​Pyper was mischievous.  She could be down right naughty!  However, one look at those brown eyes and bushy beard and crazy ears and there was no way you could be mad at her!  She made me laugh more times than she made me angry!  Some of her naughty tendencies were tearing into bags, boxes, or textbooks.  Also, when we lived in the apartment in vet school, Pyper LOVED getting into the garbage!  Once she got into it after I cleaned the cat box, which used feline pine (basically shavings).  Well, dumb me vacuumed it up.  That didn’t end well for my vacuum.  Another garbage adventure led to her eating almost an entire loaf of banana bread I had thrown out.  She got into the garbage when I was sleeping.  Now the garbage lives under the sink or up high.
 
Pyper destroyed her fair share of textbooks throughout my academic adventures, but usually only eating the covers.

Everything about Pyper was on her terms.  Her feeding schedule, for example, was on her terms.  Day light savings time?  No, why would she do that?  Who needs an alarm clock when you have Pyper?  Pyper will tell you when 6 AM and 5 PM are.  And sometimes she will tell you it should be 5 PM, but it’s really only 3:30 PM. 
 
Pyper’s favorite games, other than agility, were playing fetch with her red squeakers and soccer ball, or tugging on her monkey.  Pyper also had a foundness for chasing and chomping on the vacuum or broom.
 
She also enjoyed laying on the back of the couch, or simply snuggling with her mommy.  The last two weeks I had with Pyper I was on activity restriction for post-surgery.  Pyper and I spent a lot of time snuggling on the couch walking Netflix.  I think she loved that!  She was resting too, recovering from her neck injury.  I will cherish those days for the rest of my life!
 
I’m not sure I ever met someone who didn’t like Pyper.  She was a gorgeous schnauzer with big ears and a personality larger than life!  She loved all, and all loved her.

​Pyper had a full life.  A life full of love and fun!  I never missed her birthday and we always had parties.  Everything Pyper was always celebrated.  Pyper never needed anything, and I loved her and protected her fiercely.  When I diagnosed her with a liver shunt, presumed microvascular dysplasia, when she was 1-1/2 years old I knew she may never live to see double digits, so we lived her life to the fullest!  She saw the country.  She had best friends.  She had so many people that loved her, it would make a human jealous.  Pyper stood by my side through the best and the worst.  She was with my through vet school, break-ups with friends and boyfriends, countless moves, deaths of friends and beloved pets, job changes, and many, many, many other life changing events.  Everything else in the world changed, but Pyper’s love for me and faith in me never teetered, nor mine for her.  We were one, and Pyper will forever remain my baby girl and the love of my life!
 
Pyper was a blessing, a once in a lifetime dog, my heart, my soul.  She was my life in a hundred different ways!  I will miss her more than anyone can every fathom.  She was everything to me, and my world is a little less bright without her.  But, her memory will live on in my heart for the rest of my life!  And I know somehow, she will come back to me and someday, somehow we will be together again!  Until then, I will miss your soft fur, your warm kisses, your loving nuzzles, your bark that only a mother could love, and all of your habits that made you the worlds feistiest, loving, amazing, adventurous, fabulous, most perfect Princess Pyper the mini schnauzer!
 
Now my 3 mini girls are together again, keeping each other safe and happy!  I love you girls!  Until we meet again!

​On Saturday, November 12th, 2016 at approximately 3:20 PM, Pyper Ann Julius surrendered her fight, passing away on her own with me by her side.  Pyper had been on a low dose of Rimadyl on and off for neck pain since October 23rd, 2016.  She was on it a total of 10 days.  At age 1-1/2 years, in November 2007 Pyper was diagnosed with a complex liver shunt, presumed microvascular dysplasia.  This meant her liver was not hooked up right on a microscopic level.  The diagnosis was devastating, and meant that for Pyper’s entire life I would have to protect her, making sure she never, ever needed sedation or anesthesia of any kind.  On the evening of Thursday, November 10th, 2016 Pyper became very ill.  At first, I thought it was due to her muscle relaxer.  Later in the evening, I determined it was a septic abdomen – she had developed an ulcer in her stomach or intestines that ruptured or perforated, leaking intestinal contents into her abdomen.  I immediately took her to the University of Minnesota, where at 8:00 AM on Friday, November 11th, 2016 she had emergency surgery.  I was given a 50/50 chance of survival with an uncomplicated septic abdomen.  But she had a liver shunt.  But, I had to try.  She was found to have two perforations – one in her stomach and one in her small intestine.  They were repaired.  Her spleen had nodules, and was also removed.  Pyper had to be maintained on pain meds, which her liver could not process well.  If she did not have pain meds, then she would have been in excruciating pain.  Pyper never fully regained consciousness.  I came to visit her at 3:15 PM on Saturday.  She had been declining all day.  She was in oxygen.  As soon as I made eye contact with her, she respiratory and cardiac arrested.  CPR was unsuccessful.  Pyper passed away.

