Sami     News

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Hi...Sami here!

so glad you have enjoyed my fun pages

but this one is a serious page and an important page.

you may have noticed a gap of time in my biography last winter.

that's when we got some bad news...and mommy was too sad to write about it.

See the friend who gave me to my new mommy, actually go me from another home,

yeh they said I chewed the furniture but they suspected maybe something else has happened.

Thank goodness that nice lady rescued me and found me a new home, or I may not of been

here anymore....well I'll let my mommy tell you about it now, please pay close attention

you may come across a pup like me, who needs your help!!!

Hello this is Cybersherrie. And this is Sami's Sad Story.

Sami was 5 months old when we got him, and almost everyday day, when ever he woke up

in the morning he would have to go and vomit. People would tell me, well it was just his change of diet,

or too many goodies. (of course he was being spoiled) As you could tell from his puppy pictures he

was a scraggily pup, he was shedding all over which was odd, because cockers don't really shed

if brushed a few times a week. and he was so skinny. Well I tried to cut back on his treats but still

he was throwing up, but it was like a foam, not food ..then other strange things were surfacing,

>

He would have a hard time swallowing, and quite often choked...we thought he was just trying to eat

his food too fast...as puppies do.  As he grew older it become more frequent. I also noticed that Sami

could not keep up, with the other neighborhood puppies the same age, he was always having to rest and

panting very hard, while the other pups ran circles around him. Then he began this wheezing, I thought

maybe he had allergies by the end of that summer, and took him to the Vet.

They put him on an allergy pill and retrieved his medical records from his previous vet, where there

were concerns that maybe Sami's first household wasn't a good one, or a safe one. When we took Sami on

his first walk, he would just pick out certain people, who maybe jarred a memory and started yelping,

and whining, you would of thought someone was beating him, of course that person was

astonished and didn't know what to do, they didn't do anything to Sami, but Sami was reliving a

bad memory. Sami's anxiety attacks were getting worse, as it got hotter he was unable to do allot of

things without frequent rests and instead of his walks getting longer, they were getting shorter,

he was wheezing more and choking and still spitting up foam. I took him back to the Vet,

we decide it wasn't allergies, they started a series of blood tests, nothing, he had a clean bill

of health, I started to panic thinking maybe he swallowed a cat toy and it was stuck somewhere..so we took

him to the hospital they x-rayed him from head to toe...nothing. that was a relief, but what was it? What was wrong

with my dog? Why does he spit up foam and wheeze and  choke and tire so easily, and become very clumsy.

Why is it when he eats, he is so messy, half of the crumbs just fall from his mouth, why doesn't he swallow

his last gulp of water and just let it drool out?

The vet thought maybe he had elongated doggy tonsils, a frequent problem where the tonsils

actually dangle into the windpipe at times, causing his air to shut off and wheeze or make

him think he was choking, or not breath properly so they were gonna do the doggy tonsillectomy.

well to be sure, they ran the camera down his esophagus. That's when we found the real problem.

Sami had LP...Laryngeal Paralysis. which means...he cannot control the opening and closing of his windpipe.

The vet said this occurs commonly in old dogs, when the nerve breaks down, a common senior health

problem like cataracts and arthritis, but not in a dog that is only a year old. That's when we began to put

2 + 2 together. You should see Sami's leash, before he got his harness.. he would growl and tear and chew

up his leash the minute I'd try to put it on him, I had to tie knots just to keep it together, why did my dog

HATE his leash so much when he LOVED to go for walks? Well when he grew into his harness, we switched

over to that method, which I prefer anywise, keeps a dog from choking..

and that was EXACTLY what the cause was, by the Vet's conclusion. ...

see where they took my blood?

Poor Sami had to of been dragged or pulled so severely by the leash / collar

that is damaged the nerve to his windpipe and permanently paralyzed his windpipe. He said it will only get worse...

why? ok... picture the windpipe a tunnel..and there are 2 flaps on on each side..sorta like the electric eye

sliding doors at a store. When a dog is tired or panting and needs to breath harder, the "doors" open wider..

and when he eats or drinks, the doors close to keep food and water from going into there windpipe, sorta like

our "adam's apple does"...so Sami cannot open or close it.. it is STUCK...they aren't stiff, they ate just muscle

tissue..without the nerve to control them and overlap and just flap. So he chokes when he swallows, and he can't open

it up to breath harder, which is a big concern, a Dog has to be able to PANT, his only way to cool off. if he cannot

open his airway, he cannot pant. He tries, but the harder he tries, the more the "doors" flap, rubbing against each

other, causing them to become inflamed, swelling more and closing off the airway even tighter, why he wheezes.

