Baxter is my 7 1/2 year old Rottweiler that rescued from North Carolina Rottweiler Rescue on 03Jan03. He has taught me a lot on dog behavior and in turn, through him, we have shown people that no matter how abused or neglected, they can still show love. He is truly a ambassador for the breed and because of him, I will fight against Breed Specific Legislation. Baxter is a real easy dog to live with, he's clean(besides his shedding), he's doesn't make messes, he's quiet- doesn't disturb the neighbors when I'm at work. He's the best dog I ever had but boy did it take work, those were the days back then. I was working 0400-1300 (4am to 1pm) M-F, and everyday for 3 months, 1400- 1700hrs(2pm-5pm) I worked with Baxter, rain, sleet, snow, or heat didn't deter us, we were pluggin away. I remember telling my mom back then because she asked why I was working so much on him and I said, " Because I don't want to be restricted to the house and I don't want him to live in exile and I know that eventually he will enjoy our outtings." And boy does he love to go " bye-bye", he gets so excited and ready to go the instant you say " Let's go bye-bye!"
Here is Baxter dressed up in my old BDU shirt uniform. We claim to be a free country, we have troops and my fellow friends fighting overseas so that we may continue to be free, yet we have politicans trying ( and some succeeding) to take our right of owning the breed of our choice. I would think they would want to spend more time finding sexual predators, or I don't know, maybe figuring out why teenagers and adults are shooting up schools, or helping out their fellow policitians, who rule the country and at the same time is a online predator. Where is our freedom going? Does no one see that irresponsible owner's are hurting our breed? Why is it that it's always the good people these laws the policitians write up affect the good people, the responsible people and not who it is intended for? I suppose, next they will tell us, that our voice doesn't count because we have a rottweiler or a pitbull.
Now, 4 and a half years later after adopting Baxter, he has truly turned into a amazing dog, not that he wasn't before, it's just amazing how far he has come. He is truly a Ambassador for the breed, and helps tremendously with questions regarding the breed and people are curious about rottweilers, so he provides that outlet for people to ask questions. Adopting him was one of the best decisions I could have made, and while the going is tough in regards to housing, and cities with breed bans, he is so worth it, as any responsible rottweiler owner will say.
Merry Christmas, my love, Happy 7th Birthday!!
In July 2007, my heartdog, my soulmate, out of a deep sleep began to have seizures... It scared me so bad that I thought he was going to die on me right there... It seemed like he couldn't breath and that he was struggling for air. The first seizure lasted for around 1 to 2 minutes, and his recovery time was several minutes... He was taken to my vet were he had another seizure right outside the vet's door, and she immediately gave him a shot of valium... Baxter ended up staying at a emergency clinic overnight for observation on the seizures and for further testing on trying to find out what is causing the seizures... He didn't have anymore seizures that night, and all tests came back negative or clear, meaning everything looked normal... So Baxter came back home with me with no answers... I was clearing frustrated, as I had just thrown down $500 and had no answers of what could be causing the seizures... Let me tell you, it's the worst feeling in the world for you to know that your money is precious and you can't afford what you see is coming, and it feels like it was wasted on no answers, and no way to help the seizures stop or find out what was causing them.
He started having seizures again probably about a day later. He was given another shot and put on phenobarbital... While he was on phenobarbital, over the course of the weekend, he started acting out of character... His behavior was changing. He was snapping at Isabella and Jade just for walking by or coming up to say hi... He was very sensitive around his head.... Initially, I had thought the phenobarbital was changing his behavior because he started acting that way while on the medication. After he nailed Isabella a good one for simply wanting to walk next to him, I started to lightly tap on top of his head, and just working my way around... I wanted to see if I felt anything different or if anything stood out to me... Sure enough, when I lightly tapped a spot right over his eye, he cried out in pain...
I called Georgia Vet Specialists to see if they could see Baxter that day, and they said bring him in... So, we drove about 30 minutes away to see a Neurologists and see if we could figure out what was causing all these issues. The doctor was Dr. Cat, and she was very knowledgable and sat with me for a good 30 minutes talking to me about the symptoms and all the questions and concerns I had... She said for sure, there was a issue with the brain, either a brain tumor or meningitis, which is a infection in the brain, but also deadly... She said depending on the location of the tumor, surgery was possible and that there was a dog in the back, who just had a successful operation... I opted out of surgery because I felt that it would be to hard of a surgery on him for him to come out of it... I asked her how this was treated on medication and what kind of medication would be used for it... 
Dr. Cat said predizone is what is used to treat both, but that it won't "fix" it, but just delay. So, he was started on 2 predizones every 12 hours as well as, 1 phenobarbital every 12 hours... For more than two and a half weeks, he was seizure free.. He was back to his old self, feeling good, prancing around on the walks... The pred made him super thirsty and hungry all the time, so I started giving him 3 meals a day with still the same about of food to help so he wouldn't feel hungry all the time... There was alot of adjusting on my part in figuring out a schedule to take him outside, because the pred makes him so thirsty that not to long latter he needs to get outside to potty...
He had to be taking out every 2 hours I soon found out after several accidents latter... It shocked me the first time he had a accident, this is a dog that was 100 percent reliable who has never pottied indoors ever. So, it did take some adjustment to realize, he would never be the same dog as better on many levels... A once active dog, who was hiking on the trails at least twice a week is now limited to a quick walk for potties. A dog I can not trust anymore on housetraining, to a dog I can't trust in his behaviors towards other dogs now... Many things have changed since that afternoon of having his first seizure... It's really tore my world upside down... The medication is no longer working now, about a month and a half after all "this started"... He's having at least 2 seizures a day, sometimes 3.... I can't help but feel that whatever is in his brain is getting larger, and I fear the day when I have to make that final decision to say, " No more, my friend, it's time." Until then, we live in the moment, and take each day as if it were our last. One day at a time, Sweet Jesus, one day at a time.
