Sick Service Dog

Isaac has been sick for the past week and a half.  Well, sort of.  He threw up six times over a nine-day period.  Other than when he was throwing up, he appeared to feel OK. 

I've spent what feels like a lot of time cleaning up dog puke.  We've made three trips to the vet.  We finally figured out what was going on and (I think, I hope) have a handle on it.

On our second visit to the vet, an x-ray showed what appeared to be a small piece of bone in his stomach.  The piece was apparently too large for him to vomit up and too large to pass on through his intestine.  An ultrasound was scheduled for the following day to get a better look.

Well, the following day, the piece of bone was no longer in the stomach.  It had made its way at last into the small intestine.  That was yesterday.

Now we are waiting to see if it will continue making its way through Isaac's intestines and, um, on out.  The vet is hopeful.  If it doesn't, that will mean it causes a bowel obstruction which can be deadly and requires prompt surgical treatment.

He hasn't vomited in three days and he is active and pooping normally today.  No bone yet, but no symptoms of an obstruction.  Maybe tomorrow.

Isaac Got His Free Service Dog Eye Exam

Isaac got his free eye exam today. In addition to the eye exam, he got a thorough physical, an exam by an orthopedic vet, and an exam by a cardiologist.

Everything was perfect except a slight heart murmur (well, not exactly a murmur, a "slight split S-1 variation," but I'll spare you the long explanation about what that is) which we might get checked out further. However, the cardiologist assured us that it might be nothing and if it is something, it is mostly likely not serious and that Isaac doesn't need to restrict his activity at all.

The staff was all super friendly, they had donuts and coffee and juice for everyone, and treats for the dogs, and we got a tote bag full of goodies.

The vet tech and the cardiologist both said multiple times how well-behaved Isaac was and I was a little surprised by that.  I mean, he is well-behaved, but I figured since they were seeing only service dogs all day, all the dogs should have been pretty well-behaved.  Apparently that was not the case.

Give a Dog a Pill (or Two)

Isaac is on antibiotics because of the dog bite, although it's nearly healed now.  I think he has three more days of antibiotics.  He is supposed to take two capsules twice a day and they are not tiny capsules.  Usually, to give him a pill, I poke a hole in the middle of a slice of hotdog and stick the pill in it.  He gobbles up the hotdog and in the process, the pill gets swallowed.

But these are big capsules.  That wasn't working so well.  So I have been having him sit, prying his mouth open, sticking the pills in, then holding his chin at a tilt and rubbing his throat until he swallows them.  I have to pry his mouth open because he won't open it for me but here's what's funny.  He happily follows me into the kitchen, tail wagging, and sits down to wait for the pills.

After he takes the pills, he gets a bite of hotdog or hard boiled egg or something really yummy.  So even though I have to pry open his mouth, he is happy to come into the kitchen and take him pills.  He is a silly dog.

Bitten at a Dog Park

So Isaac was bitten by another dog last week at a dog park.

I am careful about dog parks.  I take Isaac to them, but we only go to those that are kept clean (which not only means fewer germs around from dog poop but owners actually pay attention to their dogs there), we only go when they aren't too crowded, and we leave if Isaac or another dog is not behaving appropriately.  That means if Isaac decides he wants to hump another dog and he won't knock it off, we leave.  Even if we've only been there 10 minutes.  Yes, that happeneds
But last week.  There were only two other dogs there, both huskies, with different owners.  One Isaac and I had seen there before.  He is older, I think eight years or maybe 10, and he likes to lie in the shade and watch the other dogs run around.  He will play some but he is pretty calm and laid back.  The other dog we had not seen before, but the two huskies appeared to be great friends.

All three were getting along nicely for about an hour.  Then Isaac and the husky we hadn't seen before had a disagreement about something.  I'm not sure what.  I am sure Isaac was not trying to hump the husky.  I don't think Isaac did anything to provoke the bite.  But all over a sudden, they were snarling and going at each other. It was over quickly. Isaac looked OK and we left.

I looked him over in the car before we drove away.  I didn't see any signs of injury.  His face was dirty from playing and I wiped it off carefully, and then looked at the towel to see if there was any blood.  There wasn't.  I decided he was not inured and we drove home.

And then when we were heading into our apartment, I saw a streak of blood on the side of his face.

I was more upset that Isaac was, I think.  It turned out he had three small puncture wounds on his face, one not too deep, the other two deeper.  I admit to panicking a bit.  I washed his face.  I cried.  I called the vet, only to find our vet had closed at noon that day.  I couldn't decide if it was an emergency or not, if I could call the emergency number or not. I thought about calling another nearby vet to see if I could get him in there that day, but felt overwhelmed at the prospect.  I ended up calling the emergency number at Isaac's regular vet.

