7am Romp in the Backyard

In this video, Caine and Tauri were outside for their morning romp. It's kind of dark but you can still see them play. Caine also drank alot from his fountain yesterday while they were playing! The other picture is of me spoon feeding him because he does not need meatballs anymore. We have also begun to mix dry food (soaked in water) with his wet food and spooning it to him. We know that he could probably take it from a plate at his eye level as well.

Many people have asked me about grooming. He does try to groom himself. His front legs will be soaked and sometimes he chews on them and tries to lick. We will take a warm, wet face cloth and rub his legs down, or have him hop in the tub for a rinse. We also wash his face, because he'll shake his head from side to side and saliva will be on his nose.

He is very tired after playing all yesterday and came home and fell right asleep. He's still does not have all of the stamina and energy he used to, but he'll get there.

Moving Ahead

Caine has done remarkably well. He is eating on his own now and we have seen him drink water from his fountain. We haven't seen him drink since Monday, but we are confident that he is comfortable with it. The important thing is that he knows he can do it.

At the vet yesterday, he weighed 67.3 pounds. He has gained one more pound this week! In total, he has gained 4 pounds back. Our goal is between 74 and 75 pounds. This is what he weighed before the accident.

Tonight he will go to visit his dog friend Tauri in Orland Park. They haven't seen each other since December and I'm sure they'll have a ball. Caine has been sleeping a lot, and it doesn't take much to tire him, but a bit of fun is in store. I know that he'll get tired, but he'll have fun too. I have to make sure to bring his fountain! Maybe Tauri will have a sip too.

Caine is feeling better all around. He is getting into things and being his nosy old self again. Sometimes he'll start really frothing and that usually means there is something in his mouth or he THINKS there is something there. Yesterday, he had a tiny piece of paper just behind is bottom front teeth. It's amazing that the tongue can do so much, we don't even realize. Each night before bed, we rinse his mouth with water and wipe it clean with a damp paper towel. He also has teeth wipes that we use to freshen up his breath and help keep his teeth and gums healthy.

We are still waiting to hear from the shredder company. I have sent many emails but with no response. I will continue until I do receive some sort of response back.

I am so happy with how the word has spread. I hear all the time of people telling their friends and family about Caine and immediately unplugging their shredder! That is great news. If we can keep this from happening again, that would be wonderful. Caine is adapting well but still is healing.

Dr. King has said that Caine has made it this far because of his dedicated owners, but Dr. King has also helped tremendously. He's worked with us very closely this past month (it's been 30 days!), calling almost daily to check on Caine and give us ideas. I think Caine has taught Dr. King a lot, but we have also learned so much from this situation. Caine has also become close to the staff at the Chicago Heights Animal Hospital, giving out kisses and hugs. It is so nice to see that there are so many people rooting for our Caine Boy.

I think it's a lot to take on, mentally and physically, and that is another reason why he gets so tired. Thank you to everyone who keeps him in their thoughts. I really appreciate all of the kind words and donations. I hope to put some pictures of Caine and Tauri up later.

Water Fountain and dry food SUCCESS!

After romping outside, Caine just came in and drank from his fountain!! We are SO EXCITED! We did lower it so it is a bit below his eye level, and he drank a lot because we could hear the reservoir bubble with the decrease in water level. We gave him lots of hugs and kisses to praise him and encourage the drinking from the fountain. He tilted his head to the right and just drank like he's been doing it his whole life.

This evening we also had Caine try some dry dog food. This was recommended by Dr. Mann at the University of Missouri. He said that I will not have to make meatballs for the rest of my life (yay!). Hunger will drive him. We put about a cup of dry food on a plate to make it easier for him to get into his mouth. I dribbled some water on it just to make it a bit less crunchy. He was definitely motivated to eat that. I did open up a can of Evanger's all natural wet dog food and he also ate that from the plate. I gave him the food off of a spoon too, which he took with no problem.

