Tears

I've had lots of tears lately, between the childcare issue and the dogs there has been plenty to bring on the waterworks.

We've not found the right fit for a nanny yet, but we're still looking and trying very hard. Grammie isn't complaining about her duties, but I do wonder when Paco is going to pipe up and ask for his wife back...

The search continues and we're doing our best to trust in God's perfect plan. We know that He knows who we need, sometimes we just act like we forgot and get a little wrapped up in making it happen on our time. And by 'we' I mostly mean 'me.'

Now, the dogs. Hamilton is still very sick and we've had to come to a very difficult decision regarding him and his health. We're not putting him down, but we are going to find a new home for Rutledge.

Unfortunately for us, Rutledge is an extremely large (I'd say the single largest) source of stress for Hamilton and in his condition, stress = sickness. If we were talking about Hamilton just being annoyed and grumpy, well, he'd have to get over it, but with Addisons, Hamilton being stressed means that he doesn't eat, won't take his meds, gets dehydrated, has accidents, gets eye infections, looses fur, and has ungodly gastro-intestinal issues. So you see our problem. If we keep both dogs, Hamilton's life will be short and miserable.

The good news is that I've heard from a handful of families who think Rutledge would be a fantastic fit for them! While it is heartbreaking and I often have cried while talking to these families, it does make me happy to imagine Rutledge living in a house with 3 or 4 kids running around and loving on him! In our house, Rutledge is often being fussed at for bothering Hamilton, and that isn't fair to him because he is a puppy and he just wants to play and be loved! We'll be sad to see him go, but I know he will have a better situation in a house where he gets to be happy and rambunctious, that is until his basset switch flips and he just sleeps all day.

So, there have been and will likely be lots more tears around here, but we're doing our best to keep chugging along and seeking God's will for our lives, and even our pets' lives. I keep reminding myself that this isn't just about us 'losing' a pet, this is about a family getting a pet that they will love for years to come.

I'll keep you posted on our decision with Rutledge, and of course on Hamilton and his condition.

Hamilton's Progress

Hamilton had his yearly vet check up this past weekend and came away with a clean bill of health! He has regained the weight he lost during his Addison's episode, and the vet said that if she didn't know he had it she wouldn't suspect it from the exam.

We're happy that our elder hound is back to being healthy, and that the steroids are working! Now we'll order his hormones and start that daily pill at the end of the month. Lucky for us, Hamilton is a champ when it comes to taking pills - he gets his steroid every morning, and has been taking 2 benedryl at every meal for over a year now, with no complaints! Just drop it in his food bowl and he'll eat it!

So, we'll still be watching him as we switch him to oral hormone therapy but at least we know that his condition can be managed.

The vet said that she didn't see any reason that Hamilton wouldn't live a full long basset life as long as we keep his condition under control. Hooray!

Hamilton

Frank just got off the phone with the vet, and she is on board with the Florinef course of treatment. She has never used it before, but as it is a much more affordable option and doesn't require a monthly trip to the vet for injections (or WORSE, us learning to give him injections at home) we're going for it.

She wants us to do some research, along with her, about the potential side effects and different issues that can arise. She specifically mentioned monitoring H's electrolytes and also adding salt to his diet to help him remain hydrated. While I'm not sure how to monitor electrolytes yet, I did already begin to add salt to his food last night.

There are some great websites with information on dogs with Addison's and ways that we as owners can help to manage the disease. I'm so grateful for that! I feel like I have some direction and some things to try, and I don't feel like my world is crashing in on me (which is how I felt last night). I have every intention of doing my best to care for our dog and to simultaneously be a good steward of our finances - it will be a delicate balance, but we'll find it!

As for Hamilton, he seems to be doing better already. He certainly isn't 100% yet, but he is better. More interested in food, more wagging of the tail, responding to our voices and to treats - we're on the right path.

We've increased his steroid dosage, per our vet, and will keep them at an elevated dosage until he is back to normal. He'll eventually be back down to just 1/4 pill each morning.

I'm still not happy to find out that my darling hound has a disease that has no cure, but I'm grateful that we discovered it before it hit a 'crisis' level and that there are treatment options that won't bankrupt us or force us to make a really difficult decision.