Happy Thanksgiving One and All!

Thanksgiving greetings, friends, family, and foes (who want to keep tabs on me.) I have so much to be thankful for! I managed not to lose my house during my personal financial crisis. However, I am so upside down, I am dizzy! This year I am most thankful that I didn't lose Bette. She turned 15 in Sept. and it seemed it was downhill from there. She developed "selective" seeing and hearing. I didn't get too worried until she seemed to run totally out of energy and couldn't walk straight. As a matter of fact she often walked in circles and seemed so confused. When she tried to get from one place to another, it was like she was drunk. It broke my heart to see her get herself in a corner and not be able to figure out how to maneuver out of the space. If she shook, she fell over and she completely stopped going downstairs. That meant she either did her business in the bathroom (tile and washable rugs, thank goodness!) or I would carry her downstairs and outside. This turned into six and eight times a day. I decided she had suffered a little stroke. As the days rolled on, she pretty much stopped eating except for her favorite treats and then she stopped drinking water and there was blood in her stool. I believed I was slowly losing her. My friend Rowena came over the first of Nov. and we took her to the Vet. Neither of us were a bit sure we would be bringing her home. We made a pact that we would not cry until we got back in the car, no matter what happened ... I was squalling as I signed her in. So much for our pact. The Dr. looked in her eyes with a flashlight and immediately said, "She has veshbular syndrome." In layman's terms, she called it, "old dog syndrome." This makes her feel dizzy, therefore the inability to walk straight and feeling dizzy also makes her know that if she eats, she will be nauseous. She went on to tell us that she may have had a stroke, she may even have a brain tumor, but if it is just the old dog illness, it could pass. Some dogs just fade away with this condition, some bounce back within a week or too. She gave her a couple of shots and she drew blood for some other tests and we were outta there with our Bette. We got back to my house at 11 AM and had a Bloody Mary to celebrate that not only was Bette still with us, but that there was hope. At 3 P.M. we were still drinking, only now we were on cosmopolitans and solving the problems of the world. Since then, Bette began to eat just a tad. A week later, she seemed better and even came downstairs all by herself. I knew we were making headway. Then she got worse, then she got better. We were on this roller coaster for weeks.
Less than a week ago, Sassy sent us an article from the FDA titled, "FDA issues Dog Treats Warning." It said,

November 18, 2011 — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued an important bulletin warning consumers that chicken jerky products (also marketed as chicken tenders, strips or treats) may be associated with serious illness in dogs.
Over the past 12 months, the FDA has observed an increase in the number of complaints regarding canine illnesses associated with consumption of chicken jerky products imported from China.
These complaints have been reported to the government by both dog owners and veterinarians.
FDA had previously issued a cautionary warning regarding chicken jerky products in September 2007 and a Preliminary Animal Health Notification later on in December of 2008.
Unfortunately, so far, scientists have not been able to determine a definitive cause for the reported illnesses. The FDA continues to conduct extensive chemical and microbial testing but has this far not identified a contaminant.
What to Watch For
Chicken jerky products should never be considered a substitute for a balanced diet. These treats should are intended to be fed only occasionally — and in small quantities.
The FDA is advising consumers who still choose to feed their dogs chicken jerky to monitor their animals closely for any or all of the following signs that may occur within hours to days of feeding these products including:
Decreased appetite
Decreased activity
Vomiting
Diarrhea (sometimes with blood)
Increased water consumption
Increased urination
Blood tests may indicate kidney failure. And urine tests may show Fanconi syndrome (increased blood sugar). Although most dogs are likely to recover, some deaths have been reported.
What to Do
If a dog shows any of these signs, the FDA urges consumers to stop feeding the suspected products immediately.
Owners should consult a veterinarian if signs or symptoms are severe or persist more than 24 hours.
So, take precautions. And be sure to tell everyone you know.

Bette's favorite treats: Chicken Jerky! What I gave her wasn't from China but she had every symptom listed in the article. I felt like I had been poisoning her! Since I stopped the treats, she has gotten even better! I know I won't have her for a long time, she's 15! But I do feel like I got a reprieve and I will enjoy every single day she has left. She is just a joy and she has had such a wonderful life, full of fun, mischief, and adventure. Her life is so exciting that she wrote an autobiography (with just a little help.) Check it out: www.bettebooks.com. And now available on Kindle! Terrific Christmas gift for kids of all ages and she will autograph them!