Good thoughts to you and yours, TBogg. There’s not too many things sadder than a old pet friend who’s ill – there’s not many better things than when they rebound. Here’s hoping the latter happens quickly and in the meantime you get some rest.

I’ll second Lucky Ducky’s thoughts.

The dude abides…

I am sure the dogs will be fine. A couple of days of TLC and they’ll go back to their jobs: sleeping and eating.

hey, it’s hard work being by turns cute and aggravating . . .

Hope the boyz turn the corner. Knowing they hurt and not knowing how to help is lousy, but we know Satch lacks for nothing.

And yet you still manage a modicum of snark . . .

My thoughts and prayers are with you and the boys.

Just gave my mutts a couple of extra ear skritches to transmit by Dog Radio to your guys. Many are thinking of all of you.

best wishes T

Best wishes to all — the two-legged and the four-legged.

Hang tough, fellas. Jackie Boy, Bailey Sue, myself and the missus are all keeping a good thought for our friends out west.

Can I ever emphathize with you! I have two aging cats here who adopted me during my career years abroad. They are my family and a very large part of my life. Cats can be extremely responsive. Perhaps because I am also very responsive to them.

One Christmas Eve, many years ago now, I went out to a remote country village to visit a very sick student of mine. Christmas Eve is the big celebration in that country. I missed the last bus home, but there was a local-stopping midnight train. I was sad that my student was not getting better. As I waited for my train, this gorgeous tabby came out of a hole under the railroad tracks and jumped up into my arms. Thinking that a cat in such fine condition must have a home, I urged her to return there. She would have none of it. And so, I brought her home to my other rescued cat, telling him that I had brought him a Christmas present. Next morning they were sleeping together in his bed. And so it has been now these many years. My Christmas Kitty.

I hope for the best outcomes for your two dogs, and for you. Please keep me (us) up to date on this. The picture of one of your dogs you posted went express straight to my heart!

Can you make Fenway take care of all of you? He’s the youngest, with the strongest legs.

All youse guys rest and gather yer strength.

In the immortal words spoken by Chief Dan George in The Outlaw Josey Wales, “endeavor to persevere”.

Continued best wishes to the TDoggs and their humans.

Best wishes to all of you. Feel better soon, boys.

An awful lot of people are thinking warm thoughts of the Tboggs, two-leggers and four-leggers alike. I hope you can get some rest while caring for the guys and that they are better very soon.

Two years ago my (then) 12 year old greyhound was diagnosed with Cervical Vertebral Instability, also called Wobbler’s Syndrome. His back end was pretty much useless and he was in constant pain. The Vet told me that as little as three years previous there had been no treatment for him and he would have had to have been put down.

Things move foreword though, and Veterinary Neurologist was able surgically to correct the problem. (Yes, it was expensive. Yes, I’d do it again.) Today at 14 his gait is a little funny, but he still gets around OK, is pain free and can enjoy lying in the yard watching the world go by, which for a greyhound is the height of activity anyway.

I am eternally grateful to the Vets for giving me this extra time with the old guy, and I wish the same for you and Satchmo.

As for Beckham’s bowels, you’re on your own there, bro.

Mr. TBOGG,

I’ve never commented here before, but your canine situation has always drawn me to check your blog out, and the same now gives me cause to register so I can comment on Satchmo’s condition. About five years ago, my fifteen year-old Giant Schnauzer, “Groucho” twisted his back so horribly that he was unable to move at all. He was panting terribly and unable to eat as well. I had to carry him out to do his business and he would just lay down in the grass as he did that. I was so distraught! My conventional vet, who is a great vet, (as conventional vets go) said that he had damaged his lower spine so severely that the best thing to do was euthanize him…At this point I felt this was not an option. He was more human to me than most humans.

So, I found a place in Copley, OH called “Dancing Dogs” which among other unusual therapies, performed Acupuncture on dogs and horses. Okay, now I’m pretty cynical, and I always thought acupuncture was mostly psychosomatic. I didn’t believe it could work on an animal because an animal would have no pre-conceived notion of the intended result, right?

WRONG!!! After a 45 minute treatment, I put Groucho in the car, drove two hours home, and upon arriving home, lifted him out of the car and stood him on the ground. He proceeded to limp over to a favorite spot and did his business without falling! The next day he was even better. After five weeks of one 45-minute treatment per week, he was getting around like he was 10 years old again.

