For the love of dogs…

After the month we’ve had, I’m not going to be surprised if Animal Control knocks on my door and starts asking questions.

Our vet’s office staff can officially recognize all the pups on sight (and knows us well enough to ask about all the dogs, even if they aren’t with us). That’s because we’ve had a total of nine vet visits in the past month. Yes, if you can do math, that’s averaging more than one visit a week…and one of those visits was for two of the pups at the same time.

It started a few weeks ago when I went to pet Jackie goodbye on the way to work and noticed a scratch above her eye. No big deal, right? We cleaned and disinfected it, figuring it would heal in a day or two. Wrong. Turned out not to be a scratch but a very well hidden, deep gash. We initially feared she would require surgery to close the wound. Three vet visits, two antibiotics, one pain-killer and 10 days in the cone of shame later the vet cleared Jackie and she healed all on her own.

Thank God. (Also, we’ve yet to figure out how she did it to begin with.)

Last week, it was Lady Westside’s turn to go in for a check-up and vaccinations. She’s healthy and happy but we have to keep an eye on the pockets of fatty tissue on her abdomen. Apparently, what we thought were cute little fat rolls could potentially become cancerous growths (and yes, we felt like jerks for teasing Lady about her fat).

Unfortunately, the issues we’ve had with those two are a cakewalk compared to Ava. Six months ago, she began having seizures (have you ever experienced a dog seizing? It’s terrifying) and our vet put her on an anticonvulsant. She’s had a few episodes since then, but it’s worked well for the most part. Our real trouble started when we noticed Ava was losing significant amount of weight. Her appetite wasn’t an issue (seriously, this dog is a garbage disposal, she eats everything), so we made an appointment to get her checked out after Thanksgiving. We suspected the weight loss was a side effect of her medication.

But her problems escalated pretty quickly during our trip home for the holidays. She was lethargic and weak. She didn’t growl or bark at strangers (if you’ve met this dog, then you know that’s a cause for concern). One night all the other dogs got riled up and in the excitement, she just collapsed. The next day we took her to a local vet. I was terrified that if we waited just a few days for her appointment, it would be too late.

That vet was able to rule out my worst fears (organ failure) and diagnosed her as anemic. He put her on a steroid as a precaution since he couldn’t positively determine the cause of the anemia.

And then began the endless cycle of vet visits. It took several blood tests but our vets office was eventually able to diagnose Ava with Immune-Mediated Hemolytic Anemia (meaning her immune system is attacking her red blood cells). After a few weeks on steroids and weekly vet visits (with more blood tests…this poor pup is a pincushion), her red blood cell count is almost normal. Behavior wise, she’s so much more like herself (when she growls at strangers in the vet’s office? I could cry from happiness).

We still have a long way to go. While the anemia is under control, her weight continues to drop. Increasing her food intake and even supplementing with wet food hasn’t helped. So now our vet is referring her to a specialist. More strangers, more needles, more tests. But if they can make my big baby healthy again, I’ll happily continue to spend hours every week at a vet’s office.

Because this spoiled, temperamental, possessive, furry baby has been by side (or, really, in my lap) from the moment I first saw her.

And I’d do anything to keep her (and Lady and Jackie) right there.