He probably ate about a 1/4 of the dry food cup. I gave him the entire Evanger's food, and then about 30 meatballs. For dessert, he had a ball of cream cheese and a piece of strawberry.

Earlier today my mom gave him a couple jello balls. He didn't care for the cherry chicken flavor, but did take them if tossed. He ate about 7 or 8. He did drop one on the floor and then stepped on it. He didn't like the feel of jello between his toes.

Later tonight I'm going to try the dry food again. He wont be that hungry, but I think he'll be hungry enough to try to eat it. By the time he was done with the plate of dry food, it was full of slobber!

Caine is really adapting well to his new way to eat and drink.

Bath Time

Caine has been feeling great since his feeding tube was removed. He is perky and is getting more like his old self. He's starting to be more care free and play with Roxie a bit rougher. We're not so worried anymore because the tube is out.

His wound is healing well. You can barely see it anymore! He had his first bath since the accident today. Usually he would try to lick his legs to help me 'rinse' him off, but today, he didn't even try. I'm beginning to wonder if he is realizing that he does not have a tongue. I'm not sure what the intelligence level of a dog is! He just stood in the tub and let us suds him up and then he sat under the blow dryer. He is a good groomee!

We've made him some Jello. Initially we were told to give him sugar free jello, but Dr. King said not to. There is some chemical that is in the sugar free jello that can cause a drop in blood sugar and then liver toxicity. That is a no go, but we bought regular jello. Instead of boiling water, we added boiling chicken broth! He hasn't tried it yet. Cherry chicken jello.

Tomorrow is going to be the first day he is home alone since the accident. We have less to worry about since the tube is out, and we have picked up everything that may be some sort of choking hazard. The other dogs make sure there is no food on the ground, so we are thankful for that!

Caine did vomit this evening. He came in from outside. He must have gotten into something out there, because Roxie also vomited. We watched him carefully, because that was one thing that all the vets are worried about. We do not want him aspirating. He was able to get it all up though, with the help of his saliva! He didn't seem to have any problem though, so that is comforting.

This Saturday, if he is feeling well, Caine may go visit his friend in Orland Park, Tauri. He has not seen her since his accident and I'm sure he would like to get out and play with his old friend for a while.

We are so proud of Caine!

Caine in the Yard

Caine is just walking around the yard in this video. I was hoping he would play a bit with Roxie, but today is not the day! He is feeling well, getting back to his old self. A bath is planned for tonight!

Feeding Tube is Out!

This afternoon we received a call from Dr. King. He said that Caine is really getting enough water from his food for maintenance. Caine is getting all of the water he needs from the canned food, except for just 2 fluid ounces. He said that we can come now and get the tube out! I was so happy! My face just lit up. We hopped in the car and were at the vet about 7 minutes later. Once we walked in, he was weighed, and he he now weighs 66 pounds! Gained one more pound. Dr. King gave him a pain killer that would take effect in about 10 minutes, and we definitely saw when it started working. Caine became glassy eyed and just sat there.

I elected to leave the exam room when Dr. King removed the tube, but Mom and Ryan stayed inside. They both said it took a lot of force to remove the tube, which had a piece of foam on the inside. You first cut the tube to deflate the foam piece, but then it still has to squeeze through the tiny incision hole. Caine did jump a bit when that happened, but Dr. King didn't want to give him to much pain medication. Mom said that it didn't leak too much when the veterinarian pulled it out, which is good. In the experience she had, stomach contents have splattered all around!

After Dr. King pulled the tube out, Ryan called me back into the room to sit with him while his bandage was placed. The incision did not look that bad. It was a lot smaller than we anticipated, maybe between the size of a pea and a marble. It seemed to start healing immediately, to the point where you could almost see it closing. The body is an amazing thing.

We go back tomorrow for the doctor to check the bandage (that we might take off tonight if it really bothers him) and then he'll go next week for a urine test to make sure he has enough water in his system.

