A NEW record of time between Blog Posts at the other extreme! 4 Days!
The responses I received from several friends I emailed this to, made me to decide to make it public on the off chance that someone might benefit.
An example of the responses: “My goodness, what a revealing story. I had no idea of the consequence of a tick bite other than the words “Lyme Disease.” Now I know now devastating it can be. I’m so glad there’s treatment for Abigail and wish her a full and speedy recovery. Poor thing! What kind of dog is she? I have a miniature poodle and will pay close attention to her, now that you’ve shared your experience. Thanks!”
DAMN Connecticut and Its Lyme Disease !!!!!
Abigail Often Rides on My Shoulders
It has been an emotionally draining morning. I woke up at 7am after 10 hours of deep sleep in the coolness of the tent. I reached out to touch Abigail (rear hip) and she yelped.
I got up, she sat up and did not move further. I picked her up and set her down and her rear end collapsed. I did get her standing and she walked slowly and unsteadily to the house — peeing and pooping on the way.
I carried her to the van and drove the 2 miles down the road to the Vet who was not open yet. The assistants were working and gave me the first open appointment at 10am.
Back home to wait the long 2 hours. Covered Abigail with a cold wet towel as she seemed feverish and I worried! Knowing that I did not have thousands to spend — not even too many hundreds (you can only do so much robbing Peter to pay Paul)
10am arrived and we were at the Vet’s. She did have a fever – 3 degrees high – Vet did an examination of her limbs and head/neck for range of motion and took her for a walk around the clinic. Then she came to talk to me and suggested we test for Lyme first before she discussed the second possibility — adding that both were curable .
I said fine but she has had no ticks on her this season — the response was that this tick, if Lyme, would have been 6-8 months ago! Learned something there!!! Wish I had discovered the Green Mountain Tick Repellent last season!!!
She drew the blood and said the test takes 10 minutes — you can wait in the waiting room, on the porch, which ever you like – I said I will go to the van.
Had JUST settled in when the clinic door opens and the Vet comes out and said the antibodies are so high that the positive was immediate!
Thus the fever and the stiff, painful joints. SO — pain pill 2x a day for a week and an antibiotics pill 1x a day for 28 days.
Then I went into town from the Vet’s to mail the last chick order of the season and to stop at the grocery store for some milk, bacon and cottage cheese — all to help Abigail want to eat before the pain pill.
A big relief — I was worried this morning that I would lose her.
A little background that might help others — Saturday she was off in her left front shoulder/leg — gimpy — I figured she had twisted it jumping off bed or furniture — when she jumps of the bed in the tent each morning, she waits for my okay and then jumps off the bed and out the door to land outside.
Yesterday, Sunday, she seemed a little stiff and slow but the weather was horrible and I was stiff and slow — she was drinking, eating a little and peeing and pooping. Then today she was so helpless! The Vet said that, untreated, it would just have kept getting worse — stiffness and pain and inability to move..
She had a pork medallion and cottage cheese once I settled her into her chair — then her pills and then a good drink of water — the water she insisted I freshen so that was a sign of normalcy !! I have a cold wet dish towel on her while the fever comes down and I will play nurse — work on website and keep her in my sight —
Vet said 1-3 days to start seeing improvement.
It is a good thing I can carry her:)
Late 2010 when Abigail (HRM Abigail of Fayrehale) was 11 weeks old. She will be six years old this fall.
UPDATE:
What a difference 24 hours makes (and the Vet said 1-3 days) — from not using her rear end to jumping in and out of the chair again — out came before in – which just now happened — she barked to go out — and trotted on our walk which went 2 neighbors down when she turned around to head back..
Turkeys were gobbling, flying, playing in the field and she JUMPED up to look, on rear legs, and was ready to give chase but for the leash.
So now we just continue the meds — I never heard about no dairy for antibiotics — and in this case when the vet was mentioning pills I asked about cheese — that should have been the no dairy briefing! Fortunately a friend, who worked for a Vet for years, educated me when I revealed that I had fed Abigail cottage cheese.
So, today’s pre-meds snack was 2 eggs with one bacon sprinkled with dog food — some food was suggested before pain pill — then I just put pills in the back of her mouth, hold it closed and stroke her chin —
Now I have to get myself back in gear
36 hours out — she was eating dog food again and backing up quickly and normally
Abigail was “on guard” last night in the tent when she heard something outside and this morning she jumped from the bed, out the tent door, and landed outside.
What a relief! I have heard from many people that they were totally unaware of Lyme Disease with dogs. Hopefully sharing this experience has helped to make people aware and also to understand that with proper care Lyme Disease can be handled.
