It was a very busy two hours today.
I was greeted at 12:30 by a oung couple carrying their beloved Corgi. She was in severe pain, unable to stand, and had refused all food and water for the last 2 days. She had been involved in a dog fight a few weeks ago, and from there things had taken many turns for the worse. Within the span of the last two weks she had become almost completely paralyzed from her waist down. She had been to all sorts of specialists and had all sorts of advanced diagnostics to try to identify the causes of her mounting ailments.
When I met her today she was obviously in an extreme amount of pain. She was also very pale. Her lymph nodes were waay too big and way to disperesed between her mouth, armpits, and legs for a simple infection to explain. I was very very concerned the minute I saw her. I was even more so after I read through their very thick very involved file.
I very quickly gave her some sedation and pain relief. She morphed from a rigid unable to move block of wood, to a calm, flaccid, relieved pup.
I repeated all of the diagnostics that I could run "in-house." I checked her blood, took x-rays, and tried to connect all of the dots of he long sad sordid clinical sign tale. Many dots remianed outside of my ability to get her very concerned emotionally fragile parents an answer. Almost nothing is as frustrating as knowing that you have a seriouslyt ill, critically fragile patient with something obviously wrong with them and not being able to put your finger on it, so you can give their parents an answer and help them figure out a treatment plan. I know that I live my whole life as a series of figuring out whats bothering me and then attacking the way to resolve it. I like to fix problems. I don't mind puzzles as long as I can make the pieces fit at the end.
After two hours of doing everything I could for her, her parents let her go. I know it was a very difficult decision to make and I know they are at home now grieving their loss.
My second patient of the day was this pitiful soul. She had just been picked up at the shelter where she was to be euthanized today. Literally she was left in a "drop box." And literally she is the most emaciated pitiful gentle soul ever. Those ears pull her already sad face to the earth and further compound her despair.
I am in love with her. How could I not want to help her? Her teeth look to be about 4 years old. And I think she has had about a dozen litters. I asked how the pups were but Cindy (her rescuer) said that just she had been "dropped." (Only a human could be so cruel!).
We ran a heartworm test, negative. And bloodwork, perfect. And I gave her a full exam, also perfect. Cindy said she was going to sneak her home and not confess to her husband that she had rescued her without consent of the rescus she works with. I told her I would help keep my lips shut. (I am sure he doesn't read this).
She will get three square meals a day of puppy food, and regain her muscle mass, and I am sure that within 1 months time she will be a beautiful happy girl. I expect that it will take her about a week to remember that she has her own personlaity. And about two weeks to start challenging the rest of the dogs for her placement on the pack. Few things marvel me more than witness a victim of neglect and abuse remember who they are. It is almost impossible to gauge any pets personality when they are in survival mode.
She spent the whole two hours that she was with us slumped in a corner. She wouldnt look around, move or respond. She is the image of an orphan forgetten in a ward 4 floors away.
I will donate the funds from SaveJade to Lilly. maybe then Cindy's husband won't reprimand her?
http://www.facebook.com/HelpSaveJade
Cindy is amazing! For more information on Lilly stay tuned.
For more information on Cindy's rescue please visit. http://www.allshepherdrescue.com/
I was greeted at 12:30 by a oung couple carrying their beloved Corgi. She was in severe pain, unable to stand, and had refused all food and water for the last 2 days. She had been involved in a dog fight a few weeks ago, and from there things had taken many turns for the worse. Within the span of the last two weks she had become almost completely paralyzed from her waist down. She had been to all sorts of specialists and had all sorts of advanced diagnostics to try to identify the causes of her mounting ailments.
When I met her today she was obviously in an extreme amount of pain. She was also very pale. Her lymph nodes were waay too big and way to disperesed between her mouth, armpits, and legs for a simple infection to explain. I was very very concerned the minute I saw her. I was even more so after I read through their very thick very involved file.
I very quickly gave her some sedation and pain relief. She morphed from a rigid unable to move block of wood, to a calm, flaccid, relieved pup.
I repeated all of the diagnostics that I could run "in-house." I checked her blood, took x-rays, and tried to connect all of the dots of he long sad sordid clinical sign tale. Many dots remianed outside of my ability to get her very concerned emotionally fragile parents an answer. Almost nothing is as frustrating as knowing that you have a seriouslyt ill, critically fragile patient with something obviously wrong with them and not being able to put your finger on it, so you can give their parents an answer and help them figure out a treatment plan. I know that I live my whole life as a series of figuring out whats bothering me and then attacking the way to resolve it. I like to fix problems. I don't mind puzzles as long as I can make the pieces fit at the end.
After two hours of doing everything I could for her, her parents let her go. I know it was a very difficult decision to make and I know they are at home now grieving their loss.
My second patient of the day was this pitiful soul. She had just been picked up at the shelter where she was to be euthanized today. Literally she was left in a "drop box." And literally she is the most emaciated pitiful gentle soul ever. Those ears pull her already sad face to the earth and further compound her despair.
She will get three square meals a day of puppy food, and regain her muscle mass, and I am sure that within 1 months time she will be a beautiful happy girl. I expect that it will take her about a week to remember that she has her own personlaity. And about two weeks to start challenging the rest of the dogs for her placement on the pack. Few things marvel me more than witness a victim of neglect and abuse remember who they are. It is almost impossible to gauge any pets personality when they are in survival mode.
I will donate the funds from SaveJade to Lilly. maybe then Cindy's husband won't reprimand her?
http://www.facebook.com/HelpSaveJade
Cindy is amazing! For more information on Lilly stay tuned.
For more information on Cindy's rescue please visit. http://www.allshepherdrescue.com/
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