Updates on "PJ Wigglebee"
 

July 2007
 

Bags of Rescue Dust brought  PJ Wigglebee to New England Old English Sheepdog Rescue (NEOESR) for love and the medical attention that only an organization with such STRONG member support could afford to give him.

He has lived 6 months so far, of a life that will be significantly shortened by congenital pulmonary problems and recurrent puppymill pneumonia.

It's our job to open our hearts to love him, to keep him comfortable, and to stuff the joy and happiness of a long sheepie life into whatever time he is allowed.
 
 
 
 
 

 
It's also our job to turn our pain of his plight into education and prevention so that puppy mills will not continue to profit from their callous disregard for the suffering they create for these precious creatures made possible by  their unsuspecting "market" of well meaning uprights who have been so deliberately misinformed.

Watch here for updates of the darling of NEOESR, PJ Wigglebee! 

Here's a link to his "PetFinder Story"  7 Bells Sanctuary
 
July 21, 2007
PJ continues to get big!  His doctor at the Angell Memorial Hospital increased his dose of clavimox because he is growing!  He is going to see her Saturday July 28 for more xrays and to see if the mass in his lungs has responded to antibiotics and his "steam and whack" therapy. He is starting to do things a typical puppy does, (like parade the clean clothes around the house, find shoes under the bed, and dare I mention?  Was caught once in a baby counter surf attempt!)  PJ does not have the energy or stamina of a well puppy so he gets out of breath easily.  That doesn't stop him from trying things.  He LOVES to play with Patrick in the yard with the ball and rope on a pulley.  He is 100% potty trained and quite proud of it.  He ADORES having you "watch" where he has picked in the yard to pee!  We let him play all he wants to, and rest all he wants to.  He seems to know best. 
We tell PJ every day how many friends he has all around the world wishing him well!  THANK YOU FOR THINKING OF HIM, and FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT!  
JULY 10!  WOO HOO FOR ME!

I am SIX MONTHS OLD TODAY!  No one would have believed I would live this long, or have so much fun!  I haven't been coughing for a couple of weeks.  I've been on my Clavimox for months and the Mother Upright "Steams me" and "whacks me" every nite.  She says, "Tent time PJ!" and I run right in to breathe the hot humid air that might help me break up the mass in my lung.  That, plus mom whacking me with her hand while using the HAPPY VOICE might break up some of the bad stuff. 

I go back to the vet at the end of the month so they can take another xray to see if I'm doing better.  In the meantime, I don't mind running into my medicine tent cause I always get a fresh bone to help me pass the time.
 

Mom says I'm also getting BIG and hard for her to pick up now.  My big dream in life is to "make a leap" like the other dogs do, and get on THE BED!  WHOO HOO!  Life's Uncertain.  Celebrate your half birthday!  LOVE PJ WIGGLEBEE
SPECIAL THANKYOU 
to all PJ's friends who have donated to NEOESR for his medical care.  If you would like to add to the help being sent to him this link will bring you right to NEOESR's "sheepiestuff" where you can click a donation through paypal. 
PJ has his own "respiratory therapy" in a crate rigged for steam (and some fun!)  After each 15 minutes of breathing steam, we hold him tight and rap him hard on the side of his lungs where he has an abcess that won't break up.  (Did you ever see the movie "Tuesdays with Morrie"?)  Then we try to get the mats out of his "steamed coat"  LOL  After many weeks on Clavimox, PJ does not have a cough at all.  If only we could keep him that way!!!
PJ has no idea how sick he is!  He LOVES to be witht he Big Sheepies, and he is ready for fun whenever we are!  Shhh, don't tell anyone, but PJ is waiting for WiggleBus Book 5 to make his "pawficual debut!"
June 29, 2007  PJ is under the expert care of Angell Memorial Hospital in Boston. Here PJ is giving Grannie Annie a kiss while he waits for his xray results. He didn't have great news, but there is a little room for rescue dust.  After several weeks of antibiotics, his "clinical" signs looked better (hardly any coughing, he's growing,etc)  but his "radiographic signs" (eg the xray readings) tell a different story.  With most of the pneumonia cleared (the doctor said it can take a while before the xray really shows that), it seems he has a particular mass that is in the trouble spot of his lungs that they think might be an abscess.  If they are right, the treatment would be to find out what type of infection it is, and
try to target it with a responsive antibiotic.  That would be done with a nasal biopsy first.  The doctor was very clear that it could be the type of thing that comes over and over because of the physical problems he has in that area.   She said it is not unusual to have to actually open them up to take these masses out in puppy mill puppies... but PJ is not a good candidate for major surgery.  She spoke of it as sort of a "puppy mill" phenomena (as if these poor puppy mill dogs have their very own pneumonias.... my stomach flip flopped to think of this...)

He's such a complicated little puppy, with so many compromises already, they were very thoughtful and careful to consider what his "options" are. To do the nasal biopsy effectively would require him to come off the antibiotics for a bit (so they can get an accurate reading) but there is a very real possibility that he would"backslide" with the pneumonia if they did that.  So after the very best cardiologist and the very best radiologist put their heads together, they decided to give him another month on the antibiotics and see if he can't get stronger, clear more of the pneumonia and re-xray him again in a month to see what procedures he can tolerate
etc.
"Cricket" (left) telling PJ Wigglebee how to order "Room Service" from the Mother Upright.  How spoiled are they???
June 12, 2007

After several tests and xrays they determined that he still has
bronchial pneumonia and he needs to stay on the antibiotics for two
weeks (until his next check up).
 He only has one pulmonary artery, a congenital defect they cannot repair.

 He has a septal atrial defect in his heart that causes "leaking."

 He has vascular plexis in his left lung which may be a compensation
for the pulmonary artery atresia.

 He also has a condition called bronchiectesis which has to do with
the cilary in the lungs which are not functioning and responsible for
his pneumonia and continued susceptibility to it.

 
In general his entire growth is stunted, and in plain English, he's a "sick pup".  All of which we knew on some level but the findings bring the reality clearly to light. Through the generousity of NEOESR, who is underwriting his medical care,  PJ will recieve the best chances for a wonderful life, no matter how short.  I cannot tell you enough what a HUGE BLESSING it is, that decisions for him are based on quality of life, the preciousness of his life, and NOT on how expensive his short life will be.
 

PJ is the product of thoughtless, greedy puppy mill breeding.  He pays the hugest price of all for their greed with every breath he struggles to take, with every cough that shakes his far too tiny body.  The rage I feel for what puppy mills do to them is beyond my ability to describe, but it is transformed to "rescue dust" by the love and caring of all of you who know him, and all of you who support special needs dogs in rescue every day through your membership and donations.

PJ has a long list of rescue angels, that I'm sure we'll all read in Tale's End some day!  For now, every day is a gift.  We'll keep him as healthy and happy as we can, and make the tough decisions at the right time to prevent him from suffering, (if nature doesn't make them first).  If you have met him you know what a gentle lamb he is.  Here
he is on the wigglebus!  He sends his love!  Giant bunches from a way too tiny heart!
 

 

Wigglebus.com