After a rather long and sleepless night, I am happy to say that Charles Brown has rallied and will not be fitted with wings and a halo any time soon. Or so says the vet. Now that you know how it ends, heres the story. Mr. Brown had his first (and last) day at doggy daycare yesterday. I was a little concerned when the owner told me at intake that they are getting a swamp cooler installed some time next week, meaning that they have no AC for their dogs. I thought at the time, Hm. Well, shes the professional. I didnt see a single bad review. They must know what they are doing. I am entirely too trusting. They took him to the back to start his socialization process, I signed some papers, and off I went to run errands. Around 4, they called to say that Charles had thrown up and was panting. Knowing that Id accidentally given him second breakfast before taking him in, I explained and said, He pants. Hes a bulldog. If it sounds bad, Ill come and get him. She said that he was fine. She called back an hour later, and he was not fine. He had collapsed. I was out the door and to them in five minutes. Charles was splayed across a tiny, dingy bathroom floor, soaking wet and filthier than Ive ever seen him. He could barely raise his head when I came in. His breathing was terrifying. The owner directed a large assistant to carry him to the car for me, as he couldnt stand up. We rushed to the Emergency Clinic. I called my parents in tears. When we got there, I lifted Charles out of the car. As I tried to shut the door, he slipped out of my arms and staggered and fell over to some small shade a few feet away. His legs would barely stay beneath him as I guided him into the building. The duty nurse took one look at him and tried to take him from me. He wouldnt go. He leaned against me and held onto the floor. I followed her and led him to the back, where they lifted him into a large oxygen box and led me away. The look on the nurses face was not comforting. My mom arrived shortly, as I sat crying in an examining room. She sat with me and reminded me of what a strong and healthy boy our Charles is, and how much we love him, and how much that affects anyones chances of surviving illness or accident. All I could think of was how much I have put him through of late with packing and moving. The vet came in and told us that his temp was 107, enough to destroy the clotting factors in his blood and cause serious damage to his brain and organs. They were trying to bring it down slowly, but his breathing was still stertorous. He was in super critical condition. Mom did a great job of asking questions and understanding the answers, as I was not able to take much in except that he was in mortal danger. The vet left to attend him. We waited, and Mom talked. I calmed down. A while later, she reappeared to say that he was improving and that we might want to go home and wait for news. Theyd call after the bloodwork and x-rays. At some point I gave them a great deal of money. We went back to Momma and Daddys house and had dinner with Katherine and Francis and Rachel, and I went home. Perched up in my temporary home, I awaited their call. They called as promised. He was improving. His temp was down, and his blood work was looking better. He was still retching, but not as frequently. The last call came after midnight. They were pretty sure hed pull through. I should get some sleep. I tried. This morning, I picked him up at the Emergency Clinic and brought him to his regular vet. She told me that he was lucky to be alive, that, in looking at his chart, he had been in great danger. She also told me that, were he her dog, he would never go out in summer heat again. Out to pee, and thats it. Now that he has experienced heat stroke, he is far more likely to have it again, and with more dire results. He is still under observation for the next 36 hours for potential liver and kidney damage, but the vet thought that hed probably be okay. More blood work tomorrow. My lessons from this are as follows: Bulldogs and their short-nosed kin (boxers, pugs, Bostons, etc.) are far more sensitive to heat than other breeds. If you feel like its hot, its probably dangerous to your dog. Even if you dont need AC, they do. Make sure your doggy daycare knows this, and will act accordingly. And that beach trip, unless its at dawn, is probably right out.
Posted on: Tue, 01 Jul 2014 14:37:27 +0000
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