Friday, September 10, 2010

Cabal Update: What We Know...


Hello All,

Cabal developed some problems this week, if you are new to them, read the post before this one. (if you are WAY new you may have to go back and do some searching to find out about his earlier troubles)

Assuming you are up to speed, here's what's happening:

We had the Plan in place to wait a couple weeks and see if this was a disc problem that might resolve itself. I've been staying out at Boss's to be near Cabal, as he hasn't been moving real well, and in fact, Woodsman Hans built him a ramp so that he might get in and out more easily. He couldn't manage even the short bit of stairs.

This morning when we got up and tried to go outside, he was much worse. He couldn't walk more than a few steps before he would fall over, and couldn't he get up. When I did get him up, he wobbled. I called the U of Minnesota Vet Clinic, to let them know this had gone beyond "Let's wait and see if it resolves" and brought him into the ER.

It got worse very quickly this morning, last night he was having problems but nothing like he was this morning, or he would have gone in then.

They were able to get him in for an MRI.

Now the good news and the bad news.

The MRI showed no disc problems. This would be the Good News. The bad news is they then moved up the spine, and now believe it is something at the site of his previous neck surgery.

Good news: It is not an obvious Horrible Tumor. And the Thing they took out a few months ago was not a Horrible Cancerous Tumor.

But something is pressing on his Spine at the site. We don't yet know how we are going to treat it, but it does not have to be done tonight on an emergency basis. The Doctors today want his Neurologist to have a look and see on Monday.

They may have to go in and see. It may be treatable with aggressive anti-inflammatory meds. We don't know.

Cabal may get to come home tomorrow, until Monday. We are going to talk about that tomorrow afternoon. It will depend on how we think he is doing. It would be better for him mentally (and for me) if he was home with me by him. But it also may be better for him to be where a group of people who know what they are doing can be with him in case he can't walk entirely, or if he gets worse.

That's all I know.

Thank you SO much for all your love, and good thoughts. It's very hard with Boss half a world away and we're worried. But the U of MN is one of the top Clinics in the country, and we will be doing everything we can to make him well again.

Because he's such a fine friend.

Lola, as I know you will ask, is also very upset, but know that we are taking good care of her too, she does have a couple of dog friends, and we are arranging Play Dates, walks, and lots of love for her too.

Love and Cabal,
Lorraine

98 Comments:

At 18:41 Blogger Mary said...

Oh, poor Cabal! I hope something like a massive influx of prenisone can help. His life is too good to leave now.

At 18:42 Blogger Heather said...

Thoughts, prayers, and good thoughts go out to all of you. Take care.

At 18:43 Blogger Dragonsally said...

Good and bad news indeed. Thank the stars it isn't some form of aggressive tumour.
I hope they find out what it is and treat it really quickly. Still sending much love to you all.

At 18:44 Anonymous Anonymous said...

I hope poor Cabal recovers soon! It's good to know what isn't wrong, but it would be much better to know what is.

Love on Cabal's ears when you are next at the vet.

At 18:44 Blogger DataGoddess said...

*hugs* and *scritches* for you all. I can only imagine how hard it is for you, Boss, and the rest of Cabal's human pack, and for poor Lola, who just knows Cabal isn't there. And Cabal most of all, who just knows he's back at the strange place again with any of his pack, but has faith that you will be back.

I hope he gets to come home tomorrow, even though that means more work for you taking care of him.

He's such a sweet, adorable dufus!

At 18:46 Blogger Jess said...

Oh, doggy. Seems so sudden, too. :( Good that he's in such good hands. And as you say, it's not cancer, and they'll be able to do something. That's encouraging, in its way.

Big hugs. Sounds like you've had a very hard day. Beaming the good mind-rays out your way.

At 18:46 Blogger Beez said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

At 18:47 Anonymous Anonymous said...

I wish I could do more, but please know that I'm sending my love and care to you all. My heart goes out to Neil being so far away, when I'm sure all he wants is to be by Cabal's side, and my deepest appreciation goes out to you and all of the doctors who are doing everything you possibly can to help get him through this.

At 18:49 Blogger ChiaLynn said...

Poor Cabal. Poor Lola. Poor Lorraine and her Bengals who are missing her. Poor Boss, too far away to do anything but fret.

