A positive health update!

A post by the momma:

It was just a few short weeks ago that we were preparing for the worst.  Corbin’s health was rapidly declining and his ability to get around was becoming increasingly harder.  We were crushed, frustrated and feeling absolutely helpless as we struggled with a huge quality of life decision. 

 

 

We decided to take it one week at a time.  If we went by his progress, or lack thereof, day by day… we probably would have chosen to end his horrible suffering… and yes, he was suffering.  But, we chose to plow through his bad days, comfort him during his 3am screaming fits of pain and do the best we could to make him as comfortable as possible while hoping for a light at the end of the tunnel.  It was a gruesome couple of weeks as we weaned him off of the prednisone and waited to see if a new drug would help.  We were so discouraged and watching him live in pain was more than we could bare.  I even had a heart to heart with him one night when he scrambled onto our bed and plopped all 75lbs of him on my chest.  I told him he had to let me know when it was all too much for him… when he was ready to let go.  He replied with an insanely fast tail nubbin’ wag and countless licks to my face.  I knew he was still fighting and willing to wait out some new treatment plans.  So, we did.

 

Dr. Mike started Corbin on some new anti-inflammatory drugs and muscle relaxers.  We decided to schedule a consult with a chiropractor.  At this point, we were desperate.  Last Wednesday, we met with Dr. Gunderson, a local vet who specializes in rehab therapy, including chiropractic adjustments and acupuncture.  She spent so much time with us, going over his crazy medical history and trying her best to understand what we’ve come to know as Corbinitis. 

 

 

She did a full exam on Corbin, feeling every inch of his body.  She found that his Iliopsoas Muscle, the muscle that connects from his femur to his spine, in his right hind leg was extremely tight and she could feel it spasm under her touch. Oddly enough, 2.5 years ago we brought Corbin to a neurologist.  The only place Corbin expressed pain during his exam was when the neurologist felt that muscle.  During his MRI, an orthopedic did a full work up on him and said all was good with his legs, so the neurologist dismissed the thought of this muscle being an issue.  Well, looks like it is the issue.  We’re not sure yet if it is the primary source of his pain or secondary to another issue, but it’s a place to start.

 

 

Dr. Gunderson adjusted almost every joint in his body.  She joked that she usually writes down which joints she adjusts, but for Corbin, the list would be much shorter if she wrote down which joints she did not adjust.  She taught me how to do some stretches with Corbin that will help stretch out that tight muscle and she sent Dr. Mike detailed notes on our visit and her recommendations.  Together, Dr. Gunderson and Dr. Mike are working on a treatment plan that will include continued chiropractic work and cold laser therapy.  We saw Dr. Mike the Thursday after our appointment and he was shocked with the amount of progress we had made.  Not only was his deteriorating paw healing up really well, but he was actually using his feet much better and not presenting as flat footed as he has been. Even Dr. Mike admitted that he didn’t think the pads of his feet were going to recover, and by some miracle they’re almost fully healed.  Same thing with his flat footedness... we didn't think he would perch up on his feet again, but he was.

 

 

After our appointment with Dr. Mike last Thursday, we started Corbin on nerve blockers.  His 3am screaming fits have stopped and Amelia is very happy to have a playful Corbin around again.  The transformation in Corbin’s overall health, appearance and personality is just astonishing.  And, he’s starting to grow some of his fur back on his chest and belly that he had been slowly losing –most likely due to his prednisone intake. 

 

Photo by Tracey Buyce Photography

 

As tough as those few weeks were to watch him in pain, I’m glad we stuck it out and put our trust in Corbin and our wonderful vets.  Happy tears would be such an understatement. I’m so hopeful that we will be able to get his pain managed and allow Corbin to live a happy life for a bit longer!  Thanks for all the good thoughts, vibes and prayers you sent our way.  They were deeply felt and it clearly worked!  He has a great group of supporters in his corner and we’re so thankful!

Kyah.

Last week I didn't have a chance to introduce you to Kyah! 

