Bill Arnold's Daily Straydog Log

MONDAY JUNE 7 2004

7:00 A.M. UPDATE

Rocky, as we've been reporting, had been improving every day, but last night he had a relapse

     Early evening yesterday Rocky was out in his yard for a potty break, and as I followed him around with a shovel and poop bucket, Rocky suddenly had dark red diarrhea, and he immediately began looking sick again. He did eat a meal a while afterwards, but as the evening progressed, he started looking more and more like he didn't feel well at all. Then in the middle of the night, he had another bout of very bad bloody diarrhea.

     I'll be calling Dr. Reeves as soon as his clinic opens this morning and will drive Rocky to Tyler as soon as Dr. Reeves can see the old fella.

     There'll be no NOON UPDATE (unless I get back on time), but I will report on Rocky's condition as soon as possible.

     How sad. Let's hope and pray that Rocky bounces back again.

3:00 P.M. UPDATE

Rocky's not producing his own platelets, which are needed for the blood to coagulate

     After writing the 7:00 a.m. update I tried to get Rocky to eat something, but he didn't want anything. Then he had very bloody diarrhea again, after which he slumped down onto the ground and was breathing very hard. I got Dr. Reeves on the phone just as he was opening his clinic, told him what was happening with Rocky, and the doctor said, "Oh, no!" the doctor said. "Bring him in now." It was almost 8:30 by the time we got Rocky into the back of the station wagon, where he lay with his head up looking around for the entire hour-long trip.

     When we arrived between 9:30 and 10:00, Rocky didn't want to get out of the car. I lifted him out, and he tried to jump back in, but I pulled him back out onto the pavement of the parking lot, and he just collapsed. I scooped him up into my arms and ran with tears in my eyes for the front door of the clinic where Dr. Reeves was waiting. The doctor took Rocky from me and hurried him back to the examination room. Rocky was now alert again and lay on the table with his head up breathing very hard. The doctor showed me some reddish spots on his belly and said that Rocky was hemorrhaging inside. He then drew blood to send off for the platelets count and then gave Rocky a couple of injections, one for shock. The doctor also began giving Rocky an IV to get fluids in him.

     Dr. Reeves said that luckily Rocky was not anemic and thus would not need a transfusion. He said that he would be giving Rocky a couple of injections a month to help him make platelets and that the old fella should be okay.

     "Thank God!" I said. "I thought we were losing him for sure this time."

     Dr. Reeves will keep Rocky there at the clinic today and overnight, and he may be able to come back home tomorrow along with the other dogs after their scheduled Tuesday afternoon appointments.