Bill Arnold's Daily Straydog Log

SATURDAY APRIL 17 2004

MORNING UPDATE

Rocky's prognosis isn't good

     Dr. Reeves saw Rocky at 2:30 p.m. and said the poor, old fellow is not doing well at all. Rocky is very anemic, which indicates that blood is pooling somewhere in his body. The doctor said that the reason Rocky bounced back to normal twice over the past six weeks was due to the meds the doctor had given Rocky, which meds if there weren't something seriously wrong with Rocky (like cancer) would have kept the dog on the mend. But because Rocky has relapsed again--and this time much worse than the previous two bouts Rocky had with this stomach and intestinal sickness--the doctor thinks Rocky's nearing the end.

     The doctor asked me if I wanted him to go all out and try to save Rocky or should he just put him down now since the underlying illness (cancer or whatever) will probably be Rocky's undoing very soon anyway. I did not hesitate with my response because I knew Pat wouldn't have hesitated. "Do everything you can for Rocky," I said. Dr. Reeves said we'd have to leave the old fella with him and he'd report any changes in Rocky's condition. Let us all pray for Rocky as we wait for a call from the doctor.

     Not being here Rocky didn't wake me and Ginger in the middle of the night last night, and when we got up at five this morning, I asked Ginger, "Where's Rocky?" She looked over at the couch and sniffed in that direction, and then I let her out in the fenced yard by herself.

EVENING UPDATE

Rocky's doing better!

     He's still alive, taking IV fluids, and his internal organs are working well, the doctor said by phone. He'll call again tomorrow.

Here's an email that may well have helped

We will be praying for all of you. Carol Lyons

Thanks, Carol, and please, everyone, continue to pray for Rocky's recovery!