Snoquera Falls

Last weekend, Pongo and I joined a friend of mine for a hike with her church group.  They were planning to hike Snoquera Falls in the Western foothills of the Cascades in an area we have never explored.  In my quest to fulfill my committment to Pongo by enriching his life with adequate exercise, I was eager to try a new hike close to home.

Pongo and I met my friend in Enumclaw off of Highway 410 and then rode east together on what is known as the Chinook Pass Highway.  We passed through the cute town of Greenwater (the home of Wapiti Woolies - lovely hand knit hats coveted by skiers and snowboarders who head toward Crystal Mountain and Mt. Rainier) and the Dalles campground to Camp Sheppard Boy Scout Camp where we parked.  As the group readied in the parking lot, Pongo caught sight of a wild rabbit.  I love the way he did not pull on the leash, but stood stock still, except for his nose twitching left and right, working the scent of it.

As we entered the forest, though, I let him off leash.  Pongo is an excellent trail dog.  Although I have never figured out what breed he is, and probably never will, I believe he is a German Shepherd-Border Collie mix.  He has the personality and is the size of a Border Collie but possesses some of the markings, coloring and characteristics of a German Shepherd.  At any rate, whenever we hike with a group, he alternates between running to the front, then circling back to check on other members at the rear.  He stays on the trail and checks in with me before running ahead.  A whistle will bring him running back to me.  His personality is definitely a herder.

The trail steepened very quickly through big-leaf maples, scrub oaks, hemlocks and Douglas Firs. Although this hike apparently has lots of water during the spring, there was little more than a trickle now in late July.  Pongo looked for water in creek beds, trying to lap at small muddy pools. The Snoquera Falls Loop is officially listed as 6 miles with the Washington Trails Association, but we did not go all the way to the top, as the path to the last part of the trail to the top of the falls is loose rock. We hiked approximately 4.2 miles, stopping where we could hear the falls, but this time of year, we could not see it. 

At our peak point, we stopped for a snack.  Here, Pongo asks for water and drinks from my hand.  He loved being part of a group, and enjoyed begging for snacks from everyone.

As we made our descent, the trail was rocky.



The terrain on the way down varied significantly from rock to moss to dirt trail. 



Here, Pongo trots back to me among the moss-covered scree.



We followed the switchbacks to the Boy Scout Camp back to the parking lot. We were finished by noon! This was a great morning hike that left the rest of the day for more adventure. Next year, we'll come back in the spring when we can actually see the falls. 

 

Our Cancer Scare

It is common for older dogs to develop fatty deposits or lumps (“lipomas”) under their skin.  When Pongo developed one on his belly, it grew slowly.  When I called Dr. Lamb’s attention to it, she wasn’t concerned.  We watched it over the course of about 18 months.  Pongo had other small lumps elsewhere on his body, but this one nagged at me.  It was close to his penis and I kept worrying that it might interfere with urination if it grew too large. 

In April, 2012, I took Pongo in again to have Dr. Lamb take a look at it.  It had grown big enough that we now referred to it as his “second penis.”  It no longer felt soft and squishy – parts of it now felt hard. Dr. Lamb again assured me that it was likely benign, and that she was not worried about it, but agreed to remove it so we could test it.  So we braced ourselves for an $800 surgery.

On May 7, 2012, I took Pongo in to Sunset Hills Vet, and reminded the technicians not to put Pongo in a crate while he was waiting for surgery.  Since his adoption, he has not handled being crated well.  Although I initially crated him when I was at work when I first got him in 2002, I quickly gave him his independence at home.  Years later, when I tried to crate him again when he tore his second ACL, and when he was crated at the vet’s, he would rub the skin off of his nose due to anxiety.

I dropped Pongo off early in the morning and then worked remotely by laptop at my brother’s art studio, feeling tense as I waited for the phone call that would let me know how the surgery had gone.  Dr. Lamb called me around noon to tell me that he had done well.  She commented that she was somewhat surprised at how vascular the lump was, but that she still believed it was a benign lipoma.  However, she told me that she was concerned that one of his liver enzymes was high.  It had tested at 400 where 150 is normal.  She told me that it was possible that it was high because his body was working hard because of the lump and that it may very well go down.  She said that I shouldn’t worry, but that she wanted to recheck it in a month. 

Recovery from the surgery was a little daunting.  Pongo came home with a drain that exited on either side of the lump with a line of staples in between.  We set up a baby gate in the kitchen/dining room and put down towels and blankets.  The first few days, the fluid that drained was bloody, which made my husband squeamish and shocked even me.  I bought a fabric cone from PETCO to try and keep him from licking his wound (I really dislike those plastic ones).   

            Here is Pongo zonked out the day of his surgery, May 7, 2012.

 By the end of the first week, we put one of my big t-shirts on him and tied it so he couldn’t get to the incision instead of wearing the cone.  Here he’s feeling better!

