I Quit. I’m Going Home and Bringing My Toys With Me.

I’m trying to approach this in an amusing manner, because that’s what I do. I laugh things off and quite frankly, how entertaining is it to the internet to hear me whine. But y’all, it’s really hard to be funny about the fact that your 7 month old puppy may be dying right in front of you and there’s absolutely nothing you can do about it. Of course, he also may not be, but quite frankly the not knowing is almost worse and either way you look at it THIS SUCKS. And WAAAAH.

Apparently the reason he was being kind of a twit on his walks this weekend was because he was incredibly sick. With an assortment of things. And I just thought he had a little puppy cold. I am the world’s worst mother.

His hookworms are back, he’s still fighting off the tapeworm, he’s running a fever, coughing, has large amounts of nasal and eye discharge, his appetite is waning, he has no energy, and he’s become a little disoriented.

Unfortunately it’s those last few things that sort of make my vet throw up her hands in confusion. I know I’ve made fun of them in the past, but she’s been really great trying to find out what’s wrong with him. There’s a dog flu going around in some states (although no cases have been reported in Arkansas), it could be a particularly virulent strain of kennel cough or pneumonia, it could just be the hookworms, or most terrifyingly it could be distemper. Here’s what Dr. Google has to say about distemper:

Canine distemper virus is passed rapidly through coughed or sneezed droplets of saliva. It then invades the lymphatic tissue. Within two to five days lymphatic tissue throughout the body is infected. By the sixth to ninth day, the virus is present in the blood. It then spreads to the surfaces of the lungs, intestine and bladder and, on occasion, to the nervous system. Labored breathing and an unkempt appearance are common. By the third week most dogs have either died from the infection or recovered. Exceptions are the cases in which damage to the brain is delayed for up to three months. These delayed cases often show no respiratory or intestinal signs before delayed nerve damage occurs. In a few cases, the virus persists in the eyes, footpads and nervous system. Mortality from the disease is about fifty percent with mild cases showing very few or no disease sign. Most dogs that die from distemper die from neurological complications."

Um, no thank you! We won’t have any of that if you please. Anyway, all we can do is wait. He got his de-worming medicine yesterday for the hookworms, some of his blood has been sent off to Florida to get the flu test but the results won’t be back for 2 weeks, and the best I can do is just see if his new medications work on his symptoms.

It just makes me so angry that some asshat out there had a litter of dogs that they didn’t know what to do with so he just decided to beat on them for a little while and then kick them out on the streets to fend for themselves. It just makes zero sense to me—how does that ever seem okay to someone? Jack never would have gotten this sick if it hadn’t been for his time on the streets and in the shelter, and oh, the fury that it inspires in me is just indescribable.

Yeah, so that’s been fun.

And last night I shot soap in my eye. Because apparently a very persistent someone upstairs wants me blind and the toner didn’t quite do the trick.

Oh, and one last thing, to all of you who keep googling Jackie: The 627 Lb Woman, I’m sorry, this must be a very disappointing letdown for you. Same thing to those of you looking for Brigdette, Holly, and Kendra—sorry, wrong number.

Comments

[Shelley]

Poor Jack, and his Mommy!!! I hope it's just a cold and worms, although that is bad enough. Hopefully he perks up soon!!

[Indy]

Hi, I'm Indy. I'm a Siberian Husky, and my mom and dad and I hand out with a Husky rescue group, so we have seen and heard of plent of sick doggies. You should read about Dante, the foster puppy that stayed with us overnight about a month ago - http://indyscorner.blogspot.com/2005/08/wierd-dogs-who-dont-want-to-play-with.html.

I'm sorry your puppy is so sick. I will say prayers for him!

Michelle sent me.

[Russ]

Hey you. Hang in there for little Jack. My guess it's going to be alright.
I think I'm lucky cause Sunny has a great big yard to play in and she isn't always exposed to some of those things. And I have to add that I am a VERY concerned dad. What? two hairs out of place??? Off to the vet!! You know my vet just bought a new SUV... wonder where he got the money... hmmmm...

[RisibleGirl]

Awww, you poor girl. (and poor Jack).

Jack is young (but not too young) and has that on his side.

He's lucky he has you to care for him and love him.

[Becky]

I guess that's one benefit to living out here in on an island and having such strict quarantine laws. We dont' even have rabies over here. I hope Jack pulls through okay.

[sophie]

I hope you and Jack are both feeling better soon!