December 29th: 6 Year Anniversary

Six years ago I brought Morey home to be my service dog. I went back and read through some of my first blog posts- remembering when Morey and I were still getting to know each other and some of our early adventures. While I started this blog as a way to share our adventures with my family and friends it has become a special way to document and remember my life with Morey.

December 29th is also Jessie's birthday (my first service dog). She would have been 12 this year. She's been gone for two years but I still miss her.

A relationship with a service dog is unique. The love you have for your dog is incredible but so is the hurt and loss when your time together is over. There is a touch of sadness as I realize that I won't have another six years to work with Morey but that just makes each day with him even more precious!

Christmas Buddies

Morey and Buddy cuddling on their bed

My mom has an old shih tzu who is blind and deaf. Buddy loves to be around other dogs and gains a sense of security from their presence. Right now my mom doesn't have any "extras" (foster dogs, service dogs in training, dog sitting) so Buddy was very glad when Morey arrived!

Buddy has no concept of personal space and will cuddle up right next to Morey no matter how much space there is (or isn't). Morey is very considerate when Buddy steps on him or across his toys or treats. It is pretty cute to see them together!

None of the pictures were posed- in most cases Morey was sleeping first and then Buddy joined him.

Morey and Buddy waiting for Santa

Buddy and Morey sleeping face to face

Morey takes up more than his fair share of the bed!

Morey and Buddy enjoying their Christmas presents!

We don't really know how old Buddy is because he came to us as a stray. It is very possible that this will be his last Christmas so it was fun to get so many pictures of Morey and Buddy together.

Flying Fears

Flying with Morey has become a much more stressful endeavor than it has been in the past.With his medication he seems fine but since I am not medicated my anxiety is pretty high the whole trip! I travel prepared with all his emergency medication and supplies and sincerely hope I never need to use them. It's not just the medical aspect of Morey having a seizure that scares me it's also all the logistics that go along with it- what if he has a seizure on the plane, if he can't walk how could I get him to an emergency vet in a strange city, etc. Needless to say, now I only get excited about going home to Indiana once we are actually there!

Morey and I are the first ones to board the plane and as we got settled an older couple got on and when the wife saw Morey she said "My husband is a vet so if you need anything just let us know". I felt like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders as I said "Well, he actually did have a seizure so it's good to know you are here." He wanted to know what medication I had and said "Don't you worry, if anything happens we can handle it." I settled back in my seat so relieved that help would be available if needed.

It turns out they were traveling all the way to Indiana so they were on my second flight as well. The wife sat next to me on our second flight and told me all about their clinic in Bastrop (about 30 minutes away from Austin) and showed me pictures of some of her favorite clients. She took a few pictures of Morey so I am sure he will be part of her picture show in the future! Having them on board felt like a Christmas gift and allowed me to enjoy the trip without (too) much worry!

Vet Visit

Once the semester is over it is much easier for me to arrive late or leave early from work since there aren't as many meetings and appointments once students leave campus. I use this time of year to make all my own medical appointments since I can be more flexible with my schedule. One appointment I always make before going home for Christmas is Morey's annual vet visit so he can be up to date on his vaccines before we travel.

This was the first appointment with his regular vet since he had his seizure so as the vet tech got us settled in the exam room she asked if there was anything specific I wanted to talk to the vet about. I explained the situation and the vet tech said "Oh, that was you! I was the one who answered the phone that day!". I apologized for being an incoherent mess when I called and she was very understanding and said she was glad it all worked out ok. She was glad to hear Morey had been seizure-free since the initial episode.

I am thankful to have a vet who understands the importance and unique aspects of a service dog's health. Dr. Oliver willingly gave me a refill for Morey's anxiety meds once she heard his reaction to the airport the next time she went. The emergency vet had given me a dose of valium to give Morey rectally if he had another seizure and I explained to Dr. Oliver that I was concerned about my ability to actually administer it since it involved attaching a needle to a syringe, drawing out the valium, detaching the needle and administering it rectally. Each step involved a lot of fine motor skills I don't have and I hadn't been able to practice since I only had the one dose. 

