Penny-Penny
Penny was a Chow/Spaniel mix which Elnora saved from an animal rescue center when she was 6 months old on January 6, 1994. The workers at the center tried to dissuade Elnora from selecting Penny, telling her she wasn’t good with children, and would not get along with another dog. Penny’s eyes and smile told Elnora different and after visiting another animal shelter, returned to pick up Penny and bring her to our home. The bad rap the shelter gave Penny couldn’t have been further from the truth. She loved children and all people her whole life, and was a loved and needed companion for Midnight. Midnight was so elated with her, he would greet her in the morning before us. He wanted to sleep next to her, but she wanted her space. She didn’t know quite how to handle all the hugging and affection she was receiving from her new family, but quickly warmed up and would lean on you like a cat, and give you her butt to hug and scratch.
She was previously named Cassie buy her former and brief owners. Elnora formally named her Penny, but her name around the house quickly became Penny-Penny. And she even like it better because unlike the name Cassie which she didn’t respond to, she responded quickly to Penny and Penny-Penny.
She loved to sit in the open doorway and charge out into the backyard to chase a squirrel up a tree, then just stand at the bottom of the tree and bark at it. She wouldn’t hurt it if she did catch it, because she mothered a squirrel that got electric shocked from the utility wires behind our house.
Another favorite of hers was to stand in the shallow fish pond and catch goldfish and put them on the bank. She would stand in the water for hours wagging her tail the whole time. As you could expect, the pond water made her smell like an old dish rag, and she acquired another nickname, “Stinker-pup”.
In her younger years she enjoyed going for rides in Elnora’s car with Midnight. When parked to run an errand Midnight would always sit in the drivers seat and Penny in the front passenger seat. They looked like they were on a date. She stopped wanting to ride in her car when it got too hard for her to stand and to climb in and out. But when we had the moving trucks loaded to move from Houston, she didn’t let me out of her sight and when I got in the van to drive, she was right there ready to get in the van via my wheelchair lift. Penny and I made the entire trip from Houston all by ourselves.
Walks to the bayou and around the neighborhood were a regular treat. Penny and Midnight made a regular visit on (Smoky) a kitten who was a friend even through his adult life. This can be seen in the video.
She quicky became the alpha dog, and protected Midnight and even chastised him if he got in the way. As long as strange dogs didn’t sniff her butt or challenge her they were OK, but Penny was always ready for a good fight, no matter how big or how many other dogs. Never a damaging fight, just pin them down and give them a good scare. She also liked to flirt with Angus the Rottweiler next door.
She like Midnight was a faithful companion who was always by my side wherever I went, she was there. She liked to pick a strategic spot so she could keep an eye on Elnora and me. She always slept at the foot of our bed near to and facing the open bedroom door, in order to be on guard. If I slept late, she was always there to protect.
Penny was always the “lead” dog on walks, and loved the cold weather. She would have been more content to be a sled dog up north rather than endure this Texas heat. When we first got her and Midnight we would leave them in the backyard for a couple of hours if we both left the house. They both had fun defoliating the backyard of all small trees and plants, but we didn’t mind, we just planted more. They quickly trained us that they were “Inside dogs”, and so they got full time indoor privileges. Penny loved to be outside in the yard in any temperature as long as one of us was out there with her. She loved to sit under her favorite tree near the swing and watch Elnora garden.
Due to her sweet nature and coloring she earned the nickname “Golden-girl” because she was good as gold.
While on walks in Houston Penny would allow Midnight to hold Penny’s leash and take her for walks through the neighborhood. You can see this in the video.
December 4, 2006 Monday evening while we watched TV, Penny slept the whole evening on the carpet in the living room without customarily moving over to the tile floor. At dinner time earlier, she was reluctant to eat, (which was odd), but she did. When she attempted to get up, she couldn’t and when helped up, her legs were trembling and very unsteady. Her eyes were rapidly moving back and forth like she was speed reading continually. I called the emergency vet office in Round Rock, they said it could be anything from vestibular syndrome to a brain tumor. Elnora gave her half of a pain pill left over from Midnight’s prescription. About 12 midnight, Elnora slid her outside and held her up to pee before we all went to bed. Penny also thru up her supper before coming in for bed.
December 5, 2006 Tuesday morning we all went to Castle Rock vet clinic to see Dr. Maggie Stumner. She checked her out and diagnosed her with “Vestibular Syndrome” (a), and prescribed Dexamethasone .25mg, Chlorpheniramine 4mg, and Ciprofloxacin 500mg; and did blood work CBC profile + T4. Penny finally decided to eat that evening about 6pm, just before we ate, and she took her pills without objection. She drinks water OK all day. She slept well all night.
December 6, 2006 Wednesday she looked better, her eyes didn’t shift so much. She prefers to try to walk with Elnora’s help rather than be slid around on a bedspread. Not much of an appetite this morning, but does drink water. Dr. Stumner called at 11:37 am to check on her progress. She mentioned that when Penny’s eyes shifted it was an intention reflex, like she was thinking about making an action. Elnora gave Penny a hair cut this morning to keep her cooler and clean.
Penny started showing signs of recovery on about the second day of treatment and continued to improve over the next few weeks, and eventually seamed fully recovered with no head tilt or fear of rolling over on her back.
