. I have hundreds of fond memories of her. So many times I’ve heard a sound in the house, like Shauna cutting vegetables in the kitchen, and I've thought, “Shelby’s going to rush into the kitchen when she hears that.” Now of course, she won’t be doing that anymore.

It’s been a tough week, to say the least. I came home from work at noon on Monday to spend the afternoon with Shelby. That morning I had already made the final vet appointment for 5 pm. She was deteriorating fast. The previous day I had been watching TV with Shelby on my lap, and she’ll usually stay there sleeping until I have to get up. But not on Sunday. She kept getting up and wouldn’t settle until I put her on the floor. She couldn’t jump down on her own anymore. She then walked slowly into our bedroom and lay down where it was darker. She did that several times.

On Monday afternoon I had been lying beside her on the floor stroking her. After about an hour I thought she was asleep so I quietly got up and went to the front door because I had noticed earlier that the front gate was unlatched. I quietly opened the door and closed it ajar, not completely shut. I heard Shelby get up; her nails can easily be heard on our hardwood floors.

By the time I got to the gate, closed it firmly and turned around to retreat, Shelby had somehow pawed opened the door, come outside and fallen down the 5 concrete steps that lead to our front door. She was on her back with her feet flailing. I immediately righted her and picked her up. No damage seemed to have been done, but of course she was upset. I carried her back to her mat beside our bed and stroked and talked to her for another hour or so. She calmed down and went to sleep.

At the dreaded 4:30 hour we left home to bring Shelby to the vet clinic. They have a room that seems to be set aside for last visits. I know because I’ve never taken a pet to that room for a regular vet visit, but we’ve been there 3 times in the last 3 years to have a pet euthanized (Mystic, Shelby and Shelby GT).

We talked to the vet for a while about Shelby and all agreed that nothing more could be done for her, and assisting her into her final rest was the kindest thing we could do at that point. We knew it was coming but that doesn’t necessarily make it any easier. The vet took Shelby into the back to insert an IV line into an artery of one of her front legs. She then brought her back in the room for us to have some final quiet moments, which turned into at least ½ an hour. My wife and I talked about the good times we’d had with Shelby, and I talked softly to Shelby and stroked her. I was lying on the floor with Shelby’s head cradled on my arm. Just before 6 pm the vet came back in the room and we agreed it was time. The vet administered the final injection and Shelby’s head plopped down on my arm for the last time. Shauna and I were crying and continued to do so after I gently passed Shelby’s body to the vet.

A little while later, when we figured the lobby was mostly empty, we composed ourselves as best we could, and left.

I know lots of pet owners don’t want to be present when a pet is put to rest; it’s a very personal decision. I didn’t witness the passing of my first Spaniel, Mickey, something I’ve always felt at least somewhat guilty about. But I felt I had to be there for my 2nd Spaniel, Shelby, and of course for our most recent friend, Shelby GT (her formal name on her papers).

The house is too quiet now, and I’ve put all of Shelby’s laundered sleeping mats (she had 5 of them) downstairs in a neat pile on her wicker basket. On top of them I placed her leashes, her collar, an unopened box of flea medication and her fleece vest (my Mom made it for her). I removed her City license and added it to my keychain.

I’ve already sent out some emails to select breeders and Cocker Spaniel Rescues. Now we wait patiently to meet our next canine companion.


And that makes me smile.


April 5, 2008


Jan. 16, 2010

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

More kitchen B4 & Afters

I thought it was time for more kitchen photos. I hope you don't find I'm being obsessive about it. I'm just really happy with how it's turned out.





































Mind Folders

Yesterday I signed up for the Sun Run training program called ‘InTraining’. I didn’t want to miss out on it like I almost did last year.

The first few days of January are always a bit chaotic, I find. I should really find a way to defrag my brain every New Year. How’s that for a resolution? I seem to have way too many folders open in my head at any one time. Here’s an abbreviated sample of folders that are currently open:

  • the ‘New Year’s Resolutions’ folder (Yeah, well, everyone’s got that one. It’s kind of a default folder.)
  • the ‘Come to terms with our Cocker Spaniel’s illness’ folder (This is an emotional one.)
  • the ‘Put away Christmas stuff’ folder
  • the ‘De-clutter the house and create a Donate-to-Big-Brothers box (or other charity du jour) for unused clothing and household items’ folder
  • the ‘Who should I add to my email address book this year to solicit donations to raise $2,500 in order for me to participate in the 2010 Ride to Conquer Cancer?’ folder
  • the ‘Must incorporate (much) longer training rides into my training regimen this year to reduce saddle soreness for the 2-day RTCC’ folder
  • the ‘Drywall the laundry room’ folder
  • the ‘Fill the nail holes in the baseboards (finally!)’ folder
  • the ‘Charge the battery so I can start my motorcycle after sitting for 2 months’ folder
  • the ‘This year I’ll spend more time with Photoshop Elements’ folder
  • the ‘This is the year we organize and de-clutter the office (aka the 2nd bedroom)’ folder
  • the ‘Must replace 17 year old car before grinding noises in transmission become fatal’ folder
  • the ‘I really should take steps to advance my professional development this year’ folder
  • the ‘Realization that I again forgot to plant tulip bulbs in the front yard last Fall (Doh!)’ folder

You get the idea. It’s probably no wonder I got to Renfrew Community Centre last January thinking I had already signed up for InTraining.

