Blondie Girl - Update I

Well, Blondie and I went to the vet Tuesday. She's lost 5lbs in the last 4 weeks which concerns the vet. Dr. Harman has me now giving her only wet food. Three meals a day, 2 cans a meal. I wonder where my grocery money goes,,,, She's worth it - she's the most loving creature.

She's pretty listless. I can't tell if it's because of the MMM, because it's so hot, or because she's finally moving out of the puppy stage and become more like an adult Pyr - very laid-back. Lately she's spent most of her time inside in the bathroom, laying on the air conditioning vent.

Dr. Harman also suggested I give her little surprise foods. Blondie's become quite fond of plain yogurt and Fruity Cheereos! Colby-Jack cheese cubes seem to go down well - and fast! I have to chew fast to keep up (we split them). I also have a recipe for soft puppy cookies I'll make either today or Monday. I found the recipe on Pinterest.

Speaking of, here's the recipe:

For about a half-dozen cookies (I do 4x this):

1c quick oats
1/2c applesause
1 egg

Combine oats and applesauce. After it is fully mixed add the egg and combine. Drop by spoonful on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake around 10 min in a 350 deg oven - keep an eye on them, they tend to brown all at once (I swear!). Let cool on towel. Enjoy

These are soft and will crumble easily. Blondie likes them and so do a couple friends' dogs.

It looks like I'm going to have my sweet girl longer than I thought. If we can get her back up to weight. GOD willing, we will.

Blondie girl

She's my 16-month Great Pyrenees. My baby girl has such a sweet way about her. She's playful, affectionate - and stubborn. Like most Pyrs she patrols her borders and (unfortunately) digs. She's a problem-solver so I have to keep ahead of her sometimes! We often play "Find" where I hide 6 biscuits around the living room and hall and she has to hunt them down.

And she's also very ill.

Blondie has masticatory muscle myositis. It's an autoimmune disorder where basically her body destroys these particular cells which are only found in her jaw muscles. It can get to the point where the jaw doesn't open at all and a feeding tube used.

Right now she has good jaw movement but she looks like she has a dent in her head.

I had to take away her rawhides and rubber chew toys. No more ice (well, they said I could give her crushed ice). I've started mixing her dry food with chicken broth and wet food. (and going to all wet food would be hard - she goes through a 15lb bag of dry a week!)

The doctor is putting her on corticosteroids (the only treatment for it). We're hoping it works, but the best I could get was a guarded prognosis. And the muscle she's lost won't come back. I was also told I may have to make some difficult decisions.

I'm so attached to her. When I got her at 8 weeks weeks was a 10lb ball of white fluff. Now she's a sleek pretty girl (who weighs 70lbs!). I don't know what I'd do without her.

I suppose a lot of people with animal companions feel the same...

My Blondie girl will be loved and spoiled whether she lives a year or - if I'm lucky - the 7-12 years Pyrs often live.