About the same time, I took Pongo to have the drain removed.  The vet technician told me that the site was red and they wanted him to take a course of antibiotics.   That night, around 6 pm, I got a call from one of the other doctors from Sunset Hills Vet with the results of the histopathology report from the surgery. 

 She started by saying, “the results aren’t good.” 

 My heart stopped.  How could she begin like that? 

She continued to tell me that Pongo had what she termed “an aggressive nerve sheath tumor,” and that it had possibly already metastasized to his liver, which would explain why his liver enzyme was so elevated.  She went on to talk about follow-up x-rays and CT scans, another surgery because the results indicated they had not gotten clean margins in excising the tumor, and a referral to an oncologist.  I started crying.  Pongo is the love of my life, the center of my world.  I knew about the importance of surgically getting clean margins, and oncology lingo, my sister going through breast cancer at 37. 

I hung up the phone and went into the living room where my husband was half-asleep on the couch. I told him Pongo had cancer and fell into his arms, sobbing.  My step-daughter, Ashley, heard the commotion and came out from her bedroom.  She gave me a hug, then sat on the floor stroking Pongo’s head. I was inconsolable.

I had several conversations with my husband and with Dr. Lamb over the next few days.  We had just spent $800 on the lumpectomy, and we couldn’t afford another surgery, let alone a barrage of x-rays, scans, and an oncologist referral that would recommend radiation.  Pongo was not a young dog.  As hard as it was, we decided to make it the best summer ever with him.  I took him on as many hikes as we could, enjoying our time together. 

Now, a year has gone by, and Pongo is healthy and happy.  It is obvious that the lump did not metastasize.  Dr. Lamb said at his last visit that there are no signs of cancer.  He has a healthy appetite and is maintaining his weight.  Still, we did new labs in June, and the liver enzyme is even higher.  It is now over 600.  Dr. Lamb says there can be many reasons for that, one of which may be Cushing’s Disease.   Pongo is now 12 years old, and I know that I have to face reality that the majority of his life has passed.  I am blessed for every moment that I have with him.  I remain committed to make those days the happiest they can be, giving him as much outdoor time as possible, hiking new trails, enjoying old ones, play dates with doggie friends, and keeping his mind active through giving him work. 

There is a lot of information about lipomas and nerve sheath tumors on the web.  I found an interesting one on lipomas yesterday.  It  is good food for thought, presenting a different way of thinking about lipomas. 

 

http://peterdobias.com/community/2011/01/is-your-dog-lumpy-what-you-should-know-before-you-make-decisions/

Hiking in McCroskey State Park - a Gem of a Find in Idaho

I have a couple of great hiking books: Best Hikes with Dogs Western Washington and Best Hikes with Dogs Inland Northwest. The Inland Northwest book covers parts of British Columbia, Washington, Idaho and Montana.  Every summer, I look for hikes that we can do and we enjoy exploring new trails.  Hiking is one of the ways that I try to fulfill my commitment to Pongo, to provide him with adequate exercise and mental stimulation that will keep him happy and healthy.

Pongo and I were out-of-town, visiting my parents for the first week of July.  On Saturday, I invited my brother, Ben, and my sister, Beth, to go along with us.  Beth brought her dog, Calder, also a rescue dog, who we call Pongo's BFF ("best friend forever" in text lingo).  (Calder spent six weeks with us when we lived in Seattle during a period when my sister was having health problems, and the two dogs are very bonded.) We chose McCroskey State Park because it was a short drive from my parents, and had very little elevation change, proving to be a short and easy hike. Located 17 miles north of Moscow, Idaho on US 95, it was a beautiful drive through the Palouse hills, which were undulating green and gold as the wheatfields ripen.

McCroskey State Park is one of the least-known parks in Idaho, but proved to be a delightful finding for us!  We learned that it was gifted to the state by Virgil McCroskey in 1955 in honor of his mother, Mary McCroskey, and all Northwest pioneer women.  Mr. McCroskey worked hard to acquire land for his vision, including selling off the original homestead he inherited from his parents.  He was 79 years old when he gave the property to the state, who insisted that he care for the land for 15 years!  He worked on the land every day until his death at 94 years of age, which incredibly, fulfilled the 15 year commitment. 

One of the nice things about McCroskey State Park is that there is no entrance fee, as is now true for most state parks.  We wanted to hike the Mineral Mountain Trail, but were unable to find the trailhead.  I believe that the signpost is missing, as we found what probably was the trailhead, but because we were unfamiliar with the area and did not want to risk getting lost, we decided to hike the Korth Trail instead.  The Korth Trail was well-marked  and so we pulled off the road and parked.  The dogs shot excitedly out of the car.  The hike was on an old gravel road that hugs the ridgeline for 8 miles of cedar and pines. 

 

Here is a view of the forest from the Korth Trail.

 

 

Although the book mentioned that moose frequent the trail, we did not see any wildlife, nor a single person on our trek.

