The Loves of My Life

 

One of the best parts about going home is seeing my first service dog, Jessie. Honestly, the hardest thing about moving to Texas was leaving Jessie behind. She lives a great life with my mom and volunteers at schools and senior centers, making the most of her loving personality. But that doesn't keep me from missing her every day we're apart. My mom tells me that Jessie gets excited whenever she hears my name which makes me both happy and sad. Happy that she knows who I am yet sad that I don't get to see her very often.

 

 

The bond you share with a service dog is special. They become almost a part of you, an extension of yourself, and when that part can't be with you anymore you never really get over it. It used to be common to talk about your "replacement dog" when you got a second service dog. Now we mostly use the term "successor dog" which is much more accurate. You can never "replace" your dog. Yes, you can get another dog to do the same types of tasks for you but your relationship with your dog is unique. I love Morey so much but he will never fill the place in my heart that Jessie has.

I've known Jessie since she was a four month old pup in training and I was an able-bodied senior in high school. As Jessie transitioned into a service dog, I transitioned into being a person with a disability. When we ended up together after a failed first placement, it seemed like we were meant to be. Unfortunately, due to the demands of my busy college life and Jessie's not-so-great hips, our working life together was cut short. Still, in the time we had together Jessie taught me so much about loving people unconditionally, facing your fears and how to let people know when you are displeased without saying a word!  Jessie is nine now. I can't even think about the day when I come home and Jessie is not in the backseat, happily wagging her tail to greet me at the airport. Knowing how limited our time is together makes me cherish each moment with my sweet Jessie!

 

 

I'm so thankful to share my life with two such amazing service dogs! 

                                         Morey and Jessie, the best gifts  I've ever received!

ICAN Graduation

One of the highlights of my trip home was getting to attend ICAN's graduation for their newest service dog teams. I actually got to volunteer with Team Training one day, giving a lecture on Public Access and sharing some of my experiences with Morey. I also got to accompany the new teams as they completed their Public Access Tests that demonstrates that they are a safe and effective working team in a busy environment. For so many years I was involved in the training and client services as part of ICAN and getting back into it, even for a short time, made me realize how I much I miss it. It is incredibly rewarding to be part of these new partnerships. Knowing all the joy Morey has brought to my life, I was especially excited for the new teams as they begin their journey with their new service dog.

ICAN Graduation is special for many reasons, with one being because it is held inside the Indiana Women's Prison. For the handlers, it is the culmination of the months and years of work they have dedicated to training their dog. For the clients, it is the culmination of months to years of waiting and anticipating the positive changes a dog can bring to their life. Team Training and Graduation are truly a life-changing experience for both handlers and clients and to hear the impact that one dog can have on so many people is amazing.

For me, this graduation also gave me a chance to see folks I haven't seen for several years including ICAN volunteers, clients and handlers. Some of the clients were getting "successor dogs" and as I congratulated them on their new dogs there was a touch of sadness as I remembered placing them with their first dog, what seems like not long ago.

I had been a little concerned about how Morey might behave once he was "back behind bars", seeing so many new dogs and familiar people. He definitely remembered some people but (for the most part)he was appropriate with his greetings. I couldn't have been more proud of him as he acted like the model service dog.

ICAN is an organization that will always hold a special place in my heart. The work they do touches so many lives, including mine, in such powerful ways. www.icandog.org.

Summer Fun!

While we were home Morey got to enjoy his favorite activity- swimming! Grandma has a small pool we set up in our yard and we are fortunate to have friends who invite us over to swim in their big pool.

Even when the pool was filled with cold hose water, Morey didn't hesitate to jump right in!

 Bobbing for tennis balls, anyone?

Morey definitely has a ranking system when it comes to his toys. Tennis balls are always his favorite and he won't play with anything else if a ball is around. However, if a ball isn't an option than he is quite happy to play with other toys. In the pool he had fun playing with an orange rubber bone and a Kong Wubba (an octopus type toy with long dangling "tentacles").

Morey spends a lot of his time "on duty" and doing things that dogs typically aren't expected to do. I love being able to give him a chance to be a regular dog and enjoy chasing toys, running around and jumping in the pool. He might be an experienced professional but he still loves to play!

Double duty- retrieving two object at once!

After several hours at the pool Morey was clearly exhausted but he wouldn't stop getting in the water. I had to enforce "time outs" so he would lay down and rest for a few minutes before getting right back in the pool. He was having too much fun and didn't want to stop! He was a very tired pup by the end of the day!

Happy Father's Day!

Morey and I were home for Father's Day which was a special treat. Living so far away means that we aren't often home for the smaller holidays and miss some of the special traditions our family has to celebrate.

We also got to celebrate by having Morey's dad, Jammer, over to our house for a "sleepover". Jammer and Morey had never actually met before and although they had no idea of their relation to each other, my family and I certainly did.






They were a little wild and bouncy with each other at first but after a few hours they both settled down. It was great weather so they got to enjoy a pool party together, which of course involved tennis balls!

