While I would definitely prefer that there be no pandemic, there are a few good things. My quality of life has improved ten fold as a result of not spending nearly two hours in traffic a day going to work. Also I, and hopefully many others, have more time to dig into internal racism work and further understanding systemic racism in this country and figuring out what to do about it.
Most notable at this very moment is the fact that I also have not been spending much money as usual with the lack of eating out and whatnot. When the pandemic came, BU staff was no longer expected to pay for the parking we were not using, an expense which is mind-boggling. Since not having to pay for a parking pass since April, I have saved nearly $500 (I know it’s gross to talk about money but there you have it).
These money-saving things are especially helpful since my sweet Harlow was just diagnosed with the world’s most expensive stomach ache known to man.
Or so I thought.
When I woke too early this morning around 6:30, I was nervous to check my phone, worried that there would be a message from the hospital. That couldn’t be good news so early. There was none. But as I lay in bed scrolling around on my phone the hospital did call. The overnight vet told me that Harlow had finally stopped vomiting and having diarrhea in the evening. She took one bite of food at midnight. Her cortisol levels are high, which according to this vet meant she does not have Addisons.
The overnight vet predicted gastroenteritis, and that I would likely be able to come get her in the afternoon, depending on what her day vet, the vet she had all day yesterday, had to report.
I googled it and found that when a dog is brought in with severe gastroenteritis, it’s routine that many tests are done to rule out all the bad stuff. I do not regret bringing her to the hospital, but as she is a chronic barfer (even Libby texted when I brought her up to speed yesterday “but she’s always been a barfer!”, meaning that there was no way for me to realize earlier than yesterday morning that something was really wrong with her), I think I have a future of worrying every time she throws-up moving forward.
She didn’t stop vomiting for quite a while after the vet gave her anti-nausea meds earlier in the day yesterday, so there was no fixing this at home.
I did felt a bit better about her prognosis, but this afternoon the Vet who had been with her all day yesterday called. She is doing much better. He took her out for a walk and she had energy. She ate half cup of dry food at some point today and as of 3PM had kept it down.
The re-weighed her though, a few times, and she was only 58.5 pounds. She was 55 when she came in, so obviously being rehydrated helped. But six weeks ago she was 67.4 pounds and so the doctor feels that because of this nearly nine pound difference, there is something chronic going on.
So, not gastroenteritis after all.
She is still on anti-nausea meds and the Vet wants her on those for another four days – oral meds once she’s home as I have not yet taken my online IV insertion course for canines. He wanted to keep her for one more night to continue administering fluids and observe her.
But it’s not over when she’s home. In a week or so he wants me to bring her to our regular vet to have her urine checked for proteins. If there are signs of proteins, she’s fine I guess? (Or was it lack of proteins?) And if not, she will need a gastrointestinal scope done to biopsy stuff inside there and determine what kind of GI disfunction she has.
I suspect that the fact that she’s regularly thrown-up for years is a sign she’s had it a long time.
Sorry there is so much mention of throwing up in these past few entires.
I just hope there is a treatment for whatever ailes her.
BEAN'S BABBLETORIUM 