Sunstead's One Love At Catch A Fire "Wren" - November Dog Shows

November is dog show time in Tucson so I entered Wren in the Canyon and Coyote Clusters put on by the Madera Canyon, Canada del Oro, Tucson, and Greater Sierra Vista Kennel Clubs which were held November 12-15 and 19-22.  She was also entered in the Rio Salado Vizsla Club Specialty on November 13th.  We missed the shows in Chandler this year as her handler went home to California for Thanksgiving. Wren has shows coming up in Yuma, December 3-6. We'll attend shows at the Empire Polo Grounds in early January for the Palm Springs Kennel Club shows and Southern California Sporting Dog Association shows.  I've also entered Raven in the Hound Specialty and Palm Spring Kennel Club shows so we'll see how that goes and whether I can make it around the ring! :)   

Wren has consistently taken Reserve Winners in several of her past shows, usually taking second to the Bred By Exhibitor entry.  On November 14, Wren won her first major under Judge Mr Gordon William Hayburn, a 4 pointer!! And, then on November 19, her second, also a 4 point major under Judge Ms Gloria Kerr.  I am so happy to have her majors out of the way.  Added to the 3 points she had from going Winners three days in Chandler in 2020, she is now sitting at 11 points.  She needs 4 more points to complete her Championship.  Ca'mon Team Wren, you can do it!! 

Patriot Goes To The Vet

Patriot went in for a check up today with Dr Kay Dennis at Monument East Veterinary Hospital. He hadn't had a check up since December 2019, thank you, COVID. 

He had bloodwork drawn and x-rays taken. The in house bloodwork they did held no surprises. Some elevated values due to age and the fact he has Valley Fever.  His x-rays showed a little granuloma in his lungs, consistent with exposure to Valley Fever but not a concern. His liver and spleen looked really good with no growths or unusual patterns. He does have a little spondylosis in his back just passed his shoulders, again, not a concern. His elbow showed lots of soft tissue swelling consistent with Valley Fever. The good news is the joint does not show ankylosis.  All is all, Patriot had a great visit and didn't need to be sedated for his x-rays.  Now we wait for the results of his Valley Fever titer to come back. 

Patriot at the Vet's office this afternoon.

Patriot and Paloma's photo taken exactly on year ago today - July 30, 2020. 

Happy First Birthday, Wren!

 

Wren turned one year old on December 31, 2020.

  

Wren ~ Sunstead's One Love at Catch A Fire Enters the Dog Show World

Wren's first show was the Rio Salado Vizsla Club's Specialty held at Rillito Park in Tucson on November 7, 2020. Erin Karst handled her.  She won her class but was not picked during Winners Birth

Fiesta Dog Shows in Chandler, Arizona

November 20 - 23, 2020

Handler Erin Karst and her Assistants

Friday - Reserve Winners Bitch

Saturday - Winners Bitch

Sunday - Winners Bitch

Monday - Winners Bitch

Wren with the new toy she got for being such a good girl. Four days of showing is a lot to ask a puppy to do. She handled it all very well. There were many new people, new sights and smells. A few people let her kiss their faces. There were also new contraptions like wheelchairs and golf carts. New experiences like going to the restroom with Mom and being jammed in a stall. We learned later to use the handicapped stall - it has more room!!    

Int'l CH Catch A Fire's Peace Like A River JH ~ April 9, 2012 to October 6, 2020

Sparrow walked on ahead around 6:45pm on Tuesday, October 6, 2020, cradled in my arms as we had done a gazillion times before. Her heart near my heart, her muzzle softly nestled under my chin. She went to sleep quietly while being sung to; she will always be my sunshine. I sang that song to her at almost every show we attended as she would sit on my lap when it wasn't her time in the ring. 

Before we left for San Diego,  I had a phone interview with a real estate agent who I planned to meet with the following Monday.  As we were talking about where my head was going to be that day, she felt like she needed to give me the name of her good friend, Dr Nelly Chu Little, who is a mobile vet, dealing strictly with hospice care, acupuncture, and humane euthanasia. I am so thankful she gave me the reference as I really needed it. 

Dr Nelly Chu and her assistant, Alexis, were very quiet and respectful the entire time they were with us. I almost had a panic attack, still wrestling with whether I was doing the right thing or not.  Nelly assured me I was and that Sparrow would go to a better place. She told me to breathe. I went to pick up Sparrow to lay her on the floor but she yelped. So, I sat on the couch with Sparrow in my lap, held her, stroked her face, and gave her many kisses as did Marc. Brianna, Cullen and Declan were seated on the other couch in the place Mom walked ahead. Paloma was on the couch next to me. After the kids said their good-byes, Marc carried Sparrow to Nelly's car. Nelly took her home, released her spirit and made a condolence card with Sparrow's paw print. She took care of taking Sparrow to the crematorium the next morning and delivering her ashes to me on Friday, two days later.  Nelly also brought me an orchid and the crematorium snipped some of Sparrow's hair and made a paw print for me. 