The vet said he would need antibiotics and to bring him in the next day, so I did.  Isaac is fine with that, because the antibiotics are served with hotdogs.

Isaac has recovered well from his bite and I've recovered as well, though I am still rather shaky.

Free Eye Exams for Service Dogs

It's that time of year again.  Time for free eye exams for service dogs. 

This is a great program offered once a year.  You go to this website to sign up.  They give you a confirmation number and then you choose a participating vet from a list of vets all across the country and call that vet to make an appointment.  It's completely free.

The veterinary hospital I took Isaac to last year for his exam was great.  In addition to the eye exam, he was examined by a general vet and an orthopedic vet.  They served treats for humans and dogs and everyone was really nice.  You can read about it here.  We are going back to the same place this year.

It's a Benign Hemangioma

Got the lab report back today on the mole removed from Isaac's tail.  It was a benign growth called a hemangioma, nothing to worry about.

The incision still looks great.  He can't wait until the staples come out so he can roll in stinky stuff on hikes again.

Updates on Isaac and Hobbes

First an update on Isaac.  He is doing well.  Doesn't seem to be having any pain and his tail looks great.  He is very active and we did three mile hike today.  The weather was gorgeous and his only regret was that he wasn't allowed to run off leash, due to needing to keep his tail clean and dry.

This evening he began acting like his tail was itching.  I think it was itching and not hurting because he would be busying doing something else, dozing or playing or whatever, and suddenly spin around and begin licking or chewing furiously at his tail.  However, the incision looks great, nothing to suggest he might be having increased pain, and also he wags his tail enthusiastically and even thumps it loudly against the walls and furniture, which I don't think he'd do if it was sore.  Plus, when I had staples in my arms, they itched a lot.

I checked with a veterinarian friend of mind, who suggested giving him Benadryl, so I did that.  It seems to have helped a lot.  Shortly after taking it, he went to sleep and is now sleeping soundly.

And an update on Hobbes, the visiting kitty.  She is now settled in to her new home and seems to be doing very well there.  She decided she liked a particular kitchen cupboard, so her new people let her take it over as her own room.  She has a little bed in there and her very own food and water dishes, although she comes out to drink from the communal water dish as well. 

A couple days ago when no one was home, Hobbes decided the dog bed, which was in a nice sunny spot, looked comfy and when everyone returned home she was sunbathing there.  She says the dog bed is hers now, too, when she wants it.  So she is a happy kitty now and I am happy for her.

And He's Home from Surgery

Isaac is home and the vet said the surgery went well but I don't think he is feeling so great.

He wants to play but seems very tired, which seems logical to me. I suggested he just lie down and go to sleep, but he won't listen.  Instead, he starts to prance around and brings me a toy to throw for him, but I won't throw it because he isn't supposed to be running and jumping. Then he dozes off while waiting for me to throw the toy, then wakes up and realizes I haven't thrown it and starts to whine at me. He is very whiny. 

Then he wants to get on my lap. He is very clingy.

Then all of a sudden he starts to chew on his stitches and I have to stop him. Then he falls asleep and starts to snore. He just seems all out of sorts, poor baby.

His incision does look good, six stitches and it doesn't look red or swollen or anything. Whiskers wants to check it out and sniff it good but I told her no.

He's at the Vet

I dropped Isaac off a couple hours ago.  I felt so bad because he had no idea what was happening.  He was just all happy and excited to be going somewhere, although he was disappointed about not getting breakfast first.  But he loves going anywhere, loves riding in the car.  He likes going to the vet.  He was all excited getting out of the van.  He was delighted to see the vet tech, went right to her, leaned up against her, asked for a belly rub.

He looked slightly concerned when he realized I was leaving, but only slightly.  I told him to go with the vet tech and he sort of shrugged and said "OK" and asked her for another belly rub.

Now I am at home without Isaac and it has occurred to me that this is the first time since I've lived in this apartment that I've been here without him.  The first time in almost three years.  I rarely go anywhere without him, but I do occasionally.  But I am never home without him.  It feels very strange and very empty and very lonely and I don't like it at all.

The Service Dog is Having Surgery

Isaac is having surgery tomorrow.  It's a very minor surgical procedure.  He has a mole on his tail and is having it removed.

I discovered the mole about a month ago.  It is on the underside of his tail, near the base.  He was on his back, enjoying a good belly rub, when I spotted it.  At first glance, I thought it was a tick.  That's what it looks like.  It is the size and shape and color of a tick.  And I thought, how on earth did he get a tick in the middle of winter?