Today we said good bye to our beloved Sasha Bear! As many of you know, Sasha was diagnosed with a brain stem meningioma in August 2015, after suffering a vestibular episode in May 2015.

Sasha came to us in May 2011, when we first purchased our house. She was 9 years old at the time, although never has she acted her age. Even at 14 years old, she was as spry as a 2 year old. Sasha had been living with her first and only owner, when he moved in with his girlfriend. She has 5 Aussies who attacked his 2 white schnauzers, forcing him to rehome them. He was forced to rehome them both.

Sasha was labelled as fearful and not good with other dogs. She was far from this! Miss Sasha was fabulous on leash, and never exhibited signs of aggression! She strolled into our house, making toys her own and the yard her favorite place! Sasha was not needy or dependent, but she would still follow us around.

Sasha loved to dance on her back legs! She would dance for treats, for meal time, for toys, or just for fun! Sasha was happy! I think that is something everyone can agree on. Sasha was the happiest dog I ever knew! She was happy to see you, she was happy to go for a walk, she was happy to go for a car ride, and she was happy everywhere. If she were a person, she would have been the person who walked into a room and lightened it with their smile! She always had a smile on her face!

Sasha was an easy dog. She was extremely healthy her whole life. She never took herself too seriously, and she was always a joy to be around! Sasha did not have a mean bone in her body. Sasha was an angel of a dog, and now she is free of pain and suffering and enjoying the good life with Cori, Kit, Izzy, and Freddy.

​We love you so much Sasha Bear, Sasha Fierce! You will be missed more than words can say! I cannot believe we have lost you already! I was not ready. I know one is never ready, but two days ago you were ok. In August they told us you had 1-6 months left to live. I couldn’t accept that. I looked long and hard, and found something that may help you. An experimental vaccine made from another dogs tumor. It may shrink hers or slow it down or do nothing. It was a risk we would take. Sasha did beautifully with the vaccine, but in January 2016 when we repeated her MRI the tumor was slightly larger. They again said 1-6 months left. We held out hope that she would live until summer. She was doing so well! So well! Happy, healthy, running, enjoying life. And then she wasn’t. We started her on Prednisone to help with brain swelling. It got us a month. A month of happiness and joy. A month of her smile and love. A month. I would have loved more. So much more. She was our sunshine! Then Tuesday she was wobbly. Tuesday night she would stop moving, and slowly collapse. Then lay there for minutes. Wednesday morning she woke up late, but ate breakfast. She slept most of the day. Wednesday evening I came home to excessive diarrhea, and once she woke she was bad. Very bad. She couldn’t stop circling. When she did stop she would fall. So unsteady. And when I would try to hold her she would scream and moan. And then she would collapse and be limp. Her breathing was shallow. Her heart rate fast. Wednesday night was rough. It was horrible. But we held out hope. Hope that she would be ok. That she would snap out of it. Give her a higher dose of Pred. She’ll come out of it. The swelling will go down. It didn’t. Even with IV Dexamethasone. She didn’t get better. By Thursday (today) she couldn’t even stand. As much as I wanted her to get better, those beautiful brown eyes told me it was time. I needed to let her go. She was ready to let go.

​The loss of her is hardest on Matt, as we got Sasha when we rehomed his dog Toots. Sasha was his buddy. The would watch football together, and when his team scored a touch down, he would yell ‘touch down!’ and Sasha would grab a toy and jump up and down! Sasha snuggled with Matt on the couch, while Pyper and Cori were next to me.

