Team Westy is whole again! We went to the vet this morning and Missy Chettie was back to her old self. They felt she was well enough to be released and they sent her 'home' with us.
They said we'll probably never know what really happened, and each vet has their own hypothesis. Probably something dead and/or rotten that she ate made worse by ingesting salt water.
We are keeping an eye on her and hoping it never happens again. Several medications for the next few days.
We are so relieved to have this ordeal over with, and we are so happy to her nappy ass back with us. She is as cute as ever. Phew.
We're headed to the Elephant Seal Beach for a day of major relaxation, much needed for all team members.
Trish
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Saturday, November 14, 2009
More About Chettie
Quick update: We're just back from the vet. Chettie is doing MUCH better.
They walked her into the examining room where we were waiting. She is much more 'with it' and was soooo happy to see us. She is still a little unstable on her feet and has a little confusion but has improved remarkably.
The vet thinks she probably ate something that was contaminated. It could have been several days ago. That makes more sense than the thought of poison being left on Forest Service land. If you know our dog, you know she's quite fond of dead animals.
They are keeping her overnight again tonight and if she continues to improve they think she can come with us tomorrow.
We are so relieved and again, are hoping for the best.
Quite a journey, indeed.
Trish and Mike
They walked her into the examining room where we were waiting. She is much more 'with it' and was soooo happy to see us. She is still a little unstable on her feet and has a little confusion but has improved remarkably.
The vet thinks she probably ate something that was contaminated. It could have been several days ago. That makes more sense than the thought of poison being left on Forest Service land. If you know our dog, you know she's quite fond of dead animals.
They are keeping her overnight again tonight and if she continues to improve they think she can come with us tomorrow.
We are so relieved and again, are hoping for the best.
Quite a journey, indeed.
Trish and Mike
This post was going to be about how our dog and our van make friends for us wherever we go. Seems everyone has either owned a Westy, has wanted to own a Westy or has known someone who has owned a Westy.
And, just yesterday before noon, 3 different people told us what a good looking dog Chettie was. They want to know what breed she is and they comment on her curly hair and the conversation goes from there: Where are we from? Where are we going? I joked that no one is telling Mike what a good looking wife he has; what's up with that?
Or maybe this post would be about Chet's first swim in the real ocean waves. What a great day that was!
Instead, this post is about a sad situation that has befallen our Chettie.
After we provisioned up yesterday and Chet had gotten her three-compliments-before-noon, we headed up the coast on Highway 1 toward an area recommended to us for some Forest Service camping.
Beautiful drive up the coast....gorgeous scenery....easy to find camping area that required 4WD to access. We were up high above the ocean with a great view out over the pacific. It was a good 3 miles in on this road, virtually straight up.
We set up camp and started to settle in for the night. Mike took the new solar panel off the van to check it out and set it up for maximum solar collection and Chet and I took a walk further up the road. I took a couple of pictures looking back on our campsite but decided I'd have to retake them in the morning when the light was coming from the east, not the west.
Back into camp, hanging out, listening to tunes and thinking about getting dinner going when we noticed Chettie kind of wobbling on her feet. Looked like she had lost her muscle control. We got her to lie down as we watched and wondered what had happened.
She continued to shake and we wondered if she was having a stroke. It seemed like something was affecting her central nervous system. It was as if she'd been poisoned. There were lots of prarie dogs in the area...had someone put poison in some of the holes?
The sun was setting.
We quickly decided it would be best to break camp and head down. We knew if we waited any longer it would be nearly impossible to drive down that road in the dark.
Once back on the highway we headed south to the first sign of civilization, a small convenience store, and made a call to a vet further south. We were over an hour away, on the very twisty, windy, dark Pacific Coast Highway.
We headed off, with Chettie in the back like a bag of Jello: little control over her movements and very confused. She didn't seem scared, as when dogs have seizures, but rather, confused.
Finally, and I mean finally, we got to Atascadero and found the vet. They assessed her and thought that, indeed, she may have gotten into some poison. It could have been a plant, even mushrooms perhaps. They gave her something to make her throw up but nothing came up that offered a clue as to what could be causing these symptoms.
