We started on Keeper's medicine regiment. There was immediate improvement in her protein levels. I was amazed that it only took a week on prednizone for her levels to be almost back to normal!
I also started her back into agility classes. It's like she never skipped a beat. I think she was glad to get back at it. But she lost a lot of muscle mass, so we are working hard on building it back up.
In December, Piper and I were in the 2X4 trial. It was the coldest weekend ever, travelling up in -40 degree temps. (What we do for our dogs!) But Piper was super awesome! It was her best trial. Went 5/6 and if not for a missed contact, she would have been perfect.
Then Christmas came and went like a flash. Both Piper and Keeper got new toys that literally lasted as long as Christmas did!
We are now almost a month into the New Year and it doesn't seem to slow down. We were on the waiting list for the January trial. This was going to be Keeper's return to the ring. And also Piper is one gamble away from earning her ATChC. Hopefully we will have the opportunity in February. The wait seems like forever. In the meantime, we are keeping busy with agility classes, rally, nosework, and scent hurdle. Even spent a day at an awesome seminar with Loretta Mueller with both Keeper and Piper.
We have now tapered the prednizone and immuran back to a maintenance level the vet wants us to be at for Keeper. We will get blood work done in February to make sure we are on the right course. At first we noticed a bit of a change in her. A little more food craving. Would rather sleep on the floor at night. Not interested in bringing us toys to play with her. Not as much energy. Skinny. Cow patty poop. We thought this was the new Keeper we had to get used to.
But since her medicine has been tapered, she is back to her old self! Lots of energy! Back to her normal weight! There's lots of toys scattered throughout the house again! And this past week, we noticed her poop is back to almost normal! We are so relieved and know we are on the right track!
If January is any indication of how the rest of the year will be like, it will be a busy one. But it'll also be a great one and a successful one! Piper and Keeper know it too! :)