BUT - lucky Cabal, to have so many people who care for him. And lucky Lola, and Lorraine, and Bengals, and Boss, and for the same reason. This is all just awful, but it would be so much MORE awful if any of you had to do it alone.

At 18:49 Blogger Marjorie said...

**hugs**
good to know there's no tumour, bad that there's no quick fix.
I hope they feel he's well enough to come home over the weekend, and that all of you, dogs and people alike, get to rest.
Love to you all.

At 18:50 Blogger Marjorie said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

At 18:52 Blogger Ashbet said...

*hugs and skritches and positive energy for all of you*

Well, I might hold off on the skritches for the two-legged folks. But the sentiment is there.

Here's hoping that all can be made well.

At 18:52 Anonymous Lisana said...

Sending love and lots of positive thoughts for Cabal and the entire family! Get better soon, doggie!

At 18:54 Blogger c.j.h. said...

That odd sound you hear is me scrunching my face into knots trying to will Cabal better. Or it could be Roscoe frantically licking the air in hopes that it will reach Cabal and help.

And the Blackberry troubleshooting offer from the previous post's comment still stands. Geek powers for good and all.

Thanks for keeping us updated during what must be a crazy time.

At 18:57 Blogger Beez said...

*hugs* I am so sorry- I can only imagine how hard this is on him, and you, and Boss.

I do have all the faith in the vets at the U. If it can be made better, they will find out how.

Love to you all.

18:46

At 19:06 Blogger Maureen said...

Hi Lorraine,
Are you sure its his spine thing and not Melopathy?The reason I ask as it is very common in GSD's. Poor Cabal and you and Neil and Lola....
Paws crossed that a good outcome is soon!

At 19:06 Blogger Maureen said...

Hi Lorraine,
Are you sure its his spine thing and not Melopathy?The reason I ask as it is very common in GSD's. Poor Cabal and you and Neil and Lola....
Paws crossed that a good outcome is soon!

At 19:06 Blogger Maureen said...

Hi Lorraine,
Are you sure its his spine thing and not Melopathy?The reason I ask as it is very common in GSD's. Poor Cabal and you and Neil and Lola....
Paws crossed that a good outcome is soon!

At 19:06 Blogger Maureen said...

Hi Lorraine,
Are you sure its his spine thing and not Melopathy?The reason I ask as it is very common in GSD's. Poor Cabal and you and Neil and Lola....
Paws crossed that a good outcome is soon!

At 19:06 Blogger Maureen said...

Hi Lorraine,
Are you sure its his spine thing and not Melopathy?The reason I ask as it is very common in GSD's. Poor Cabal and you and Neil and Lola....
Paws crossed that a good outcome is soon!

At 19:06 Blogger Maureen said...

Hi Lorraine,
Are you sure its his spine thing and not Melopathy?The reason I ask as it is very common in GSD's. Poor Cabal and you and Neil and Lola....
Paws crossed that a good outcome is soon!

At 19:06 Blogger Maureen said...

Hi Lorraine,
Are you sure its his spine thing and not Melopathy?The reason I ask as it is very common in GSD's. Poor Cabal and you and Neil and Lola....
Paws crossed that a good outcome is soon!

At 19:06 Blogger Maureen said...

Hi Lorraine,
Are you sure its his spine thing and not Melopathy?The reason I ask as it is very common in GSD's. Poor Cabal and you and Neil and Lola....
Paws crossed that a good outcome is soon!

At 19:06 Blogger Maureen said...

Hi Lorraine,
Are you sure its his spine thing and not Melopathy?The reason I ask as it is very common in GSD's. Poor Cabal and you and Neil and Lola....
Paws crossed that a good outcome is soon!

At 19:07 Blogger Maureen said...

Hi Lorraine,
Are you sure its his spine thing and not Melopathy?The reason I ask as it is very common in GSD's. Poor Cabal and you and Neil and Lola....
Paws crossed that a good outcome is soon!

At 19:07 Blogger Maureen said...

Hi Lorraine,
Are you sure its his spine thing and not Melopathy?The reason I ask as it is very common in GSD's. Poor Cabal and you and Neil and Lola....
Paws crossed that a good outcome is soon!

At 19:07 Blogger Maureen said...

Hi Lorraine,
Are you sure its his spine thing and not Melopathy?The reason I ask as it is very common in GSD's. Poor Cabal and you and Neil and Lola....
Paws crossed that a good outcome is soon!

