The end of an epilepsy tale
January 2nd 2010 00:56
It is one of the two things he does to remind me that it is dinner time. The other is to stand and stare in my direction with a direct, concentrated gaze that says, "I am in danger of passing out with hunger, my blood sugar levels are low, my bone marrow is screaming for sustenance and the clock on the wall is 37 minutes slow."
When that doesn't work, he gets bored and chases his tail. It's a desultory chase, as if to indicate that he could do better if only he had the energy which comes with a large dinner, and it rarely lasts more than a minute. Then he returns to staring at me, with occasional, meaningful glances at the clock.
Scratchy hasn't chased his tail for almost two weeks, however, since his massive epilepsy scare. During attacks, the muscles seize, and after multiple attacks, those muscles are very sore indeed. This is bad enough for normal dogs, but in the physiology of a greyhound, there is little which isn't muscle.
It is with much delight, therefore, that I can report that, this morning, Scratchy chased his tail. I assume he was practicing for a return to his habitual late afternoon tail-chasing regime. Either that, or the clock on the wall really is very wrong.
But I choose to believe that he chased his tail just because he found, after two weeks of recuperation, that he felt good enough to do something spontaneously energetic. Whatever the reason, if he can chase his tail, I can now pronounce him full recovered.
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Comment by Heidi/Clyde
Daisy, how can I forgive myself? When I was worrying about not hearing from you I had nightmares that Scratchy had died of a seizure and then he nearly did! Do you think my thoughts had anything to do with it? We dogs are known to be somewhat septic aren't we? or is that sceptic? Or cyclic? I know it's something like that - - - ah that's it psychic. Clyde says he is not going to even think about spooky stuff like that.
The Missus (who is built like Clyde, all scrawny skin and bones) says she feels for your Boss when he carried Scratchy out to the car. One of her previous dogs, a Red Cloud Heeler crossed with a Kelpie, got snake bitten (she killed the snake, it half killed her but the Vet saved her) and collapsed half way down the orchard. The Missus scooped her up and almost ran with her to the 'ute before she had time to think she says. She gets me and foster dogs that can't jump in to it by lifting our front half and then our back half, Clyde just leaps in but he is different. I find the present method quite undignified and I'm thinking about giving her a fright on a regular basis to make her lift all of me in at once. Do you think it would work? I only weigh about 32 kilo (Clyde is much taller but far more skinny, he looks like an anorexic greyhound) The Missus comes in at about 54 kilo so she should be able to manage it don't you think?
We are so glad Scratchy is feeling better again but what a dopey thing to do, neurotic dogs chase their tails. Do you think he's a bit neurotic? Perhaps you could persuade the Little Boss that a path to the peach tree would be better for his health and prevent him (and her) becoming more neurotic, then you could share the peaches too, I thoroughly recommend them.
Clyde has had to have another toe removed, the other front foot this time. It is getting to be a bit of a habit and he's certainly much happier about it this time. The Missus didn't tell me until it had happened because she says I am the neurotic one the way I panic when he is ill.
Honestly though, if the Big Boss wants to meet an accident prone Greyhound he need go no further than my friend Clyde. He is blind in one eye and has a scar on the other one from where he punctured it, he has only about 3/4 of a tail from standing still in a doorway as the door was blowing shut and now he has only 3 toes on both his front feet. Honestly he looks a fright, I wonder sometimes what people must think of us, I try my best to be elegant and a perfect picture of canine beauty and there beside me is this scrawny messed up clown of a creature, Clyde. Ah Daisy, life has many trials when you have companions like ours doesn't it?
Your friend,
Heidi.
Comment by Chris Champion
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Look, I have to admit that I said to the Big Boss, I said, hey didya see what Heidi said about Big Brindle having a mega-fit and then it happened and surely that's too much of a coincidence and dontcha think that's just plain weird and eerie, and he said, "Nah." He said he doesn't believe in the superb natural.
It's hard to imagine losing toes. I hope Clyde copes with it. Give him a lick from me.
I don't think Scratchy's neurotic. He chases his tail almost as an afterthought and for about one minute a day. I think he's just being a doofus, as usual.
I don't think it's a good idea to mention Scratchy and peaches to Little Boss at the moment. It's not just losing the fruit - as if the possums weren't bad enough without Big Brindle getting in on the act - but Little Boss says cleaning up the yard got a lot less pleasant since Scratchy started adding pip-filled, pulp-textured content to the task. Except she didn't use those words.
Wags and licks,
Daisy
Comment by Queenie
Quirky Folk
Quirky Queenie
I am glad to see you are back blogging about your beloved greyhounds. I have missed your posts
Comment by Chris Champion
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Or I might have dreamed that she said it. But that's the kind of self-pressure that bloggers about animals feel. I'm sure you know what I mean.
Hope all is well with you, and that 2010 gives you plenty to purr about.
Comment by Roux 'b Doux
I'm so glad your big boys are starting to be in better health. As you said Daisy the superb natural is just that and if your Big Boss doesn't believe in it, especially between us hounds he just doesn't know as much as he thinks he does.
As for tail chasing it isn't neurotic, Colt, moms first greyhound did it and she says he was the least neurotic of all her hounds. He'd even catch it. He loved doing that and then continued to turn circles.
More later, Roux