Then I looked closer and realized it was not a tick but some sort of growth on the skin.  Like a mole.

So I made an appointment to have the vet check it out. 

It is indeed a mole.  Probably nothing serious, but the vet said the dark color was a bit concerning.  He said we could wait and watch it a while, or he could freeze it off, or he could surgically remove it.  He recommended surgically removing it, because then we could get pathology on it.  Even if it is a melanoma or something like that, it should be easy to remove the whole thing surgically.  The prognosis would be good.

And it will be a minor surgical procedure. He will have a few stitches and have to keep his tail clean and dry until they come out (so no rolling in poop for a week or so) but should recovery quickly and should not have too much discomfort.

I'm not worried about the results of the pathology.  I wasn't worried about anything until today, when I started worrying about the procedure itself and the anesthesia.  He's been under anesthesia before, when he was neutered and again when he had a tooth pulled.  But there is always a risk, with anesthesia.  A small risk, but still a risk.

I think it's going to be hard to sleep tonight.  I'm sure he'll be fine.  But I still think it's going to be hard to sleep tonight.

Service Dog Off Duty

Isaac injured his leg today at the park. He was running and apparently ran into something, maybe a fallen log he tried to jump over, I'm not sure because while he was within my eyesight, I was not close enough to see what happened.

I heard him yelp and then he came back to me limping. At first he wouldn't put any weight at all on his left back leg. Then he started walking on it sometimes, but not all the time, but still limping.

We must have been at least half a mile from our car and I was scared I wouldn't be able to get him back to the car. I thought about trying to carry him but he weighs nearly 80 pounds. There is no way I could carry him. I was considering calling a friend and begging him to leave work to come  help me, but Isaac seemed able to walk as long as we went slow, so that's what we did.

I could tell he was in pain. He was panting heavily and his eyes were really wide. He looked very stressed.

We went to the vet and he as a lot of swelling and a nasty scrape on that leg. Fortunately nothing is broken and the vet does not even think anything is sprained. He has anti-inflammatory medication and unfortunately for him, he will not be able to go for long walks or run or do anything active for two weeks (at least). He will mostly be off work for two weeks, as well, although I may take him to a few appointments I have that will not involve much walking IF he is no longer limping and does not appear to be in pain.

Visit to the Vet Today

Isaac went to the vet today.

He has an ear infection (I knew he did, that's why I took him, he has nasty gunk in his right ear). So he is supposed to get his ears cleaned daily and get ointment put in them twice a day.

He also got a steroid injection for allergies. He gets allergies around this time of year and itches a lot.

The vet looked at his teeth (I was a little concerned because I noticed some tartar on one tooth) and said they don't look bad but that brushing them would be good. Isaac does not like the toothpaste I get at the pet store so I bought a different kind from the vet, which he said most dogs seem to like. He suggested dipping the toothbrush in chicken broth at first to get Isaac used to the toothbrush and I told him I'd been serving slivers of hot dog on the toothbrush and that Isaac likes the toothbrush just fine. The vet laughed and told Isaac, "You're not spoiled, are you?"

Isaac got some treats and a belly rub from the vet. He got a hug from the vet tech. He said it was a pretty good time.

Poor Sick Service Dog

Isaac got sick this afternoon.

On our way home from our trip, we stopped at a park.  Isaac ate a lot of grass, which is not so unusual for him, and he went swimming in a creek and guzzled a lot of creek water, which is very typical of him.  Thirty minutes later, as we were driving down our street, he barfed.  Luckily it mostly went on the floor of the van and not on the seat or on any of my luggage or other stuff.

I walked him around a little outside before heading in, in case he needed to throw up again.  He waited until we got inside the front door, then hurled.  And continued to puke about a dozen more times, all over the carpet.

At first I was thinking it was just from eating too much grass/drinking too much creek water too fast.  But after he threw up the tenth time or so, I wondered if maybe he managed to eat something else he shouldn't have eaten at the park.  He was not out of my sight for long at all, just a minute or two as he ran through some tall weeds and brush from the trail to the creek.  But it only takes him about 30 seconds to inhale a cup of kibble, so he could have gulped down something. 

He never eats inedible stuff, with the exception of poop and old food he finds beside the road and stuff like that.  Things he considers food.  But I mean, he doesn't eat socks or underwear or plastic or string or toys or things like that, which some dogs eat and that often cause serious intestinal blockages.  But he would eat a half-rotten burger if he found one.

