Dogs come in all shapes and sizes and it seems no matter what, there is a dog-shaped place in our hearts for each one of them. My heart is heavy tonight for the loss of a member of the Bayfield Bunch. My sincere condolences to Al, Kelly, and Pheebs on the loss of little Motormouse. She kept us all entertained and I always loved seeing her share a breakfast burrito with Al.
We also got some bad news this week regarding our Poppy dog. She was at the vet about a month ago and we were told she was pre-diabetic. Doc thought we could get it under control by watching her diet and getting some weight off her. We were so pleased when she had lost 7 pounds. We thought we were doing everything right. Unfortunately, it was full blown diabetes and not our careful diet that was causing her to lose weight. Her blood sugar was over 400 and normal is 100, just like it is for a human.
Diabetes in dogs cannot be regulated with a pill; They must have insulin. She had her first two injections today and did not seem to mind but her blood sugar is still high. Here are some of the considerations we are weighing in regards to Poppy’s situation.
It is almost impossible to monitor her glucose levels by testing her blood. It is hard to get blood from a dog except from their footpads or their ears – neither is a good option. So we have the old fashioned strips that test her urine. These are not nearly as accurate as blood tests so we are playing a guessing game to some extent.
We will NEVER be able to leave her alone or even with a housesitter. Insulin therapy carries the inherent risk of low blood glucose and that can be life threatening and needs immediate treatment. Her food will always be the same, at the same time of day, and in the same amount. We will need to adjust her insulin dosage based on her level of exercise and how well she is eating. It will always be an estimate and risky.
The vet said it is pretty much inevitable that she will lose her vision. With dogs it is not retinopathy that causes blindness, but cataracts. He said the cataracts develop from high blood glucose and can totally eradicate their vision within a month. It is not reversible.
At this point we are not ready to give up on Poppy. We know she is elderly. We are not sure how old she really is but we have had her for over twelve years and they said she was 2 or 3 when we got her. We will see how she responds to treatment and how well we can manage her disease. The vet said she also has some fused disks in her back and her lung function is not as good as it could be – just old age, not a disease process. She also has an infected foot from licking it and I am concerned about the healing process there. Diabetics do not heal as well as non-diabetics, and this sore is not yet healing as we had hoped. She is on antibiotics for that.
I was thinking back to the dogs we have had in almost forty years of marriage and it hasn’t been that many. The only one we have had to put down was our first dog, Sheba. She lived to a ripe old age but had cancer and it was the kindest thing to do. Then we had Gidget who was also old, had a seizure and passed away at home. Then there were Rusty and Poppy. We tend to have dogs that live a long time I guess. We already knew that Rusty was not going to last too much longer but I really thought we would have our Poppy dog for several more years yet. She is the best travel dog ever and is always ready to go. We are definitely going to go ahead with our planned trip later this month and she is going with us. Rusty will stay at home where he is more comfortable.
It may be that our decision to treat Poppy is a selfish one. It has been obvious lately that she hasn’t felt well. I just put it down to old age. We will see how the insulin regimen goes and if it is not in Poppy’s best interest, then we will have to rethink our plan. I know she has already had a long (in dog years) life and she has enjoyed that life to the fullest, but I can’t let her go yet. I know all you pet lovers out there understand.
We are again kid-less! Corbin went home last night and we took the grand girls home this morning. Our daughter and SIL met us in Salem (half-way) so that was a blessing. Glad we didn’t have to make the round trip to Portland. We also got a new battery for the Fit and it is starting just fine. Now we just need to get some rest tomorrow then get busy on getting Therapy ready to roll and see if we can get Poppy regulated enough to go on a trip.
Today was moving day…time to hit the road and head slowly for home. Our time in the sun was far too short but we are still feeling our way as to how we want to travel and what we want to do. This year is a year of discovery and exploration more than anything else.
Sometimes I still slip into that discouraged mode where I really wonder if this is what we should be doing. Seems one or the other of us gets sick every time we travel and this time the dog is sick too! Makes one wonder if this is where we should really be in our lives. The unthinkable comes to mind often – stay home and take care of business and be within easy reach of a doctor.
Last night Russ had the lowest blood sugar he has ever had. I woke up for a bathroom break and when I went back to bed, Russ was struggling to sit up and mumbling that he needed to check his blood. I took one look at him and told him to not move and I grabbed some juice and got that down him as quickly as I could. After downing the juice, he checked his blood and it was 28. Normal is 100, at about 60 he begins to have trouble thinking clearly, at 40 he can barely make sense. With a reading this low, I have no doubt that, had he managed to get his feet on the floor, he would have passed out. I started thinking, how would I call for help if we were out in the middle of the desert? I certainly could not lift him on my own. Do I call 911 and give our location as the corner of Ocotillo and Cholla? Just look for the RV boondocking in one of the many RV areas that I have no idea how to describe? Could they find us by GPS coordinates? I don’t know. How would they find us…and find us in time? Gives one pause and lots to consider. Thankfully, after more juice, some fruit, and half of a peanut butter sandwich, Russ slowly began to feel better and a further crisis was avoided.
And then we get on the road and I remember how much fun it is to travel together. I love the varied scenery that this country enjoys. Coming up Hwy. 395 to Hwy. 58 today (Desert Hot Springs to Bakersfield), we saw so much desert beauty. Most of today’s photos were taken from the moving vehicle so quality may be a bit of an issue.
It almost seems that people just pick any old spot in the desert that strikes their fancy and there they make their home. Some obviously didn’t work out as well as the owners had hoped.
We turned on Bear Valley cut-off to go towards Hwy.395 and pulled off the road for a short break. The scenery here was very similar to what we had experienced at Joshua Tree NP just a few short days ago.
As the sun began to grow lower in the sky, the mountains to the east became bathed in a soft pinkish glow and the scattered Joshua Trees stood almost in silhouette.
A major train route follows much of Hwy. 58 in the Bakersfield area and I caught this one going in and out of the many tunnels along the route. On the far left you can see it entering a long tunnel, emerging only to quickly enter another at the far right of the photo. I thought of Sam when I snapped these photos.
We ran alongside this train for a ways watching it run in and out of the tunnels around every curve.
We are overnighting at Orange Grove RV Park. This was recommended by Rick and Paulette and also Kim and Don. I really like it here. It’s not quite clear into Bakersfield and is just off Hwy. 58. Easy to get to and so pretty. The oranges are getting ripe and you are welcome to pick as many as you want. We already enjoyed some for dinner and they were yummy.
The park is very sparsely populated right now, except for a couple of rows at the far end that appear to be full time residents. We met three kids playing ball and they stopped their game in order to come and say hi to Poppy. Nice kids and they soon went back to playing with their ball and we continued our walk.
Russ liked the way the street light illuminated this orange tree.
And the clubhouse is all decked out for Christmas.
Tomorrow we will continue our trek north and continue to wrestle with the decisions that will define our future.
Good Night All.
I was thinking back to the dogs we have had in almost forty years of marriage and it hasn’t been that many. The only one we have had to put down was our first dog, Sheba. She lived to a ripe old age but had cancer and it was the kindest thing to do. Then we had Gidget who was also old, had a seizure and passed away at home. Then there were Rusty and Poppy. We tend to have dogs that live a long time I guess. We already knew that Rusty was not going to last too much longer but I really thought we would have our Poppy dog for several more years yet. She is the best travel dog ever and is always ready to go. We are definitely going to go ahead with our planned trip later this month and she is going with us. Rusty will stay at home where he is more comfortable. 
