About six weeks ago (10 months old for everyone keeping score), Saxon took her first steps. Last week, she was officially done with crawling. Period. Just stopped like it was a bad habit and now is walking. This, of course, means more perils and dangers for the child with no fear. These photos were taken at the C&W Ranch in Smolan, Kansas (population 218).
pausing to investigate the pretty flowers
nope, saxon, you cannot pick the flowers.
on the move again.
Milestones & Photos & Saxon Chris 01 Aug 2007 No Comments
Unfortunately, last week Ranger’s health took a bit of a turn. Last Saturday morning, when we were in Kansas, I received an 8am call from Susan, dog sitter/trainer extraordinaire. Something was very seriously wrong with Ranger. Disoriented, he could not stand and had thrown up. Long story short, Ranger was suffering from Idiopathic Vestibular Disease (IVD), which is a disorder of the internal balancing system.
Right away, I learned two new words: Idiopathic = sudden onset for no known cause and vestibular = the system mammals have (including humans) to help them balance. Basically, Ranger was suffering from extreme vertigo. The vet made an immediate diagnosis right away because of the involuntary rapid eye movement going on - Ranger’s eyes were darting back and forth — which makes it a little hard to balance and focus. Apparently, IVD is fairly common in older dogs.
Typically, idiopathic vestibular disease lasts 2 to 3 days and the dog begins recovery. Sadly, many dogs are euthanized because their vet misses the diagnosis and the owner decides to put them out of their misery. Seeing Ranger in this condition was very, very painful to watch, so I can understand.
ranger at the hotel thunderbird, marfa, texas 2005
Susan then took Ranger to the emergency clinic where he stayed until Monday morning when i picked him up to take him back to his regular vet…
Photos & Ranger Chris 01 Aug 2007 No Comments