After the death of Mom in March, the prospect of losing Sparrow was almost unbearable. Losing her to cancer continues to be the saddest I have felt. On the outside, you would not have known she was so terribly sick. She was 8.5 years old and is the second pup from Paloma's litter who has left us. 

Together again, Sparrow and Battle. 

Sparrow's Vet Visit For Coughing and the Unexpected News

May 27, 2020

Sparrow kept me up Monday night, May 25th, with a cough. She continued to cough off and on through the next day so I called and made an appointment for Wednesday to have her checked by her Vet.  I requested chest x-rays, a senior panel, a Valley Fever titer and while I was there she was checked for why she was bothering her nether region. :)  Her chest x-rays showed a couple of masses, one for sure and others that might be artifacts.  The Vet sent them to a Radiologist to be read.  

Looks like I never finished this post.  A lot happened after that initial visit. 

Sparrow was given medicine for her cough which was because of irritation to where the trachea and bronchi meet. Turned out it was the wrong Rx which needed to be replaced on June 2. 

June 2, 2020 - Sparrow has an ultrasound-guided fine needle aspirate of her mass closest to her left side rib cage area. This procedure was done by Dr Matz, a mobile Vet who came to Monument East Veterinary Hospital.  The sample was submitted for review.

June 11, 2020 - Sparrow had a follow-up visit with Dr Dennis who obliged me and did another set of x-rays. 

June 17, 2020 - Sparrow had a visit with Veterinary Internist Dr Hsieh at Southern Arizona Veterinary Specialty Center in Tucson. 

June 23, 2020 - Sparrow had an MRI done by Dr Hsieh at Southern Arizona Veterinary Specialty Center. I waited in the parking lot so I could be close by in case something happened while she was under. 

June 27, 2020 - Sparrow came into season. I thought this was rather rude!! You'd think she had enough going on that she didn't need to be fertile as well. 

July 9, 2020 - Sparrow met with Dr Klein, Veterinary Oncologist at Southern Arizona Veterinary Specialty Center in Tucson.  She confirmed suspected histiocytic sarcoma and felt treatment could be beneficial in Sparrow's case.  On this day, Sparrow received #1 treatment of oral lomustine. 

July 13, 2020 - I was worried about Sparrow's breeding and took her back up to see Dr Klein who did x-rays.  Nothing noticeable and no obstruction or fluid. I came to know rapid, shallow breathing as a side effect of the lomustine treatment. 

July 15, 2020 - Sparrow has an appointment with Dr Hershey an Integrative Veterinary Oncologist in Phoenix, and receives two different Chinese medicine preparations to take with each meal. She reviewed all Sparrow's records and did a blood count to check her hematocrit after the first lomustine treatment. 

July 30, 2020 - Sparrow sees Dr Klein for treatment #2.  Bloodwork.

July 31, 2020 - Dr Klein's office called - all systems normal.

August 18, 2020 - Sparrow has an appointment with Dr Klein for treatment #3. X-rays and bloodwork. She has mild anemia. X-rays showed a smaller throat/bronchi mass but she has more and one of the large masses grew larger. 

September 8, 2020 - Sparrow has an appointment with Dr Klein for treatment #4. Bloodwork. 

September 10, 2020 - Sparrow coughing. 

September 11, 2020 - Sparrow coughing, didn't eat breakfast. 

September 12, 2020 - Sparrow lethargic, wet the dog bed. She ate McD's but not her breakfast. She ate scrambled eggs with cheese plus her dinner. 

September 29, 2020 - Sparrow has an appointment with Dr Klein for bloodwork and x-rays. No more treatments for Sparrow as they are not working. Dr Klein told me to let her do and eat whatever she wants and to enjoy her. No time limit is given just that the meds weren't working. 

October 1, 2020 - Sparrow had a kind of rough day. The boys were here because they wanted to see Sissy. They are worried about her. 

October 3, 2020 - To San Diego to finish cleaning out Mom's house and take home anything we still want. Sparrow rode in a crate directly behind the front seats of the Explorer so we could keep an eye on her. I was very anxious about this trip and knew it would be hard on her, as traveling is hard on older and ill dogs in general.  Arrived at Mom's around 7pm.  It's hot here.

October 5, 2020 - Sparrow is not eating breakfast but eats dinner. She is hesitating to go down the step to get out the sliding door to the backyard so I help her. 

October 6, 2020 -  Sparrow does not eat breakfast. Interviewing realtors to sell Mom's house. Marc sits with Sparrow in our bedroom. It is still quite hot; Mom doesn't have air conditioning. Sparrow cries for me as I'm out of sight.  After the realtors leave, I sit with Sparrow feeding her the cream part of an eclair. She also takes a bit of the shell.  I contact the mobile vet, Dr Nelly Chu, and make an appointment for her to come later that evening.  Still I am wrestling with myself on whether I am making the right decision. Can I just get her home? We are here for five more days. 

Home from San Diego - May 24, 2020

This year has been a rough one and we've weathered through some pretty rough storms.  After spending a week at Mom's going through the house and packing what I wanted to bring home, we arrived late Sunday evening, just in time to celebrate Memorial Day.