Update on Trudis

I, Trudis, get to post today because of the following reasons:

1. We had no post last Monday which is the day we doggies blog, because our Secretary fell asleep while taking dictations, can you believe that??? It turns out she had a nasty hangover from watching (non stop) four seasons of House, M.D during the weekend (none of us dogs have a pair of opposable thumbs so we cannot fire our Secretary); plus

3. I need to update my online buddies with the state of my health after my Wednesday trip to the emergency room that got some worried.

That fateful morning, I was woken up by my tummy making somersaults and weird noises. It took long for the new Assistant to open my house ( and you know that I don't poop inside my house, its just not ladylike) so there I was, shifting in my seat trying to hold it in until one considerate soul finally let me out. I can't even begin to describe the massive explosion that took place at the end of my bum, but my tummy felt better afterwards.

I went over to Jappy, but in the middle of biting his face, my tummy did a double sommersault and its contents ( or whatever was left of it) threatened to come out, this time from my mouth. I thought I would feel better after unloading my entire dinner the previous night, but suddenly I got woosy and dizzy. . . And of course you know the rest of the story.

The result of my blood test came out yesterday and indicated that my liver enzymes were three times the normal value for dogs. The Animal Doctor didn't think there was a direct correlation with this and my fainting episode. With my symptoms, he's thinking that I went into hypovolemic shock from the vomiting and pooping that I made that morning. Nevertheless, I am taking medicines for my liver. I feel perfectly fine now, except that, as a result of the incident, my outdoor playtime was drastically curtailed. Boo-hoo.

My original playmates actually let me play with them.

The Secretary's Note: One late night in 2001 , I found my spitz, Dexter lying motionless in our garden. His gums were black and when I lifted him up, water and blood gushed out of his rectum. There was blood in the garage a few minutes earlier when I came looking for him; and days before, I also saw droplets of blood in our porch which I thought came from an injured bird because the dogs looked fine. Dexter quickly recovered after our midnight trip to the vet, but the vet was unable to explain what caused the sudden onset of Dexter's symptoms. Frustrated, I did my own research and ended up with the term hypovolemic shock and acute hemorrhagic gastritis. The dogs had subsequent episodes of bloody poop after Dexter's incident which eventually resolved after I got them on probiotics. Years later, I discussed my experience with the Animal Doctor who validated my "findings". I would never advise anyone to play doctor for their dogs (marry a vet if you can), but having basic knowledge of animal diseases and symptoms that require immediate trip to the vet, you too can help save your dog's life.

Sick Puppy

I went on duty as a pet nurse last weekend and was assigned to a puppy being treated for e-coli infection. We've been up all night, rehydrating him at an hourly interval because the Animal Doctor had no luck putting on the drip; the smallest IV needle he got, a gauge 24, couldnt get through the puppy's vein.

Tiny dogs- newly born puppies and the so called teacup variety- are the most challenging patients here at Greenwoods Pet Clinic. According to the Animal Doctor, the intestinal tract of these dogs are longer in proportion to their size. Bacteria and other disease causing organisms create greater havoc in no time, and given the virtual impossibility of administering fluids and medication intravenously, the puppy easily succumbs to the infection and its complications, dehydration topping the list.

I've seen the Animal Doctor work out alternative solutions, like inserting the IV needle underneath the subcutaneous tissues at the back of the dog, till he grows a hump, in which case, the flow of the IV fluid has to be turned off. It can be tedious watching over the dog, turning the IV line on and off, but it gets the much needed fluid back into the dog's system.

In the case of this puppy, I am just using a tuberculin syringe to squirt oral rehydration fluid at the side of his cheek. But it goes out from the puppy's other end almost instantly.

Puppy and I are both exhausted. Its been touch and go during his week long confinement...

...but the ultimate reward for us caregivers, is to see the day when these sick animals spring back on their paws. Cheers!