He's been sleeping for a few hours now.  He did drink a small amount of water and has kept that down.  He has shown no interest in dinner, which is fine because I was not planning on serving him dinner anyway.  Maybe a midnight snack, a very small snack, if he seems hungry.

I hate it when he is sick.  Luckily it is very rare for him to be sick, but I hate it.  I'd rather be sick myself.  He looks so sad and pitiful.

If he still seems unwell in the morning, I will call the vet.  I think he will probably be OK by then, though.

I have an appointment scheduled in the morning, which I plan to reschedule because I want Isaac to stay home and rest and I don't want to leave him alone.  In the afternoon, I am supposed to tutor, and as long as Isaac seems OK, I will leave him home alone for a few hours while I go do that.  But I don't want to leave him home alone for most of the day, so I plan to reschedule my morning appointment.  Of course, if he needs to go to the vet, I'll do that at whatever time the vet can get us in, so if that means changing my tutoring session, that's what I'll do.

It's hard, deciding what to do when a service dog is sick.  Not only do I have to make sure he is being cared for, but I also have to figure out what I can do without him.  Can I go tutor without his help?  I would rather not, but I can if I have to.  It's different than dealing with a sick pet, though.

The Prettiest Eyes

Isaac had his eye exam today and the ophthalmologist declared he has the prettiest eyes ever.  She also declared he has perfectly healthy eyes.  The dilation of his pupils did not seem to bother him at all the the vet said usually it doesn't, that dogs might squint a little if they are out in very bright sunlight but otherwise they usually seem fine.  It was a gray cloudy day today and Isaac didn't seem bothered by the light or any vision problems at all.

He was also examined by an orthopedic vet, who proclaimed his joints very healthy.

Isaac loved everyone and had a great time except when his temperature was taken.  He seemed rather offended by that, but he forgave the vet as soon as she was done and decided he loved her anyway.

We were given a goodie bag with a yummy dental chew and he enjoyed that in the van before we were even out of the parking lot.

I think it's great that they do these exams free for service dogs and we plan to go again next year.

Isaac Gets His Eye Exam Tomorrow

Isaac is scheduled for his free eye exam tomorrow.  It only occurred to me today that they mentioned dilating his pupils for the exam and that that generally makes one particularly sensitive to light and that that might affect his ability to work for the rest of the day.  I don't know why I didn't think of that until now.  I also don't know why the receptionist at the veterinary opthamologist didn't tell me he wouldn't be able to work the rest of the day, because the exams are for service dogs, so you'd think that would be important to mention.  But they sure didn't.

I am scheduled to do a couple mystery shopping gigs after the eye exam but now I'm not sure if Isaac will be up to that or not.  I guess I'm just going to see how he seems afterward, plus I will ask the vet what he or she recommends.

Free Eye Exams for Service Dogs

If you have a service dog, he may qualify for a free eye exam.  Here's the place to go for more information.  Note that there are some criteria your dog has to meet to qualify, but for those that meet the criteria, it's a great program.  Isaac is already signed up!

Diagnosis Confirmed

I took Isaac to the vet today for an ear infection. I was pretty sure he had an infection in his left ear because he kept shaking his head and when I looked in both ears, the right one looked fine and the left one was very gunky. I mean, very very gunky.

So the vet says, "You know, an easy way to tell if he has an ear infection is to smell his ears." And the foolish man sticks his nose into Isaac's left ear. After which he promptly looked as if he might throw up.

The vet, I mean. Not Isaac. Isaac looked just fine. But the vet looked like he was about to lose his lunch.

Yeah. I am not sticking my nose into any infected doggie ears.

So now Isaac must get his ears washed once a day and ointment put into the infected ear twice a day.  He doesn't seem to mind much.  He is so agreeable.

He was very good at the vet's today, but then, he always is.  However, he did seem eager to leave.  When we came out of the exam room and down the hall to the waiting area, I turned left toward the desk to pay our bill and Isaac tried to keep going straight, to the exit door.  Apparently he was ready to leave.

Even with our service dog discount, today's visit cost me $52.  

I Think It's an Ear Infection

I've decided the ick is Isaac's ear is not mud.  I think he has an ear infection.  It's just in one ear, the left one.  I keep cleaning it out and cleaning it out and there is just more and more of it.  It's like a brownish, kinda thick discharge and occasionally I get a reddish streak or two, not bright red but more like rust-colored, which I think is blood.  I am calling the vet tomorrow.  He doesn't seem to be feeling bad at all, other than shaking his head vigorously at times.  But I don't think it's likely to clear up on its own.

