January 03, 2001 ~ October 21, 2014. Today, our beloved Reo earned her angel wings. Jagart's Thalo Vermilion Reo - sassy gal in the show ring, original squirrel patrol, loyal and loving companion all of her days, ghostface killah to her toys, most courageous dog I've ever met. She traveled with us to 28 states, making her more traveled than most Americans, I am sure! She overcame so many health obstacles in her life, never let her blindness stop her from her independence (or from bossing much bigger dogs around!), and in her last years was an inspiration to thousands of dogs and their owners around the world by raising awareness for SARDS (a legacy I will continue in her memory for the years to come). Full of fighting spirit her whole life, she was betrayed by her little old lady body in the end. Her kidneys just could not hold out while we tried to heal the infection and get her endocrine issues back on track.
Our home feels empty, we have holes in our hearts, and our Leigh is without her lifelong best friend. I miss her so much already - I cannot yet believe she's gone when I still feel her warmth on my chest. Thank you, sweet Reo, for teaching me to be a better person and dog owner. You gave our family so much joy and so many laughs over the years, not to mention valuable dog owner lessons. We are inspired by your strength and courage, and will keep your spirit alive in our hearts and in joyful memories for the rest of our days. I won't be able to sit in the afternoon sun without thinking of how much you loved it.
In the words of Duran Duran...which is forever "your" song...
"...You know you're something special and you look like you're the best...
Her name is Reo and she dances on the sand
Just like that river twisting through a dusty land
And when she shines she really shows you all she can
Oh Reo, Reo dance across the Rio Grande..."
Run free, sweet Reo! There are so many squirrels and chips waiting for you on the other side - maybe your sib Mikaela will help you hunt! Don't forget your loving family down here on earth - we'll be reunited again someday - but until then, we'll look for you to visit us in our dreams. All our love, always. Lynn, Sean, Leigh, Tula, and Capone. ♥ ♥ ♥
Hi Lynn,
ReplyDeleteI wish you and your family the best,
We lost Mordy 12/26/2009-7/9/2013.
Kidney failure set in, Mordy fought hard, but when it was time we had a Dr come to the house to set Mordy free. Mordy came to Vist from time to time in 2013. I saw a dark shadow walk out of the master bedroom one night and later that evening Mordy gave me a kiss while I was sleeping.
Noise in his bed one night, etc. Just know Reo will come to visit and will be waiting when your time comes.
All the best, The Carmels
Lynn, Reo's journey has ended but not forgotten. I originally located your blog after receiving the SARDS diagnosis for our 6 year old pug, Scrappy, in October. It's been a confusing & at times desperate journey trying to get him help. He's had an ERG just before Halloween that the doc said was flat lined. She diagnosed pigmentary keratitis probable SARDS. Her suggestion was to get Carol's book & get Scrap a collar or a scarf that said "I'm Blind" & deal with it. She also dismissed any dietary treatment, vitamins, etc or other treatments Carol or Plechner suggests.
ReplyDeleteNeedless to say I hit the internet & got even more confused. There's not a lot of info out there that makes sense to a non-vet. I attempted to get our local vet to take a look at the protocol suggestions. While she was agreeable to pull blood for me to ship to Jason in Texas, she wasn't too sure about the research & results, much like the vet opth doctor. But she did state that if it were her dog she would try just about anything to help him. To make a really long story short, since I couldn't find anyone in my state, Maryland, who treated SARDS I turned to Plechner's site where he suggested contacting Jason to get the names of vets who had used his lab for testing. Fortunately there was a doctor in Norfolk VA that had the test performed several times in the past year. We had the test performed & made an appointment to be seen. I've been so overwhelmed with this that I don't even know his score but the VA vet said he needed to begin the three shot program. His first shot was on 11-17 with twice daily pills Levothyroxine sodium 0.2 mg. His second shot was on 11-24 & his last shot will be on Thursday. I changed his diet from a weight reduction Nutro Natural kibble to organic turkey & veggies. He also gets a "krill" capsule & a Chinese herb for a cough. Guess I'm just a little concerned since this new vet said she emailed Plechner abt Scrap's case but hasn't really talked about adding vitamins or other supplements.
I just feel so helpless in figuring out the right things to do. About the only bright light in this whole mess is that our grandkids live in VA Beach & we can see them but it's a 5 hour drive one way which is hard on us senior citizens & our pooch. I do have Carol's book but it is an "older" copy that doesn't include the dietary/supplement advice so I'm lost. I want to do all I can to help him but it's getting expensive between traveling & every increasing vet bills. I hate to just give up but it's so frustrating not have a clearer path to try & get him better. Would it be better to get Carol's advice or Plechner's? Carol is a lot cheaper but everybody wants to be paid for their advice. Is the advice helping my dog or just throwing money away like regular vet tell me? I just don't know. All I do know is our little guy is having a tough time handling this. He's loosing weight thanks to the new diet but seems to get overheated frequently & really gets panicked in new situations which I can understand. All I want is a clearer direction without so much ambiguous info. Thanks for listening.
Peg Adams PS I'll check back to see your reply.
Hi Peg - sorry to hear about your struggles with Scrappy. Have you noticed any improvement in Scrappy's demeanor since he started the treatment? Since you have started down the road with Plechner, I would suggest that you just continue along with his suggested protocol. Unfortunately, there is no clear direction with this disease, as every dog is different, and each owner has different goals/intentions with respect to trying treatment (or not). Hoping that Scrappy feels better very soon!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments. In a way, I really don't feel I had a choice, at least at the beginning. I was grasping at straws to come up with something, anything that would explain my dog going from sighted to blind in a space of three weeks after taking antibiotics for his cold & then getting a round of booster shots. I truly think, without any vet agreeing, that it was just too much for his compromised system to handle. I'm not blaming anyone but I do feel frustrated that once his new situation was diagnosed I was patted on the head & told to go home & deal with it.
ReplyDeleteI also think that there is far too little guidance within the vet community when SARDS is mentioned. The vet opth mentioned the Iowa treatment but definitely bad mouthed both Plechner & Carol's suggestions for treating this disease. I even contacted the American Holistic Vet org that happens to have its membership office in my state & I couldn't even get a recommendation or a hint about any holistic vet that might have some experience in dealing with SARDS.
In looking through your blog, I noticed that you think stress is a contributing factor to SARDS as do I. My hubby was diagnosed with esophageal cancer early in 2013. He underwent chemo, radiation & robotic surgery & is making progress on regaining his strength after loosing almost 90 lbs. While Scrappy seemed to take it all in stride, the 180 degree in our daily lives must have had a more profound impact on him than I ever considered.
As for his demeanor, Scrap seems to be hungrier than ever & that's saying a lot for a pug. LOL. He tends to be even more of a couch potato than usual and gets overheated more quickly since beginning the treatments. He still stress pants especially during the trip down & back. We've tried Composure chews & Bach Rescue Remedy for Dogs that really only helped for a few hours. Even though it's hard on us, I know it's more difficult on our little guy so we take a few breaks for walkies along the way. I assume we will learn more after his last shot on Thursday & another blood test. I can't help but think that if he doesn't improve I missed doing "something" in the early stages that could have had a "better" outcome for him. I'm still considering trying a phone session with Carol just to get more ideas about her methods of treating.
Again, thanks so much for listening. If you don't mind I will keep you posted on Scrappy's road to recovery.
Peg A
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