Hello All,
I realize that I have been absent for quite a while but I have had lots going on and was just too bogged down with Dixie's seeming psychotic break and trying to get ready for my lung surgery on the 14th. Anyway, I have been so preoccupied with Dixie Since Aug 4th that I have been beside myself. But finally my neighbor sort of stepped in and INSISTED I take a holistic approach rather than strictly medical and well, read on.
*** Also, please excuse my lack of understanding of 'threads'--I never know what that means or where to post so I usually, as I am doing now, JUST POST wherever it will be accepted and seen. Sorry to mess up the boards, if I did.
At the INSISTENCE OF my neighbor who, except for the mandatory rabies vaccines, is strictly holistic with her dog, I took Dixie to a VET-chiropractor as sort of a last resort. I should have gone here FIRST and saved a bundle. Anyway, Dixie, since seeing this wonderful woman, seems to have had a miraculous turn-about for which I am bleary-eyed with joy--trust that!! As some of you know from my many previous posts I was feeling so damned exasperated, worried and angry about having upcoming lung surgery AND trying to figure out what was going to happen to Dixie during my longish hosp. stay and recovery; I mean, who in hell was going to be able to care for her if she was impossible to take care of and was downright dangerous?? For those who haven't read my previous postings from around Aug.24th or so, Dixie had turned absolutely vicious (sudden onset and volatile) and I had explored every single medical avenue I knew about.
This leads me to the first nice thing that happened last Thursday when I took Dixie, as sort of a last ditch effort to figure out her vicious behaviors (way different from just her normal pain-in-the-ass behaviors, believe me!!), to a world reknowned vet-chiropractor at the insistence of my very astute neighbor who has a real German, German Shepard dog from Germany. He was vicious when she adopted him and now he is a therapy dog--what a story this is and what a display of dedication on Carrie's part to have brought him to this point. She did so with the chiro she insisted that I see for Dixie and after many urgings from her, I had finally reached the end of my rope and let Carrie convince me to make the appt. Because of Carrie, I got right in and well, this may be the best thing I have ever done for Dixie. Just for your records, her name is Sue Ann Lesser, DVM and Chiropractic (I forget the intials for that speciality). If you go to her site you will see just how special and talented she is and she is totally in a class by herself when it comes to wholistic practices for dogs.
Dr. Lesser took one look at the way Dixie was walking and immediately noticed that she was on a tilt. I NEVER, EVER NOTICED THIS. She asked me to put her on the table and within 30 seconds said, "Susan, who has DROPPED THIS DOG?" Do you believe this? I never even thought to mention to her, didn't even hint, that my good friend's husband, a drunk of roaring capacity had dropped her HARD from almost six feet in the air to a hard kitchen floor about two months Prior to Dixie's behavior changes. I only found out about this because his wife (for whom I have lost ALL RESPECT NOW) told me one day when I was again going to leave Dixie with her to dog sit while I shopped. She has animals there that Dixie adores and I have been leaving Dixie there for the two years of Dixie's life--never, ever thinking that IN THAT HOUSE, she would be hurt!!. And why did he do this? Because he was drunk again and because Dixie 'had the nerve" to bark during his football game while she was playing with one of his cats.
I never even thought to mention this to Dr. Lesser and well, I was stunned to say the least, when she, after simply feeling Dixie for about 30 seconds, said, "who has dropped this dog?" She said she has seen only one other Yorkie as badly hurt in the upper torso and neck area as Dixie and that too was caused by abuse. I was sick to my stomach and still am. Dixie's sternum was twisted and she had a SEVERE pinched nerve at the base of her skull, caused by the trauma of hitting the floor when he tossed her (while the wife watched and said nothing); the two occipital bones at the base of the skull were pushing on the nerve in the brain stem and Dixie has been hurting, gradually more and more for months. Is this sickening enough for you? Dr. Lesser said that the headache Dixie had to have had, must have been absolutely horrendous. DIXIE WILL NEVER, EVER GO INTO THAT HOUSE AGAIN, TRUST THAT!!!
Let me tell you how good this woman was. First of all, she wanted Dixie muzzled in case Dixie suddenly lashed out and bit her livelihood--her hands--and of course, I understood this completely. And so, when I took out the muzzle, Dixie seemed to understand that I was trying to help her, she really did. She let me put the muzzle on with kisses and resignation--not the slightest fight. Could Dixie had 'known' that I had brought her to Danbury to help her? She was totally amazingly cooperative and loving and Dr. Lesser was STUNNED by how sweet and loving Dixie was after what I had told her about the awful and sudden aggression. This seems to happen a lot to me when Dixie is around others--her loving side takes over. Anyway, as Dr. Lesser began to work on Dixie, Dixie visibally relaxed more and more--to the point of actually FALLING ASLEEP ON THE table WHILE Dr. Lesser was adjusting her--standing up, nose on table--awwwww. The women in that clinic had tears in their eyes because of Dixie's wonderful behavior and obvious enjoyment of being helped.I was completely shocked and emotional when I saw that my little girl was going to allow Dr. Lesser to do 'whatever'--and she did allow it.
From the moment that Dr. Lesser finished her adjustment, Dixie was different. When Dr. Lesser asked me to again walk Dixie down the 'runaway' so she could observe her gait and head position, Dixie was ALREADY back in the show ring--her tail was up, ears up, eyes rivoted to me, hair sailing in the breeze of her own brisk gait, bright-eyed to a fault and totally attentive and lively. I was stunned by this metamorphosis, and still am. Dixie, for the first time, was quite good in the car (not perfect, of course, but better) and when I got her home she was, from the get go, following me from room to room again, eating with enthusiasm (actually this never changed too much :-)), barking at her windows, bringing me all of the toys in her toy box, coming to me when I jingled the leash, and doing her business outside with some interest and ease.(I am being delicate here). Ok, now it is Monday and Dixie is still 'off leash' in the house with zero signs of the hiding, growling and insane agression I had been seeing; she hasn't been off leash IN THE HOUSE since Aug 4th when the sh** hit the fan with her so you know how very, very grateful and thrilled I am about what I am seeing. My poor little baby was in PAIN the whole time and so THERE WAS A REASON for this seeming break with reality--I spent almost $1000 dollars having all of the medical tests suggested done to 'rule out' and well, what can I say? All of Dixie's bloodwork came back normal and the vet-behaviorist I saw was useless at $250 an hour. God, what a scam that was and I am going to write her and tell her so--taking advantage of people in trouble with their dogs. Had I seen Dr. Lesser FIRST I could have spared myself and Dixie all of the grief and agony but who was to know? Thank God, my neighbor PUSHED ME HARD to try this woman. And to think that I, myself, see a chiro but still had the old myths in my head re: Dixie and chiropractic and really was NOT going to take her!! Oh God, hindsight is just so 20/20 isn't it? I am seeing Dr. Lesser again this Wed. with all of the blood results in hand. She will again adjust Dixie before I have to go in for the surgery and then will see her again when I am able to get her there post surgery. She assured me that with these little dogs, the adjustments "hold' as long as there is no more trauma to the area.
Right now, Dixie is in my lap licking my leg a little and both of us are ecstatic. OMG, Had I not listened to my neighbor!!!! Anyway, good and interested people, Dixie WAS in pain and there WAS a reason for all of that explosive behavior and well, need I say more about my happiness and about having my little love back?? Thank you one and all and I apologize again for not following the 'threads'--whatever they are. Sue
09-05-2005, 07:59 PM
