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I've heard that some people have been unable to post on this blog, and I think that we set the permissions too strictly. I've unbuckled a few stays, so it should be looser.

The doctor-patient bond

Dr. St. Clair shot this picture of Guy, who is demonstrating the proper method for graduating first in his class at canine charm school. Here he's resting in between workouts. He's now able to coyly fold his paws.

Working his paws

Guy is picking up his left paw and placing on the underwater treadmill. He's still very awkward and can't support any weight on his own, but he's getting a lot of movement back and working his atrophied muscles. Dr. James says that a minute of exercise in the tank is like seven minutes on dry land.

A 5.0 dismount with a triple axle

A little ball work

Guy pauses while they play the national anthem.

Before the workout

Dr. James St. Clair takes a deep breath before embarking on a workout. Guy seems to be enjoying himself. He's ooching around on the floor very actively, and by now he's acclimated to being in a strange place.

A pensive moment

Now at physical therapy

Guy is working hard, facing as little as another week of basic recovery -- or as long as two-plus months. We'll have to see.

I don't like what this collar does to my complection

Guy spent a week in intensive care at Cheshire, largely because of a periodic spells of slow heartrate. One additional potential diagnosis that was added to his list was myasthenia gravis, the neuromuscular autoimmune disorder that felled Aristotle Onassis. Several tests ruled that out, mercifully.

All the vets checked him even more thoroughly for ticks and found nothing, which tends to rule out the tick paralysis, which usually clears right up once the tick is removed.

That leaves botulism and coonhound paralysis. His heartbeat firmed up, and he became a medical boarder, though he's still paralyzed. They kept him on a blanket on the floor where he was in constant view and received steady pets and fussing. Everyone kept moving his paws to slow down the atrophy of his muscles.

We can't speak highly enough of the care Guy received at Cheshire. Drs. Misca, Keano and Donnelly were the vets we spoke with most often, and they were all candid and reasurring at the same time. Drs. Gullivan and Carter were also giving care, though we saw them less often.

Dr. Carter had a quadraplegic cart left over from one of her own dogs, and she said she's been waiting for the right dog to come along. Guy is the right dog. They outfitted the cart, and we hope to have him using it soon.

Other staff members lavished him with affection, too. We spoke most with Donna and Melissa and Chelsea, but we know there were others there too -- we just didn't catch their names. Maybe you'll comment so we can thank you.

Another before picture...

Ailing dog!

On the morning of May 5, Guy was late to breakfast, though he came when summoned. A little later he seemed sluggish, so we called his vet, Katherine Skiff Kane in Cornwall Bridge. She was on a barn call, so we agreed to bring him around four o'clock. I examined him carefully for ticks but found nothing. He chewed politely on a treat when offered, but without enthusiasm.

Guy looked steadily worse in the coming hours and his movements were stiff. When I let him outside, he leaned into more for support -- I'd never seen him that unsteady. He lay down, regurgitated several undigested meals. When the time came to take him to the vet, he couldn't get up, or keep his feet positioned underneath. I scooped up all sixty four pounds and hustled him to the car.

Dr. Kane examined him carefully, giving him a thorough going over for ticks, as did Stephanie, her assistant. Nobody was attached. She offered three potential diagnoses -- tick paralysis, coon hound paralysis, and botulism. She said he needed to go to a hospital where he could be watched 24 hours a day -- the paralysis might spread to his lungs.

Borrowing a stretcher from Dr. Kane, we drove to the VCA animal hospital in Cheshire, Connecticut. Stephanie had called ahead so they were waiting for us. Guy could still wag his tail, and wasn't too ill to be pleased by the attention.

To the right, a before picture....