Sasha Fierce – you fought an amazing fight! You told that tumor where to stick it for 8 long months, 10 months if you include your first episode! You were always so elegant. So put together. So well behaved. She was an amazing dog! We will miss you so very much our little white polar bear! You were the best dog anyone could ask for! Your loss will be a hole in our hearts forever! Run free my love! Until we meet again my little one! We love you so much and miss you more than words can say! I will miss that smile!
​
Once there was 3, and now there is only 1 little miss mini in the house :(
​~Shantel.

Sasha was adopted in 2011 at the age of 9-1/2 years.  She was healthy, vibrant, and overall an amazing dog!  She blended into our family with no issues!  Sasha loves to play and bounce!  She doesn't like to tug, but instead likes to be chased.  She is truly the sweetest, most innocent dog I have ever met or owned!   Sasha had always been the text book picture of health.  

In June 2015, Sasha (now age 13-1/2 years) came to work with me.  I let my dogs out at noon, like usual.  Everyone was good; everyone was normal.  At 5 PM, I went to let them out again so we could go home.  This is when I noted Sasha was no longer normal.  She had a right sided head tilt, her eyes were darting back and forth (nystagmus), and she was attempting to circle to the right when walking.  My heart sank.  Just 1 year prior I had lost my 15 year old mini schnauzer, Cori, to a brain tumor.  Cori developed these same signs, but it took weeks to come into full force.  Sasha had become a vestibular dog after only 5 hours.  Lab work and radiographs showed no abnormalities.  I cross my fingers, and hope that it was only Old Dog Vestibular Disease.  If so, it should be gone within days.  Sasha never stopped eating.  She kept her bright attitude.  The only meds she received were for motion sickness.  Within 4 days, Sasha was normal.  Whew!  What a relief!  Old Dog Vestibular Disease is a disease process that hits fast and hard, but goes away after a matter of days to possibly weeks.  Check this article out for more info on Vestibular Disease.  The cause of simple Vestibular Disease is usually never found, but self resolves, and likely never comes back.

We went about our life.  Sasha continued to be an amazing, happy girl!  She loves summer!  She loves investigating the fence line and looking under bushes.  Playing in the yard is her favorite thing, next to car rides!  Then in mid-July, Sasha woke up with a head tilt to the right.  She had no other neurological signs.  I thought 'Well, this is weird.'  It didn't slow her down in any form!  She never tripped.  She never stopped loving life.  When I examined her, I was concerned for an inner ear infection with possible ruptured ear drum.  I began treatment for the infection, which was 2 weeks of oral antibiotics.  No improvement.  'Ok,' I thought, 'what is going on?'  She wasn't bothered by it.  I decided to proceed with her scheduled dental and wart removal.  I flushed out her ears really well while she was under.  Once she woke, the head tilt was worse for a few days.  Another week or two went by, and I started to worry.  I started to remember Cori, and her presumed brain tumor.  Cori had been too unstable with heart disease to undergo the definitive diagnosis of an MRI, which requires general anesthesia for dogs.  Since Cori kept getting worse, and not better, we were 110% certain she had a brain tumor, and with her deafness, blindness, dementia, chronic diarrhea, and severe heart disease, we made the heartbreaking decision to let her go.  Her quality of life was no longer quality; it was quantity.