 

Kyah was in need of a foster home, and even though I've been under the weather lately, we agreed to take Kyah in.  If we didn't, she would not have made it out of the shelter.  Knowing that was her fate,  how could we say no?  We couldn't.  Did you see those puppy dog eyes??

 

She has a silly curled tongue!

 

Kyah ended up being a super easy guest at the Corbin house.  She was so very loving and enjoyed every ounce of attentions from my parents.  She also gave the Corbin his space, which I appreciated very much!  Kyah fell into our routine easily and made her self happily at home while she waited for her real home.

 

Happy Kyah.

 

She didn't have to wait long, because her forever family came along on Saturday!  They saw her adorable mug on the momma's faceybook page and decided they needed to meet her!  They'd been in touch with the momma about adding a second forever doggie to their family, but the right one hadn't come around yet.  Wouldn't ya know, Kyah was the right one!  They came to meet her on Saturday and away she went to her forever home.

 

Amelia's don't like their pictures taken in the kitchen.

 

This made us extremely happy.  Because we agreed to open our home for a few days, Kyah lived.  And now she will not only live, but she will thrive living an amazing life with a great family and lots of kids to love!

 

Happy life, beautiful girl!

Positive thoughts needed.

 

Hi friends.  I wanted to let you know that I'm not doing very well.  The last week has been very hard on me.  I went to see Dr. Mike on Friday and he spent a lot of time with me and the momma.  I'm finally off of my prednisone and Friday I started on a new medication to hopefully help control my back pain, but the transition is very hard.  The momma has also tried some essential oils and massages to help.  The pads of my two front feet are also deterioating.  The momma has been using Mushers to make them tougher.  Because of my ouchie back, I really need strong feets.

 

My quality of life is most important for my parents, so please send some positive thoughts my way that my new treatment plan does the trick.  It's been a rough road, but hoping it will all be worth it if I can start to feel better.

A letter

A post by the momma:

  

To the family that gave up my dog,

 

His surrender paperwork said he was given up because he was too active... he was 4 months old. I would think that was to be expected. Sending him to a shelter where he'd be caged most of the day probably wasn't the best for an overly active puppy, but that's what you chose to do. During his stay at the shelter, he jumped and jumped and jumped, causing him to have ACL issues.

 

Thankfully an angel at the shelter saw potential for him and understood that he really needed to get out of the shelter environment. She reached out to some local rescues and Homeward Bound Dog Rescue stepped up to take him into their program. Two more angels named Heather and Jen came and walked him out of the shelter and he went into foster care with Heather.

 

10 days later I walked into Corbin's life. I was looking to begin fostering for Homeward Bound, hoping to eventually find the perfect dog to adopt into our small family. Corbin was in need of a new foster home, and I agreed. He was everything I didn't want in a dog, I definitely didn't want to adopt a Pit Bull. So I figured it would be a good first foster, because there was no way we would keep him.

 

Within 24 hours, Corbin had settled in so well into our home, and into our hearts. We kept him up for adoption for 2 months until finally admitting we couldn't part with him. I couldn't quite understand how someone could give him up and I couldn't understand why no one wanted to adopt him during those two months.

 

After 4.5 years with this amazing dog, I finally know the answer. I know why you surrendered him and I know why no one was interested in adopting him. It was because I needed him, and he needed me. This amazing dog has changed my life so much, he has opened my eyes to so many things, made me a better dog mom, a better rescuer, a better person. He has been an amazing foster brother to over 30 dogs. He has touched people across the world and changed people's views on Pit Bulls, changed my own views on Pit Bulls. I could never imagine a better dog to be with every day.

 

Instead of being upset that someone gave him up, I'm grateful. I'm grateful that you recognized his needs were beyond what you were able to give him. I'm grateful he was given a second chance by some amazing people. I'm grateful he walked into our home that day and never left. And I'm grateful we've been able to provide to him everything he's needed.

 

He is my heart. Thank you for letting him go so he could find his way to me. He has completed me and my life will never be the same. If you ever think of the crazy brown puppy you dropped at the shelter, I hope you imagine him living a great life... please know he has that, and more.

 

Yours Truly,

A girl who loves her dog.