My heart is breaking.
All four of my pups have come down with Kennel cough. They picked it up while at the groomers whose dogs picked it up from one of the four legged customers. It’s the equivalent of human bronchitis, a lot of coughing and spitting up frothy liquid. Their little throats can get pretty sore.
I knew nothing of this viral infection. I’d heard the name but it meant nothing although I now know a lot and like nothing about it. Luckily it isn’t lethal but they can get dehydrated and develop pneumonia. I’ll be on top of it for sure.
I’m told that it’s running rampant throughout the canine community and is very easily transferred from one pup to another. It started with Henri and after a rough day I climbed into bed Tuesday night thinking things couldn’t get worse, but the next morning my world turned upside down.
I didn’t sleep a wink. Henri coughed and vomited pretty much all night long. The first thirty or so times I got up and wiped it clean and periodically gave him water, but as the hours dragged by and the lack of sleep made me feel like vomiting myself, I left it until morning. Henri just moved to a clean spot on the blanket after each spit up.
I was wide awake at 5 am when Jake coughed the first time. A horrible dry wretching that seemed to go on for ever. I rubbed his ears and cuddled him and he finally quieted. He stuck to me like glue and made little noises of discomfort. It was now the Henri and Jake show, alternated loud coughing, Jakes were dry while Henri’s not so much. I was still awake at 7 am when Fiz coughed her first time, once again agonizing to hear. Only two hands and my three babies all needing me. Honey, my rock, and super health hero had coughed a bit during the precious day but was enjoying sleep in between the stress of the others discomfort, the simultaneous throat saws buzzing into action.
The alarm went off at 8:00 but I’d been watching the digital numbers flip all night long. I got up and went to the washroom, downed a glass of water and went over to the bed to lower them to the floor. I have a very high bed, and they’ve been trained to not jump down and wait their turn to be placed on the floor to do the morning stretch.
If I hadn’t been so tired I might have noticed that Jake wasn’t up and pacing like normal. He wants to be first, be first, be first so we play a game and I make him wait until last and he is jumping all over me by then. He lay there awake but didn’t seem himself. He’s sick I thought, a reasonable explanation, the poor guy pretty much coughed his throat raw. I picked him up, gave him a little cuddle and tried to set him on the floor. None of his legs would work. He was paralyzed! They folded like rubber under him and his chin hit the floor. I don’t think my brain was fully functioning, I don’t think I was believing what I was seeing. I scooped him up and rushed downstairs and outside into the fresh morning air. I placed him on the grass, he again collapsed. Now I’m panicking and the tears start. Something horrible happened and my poor baby was suffering. He whimpered a bit as I once again picked him up. Took him into the house and filled a syringe with water. I’d read that dehydration can be problematic with this viral infection and although he didn’t vomit with each cough a light fever through the night, which is common, could have dried him out. I gently put the water into his mouth and he swallowed it. I waited and fed him more. He seemed very thirsty and I was banking that as a good sign. I checked his gums and they looked healthy. A sick dog will have pale gums.
We went back outside and I put him on the grass and this time he stood, albeit wobbly. I walk around him and he tried to follow me per the usual but I didn’t want to push it. He actually bent to pee after a failed attempt to lift his leg and fell over. That’s when I noticed he is listing to one side. His tail is on a 45 degree angle where it used to be straight off his back. All I could think of was he must have had a stroke. When he walked his head bobbed as if to gain momentum, not a good sign. A piece of me died right then and there.
I wasted little time phoning the vet and was told that the doctor was doing an emergency surgery, obviously other pup was having a bad day as well. They said bring him in around noon.
Not having any sleep the night before I wasn’t capable of safe driving. Sleep might elude me in the bedroom but in a car I tend to snooze like an alarm clock. I’ve gone off the road before, landed in the harbour, and spent three days in the hospital....not something one soon forgets. So I phoned Sue and she said she would be right over.
Jake was assessed and had blood taken. Nothing conclusive showed in the workup which is always positive but the question remains what happened to him and will it last, get better, grow worse, or is this his life now? He’s on an antibiotic for the cough, which they injected in liquid form to get an immediate kick-start. I’ve been monitoring him all day and there doesn’t seem to be improvement. No one can say that his strength will return. I’m concerned but I’ll take him any way he comes, his quality of life won’t change with a negative outcome. My deep love for him isn’t predicated on his looks, although on a scale from 1 – 10 he’s blasting past a zillion on cuteness.
