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Boo Bear I was only 4 months old when I came to the Rescue House from dubious puppymill origins (I was raffled off at a pre-Christmas craft show in pathetic condition, malnutritioned, infested with internal parasites & a fungal infection that no one knew about). I was lucky enough to be won by someone who really cared about dogs and passed me on to Lynda & Charlie. Although I was very timid & easily frightened, I quickly learned how to play, especially with my favorite red teddy! This pic was taken just 3 wks after my arrival when I had gained almost 10 pounds and looked great! You can't even see my broken tail or mishapen ribs, but I still had a fever that wouldn't go away. The initial diagnosis was a bacterial or virul-based muscle inflammation |
 Jan.29/04 |
complicated by parasite infestations (roundworm & whipworm); but a week of antibiotics produced no results. I was exhausted & couldn't lie down to sleep because it was too difficult to breathe. Lynda knew the signs of respiratory distress & a chest xray confirmed excessive fluid around my heart & lungs; the result of a nasty fungal infection (blastomycosis) that had invaded my respiratory tract & central nervous system. I was very sick now. The complication was hyperprotienemia', and I had to stay in the hospital for 5 days. Dogs need a certain level of protein in order for their cells to be able to maintain fluid in the cell structure. Since I was still underweight for my age, my protein levels dropped and my body cells started releasing fluid into my chest cavity (sort of like internal sweating). They gave me 2 pints of plasma in an urgent attempt to artificially raise my protein levels & buy some time. I would like to be a doggie blood donor when I get big & strong & healthy again, so I could help to save some other doggie life ! |
| For the next couple weeks, I went to the vet almost every day & sometimes twice a day, to have a needle stuck in my sides to drain off the fluid so I could breathe. Even though I didn't have much of an appetite, I tried my hardest to eat whatever good food Lynda cooked for me... boiled chicken, rice, venison. My favorite was boiled chicken livers and I tried to eat at least a pound of them every day. Soon my protein levels returned to normal & I didn't need to get stuck with a needle every day. |
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 Mar.17/04 |
But then the fungal infection invaded my eyes and everything went dark. My doctor doesn't have much hope that my vision will return, so I'm getting used to the disadvantage of blindness. I follow my nose and Lynda put bells on the other 2 dogs so I can follow them more easily. I have a pair of "Doggles" that are great because they reduce the damaging effects of the wind & sun that make my eyesballs swell with glaucoma. They also give me the mysterious movie-star look! |
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I have a warm fleece coat that my Godnanny Nanny made for
me....stylish
& it hides my skinny body as well as keeping me warm since I don't
have much fur & no body fat to insulate me. Red is definitely
my color and the plaid is very manly ! Thank you to my guardian angel, Godnanny Nanny. |
| The fungal infection caused bone & skin lesions on my chest & legs which swelled & ruptured. Lynda washed them all out with hydrogen peroxide until they healed. My doctor gave me doggie aspirin & liquid pain relievers to bring down the fever & help control the pain, but after almost a month of treatment the fungal infection was still advancing. The pain medication really hurt my tummy & gave me a severe stomach ulcer. The anti-fungal created 2 severe bouts of digestive upset with vomitting & diahrea (so much for maintaining body weight!). Things were not looking good at all. Lynda & Charlie rotated shifts so there was always someone with me. I was fed food & water by oral syringe... but I was getting weaker & losing the struggle. |
 March 2004 |
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I was hospitalized again & given ulcer medication and a different anti-fungal drug. My fever dropped & I started to feel better right away, but I was caught in a vicious cycle-- my body weight was too low to be able to tolerate the harsh drug; but I couldn't gain weight if I didn't eat enough. The drug upset my digestive system & made me feel sick. I had to take another pill to try to counteract the side effects of the fungal drug & settle my tummy. I also had to take ulcer medication to heal my ulcer. Lynda used magnets, massage & alternative methods to relieve any pain, since aspirin & NSAIDS were a no-no with the ulcer. I lived off vanilla ice cream for the next couple weeks ( I still get my dish of ice cream every day to supplement my body weight). |
| Since I was so thin & frail, I could not wade through the
deep
snow in the kennel run, so Lynda dug out tunnels & troughs for me
to
walk through. This made it much easier for me when there was a
walled
path to follow since I was also blind. My condition has been
gradually
& steadily improving. I just kept struggling & NEVER gave
up. I'm just a puppy & I have a full life to live yet! I am still too thin but the worst is finally over I hope. I will have to take medicine for a few months yet... but by summer, I hope to be romping with the other houndies. I am now the pack mascot & lucky charm ! |
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