The Tig Notaro of Dogs

Hello Dear Readers,

Beija had her ping pong ball sized tumor removed two weeks ago today.
She recovered from surgery beautifully, but has had two misfortunes befall her in the past week:
She had a completely random bout of Vestibular Disease which required hospitalization, and when
she came home, she fell down the basement stairs.
She was very sore and out of sorts for the first few days, but B
 has regained her pep and is
on the mend.

 Her tail remembered how to wag, she is going on walks and has regained an appetite.
She has a slight tilt and a new nickname ("Tilt") ,and is jumping into the car and up the doggy steps to the bed like a champion.

I'll know she's completely healed when I catch her rolling on her toy on my bed after breakfast, but in the meantime, thank you for your support and  your prayers and thoughts and witchy incantations and donations.

I am including an illustration (below) from this year's calendar: It's whales surrounding an injured whale in a formation called a Marguerite, or Spindle Formation. This is something that sperm whales do to protect each other. I first heard of this from an artist, Roger Peet, who sent out cards with a Marguerite formation printed on them after the community came together on his behalf. I was feeling the same magic and wanted to pass the message on. Thank you.

I will have a "July"-free version sometime in the future, but I wanted to show it to you now.

P.s. Beija is doing so well, we decided today was the day to bestow her with a fresh green collar for a fresh new start. She modeled it just this afternoon while reclining next to the new calendar. Good luck and good health, sweet B! 

Take care.
xoxo
n.g.

Idiopathic vestibular disease (IVD) means that the vestibular system in a dog has gone awry for no known reason. The vestibular system is what gives people, and dogs, their balance, coordination and equilibrium. When dogs develop IVD, their equilibrium becomes disrupted suddenly, dramatically and without warning. The profound symptoms of this disorder can incapacitate the dogs and are frightening for owners, as well. 


Dogs with IVD appear to be in considerable distress and discomfort, and the symptoms can quickly become debilitating. 

Symptoms of Idiopathic Vestibular Disease

Dogs with idiopathic vestibular disease suffer an extremely sudden onset of one or more of the following symptoms:

• Dizziness (labrynthitis)
• Loss of balance
• Disorientation
• Loss of coordination (ataxia)
• Reluctance to rise or stand
• Inability to rise or stand (recumbency)
• Nausea (recurrent bouts)
• Vomiting (sudden onset; recurrent bouts; may last for days)
• Loss of appetite (inappetence; anorexia)
• Loss of thirst
• Dehydration
• Falling
• Stumbling; staggering
• Circling
• Rapid irregular eye movements (nystagmus)
• Head tilt (mild to marked)

Most symptoms peak in about 24 to 36 hours, but varying degrees of incoordination and balance abnormalities can continue for a number of weeks. Despite the startlingly acute onset of IVD, almost all affected animals recover spontaneously, without extensive medical treatment. Occasionally, a dog will have a lingering head tilt.