I ended up having to put my name on a waiting list in case someone cancelled. They let me run with the group that day anyway, and fortunately Renfrew phoned the following Monday to say I was in.

From past experience I’ve learned how to close that folder. Sign up early. I’m now registered for the 2010 Sun Run.

Gee, look, another Resolution; learn how to manage, if not close, mind folders.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Liver Rejuvenation App

We took Shelby to Angus Park for a mini Meet-up yesterday morning. Some of the members really wanted to see her again. And I wanted to see how she’d interact with a small group of doggy friends. She did really well, so I’ve scheduled a regular Meet-up for next Sunday morning, open to all our regular members.


Shelby’s made a good recovery (albeit temporary) from the condition for which she received treatment just after Christmas. From the dire news we received from the vet I fully expected she’d deteriorate rapidly in the New Year. But she’s on medication now, and for the most part, looks and acts as she always has. I haven’t had the courage to take her for a walk lately, however, because I didn’t think I was ready to see her plant her four paws and refuse to go, like she did pre-Christmas. It’s just a psychological barrier for me, but it’s there just the same.

We’re taking her to the vet this evening after work to get more fluid drained from her abdomen. I think the medication has helped somewhat in controlling it; it’s been over a week since she last had the procedure done. She doesn’t exhibit any stress symptoms from going to the vet. The staff seems to love her. It’s a good veterinarian practice. We’ve been taking our pets there for about a decade.

And it’s a simple, straight-forward procedure involving only a needle and about 20-30 minutes of time. It’s nothing invasive and it keeps her going. The stress of this whole thing for us is knowing that we have to be on guard for signs of her distress, and if those signs become urgent in nature, we’ll have to have the vet intervene. But currently, as I say, things are going very well.

I’ve been thinking that maybe I should contact Apple or Bell, or one of the other cell phone companies. I hear they have an “App” for almost anything these days. How about a Liver Rejuvenation App? There’s just gotta be some money in that.

Dream Journal entry #3: (black) Shelby

My black Shelby appeared in my dreams again last night.

The location was a farm, and it seemed like I had arrived there with someone else for the purposes of reporting, as if we were news reporters. And guess who’s farm it was? Peter Mansbridge’s! I wonder if he really has a farm on which to enjoy his non-on-camera time.

Have you ever watched the show “All Creatures Great and Small”? It’s a rather old British show about country vets that was set in the Scottish highlands; or perhaps Peter Mansbridge’s farm. The rolling hills were that similar.

We parked the car at the gate and walked over to speak to Mr. Mansbridge, and as we did he was calmly gazing at the nearby hills. I followed his gaze and saw Shelby running and playing with Wagner, my Mom’s Shelty.

Those two dogs used to rip around my Mom’s backyard like it was a race track when they were young. The back yard literally had a circular path worn into its perimeter. Shelby was a bit older, and was full size when Wagner came along as a puppy. He loved Shelby’s floppy ears! They were irresistible to him. Many a time Shelby would run the length of the back yard with one of her ears in Wagner’s chops. Those two dogs sure loved each other. Shelby never snapped at Wagner for his ear fetish.

In my dream I saw Shelby run down the gravel road that led to the Mansbridge farm gate, chasing Wagner. The two dogs both jumped the ditch, one at a time, turned around, jumped back over the ditch, and ran back up the road even faster, this time Wagner chasing Shelby.


I'm sure glad I remember dreams about my black Shelby. It’s how we keep in touch these days.

Friday, January 8, 2010

Van Deusen Gardens holiday lights display






We went to see the Christmas lights display at Van Deusen Gardens just before New Year's and I thought I should post some photos before I all of a sudden realize it's already Easter and still haven't done it yet.

However, as it turns out, I don't really like many of the shots I took, except for the abstract ones. I was in a goofy mood and decided to get a bit jiggy with it (with the camera, that is).
















One of the only two "normal" shots I like is this one of me and Shauna in Santa's sleigh. It was pretty chilly that night (by Vancouver standards) and Shauna was wearing this year's hottest winter accessory; her 2010 Olympics mittens.

Seriously, they turned out to be this Christmas' version of (and I'm dating myself here) a Cabbage Patch Kid or a Tickle-Me Elmo. They were just flying off the shelves. There were news stories about clerks not even being able to get the mittens out of the packing boxes to the store shelves before throngs of delerious shoppers snatched them up.

So naturally, Olympics mittens became my obsession too. Shauna had mentioned she wanted a pair, long after I had passed by dozens of pairs in Zellers and the Bay in previous weeks.

But, lo and behold, by sheer perseverence (or maybe just blind luck?), I actually got the very last medium size pair in the store at 2:15 p.m. Christmas Eve day.

My wife was quite pleased with her gift!

Kitchen b4 & After





Here Shelby is showing you the 'before' condition on Oct. 26, 2009.