All he wants is me. I love that about him. He’s on my lap while I write. The house is quiet now. They are all asleep cuddled around me seemingly with not a care in the world until one wakes and suffers through a long drawn out cough and gag routine. My dogs are healthy and I don’t expect this to linger for weeks. Fingers crossed. I’m still fretting though, trying to figure out what might have happened to my Jake. He was pressed against me all night, at one time lying on my chest, maybe he had a fever and got too warm and had some sort of heat stroke? So many questions with no answers.
Not that I begrudge my baby my attention but it is certainly bad timing. Not that these things ever happen at a good time. I’ve had to rearrange Michele Micarelli’s sleeping accommodations. Mary has graciously offered her home. I am not capable of caring for my sick little family and be a hostess. Right now, nothing matters except my fur family. The dinner offered as a perk for each class is off. Sorry to disappoint, but the pups needs and welfare come first. They are contagious so I wouldn’t invite people in especially if they have dogs waiting for them at home. This stops with me! I can’t be responsible for inflicting this on anyone else’s babies.
I’ve cried so much my head feels like it might explode. The constant beating of my heart in my ears makes it difficult to nap. I try to drink water but it’s a slow re-hydration with more going out than in. I couldn’t find enough words in the English language to describe how much I love my hairy kids so bear with me as my heart is not about rug hooking right now. Shane is running the shop for the next few days until I see how things are going and he is capable but the mail might not get out immediately. We’ll do the best we can.
Update Thursday morning – The house is still shrouded in sickness. Normally the mornings are filled with play and excitement. The mood inside matches the dullness of the outside. Rainy and grey. It’s like a hospital ward here, coughing sounds and pups lying around in various states of listlessness, no joy for the day. If I squeak a toy they are up and willing to play but the excitement causes a string of coughing so I am trying to keep them quiet.
Jake is still very weak. Tried to pee with leg up and fell over half way through and finished in a squat position. I believe his tail is more in the proper position but I have to be careful and not see what I want to see. I’m going to regard that as a plus, a half point for the healing team. Walking has not improved; his head still bobs, indicating that there is pain or weakness in one or more legs.
I finally slept and feel somewhat better. Emotions sure fly high when deprived of sleep, mix that with fear and worry and helplessness and it’s a stew pot of trouble. My blood pressure and blood sugar is off the charts. Hopefully I will be able to cope better today emotionally. I plan to continue to rest along with my babies as I believe their little bodies will heal faster with sleep.
They are all very interesting patients. Each one has their own personality. Henri is the stoic one, although appreciates a pat on the head and a rub of his ears would prefer to sit alone in his misery. He’s stopped vomiting with every cough, although I must have jinxed it because he just did.
Fiz is the whiner of the group, make moaning noises that tend to go on until I pay attention. Reminds me of that Nyquil ad on TV,”Pam, call my mom.”
Honey hasn’t changed a bit. Ready to play, wants to cuddle, coughs and gets it over with, but looks at me with sad eyes as if to say, “what’s going on mom?”
Jake is very quiet which is very unusual. Of the pack he is always the going concern. Of course he has more issues than the Kennel Cough. Maybe this stroke like affliction has affected more than his physical body. If only he could talk! He wants to be with me all the time. Crawls in very close so there is nothing between us but a thin sheet of air. He is so precious. I’ve always said he was perfect. Never needed to train him outside, walked perfectly on the lead the first try, no rushing ahead and straining, directly by my side and looks up for direction. Always the perfect eater, no finicky traits, always waiting by the island for what momma is cutting up on the board. A really big kisser, a little Dog Juan, and kisses your hand to say thank-you after you feed him. Sweet in nature. The perfect little package. He will always be these things to me no matter what struggles come our way. Anyway, I’m sure you don’t want a daily blow by blow account of my dog’s health progress so I’ll spare you. I’ve written this so you know where I am, what I’m up to and why I'm not writing.
