For the Love of Pets

Hey guys! Today, I'm talking about something very serious that recently happened to us, and the great people that made it better. If you don't know, Hubby and I have no kids, and we have an awesome little dog, Effie. Effie is 5 years old, and as a miniature schnauzer, has a life expectancy of 12 to 15 years. Recently, Effie got a life threatening illness. I'd like to tell you about the great people that saved her life. 

That's Effie in around January, when she was healthy. Sorry the pic is blurry :/ 

In July, we found out Effie had bladder stones for the second time. If you don't know what that is, think of kidney stones, except in her bladder. The first time, she had surgery to remove them. This time, her new vet recommended a special diet formulated to dissolve the stones. We thought that was great, and would save her from unnecessary surgery. 

By the end of the month, the bladder stones had shrunk by 1/2. We were very excited. We were told she needed another month of food, and they would probably dissolve completely. 

Two weeks into her second round of food, Effie started vomiting. I mean, it was bad. She vomited every 10 minutes. I called Hubby, and asked if I should call the vet. I didn't wait as long as he thought I should. I got her into the vet at 2:30 that day. 

Our vet ran some tests, and gave her an antibiotic, then sent her on her way. By 7 pm, she was shaking uncontrollably. It looked like she was having muscle spasms. I called the emergency vet, and I was told to see if she could walk. She collapsed without taking any steps. We then rushed her to the emergency vet. They ran some tests, and kept her overnight. She was dehydrated, causing her heart rate to rise. That was her heart beating, not muscle spasms. I hardly slept at all that night.

The next day, she tested positive for pancreatitis. We did a weeks worth of fluids - half a day at the vet, half a day at home. Friday, the vet ran more blood. Her liver was failing. We were told if we didn't get her 24 hour care, she would die. I couldn't let that happen, so we drove to Mississippi State University as fast as we could. 

When we got to the Mississippi State University Animal Health Center, we were told that Effie was in pretty bad shape, but with the right care, she could pull through - as long as she didn't have an abscess. 

We prayed and prayed, and got everyone we knew to pray. This is our baby. We were not ready to lose her. They gave her twice the amount of medication our vet did. They did multiple ultrasounds, and finally gave her a feeding tube. 

That picture above - that's halfway through week 1 of her stay. When we went to visit, we knew we made the right decision. The doctors at Miss St. knew exactly what they were doing. 

Effie ended up staying at Miss St. for 2 weeks. The doctors there called us everyday, twice a day. They didn't give her any treatment without consulting us first. They were exceptional.

Effie is back home now, running around and being normal. It was a long hard road, but it was absolutely worth every penny we spent. Honestly, if you are within a reasonable distance, I would totally recommend sending your precious pet to Miss St. Without them, I know Effie would not be alive today.

So, special thanks to the wonderful doctors and support staff at Miss. St. Animal Health Center. You've kept our family together. 

And, if you ever think your dog has pancreatitis, or any other potentially fatal disease, get it the best care possible.

We are going to have to monitor Effie for pancreatitis for the rest of her life, but I'm so glad she still has a life to monitor.

Have a great week everyone!