Take a look at his pictures at the vet. In one he is giving Dr. King kisses, and that was before he took the tube out. After he took the tube out, Caine didn't want to have anything to do with him! Caine is now asleep on the couch.


I want to say thank you to Leslie Cruz and the Early Act Club of Brookwood School District 167. Her club of middle and junior high school students rolled 36 cans of canned food into meatballs after school yesterday! Thank you so much! It is very appreciated. They even agreed to do it again. I guess the students had a fun time playing with the dog food!

Thank you again for your generous donations. Caine is doing well and the donations of money, shirts, and love are helping. We are hoping to hear from the shredder company very soon, but I guess we'll see.

Watch Caine Eat Meatballs!

Caine is doing very well. He is still not drinking a whole lot on his own, so we've decided, with the advice of Dr. Mann, a veterinarian at the University of Missouri, to let him get a little thirsty. Dr. Mann said, "I honestly believe that Caine will learn to drink if you just provide a bowl of water for him to learn." Sounds great!

This means that we are not going to do anything for him, other than have access to water. No more tube waterings, no more syringes in the mouth, no more pitchers into bowls waiting below. We've been babying Caine, and that will not help him drink any faster. He likes the attention that we are giving him and he's milking us! Just like he hammed up the camera for the SouthTown, he is sure milking his injury for all it's worth.

Dr. Mann of the University of Missouri suggested that if we are worried about his weight that we can weigh him daily and go from there. There are also blood tests that Dr. King can do to make sure Caine has all of the water and nutrients he requires.

Thank you to everyone who has supported Caine, including Dr. Greg at the Georgia Aquarium, our veterinarian Dr. King, and Dr. Mann at the University of Missouri. I am also continuing to receive donations towards Caine, which are really helping.

Please check out the video we took this evening of Caine eating his meatballs. The video is rather dark, so we hope to take one during a morning feeding.

Making Meatballs

Caine's meatball making crew...as he sleeps.

Thank you Linda and Krista getting a week's worth of meatballs ready for Caine!

Friday Vet Visit

Caine's vet visit went well today. He had his incision site cleaned (Q Tips work wonders!) and showed all the veterinarians how he eats his meatballs. He's got it down now, and finishes his meals in record times.

He did drink some water at the vet from a pitcher. We are going to keep giving him 250mL of water twice a day today and tomorrow, and then monitor the rest of his water intake. His food is 78% water, so that is about 2/3 of what he needs daily. We are so happy that his food has all of that water for him. He only needs 3 more cups a day to be right on target for water intake. That also explains why he's not as thirsty as he used to be. He used to eat dry food which has very little water. Plus, he has been a lot less active.

Dr. King said that once we monitor his water intake and know exactly how much he drinks on his own, we can cut back on the tube watering to 250mL. This is how we are going to wean him off of the tube completely. We just need to make sure he is receiving adequate water to help him heal and just maintain his body. Once he's been drinking enough water (only 3 cups!) for about a week, the feeding tube will be removed!

Caine is right on schedule with other dogs that this has happened to. It has been only 2 weeks and he has come so far! We are so proud.

Caine also gained 2 pounds. His last visit he weighed 63 and now he weighs 65. He's gaining again which is awesome. Once we get him back up to 74 lbs we'll be right on target.

We've been having to think about treats for Caine and treats for our other dogs. We thought that the best treats would be the chicken broth ice cubes, because they are safe for Caine. We can't have him munching on something that could potentially hurt him, and now the other dogs are just going to have to sacrifice.

I'm hoping to record some video on my camera of Caine eating a few meatballs so everyone can see how he does it. He's a champ!

Thank you so much to everyone who has donated both time and money. I have friends coming by today to help roll meatballs. Many people have been so generous!

I have had some people tell me about a meatball maker. I am going to look into that, but we can't have Caine's meatballs too large. I'm just worried that the machine will make people sized meatballs, and we usually cut them up. Caine's meatballs are about the size of a nickel.