He is struggling to breath. He could pass out and has come close to it. When he starts loosing his breath, he becomes

clumsy, his muscles can't get the oxygen they need, it effects his whole coordination.  When he eats, he knows

after dealing with this, he is gonna choke if he doesn't get the crumbs out, or left over water, so that is why

it appears he is such a messy eater - drinker. The foam he spits up, is from when he sleeps... we still swallow.

His saliva gets accumulated on the "doors" that don't all go down his throat, and as his "door muscles" just flap

when he inhales..instead of opening and closing, it froths up the saliva and causes this icky foam build up

which as soon as he wakes, he realized he will drown he he doesn't expel it from his windpipe.

Poor Sami, why would someone be so cruel? Why I hate to see people pulling their dogs about

choking them. Sami has been coming around to people much better, but still every on in a while

something sets off that terrifying memory that has been permanently embedded in his mind and he goes into

an anxiety attack of yelping and cowering.. We try to calm him down, it can take up to 10 minutes before

he realizes, oh hey..that was then, I am at a new safe place now. I guess why I spoil him so much

to try to make up for his awful start in life. After he got on a good healthy diet, his fur stopped shedding

and he filled in...(yeh maybe too much, he does need a diet now) so hard to say no to those loving eyes.

So what do we do for Sami? well... he will be needed serious surgery...under his ear by his next, right next

to his jugular artery, into his throat, the surgeon will use a "tie" to permanently open one of the "door flaps".

now why not just cut them off? Well the vet said it will cause an excess of bleeding, swelling and eventually

the body will continue building scar tissue and he will need it reopened over and over. simply "tying" a flap

open like a draw cord tie back for drapery, other than the side of his neck, nothing internally will be cut.

less bleeding , no scar tissue build up and it is permanent. doesn't have to be redone.

Is this Good News for Sami??? Well that's the second part of this sad news I have had to endure...

NO. yes it will save his life.. but his life will be changed forever. No more biscuits and crunchies

and the things he loves. He won't be able to eat anything that crumbles, crumbs will go into his windpipe,

since it will be open now and could cause bronchial pneumonia. Even drinking can can kill him,

he will choke More frequently then now.. but he'll able to breath

a little better, still not 100% like regular dogs, for it is only half open. but he can pant and stay cool.

This past summer was very difficult...for Sami. We kept him clipped short. I bought him an industrial fan,

we don't have any central air. but still it wasn't enough. We had to cut out most of his walks on a hot day and

he couldn't play much either before he got overt heated and we wanted to quit before he got too hot so he would not

swell up his windpipe and suffocate. How do you tell a young pup..we can't play? we can't walk?

So we had to hose him down twice day around noon and then around 6pm and it figures we had a

really hot summer. It got so Sami had to struggle just to get through the day, that by night he could not sleep

he was getting very weak and sick, so we went and bought Sami his own personal AC! That helped him

allot, he was able to sleep comfortably. and rest up for the next hot day. But there's more sad parts,

If you have visited Sami's page, you know he likes to sing and howl and bark at the mailman.

Sami won't be able to do any of that. With the door being tied open the wind will not go to his vocal cords

and he will be more or less raspy, I heard. What's Sami gonna think when he can't have fun arooooing??

Will this save his life? Well let's say it will extend his life. no, Sami will not live to be an old dog. the odds

against him catching bronchial phenomena is too high, he will survive a few times, but eventually that will

kill him. Now you ask me why I spoil him so much? You see all his toys and goodies, because I want him

to Live It Up Now!!! why I let him Howl his head off.. enjoy the quality of Life while he has it!!

Make up for the bad horrible abusive puppyhood he had and for the short term he will have.

My world is centered around Sami! I was so THANKFUL I found him, I missed Pooh, my other cocker so

bad after 17 years. it took a year to get over her and another year to find just the right Pup, and when I found

Sami I knew it was him...he filled the void in my heart.. and then to find out this horrific news, was so heart breaking!

I'm gonna loose him.  He'll have to stay at the hospital for almost 2 weeks because he'll have to learn how

to eat and drink all over again...and his diet will be completely changed. That will be the hardest 2 weeks

of my life. I struggle with, what will Sami think, why are we were so mean to him, to put him through this

painful surgery, to be in a scary place for what will seem like forever to him, away from his home and

happy family, toys and all those treats he loves? To come home and no bee able to bark, no more treats...

weird food to eat, and to have to struggle overtime he eats and drinks. what's he gonna think?

