The Oasis Sanctuary

posted by Sybil on Jun 8

Desperate Times

June 8^th 2009

When I can’t help someone, whether person, bird, or other animal —- that is the time that the weight of running The Oasis bears down on me.

I used to tell people that I was not worried about the birds that made it here, but that I worried about the ones out there we don’t know about….

…but at this time, in this economy, that has changed. Today I worry about the ones I do hear about, but simply cannot help.

I hear about birds who need our help, who are candidates for our program, the ones who need our specialized care — but until we are able to raise more funds to bring in more staff and build more appropriate housing for the birds, we simply cannot take in all too many of those who are in desperate need of help.

Yesterday alone I heard about several situations I could not help with.

….A woman called who was trying to find placement from yet another unsexed, unhandled and unloved Amazon living in terrible conditions…. I hope to be able to work with her and the bird in the fall, if our projects are completed and if we have room. But who knows??

….A woman called whose 4 year old male cockatoo had bitten her “too often.”  He is now languishing, unwanted and undoubtedly confused, in a pet-store boarding facility. When I suggested a reputable nearby adoption program, the woman announced that if she couldn’t take care of this bird, no one could. When I tried to suggest options, she became so verbally abusive and hostile I had to hang up. But the bird suffers…

….Another woman, recently widowed, about to lose her home, who has taken in handicapped and unwanted birds also called. She needs to place a pair of Macaws with papilloma.  There is another pair, older bonded siblings, one of whom has diabetes. Also needing placement are a one legged conure and another unsexed formerly aggressive (but not to her) Amazon.  I am attempting to get the little conure into care with one of The Oasis’ volunteers, but I am unsure whether she has room….

Additionally over the past few days I have replied to numerous e-mails from people…some of who had family birds for 20 and 30 years…and needed to find homes or placement options for their beloved animals.

There are people whose family members have died. There are people who are ill. There are people who have lost jobs and or are losing their homes.

When I can’t help them, direct them to a place of safety, not only do the people continue to worry and suffer, but the birds, the innocent ones, suffer the most…

In the past I would “triage”, assess the situation and the needs for the people and the parrots…and in 90% or more of the time would refer to one of the many adoption programs around the country we work with regularly. However, in today’s economy all too many of the reputable adoption programs are also full to overflowing, with many having to take back animals they placed in the past due to the caregiver’s economic situation.

In this economy, when the sanctuary has no “cushion,” no funds in the bank, and there is no available line of credit other than high rate credit cards…when we, like every other family around, is living check to check, hand to mouth…but we have 650 birds and a staff and other animals needing to be feed….700 souls….

It is at times like these, when the funds are short, my staff is putting in 12 hour days in order to properly care for the birds, while I sit on the phone hearing, again and again, of the suffering of the people and the animals….it is at times like these that the weight bears down.

posted by Sybil on Dec 28

Holly is walking on my shoulder, purring loudly in my ear and rubbing her little face against mine. She is about four months old, a very cute little Calico kitten.

She was dumped out here, in the cold of mid-winter, at a time that the coyotes come up into the sanctuary’s driveway and into our orchard and sing their night-long songs of hunger and hunting…

This morning when Oasis staff-member Chris went into the three-sided barn he found her sleeping on a bale of hay. Unlike the occasional feral cat we come across, she didn’t run. She allowed herself to be picked up and settled into Chris’ jacket. He brought her up to the office where we set up a litter box and food and water for her in the Guest bedroom.

Holly, so named as it is just a few days after Christmas, is skinny. It was 23 degrees out this morning and this little one has neither the fat nor dense coat to protect her from the elements. Nor does she have the skills to avoid the predators…although she does hiss and spit at the dogs who are confused by this unusual behavior.

Holly, however, would rather cuddle than eat, and mewls loudly, complaining when left alone.

She was sneezing this morning when first brought in…although that has ceased and I see no evidence of respiratory infection…no runny eyes or snotty nose. None the less I will keep her away from the other cats for a few days until she has settled into life here.

Then we…she and I…will decide whether Holly becomes an office kitty or comes home with me and joins the cats covering every counter-top in my house.

posted by Sybil on Dec 26

At the end of February 2007 I ran into an acquaintance who asked whether the director of the Benson Animal Shelter had reached me about two deaf puppies needing foster care. Since he hadn’t, I called him and he met with me within a half hour at the shelter.

Two white and red balls of fur, Aussie mix puppies, bounded toward me. They were about 5 weeks old; Henry weighed 4.5 pounds, Murphy weighed 8. In addition to being deaf, the boys had obvious sight problems. These pups were the product of breeding a Merle (splotchy-type Aussie or Cattle Dog) to another Merle; their problems caused by a weak gene.

The pups had been found almost a week earlier, an hour apart, on the west side of the San Pedro River outside Benson Arizona. Murphy was brought to All Creatures Veterinary Hospital in town. Henry, picked up by another Good Samaritan, was dropped off the Benson Shelter. When Paul and Dr. Nancy spoke, it became apparent that these two could be related, so Murphy was taken to the Shelter. The two crying puppies settled down as soon as they were back together. Paul immediately sent out volunteers to comb the area where the puppies had been found, but no others were located.

Henry, the smaller of the two, was fragile and Paul was not sure whether he would survive. By the time I met them, both were active, rapidly growing and putting on weight.

