I woke up this morning to an empty bed. Almost always, I wake up to my jack russell/rat terrier cross snuggling against me under the covers. And, even when I called for her this morning, she did not appear. So, I ran downstairs to check in on her and she was laying on the sofa. She made no movement toward me and she was shaking. She just didn't seem well.
When I picked her up to say good morning and cuddle her, she seemed painful and even cried out a bit. I put her down and immediately looked her over. She's definitely lethargic, but her gums were pink and she is breathing evenly. She has had issues with a painful disk in her neck/spine before as well as colic. I called them all to go outside, but carried Mackenzie out. She did use the bathroom and had a bowel movement and urinated. Her urine stream appeared normal, but she did seem like she was straining a bit to defecate. However, it was solid and of normal size, shape, and color. When I brought her in, she ran towards the living room, but seemed a bit stiff. Her gait seemed off, but I can't put my finger as to why it appeared that way.
It does not appear to be related to her neck and I did check her rear legs -- I wanted to see whether she developed a luxating patella. She seemed non-painful upon manipulating her legs and she has had no issues holding her head up or even jumping onto the sofa. I then palpated her abdomen and it did feel firm. So, thinking this might be another round of colic, I gave her a quarter tab of Imodium as well as Simethicone (baby gas drops). This is our usual protocol and it typically resolves itself within 24-48 hours.
She did take food as I put the Simethicone and Imodium in a piece of turkey. And, she has seemed a bit interested in her surroundings, though, to be fair, she is a high energy dog and she has been quiet all day. She is passing gas and so I think that is related to everything. Earlier, she felt warm to me, but I didn't want to upset her by taking her temperature. She doesn't feel that way now and is resting comfortably. I just feel badly for her as I know she feels awful when dealing with colic.
I'm going to watch her throughout the day. In my mind, she is not in any need of urgent care at the moment. She is off, yes, but we've been through this before. And, the fact that I work in a veterinary clinic has given me the tools I need to monitor at home. However, if she develops vomiting or diarrhea, I will definitely re-think my plan. She does chew things and so I am always conscious of possible obstructions. However, I am doubting that that is the cause at this point. If she is no better tomorrow, I will bring her in to work with me and she can have an exam and bloodwork. And, I can have radiographs done if necessary. I do think this will pass as she does seem a bit better since the meds, but I am always cautious.
My big fear is that there's something larger at play. While I don't believe that's the case, it worries me nonetheless. I worked overtime last week and we had a puppy hospitalized with parvo as well as another who came in on Sunday and was euthanized due to parvo left untreated (it was a puppy the owners had purchased from someone that morning). I am always conscious of changing clothes before coming home and I never wear my shoes in the house. I also wash up beforehand so as not to spread anything. And, besides, Mackenzie is fully vaccinated (it's my other dog who isn't -- she has severe, life-threatening vaccine and medical reactions). But, seeing ill pups at work certainly raises my guard.
If you can spare some vibes, please think of my baby girl today. I am sitting with her on the couch and she is resting, but I want her to feel better. It's horrible to see her unwell and know there is not much I can do aside from give her medication to help ease her symptoms. Hopefully, she'll be back to her wild self in no time, but, until then, any thoughts and prayers would be appreciated.
When I picked her up to say good morning and cuddle her, she seemed painful and even cried out a bit. I put her down and immediately looked her over. She's definitely lethargic, but her gums were pink and she is breathing evenly. She has had issues with a painful disk in her neck/spine before as well as colic. I called them all to go outside, but carried Mackenzie out. She did use the bathroom and had a bowel movement and urinated. Her urine stream appeared normal, but she did seem like she was straining a bit to defecate. However, it was solid and of normal size, shape, and color. When I brought her in, she ran towards the living room, but seemed a bit stiff. Her gait seemed off, but I can't put my finger as to why it appeared that way.
It does not appear to be related to her neck and I did check her rear legs -- I wanted to see whether she developed a luxating patella. She seemed non-painful upon manipulating her legs and she has had no issues holding her head up or even jumping onto the sofa. I then palpated her abdomen and it did feel firm. So, thinking this might be another round of colic, I gave her a quarter tab of Imodium as well as Simethicone (baby gas drops). This is our usual protocol and it typically resolves itself within 24-48 hours.
She did take food as I put the Simethicone and Imodium in a piece of turkey. And, she has seemed a bit interested in her surroundings, though, to be fair, she is a high energy dog and she has been quiet all day. She is passing gas and so I think that is related to everything. Earlier, she felt warm to me, but I didn't want to upset her by taking her temperature. She doesn't feel that way now and is resting comfortably. I just feel badly for her as I know she feels awful when dealing with colic.
I'm going to watch her throughout the day. In my mind, she is not in any need of urgent care at the moment. She is off, yes, but we've been through this before. And, the fact that I work in a veterinary clinic has given me the tools I need to monitor at home. However, if she develops vomiting or diarrhea, I will definitely re-think my plan. She does chew things and so I am always conscious of possible obstructions. However, I am doubting that that is the cause at this point. If she is no better tomorrow, I will bring her in to work with me and she can have an exam and bloodwork. And, I can have radiographs done if necessary. I do think this will pass as she does seem a bit better since the meds, but I am always cautious.
My big fear is that there's something larger at play. While I don't believe that's the case, it worries me nonetheless. I worked overtime last week and we had a puppy hospitalized with parvo as well as another who came in on Sunday and was euthanized due to parvo left untreated (it was a puppy the owners had purchased from someone that morning). I am always conscious of changing clothes before coming home and I never wear my shoes in the house. I also wash up beforehand so as not to spread anything. And, besides, Mackenzie is fully vaccinated (it's my other dog who isn't -- she has severe, life-threatening vaccine and medical reactions). But, seeing ill pups at work certainly raises my guard.
If you can spare some vibes, please think of my baby girl today. I am sitting with her on the couch and she is resting, but I want her to feel better. It's horrible to see her unwell and know there is not much I can do aside from give her medication to help ease her symptoms. Hopefully, she'll be back to her wild self in no time, but, until then, any thoughts and prayers would be appreciated.
that she feels much better today!
