An Unexpected Pain in Our Lives

- UPDATE -
Although Zucker reached a certain plateau with his symptoms - he never continued to slide south - which is a strong Symptom of Parvo.  I began feeding him sipping moments of water with electrolytes - hoping his body would absorb something - even if only a half teaspoon at a time, which is better than shoving a cup full.

Dwayne came home from work.  After making all kinds of phone calls to various Vet clinics - and finally getting told about the 2 hour lunch period that takes place at his usual Vet clinic - Dwayne drove Zucker to Maryville.

The Vet suspects HGE.  You can read about it here.  She is keeping him overnight and volunteering to monitor him through the night, herself.  She has him on IV fluids, of course.  She's also started him on antibiotics.  And she wants to get him eating again, before sending him home.

There is something important she had to say about HGE.  For some reason - this nightmare has become prevalent - " everywhere. "  And they don't know why it's happening.  They can't figure out where it's coming from.  But many dogs are showing up with the same problem.

KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR DOGS.  If you see them refuse a meal - for whatever reason - and become quiet... followed by onset of throwing up phlegm - followed by a possible bowel movement that is chased... and I mean chased... by the most frightening onset of spraying bloody tissue and mucous .... get the dog in the bathtub and start holding a bowl of water to their head for them to drink about 10 lappings at a time, every half hour.

Yes.  They will throw most of it back up.  Yes.  There may be bouts of throwing up bloody mucous phlegm, as well.  Yes.  There may be episodes where they have dropped large round pools of what looks like old bloody mass that will wash down the drain, along with other liquid substance.

Get them to the Vet when you can.  The rate of success with getting the dogs back up to par is 90 percent.  However - there stands a chance of occasional relapses down the road.

Our grasses just began coming up, which include a few that Zucker has allergy issues with.  The warm temps have arrived - which means " Skink Hunt Season " for Zucker.  His areas for hanging around have been restricted.  So, we may never know if he got hold of some other bug or skink, or frog... who knows.

Beyond that - we won't know more until the next 48 hours passes.

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It is a very horrible day at our house.

I am waiting for daylight, before asking our neighbor to come put Zucker down for us.

Parvo.

We will be going ahead and taking Carlie to the Vet to have her put down, as well.   It's only a matter of time for her, as well.

And no Veterinarian clinic around here will allow us to make payments.

We can buy a home - a vehicle - cattle equipment - you name it - and put it on credit - allowed to make payments.

But we can't make payments to the small animal Veterinarian clinic around here.

There are just too many suckers that will skip their mortgage payments - or sell drugs - to pay $500.00 cash for a dog's Vet bill - even $1,000.00 or more.

Prevention just doesn't seem to be enough out in the country.

No matter how much you try - you can't afford to beat the unconscionable inconsideration and neglect of others living out in the country, that choose to let their dogs roam.

The temperatures have warmed in our area.

Once I have to endure putting both our beloved pets down - I will begin camping out on our back porch at night.

I will be shooting and killing every damn stray dog that enters our property.