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michelle_j_r
17-10-2009, 08:04 AM
Did not get a chance to post about it yesterday but the night before my german shepherd was chasing and playing with the kids totally fine and then yesterday morning i was loading the bags into the truck to head into town and noticed Bundy laying in the sun on the driveway and she just looked up at me... ok, enjoying the sun, lazy dog not going to come for a pat... did another trip into the house for the kids to put them in the car and Bundy STILL did not get up.

Bundy sees the kids and does not get up for a pat?!?!? I instantly knew she had a tick. I had just three days ago been talking to my sister about needing to get tick stuff onto her cos there are paralysis ticks out here but i just had not had a chance and it was on my list to do in town that day. Too late.

I went to her and gave her a pat and tried to help her stand up or move or soemthing just in case maybe she had a sore leg or something else, but no, she totally could not move. Could not even support her own weight if i help her. She just collapsed back onto the ground. Scary. And she just looked up at me soooooo sad. :(

I phoned the vet to say i was coming in and then i had to figure out how to get her on the back of the truck. She is a BIG dog. Just over 30kg!! And the back of the truck bed is up HIGH! I have to assume that the paralysis also meant that she could not feel things so well as i would have had to have hurt her belly trying to pick the poor puppy up and she never complained- just looked at me with those puppy-eyes. I still have no idea how i managed to bundle her up and carry her to the truck :ohmy

But i got her in there, and the vets were great. Her breathing was already laboured and they said she was quite severely effected already (man, it happens FAST!). We found two ticks around her neck in her fluffy fluffy mane. They talked all about the risks of the treatment and what they had to do and the fact that it could take up to a week to recover when they are this badly effected and her not being a super young dog... and then it hit me that this was going to be expensive!

A whole new level of fear! This is my dog! I have no choice but to pay to have her looked after properly! But between $500 and $1000 assuming no massive complications and she is recovered within the week....

she went through the anti-toxin treatment well and now it is apparently a waiting game to see how she recovers from the treatment and how quickly the toxin is bound up and flushed from her system. They are hoping she will be un-paralysed enough to be able to drink water this morning. If not, she will go on a drip.

I got the clothes off the line yesterday afternoon and it felt horribly empty not having Bundy there to say "get out of the bloody road!" to! :laugh and i am anxioulsy waiting for the call this morning to see how she is going because i hate the idea of her alone at the vets and, to be honest, i was not budgeting for these kind of vet bills and i hope she fights it off super fast.:unsure

Hailstorm
17-10-2009, 09:16 AM
oh M how scary!!! Sending a gazzillion healing vibes to bundy poor pup!!!

(sorry so brief meant to be getting ready for work)

Aine
17-10-2009, 09:41 AM
oh this makes me feel so sad... She is going to recover well from this. Much love and dog licks form us

sadly we lost our dog about 12 months ago we were a little behind in getting him to the vet for shots (vet only comes up once a fortnight) hig picked up something that made him vomit up very thing even water and do black inky liquid poo's we tryed to call the vet's emergancy # ( they are 110 kms away) so we could bring him to her but could not contact her had to call the next vet 400 km away and had a phone consolt with the nurse dougle didnt make it through the night... I hate living here

Rinelle
17-10-2009, 03:49 PM
*hugs* Michelle. Hope Bundy improves quickly for you.

And *hugs* to Mon too, sounds like a very sad experience.

mama_bel
17-10-2009, 05:57 PM
Hugs, Chelle, I hope Bundy's on the mend and the bill's less than you expect. xx

Hugs to you Mon. It's sad losing a pet. x

Karena
17-10-2009, 07:06 PM
((((((((hugs))))))))))) Chelle, hope she recovers quickly for you :heart

michelle_j_r
17-10-2009, 07:30 PM
had a call from the vets this afternoon. Not out of the woods yet apparently but she has drank some water without vomitting and is able to lift her head and shoulders up and push up a little so fingers crossed.

Rinelle
17-10-2009, 07:42 PM
Sounds like positive news Michelle.

Hailstorm
17-10-2009, 07:46 PM
That sounds positive M!!! How you holdin up hun?

SeaStar
17-10-2009, 08:47 PM
Oh how sad, and reminds me to put the tick stuff on our dog. We lost a dog several years ago and it is a horrible and quick thing! sending healing vibes to Bundy!

SpringMumma
17-10-2009, 09:14 PM
Hugs Chelle - and speedy recovery vibes to Bundy too!

soulmama
17-10-2009, 10:43 PM
This is rather close to me.... our own little foxy X had a tick about 6 yrs ago and we nearly lost her too. :cry

Cost me a fortune but she's still here driving us crazy. *phew*

Sending healing vibes and strength. :heart

Stardust
17-10-2009, 10:49 PM
Oh Michelle I'm so sorry! Hoping she does make a speedy recovery.