I met a dog last night, Dude, who was actually shot by a police officer. He was shot through the nose and the bullet exited through the sides of his mouth, shattering numerous teeth. He is doing well (he was a stray, but is not aggressive whatsoever) and that happened well over a year ago. I'm starting to realize how resilient and adaptable dogs are, and how they just live in the now. We should all gather some inspiration from our canine companions.

Silver Bowls

Caine has been doing well. He has, obviously, mastered the meatballs. We stopped giving him water through the tube though. We want him to start drinking on his own. He is! We pour water from a pitcher into a bowl below and he will put his lips up to the pitcher and you can see him swallow.

When he came inside after a jog in the backyard, he went straight to his old silver bowl that was on the ground and tried to drink. My mom quickly got the pitcher and just started pouring water into that bowl, and he drank some. We are hoping that once the elevated 2 bowl feeder comes that he will like that bowl.

We are hoping to get that adjustable feeder soon. I also ordered tooth wipes to keep his teeth clean. He will not be able to use his tongue or dry food to keep them clean.

He has an appointment tomorrow with Dr. King. We are hoping that he is starting to gain weight again. Last Monday he weighed 63.8lbs, and he should weigh about 74.

We are hoping to have a dog park party when the weather is better to raise donations for Caine and awareness. He can romp around the dog park and meet some new dogs.

Thanks again to everyone who has donated on his behalf. He is progressing wonderfully, and we are hoping to have this feeding tube out sooner rather than later.

Keep reading!

Bunny Bottle

Today we went on a field trip to Farm and Fleet to buy an oversized hamster bottle (called a Bunny Bottle!) for Caine. We want him to have as many options as possible when it comes to drinking. He did put his face under the waterfall and gulped a couple of times. After he ate, we forced him over there again but he didn't want any water. We are going to try his routine before the accident. He would get up, then eat breakfast first. He'd then go outside and come in and go straight to the water bowl. Tomorrow we're going to try that and see how it goes. Maybe he'll remember his old routine and go to the water bowl himself.

Caine also tried chicken broth ice cubes this afternoon. He liked them! He had two before he lost interest and I pushed him towards the water fountain. We want him to get used to the feeling of liquid going down his throat in addition to the meatballs. When he was outside earlier, he and Roxie had a large icicle that they were both holding on to. Caine chewed on it a bit but lost interest when something else caught his attention.

Caine also has an article at PeoplePets.com: http://www.peoplepets.com/news/pets-in-the-news/dog-doing-amazingly-well-after-losing-tongue-in-paper-shredder/1

It's amazing how many hits you get if you type in Caine and paper shredder. I'm so happy that there are many sources that have picked up his story to help spread the word. That is all we ask for.

One of my students from last year has started a fund raiser. I want to say a special thank you to Izzy and her friends for thinking of Caine. Hopefully you can help us roll meatballs for him! It's so nice to think of everyone who has Caine in their thoughts but they've never met him, including my students right now. He is such a sweetheart, he'd win anyone over.

We figure there are around 30 meatballs in each can, and he gets 4 cans a day (a little more than 4 while he's healing). That's 120 meatballs a day! We are constantly rolling meatballs to make sure that Caine has enough for the next day.

Thank you to everyone who has donated on Caine's behalf. I know most of you, but some of you are complete strangers to Caine and yet your heart has gone out to him. I have people from all over the country who have read about Caine and donated, or even just told everyone they know his story. Thank you so much!

Water Drinking Woes

We are still trying to get Caine to drink water. He has his food down, but he is not interested in the fountain. Dr. King suggested we freeze chicken broth into ice cubes and give him those as a treat. We also tried filling a bowl with water and putting some dry kibble into it. He didn't go for that either. So far he has taken to the syringe though the mouth. If he has to do that for the rest of his life, that is fine by me...so long as he doesn't need the feeding tube.