Dr. Oliver brought in some extra syringes so I could see if that was something I would be able to do if no one was around to help. While I managed to draw out the dose, I couldn't detach the needle (using your teeth isn't really an option when you are talking about needles!). She was so eager to help me find a workable solution and we went through a number of different syringe, needle and medication options before landing on Keppra that I could give as an injection using syringes with needles already attached. This only required me to draw out the dose (challenging but doable) and give Morey an injection. She said it might take a bit longer to work to stop a seizure than the valium but it was something I could do on my own if necessary. She wanted me to be comfortable with each step of the process so we practiced several times and then she let me give Morey a saline injection so I knew how to do it. I certainly hope I never need to know how to do any of this but I left feeling much more confident and prepared that I could manage another seizure on my own if necessary. I am so grateful to Dr. Oliver for all the time she took with me to make sure I can take care of Morey!

Morey also had a few lumps and bumps that were new since last year and she wanted to make sure they were all benign. I hate being reminded that Morey is getting older and you never want to hear about the possibility of a cancer. Thankfully Morey's bumps were all benign and he was given a clean bill of health. I am very thankful that Morey is healthy and happy enough to continue in his working role!

Shopping for a Service Dog

Morey trying out the bed options at Costco

It is challenging to shop for your service dog when they are with you all the time! This year Morey needed a new dog bed and Costco has big comfy beds at reasonable prices. They had a number of different choices when it came to style, fabric and color so I let Morey pick out his favorite. After letting him get on the bed in the store to try it out he didn't want to get off of it! I explained that we couldn't take it home unless he let me carry it to the front of the store to buy it. I had to make two trips into the store- once to buy the dog bed since that was the only thing I could carry and once to buy the other things I needed!

Morey's new bed was just right!

 It doesn't usually get very cold in Texas but that day it was only in the 20s! As soon as I got home I put his new bed on top of his old one (creating a double decker dog bed) and Morey settled in for the afternoon. He looked so cozy I almost wanted to join him!

All curled up for an afternoon nap!

Christmas Preparations

Christmas seemed to sneak up on me this year. Perhaps it was being gone most of the month of November but for some reason I had a delayed start to my Christmas decorating and celebrating. Luckily it doesn't take long to put up my tiny Christmas tree and Morey the reindog was happy to assist.

This year Morey got a new stocking. He was very excited about hanging it over our fireplace (even if we are in Indiana for Christmas so it never actually gets filled!).





A friend and I have made it a tradition to go to the Blue Genie Art Bazaar each year to do our shopping. I like to support local artists and it's fun to see the unique and creative pieces they have for sale. It's sometimes hard to remember I am there to shop for other people and not myself! This year the Bazaar was in a new location and they had a Santa Sheriff at the door to greet you!

Road Trip to Houston

We had just gotten back to Austin from our Thanksgiving trip and it was time to pack and hit the road for our next trip! Our destination was Houston where I was going to be playing in a rugby tournament so once again my rugby gear was along for the ride. As you can tell, Morey was less than thrilled to have to share his space with or luggage!






 On road trips I bring a cushy inflatable bed for Morey to lay on at the gym. He is very good about staying on his spot while I am busy playing rugby.

 Morey got to meet a CCI yellow lab named Ty who belonged to one of the other athletes. We gave the dogs some time to run around the gym before or after the games since they both were feeling a little cooped up.








Morey enjoyed the king bed at the hotel! Even though it seems like he sleeps all day at the gym I don't think he gets very good quality of rest so he made the most of the bed at the hotel!

 In case you are wondering, you can fit 2 people, 2 wheelchairs, 1 rugby chair, 4 wheels, 3 bags and a dog into a Mazda 5!