My dog is a spoonie…

****Update 10/28/15

A few days after I wrote this, my Georgia stopped eating.  Two days of barely getting food into her.  Vet told me to wait to bring her in because she was drinking.  Turns out she has uveitis.  Ulcers on her eye.  So much pain that she could not eat. Not sure how she got it.  She had been treated for an eye infection and I’m guessing, she scratched it by rubbing her head (from syringomyelia).  In the past 4 weeks, Georgia was to the vet for dermatitis, protein in her urine, testing for lyme disease, and eye infection, and now uveitis.  My dog is almost more of a spoonie than I am….

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I have a six year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.  This is an amazing breed that tends to have serious medical conditions.  Georgia has a painful neurological disorder called Syringomyelia, luxating patellas, hip dysplasia, arthritis, chronic eye/ear infections, and her kidneys are showing signs of damage from her medication.  All of these illnesses cause pain.  As a person who lives in pain, I was determined she would never suffer.  Georgia takes 14 to 17 pills a day, and receives acupuncture monthly.  Basically, my dog is a spoonie like me (if you don’t know what that means check out “But You Don’t Look Sick”).  I was told she would not live to the age of three, so getting her to six was no easy chore.  I regret no choices I have made.  I gave up vacations, going out with friends, and many other things to make sure she got the medical care that she needs.

The past year or so, Georgia has had difficulty getting around.  I had to leave her behind when I went places because walking became too difficult for her.  Physical activity just drains her so much and would cause flares of her neurological symptoms.  After some thought and chats with other cavalier owners,  I caved in and purchased a stroller.  Since Georgia is a cutie who tolerates clothing & dressing up for Halloween (dressing up and entering contests wins prizes to help pay down her medical debt), everyone expected I would get a stroller as an “accessory”.  I didn’t.  I got it because she was in pain from walking.  Her age and health issues are taking its toll on her body.  She loves the park.  She loves the beach.  She just struggles with walking.  I wanted to make it easier on her.