We are also going to go to Farm and Fleet to get a water bottle that livestock use. We are hoping that the large bottle will entice him and be enough for such a big dog. PetSmart just has hamster bottles..and that is WAY too small for him.

Caine is also going to have an article on peoplepets.com in the next couple of days. I love that reporters are taking to Caine's story to help get the word out.

A special thank you goes out to everyone who has donated towards Caine's Cause. Many people have been so generous and I am so happy that Caine is reaching hearts. He is a very special (and lucky) guy.

Pictures

Caine visited PetSmart this afternoon and had some beef broth when he got home. We've found that Science Diet is working best as far as the meatballs are concerned.

SouthTown Star and Meatball Madness!

Caine's article appeared in the SouthTown Star today. We are so happy that the newspaper picked it up because we just need to get the word out. If we can save one dog from this horrific accident, that is worth it! See his article in today's paper or online at:

http://www.southtownstar.com/neighborhoodstar/matteson/1981106,011010dogpapershredder.article

This morning during his breakfast, he successfully swallowed EVERY MEATBALL. He did not have any trouble with them or drop any on the floor. This is a first for him. We are so proud of how far he has come.

I've had suggestions about putting chicken broth in his water fountain. We were going to try that as well, but have run out of chicken broth. We are worried that the chicken broth will clog the fountain some how, so we are a bit unsure of that. We have also ordered a bowl set that will stand at his eye level. This was a suggestion for Dr. King so when he is eating on his own again he does not have to bend down and run the risk of choking.

This afternoon we also sent an email to the shredder company, Novitech. It outlined the situation and had pictures attached. We also scanned in all of his veterinarian bills thus far and attached those. Hopefully we will hear back from them shortly.

We have been receiving more donations. Thank you so much. Every penny will go towards helping Caine and ensuring his needs are met. I am so glad that there are people out there who care about animals as much as my family and people who are so generous. Please continue to spread the word about the dangers of shredders and dogs.

We are off to PetSmart (currently running low on our Science Diet dog food) on a field trip and to lighten Caine's spirits. He's been a little depressed yesterday and today. Maybe the trek to his favorite store will help.

Chicken Broth Fountain

Caine has been doing a fantastic job eating his meatballs. He is starting to really get a good technique down that works for him. At the vet yesterday, he showed Dr. King how he plays Meatball Toss and how I just give him the meatballs. Dr. King was impressed, as was the rest of the staff at the Chicago Heights Animal Hospital. We are still trying different brands of dog food to see which consistency works well for the meatballs. Science Diet is good (once chilled) and Purina One. The only problem with Purina One is that the caloric values are not listed on the can. I will check their website. We tried to get Caine to drink water, but he just wasn't that thirsty.

Dr. King spoke with Dr. Mann at the University of Missouri while we were there for some tips. She did suggest we use a bucket of water, but a shallow bucket. Dr. King also thought we should try chicken or beef broth to encourage drinking. It's not water, but it's close. He also suggested we try meatballs out of puppy food because the extra nutrients will help him heal at this time and there also may be more calories in it. Caine needs 1600 calories a day. We found that some of the canned dog foods have about 450 calories per can, but some were not labeled.

Once home we tried the chicken broth. At first we put it in a shallow yet wide bowl. He sniffed it, and tried to drink with a tongue, but obviously had no luck. Ryan decided that we should make a waterfall out of the broth. We used two large bowls and tipped one to flow into the other. Caine really took to this! He was trying to figure out the best way to hold his head and eventually he seemed to have it down. We would hold the bowl just above his eyes, and he would tilt his head and open and close his mouth as the broth flowed down. He dribbled, naturally, but also was able to swallow a lot. He kept coming back for more! We are so proud that has come so far in just a week and a day. He is doing a great job.

He has been in high spirits the past two days. He has been requiring less pain medication and has regained some energy. The other night he actually walked all over me like he used to. His eyes seem more happy and he has a pep in his step when he's out back with his friend, Roxie. He has also been wagging his tail more and is trying very hard to learn to eat and drink again. We are doing nothing but praising with every attempt, and every swallow.

