Sarah Jane is at the Vet's and I am a Big Old Mess
So the itty bitty teeny tiny little woman is at the vets and I am a complete mess.
She started acting funny yesterday later afternoon/early evening. I wish I could explain more than that and I will try, but "funny" is the word. When you know someone, even an "animal," like I do Sarah Jane, you just know when something is off.
First she wasn't acting her enthusiastic self, all excitement and joy and love and happiness. Almost everyone who meets her comments that she is about the happiest dog they've ever met. Second she was walking with her head bowed, like she thought she was a bad girl or something. She didn't even want to hop up and have some raw chicken that I was starting to cook, and she loves her some chicken. When I picked her up later she didn't lick my face like she always does.
I mentioned it to Raymond and he saw it too and so I agreed to keep a close eye on her since she pretty much sticks to my side anyway.
Right after Raymond went to bed I picked her up and instead of her tucking her head under my chin or licking the top six layers of skin off my face like she usually does, she laid her head on my shoulder and whimpered. I don't know if I have ever heard her whimper before. I got Raymond up and we checked her over again, checked her feet and legs and pressed gently all over her to no effect. We walked her and she pottied, so she wasn't constipated.
I went over everything. She hasn't been in the basement so she couldn't have gotten to anything poison. She hasn't had anything like chocolate. I did give her a small pork chop bone, which she loves. There is a big disagreement over pork bones, if they are good or not... She adores then so. I worried that she might have swallowed a piece that was too big.
I called one of the three emergency animal hospitals and they suggested some kind of back or neck injury which is common with dachshunds and she is half dachshund. I kept her with me for a couple hours to just watch her and she barely moved. When I picked her up to take her to bed she cried and yipped. I was a f*cking mess.
Took her to bed and laid her between us. Then instead of doing what she always does, lay there maybe five minutes, lick me, and then crawl over Raymond and sleep on his side, she just lay there all night long. I woke up numerous times and turned on the light, afraid she wasn't breathing, but she was.
This morning she seemed a lot better.
But still... Off. She went under a chair surrounded by clothes and that denning instinct scared the shit out of me and I called a vet. They wondered too about her back.
So I took her in even though they had no appointments until this afternoon. The idea was that the doc could do a quick check and then they would keep her for observation. They might do x-rays which will be expensive but worth it.
I started to cry a little and asked the nurse -- why did I feel she was worth the cost of expensive x-rays when I had never felt that way about animals before. Why was she different. Why were all the animals I've had in my life, even my beloved Sheltie Ramses, just animals but she was sooooo different.
She explained that Sarah was probably my soul dog. I've read about that. Ususally only one of those a life time. I am starting to cry again and can't see teh secreen. Please offer doggie prayers or whatver you belive in. I, so oworried and trying not too.
They will call me this afternnon. The quick check did show they don't think there is anyythng wrong with her back. She has been thre for two or three hours and there is no word.
She hs got to be okay. She is the LIGHT of my life...
She started acting funny yesterday later afternoon/early evening. I wish I could explain more than that and I will try, but "funny" is the word. When you know someone, even an "animal," like I do Sarah Jane, you just know when something is off.
First she wasn't acting her enthusiastic self, all excitement and joy and love and happiness. Almost everyone who meets her comments that she is about the happiest dog they've ever met. Second she was walking with her head bowed, like she thought she was a bad girl or something. She didn't even want to hop up and have some raw chicken that I was starting to cook, and she loves her some chicken. When I picked her up later she didn't lick my face like she always does.
I mentioned it to Raymond and he saw it too and so I agreed to keep a close eye on her since she pretty much sticks to my side anyway.
Right after Raymond went to bed I picked her up and instead of her tucking her head under my chin or licking the top six layers of skin off my face like she usually does, she laid her head on my shoulder and whimpered. I don't know if I have ever heard her whimper before. I got Raymond up and we checked her over again, checked her feet and legs and pressed gently all over her to no effect. We walked her and she pottied, so she wasn't constipated.
I went over everything. She hasn't been in the basement so she couldn't have gotten to anything poison. She hasn't had anything like chocolate. I did give her a small pork chop bone, which she loves. There is a big disagreement over pork bones, if they are good or not... She adores then so. I worried that she might have swallowed a piece that was too big.
I called one of the three emergency animal hospitals and they suggested some kind of back or neck injury which is common with dachshunds and she is half dachshund. I kept her with me for a couple hours to just watch her and she barely moved. When I picked her up to take her to bed she cried and yipped. I was a f*cking mess.
Took her to bed and laid her between us. Then instead of doing what she always does, lay there maybe five minutes, lick me, and then crawl over Raymond and sleep on his side, she just lay there all night long. I woke up numerous times and turned on the light, afraid she wasn't breathing, but she was.
This morning she seemed a lot better.
But still... Off. She went under a chair surrounded by clothes and that denning instinct scared the shit out of me and I called a vet. They wondered too about her back.
So I took her in even though they had no appointments until this afternoon. The idea was that the doc could do a quick check and then they would keep her for observation. They might do x-rays which will be expensive but worth it.
I started to cry a little and asked the nurse -- why did I feel she was worth the cost of expensive x-rays when I had never felt that way about animals before. Why was she different. Why were all the animals I've had in my life, even my beloved Sheltie Ramses, just animals but she was sooooo different.
She explained that Sarah was probably my soul dog. I've read about that. Ususally only one of those a life time. I am starting to cry again and can't see teh secreen. Please offer doggie prayers or whatver you belive in. I, so oworried and trying not too.
They will call me this afternnon. The quick check did show they don't think there is anyythng wrong with her back. She has been thre for two or three hours and there is no word.
She hs got to be okay. She is the LIGHT of my life...