They gave her charcoal that can absorb toxins and they gave her saline intraveneously. They said they would keep her overnight.
Grimly, we checked into a Motel 6 across the street and tried our best not to let our minds race to the worst.
First thing this morning we called and they told us she had had a couple of seizures in the night and they had to give her anti-seizure medication. They said she had lost her eyesight. This was a bad situation that seemed to be getting worse. They wanted to do some blood work which, of course, we agreed to.
We headed across the street and met with the vet. She was very nice and knowledgeable and showed us the results of the blood tests. They revealed that her sodium and chloride levels were very high, as were her amalyse levels. Could Chettie's big swim in the ocean have caused elevated sodium levels? She certainly drank more salt water than she ever had before. No, the vet didn't think so.
The vet said we would probably never know what it was and at this point it seemed multi-factorial. Amalyse is a pancreatic enzyme that would be working on processing what ever had gotten to her. The elevated sodium levels can be dangerous as they cause swelling in brain and, if not corrected, can cause death.
The vet told us at this point we had to wait and see how things unfolded. They would work toward bringing her Na/Cl levels down and see how she did as her body processed whatever had gotten into her.
We visited with Chettie and she instantly thumped her tail and tried to get up. She knew who we were and seemed to want us to tell her what the heck had happened. If only we knew.
We keeped her quiet and just reassured her that we were there. After a while we left and spent a gut-wrenching day pretending to be busy with things that still have to be done. The van seemed empty without her hanging out with us. We called several times to hear she was 'resting comfortably'.
At 2:30 we called and spoke to the vet. They had done additional blood tests and her sodium and amalyse levels were coming down. She was alert and seemed to be responding to shadows. She had been up and walking slowly. They had taken her for a walk and she had pooped. All good signs.
They had a very hectic day with several emergency surgeries and asked that we wait a few hours before coming in for another visit. So here we are back at the Motel 6.
We are encouraged that the news this afternoon was headed in the right direction and we hope things continue to improve. We know that there could be permanent damage to internal organs and to her eyesight but we are still hoping for a positive resolution.
She had so much fun swimming in the ocean. She took to the waves like a natural swimmer. So many times we have talked about what a great traveling partner she has been.
We'll know more later tonight and more still tomorrow morning. Send Chettie your love. We'll send an update in the morning once we know more.
Through tears,
Trish and Mike
And, just yesterday before noon, 3 different people told us what a good looking dog Chettie was. They want to know what breed she is and they comment on her curly hair and the conversation goes from there: Where are we from? Where are we going? I joked that no one is telling Mike what a good looking wife he has; what's up with that?
Or maybe this post would be about Chet's first swim in the real ocean waves. What a great day that was!
Instead, this post is about a sad situation that has befallen our Chettie.
After we provisioned up yesterday and Chet had gotten her three-compliments-before-noon, we headed up the coast on Highway 1 toward an area recommended to us for some Forest Service camping.
Beautiful drive up the coast....gorgeous scenery....easy to find camping area that required 4WD to access. We were up high above the ocean with a great view out over the pacific. It was a good 3 miles in on this road, virtually straight up.
We set up camp and started to settle in for the night. Mike took the new solar panel off the van to check it out and set it up for maximum solar collection and Chet and I took a walk further up the road. I took a couple of pictures looking back on our campsite but decided I'd have to retake them in the morning when the light was coming from the east, not the west.
Back into camp, hanging out, listening to tunes and thinking about getting dinner going when we noticed Chettie kind of wobbling on her feet. Looked like she had lost her muscle control. We got her to lie down as we watched and wondered what had happened.
She continued to shake and we wondered if she was having a stroke. It seemed like something was affecting her central nervous system. It was as if she'd been poisoned. There were lots of prarie dogs in the area...had someone put poison in some of the holes?
The sun was setting.
We quickly decided it would be best to break camp and head down. We knew if we waited any longer it would be nearly impossible to drive down that road in the dark.