At 19:11 Blogger turtlesong said...

goodmind to all of you.

At 19:13 Blogger HellZiggy said...

Oh no! Poor pup. :(
I'll be sending as many positive thoughts as I can his way. And your way. And Boss's way. I'm glad Cabal is in such good hands. I know they will be able to make him better.

*hugs*

~the Other Sharon

At 19:19 Blogger LihuaEmilyP said...

I'm sorry! Crap, Cabal. Good luck.

At 19:23 Anonymous Rhonda Roo said...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~<----sparkle juju for all. The high quality stuff. XOXOXOX

At 19:26 Blogger Elyse said...

Sending lots of good thoughts your way. Cabal and Quiche are a winning team, all will be well. xoxo

At 19:28 Blogger Phiala said...

Hugs all around.

At 19:29 Blogger Ali Trotta said...

Sending lots of good thoughts everyone's way. It's difficult to see a pet in such a situation, but I am glad he's at the best place possible. It sounds like his doctors know their stuff.

Thanks for the update. :)

At 19:33 Blogger the human said...

Poor Cabal. I've been going through a very similar thing with my dog, only more slowly. We're going to our vet school neurologist on Monday. Best wishes for Cabal and a hopefully speedy recovery. It's so hard to see that something is wrong and not be able to wave a magic wand and make it better.

At 19:34 Blogger Lois2037 said...

It seems like there's a good chance of this being correctable with expert help, and obviously that is available. The reason I follow Neil's blog is not just because he's all kinds of fabulous writer and an interesting person and all that. What really got me was Cabal's story, and all he was willing to go through for this dog. That truly touched my heart. I'll be sending good reiki energies to Cabal, and all who love him.

At 19:39 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Best thoughts to Cabal and to you all. The poor guy has been through so much this year. Thank all that is good that he has such helpful, loving friends.

At 19:40 Blogger LihuaEmilyP said...

"Cabal and Quiche" could be the BEST SUPERHERO THEME SONG EVER.

At 19:41 Blogger LihuaEmilyP said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

At 19:49 Anonymous Anonymous said...

I hope all turns out well, I will be sending good vibes your way,

Trish, Calvin and Nikki

of the Neil, Cabal, Lola, Lorraine fan club

At 20:01 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Bonne chance, Cabal!

At 20:05 Blogger george said...

It's hard when our four-legged companions aren't well. My thoughts and prayers for all of you (near and far). Frustrating waiting for answers... but it's so, so good to have a good vet!!

At 20:14 Blogger Fanny said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

At 20:14 Blogger Fanny said...

Sending loads of love to Cabal, and you guys. I was across a wide sea when my dog needed me, I know the horrible worry. The bestest of well-wishes and hope it'll all be fine.

At 20:26 Anonymous Elise said...

Rooting for Cabal. He could not be in more caring hands, which counts for a lot.

At 20:26 Anonymous Anonymous said...

years ago, i had a dog who had a blood clot in his neck- what the vet described as like having a stroke, but affecting his spinal cord rather than his brain. the description & the symptoms sounded a lot like what Cabal is going through, only my dog was worse- he was almost totally paralyzed from the neck down. the vet advised me to have him put down, but knew i had to give him a chance. and you know what? he ended up making a *complete* recovery in a month or so (with NO treatment! i was a starving twenty-something then.) while he was healing, i had to hold him up when he went potty, and he staggered around like a cartoon drunk for a couple of weeks til he re-learned to walk, but once he was well, you couldn't tell what he'd been through at all. like Cabal, he was a rescue...i literally plucked him out of an abandoned lot, and we had a really strong bond for the rest of hi life. corny as it may sound, i think that love & loyalty had a great deal to do with his recovery- he WANTED to get well. Cabal has that same great heart & strength, and buckets of love from his humans, and he can pull through this. be there for him and don't lose hope <3
wishing him all my best

At 20:29 Blogger Jane said...

It sounds like there are options and treatments. That is indeed good news.

I've been through the leave them at the vet where they will get the care and treatment they need, and where you also don't need to worry in quite the same way. I also know the profound relief of having them back at home by your side, where they think they are safe.

Sometimes it's a hard call. Our vet gives the most wonderful 24/7 care - we can't do that at home...but having them near is a comfort sometimes.

But no matter what you choose, it is the right answer for that moment..

