In 12 days time i had all 3 of my dogs in for emergencies of different degrees, one being major.

First KayCee, the almost 6 year old golden developed an ear infection. A little over a year ago she had a severe one in her inner ear and it casued vertigo episodes. Nothing like watching you baby dump over forward, staggering to the left into walls, etc. I rushed her to the hospital in tears (had only been about 8 months since I had lost her littermate brother to ProHeart6) and I think they were more worried about me than her.

But this time I caught it early--she was on the bed next to me, rolled over and I could smell that 'beer" smell coming from her ear. As it turns out the infection was just starting at the entrance to her ear canal and on her ear flap itself. Also the other ear was a little pinker than normal. Got ear drops to put in her ears twice a day for two weeks--also to run around on the ear flap.

Less than a week after that it was sprinkling one more--rain eludes us, just enough to get things wet and make it hotter. Well, Honey, our 3 `1/2 year old adopted golden mix does not like to be wet and that morning she would not leave the patio to do business, I left her alone out there for about 10 minutes and she stayed right by the door--getting wet from the water running off the roof. I finally let her in and put in the garage to shake and left her there about 10 minutes.

When i went to get her I saw a "puddle" on the garage floor with chunks of green in it and I knew without a doubt it was D-con rat poison. We didn't have any in the house or garage, but had put some in attic for field mice. We had gotten some stuff out of the attic and I guess a bar got knocked out. Someone did suggest maybe a rat had brought it down. Anyway, I called my vet's office (7:30 in the morning) knowing he would not be there, but the receptionists and kennel workers would for early morning drop off and pick up for boarding dogs and cats. Told me to get Honey right in.

As it happens, Rickey had come in early that morning. He said when they told him Mrs. Slayton was bringing in one of her goldens who had eaten rat poison, he thought there must be a mistake--he knows I would never allow poison in my house with 3 dogs, l cat and 3 grandkids. He was really surprised it was me.

He gave Honey an injection of Vitamin K, something to empty her stomach, and another injection of Vitamin K. She did empty her tummy and there was a couple more chunks of the D-con. Sent me home with 50 Vitamin K pills (and they are not cheap) to giver her over the next 50 days. When she takes her last, I wait 3 days and then take her back in for blood clotting test. If her blood clots okay, she is done. But if it doesn't clot as well as it is suppose to, she will be on Vitamin K longer. He feels she will be just fine as I got her in so fast.

Then came Bucks turn a few days later. He is our 10 year old golden. he developed a hot spot on his knee, on ly the 3rd one in his life. I cleaned it with peroxide and put the Gold Bond powder on it. This was Friday night. Well, he must have licked on it all night as by Saturday morning it was the size of half a dollar bill. That was my birthday and we were going to go to town (Corpus) and the boys were taking us out to eat, and then a party at the youngest one's house. I had put the old cone on Buck that morning to keep him from licking and we had only taken it off for him to eat, drink, and roll around to scratch his back. We were also tied up most of Sunday. By then his knee was looking pretty good.

Well, got up Monday morning and he STANK. Took the cone off for morning feed and drink and the fur on his throat was all wet and matted and his throat was swollen. Instant trip to the vet. Turns out that he slobbered and it ran down the cone and soaked his throat. Between have his throat all wet, the heat, and the cone, he had developed a HUGE hot spot on his throat. They shaved his throat, and even tho his knee was already healing, shaved it also. Put him on a 14 day supply of antibiotics and also steroids that he was to take 3 twice the first day, 3 once the 2ed day, and then 3 every other day. this was for 2 weeks.

Well, kayCee's ear healed just fine, Bucks throat and knee healed just fine, and we still have to wait another 3 1/2 weeks to find out if Honey will need more vitamin K or not.

Meanwhile last week I had to take Buck in for his thyroid check and a 4 months supply of thyroid pills. His thyroid level was perfect, so no change in dosage of the thyroid pills. AND I had to go get KayCee's Synovi G3, which is like $65. Bucks thyroid test was $43 (they didn't charge for office visit) and his 4 month supply of thyroid pills were $82. However, I do get a 5% senior citizen discount. I know it isn't much, but every little tad helps. KayCee's ear infection was actually the least expensive of the 3 visits, but ran almost $100 as I got a 6-pack of Interceptor for the 3 dogs.

Both Honey and Buck's visit was over $100, mostly due to the cost of the drugs. But our babies are worth it!

Yikes, Lady! You've really gone thru it! A neighbor of mine, called a couple of weeks ago. She told me that a friend of her's, had a 3mo old aust. shepherd, that got bit by a rattlesnake in the nose. I have an Icon on my desk top with Foster & Smith Animal Health link. I quickly went to it. copied the info & rushed it to her. The vet was 'unavailable' and everything that my friend had done was the wrong thing. BUT my Hubby rushed the info to her(the bite was 20 min old) well, hrs went by & I still wasn't able to get a hold of the vet for her. But she did what the info. sheet said. 6 hrs later there was a lot of swelling in the dog's face. But keeping the dog calm & the Benidril worked, coated asperin plenty of water/electrolites & Antibiotics that we had on hand, was working. Finally we got the vet on the phone. He said that the shot & IV fluids would be $500...the owner decided against the Antivenom shot. BUT the lil dog did get over it. After 24 hrs. we knew that she would survive(After 48 hrs. we knew that there would be no damage to her Vital Organs) She was fortunate. I don't think that my girls would have made it with out the shots/IV... Their system is much, much too delicate... I'd advise folks to keep the links handy...You never know!!!

Cuter.jpg (30 Kb, 3 downloads) Cuter...Neutered!