My husband and I knew that if there was something we could do to 'fix' or help Sasha, we would do it.  We decided that we NEEDED to know what was wrong with our Sasha Bear.  Although she is not 'sick' and dying, we knew she wasn't right.  A dog doesn't just have a head tilt.  Unfortunately, the only definitive way to find an issue in the brain is through an MRI.  We knew we'd either find something and need to address it, or we'd find nothing and be content with our crooked headed dog.  On Wednesday, August 12th, 2015, Sasha went to Blue Pearl-Eden Prairie for a neurology consult.  The neurologist was surprised to find that Sasha was actually extremely normal, except for the head tilt.  This may mean that there's nothing on her brain.  She may be safe.  I dropped Sasha off for her procedure.  Dr. Wolf called me in a few hours.  Sasha was still under anesthesia, but they had found something.  I knew by the tone of her voice, and her initial questions 'How are you?  Is this a good time?  Can you talk?'  I've used those terms myself when I call a client with bad news.  And then there was the beginning of her sentence 'Sasha is doing well.  Um.'  The 'um'.  The necessary pause before you give news that will crush someones world.  The pause because you don't know how to break the bad news.  The pause because you don't want to tell them.  The pause that I knew my world was about to change.  Dr. Wolf proceeds to say something, but what I hear is, 'Sasha has a tumor.  On her brain stem.  It can't be removed.  Life expectancy is months.  We can try radiation.  We can try prednisone.  But she is healthy and happy.'

I was driving.  I held it together until I got off the phone with her, and I was home.  Devastated does not begin to explain the feelings I am going through.  World shattering.  Life changing.  I see in my head Sasha progressing.  I see seizures that can't be controlled.  I see her mind leaving her.  I see her not being able to stand.  I see her painful.  Oh, so painful.  Months, she said.  Months.  My girl only has months.  Radiation is an option.  But where?  And how much?  And is it worth it?  These are all questions I am working on finding answers to.

The tumor is called a meningioma.  It does not spread.  It does not cause cancer.  But it grows, and it compresses the structure it is on.  The brain cavity is enclosed in bone, therefore it has very limited ability to have its interior structures expand.  When the tumor grows, it compresses and damages the structures near it.  The brain stem specifically has several functions, such as controlling respiration, swallowing, and heart rate.  Surgery is not advised for brain stem tumors, as you can cause deficits with these extremely important functions.  Check out this article for more information on meningiomas.

I hope this blog has provided useful information on a disease process that is very rarely ever definitively diagnosed (definitely presumed a lot).  It is a horrible disease.  If surgery were an option for our Sasha, we have no doubt that we would do it.  I understand that an MRI or brain surgery isn't an option for everyone, and not doing so does NOT make you a bad owner or pet parent.  There is a very small percentage of the population that can get a definitive diagnosis for a brain lesion or tumor.  With us, we needed closure.  I needed closure, in part, for Cori.  I needed to know that this was likely what she had.  I knew that I would always wonder, after Sasha was gone, if there was anything more I could do.  Now I will know that.  I will know that I did, without a doubt, everything possible for her.  No, this will not make life easier.  But, in a small way, deep in my heart, I will be at peace once she is gone, knowing that we had an answer and I did everything I could to save her.  There is nothing worse, as a veterinarian, than not being able to save your own babies or wondering afterward if you did everything possible to try to save them.

When that fire in her eyes and the smile on her face fades away, and her pain is too much for her, we will make the decision to say good-bye.  For now, we will keep Sasha as happy as possible!  

***None of the dogs in this blog posting are available for adoption!

One of the best thing about the holidays is getting to be with friends and family. This is also a very exciting time for your pets. They love to see old friends, and meet new ones. If you are my dog, he is happy that this also means new people that might give him treats!  In order to keep our furry buddies safe for the season, we need to keep an eye out for things that are not usually present, but that are potentially dangerous, such as some people food, plants, and objects that are unfamiliar and yet really interesting.

Foods to Avoid
No matter how much his big eyes are pleading, please don't share these with your pet:

• Chocolate (bakers, semi-sweet, milk chocolate)
• Alcoholic beverages
• Fatty foods
• Onions, onion powder, garlic
• Uncooked yest dough
• Coffee (grounds, beans, or especially chocolate covered espresso beans)
• Moldy or spoiled foods

Decorative Plants
The holiday season brings many new plants into the house that your pets are not used to.  Keep a watchful eye to make sure they are not taste-testing:

• Lilies can cause kidney failure in cats.
• Poinsettias can cause mouth and stomach irritation along with vomiting or nausea
• Mistletoe usually just causes gastrointestinal irritation, but can cause cardiovascular issues.
• Holly can bring nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and lethargy 

Other Holiday Decorations
So many bright and shiny objects around for pets to be intrigued by!  Unfortunately, our pets tend to do their exploring with their mouths, which can lead to many unhappy incidents. Here are a few things to focus on:

• Christmas tree water may contain harmful bacteria or even fertilizers which will cause upset stomachs
• Electric cords will give a serious jolt if chewed on
• Glass ornaments can cut mouths and paws and can really tear up intestinal tracts
• Ribbons or tinsel can be choked on or cause foreign body obstructions
• Potpourri, scented oils and other scented decorations can cause irritations for the mouth, nose and eyes.
  
