Guido's Page
January 11, 2009
American/Canadian Ch. Caralon Brookehaven Hearthrob
(Ch Brookehaven Pfeif and Drum X Ch Caralon's Lana Lee)
December 7, 1995 - January 11, 2009
In 2003 on the day my mother died it was Guido who, moments after she had passed, leapt up onto the hospital bed in her bedroom and gave her a parting lick. In my mothers memorial, I incorporated the story of "The Rainbow Bridge" because of her long affinity for pets and animals of some sort.
If there is a Rainbow Bridge (and I sincerely hope there is), then I'm certain that my mother applied to St. Frank for the job of official greeter. If he knew what was good for him, (perhaps with a tap on the shoulder from a Higher Authority), he's sure to have accepted her application.
Today my mother will greet a very familiar face. 
Guido was 13 years old, and for the last 3 to 4 years he suffered from Degenerative Myelopathy, a spinal disease that slowly robs the body of the ability to move the limbs, starting in the hind end and moving slowly forward. For just under the last year or so, Guido was a quadriplegic.
In recent weeks stomach issues that we could once address with simply repositioning him or perhaps deal with using appropriate medications increased to a point where it had become both painful and difficult to manage. As is typically the case, he did not die "of" DM, but of something else that may, or may not, have been related.
Guido came to us after a successful show and agility career, and quickly became a pet, a companion, and as we like to say, our "love sponge" - ready to accept any and all loving attention available. He stayed that way to the end.
Some of the best photos of Guido can be found on his "photo shoot" page, taken in 2007.
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Guido's been mentioned often and in different forums as an example of Corgi with DM, a Corgi who used a cart, and a Corgi who suffered from incontinence. In many ways we like to think he's been an example, perhaps even an inspiration, to families of Corgis or like minded dogs who are facing similar struggles.
Guido had a good, long life in spite of his challenges.
Here are links to additional resources, videos and photos relating to Guido that we hope are of some help.
Our Trip to Pacific Beach - This has some photos and videos of Guido in and out of his cart. This is the trip that I call the turning point, as it was here that he really started to use the cart for the first time.
Guido and the Hose - If you have any doubt about whether a Corgi can be happy/comfortable in a cart, you need to see this video. I often call it his "inspirational" video, because you can see he has a great time ... the fact that he's in a cart is totally irrelevant to him.
Guido's Cart - This model of cart is no longer available, but these are photos of the cart with and without Guido so you can see how it works, and how he looks.
Guido's Cart Demo - along those same lines we were asked at one point how easy it was, or was not, to put Guido in and take Guido out of his cart. Hence, a video. (Hint: it's really very simple.)
Guido can also be found here, on Brookehaven Corgis "Memory Lane".
Resources
We've come across some great resources along the way. Here are pointers to many of them.
Aging Gracefully: Caring For Dogs With Degenerative Myelopathy and Other Mobility Impairments - this is an article we wrote discussing some of the things to consider when dealing with a mobility impared dog.
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La Paw Spa - Canine Hydrotherapy. We're convinced that Guido's life would be significantly shorter were it not for Cindy and La Paw Spa.
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Wheeled Corgis - a Yahoo group with a number of members who've also dealt or are dealing with Corgis with assorted mobility problems. A great resource, particularly if you're new to the problem.
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K9 Carts West - this is where Guido's cart came from. It was great, as were the people at K9 Carts.
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Belly Bands for Boys from Peke A Tzu Rescue. We tried several different types of belly bands, and these were by far the best.
Corgi-L the largest, oldest and perhaps the friendliest email discussion list all about Corgis.