All four of my pups have come down with Kennel cough. They picked it up while at the groomers whose dogs picked it up from one of the four legged customers. It’s the equivalent of human bronchitis, a lot of coughing and spitting up frothy liquid. Their little throats can get pretty sore.
I knew nothing of this viral infection. I’d heard the name but it meant nothing although I now know a lot and like nothing about it. Luckily it isn’t lethal but they can get dehydrated and develop pneumonia. I’ll be on top of it for sure.
I’m told that it’s running rampant throughout the canine community and is very easily transferred from one pup to another. It started with Henri and after a rough day I climbed into bed Tuesday night thinking things couldn’t get worse, but the next morning my world turned upside down.
I didn’t sleep a wink. Henri coughed and vomited pretty much all night long. The first thirty or so times I got up and wiped it clean and periodically gave him water, but as the hours dragged by and the lack of sleep made me feel like vomiting myself, I left it until morning. Henri just moved to a clean spot on the blanket after each spit up.
I was wide awake at 5 am when Jake coughed the first time. A horrible dry wretching that seemed to go on for ever. I rubbed his ears and cuddled him and he finally quieted. He stuck to me like glue and made little noises of discomfort. It was now the Henri and Jake show, alternated loud coughing, Jakes were dry while Henri’s not so much. I was still awake at 7 am when Fiz coughed her first time, once again agonizing to hear. Only two hands and my three babies all needing me. Honey, my rock, and super health hero had coughed a bit during the precious day but was enjoying sleep in between the stress of the others discomfort, the simultaneous throat saws buzzing into action.
The alarm went off at 8:00 but I’d been watching the digital numbers flip all night long. I got up and went to the washroom, downed a glass of water and went over to the bed to lower them to the floor. I have a very high bed, and they’ve been trained to not jump down and wait their turn to be placed on the floor to do the morning stretch.
If I hadn’t been so tired I might have noticed that Jake wasn’t up and pacing like normal. He wants to be first, be first, be first so we play a game and I make him wait until last and he is jumping all over me by then. He lay there awake but didn’t seem himself. He’s sick I thought, a reasonable explanation, the poor guy pretty much coughed his throat raw. I picked him up, gave him a little cuddle and tried to set him on the floor. None of his legs would work. He was paralyzed! They folded like rubber under him and his chin hit the floor. I don’t think my brain was fully functioning, I don’t think I was believing what I was seeing. I scooped him up and rushed downstairs and outside into the fresh morning air. I placed him on the grass, he again collapsed. Now I’m panicking and the tears start. Something horrible happened and my poor baby was suffering. He whimpered a bit as I once again picked him up. Took him into the house and filled a syringe with water. I’d read that dehydration can be problematic with this viral infection and although he didn’t vomit with each cough a light fever through the night, which is common, could have dried him out. I gently put the water into his mouth and he swallowed it. I waited and fed him more. He seemed very thirsty and I was banking that as a good sign. I checked his gums and they looked healthy. A sick dog will have pale gums.
We went back outside and I put him on the grass and this time he stood, albeit wobbly. I walk around him and he tried to follow me per the usual but I didn’t want to push it. He actually bent to pee after a failed attempt to lift his leg and fell over. That’s when I noticed he is listing to one side. His tail is on a 45 degree angle where it used to be straight off his back. All I could think of was he must have had a stroke. When he walked his head bobbed as if to gain momentum, not a good sign. A piece of me died right then and there.
I wasted little time phoning the vet and was told that the doctor was doing an emergency surgery, obviously other pup was having a bad day as well. They said bring him in around noon.
Not having any sleep the night before I wasn’t capable of safe driving. Sleep might elude me in the bedroom but in a car I tend to snooze like an alarm clock. I’ve gone off the road before, landed in the harbour, and spent three days in the hospital....not something one soon forgets. So I phoned Sue and she said she would be right over.
Jake was assessed and had blood taken. Nothing conclusive showed in the workup which is always positive but the question remains what happened to him and will it last, get better, grow worse, or is this his life now? He’s on an antibiotic for the cough, which they injected in liquid form to get an immediate kick-start. I’ve been monitoring him all day and there doesn’t seem to be improvement. No one can say that his strength will return. I’m concerned but I’ll take him any way he comes, his quality of life won’t change with a negative outcome. My deep love for him isn’t predicated on his looks, although on a scale from 1 – 10 he’s blasting past a zillion on cuteness.
