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A TRIBUTE TO OLLIE
Author: Linda Rhodes
U-CDX DONNCHADA OLLIE UD. OA, OAJ
August 21, 1994 – April 30, 2007
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Ollie, Smiling happily.
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My Standard Poodle Ollie was always a clown, making people smile. He was a dog who did obedience, agility, musical freestyle, and therapy work. He was my first dog to train – he was also my teacher. Most importantly, Ollie was my pet and companion; he was with us everywhere we went and will be forevermore in our hearts.
Ollie’s story and his battle with Sebaceous Adenitis (SA), an inherited skin disease seen mainly in Poodles, was published in the November 2005 issue of the International Parti Poodle Gazette. Between that time and his death in April 2007, Ollie dealt with a lot of changes. His retinal atrophy became worse, but he never completely lost his vision. His hearing lessened, or perhaps it was senior “selective hearing.” It became more and more difficult for him to walk, lie down, etc., yet, up until the week before he died, he walked to the front of our property (about 50 feet) at least once a day to check things out. And, the SA became much, much worse, although not as bad as some dogs experience.
In early 2006, Ollie began a battle with ear infections, often staph. These were so bad that his balance was affected, making him stagger and weave. One eardrum was completely gone and the other torn. Thankfully, Dr. Styles has an ear scope – an amazing instrument! She used a light anesthetic on Ollie and was able to see/take photos of his inner ear. She eliminated some of the hair, then flushed and treated. Between the mass of hair deep in the canal and around the eardrum and the SA crusts in the ear, keeping his ears healthy was a constant battle. His eardrums did eventually grow back, at least partially.
By fall of 2006, Ollie’s skin became very scaly and the indicative musty odor of SA became evident within two days of a bath. His lips were getting crusty again. I sometimes bathed him weekly but, because it was so uncomfortable for him, would usually wait two weeks. When he started trembling during baths, I bathed him even less. I am not sure if the trembling was due to pain or fear of falling. After so many years of compensating for Hip Dysplasia (HD), his front end was now getting very weak.
Ollie began losing weight in the winter of 2006 and sleeping much more, both fairly normal for a 12-year-old Standard Poodle. Yet, through it all, when I arrived home from work, he would still manage to playfully box me around with those front paws, albeit for shorter periods of time. He still loved having a Frisbee© or bumper thrown a few feet – far enough for him to retrieve but close enough for him to see where they landed. And, once in a while he would do his “prance in place standoff” next to Primo, our younger Standard Poodle.
By early 2007, Ollie’s appetite decreased along with his energy. I began adding and/or substituting cooked food to his raw diet. By April 2007, I even offered carefully chosen canned and kibbled dog food – anything to get him to eat. We added lunch to his routine, and on a good day Ollie might eat a decent amount. He did not wag his tail much, and he was very lethargic. The various thick skinned bumps on his lower legs began bleeding although antibiotics helped for awhile. He could no longer get up on sofas.
On Saturday, April 28, Ollie refused to eat anything, plus his breathing sounded odd. When I realized it was his exhalation that was so noisy, I saw that his nostrils had black crusts just like in his ears. Once I peeled these off, I saw a thick, gray substance. It was extremely uncomfortable for Ollie, but he could breathe more easily. I don’t know if SA can affect the nose, but I believe that was the problem with Ollie. (Looking back, that is probably why a couple of weeks earlier Ollie chose the wrong scent article for the first time in years.) Ollie was awake a lot during Sunday night. I saw him lying in his bed, head swiveling as though watching something.
Whenever I thought it might be time to let him go, he would have a good day. HOW does one decide it’s time?? I now think what the dog does with his tail would be a good gauge. I was told by our veterinarian as well as our animal communicator that when the day came, I would just know. That day came April 29th and I phoned a veterinarian who made house calls.
Ollie wanted to spend more time lying outside than usual. Now that his sight was so diminished, he seemed to enjoy air scenting even more. During the day on Monday, he made three trips, with assistance, outside to his mat, peacefully air scenting and staying awake. Very unusual. It was as though he wanted to take in as much of his beloved outdoors as he could. That night, like the one before, his head kept swiveling as though watching something.
On his last day he was able to step off the one step at our back door, but I had to carry him back up. He refused water that I offered, but went to his water dish by himself – always the proud Poodle. Throughout the day, I offered him treats, and he did eat a few crumbled EVO cookies . . . but that was all.
I hoped we could stay outside until the veterinarian arrived at 4:30 p.m.; however, rain was on the way. Ollie enjoyed the unseasonably cool Texas breeze until it began raining then I scooped him up and took him into the house. When I laid him on his mat in the living room, for the first time all day he remained lying on his side. When the veterinarian and her assistant arrived, Ollie looked at her briefly but did not move. He knew it was time and was ready. He crossed over the bridge very peacefully, without even an audible sigh.
I wish I could have done more for Ollie these past few years. I wish even more that breeders would be more cautious. So often we see on websites the words, “all testing done before breeding” but the names do not seem to appear on the OFA website. Breeders often brag about having “top producers” in their lines, yet when enough research is done, those same producers are often found to be carriers of SA.
No, SA is not a killer. But, in my opinion, SA kills the spirit of a proud Standard Poodle.
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