Idgy - Airerow's Every Which Way, CGC was born
on December 29, 1993, to Ch. Seneca Summer All-the-Time, CD,
CGC. She is the daughter of Ch. Seneca's Newcomers Chance, CD, Sch.III etc!
(Miles), who owned Maugh Vail. We were very excited about these pups, we
felt they had a good chance to become excellent working Airedales. My goal
is to train a SAR Airedale.
Summer was late in having these pups, and they were finally delivered by
emergency C-section. Summer's uterus would not contract. Summer was spayed
at the same time as the c-section. I, the vet and his assistant pounded and
rubbed the 2 puppies for 30 and 35 minutes, (Idgy was the 30 minute pup, her
sister Maggie took an extra 5 minutes to come to life. Summer was so out
of it that I had to tube-feed and massage the babies, all the things a momma
dog would do. Needless to say, Idgy imprinted on ME instead of Summer - who
looked at the pups and said "You're the one who wanted babies, Mom, not me!"
Idgy is the sharpest pup I've ever had. She possessed fantastic working
skills, had great attention and drive, and we became a team very quickly.
She is my heart. At about 6 months of age (maybe sooner - I was in denial)
I noticed a deep click whenever Idgy would move her hips. I could rest my
hand on her back and feel the joint move.
I had her x-rayed, and it showed HD. When it came time for OFA x-rays, the
vet I went to said her first set of x-rays, (from another vet) were junk and
he'd have to do more. I said OK.
He put her under, took the shots, and woke her up. Then he looked at the
x-rays and saw they weren't good enough, so he put her under AGAIN. But she
didn't go under. He got really rough with her (he admitted this!) only to
find out the needle missed her vein and he was pumping sodium pentothal
directly into her tissues. This he DID NOT admit. Not until 10 days later,
when I noticed a wound on her arm that wouldn't heal. She was licking it
frantically, the pentothal had burned her tissue right down so the bone was
exposed. The vet said "No big deal, here's some antibiotics for $50." He
gave us Penicillin, which we had discovered before that she was allergic to.
(I sued him, but that's another story - I won.) I sought a second opinion
and Idgy ended up in emergency surgery at yet another vet's office to repair
the painful damage done by the improper use of the sodium pentothal.
My potential "bred-by" Obedience/show-dog now had a bald spot on her lovely
furnishings due to the burn. The vet who fixed it did the best he could to
avoid a scar - although the scar is very minimal and you really have to look
for it. He did a wonderful job.
All this to find out that OFA wouldn't even assign her a number, her hips
were past a Grade 5. About this time I realized she would need hip
replacement surgery, so I began saving my money. I saved for 2 years to get
the $2500.00 necessary to have the surgery done. Our surgeon, Dr. Rinzler,
is wonderful, a respected specialist in orthopedics and pioneer in Hip
Replacement.
He explained that the repair of the first hip more often than not corrects
the damage done to the second hip. He sent us home, a very happy pair
indeed! The work on her hip was fantastic, and she started feeling better -
temporarily. 6 months after the first hip, Idgy was not doing well at all,
certainly not what the surgeon had predicted. We went back, had more
x-rays taken, and though they showed nothing that should be causing such
intense pain, the surgeon agreed with me that she was obviously in severe
pain. We decided to do the other hip, even though the HD in it was minor.
This time I re-financed my house to pay for the surgery. I bred this dog, I
brought her into the world, I was responsible for her very life. Idgy and I
had grown so close that euthanasia was not the option yet, not until I
exhausted every avenue available. So we did the second hip.
Instead of thriving, Idgy continued to go downhill, daily. My heart was
broken. About 3 months after the second surgery, she began pulling herself
around by her front legs, it had become too painful for her to put any
weight on her hips. She cried constantly. Miserable, heartwrenching cries.