All he wants is me. I love that about him. He’s on my lap while I write. The house is quiet now. They are all asleep cuddled around me seemingly with not a care in the world until one wakes and suffers through a long drawn out cough and gag routine. My dogs are healthy and I don’t expect this to linger for weeks. Fingers crossed. I’m still fretting though, trying to figure out what might have happened to my Jake. He was pressed against me all night, at one time lying on my chest, maybe he had a fever and got too warm and had some sort of heat stroke? So many questions with no answers.
Not that I begrudge my baby my attention but it is certainly bad timing. Not that these things ever happen at a good time. I’ve had to rearrange Michele Micarelli’s sleeping accommodations. Mary has graciously offered her home. I am not capable of caring for my sick little family and be a hostess. Right now, nothing matters except my fur family. The dinner offered as a perk for each class is off. Sorry to disappoint, but the pups needs and welfare come first. They are contagious so I wouldn’t invite people in especially if they have dogs waiting for them at home. This stops with me! I can’t be responsible for inflicting this on anyone else’s babies.
I’ve cried so much my head feels like it might explode. The constant beating of my heart in my ears makes it difficult to nap. I try to drink water but it’s a slow re-hydration with more going out than in. I couldn’t find enough words in the English language to describe how much I love my hairy kids so bear with me as my heart is not about rug hooking right now. Shane is running the shop for the next few days until I see how things are going and he is capable but the mail might not get out immediately. We’ll do the best we can.
Update Thursday morning – The house is still shrouded in sickness. Normally the mornings are filled with play and excitement. The mood inside matches the dullness of the outside. Rainy and grey. It’s like a hospital ward here, coughing sounds and pups lying around in various states of listlessness, no joy for the day. If I squeak a toy they are up and willing to play but the excitement causes a string of coughing so I am trying to keep them quiet.
Jake is still very weak. Tried to pee with leg up and fell over half way through and finished in a squat position. I believe his tail is more in the proper position but I have to be careful and not see what I want to see. I’m going to regard that as a plus, a half point for the healing team. Walking has not improved; his head still bobs, indicating that there is pain or weakness in one or more legs.
I finally slept and feel somewhat better. Emotions sure fly high when deprived of sleep, mix that with fear and worry and helplessness and it’s a stew pot of trouble. My blood pressure and blood sugar is off the charts. Hopefully I will be able to cope better today emotionally. I plan to continue to rest along with my babies as I believe their little bodies will heal faster with sleep.
They are all very interesting patients. Each one has their own personality. Henri is the stoic one, although appreciates a pat on the head and a rub of his ears would prefer to sit alone in his misery. He’s stopped vomiting with every cough, although I must have jinxed it because he just did.
Fiz is the whiner of the group, make moaning noises that tend to go on until I pay attention. Reminds me of that Nyquil ad on TV,”Pam, call my mom.”
Honey hasn’t changed a bit. Ready to play, wants to cuddle, coughs and gets it over with, but looks at me with sad eyes as if to say, “what’s going on mom?”
Jake is very quiet which is very unusual. Of the pack he is always the going concern. Of course he has more issues than the Kennel Cough. Maybe this stroke like affliction has affected more than his physical body. If only he could talk! He wants to be with me all the time. Crawls in very close so there is nothing between us but a thin sheet of air. He is so precious. I’ve always said he was perfect. Never needed to train him outside, walked perfectly on the lead the first try, no rushing ahead and straining, directly by my side and looks up for direction. Always the perfect eater, no finicky traits, always waiting by the island for what momma is cutting up on the board. A really big kisser, a little Dog Juan, and kisses your hand to say thank-you after you feed him. Sweet in nature. The perfect little package. He will always be these things to me no matter what struggles come our way. Anyway, I’m sure you don’t want a daily blow by blow account of my dog’s health progress so I’ll spare you. I’ve written this so you know where I am, what I’m up to and why I'm not writing.
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