Love to you all.

At 20:29 Blogger Rach said...

thinking of you all, hope everything goes well xxx

At 20:29 Blogger Jane said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

At 20:30 Blogger Chantrelle said...

I've been thinking about Cabal all day. I guess it's good that he didn't have to be rushed in for emergency surgery.

He's such a good boy, i hate to see him any less than bouncy and cute. We'll be keeping him and you guys in our thoughts.

At 20:52 Blogger Heidi said...

Poor pupper. :( Sounds like he's in good hands, so add my good vibes to the MASSIVE WAVE of good vibes going your way. Bless his little doggy heart!

At 20:55 Blogger Cecily said...

It's weird for me to be so connected to an animal I have never met, much more a dog...I am not a dog person. But I am worried and sending love for both him and all his human family.

At 20:56 Blogger Christy said...

I'm glad the dogs are in great hands. I hope all goes well and much love!!

At 21:03 Blogger fdhbstephanie said...

Thinking lots of good healing thoughts for him, and peaceful ones for all the humans and other critters who live with him...

At 21:15 Anonymous Amysue said...

Thinking healing thoughts and much love for Cabal and his human and canine family.

At 21:26 Blogger Datlow said...

Oh no. I'm so sorry to hear this. I hope Cabal feels better soon.

At 21:30 Blogger vampi said...

aww, my heart goes out to cabal and his people.

At 21:51 Blogger Vinity said...

I'm so sorry. I know how hard this is on all of you!! Sending Cabal, you, boss and all Cabal's family good vibes. Having spinal issues myself, it can seem very bad but recover to the point you can deal with it. It sounds like you guys have good docs.

I do hope you manage to go to the dressage show tomorrow. You have been working hard and I'm sure Cabal is in good hands for a little while.

I'll have my cell on my all day tomorrow. Call if you need to talk.

At 23:06 Blogger Madeline Carol Matz said...

Many {{{*hugs*}}} and much love to Cabal, you and the Boss. I,m reaching down and pouring out all my hope for the best for the dear dog. He's had such a tough go of it.

At 23:30 Blogger Ilianexsi Sojourner said...

Poor baby! I'm sorry to hear this... sounds like he's in good hands, though. Sending love and prayers to everyone there... hope he's back up and around soon!

At 23:40 Blogger Linda said...

Love & healing thoughts

At 23:54 Anonymous Wendy Withers said...

Love to you, Cabal, an Boss.

At 23:59 Blogger ariandalen said...

Still sending energy to Cabal. He's in good hands!

Have a good show tomorrow, Ms. Fabulous!

At 00:00 Blogger spacedlaw said...

Poor Cabal. Let's hope they soon find what is wrong with him and CURE him.
Hugs all around.

At 02:10 Blogger Angelle Haney Gullett said...

Lots of love to you Lorraine, you are a stalwart protectress of beasts!

Hoping everything goes well, and lots of pets for brave Cabal.

At 04:57 Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm torn between "poor Cabal" and this overwhelming awareness of how immensely lucky he is to have found the family he did.

I hope, even if he's feeling a bit sorry for himself right now, deep down Cabal can't help a bit of his trademark grin knowing people all around the world are fretting about him and wishing him well!

Huge hugs to you all. Really glad for all the things they've established it isn't... here's hoping on Monday they find something easily remedied and he's back to his old self in no time.

At 05:13 Anonymous Rachel said...

I'm torn between "poor Cabal" and this overwhelming awareness of how immensely lucky he is to have found the family he did.

I hope, even if he's feeling a bit sorry for himself right now, deep down Cabal can't help a bit of his trademark grin knowing people all around the world are fretting about him and wishing him well!

Huge hugs to you all. Really glad for all the things they've established it isn't... here's hoping on Monday they find something easily remedied and he's back to his old self in no time.

At 06:43 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

No new word from the vet. He came thru the anesthesia fine and is "resting"

We'll decide later today about him coming home vs staying till Monday.

THANKYOU for all your words!! This sort of love makes me weak.

Or strong. I am going now to ride in my first horse show.

I'm not going to think of anything else for the next few hours.

And yes, I will keep you posted on everything.

At 07:01 Blogger Jess said...

Ride, Medeadly! Ride like the wind! Or just do the cool prancy thing.

You will do well. I do not doubt this.