She continues to suffer from hip dysplasia and arthritis in her legs, and it get harder and harder for her to get up, particularly on the tile floor where she prefers to lay.
February 24, 2007 Their was a serious brush fire on the southwest side of our subdivision. The approaching fire and heavy smoke that was coming towards us due to very heavy winds forced a total mandatory evacuation of the subdivision. So we all got into the van and headed over to our friends “Bill & Mary” home and stayed there for a few hours until the authorities allowed us to return. After this incident, almost every time Penny went out the front door, she would pause, look and sniff into the wind for smoke; then Elnora would say “No smoke”, and then she would proceed with her exit.
As the months pass since Midnight’s death on October 30, 2006, Penny’s ability to go for walks gets shorter and shorter. From being able to walk around the block in September 2006, her walks gradually get shorter. First just to the mailbox around the corner and back, then to a few houses down and back. Towards the end she just barley made it to the front yard and back inside with Elnora’s help guiding her hind end.
We can tell by the expression on her face and starts looking over her shoulder towards the front door, when she needs to go out. She gets a worrier look like when she had leg surgery and came home the first hour of waking up, and had to go out and move her bowels. With Elnora’s help, she went out still groggy from anaesthesia and did what she needed to do. Always the trooper! She preferred to take the longer and more slippery walk on the tile to go out the front than the closer back door over a carpeted floor.
For a year or so before we left Houston in March 2006, she earned the nickname “Scooter Puppy”, because Elnora would just slide her on the floor to move her if I needed to get by her. Until her death, Elnora would ask her if she wanted a “scoot” or a “boost” to move or go to another location or outside. If Penny wanted a “scoot”, she would lay over on her side; if she wanted a “boost”, she would position her front legs to get up and Elnora would lift the hind end and guide it as she walked.
Up to her very last day, she was as always in cheerful spirits with her bright smiling eyes and face. Her pleasant disposition had never changed despite all her ailments. She gave me her belly to rub about 2:00 pm, she did this when she was feeling particularly well.
She never lost her appetite or cheerful disposition through all this and ate her usual home cooked dinner about 3:00 pm.
Then about 4:00 pm, with some help walked out front with some pep in her step and walked all the way over to the neighbors driveway to move her bowels. She wanted to keep walking away from our house, but Elnora was afraid she wouldn’t make it back. So she turned around and came in to her favorite spot in the kitchen dining area and laid on the tile with a big smile of accomplishment.
She ate her favorite treat of vanilla wafer, with an added bonus of a small amount of vanilla ice-cream about 6:00 pm, and really enjoyed it. The vet’s assistant came to our home and she was put to sleep at 6:25 pm September 10, 2007. She lived and loved for 14 years and three months.
Because Midnight and Penny brought us so much love and joy, we are going to get another puppy or two, to keep Squiggles and us company. I guess it’s a tribute to them that we went from “What are we going to do with a dog”, to not wanting to be without them to love and care for.
Foot note: (a) Vestibular Syndrome There is a syndrome, variously referred to as peripheral vestibular syndrome (the current "preferred name"), geriatric vestibular syndrome and idiopathic vestibular syndrome. This disorder is more common in older dogs and thus the name geriatric vestibular syndrome -- but it can occur in middle aged dogs, too, so the name was changed. Idiopathic just means "happens for no known cause" -- so it is a good name but not the preferred one. It does sum up the situation well, though. For some reason dogs can suddenly develop vestibular disease. The problem seems to be due to inflammation in the nerves connecting the inner ear to the cerebellum (which controls balance and spatial orientation). It usually lasts between a couple of days and three weeks. A few dogs have residual signs beyond this time, such as a head tilt. This disease normally affects dogs that seem normal up until the signs appear. Then there is sudden loss of balance with many dogs unable to even stand up. Rythmic eye motion known as nystagmus is usually present. Dogs may be nauseous from the "sea sickness" effect of vestibular disease. Most dogs will not eat or drink unless hand fed or given water by hand because they have a hard time with the fine motor movements necessary to eat or drink from a bowl. As long as they are nursed through this condition almost all dogs will recover. There is no known treatment. Some dogs do have relapses but most do not. Peripheral vestibular disease can be confused with anything that will cause cerebellar damage or inner ear disease. Inner ear infections are probably the most common cause of similar symptoms and if recovery does not progress satisfactorily it is a good idea to do whatever testing seems necessary to rule out inner ear problems, such as ear examination and X-rays. Cancer affecting the cerebellum, the peripheral nerves to the cerebellum or the inner ear can cause similar signs. In golden retrievers lymphoma is a common cancer problem that can cause CNS signs. Trauma is a possible problem that could be confused with peripheral vestibular syndrome if brain damage occurs. Granulometous meningoencephalitis (GME). Infarcts (blood clotting leading to lack of circulation in part of the brain) occur in some dogs. If the damage to the brain is minimal then recovery may occur quickly. If the damage is severe, recovery may not occur at all. I do not know the incidence of infarcts affecting the brain in dogs but I think it is pretty low. Even when dogs do not recover fully from peripheral vestibular syndrome they normally have a good life. They adjust to residual problems like head tilts and do not seem all that bothered by them. If progress towards recovery is not evident, then the other disorders mentioned above need to be considered.