• Batteries contain harmful corrosives that can cause ulceration to the mouth, stomach and intestines

Other Winter Hazards:
These are some common things that we have around our homes during the winter months, but may not be limited to the holiday season.

• Medications. 'Tis the cold and flu season, and with that comes more medications on counters and in cabinets. With additional guest, the number of medications will potentially rise as well.  
• DO NOT give your pet human medications without direction from a veterinarian.  Many human medications can be deadly when administered to animals.  Admittedly, many veterinarian offices have limited hours over the holidays, but there are emergency clinics that are open 24/7.
• Antifreeze can be lethal, even in very small doses.  Store antifreeze and other products such as gas and oil,  in containers that close tightly and are kept in something your pet does not have access to.  Clean up any spills quickly, and thoroughly.  You can use Propylene glycol, such as Lot Tox brand antifreeze, as an alternative to regular antifreeze.  If you believe that your pet has gotten into antifreeze, immediately contact your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (1-888-4-ani-help) or Pet Poison Helpline (1-855-764-7661).

• Ice melting products can cause mouth and skin irritation. You may be able to tell if your pet has ingested these products if your pet has excessive drooling, vomiting, depression and electrolyte imbalances.
• Rat and mouse killers are potentially needed more in the winter months and should be put in places your pets can't access.

Stay Alert!
With all the distractions of having guests, or being one, please make sure that your pet is supervised as much as possible. There are many new things to smell, taste and sneak while the holidays are happening. Despite your best efforts to protect them, sometimes they still get into things that are harmful. Keep phone numbers for your veterinarian, the local emergency veterinarian, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (1-888-4-ani-help), and the Pet Poison Hotline (1-855-764-7661) in an easily found place.  Pets with HomeAgain microchips' annual subscription will have their $65 fee waived.  There is a $35 fee for Pet Poison Helpline.


Seek medical attention right away if you think your pet has ingested something poisonous.


References:
The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center is a division of The American Society for the Prevention of the Cruelty to Animals. It has veterinarians that can answer questions about toxins 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Many commands help make the lives of owners and pets easier, however, there are a few commands that may save your pet's life.  The first is "Come" and the others are "Whoa" and "Leave it".  These commands can help in situations where your dog is in danger of being hurt or killed from things such as things found on your walk to chasing a squirrel into the street.  There are MANY different resources out there for learning how to teach your dog these commands, and the best way might be to take a beginning obedience class, however, we've included some great resources here from proven trainers.

1. "Come"
Whenever your dog hears this command, they should stop whatever they are doing and return to you.  This command enables you to distract your dog from what they were fixated on, and redirects them to you. 
Wikki How lesson with pictures
WOOFipedia directions
ASPCA article with directions

2. "Whoa!"
This is an invaluable command when your dog is running out into the street or chasing after another animal.  If they have already crossed the street, this command gets them to stay put while you go get them rather than them trying to cross back across to you.
Wikki How lesson with pictures
Willow Creek has a great video tutorial

3. "Leave it"
This command has come in handy almost every day for owners with curious dogs.  It can be used for something minor, such as when he or she is sniffing at something you want them to leave alone, like garbage on your walk or if you drop something on the floor while cooking.  It can be used when you want your dog to avoid another dog or person as well.  Most valuable, this comman can be used when you notice your dog starting to go after something dangerous like various household plants, cleaners that accidentally got left out, or that squirrel he is chasing into the street.
Caesar Milan's written tutorial
ASPCA article with directions

While there are many other commands that are important for your dog to know, we would argue that stay is also quite important, these three are ones that could save the life of your pet.

References:
WOOFipedia by the American Kennel Club
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)
Caesar's Way
Willow Creek Kennels