Sick dogs and other thoughts
Between our sick pooch and my period, I have no idea how I'm going to get my studying done for my test on Tuesday.
Friday, when I left for school, Soto was listless. I thought he was tired, since I was leaving fairly early in the morning, and he usually sleeps until about 9 or so. Joe calls me while I'm at work and asks me if Soto got into trouble over the day. I asked him why he was wondering. Apparently, Soto had been wandering around, whining, and not at all energetic like usual. Joe ended up taking Soto to his parent's house in Branson with him for the weekend. At least, that was the original plan. But Soto continued to worsen. I drove down that night and picked him up after work. He was hotter than a dog should be, and just laid on the car seat, instead of jamming his head out the window to sniff the air like he always did.
So I made the executive decision to take him to the emergency vet, a decision that cost me around $260 and didn't really get us anything other than antibiotics and some Tramadol for pain. My first thought, since Soto is a power-chewer, was that he had swallowed something and it was lodged in his intestines. But the xray didn't show anything.
Saturday, Soto was still running a fever, and was obviously tired. He didn't want to do anything other than lay around, aside from the occaisional burst of pacing around for twenty minutes before he finally peed inside the house. I went to work, leaving Soto with Joe. When I got home, I found him pretty much the same, though he wasn't whining as much as he did on Friday. After his dose of meds, he laid down and sacked out for a while. Eventually, he went downstairs to be with Joe. I went back to sleep. However, I woke up at 5:40ish to Joe shaking me. "He's going back to the vet. He's got a head tremor. Like doggy Parkinson's."
And there was Soto, laying on his bed in our room, his head shaking like an old person's. He was staring at me, and it was the wierdest damn thing I'd ever seen. We made it to the emergency vet in record time. By the time we got there, Soto had developed a slight, but persistant cough.
This time, they drew blood, which came back normal. This time, we came home with pills for a cough, and a tenative diagnosis of kennel cough.
I am not entirely sure it's kennel cough.
He had more head tremors this morning. This time, I suspected his pain pills were causing them. Since the vet had ruled out having something lodged in his belly, he didn't really need the pain meds, I reasoned. So we stopped giving him the Tramadol, just his antibiotics.
Well, the good news is, his tremors haven't returned.
Just...he's so damn pitiful. So tired, restless. He's still warm, though it comes and goes. He won't obey commands, and is peeing in the house. I don't think it's neurological, though. He's not confused, and when he stumbles as he walks, it's like how a person stumbles when they're tired.
Of course, this is my first dog. I'm not really sure.
All I know is I'm tired, I'm heartsick, I'd happily break someone's leg to have my happy, bouncey, healthy honey-puppy back, and I'm probably going to fail my test on Tuesday if Soto doesn't turn around some time tomorrow.
Friday, when I left for school, Soto was listless. I thought he was tired, since I was leaving fairly early in the morning, and he usually sleeps until about 9 or so. Joe calls me while I'm at work and asks me if Soto got into trouble over the day. I asked him why he was wondering. Apparently, Soto had been wandering around, whining, and not at all energetic like usual. Joe ended up taking Soto to his parent's house in Branson with him for the weekend. At least, that was the original plan. But Soto continued to worsen. I drove down that night and picked him up after work. He was hotter than a dog should be, and just laid on the car seat, instead of jamming his head out the window to sniff the air like he always did.
So I made the executive decision to take him to the emergency vet, a decision that cost me around $260 and didn't really get us anything other than antibiotics and some Tramadol for pain. My first thought, since Soto is a power-chewer, was that he had swallowed something and it was lodged in his intestines. But the xray didn't show anything.
Saturday, Soto was still running a fever, and was obviously tired. He didn't want to do anything other than lay around, aside from the occaisional burst of pacing around for twenty minutes before he finally peed inside the house. I went to work, leaving Soto with Joe. When I got home, I found him pretty much the same, though he wasn't whining as much as he did on Friday. After his dose of meds, he laid down and sacked out for a while. Eventually, he went downstairs to be with Joe. I went back to sleep. However, I woke up at 5:40ish to Joe shaking me. "He's going back to the vet. He's got a head tremor. Like doggy Parkinson's."
And there was Soto, laying on his bed in our room, his head shaking like an old person's. He was staring at me, and it was the wierdest damn thing I'd ever seen. We made it to the emergency vet in record time. By the time we got there, Soto had developed a slight, but persistant cough.
This time, they drew blood, which came back normal. This time, we came home with pills for a cough, and a tenative diagnosis of kennel cough.
I am not entirely sure it's kennel cough.
He had more head tremors this morning. This time, I suspected his pain pills were causing them. Since the vet had ruled out having something lodged in his belly, he didn't really need the pain meds, I reasoned. So we stopped giving him the Tramadol, just his antibiotics.
Well, the good news is, his tremors haven't returned.
Just...he's so damn pitiful. So tired, restless. He's still warm, though it comes and goes. He won't obey commands, and is peeing in the house. I don't think it's neurological, though. He's not confused, and when he stumbles as he walks, it's like how a person stumbles when they're tired.
Of course, this is my first dog. I'm not really sure.
All I know is I'm tired, I'm heartsick, I'd happily break someone's leg to have my happy, bouncey, healthy honey-puppy back, and I'm probably going to fail my test on Tuesday if Soto doesn't turn around some time tomorrow.