Caine has been back to his happy, fun-loving self. He is running around and goofing off with his dog friends. His fur is growing in again where it was shaved for the feeding tube and various IVs. The new fur is very soft! He is not drooling as much, at least I don't think. He drools right before he eats and when his food is being prepared. Right now, he gets wet food mixed with dry food that has been soaked in water. My mom mixes this by hand and he salivates like crazy!
Every now and then he will grab a piece of Roxie's dry food, just one piece, and then it just gets stuck in his mouth. He will slobber and chew but it just seems to fuse to the roof or bottom of his mouth. We usually have to go in with a wet paper towel and wipe it out. We do this anyway after he eats to get out the pieces and make sure his mouth is clean. Then we go over his teeth and gums with the wipes.
He has a new routine now. Instead of eating first and going outside, he will eat then come back to bed with me. He's too cute. Then he'll get up with me and start his day. It's amazing what a little ball he can curl up into.
We are going to take Caine to get weighed again because he's been eating really well. He will eat 4 cups of dog food (wet and dry mixed) and then sometimes I'll give him an extra half can of Evangers dog food, which he likes, and is all organic.
We are so proud! He also came to visit my work (a school) and met some teachers. They've heard all about him but finally got a chance to see him and give him some loving. He tried to kiss them and hug them. They all thought that he was just beautiful and so gentle. I really am fortunate that he is such a good natured dog. If he weren't, I'm not sure he would have had such a successful story.
Last night I was checking my e-mail and I had a message from a freelance writer. She writes for DogFancy, and would like to have a story about Caine in their June issue! We are so excited for him. The more people who know about this, the better. The interview is tomorrow and then we'll just have to wait.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
One Month Later
It has been exactly one month since Caine's horrific accident. It is hard to believe that it has been that long because we are still very much feeling the after shock. I still remember the phone call to me and my mom's shaky voice. I remember catching the flight home and driving two hours from Milwaukee because the Chicago flights were full. That first night at the emergency vet where he was groggy but still managed to give us kisses and wag his tail as blood stained saliva dripped from his lips. Even then, he was such a trooper and had come so far! My family was completely shaken during those first 4 days, an emotional roller coaster. Although he is doing great, we still feel so horrible that this happened to him. We wish we could take that moment back, but the past cannot be changed. We must move forward!
To celebrate his one month, he had some extra meatballs. Although he doesn't need the food in meatball form any longer, he still enjoys it. He has vomited twice in the past 3 days. He has no real trouble getting it up, and it was mostly liquid. Earlier today our other dogs also vomited, so we are wondering if their bag of dry food is bad. Caine has been getting some dry food in his wet. We are going to call the company (Purina One) tomorrow to investigate. He also went for a nice long walk tonight around the neighborhood to smell the smells and listen to other dogs. He came in and drank from his fountain for a while and now he's asleep on the couch. He will be going to the dog park again shortly.
I am still going to update his blog although he is better. I want to keep people posted and up to date as to how he is doing. He is drooling a lot (although not as much as when he first came home) but that is to be expected. Just make sure you have a towel handy!
I'm sure that once the Chicago winter passes he will be out in full swing. I'm curious to see how he does when the weather gets warm. I think that he will realize that he can't run around as much as he did (or maybe he can!) and he will naturally slow down a bit. I will make sure to always have a water bottle on hand during our walks/jogs.
I continue to receive donations. Thank you so much! His vet bills have exceeded $3,000, but at least he is still here with us. You cannot put a price tag on the joy that a dog brings day in and day out. At least he doesn't need meatballs anymore!
To celebrate his one month, he had some extra meatballs. Although he doesn't need the food in meatball form any longer, he still enjoys it. He has vomited twice in the past 3 days. He has no real trouble getting it up, and it was mostly liquid. Earlier today our other dogs also vomited, so we are wondering if their bag of dry food is bad. Caine has been getting some dry food in his wet. We are going to call the company (Purina One) tomorrow to investigate. He also went for a nice long walk tonight around the neighborhood to smell the smells and listen to other dogs. He came in and drank from his fountain for a while and now he's asleep on the couch. He will be going to the dog park again shortly.
I am still going to update his blog although he is better. I want to keep people posted and up to date as to how he is doing. He is drooling a lot (although not as much as when he first came home) but that is to be expected. Just make sure you have a towel handy!
I'm sure that once the Chicago winter passes he will be out in full swing. I'm curious to see how he does when the weather gets warm. I think that he will realize that he can't run around as much as he did (or maybe he can!) and he will naturally slow down a bit. I will make sure to always have a water bottle on hand during our walks/jogs.
I continue to receive donations. Thank you so much! His vet bills have exceeded $3,000, but at least he is still here with us. You cannot put a price tag on the joy that a dog brings day in and day out. At least he doesn't need meatballs anymore!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
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.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
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.
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.
Monday, January 25, 2010
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.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
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!
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!
Saturday, January 23, 2010
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!
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