Jammer lived with me in college for six months while he was in training and he was actually a candidate for my next service dog. He is still just as handsome as he was then! It all worked out well as he went to live with a wonderful family where he works as a Facility Dog in a rehab center for seniors, with some occasional part-time work as ICAN's resident stud dog. (Jammer has over 100 puppies- most of them have gone into some type of service work.)

One of the reasons that Morey is so special is because I personally know and have been involved with both of his parents. Cleo was the first puppy my family puppy-raised for ICAN and I spent considerable time with Jammer during his training in prison and when he lived with me. I feel very fortunate to have such a connection with Morey's family and also to have such a good relationship with Cleo and Jammer's new families who allow us to borrow their dogs so we can have "family reunions"!

Damn Dog!

While I'm home I always go to visit my grandparents who are living in a memory care facility. My mom knows most of the residents there and she warned me there is one lady who is grouchy and doesn't like dogs. Of course, as we were walking in that lady was sitting in her wheelchair in the lobby and when she saw Morey she started yelling "Why is there a damn dog in here? You need to get that dog out of here!" Sensing that this was not a situation where education would be helpful we just kept going but she continued to yell and complain even after we were out of sight.

My grandparents have met Morey many times but it's still a new experience every time they see him. They never had dogs growing up so it takes them aback when Morey comes into their apartment. When I tell my grandpa how Morey helps me he always says "well, isn't that great" and my grandma just smiles and tries to pet him. I'm not sure how much they really understand about Morey's role in my life but at least he can make them smile when we visit.

Frequent Flyer

Morey and I had the chance to go back to Indiana for a week which was a very much needed break after working two jobs for the past six months. We kept our trip pretty low key but there were still several highlights to share about our time in Indiana.

As we were checking in and going through security in Austin one of the TSA agents said "I haven't seen you for a while. How have you been?" I suppose I am fairly memorable since I usually travel with Morey but given that I come and go from the airport at very different times (and therefore during different shifts) I was surprised that she remembered me. As I thought back over my schedule I realized that May is the only month of 2014 when I haven't taken a trip involving air travel. And, looking at my schedule for the rest of the year my travel schedule doesn't look like it will slow down much!

Morey scored me a move to first class on the first flight to Houston which is always a nice perk. As it happened, I ended up sitting next to two guys who were on their way to an adaptive scuba trip with an organization called Eels on Wheels. They encouraged me to get involved and join them next year. Although I've been scuba diving in a pool it certainly sounds more fun to do it in the ocean! Morey has never been to the ocean so he was interested too, although I'm not sure how he would react if I went down in the water and didn't come back up!

One of the guys had become a quad from a bike accident and his golden retriever had helped alert his neighbors so they could get help (http://www.ilovedogs.com/2010/12/golden-saves-dog-dad-paralyzed-in-biking-accident/).  Hopefully I'll never have an occasion to find out if Morey has an "inner Lassie"! While some dogs are trained to go find help, that is not one of Morey's tasks and it's hard to say what he would do if we were in a similar situation.

Since I had a two hour layover between flights I decided to take Morey out to "hurry". I had arrived at the airport about 8:30am and wasn't schedule to land until 4:30pm. While Morey could wait that long to go if he had to, since I had time I decided to take him out. Despite being given directions to the service animal relief area, I never actually found the designated area. After wandering through the parking garage we found some landscaping which would serve the purpose equally as well as a special area. Although I had made sure Morey had pooped in the morning before we left, he decided he needed to go again so I was very glad I had decided to give him that opportunity! Even though it only took him a few minutes to "hurry" by the time I made it through security again it was almost time to board our next flight.

Our second flight was on a very small regional jet. One side of the plane had a single seat which was where I was assigned to sit. There was no place for Morey on that side so the flight attendants switched me to the side with two seats and graciously kept the seat next to me open so Morey could have extra room. Even so, it was a pretty tight fit. We were both very ready to get off the plan when we arrived in Indianapolis!

Morey on the Mend

After bringing Morey home from the vet (see previous post) he was supposed to be under observation for the next 12-24 hours so I could see whether or not he got sick again. This wasn't too hard as Morey is usually near me when I am at home so the only real difference was that I wouldn't let him go out in the yard and hang out like he usually does. Every time Morey would make any kind of noise (a groan, loud swallowing or sigh) I would jerk my head around to see if he was going to be sick. Thankfully that was never the case!

The vet said I could give Morey a tablespoon of rice and special prescription dog food several times that evening once his anti-nausea meds kicked in. I made Morey a tasty dinner and put one tablespoon in his bowl. Since he hadn't eaten/kept down any food in 48 hours he was pretty hungry and eagerly ate his meager amount then looked at me like "where's the rest?". I felt bad that I couldn't give him more since I knew he was hungry but wanted to make sure he would keep that down first.

He got three more tablespoons that night and eagerly ate them all. The next morning we were still "puke free" and Morey was acting more like his usual self both of which made me breathe a little easier. He got a larger portion of breakfast (but still smaller than his normal meal size) and I packed him more for his "lunch". There are times when it's convenient to have a service dog instead of a pet and this was one of them. Morey had to continue to be under observation so I just took him to work with me like normal. I realize most people with sick dogs would have had to take a day off or make other arrangements. While I usually leave Morey in my office while I have meetings, that day I brought him with me so I could keep an eye on him. I was very happy when 4pm arrived and Morey was officially out of the woods and didn't need a follow up appointment with the vet.