I do not mind taking Isaac to the vet.  I want him to be healthy and get the medical care he needs.  This is a really busy week for me but I will work it out.  Hopefully we can get in tomorrow or the next day.

Well, Ick

File this under the "That is Too Gross" category.

For the last two days, Isaac has been shaking his head a lot.  I thought maybe his ears were bothering him.  Maybe he had an ear infection or something.

So I decided to look in his ears to see if I could see anything. 

The right ear looked fine.

The left ear looked kinda dirty.  So I got a damp washcloth and started wiping out the ear.  I was getting a lot of dirt.  Way too much to be just ear wax or something.  Clumps of dirt.

I think when he was rolling in mud, and probably other stuff, at the park yesterday, he got stuff in his ear.  I gave him a bath when we got home.  But the outside of his ears didn't look dirty so it didn't occur to me that there might be lots and lots of ick inside them.

I sniffed the ick I was wiping out of his ears.  I wondered if it was just mud or something ickier.  But it didn't smell bad.  Didn't smell like anything.

So hopefully it's just mud.  But I don't know.

I cleaned his ear as best I could.  But I can only get so far into his ear with my finger and a washcloth.  And I am not going to try sticking something smaller, like a Q-tip, into his ear.  I don't trust him to hold still for that and I'm afraid I could accidentally jab it too far into his ear and hurt him.

I might have to take him to the vet to get his ear cleaned out.

Ick ick ick.

He's Throwing Up Again

You may remember that last Friday, Isaac threw up.  Well, he threw up again today.  It was just after  noon and we'd just headed out for a walk.  It looked like the remains of his breakfast.  It worried me a bit because, although he only threw up once last Friday and has seemed fine since then, it is unusual for him to throw up.  But I hoped it would be a one-time barf, like last week.

But it wasn't.  I took him back inside and called the dog walker to cancel his afternoon run because I figured running wasn't a good idea with an upset stomach.  And then he threw up again.  Just liquid that time.  And again.

After the third time, I called the vet.  I asked if it might be a reaction to the injection he had for allergies yesterday but the vet really didn't think so. 

I am absolutely certain he didn't eat anything harmful so I didn't know what else it might be. 

The vet suggested I take his temperature.  Don't you love it when vets suggest stuff like that?

Did I post about trying to take Cayenne's temperature several months ago?  I'm pretty sure I did.  It did not work.  And after that, I threw out my thermometer because, well, although I never actually got a temp, it did at least sort of go in her butt.  I just couldn't keep it there long enough to get a reading.  It was not a good thermometer for rectal use, anyway.  It had this flexible tip, which is good for taking oral temps, I guess, it's not real hard and won't hurt your teeth if you bite it... but it's not good for sticking in tight places, if you know what I mean.

I know, ick, right?

But I went to Rite Aid to buy a new thermometer.  I am pretty sure they actually make thermometers for pets but Rite Aid does not carry these.  I got a digital one with a tip that is not flexible.  It is supposed to get a reading in 10 seconds.  I doubt I could hold Cayenne still for 10 seconds, but I figured I could probably get Isaac to cooperate for that long. 

I also bought some of those little plastic sleeves you put over the thermometer.  When I tried to take Cayenne's temp, I didn't have any of those.  I ended up cutting a finger off a latex glove and using that as a sleeve for the thermometer.

When I got home, I discovered Isaac had thrown up again. 

I did manage to take his temperature and it was normal.  He didn't seem to mind that much, really.  He didn't look thrilled about it but honestly, he looks much sadder about taking a bath.

The vet thought it would be OK to watch him through the night and call back in the morning if he's still vomiting then.

It's almost 10 pm now and he had thrown up 15 times so far.  I was getting worried about the possibility of dehydration but he has had something to drink a couple times.  And it's stayed down a while, too, but then he's ended up throwing up again.

Twice I've taken him out to potty and the second time, he not only peed but also pooped and that looked normal.  He seemed interested in going out.  He's been mostly lying down but he has followed me into the bathroom and kitchen several times, like he normally does.  Twice he's brought me his Kong, wanting me to put a treat in it, which I did not do, of course.  He certainly isn't acting normal but he is still showing some signs of interest in his usual activities.

I feel so bad for him.  He looks so sad after he throws up and I feel sad.  Several times I've sat on the floor beside him and cried.

And I feel so anxious.  I need him to be OK.  It's not like I think he's not going to be OK, he'll probably be fine... but I need him to be OK.  I need him.

I'm also tired of scrubbing my carpet, but honestly, I am a lot more concerned about Isaac feeling bad than I am about all the cleaning.