We have been receiving many donations from across the country. Thank you so much for your generosity, it is much appreciated. Caine's story is in the Chicago SunTimes today and will be in the SouthTown Star tomorrow.

One Can of Meatballs

This morning Caine was able to swallow 5 meatballs! He is still getting the hang of it. During his evening feeding I decided to try a whole can. He will eventually need 4-5 cans of dog food a day. He managed to swallow a whole can of meatballs! We are so happy. Some of them didn't go down and ended up on the floor. We tried different techniques. I'd toss them for a while, then I'd let him pick it off my hand. I also tried holding it over his head and when he opened his mouth I'd let it fall. He seemed to know that he has to hold his head up initially just to get the meatball in the right place, then lower his head to swallow. I wanted to challenge him because the sooner he can get the meatballs down the better he will be.

It's harder to swallow when your head is up than if your chin is pointed towards your chest. The same seems to be true for dogs.

We always flush his mouth with luke warm water after the feeding to make sure there are no crumbles left and to 'water' his mouth. We tried giving him water via syringe. He did swallow it a little bit but I don't think he was very thirsty. We are going to cut back on his water to encourage drinking. He did stick his nose into his new fountain that is at eye level and tried to drink. He still doesn't realize that his tongue is not going to help him out any more.

Even though it is so cold outside, I thought a walk would be nice. He got on his Easy Walk (he's a puller!) and we just walked up and down the street. He was happy to be outside on walks again and he had a pep in his step. We came back inside and he walked around for a bit but then fell asleep on the couch. He looked very comfortable on the couch after his walk, unlike how he's been sleeping recently.

I've had so many people telling me that they are thinking of him and rooting him along. Thank you so much. Caine has such a great influence on everyone he meets and he has great friends, both human and canine. He now has a facebook club, called Caine's Cause. You can link up to it from my facebook page, because for some reason I couldn't find it when I searched. Thank you also for the generous donations we have been receiving. Caine has racked up quite large bills, but he is totally worth it and we are so proud that others feel the same.

Caine's story has also made it to the Chicago Tribune. Check out this site to read the post: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/letters/chi-100107taylor_briefs,0,2430924.story

Caine's Photo Shoot and Meatball Success

This morning Caine and my mom played Meatball Toss. He successfully got down 2 meatballs because they landed at the right spot at the back of his throat. He then just had to swallow! The other 3 got a bit goopy, but he still managed to get them down.

In the early evening, Donna Vickroy from the SouthTown Star came to our house to get Caine's story. Her photographer took some candid shots of Caine just being himself, and of course, he won them over. He was definitely hamming up the camera, sitting on my lap and giving me kisses. We had a chance to share our story with Donna, who is a dog lover too. We told her about the accident and how he now trying meatballs. I told her how important he is to me and my family and how we will do anything to help him. Caine's story will be in the SouthTown Star on Friday, Sunday or Monday. She will let us know for sure tomorrow.

After Donna left, it was time for Caine's feeding. We started with his meatballs. His first meatball didn't go down so well. There was a lot of foaming and drooling. But, never give up! We tried another meatball...and SUCCESS! He got it right where it needed to be and voila! Swallowed with no saliva or interference. This worked for the next 3-4 meatballs. He seemed to figure out a bit of what he should have done. When he had the meatball in his throat, he would tilt his head back. When it was where it needed to be, he would lower his head and then swallow. He did this movement about 4 times, and that worked for him! The last meatball didn't go down as easily, but that's ok. After the meatballs, we gave him his regular tube feeding. We also tried water, but that sort of just spilled out of his lips. He wasn't interested in the new fountain we got him, but that is because he doesn't feel thirsty. We are going to cut back on his tube water to make him more thirsty. That way he will try to get water and we can see how that works. It may sound bad, but that is the only way he will learn to get water.

