Catscankim
Well-Known Member
Sorry, i didnt know what else to name the title.
A year ago, almost exactly, my boss called me and asked me to take in her friends 13 y/o dog. Its her best friends dog, who was going into hospice for brain cancer. Carol couldnt take her because she has 4dogs and tried, and they didnt get along.
I really have no experience with dogs. At the time, my best friend just died, and apparently she loved my cat so much, she took Sophie with her two weeks later. I was reluctant to take the dog, but didnt want her in a shelter, so i became Abbys mom.
She is a deaf, older Catahoula. Only 45 lbs when i got her, but i fixed that lol.
she is such a good dog. Follows me everywhere, gets along with the cat, and wants to make friends with every dog and child in the neighborhood. For me she is perfect...shes already a “done dog” lol. No training needed. She learns hand signals and knows “mom face”. I even taught her how to sit for a treat, which i dunno why she didnt know this before, or maybe she did and just needed a refresher course, but im gonna take credit for it anyway.
This morning she followed me to the bathroom as usual (apparently i must have a secret back door that shes afraid i will escape from). i went back to bed, and she went back to her bed on the floor next to mine. But she was restless and kept getting up and sniffing the bathroom door, like she does when waiting for me. Went back to her bed and kept repeating the cycle. I thought she was sleepwalking or something cause she did it over and over.
So i got up to let her know where i was, and she just leaned on me. I gave her a good scratch down and directed her back to bed. She couldnt walk. Her whole right side is gone and her left eye is crazily going back and forth, like vertigo, but one eye is completely still. She is having a stroke. I work in a neuro science hospital, i am trained in stroke, maybe not for dogs...but this is a stroke without a doubt.
By that point I had to get ready for work. I put her bed in the bathroom and got her in there to lay down, shut the light off and closed the door, after i took a video of her.
I texted my boss that i was running a little late because something was wrong with Abby. She stayed and worked my shift and sent me home after watching my video.
Abby is sleeping comfortably right now on her bed. I dont want to disturb her because everytime i go in there she is happy to see me and tries to get up.
I know I am being selfish, but i know that if i take her to the vet, i am coming home without my dog. I cant even pick her up now by myself. So i called my friend, who is at work and he will be here in an hour or so. He seems to think i should give it a day or two, the selfish part of my brain thinks that gives me hope...only hearing what i want to hear.
I just got off the phone with my boss, and she said i need to let her go. I just dont know if i can do it. She is also emotionally attached to Abby...it was her friends dog and thanked me for being a good mommy.
So of course over the last hour or so i became a google veterinarian. And all the symptoms are real. But most of the sites say that dogs recover much better than ppl. That theres no treatment for dogs, its a wait and see game over the next few weeks.
I guess the real decision will be made when John gets here.
A year ago, almost exactly, my boss called me and asked me to take in her friends 13 y/o dog. Its her best friends dog, who was going into hospice for brain cancer. Carol couldnt take her because she has 4dogs and tried, and they didnt get along.
I really have no experience with dogs. At the time, my best friend just died, and apparently she loved my cat so much, she took Sophie with her two weeks later. I was reluctant to take the dog, but didnt want her in a shelter, so i became Abbys mom.
She is a deaf, older Catahoula. Only 45 lbs when i got her, but i fixed that lol.
she is such a good dog. Follows me everywhere, gets along with the cat, and wants to make friends with every dog and child in the neighborhood. For me she is perfect...shes already a “done dog” lol. No training needed. She learns hand signals and knows “mom face”. I even taught her how to sit for a treat, which i dunno why she didnt know this before, or maybe she did and just needed a refresher course, but im gonna take credit for it anyway.
This morning she followed me to the bathroom as usual (apparently i must have a secret back door that shes afraid i will escape from). i went back to bed, and she went back to her bed on the floor next to mine. But she was restless and kept getting up and sniffing the bathroom door, like she does when waiting for me. Went back to her bed and kept repeating the cycle. I thought she was sleepwalking or something cause she did it over and over.
So i got up to let her know where i was, and she just leaned on me. I gave her a good scratch down and directed her back to bed. She couldnt walk. Her whole right side is gone and her left eye is crazily going back and forth, like vertigo, but one eye is completely still. She is having a stroke. I work in a neuro science hospital, i am trained in stroke, maybe not for dogs...but this is a stroke without a doubt.
By that point I had to get ready for work. I put her bed in the bathroom and got her in there to lay down, shut the light off and closed the door, after i took a video of her.
I texted my boss that i was running a little late because something was wrong with Abby. She stayed and worked my shift and sent me home after watching my video.
Abby is sleeping comfortably right now on her bed. I dont want to disturb her because everytime i go in there she is happy to see me and tries to get up.
I know I am being selfish, but i know that if i take her to the vet, i am coming home without my dog. I cant even pick her up now by myself. So i called my friend, who is at work and he will be here in an hour or so. He seems to think i should give it a day or two, the selfish part of my brain thinks that gives me hope...only hearing what i want to hear.
I just got off the phone with my boss, and she said i need to let her go. I just dont know if i can do it. She is also emotionally attached to Abby...it was her friends dog and thanked me for being a good mommy.
So of course over the last hour or so i became a google veterinarian. And all the symptoms are real. But most of the sites say that dogs recover much better than ppl. That theres no treatment for dogs, its a wait and see game over the next few weeks.
I guess the real decision will be made when John gets here.
.