We were all baffled. November 2001, I called the surgeon, saying there was
something VERY wrong. He wanted to see Idg immediately, so we took off for
his office (several hours away.) He did yet more x-rays, which showed a
cloud that covered her entire spine. Since his staff always let me stay and
watch, they all got very silent looking at her newest pictures. I KNEW
something was very wrong. It appeared to be cancer. I was being as brave
as I could while he explained that he would send the pictures to Michigan
State's Radiology Department and ask for an Oncologist's opinion at the same
time. Idgy and I got in the car and came home, awaiting the worst. I had
decided that if it was cancer, I would not put her through any more. I love
her too much.
We got the call from the surgeon. It wasn't cancer! But! It was a severe
infection of her spinal column, discospondylitis. It had covered such a
vast area that the prognosis was extremely guarded. 4 vets and 2
specialists said it would be a very long-term treatment with antibiotics,
with no promise of positive results. Every time I'd ask "What's her
prognosis?" Every time, they'd say, after a noticeable hesitation
"Guarded."
By February, she had been on Baytril for 3 months and now her right shoulder
had given out. This little dog now had one usable leg. She laid on the
floor and when she moved she pulled herself by her one lonely, working limb.
Euthanasia was working its way to the front of my heart.
That's the same time Job's aggressive behavior had me so scared that I
contacted Dr. Plechner about him, per Kirk. On a whim - certainly NOT
expecting anything positive about Idgy, I told Dr. Plechner about her, the
whole story. I ended up with a barely spoken, defeated question - "Can you
help her?"
Dr. Plechner exclaimed "That's simple!" He explained that her body was
unable to heal itself and that he expected to see badly out-of-balance
hormones. I sent her blood off and sure enough, everything was screwed up.
Now here's the exciting part. Remember that this dog's vets and I were ere
expecting to euthanize her. Her estrogen was off the scale. Dr. Plechner
prescribed Thyroid meds for her non-functioning thyroid. He prescribed
Prednisone to calm the inflammation in her spine. He prescribed Robaxin -
saying her muscles were spasming so badly that they just tightened up all
the more. Her thigh muscles were like rock. He changed her diet to IVD
Potato and Duck, and sent us on our way.
Within 24 hours, Idgy began to improve, after all these years of pain.
Within 36 hours, she was walking again on all fours. Within 48 hours, she
was the sassy brat that I'd grown to love before the pain dulled her life.
Within 6 weeks, my Idgy was 100% Airedale again, no limping, no crying, no
depression. And I am thrilled that Idgy and I were granted this last chance
miracle.
It has now been 5 months since her initial consult with Dr. Plechner. She is all
better! She doesn't have to be retested till next spring, she takes her
thyroid med- .5mgs Soloxine, twice daily, and then once a day - 5mgs
prednisolone, with 25mgs Propanolamine added to control night-time bladder
leaking. Idgy may get stiff when the weather changes and her limp will show
a bit, but that has only happened twice since beginning treatment, and she
just takes her Robaxin and is better.
She is my miracle, and perhaps the most dramatic story of all of our Dr.
Plechner treated Airedales. All this from genetically damaged Adrenal
glands. In Idgy, it manifested its symptoms in her inability to heal.
There are so many symptoms for this dratted disease. Treating the symptoms
is a wash - no results until you get the hormonal balance repaired.
Idgy is today, a fully functioning little Airedale brat - who is
rediscovering the joys of life now at age 8. And I am probably the biggest
fan of Dr. Plechner. He gave me my dog back - pulled from the needle of
euthanasia and back into a life of happiness, joy, and companionship with
her mom.
Thank you, Dr. Plechner. Thank you, Sid and Kirk, for making us a venue to
tell our story, and the resource for referral for many, many, other sick ADT's.
I have my girl back. Idgy - the $6 Billion Dollar Bionic Miracle dog. My
Heart WILL go on.
Melanie J. Findlay and The Squidge
Melanie J Findlay
pawsnfx@parrett.net
To err is human, to forgive is canine.