I want to say thank you once again to the generous donations. Your contributions to Caine are all going to help him recover. We appreciate the tee shirts coming his way and care packages from the other side of the country. Caine's care is going to be ongoing and every little bit helps. His new wet food is about $1 a can and he will need 5 cans a day when he is back up to his potential, not to mention the veterinarian visits thus far.

Don't forget the magic day...January 26, 2010...our goal to have Caine eating with his mouth again.

First Meatball Toss

Today Caine ate 3 meatballs during our Meatball Toss game. They were about the size of a nickel. We told him to sit, and he caught it in his mouth. It did not go to the back of the throat (which would make the whole process easier) but he did manage to get them down. It took maybe 5 minutes for each meatball and his mouth got very frothy and slimy. BUT, he got most of each meatball down! We only tried three because some of the saliva started to get a pink tint and we didn't want to irritate the wound any more. We also gave him some water in a syringe, but our syringe was giving us trouble so we stopped. We didn't want to put too much pressure on the syringe trying to get the water though and have it jet towards his throat and him choke.

Dr. King was optimistic (finally a doctor who is on Caine's side!) about starting the feeding early. The earlier the better for watering and feeding. He said in most of the studies he read, the feeding tube was out in three weeks. Our goal is 3 weeks from today, which is January 26, 2010. Caine has a follow up appointment tomorrow to make sure that his tongue is healing properly.

The SouthTown Newspaper is also coming over tomorrow evening to interview us and take some pictures of Caine. I sent Caine's story to an editor at the SouthTown and she called us today wanting to write an article about Caine. We are so happy and grateful for her because now people will think about shredders in a whole new way. And Caine will look so cute in his blue tee shirt!

I set up a PayPal account today for people who are interested in donating to help Caine's Cause. Donations will go mostly towards the feeding tube food right now, but as he is weaned off of the food, the donations will go towards veterinarian visits and follow up appointments.

Thank you so much for your concern...keep cheer leading!

Caine's First Night at Home and Vet Visit

Caine had a very restful night at home. I fed him at 8, and then Ryan and Michael took over throughout the nighttime feedings. At one point, Caine was really fatigued and seemed comatose. He didn't respond to whistles or pettings. We decided to drop his dosage of pain killers, which Caine's vet, Dr. King, said was fine. Caine was also breathing faster during his feedings which was worrisome. I called the emergency vet and they said to just give him half of the food and water he would normally get. That can be a sign of nausea, and we do not want Caine vomiting. Dr. King said that it could also be his body reacting to this new way of eating.


Caine's first post-op vet visit was today. He met with Dr. King, who is very positive and supportive, which is what we need. We told him that we are expecting Caine to regain full use of his mouth and not have to survive off of a feeding tube. Dr. King worked with us and gave us helpful ideas and we plan on doing Caine's first watering on Wednesday under his watchful eye.

Right now Caine is fast asleep on the couch as he just 'ate'. We've changed the way we feed him slightly because the food was difficult to get through the syringe. We give him most of the water and then mix about 50cc's with his whole serving of food. This way, it is easier to push through.

He is currently sporting an Ecko shirt, size 2XL, donated by my brother! He will have to wear shirts as long as the feeding tube is in because he will pull at it. If he can chew through his own tongue I'm sure a little feeding tube would be a cinch.

We have received donations already. Thank you so much for your support, and Caine appreciates it! I am planning on setting up an account at Chase for donations if anyone is interested. The MaxCal food that he is on right now is very expensive, $72 for 24 cans. He goes through about 5 cans a day. We can get it cheaper through PetSmart or PetCo. But, keep in mind that we do not plan on him needing that food long term.

He is on the up and up. He barked today at the mailman and the neighbors! He has also been doing stairs and drooling profusely.

I've heard back from veterinarians at the University of Illinois, Georgia Aquarium and University of Missouri. All had great and positive things to say and that Caine will be able to re-learn to eat. These e-mails are always so wonderful to hear, and help boost everyone's morale.

