Straydog UPDATE posted FRIDAY 1/17/03 at ~8:30 p.m. CT

(Pat's Dog Log entry for Friday posted at 12:47 p.m. Saturday)

Pat Arnold's Daily Dog Log

FRIDAY JANUARY 17 2003

Brigitte, Gidget and Justin are improving every day

     The three pups, Brigitte, Gidget and Justin, who were starving and covered with mange the day we rescued them on December 27, are so much better now. Their health continues to improve, and their fur is growing back. These three siblings are finally beginning to look like healthy young dogs. We can't figure out what kind of dogs they are, but they are looking good!

     I took them to the vet clinic this morning for their second demodectic mange dip treatment with plans to pick them up around 2:00 p.m. when they'd be dry and ready to come back to the shelter (as the temperature has been in the 30s all day and will be dipping again tonight into the 20s).

Chubs is very sick

     I had no sooner returned from the trip to clinic and walked into our kitchen when Bill announced that during the short time I was at the clinic, little Blind Puppy Chubs had several episodes of severe diarrhea the whole time I was gone, and Bill had been changing potty papers non-stop, cleaning up after the little fellow. Cassie had diarrhea too, but only one time.

     I checked on Chubs and his sister right away, and I could tell Chubs did not feel good at all from the little crying moaning sounds he was making as he slept, which let me know he had a "tummy ache."

A trip to the clinic with Chubs and Cassie

     Chubs had had these same symptoms a couple of weeks ago, which also resulted in a vet trip to the clinic at that time, and after several tests were done then, the doctor gave me medication for Chubs, to restore bacteria into his system. Within three days Chubs was okay again.

     Today I gave sick little Chubs the same medication that I had given Chubs the last time he was sick, and I put him back in his kennel, where he went right to sleep again. Cassie was feeling good and wanted to play.

     At 2:30 p.m. just as I was getting ready to go and pick up Brigitte, Gidget and Justin, I heard Chubs throwing up. This wasn't a good sign at all. I cleaned up his little mess and then called the clinic to tell them Chubs was sick again and that I'd be bringing him in. Then I bundled both pups in a warm blanket and off we went to see the doctor.

     After the same tests were done on Chubs that had been done before (plus I also asked the doctor to do a Parvo test this time, the results of which were negative), the doctor found that Chubs had very little bacteria in his system, the same as the last time Chubs was sick. It was puzzling to the doctor.

     Because Chubs appeared so lethargic while the doctor examined him, I wanted the doctor to give Chubs fluids too while we were there, to give the little pup a boost until the medication kicked in so I wouldn't have to worry about Chubs becoming dehydrated over the weekend.

Chubs felt better by the time we arrived back home!

     As soon as we arrived home with Brigitte, Gidget and Justin (all nice and clean [and dry] from their dip treatment) along with the little pups, Chubs and Cassie, Chubs was feeling much better. The improvement seemed to have come from the fluids the doctor had given Chubs, because I had noticed the very same positive reaction from Chubs the last time he was sick. Chubs had had fluids given then too, and he was much better right away.

     Chubs continued to feel good all the rest of the afternoon and by last evening his bowl movements were back to normal again. I'm to start this pooch on a special home cooked diet now to see if this will help the fellow raise the level of the appropriate bacteria in his system.