Not much time for writing on the blog the last few days as our little puppy Blue was taken ill at the weekend. We still don’t really know what the problem is; our vet suspects a bacterial infection and hopes it is that rather than an intestinal blockage.
On Sunday evening we could tell Blue was not well, as the evening went on she progressed from having diarrhea to starting to vomit and then becoming lethargic. We already had a vet appointment for Monday for Blue’s last vaccinations and so arrived at the vet poop sample in hand (the vet has us well trained) to see if the vet could figure out the problem.
We ended up taking another trip to the vet on Tuesday as Blue was getting worse. Now with some antibiotics, antacids and anti nausea medication Blue is making some progress but in fits and starts. We are optimistic when she eats only to have our hopes dashed when she goes back to not eating the next day and vomiting again. We have had days when she will not eat or drink anything – a worrying situation when she is only a 9 lb. puppy.
Yesterday Blue seemed to be doing a bit better. On Wednesday evening we gave her some of our tried and trusted MSE drench (yes you can use it on dogs too). While Blue hated the taste of it (that’s understandable) we did get most of the ½ cc dose into her. We also syringe fed her chicken and rice baby food to try and stimulate her appetite and gave her a photonic red light treatment for nausea and to increase her appetite. By Thursday morning she did seem a little perkier. Yet another consultation was made with the vet who feels that the antibiotics are starting to have a positive effect and that we should see greater improvement today and Saturday. Let’s hope so!
So with a little sick puppy who did not want me out of her sight (how can you resist those pleading blue eyes) there was not a lot else done around the farm except routine chores. I did manage to do a little spinning as Blue was too lethargic to try and bother my wheel as I used it. She still had her influence though as she had been into one of the bobbins of yarn I was plying and had made a huge tangle of the yarn.
By Thursday evening Blue was up to playing and starting to be able to take a little more food, but the amount she can eat at one time is very small and we are being very selective about what we feed her. We have found a homeopathic anti nausea remedy called nux vomica that seems to help.
It’s difficult to tell what started Blue’s illness, she loves to pick things up in her mouth and while we try and stop her sometimes she does manage to sneak something past us. It’s likely Blue picked up something up that had some nasty bacteria on it which then entered her system. Whatever it is really hit her hard, but it looks as if we might be turning the corner and heading toward Blue’s recovery. Who would have thought we would have missed her flying face licks and cracker dog sessions so much. We look forward to seeing Blue flying through the air at us again soon.
A Taste of Life at Windrush Alpacas 