Once back on the highway we headed south to the first sign of civilization, a small convenience store, and made a call to a vet further south. We were over an hour away, on the very twisty, windy, dark Pacific Coast Highway.
We headed off, with Chettie in the back like a bag of Jello: little control over her movements and very confused. She didn't seem scared, as when dogs have seizures, but rather, confused.
Finally, and I mean finally, we got to Atascadero and found the vet. They assessed her and thought that, indeed, she may have gotten into some poison. It could have been a plant, even mushrooms perhaps. They gave her something to make her throw up but nothing came up that offered a clue as to what could be causing these symptoms.
They gave her charcoal that can absorb toxins and they gave her saline intraveneously. They said they would keep her overnight.
Grimly, we checked into a Motel 6 across the street and tried our best not to let our minds race to the worst.
First thing this morning we called and they told us she had had a couple of seizures in the night and they had to give her anti-seizure medication. They said she had lost her eyesight. This was a bad situation that seemed to be getting worse. They wanted to do some blood work which, of course, we agreed to.
We headed across the street and met with the vet. She was very nice and knowledgeable and showed us the results of the blood tests. They revealed that her sodium and chloride levels were very high, as were her amalyse levels. Could Chettie's big swim in the ocean have caused elevated sodium levels? She certainly drank more salt water than she ever had before. No, the vet didn't think so.
The vet said we would probably never know what it was and at this point it seemed multi-factorial. Amalyse is a pancreatic enzyme that would be working on processing what ever had gotten to her. The elevated sodium levels can be dangerous as they cause swelling in brain and, if not corrected, can cause death.
The vet told us at this point we had to wait and see how things unfolded. They would work toward bringing her Na/Cl levels down and see how she did as her body processed whatever had gotten into her.
We visited with Chettie and she instantly thumped her tail and tried to get up. She knew who we were and seemed to want us to tell her what the heck had happened. If only we knew.
We keeped her quiet and just reassured her that we were there. After a while we left and spent a gut-wrenching day pretending to be busy with things that still have to be done. The van seemed empty without her hanging out with us. We called several times to hear she was 'resting comfortably'.
At 2:30 we called and spoke to the vet. They had done additional blood tests and her sodium and amalyse levels were coming down. She was alert and seemed to be responding to shadows. She had been up and walking slowly. They had taken her for a walk and she had pooped. All good signs.
They had a very hectic day with several emergency surgeries and asked that we wait a few hours before coming in for another visit. So here we are back at the Motel 6.
We are encouraged that the news this afternoon was headed in the right direction and we hope things continue to improve. We know that there could be permanent damage to internal organs and to her eyesight but we are still hoping for a positive resolution.
She had so much fun swimming in the ocean. She took to the waves like a natural swimmer. So many times we have talked about what a great traveling partner she has been.
We'll know more later tonight and more still tomorrow morning. Send Chettie your love. We'll send an update in the morning once we know more.
Through tears,
Trish and Mike
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
A Pesty in the Westy
So, one night in the darkness of the Utah desert Mike asked 'Are you awake?'. I must have been somewhere just on the other side of consciousness as my reply was 'I'm just coming to'.
He said 'You are gnashing your teeth really badly'. Instant dread. Behaviours are hard enough to change when you are conscious of them, but how would I possibly change a habit I'd developed in my sleep?? He had been lying there in the dark listening to the sound for some time and was thinking, 'Is she really that stressed out?'.
We lay there with our respective thoughts. Then, CRUUUNCH. Chomp, chomp, chomp. So it wasn't me grinding my teeth. We were not alone. There was a mouse in the house and it was feasting on what sounded like dog biscuits!
We moved the box with the biscuits up to a higher shelf and settled back in. Silence. Silence. Silence. CRUUUNCH. Chomp, chomp, chomp. I shined the flashlight toward the box to catch a glimpse of the fat, grey intruder as he waddled away.
Strands of a thread on the Samba about mice infestations gave us reason for concern. We moved the box to the luggage rack on the top of the van, passing it out the front pop top window and hatched a plan.