I'll never really know what caused his illness, but thanks to the vet visit I knew what it wasn't. I typically tend to be conservative about illness/medical treatment and have a "let's wait and see" attitude but Morey isn't worth taking a chance on. In the past six months two of my friends have had their young dogs die very unexpectedly after a short illness and that was very much on my mind when Morey got sick. Also in the last month or so, two of the ICAN service dogs that I had worked with while they were in training and had helped match and train their families passed away at age 9. All of these losses have made me appreciate Morey's presence in my life even more than usual and have also made me more vigilant and cautious about his health.

I am very relieved that Morey is feeling better and on the mend! I'm also thankful to have a great vet nearby who understands Morey's special role in my life and helped him get back to his job without too many "sick days" off! And of course, all of Morey's friends and fans who sent him good thoughts and prayers while he was sick.

Sick Morey

Warning: this post is not for the squeamish to read. If you have a problem hearing words like stomach bile, vomit or subcutaneous fluid you should probably skip reading this post and wait for something a little happier.

Morey has always been a pretty healthy dog and there are times when I take that for granted. Over the past 24 hours I've been dealing with a lethargic/listless dog, multiple piles of vomit, changes in plans to accommodate vet visits and very large bills and I will no longer take Morey's health for granted.

On Monday morning Morey didn't want to eat his breakfast and seemed a little more lethargic than usual. That is unusual but it has happened before when he has gotten overheated or just isn't feeling very well. At about 3pm I looked under my desk and saw a pile of dog vomit right next to Morey. It took me by surprise because I hadn't heard the retching sound that usually comes before vomiting. I cleaned up the mess as best I could with paper towels and Lysol wipes. Twenty minutes later as I was talking with my boss I noticed Morey "smiling" (his lips pulled way back as he panted) and knew he was going to vomit again. Since there wasn't any food left in his stomach this mess was a little more difficult to clean up and smelled a little worse.

I had one meeting left in my day but thankfully it was on the ground level in a room right by the door and I alerted the rest of the participants that I might need to unexpectedly leave the room. Thankfully the meeting was not interrupted by Morey and I was hopeful that he had cleared his system of whatever had been bothering him.

I was home and working in the yard when I noticed Morey throwing up again. Being the concerned dog person that I am, I went over to examine the contents of the vomit (much to the disgust of my roommate!). There wasn't anything unusual in it and I wondered what was making Morey so sick.

I cooked him some rice and fed him some special dog food but two hours later I saw that food again on the carpet. Once again, there was no warning noise which is rather inconvenient because it doesn't allow me to rush Morey outside or onto hard floor. As it got closer to bed time I was concerned about how the night was going to go. I spread a towel over my bed and had to hope for the best.

At 1am I woke up to an unpleasantly familiar sound but wasn't fast enough to escort Morey to a "safe puking" zone, ending up with a mess on my bedspread. As annoying and gross as it was, Morey was obviously uncomfortable and that was more concerning to me than the mess. I cleaned it as best as I could and didn't sleep well the rest of night since I woke up in high alert any time Morey moved.

I decided to go in to work a little later than usual so I could monitor Morey and also have a chance to wash my bedspread. At 8am Morey vomited again and since this was the 7th time in less than 24 hours I decided to call my vet and made an appointment for that afternoon because they were concerned about Morey being dehydrated. Morey was acting fine, running around the yard and looking for breakfast (which he didn't get) but then he would revert back to being listless and lethargic.

My office didn't smell very good when I arrived and after talking with our building staff, a staff member brought up some carpet cleaner to remove the smell. Thankfully there were no more messes added to my carpet the rest of the day! Yay!

At the vet, Morey eagerly greeted all the staff but when they led him to the exam room he began to get a little more hesitant. The vet wanted to do bloodwork and x-rays to rule out an obstruction and since a friend's dog had died of an obstruction several months ago I didn't want to take any chances. As Morey was in the back getting these procedures I was left alone in the exam room trying not to think the worst. Morey is practically an extension of myself and seeing him sick with all the unknowns and "worse case scenarios" floating around in my head was a not a pleasant way to pass the time.



The vet tech loved Morey and was impressed by how calmly he accepted the handling during the exam, even jumping up onto the x-ray table when asked.  Even though he didn't feel well he was still well behaved (as usual).

Morey's bloodwork and x-ray came back normal which was a relief. However, he still wasn't out of the woods as there is still the potential for pancreatitis or an obstruction that didn't show up in the x-ray. He was given subcutaneous fluid and an ant-nausea injection with instructions to monitor him closely for the next 24 hours. I was allowed to give him small amounts of chicken and rice for dinner and see how that goes. If he vomits again in the next 12 hours he will have to go in for an ultrasound tomorrow.

 

Notice Morey's "hump" that is the fluid that was injected into him. The vet explained that it will be absorbed as its needed.

 

It's hard to see Morey sick and even harder to think about the "what ifs". I am hoping and praying that Morey is done with the vomiting and on the mend!