At 07:32 Blogger LihuaEmilyP said...

I think sometimes weakness is just a really overwhelming sort of strength. Glad he's okay for now.

At 09:33 Blogger Na said...

adding my wishes for healing and comfort Cabal and yourself and all Cabal's pack, peeps and critters alike. my inner child keeps saying, this is so unfair! the more mature bit of me knows how fortunate Cabal is to be in the circle of love and care he has.

best wishes with your dressage event, Lorraine! ride on!

At 09:34 Blogger Na said...

healing and comfort for Cabal and crew ...
so i meant.

At 09:52 Blogger C. T. Adams said...

OH NO! I'm so sorry. How awful for Cabal and the humans who love him. You're in my thoughts and prayers.

At 09:53 Blogger C. T. Adams said...

OH NO! I'm so sorry. How awful for Cabal and the humans who love him. You're in my thoughts and prayers.

At 10:29 Blogger Martha W. said...

Poor Cabal! Maybe, since it's not a disc problem, he can be helped sooner rather than later. That's a very handsome picture of him! I hope the steroids and anti-inflammatory meds have him feeling better very soon. People have things like this too, and relief is sometimes just a few pills away.

At 13:03 Blogger Pi R Squared said...

Good luck with the horse show Lorraine!

Hope everything is well with Cabal and that he continues to mend. Can't help thinking how lucky he is to be with such a wonderful, extended human family...hope he gets well soon!

At 16:21 Blogger bfree2read said...

Sending good wishes. It sounds like Cabal is in good hands at U of Mn. My experience with university animal clinics is that they are the best. This is a hard time for you but they will do all they can to help and Cabal has quite the online support group. :)

At 22:39 Blogger AletaMay said...

Glad to know they have an idea about the cause of this and glad came through the stress of yesterday!

At 23:05 Blogger Cecily said...

Did Cabal come home?

How did the show go?

At 23:39 Blogger ariandalen said...

For those without Twitter or access:
Cabal is home until Monday.
Picture here.

Our Queen Empress rocked her first dressage show! Go Ms. Fabulous!

At 00:38 Blogger spacedlaw said...

Do they have a better idea of the problem now?

And how did the dressage show go?

At 10:11 Blogger CarolAnn said...

Poor Cabal. Give him hugs from us.

At 14:49 Blogger Jenn said...

Ah. Well, I will be keeping my fingers crossed for sweet Cabal.

It's good to know he is in such good hands. He really is a lucky dog.

At 17:25 Blogger Poindextra said...

I'll be seeing boss in a few days hopefully, and I hope that he's well.

Cabal is so beautiful, it's a shame he's in this shape. ):

Lor, you're still wonderful. My thoughts are with all of you. <3

At 20:37 Blogger Chantrelle said...

Ralph is on the couch w/ his foot propped up on a pillow, ice pack on the ankle. He was playing around w/ ben and neighbor-boy w/ a soccer ball, being a, to quote him, "ninny" and caught his foot on the ball and twisted it. It has a big purple lump. TOTALLY sucks!

At 20:51 Blogger LihuaEmilyP said...

Ticky box from RI. Sorry. Too many numbers for class ...

At 21:13 Blogger Fluffy said...

Poor doggie. Every time I hear about something new that's gone wrong with his poor body I wonder how long he would have lived if Boss hadn't found him. I hope his troubles can be fixed soon.

And 3rd place in the competition?? Woohoo!! You are rocking this thing in a major way, madam.

At 21:14 Blogger Fluffy said...

And poor Ralph. Big purple lump on foot/ankle = hurting.

At 21:17 Blogger Dragonsally said...

Ouch! Poor Ralph indeed. May his ankle recover quickly

At 22:59 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

Good Evening my Fiends!

And a new post is UP! My first show and A bit about Cabal...

At 23:14 Anonymous kd said...

Poor pup. It's horrible when our furry friends are not feeling well. Take care.

At 17:51 Anonymous Em said...

Hello- I have been a vet nurse for 20 years and work in surgical aftercare at a specialist surgery in glamorous Melbourne- I have just finished night shift, and have nursed many dogs like Cabal- give him time and physio, let him be his doggy self, and trust him to focus on the things he can do rather than the things he can't- dogs are great at that- I wish you well with Mr Handsome Pants Cabal- He has outstanding ears...good for smoochin'

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