Our Beautiful Planet

Incredible the things we can do!

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Hannah

For those unaware Hannah is my 7 yr old Rat terrier Female. She's a mess. She always has been. I bought her and her sister for 25 dollars off my old boss when she was going through a rough divorce and needed to unload her dogs. She had bought Hannah and Terra from a reputable breeder in the interest of training/breeding them. She wasnt a bad woman but as many do she basically lost it with the divorce.

Anyway, when I picked up Hannah she clung to me (Terra was a over zealous for a rat terrier almost patterdale like). Hannah literally covered my back seat with black fur and drool on the short drive home, she was petrified. She took 6 months to allow anyone near her aside from me and equally as long to be comfortable with me (never fully slept, NEVER rolled on her back). As you can see she was a nervous wreck. Terra over powered her and would attack her, Hannah though never backed down and eventually I had to place Terra. I wasnt set up nor ready to rotate them and I felt Terra stood a much better chance in a new home.

Hannahs first day on carpet she freaked and tore out a toe nail. It was a blessing in disguise I suppose because we discovered not only a luxating patella but also a cyst on her liver which the vet felt would have severely harm/kill her (I really dont remember/know why) if it was not dealt with in a timely manner.

So.. that behind us Hannahs knee and temperament got better and better, she learned to deal with other dogs here and there and humans with patience. Then one day she woke me up screaming and shaking then nothing. I was sure she was dead. I rushed into my moms room and was distraught. My mom noticed she was still breathing very shallowly and we rushed her to the vet. By the time we were at the vet she was a bit more with it but still unable to sit up or stand.

We ran everything we could think of. Her urine showed a slow break down of protein and a bit of blood, her thyroid was just a tad bit high, but otherwise nothing. The vet sent us home with "sometimes this only ever happens once in a dogs life".Well since then she's had 3 other severe seizures that we know of and each blood test showed the same thing.

These all happened around 2-4 years. She's been free of these big seizures that we know of for the past 3 years. She has though continued with teeth chattering, obsessive face itching, carpet plucking (she'll pick out one strand at a time, eat it then go for the next), pacing, shaking, etc. No one could ever find out why. We've seen 4 vets at 3 clinics. Ran standard blood panels, dental and physical exams, everything we could afford.

In the last year and a half though Hannahs begun to take a turn for the worse. She's gotten more obsessive with her "quirks" and her aggression has worsened. At times I feel like shes going blind (had her eyes checked and vet said as far as he can tell she can see fine), deaf (not been checked but Im pretty sure she's just ignoring me), or I just dont know.

She begun pottying on the floor obsessively. At first on the stairs landing but when we put in pergo she stopped. Then on the tile near the back door. Now I could say we're not letting her out enough but the door remains open almost all day almost all year with exceptions from about 12 am - 4 am when everyone in the house is asleep and at this time she's usually in a crate herself.

Also I found she was leaving skid marks or poop trails lol all over my bed. So she was banned from my bed after 6 years of sleeping with me.. it breaks my heart still watching her sit on the floor and look at me waiting for the "ok" to get up that never comes. This is ANOTHER thing the vet cant figure out! grr :(

She's recently been diagnosed as "Obsessive Compulsive/Anxiety Disorder" and is taking a daily medication. The vet basically said he couldnt find anything wrong with her. He's been so good to me last blood panel he did a free ultrascan looking at her liver to see if the cyst from when she was a pup had regrown.

She stopped pottying on the floor for the first month and the fabric plucking stopped that we could see. The last couple weeks though I have been coming home to pee by the open door again (she's not crated while I am gone because I am at work/school on T/TH from 8 am - 12 am). I also came home to sour smelling bile and fabric she must have pulled off the dog bed. She's also been smelling vile lately like shes eating poop or rotting :( sorry to be so graphic but it sucks when its become miserable to hug your dog due to odor. Its not like puppy eating poop breath either, its more potent. Her teeth are fine, she was just at the vet and he said they looked great for a 7 yo with her history.

Im just at a loss, I dont see her in her eyes all the time anymore. I keep trying to judge if I am just frustrated and truly grossed out by her or if I really am seeing a lack of Hannah there.

My parents (who demanded I rehome her before I was allowed to move back in with them lol) now have thrown a fit when I brought up the possibility of putting her down the last vet visit. I had to take her in when I thought maybe she cant control her urine and bowel. I have seen her several times walking along totally normal and pooping, I saw her once pee this way as well hence the vet visit. Once again.. NO REASON. sigh. The only suggestion the Vet left me with over and over again that seems to make sense is she may have brain damage from her seizures?

:-/ bleh.. Thanks to anyone who read all of this.. its been a LONG ride with my girl. She's always been there for me so I would feel devastated if I thought there was something I could do and didnt. We're just at such a loss.

Anyways...I needed to vent and ask honestly do you always get "told" by your dog when its time to go?