calliecritturs
Posted : 6/4/2010 10:35:48 AM
Thanks Meg!!
This turned into "not easy" -- I don't think it's serious but she IS very sick. It looks like gastro-enteritis -- at least that's the "we will treat for ..." diagnosis so far.
David woke me this morning with "Luna's sick -- she won't eat". (This is one of those dogs who Hoovers her bowl before the others get the first mouthfull swallowed -- "not eating" is not in her repetoire)
Then we found some vomit that probably happened after I went to bed last night -- food all digested but with what looked, to me, like some blood.had been in it (dark, not fresh). She positively RECOILED from food this morning. Not just "sick to her stomach" but IN *pain* (she didn't even want to go dowh the four steps to the driveway - she was *hurting*).
My biggest dilemma was what vet? Dr. B is on vacation. The second vet we use her in Orlando ALSO was on vacation (and I really didn't get a thrill out of seeing his other partner "late" in the morning).
But what Meg didn't know was -- altho I had set up an appt to take Luna TO New Smyrna *their* blood machine was on the fritz so they called me back and wanted me to stop at my vets ANYWAY (which is kinda-sort-but-not-really on the way) to have blood pulled and THEN come to Smyrna.
oy vay ... so that's what I was gonna do ... but I got up to Woodlands (my vet's office) and the tech was SO concerned about the pain that was SO evident and the fact that Luna was sooooooooo "NOT herself" that the tech grabbed the "substitute" vet and dragged her over to palpate Luna right then and there just in case ...
I really appreciate this kind of concern ... the fact that Sharika KNOWS Luna that well -- and that she was that incredibly concerned about the pain she exhibited and decided it *could* have been a real emergency?? THAT makes me really appreciate them ...
That vet came directly in to me and said "If you want to go to Beachwood that's fine but the girls said you would likely ok some x-rays ??? This dog IS very sick, you are absolutely right ... "
At that point I just decided to let her do the whole workup on Luna (since it was already in progress) -- and as far as "substitute vets" go -- she's pretty good. She LISTENS (not a trait many of them have) ...
I have to give them credit -- I'm NOT the easiest person to deal with cos I know too much and I'm not shy (can you imagine??) -- but she also grinned and told me I was a dream client because I had no qualms about x-rays or comprehensive blood work, etc.
There was some dried mucus inside the anus (indicating she's had enough diarreha that she's beyond empty but her gut is also really distressed) and THAT had just enough forming bacteria that she's advised me to keep BOTH dogs away from Give Kids the World this weekend and I'm gonna keep even Tink home from training. IF there's a bug (which wouldn't be "primary" with Luna but if it's forming because of the weakened condition of the gut) then both Tink and Billy are more "at risk" than typical dogs.
Luna's dehydrated enough that they're keeping her to give her IV fluids -- so she'll also get some antibiotic and anti-nausea stuff to calm down the gut. So she's stayed up at the vet for today and I'll pick her up this afternoon.
I'm relieved to be honest. When I saw THAT kind of pain this morning I was worried -- she tends to snag things into her crate and SHRED them. She's not the type to eat a ball or a toy, nor is she the type of eat sticks or rocks. BUT she'll shred plastic in a heartbeat and my biggest worry was that there was an invisible obstruction -- but just the pattern of what was "in" her body didn't fit that. And ... because she IS my "angst-y" one, having gastro-enteritis kinda fits her personality.
Now I just gotta work my tush off so I can get caught up enough to leave early enough to get her!!
Thank you SO much Meg, and thank you EVERYONE for your good thots and prayers. You guys all rock!!!