We are so excited to get him back on track. Go Caine Go!

First Day Home

Today we picked Caine up from the Veterinary Specialty Center in Buffalo Grove, Illinois. He is very groggy and is on a pain killer that is more potent than morphine. We were also instructed as how to feed him. The first two days he will be fed every 4 hours. It takes about one hour to feed him because we can only give him 5 cc's of water at a time. Then we wait for 30 seconds and repeat that process. He will get 250 cc's of water at each feeding. He then is on a prescription dog food called Max Cal by Iams. He will eat 48 cc's of that 4 times a day. Day three changes. He will eat less often but the same amount. By the end of the week he will be down to just 2 times a day but the same caloric intake.

He is wearing a tee shirt that is tight fitting to keep the feeding tube out of his reach and out of his way. The area is still very sensitive as is his mouth. He is out of it, but we don't want him to feel any pain.

The doctors at this veterinarian said "the prognosis for him to be able to eat and drink on his own is very poor. We presume he will be dependent on his feeding tube for the rest of his life. Being that he does not have any use of his tongue, I do not recommend feeding him by mouth." It really upsets me that I have numerous vets telling me that he will never be able to eat again and have suggested euthanasia. I do not appreciate the pessimism.

I've since been in contact with veterinarians at the University of Illinois. I will be calling their clinic tomorrow, but I've already had a response that said there are many dogs that have lost their entire tongue. These dogs have been able to regain full use of their throat as far as water and food. This is wonderful news! If something like this happens, or you are told you need to put your pet down, RESEARCH! I am so thankful for the internet now because of all the success stories I'm finding.

Pictures and video coming soon...keep cheerleading for my boy! Unplug your shredder!

Check out this site for more inspiration:

http://www.petplace.com/dogs/paper-shredders-risks-and-dogs/page1.aspx

Caine's Story

Welcome!

Caine is a 2 and a half year old Rhodesian Ridgeback/boxer mix. He is a 75 pound lap dog and is a true gentle giant. He befriends everyone he meets and was known to lick faces out of pure love.

On January 1, 2010, a horrific accident happened at my home. Caine, who is naturally curious, got his tongue caught in a paper shredder. What happened next is nothing short of terrible and horrendous. Between the commotion of the other family dogs, the shredder turning on, and my mother trying to calm the situation, Caine just couldn't take it. He chewed through his own tongue, turning our kitchen into a blood stained room that looked like a murder scene.

Caine was rushed to an emergency veterinarian who stitched up the wound. Caine's entire tongue was bitten off during the accident and he has nothing left. Right now, he is undergoing the insertion of a PEG tube into his abdomen. This feeding tube will ensure that he gets adequate nutrients while we are re-training him to eat.

Tongues are very important organs. For a dog, they not only cool them down, but also help to guide food to the esophagus instead of trachea (breathing). Caine will have to re-learn how to eat and drink in a way that he will not use a tongue. Caine, who is very active and outgoing, will also have to cut back on his physical activity. This is especially true in the summer. He is more likely to overheat now that he is missing his tongue and this can cause fainting and vomiting.

We will be using the feeding tube for the first couple of days, but we are going to start training him to eat meatballs (wet food made into little balls) and water (from a syringe and bowl). We want him to adapt as soon as possible so he can become more independent. At the vet this morning, she was able to put a meatball at the back of his throat and he swallowed. We hope that eventually we can make a game out of it, where we play Meatball Toss and he catches them in his mouth. We will also try just using a spoon. Our biggest concern right now is aspiration, or choking.

The veterinarians I have encountered have not been what I expected. Two out of three brought up euthanasia, which is not an option for my family. Caine is not a dog to be written off. He is well motivated which means he will learn quickly and try his best. It was only when I searched online that I found wonderful survival stories of dogs in a similar situation. Caine and I are going to prove those vets wrong.