First thing in the morning we'd buy a mouse trap (or two!) and set them the next night. (So sorry to my furry-creature loving friends...I draw the line at a rodent in my living space.) And that's what we did. Bought two traps and set one out that night after a long day's drive.
But the following morning the trap was not sprung and we can only guess that our passenger got off somewhere along the way as we have not heard from him nor seen any evidence of his presence since.
And, Chettie's reputation as a guard dog is now in question.
He said 'You are gnashing your teeth really badly'. Instant dread. Behaviours are hard enough to change when you are conscious of them, but how would I possibly change a habit I'd developed in my sleep?? He had been lying there in the dark listening to the sound for some time and was thinking, 'Is she really that stressed out?'.
We lay there with our respective thoughts. Then, CRUUUNCH. Chomp, chomp, chomp. So it wasn't me grinding my teeth. We were not alone. There was a mouse in the house and it was feasting on what sounded like dog biscuits!
We moved the box with the biscuits up to a higher shelf and settled back in. Silence. Silence. Silence. CRUUUNCH. Chomp, chomp, chomp. I shined the flashlight toward the box to catch a glimpse of the fat, grey intruder as he waddled away.
Strands of a thread on the Samba about mice infestations gave us reason for concern. We moved the box to the luggage rack on the top of the van, passing it out the front pop top window and hatched a plan.
First thing in the morning we'd buy a mouse trap (or two!) and set them the next night. (So sorry to my furry-creature loving friends...I draw the line at a rodent in my living space.) And that's what we did. Bought two traps and set one out that night after a long day's drive.
But the following morning the trap was not sprung and we can only guess that our passenger got off somewhere along the way as we have not heard from him nor seen any evidence of his presence since.
And, Chettie's reputation as a guard dog is now in question.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Westy Shake Down Cruise
Team Westy is in San Luis Obispo, CA!
SLO is just a stone's throw from Los Osas. Those of you who know Westfalias, will know that Los Osas, CA is the home of Go Westy, a mecca of sorts for Westy owners.
Getting to the coast is clearly a milestone for us. But let's talk a little about our trip here. We spent several days in the desert and canyons of Southern Utah enjoying great weather and unbeatable scenery.
We spent a night outside of Moab, on Potash Road for those of you who rock climb; then a night near Capital Reef NP, on Notam Road; and two nights in Kodachrome Basin.
All of the sites were on BLM land. Gotta love the BLM for free, dog-friendly camping. Also gotta love the BLM offices for helpful, friendly employees.
First thing this morning we headed to the coast and let Chet dip her paws in the ocean. Timid at first, she got pretty frisky once she got the feel for it. The surf was pretty rough, and it was a leash-only beach, so we headed to a quieter cove and let her swim there. She still hasn't had the true wave experience.
SLO is just a stone's throw from Los Osas. Those of you who know Westfalias, will know that Los Osas, CA is the home of Go Westy, a mecca of sorts for Westy owners.
Getting to the coast is clearly a milestone for us. But let's talk a little about our trip here. We spent several days in the desert and canyons of Southern Utah enjoying great weather and unbeatable scenery.
We spent a night outside of Moab, on Potash Road for those of you who rock climb; then a night near Capital Reef NP, on Notam Road; and two nights in Kodachrome Basin.
Capital Reef NP
All of the sites were on BLM land. Gotta love the BLM for free, dog-friendly camping. Also gotta love the BLM offices for helpful, friendly employees.
Kodachrome Basin, UT
We left Kodachrome Basin and spent some time in Zion NP. Stunning scenery and relatively few visitors at this time of year. Most national parks are not super dog-friendly and Zion is no exception, so we didn't stay as long as we would have had Chettie not been with us.
Zion NP
Our not-so-well-conceived plan was to emerge from the desert and spend a night or two in St George, Utah: big city with all the conveniences. Ha. St George is a sprawling city that happened to be hosting several athletic competitions (including a swim meet at their impressive aquatic center) in addition to a marching band competition. Who knew? There was not a room to be found.
