We brought Leigh and Reo along on the trip, not only because we love them and love traveling with them, but because it's way less expense and stress on the dogs. Even though it costs $500 round trip for both of the dogs to fly with us on United (OMG!), we wouldn't have it any other way.
I pulsed Reo's Medrol every other day while we were gone, to help mitigate her stress. With the exception of all the noise/bustle in the airport, and not wanting to be in her carrier while in the airport (on the plane she is fine, but not in the airport - weird - so I solved the problem by carrying her until we were ready to get on the plane), Reo is an incredible traveler.
We do a lot to try and keep their routine while on the road (this means getting up extra early with the time change in order to potty/feed them breakfast!), including bringing their favorite bed for riding in the car. We drove about 900 miles in 10 days, so their comfort was important!
Here are a few pictures of Leigh and Reo in the car, in their bed, with their car harnesses on. :)
For part of the trip, we had a beach house with Sean's family, and it included two smaller children. Leigh and Reo aren't used to children noise, so it was a bit stressful for them, but overall they did really well. I brought some of their favorite toys, and Reo "killed" them every day - so cute.
Sean and I took a couple of days to explore some new wine country for us. We went to Ojai and also Santa Rita Hills/Santa Barbara County. It was a really nice road trip, though it was very hot inland (I made the mistake of wearing jeans one day, as it was barely 70 on the coast...but was punished in Ojai when it was about 93!!).
Here are a couple of photos of the dogs "wine tasting".
Okay, so they were flopped out at our feet while WE tasted wine. :)
They're such great travelers, and I was so proud of Reo for hanging in there! That being said, both dogs and humans were so happy to be home, to our quiet household, familiar surroundings, and daily routine.
Reading your blog was like reading the events of my own life over the past year. I too am living with a dog with SARDS and trying to adjust to the constant changes that come with the disease. We also tried the Plechnor treatment, with no positive results. My dog is also on Levothyroxine and a steriod replacement, Dogter RX. My vet also has her on some herbs for her eyes, Iplex and Oculotrophan, hoping this keeps the tissue of the eyes healthy. I was hoping you could tell me more about the herbs your dog has taken and the results you've had. My vet has been a great source of information, but your blog has been a great source of comfort. I will continue reading to see if there is anything else I'm missing to bring my little one comfort in dealing with this awful disease.
ReplyDeleteHi Janelle - thanks for reading our blog! I'm sorry to hear that treatment for your pup did not restore vision. Have you noticed any changes in health at all? Though Reo's vision wavers these days (about 1.5 years post SARDS diagnosis) and seems to be declining, she is more healthy than she's been in years, and I'm very thankful for that!
ReplyDeleteReo's diet routine is outlined here: http://sardsdog.blogspot.com/2011/10/reos-diet.html. We followed all of Caroline Levin's suggestions for SARDS supplements, and I also give Reo Lutein, Welactin, and Dasuquin, as well as Standard Process Adrenal Support. I'm not familiar with Dogtor Rx, or using Iplex or Oculotrophan. Do you feel that they have helped your pup?