And here she is checking out the finished product on Jan. 4, 2010. Only a bit of painting left to do, and we're going to change the c/top electrical plugs to white.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Shelby update

Last night Shelby seemed like her normal self. The vet has given her pill medication that is supposed to prevent fluid from building up in her abdomen. Instead it is supposed to be drained through her urine. So far it seems to be working. My instructions are to give her the pill when I get home from work so I can let her outside frequently all evening to avoid bladder accidents in the house.

On Tuesday evening, the second day I’d given her the medication, she developed what looked like a small udder, full of fluid. I was a bit alarmed because in the early evening it was a bit hard. But as the evening progressed it became more dilute each time she came back from relieving herself in the back yard. By the time we went to bed the fluid sack was substantially reduced.

Last night no such re-occurrence happened. She seemed normal in every way. She devoured her food, ran up and down the stairs, licked the door of the dishwasher as we tried to load dishes, slept on my lap for awhile, and followed us around the house. And she didn’t tremble, as she has been doing on occasion for the last few days.

I’m reluctantly optimistic. But the uncertainty is most unsettling. I’m harbouring the unrealistic hope that the vet’s diagnosis was wrong. That’s likely not the case. It’s almost impossible to predict how long she has. I know I’m supposed to focus only on today, but it’s hard. Not that I haven’t before, but especially now I’m trying to appreciate Shelby every chance I get.

Recently my wife Shauna has taken up meditation, mostly as treatment for pain left over from last year’s trauma of a herniated disc in her back. But, she tells me, it’s also been beneficial for her over-all wellness and outlook on life. I’ve done it a few times myself, and I’m trying to apply some of the principles of meditation to my own life.

Shelby’s medical set-back is one more reason I need to “focus on one day at a time”. That’s exactly the phrase my mother always told me as I was growing up. Now it’s all re-packaged for a new generation as “Meditation”. Whatever the label-of-the-day is, the underlying principle is sound. It’s not possible to change the past by dwelling on it; nor is it beneficial to worry about the future. Do all you can to engineer a desired outcome to a situation, but ultimately, one can only do so much, and you have to release your anxiety and accept the outcome.

Considering Shelby’s current state of well-being, I have to focus on today, which seems to be quite good, and not worry about tomorrow, next week or next month. We’re caring for Shelby as best we can, and we’ve gotten professional help for her when we noticed something was wrong. That’s all we can do.

Plus, it probably wouldn’t hurt to pray that the vet was mistaken.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010




Shelby is enjoying her new kitchen.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Shelby GT

Happy New Year everyone.
I hope you are having a bright start to 2010.
Our Christmas season contained a big ‘high’ and a big ‘low’.
The ‘high’ was getting our new kitchen finished. The cabinetry installer is here for a final service call today to replace some scratched-in-shipping doors, and then it’s finished! I’ll post some photos soon.
But the ‘low’ was correspondingly larger. Our 3 year old Cocker Spaniel, Shelby, whom we’ve only had for a year and a half, has been diagnosed with liver disease. And it’s terminal.
We’re still in shock; I don’t think it’s fully sunk in yet. Our previous Cocker Spaniel, coincidentally also named Shelby, had to be put to rest 2 years ago this March (on the 11th, our wedding anniversary). She was 11-1/2, which is a respectable age for a dog. But we always hope for longer, of course.
Our new Shelby, however, is a young dog. The vet is puzzled as to how Shelby developed such an advanced case at such a young age. The ultra-sound showed that her liver is unusually small. She’s probably had a liver condition since she was born.
We’ve certainly learned a lot about the liver, such as it can operate with an alarmingly low over-all state of function, as low as 25%. But if something goes wrong at that stage, the margin of safety is gone, and treatment is limited. In Shelby’s case only a liver transplant would fix her. But that is a rare operation even for people, so it’s certainly not an option for a dog.
The situation seems to have stabilized since Christmas. The vet changed Shelby’s food to a low sodium, low protein diet, and Shelby seems to love it. She still runs up and down the stairs, still barks at the mail delivery, still wags her tail, and still loves to sleep in my lap when I’m watching TV. We took her to Angus Park yesterday and she happily trotted along the riverside boardwalks.
This whole thing started when I took Shelby to get groomed before Christmas. Her hair had grown longer than usual due to a longer than normal interval between haircuts, but I suspected she had gained weight. After grooming she was indeed substantially bigger. Her abdomen was wider than her rib cage. After a couple more days her stomach region seemed, if anything, to be getting even bigger, and it felt like fluid inside when I touched her sides. We went to see the vet. They drained 1 litre of fluid from her abdomen, which equates to 4 pounds of weight. She normally weighs 20 pounds, but at check-in she had been 24 lb.
After fluid analysis, urine and fecal analysis, blood analysis, an X-ray, and finally an ultra-sound, the vet determined Shelby has advanced liver disease.
We’re going to have a challenging start to 2010. We’re dedicated to keeping our dog happy and comfortable for as long as we can. We’re not going to try to prolong her life simply for our sakes. At this point she’s acting normally with no signs of distress. Her tail still wags as fast as it ever did.
She’s a love bug, that one.