We retreated to some BLM land north of the city and found a little nook to park and camp for the night. Got up the next morning and headed on. Other than some provisions and gas, St George did not benefit from our tourist dollars.
Silver Cliff RA, North of St George, view out the back of the Westy
We crossed a little corner of Arizona, the tip of Nevada and then the California border. There are some who would say that just driving the Westy from Colorado to California is an adventure. For us, the adventure is just beginning.
That part of California is brown and desolate, not at all what you think of when you think of California. We made a stop at an independent convenience mart with lots of Ron Paul signs on the property and asked about a place to camp for the night. The owner gave us two options: one, a dry lake bed; the other in the Afton Canyon. We'd have headed to the canyon, but he told us there was a wedding going on there with 400-500 people. So we headed to the dry lake bed. It was like no other place we've ever been. Kinda cool in a really different sort of way. It was just us and the wind out there. Hard to describe, but very pleasant.
Dry lake bed camp spot in eastern California
Dry lake bed--Westy is in the lower right hand corner of the 'lake'.
And then on to San Luis Obispo and Los Osas. SLO is home to Cal Poly so it has that college town vibe we love. Tons of great restaurants, a happening bike shop, super walkable. Just an all around nice place.
First thing this morning we headed to the coast and let Chet dip her paws in the ocean. Timid at first, she got pretty frisky once she got the feel for it. The surf was pretty rough, and it was a leash-only beach, so we headed to a quieter cove and let her swim there. She still hasn't had the true wave experience.
Chettie at Montana de Oro SP, Los Osos CA
So far we are very happy with the Westy's performance, Chettie has really taken to life on the road and Mike and I are working out our systems and haven't had an argument yet. Right. Okay, maybe there have been a few words and, of course, there is always that tone of voice thing. But really, we're doing well. We're totally psyched for our adventure and feel fortunate to be able to pursue this endeavor. We're having fun and feel the burdens of the work-a-day world slipping away.
Chettie at the Wheel
Monday, November 2, 2009
Team Westy Rides!
Nothing like a foot of snow to slow progress down in the last few days before departure, but after years of planning and months of preparation, we pulled out of Salida November 1 at 3pm.
After a final stop at the storage unit we headed over Monarch Pass at the blistering speed of 30mph. The burly beast is loaded and we can't wait to start jettisoning some of the ridiculous things we felt we just had to bring.
We came as far as Gunnison and decided to stay. We know and love Gunni and have never felt the love for Montrose, which would have been the next probable stopping place. The Gunnison Inn is a great, pet-friendly place, with a big park right out the door (yes, dogs are allowed in the park).
Good friends are really what life is about. We didn't shed any tears at the storage unit as we left our stuff behind, but we did shed a few as we said those last few goodbyes. We are thrilled to be on the road and finally under way on our journey.
Going to take advantage of the wifi and other creature comforts before taking off for Utah. Sadly, some of the 'administrative tasks' didn't get finished.
Chettie is a Chesapeake Bay Retriever. We bought her as a pup from some folks in Buena Vista, CO. Her dad was owned by one of my friend's mom, so I'd been hearing all about the puppies. Of course when we went to 'look' at the puppies, we knew we'd be coming home with one. At six, we finally feel like she is not a puppy any more. This is an active breed and I now understand people who drive their car on dirt roads and let the dog run along side. She needs a lot of exercise.
Other traits of the breed that are true to form for Missy Chetty are loyalty, stubborness and protection. We think these traits will be useful on our trip. Well, maybe not the stubborness, but the loyalty and protection will come in handy. It's ironic that Mike and I would have a stubborn dog. It's a trait we both have. Me: Taurus the Bull; Mike: Aries the Ram. So all three of us know how to dig our heels in.
Initial conversations about this trip included talk of leaving Chet behind. More than one friend offered to take care of her while we travel. But the more we planned the less we thought we could leave her.
She knows something's up and we keep telling her she's coming, but we're not sure she really gets what's going on. She'll find out soon enough.
We are still planning a November 1 departure. (This was written a few days before we left, but in the final frenzy to get out of town it never got posted. So here it is now.)
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