Monday June 3, 2024 5:10 pm. Let me try and make sense of the past few days. Friday the 31st started out so good. For the first time since my tumble when the ladder sunk into the ground, I was able to get out of bed without pain in my foot or leg. I changed up Annie’s routine and put in her eye drops before feeding her. When she turned up her nose to her food I thought that might have been the reason. This bouncy puppy was lethargic and avoided any kind of movement.
This brought back how Stumpy was in his last days. I took Annie to the Vets later in the morning. They thought it would be best to drop her off and they would get back to me. It was later in the afternoon the Vet called and wanted to do a test for the parvovirus which can be deadly in unvaccinated puppies. I did a quick check on this virus and was not encouraged. I equated this to a death sentence. When the call came back Annie had tested positive, the doctor assured me there was a fighting chance. I walked back over to the office and left a payment.
For the rest of the day I was numb. Parvo is highly contagious. Fortunately Annie’s playdates were all vaccinated so there was no risk of them getting infected. All my clothes were washed in the hottest water and bleached to kill any virus that might have been on them. Annie’s dog cage, stuffed tiger, and food bowls were all disinfected. I’ll keep her quarantined for the next few weeks.
The office is closed on Saturday and Sunday. The phone call on Saturday was very encouraging. Annie was holding her own and eating well.
Sunday’s call was even more encouraging. Annie had greatly improved and should be ready to return home Monday afternoon. The vet and I both pretty much agreed that had this happened a week earlier when she first showed up, Annie would not have survived. That one week of healthy eating built her up enough to fight that damn virus.
Annie’s sudden arrival has sure changed the tenor of life here. Having the house back to just Holly, Me, and sometimes Snowcat over the weekend was a reminder of calmer times. It sounds horrible but I began to feel such resentment towards whoever abandoned this puppy into my care. The puppy’s life was no doubt saved but my comfortable life was turned upside down with a guilt trip added on by someone unknown to me.
I’ve been spreading the word that once Annie is healthy and back on her paws, I’d be comfortable rehoming her to a forever home. She is getting stronger now and it is amazing to watch her jump straight up in the air now!
Doc explained to me Annie’s eye was defective at birth and she will never have vision through it. He said it is fine as it is. That poor puppy is a fighter. After all she has gone through, she deserves a break…..
Annie will be on pills for a bit to treat her hookworm and the parvovirus. I learned early on with Stumpy when I had to give him thyroid pills, to mix the pill first with a small amount of wet food and once that is cleaned up, feed the rest of the meal. This worked like a charm for Annie.
