Riley Update

The Thursday after Riley's bloating episode, she went in for gastropexy surrgery. Gastropexy is a surgical operation in which the stomach is sutured to the adbominal wall. It is very likely that she will bloat again - the gastropexy will help prevent the stomach from flipping during future incidents. It's not guarenteed to prevent her stomach from flipping, but it does greatly increase the likelihood of living. :)

Dr. Jassen, our vet, said the surgery went well. Dr. Jassen worked at the ER vet previously and thus has  performed MANY MANY MANY gastropexy surgeries. It is a major abdominal surgery that left Riley with a 3" scar. Riley went through the surgery fine and came out of the anesthesia easily.  However, upon waking up she discovered she was in a hospital kennel and freaked out. To prevent her from hurting herself, she was moved into one of the exam rooms where she was much happier and spent the day recovering on a blanket. That evening we picked her up and brought her (and a bunch of medicine) home. 

Riley was very happy to be home - and very drugged. Surgery had taken a lot out of her so she would stand in one spot with a stoned expression and sway. Her spacey demeanor didn't stop her from jumping onto the deck or the couch - it's hard to keep a weim down. By the next day Riley was feeling much better and the stoned expression was gone. She has been content to nap more frequently but still wants to follow us from room to room. The doctor was surprised by her lack of reaction to the meds - he had even prescribed us an extra sedative because of her spunkiness while recovering at the vet. She is calmer than normal but she no where near resembles the drugged dog that came home on Thursday. Riley has had a fairly good recovery but I can tell she is anxious to get off her meds and get back to running circles around us!

Future Chatterbox

Harper has always been very vocal. Ross and I love to converse with her. Lately she has been trying a different way to talk. To be honest it sounds like she is trying to throw up - but we find it really funny. Here is a clip of our little angel trying to tell us something.

Riley

As the owners of a weimaraner, Ross and I were aware that the breed was more included to bloat. Bloat is a medical condition in which the stomach becomes overstretched by excessive gas content. It is also commonly referred to as torsion, gastric torsion, and gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) when the stomach is also twisted. The word bloat is often used as a general term to cover gas distension of the stomach with or without twisting. In dogs, gas accumulation in the stomach is usually associated with volvulus of the stomach, which prevents gas from escaping. Deep-chested breeds are especially at risk. Mortality rates from bloat in dogs range from 10 to 60 percent, even with treatment. Bloat is more common in deep chested breeds - which obviously include weimaraners.  Since we work with the IWR, I hear stories about dogs passing away from bloat on a regular basis. Sadly it’s common but as responsible dog owners it’s good to be educated and prepared in case an episode ever presents itself.

On Saturday morning I took Riley for a long walk out at Raccoon River Park. Although it was hot outside, I figured we wouldn’t have a problem with the 3.1 mile trail. I packed three bottles of water (and a bowl) in the car for our return – 2 bottles for Riley and 1 for me! The walk was hot and by the time we got to the car Riley just wanted to lay down. She took a little sip of water and then I poured some on her paws, chest and back before we drove home. When we arrived at home Riley had a difficult time walking – I think she was overheated from the heat – so I put her in the shower and let the cold water bring down her body temperate. Once her core temperature cooled down she was thirsty! I let her drink out of the shower facet (her favorite place to get a drink). The poor girl was dehydrated!

Only a short while later Ross and I noticed that Riley was acting strange – she kept shifting her weight. She looked uncomfortable and her hind legs were in a strange position. Finally the lights went off in our head when Ross commented she looked bloated – her stomach bulged on both sides! We immediately called the vet but the next appointment wasn’t for 90 minutes. In the meantime I called Mandy, IWR’s director, to ask some additional signs about bloat. Mandy said we would likely hear a gurgling noise (from twisting). She also said that if she began vomiting we should take her in immediately. As soon as I hung up the phone Riley tossed her cookies. Ross immediately threw on her leash and took off for the vet while I stayed home with Harper.

The vet looked Riley over but couldn’t diagnose her without taking an xray (which the office did not have). So, Ross threw Riley back in the car and headed over to the ER Vet for an xray. The xray confirmed that Riley had bloated. But, the great news was that the stomach had not twisted. The ER admitted her and drained her stomach of the water and air. They kept her overnight on an IV and so they could observe her. We were very happy to pick her up on Sunday morning. Riley was very excited to see us. She happily spent the day recovering at home.

Recurrence of bloat attacks can be a problem, occurring in up to 80 percent of dogs treated medically only (without surgery). We were very lucky that Riley’s stomach didn’t twist but we don’t want to risk another episode so Riley Roo will be going under the knife in a few days. She will have a gastropexy in which they will suture the stomach to her abdominal wall. 

"I'm Full"

Harper is very stubborn. Once she makes a decision, she sticks to it. When she decides she is full, she is DONE eating. Sometimes she get's fussy but other times she is just silly. 

Grady Update

Gman has recently began camping out in the living room overnight. During the day he will siton the back of the couch and stare out the window.  At night he used to curl up at the end of the bed and sleep with us or in his cat bed. However, recently he's begun sleeping on the doormat in the living room. It doesn't look soft or comfortable - but he seems to enjoy it.

Smuncky Sue

We really like making up songs at our house. It's quite rare that a song will actually be song with the correct lyrics. We like to talk from Harper's viewpoint in the songs and rhymes. Ross's newest chant is "My name is Smuncky Sue and I'm cuter than you."

Iowa Weimaraner K9 5K

As you probably know, I am an active volunteer with the Iowa Weimaraner Rescue( IWR). We no longer foster dogs, but I am the application coordinator and newsletter editor. IWR held its first 5K last weekend. The event had two races - an elite race for serious competitors and a fun run for those who wanted a good workout. People were also allowed to bring out their dogs for the fun run - it was neat to see all the different breeds that people brought out for the event. Harper (who I like to refer to as IWR's youngest volunteer) and I arrived early to help out, but mainly spent the morning talking with other volunteers about possible future projects. Since Ross is training for Tough Mudder he decided to run the 5K. My brother, who is becoming a runner this summer, also signed up for the race. The guys did a great job finishing in 33 (Ross & Riley) and 40 minutes (Dave). It was a steamy morning so their times were especially impressive. I was happy that we were all there to support an organization that is near and dear to my heart!