About a year later, he began showing signs of the pain recurring again. I set up another round of treatments and the old guy lived pretty actively until dying of old age, calmly, and without a shot, under our dining room table during dinner. (By the way, think about that. What better way to go for a dog than at his place at the table with the whole family present and everything as usual?) 17 years is a long life for a 110 lb. Giant.

Anyway, sorry for writing so much. I could have just said, “Go find an animal acupuncturist and have them give it a try! You might be pleasantly surprised! (And, there are no medications.)

I now have two new Giant Schnauzer buddies, “Nacho and Nina” and I am hoping they both hit the same ripe old age as Groucho did.

Man, I feel your pain. I hope your little buddy pulls out of this and has many more active years ahead. You must be a really good person.

Best wishes.

My dog had the same thing and recovered. It’s scary and heartbreaking but they can recover from this. It takes time. I hope Satch is better…..

Just lost my 13 year old doberman/chow mix 2 mos ago. Good luck and I’m thinking all the good thoughts I can.

[thinking happy thoughts]

Sorry to derail the thread, but your link on Adkisson raised a thought:
“Adkisson told Still that “he could not get to the leaders of the liberal movement that he would then target those that had voted them in to office.”

Doesn’t sound at all like a terr’ist’s rationale? Maybe if he realised the Unitarians actually, y’know ATTEMPTED TO PRACTICE what Jesus preached instead of just proselytsing about his divinity, he might have realised he wouldn’t get the martyrdom he was hoping for. What an asshat.

I suspect that he picked the church because he thought the UUs would be a soft target. His most recent ex-wife belonged to that church (if I remember right) and so he was probably familiar with them. My guess would be he thought they wouldn’t be able to resist and so he’d be able to kill a lot more before the cops arrived. Rightwingers like to tell themselves that liberals are cowards because they don’t (generally) like to carry guns. They’re wrong about that, like they’re wrong about pretty much everything else, and one member sacrificed himself and several others, unarmed, tackled him.

If I could shoehorn my ideas on life, the universe and everything into the notion of an all powerful god, there would be worse religions to adopt than unitarianism. Mr Heathen Anti-Mule Dennis Perrin has a terrific post up about his experiences with the Unitarian church, well worth a read:

http://dennisperrin.blogspot.c…..minds.html

Second the canine acupuncture recommendation (you’re in Southern California, you won’t have any trouble finding one). I’e known a couple of dachshunds whose mobility & lives were “miraculously” extended by those creepy little needles. Even if you’re convinced it’s pseudoscience, it’s not going to do further harm, and if it can make Satchmo less miserable then yay! placebo, right?

P.S. I also knew a standard poodle whose chronic colitis responded so well to acupuncture that he no longer required regular surgeries for bowel adhesions. Just sayin’. You don’t have to believe, I guess, as long as your dog is dumb enough to fall for it…

Hope your boys are feeling better, TBogg.

I really do empathize, Tbogg. The moments that make your heart soar with hope make the moments that make your heart break so much worse.

Right now, we’re watching our 16-year-old accident-prone Maine Coon mix slowly recover from a compressed vertebra in her lower spine. She’s confined to a dog crate for 4 weeks (we are in the middle of week 2) to keep her from overdoing it, and only today has she finally gone from dragging one of her feet and tipping over when she tried to walk to a sort of side-to-side waddle that goes pretty slow, but is definitely balanced, and much faster than before.

It’s terrible to see a companion in pain, to have set backs, to need so much help. (Her set back was due to an escape attempt where she tried to stand on her hind legs even though she couldn’t walk.) She’s my shadow, usually, until she inexplicably decided to try to jump 40+” onto the dresser early one Friday morning when she usually doesn’t even try to jump the 17″ onto the coffee table anymore. I know she might not survive another foolish decision.

It won’t help Sachmo other than making his space a little more pleasant, but might be a relief to you and MrsTbogg if you gave Beckham some coconut to, ah, lighten your mopping-up duties. An Archway macaroon would probably do the trick.

Coconut huh….I had been told a teaspoon of canned (unsweetened) pumpkin would also help with the tummy issues. Of course the anti-spasmodics from the vet work wonders too. Beckham had a good night and Satchmo had a good morning (vet added a muscle relaxer to the drug cocktail) so we are cautiously optimistic. Thank you all so much for the kind words and encouragement. The Boys and the Boggs greatly appreciate the good kharma.