Within days of the boys arrival at The Oasis, Paul signed them over to the Sanctuary. Paul felt the abandonment of these pups was especially cruel as they could not hear any predators or cars. He said he would have taken them into the Shelter without question had they been dropped off.

At 4 months old, in addition to being deaf and vision difficulties (Henry’s sight was limited to limited to about 20 feet) they began to have had epileptic seizures. Due to their limited world, the two were extraordinarily bonded and dependant on one another. Even with their obvious difficulties both were doing remarkably well and weighed over 30 pounds each. They were learning a few simple hand signals such as “sit” and “come.”

I began doing Internet research as soon as the two little ones came into my life. There are wonderful websites with information on deaf, epileptic and sight impaired dogs.

Murphy and Henry had no idea that anything should be different in their world and were adjusting to their lives….

Within a year the two boys had grown up and have become absolutely incredible dogs. Henry’s problems, however, continued, while Murphy became more and more normative….

During the first year, Murphy had 5 or 6 seizures. While “grand mal” type (loss of bladder etc control, as well as major convulsions) they did not seem to last as long as Henry’s. Henry went through a period where he would have severe seizures anywhere from once a week to every ten days…and they would occasionally come in series.

I went to several websites including www.deafdogs.org and got as much information as I could on these deaf-blind Aussies (popularly referred to as “Lethal Whites.” ) But there were no real solutions provided for epilepsy other than serious medications such a Phenobarbital which had long term and potentially fatal side effects.

I did learn, however, that natural Vanilla ice cream, warmed to room temperature, would help the dogs after seizures by raising their blood sugar levels which would be depleted by the convulsions.

I continued to do Internet research.

Henry, Murphy and I took a trip up to Phoenix to a Veterinarian who had familiarity with epileptic dogs. I brought along the bloodwork that that had been done by our Veterinarian in Benson. After review the Phoenix Veterinarian agreed with the Benson doctor that the dogs had low blood sugar….but his suggestion for trying to control the seizures was surprisingly simple: 1 or 2 cc’s of KARO (corn) syrup twice a day.

Murphy’s seizures disappeared immediately. Henry’s seizures slowed down to once a month or 6 weeks. At about 8 months of age I stopped giving Murphy the KARO syrup and he remained seizure-free. Henry stayed on the KARO syrup, but I cut it back to once a day and by the time he was a year old his seizures had stopped as well.

It had been at least 6 months since Henry had a seizure, and several months ago I stopped giving him his sweet “medication.” And for a while he continued to remain seizure free…

Murphy became quite independent. He would run around my home property with the other dogs and Murphy found his way all the way over to the Sanctuary office, about ¼ mile away down the dirt driveway.

Henry remained more cautious. Although he would follow Murphy around and rough house with all the dogs, he would stop and try to find me. I began to believe his sight was slowly failing. When I would wave or gesture madly, if he was more than 10 feet away, unless the wind were blowing in his direction and he could sense me that way, he definitely remained at a disadvantage.

However, I discovered that there are odd  advantages to having deaf dogs. They focus on me more and respond to simple hand signals. And since it is useless, there is no yelling involved. Also, they are not fearful of thunder, gunshots or the vacuum cleaner…

While Murphy remained seizure-free, after almost a year without seizures, Henry began having major seizures again which came in clusters.

I felt that it was time to try heavier drugs and called my local Veterinarian for a prescription for Phenobarbitol. I began him on 32.4 mg twice a day. And it appeared to work…for a few months. Then we added 1000 mg Potassium Bromide at night…

I must digress here…

Henry is my “familiar”…he and I share a strong connection not always felt between any two living beings. I had a connection like this with Beemer, a cat who lived with me for 13 years. With Henry, both he and I become anxious…for different reasons, no doubt, when we are apart. I work that we may have a seizure. He just needs the stability of my presence.

Henry began traveling with me as his seizures started up again. He, and a carrying case of medications and supplements, would ride up to Phoenix with me. We went to Las Vegas together for an Expo…at which he was a “star.” He comes to work with me daily, sleeping under my desk.

Henry became the amazing-deaf-mostly-blind-epileptic…and now farting…dog.

I was warned that the Potassium Bromide would make him gaseous.

Henry can clear out a room.

The seizures continued.  Henry’s sight declined. Now he seemed to only see within a 6 feet radius of where he would stand.

I took Henry to see a Veterinary Neurologist in Phoenix.

I really liked the Neurologist. She liked Henry…saying he was the nicest Deaf dog she had recently met…that all too many were rough, rowdy or nippy. She drew blood. She adjusted medications. Ultimately we upped the Phenobarb to 64.8 mg, and then upped the Phenobarb to 97.2 mg morning and night with a mid-afternoon dose as well. Even with the adjustments, every month like clockwork at the full moon his seizures would continue. Clusters of them, one after the other often spaced 4 or 6 hours apart. I would inject him with Diazapam (liquid Valium) and it would help…briefly. During the most recent of his bouts, the seizures continued for three and a half days. At one point Henry alerted me to his seizure in the kitchen when I heard a loud thud as his head hit the stove.

It has been hard to watch. All I want is a quality of life for him.

I have gone back and re-read articles I read two years ago. I have researched more. I sit with baited breath waiting for the other shoe to drop.

The medications he is on have made Henry gain abnormal amounts of weight. While Murphy remains puppy-ish, most people who meet Henry believe him to be an elderly…or at least older…dog.

My 15 year old Pup-Pup sleeps 18 hours a day.

Sadly, I watch Henry do the same.