Tuesday, August 26, 2008

BLOGGER IS DRIVING ME NUTS TOO....what is up with it? It takes forever to get your posts organized and layed out. TOO MUCH TROUBLE.....I wish I knew how to switch to something better and still free.



OH boy.....how we get attached to our kids.... I mean our animals! I think pets are second to getting to be a mother.

Obviously, Tucker ( shown here with his brother, River ) is a much loved addition to our already plethora of granddogs Petey, Tex and Tater.



At 12 weeks, Tuck was being the usual mischievous and pesky lab puppy. Eating everything in sight...shoes, plants, paper, wood, you name it!

One day last week, I believe Wednesday, he started acting peculiar. We discussed what to do over the phone and whether to worry yet or not. Heather patrolled the yard and found that he had dealt havoc with alot of bushes/plants along their privacy fence where he had made little "play areas". One spot in particular was where he had obviously EATEN on several of her Sago palms. The ones is their yard are huge, mature plants but unbeknownst to her and alot of us they are SERIOUSLY poisonous. They will kill pets and children if ingested. Then the rapid onset of severe vomiting/diarrhea started. So, off to the emergency all night vet clinic. $$$$$$




After several tests/ labs/ exams $$$$$$$$$ that night it was determined that he was indeed showing effects of the plant. But, he also tested + for parvo. Which in itself is a deadly canine virus. It wasn't looking good. They were devastated as was I ! We stayed in contact 24/7 for the next few days. He was very very very sick. Vomiting/diarrhea / and almost inability to walk, drink fluids or focus. He spent that night in the "hospital" $$$$$$$ and by Sunday night it was still looking bad. Daily trips to the vet for fluids, etc were needed for him to survive. $$$$$$$$ I spoke with her Sunday night about 5:30 and it didn't sound like he was going to pull through. The kids were starting school the next day and she is getting ready to go back to her MDO job at church and hadn't had time to work in her room. What would happen if he died the morning the kids went back to school? They would be heartbroken! She was in tears. Which made me in tears. Which made me feel like I couldn't stand it. We discussed how far do you go with treatment? $$$$$$$$ How do you put a price tag on that? $$$$$$$$ We hung up and I just felt helpless. I threw some stuff in a bag and headed to Houston. They had no idea I was coming and it was quite a surprise. Tucker was even glad to see me. As pitiful as he was. We took him back to the vet $$$$$ yesterday. He is showing some signs of improvement. Slowly. Getting him to drink this puppy pedialyte $$$$$ is almost impossible. His appetite is gone. They have been trying to give him Gerber baby food $$$$$$$. They say if they can survive 3 days that the prognosis is pretty good for a recovery. Although he can't finish his vaccinations until he is well. $$$$$ And the parvo vaccination is one of them. This world is a rough place. Getting rougher all the time. But, I can't stand to see children and animals suffer. Even my own children who are not children anymore! God bless the beasts and the children.....for in this world they have no choice.

10 comments:

Adventures in Stepford said...

OMGosh, this is awful news. Good luck! Keep us posted
-AIS

Heather's House said...

Thanks mom! I am so glad you came. It meant so much. He is feeling a little better tonight. Sleeping now...but for not for much longer. I have to give him his medicine. And we know how much he loves that!

donations can be made to the Sab's poor house. ha ha ha!

SweetAnnee said...

Oh you are so DARN great..going to help..
the vet always means $$$$ and you're right..is their a $$$ amount a baby dog is worth???

Hope he's better SOON
smiles, Deena

Aggiema (Michelle) said...

When my $$$$ dog was dehydrated they injected fluid under her skin and gave her a camel's hump, over time her body absorbed it and that kept her hydrated without going in for IV's It was interesting to watch it go from a camel's hump to saggy "boobies" as my daughter called it. Hope the pup pulls thru!

Hollie Reese said...

How sad! Poor kids! Hope he makes it!

Kelley said...

Pit-I-Ful!!!!
So sad. I hope he gets better. Pets are wonderful and awful all at the same time.....kind of like kids!

Bless them. I hope things go ok.

Anonymous said...

You are by far the best Neena EVER! Tuck (and the Sab's) are so lucky to have you! Are you up for adoption? :O)

The Doty's Dish said...

:( poor little tuck. petey and tex have us in constant prayer over their cousin

Anonymous said...

Hi, I am a friend of Snapshots in AL. Our Lab mix got Parvo and our vet told us to feed her warm chicken stock (the real stuff). Every day we would put the bowl of stock by her nose and she would lay her tongue in it and gently lap at it. sometimes, if she was too weak, we would put some in a syringe and let her lick it that way. The vet said it was full of nutrients she needed and would keep her hydrated. Just a little unsolicited advice....... They may want to ask their vet about that. I have kids, so I was willing to try anything to save the puppy. And it worked. Good luck and we have had a cat on our women's bible study prayer list so I will be happy to add a puppy, too. M

Sheila said...

Super Neena to the rescue!!! I didn't know you made house calls! =)