Now it's not the cost. the prior vet bills all $600 was taken care of by income tax  and from wonderful

donations by friends and family who learned of Sami's serious problem and the we had a fundraiser

yard sale we had, we raised all of Sami's $1,700 and it is in a bank account just for him. The Vet, only one

only three in the state of Ohio who can perform this delicate surgery is confident Sami will pull through but

he said Sami needs to loose some weight, so the swelling isn't so bad and he wants to wait till it gets

to the point of Sami having fainting spells, because once we do this and put a meter on his life.. there's no

turning back. So then here I am struggling and there are wonderful support groups of people who have gone

through this, but most have for their older senior dog... and it seems they only lived another 1-2 years

after the surgery. I find me asking, myself the big question... am I doing this for selfish reasons?

am I putting this poor dog, who right now, inspite of some difficulty is enjoying life, being spoiled..

is it fair to put him through all this surgery and pain and risk and having to rob him of his bark and howl,

and to make him give up all his favorite foods and treats, forever, just because I don't want to loose him?

Because I am not ready to loose another dog so soon? Even though he will leave me before he is old

anyways? If it wasn't for him being so young..I think it would not be such a hard question.

Sami has already had a traumatic experience, is it wise for "Love" to cause another?

I really don't want to loose him. You see by his photos, he's everything to me,

My husband and I love him like a child.....(our only daughter, who you saw in Pooh's photos)

has since grown up and ran off with a young man, and we have not heard from her in a year

and a half, so Sami is like, our only kid. I am so torn up over this, that when we found out..

well I just couldn't bring myself to write about it. I'd just start crying, It's NOT Fair!

We have tried to inquire with the original owners, but they has ignored our attempts.

Right there shows that they are feeling guilty about what they've done, but just the vet

report alone isn't enough to prosecute them. shame. A poor defenseless puppy has to pay

for the rest of his short life, because of some senseless cruel act.

And I implore everyone, PLEASE, do not drag your dog by the collar, walk your dog with a harness

or if he is a hard to manage dog us a "gentle leader", much better than any choke collar. If you use a tie out

make sure they can't get tangled and strangled, my neighbors dog did that, they didn't bother to

measure the length of the leash to see that the dog could not fall off the end of a porch or wrapped

around a fence and not have enough length to reach safety and the dog strangled. The Vet said

the nerve goes from the base for the brain, surprisingly close to the skin...it goes around the heart

and up the underside of the neck tot he windpipe where it controls the open and close function,

It CANNOT be repaired, once it is damaged, or deteriorates with age. Even a blow to the back

of a dogs head, can injure this nerve.  If your dog shows any of these signs, please have it checked.

He may have accidentally pulled himself too hard and damaged the nerve, or it may be the other, an

elongated tonsil, but the signs are, vomiting foam.....not food... foam...choking when eating or drinking,

wheezing attacks, and tiring easily and panting often even when it really isn't that hot.

Please keep Sami in your prayers. Since this past summer was so tough on him... I fear

this may be the summer of descision.  Sometimes he dreams and has nightmares and yelps..and I must

wake him or sometimes the foam starts to get through the flaps and he starts choking and I have to wake

him and help him up...sometimes his flaps dry out and stick together and cuts off his airway and I have

to massage his throat till they open and he can breath. Sami can't be left home alone, and he sleeps

right next to me...thankfully I am a light sleeper. So these pages I make for Sami ...are to show

his appreciation of life, and that not all people are bad, and life can be fun, and full of love

and that he was given a second chance...I thank my friend for giving him to me. Had she not

taken Sami in, when he was being got rid of...Sami may not be here today.

and well, maybe it was meant to be. Maybe God knew that somehow I would come up with

the money to help him, and give him tons of love, I am here for him as much as he is here for me.

I'll keep you updated on his condition, I just ask, for Sami....

when you see such a terrible thing happening to another dog, SPEAK UP!

Educate the owner of what may occur and if they continue then intervene!

Some people think Dogs are just lower class mammals that have no feelings and

who's life is worthless and use them as objects of frustration and anger and abuse.

Our four footed friends need those of us, who know better, who think of them as living,

feeling members of our families, who deserve a good quality of life and ethical treatment,

to stand up for them, and come to their aid, and show them, that not all Humans are bad.

well... now my mommy has filled you in, but I am doing ok for now...I am happy!!

and come back soon to see a new Sami Safety Page, where I will show you a few

more things that are important to watch out for... so sad things don't happen!

OK????  RuFF!! RuFF!!!  ~ your Pal ~ Sami

some more good reading links about LP

LARYNGEAL PARALYSIS by Dan Reimer DVM

Canine Inherited Disorders Database