Rinelle
18-10-2009, 07:49 PM
How's she going to day Michelle?

michelle_j_r
18-10-2009, 08:45 PM
going ok. she ate some chicken this morning and can support her own weight. She still can't walk, and apparently her breathing becomes a little laboured when trying to stand up for much. But she is able to do that upright laydown thing that dogs do! and move/shuffle around to get comfy. They have put her on a nice comfy bed :)

The vet says she still can't come home tomorrow. Maybe Tuesday if they see a good improvement but that she still has a way to go. But she is weeing nice! LOL! So looks like no kidney damage.

Rinelle
18-10-2009, 09:32 PM
That's great news Michelle. Very glad to hear she's doing better.

SpringMumma
18-10-2009, 10:01 PM
Whew, that's good news that she's doing well. Hoping she keeps improving quickly and she can come home soon.

Hailstorm
19-10-2009, 02:41 PM
What wonderful news!!! Heres hoping for an even better tomorrow

Aine
19-10-2009, 02:44 PM
im so thrilled she is on the mend

michelle_j_r
19-10-2009, 08:05 PM
Bundy came home this afternoon. Vet said still not out of the woods and to watch her carefully.

She's doing better but still very wobbly on her feet and puffs out VERY quickly. Just walking to the car from in vets had her puffing heaps and when she got home we helped her walk out to the deck and she wanted to go down stairs to do a poo and once she had finished she was too tired to even stand up so she just sat down on the poo! poor puppy.

We made her a nice nest in the corner of the deck and put her dog house up there too so she can rest all comfy. Vet said to confine her for a few days and not let her wander in the yard cos she could easily be too exhausted to get back or get out of the sun or get to water etc and have a heart attack out there.

I hand fed her some chicken and some egg and she gobbled that up. And then had another drink and now has gone to sleep in the corner. Fingers crossed for a good night and a healthier dog in the morning.

Rinelle
19-10-2009, 08:08 PM
Glad she's home. Hope she recovers quickly in familiar surroundings.

Karena
19-10-2009, 09:35 PM
That's great news Chelle, so glad Bundy is home

SeaStar
19-10-2009, 09:43 PM
My fingers are crossed for a healthier puppy tomorrow too!

Sam
19-10-2009, 10:02 PM
Poor Bundy, good to hear she's home, and hope she recovers quickly.

Stardust
19-10-2009, 10:10 PM
Home is the best place for her. Hope she recovers soon xx

SpringMumma
20-10-2009, 10:12 AM
I'm glad she's home Chelle. Here's hoping she improves quickly. No doubt TLC from you and the boys will make a world of difference.

Hailstorm
20-10-2009, 02:45 PM
How is she today M? I hope she's recovering well she sounds like a right trooper!!

numberonedad
29-10-2009, 04:19 AM
I'm very glad she's better. I can't believe a tick can do so much damage.

Moneypenny
29-10-2009, 08:27 AM
yep, i have been there with a long haired german shepard we had as kids. i was in the back of the car finding the tick while mum drove to the vets. we lived on a farm, so we were well aware of ticks and what they could do. She survived and was fine pretty quickly, but she was a much younger dog.

I do hope that the vets are being good with you for the expense and letting you pay it off? I just got my insurance renewal yesterday and noted that we can pay an extra to cover the dog and cats. I think I will do that.

mama_bel
29-10-2009, 11:21 AM
Pet insurance isn't such a bad idea when you think of the expense of a vet...

Moneypenny
29-10-2009, 11:26 AM
Well I had to pay over $200 to get my dog put down just recently when she had bone cancer. My vet is great though and he let me pay it off.

michelle_j_r
29-10-2009, 09:42 PM
it cost me $700 so i might look at pet insurance... not something i have worried about before but that money was a massive chunk out of my backup money (thermomix money!).

But, it's been almost two weeks and she is DEFINATELY better now. Chasing the chooks and all over the yard. :) Such a relief. Finished her antibiotics this morning for the pressure bed-sore type infection she developed as a result of not being able to move.

Now i have to feed her twice as much as usual to put the weight back on cos she lost so much.

Hailstorm
30-10-2009, 08:36 AM
oh that's wonderful to read (not the money bit ) so glad and relieved she's back to her nappy self!!!

Karena
30-10-2009, 10:05 AM
That's great to hear Chelle. I think GIO does pet insurance.