 Pongo finds water in a dwindling creek.

                                   
Calder happily views the ridgeline from a bank above the trail.


Because we had planned to hike the Mineral Mountain Trail, which was only a four mile trek, we did not follow the Korth Trail for the entire 8 miles.  Instead, we hiked for an hour, then turned around and retraced our steps back to the car.  It was a hot day, and we were drinking a lot of water.  Pongo was panting heavily and lagging behind Calder, though the dogs are about the same age, and they usually run side-by-side. 

Pongo lays down in the shade near the car at the end of the hike.

This is a park we will definitely go back to!  Maybe next time, we'll be able to verify the location of the Mineral Mountain Trail, which reportedly winds around to a 4128-foot summit with an old fire lookout point.  From that viewpoint, you are supposed to be able to see a panoramic of Lake C'oeur d'Alene, Steptoe and Kamiak Buttes, the Palouse hills and Moscow Mountain.  Ah, next time!

Fireworks Phobia

Although Pongo is scared of thunderstorms, his phobia of fireworks is far greater. I discovered this soon after I adopted him. It is illegal for individuals to set off fireworks in Washington, DC, but every 4^th of July, there was a city show that tens of thousands of people would watch from the grounds of the Smithsonian or from boats on the Potomac. There would, of course, be a few random fireworks set off in our neighborhood, but the ban was well-enforced. Thankfully, the city show would last for about an hour and then be over. Pongo would shake uncontrollably and pace, but by one in the morning, he’d settle down and I could go to sleep. It was one day of the year and we could get through it.

When Pongo and I moved to Seattle in 2006, I lived on Beacon Hill and although fireworks were banned in the city, there were two teenage boys who lived on the next street over, and liked to set off bottle rockets. Incidentally, though it wasn’t 4^th of July, they ended up accidentally setting a garage on fire and that was the end of that nonsense.

But all of that was nothing in comparison to where we live now. In a small community situated between Indian Reservations, residents ignore local fireworks laws. The city allows fireworks during certain hours for a few days during the first week of July and on New Years Day. But in my neighborhood, the fireworks start one to two weeks before July 4^th and continue daily for a minimum of three weeks. What’s worse is that the fireworks being set off are like bombs, purchased on the Indian reservations, these fireworks are illegal EXCEPT on the Indian reservation, yet they are sold to individuals who travel to buy them. They go home and set them off in other cities. In conversations with local police and fire department, as well as the city council, officials admit that they don’t have the budget to enforce the law.

In an attempt to get through the 4^th of July, I have tried everything. You name it, we’ve tried it! Pongo’s vet has prescribed a variety of medications, none of which really solve the problem. He still suffers, and I along with him. If I have gone to bed and fireworks are set off in the middle of the night, Pongo will begin panting and pacing. I am a light sleeper and usually this alone will wake me up. But if it doesn’t, then Pongo will whine, and sometimes jump up on the bed and sit on me. Being 53 pounds, Pongo is not a lap dog. When he is in this state of anxiety, there is nothing I can do to reassure him, but he wants me to be with him. The holiday season leaves me sleep deprived and irritable.

Last year, I purchased an Anxiety Wrap off of the internet. It is basically a shirt that you can adjust at the neckline and the waist, then has a piece of material that wraps around his midsection and velcros to provide extra support. This piece is also adjustable. The Anxiety Wrap was developed based on the theory of delivering accupressure at key points. Similar to how a weighted vest helps to calm autistic children, the Anxiety Wrap has been shown to have a calming effect on dogs. In watching online videos, and reading their literature, I was very hopeful this would be a solution for us. While it has been helpful in reducing Pongo’s overall anxiety, it has not been a miracle product for us. It seems to help more with thunderstorms and the quieter, intermittent fireworks, but he still paces and wants me by his side. And so I find myself reluctantly returning to medication. 

It’s one thing to medicate your dog one or two nights a year, but it’s impossible to medicate your dog daily for three weeks. So we now have a tradition of leaving town for the entire first week of July. Pongo and I go to visit my parents in Pullman, a small town in Eastern Washington. Fireworks are allowed for a few days, but there are very few set off in my parents’ neighborhood. There is a community fireworks show on Sunnyside Hill and it’s a family event where people picnic and spend the evening listening to bands and enjoy the summer weather. Residents obey the fireworks laws, and they don’t set off illegal fireworks that sound like you’re in the midst of World War III.  

As I write this, Pongo is sleeping on his side. He’s had a combination of Alprazolam and Acepromazine.* We are in the basement, where it is cool and quiet. I’ve turned on a fan for background noise. The worst of the fireworks is yet to come, but we have prepared for it. Pongo had two walks today, and he has peed and pooped. Hopefully, we will get through the noise without a lot of drama. 

                                             Pongo wearing his Anxiety Wrap last night


*Please consult a vet before giving your dog any medication.  Dosages are calculated by your dog's weight and can be lethal if not administered correctly.