My little friend Happy is in the hospital. Here are some details, culled from e-mails to friends.
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Sun, May 21, 2006 at 2:12 AM
I had to rush Happy to the ER tonight. She’s in heart failure.
When time came for bed, 11:45, 5/20/05, she was lying by the TV, as normal. She was alert, watching me, but didn’t want to get up. I picked her up. She yelled loudly, arched her back like she was having a cramp or something. I set her in a chair, petted her, she wouldn’t get up. I set her on the floor, she just stood there.
I called my folks, my Mom, at my brother’s in northern cal. We agreed I should take Happy in. She seemed better on the ride up, stood in the seat, eager to get out when we arrived. But when I went through the door, they said her color was bad, like not enough oxygen. They started using words I don’t care for, such as “Stat.”
She has fluid on her lungs. She’s in an oxygen cage. I got to reach in a pet her, and she wanted so much to get out. She’s on Lasix, I think enalapril, they might do nitroglycerin. The vet said she’s doing better – breathing better – and he was “pleased that she’s responding.” She’ll be in the hospital at least until tomorrow night, probably Monday morning, then go to her regular vet.
I’ll go and visit her in the morning, and afternoon…
Please pray!
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When time came for bed, 11:45, 5/20/05, she was lying by the TV, as normal. She was alert, watching me, but didn’t want to get up. I picked her up. She yelled loudly, arched her back like she was having a cramp or something. I set her in a chair, petted her, she wouldn’t get up. I set her on the floor, she just stood there.
I called my folks, my Mom, at my brother’s in northern cal. We agreed I should take Happy in. She seemed better on the ride up, stood in the seat, eager to get out when we arrived. But when I went through the door, they said her color was bad, like not enough oxygen. They started using words I don’t care for, such as “Stat.”
She has fluid on her lungs. She’s in an oxygen cage. I got to reach in a pet her, and she wanted so much to get out. She’s on Lasix, I think enalapril, they might do nitroglycerin. The vet said she’s doing better – breathing better – and he was “pleased that she’s responding.” She’ll be in the hospital at least until tomorrow night, probably Monday morning, then go to her regular vet.
I’ll go and visit her in the morning, and afternoon…
Please pray!
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Sun, May 21, 2006 at 8:58 AM
I talked to a vet tech about an hour ago, who said that Happy is doing better – breathing better. She ate some breakfast. They’re going to do another xray in a few hours, and maybe start weaning her off oxygen. I’m going up in an hour, as soon as the vets’ rounds are over, to see her.
I’m still at my parents’ house. (I’ve been Happysitting here since Wednesday.) It’s very lonely here!
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I talked to a vet tech about an hour ago, who said that Happy is doing better – breathing better. She ate some breakfast. They’re going to do another xray in a few hours, and maybe start weaning her off oxygen. I’m going up in an hour, as soon as the vets’ rounds are over, to see her.
I’m still at my parents’ house. (I’ve been Happysitting here since Wednesday.) It’s very lonely here!
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Sun, May 21, 2006 at 1:13 PM
I went up to visit Happy a little less than 3 hours ago, and took her coon — a little softie toy that looks like a raccoon. I knelt on the floor next to her cage for a while, and petted her through a hole. She wanted out pretty bad, and kept putting her head out through the hole, putting her paw on my hand whining. “Kyo get me outta here!” (She calls me Kyo – all dogs do.)
I went up to visit Happy a little less than 3 hours ago, and took her coon — a little softie toy that looks like a raccoon. I knelt on the floor next to her cage for a while, and petted her through a hole. She wanted out pretty bad, and kept putting her head out through the hole, putting her paw on my hand whining. “Kyo get me outta here!” (She calls me Kyo – all dogs do.)
The O2 cage is Plexiglas, with a porthole in the front which can be opened for visits, and a pee pad under her. I would go crazy in a box like that in about a minute. I have to close my eyes for a CT scan, or I get claustrophobic. But I just gently pushed her back inside. It’s strange, the things we do for love.
The vet came over soon and said that she’d just come on shift, but the other vet had reported Happy doing “much better.” The plan was to wean her off O2 gradually today, and possibly send her home tonight. It depends on how she does as the O2 is decreased to normal. Otherwise, tomorrow. I hope she’s doing well enough to come home tonight. But the vet lowered the O2 while I was there, and said Happy showed a little labor in breathing.
She looked pretty good to me, except for being upset at being jailed. So it’s wait and see this afternoon. I’ll be calling for an update in a little while, maybe going for another visit (it’s only 10 miles.) And hopefully, I’ll bring her home to sleep in her own bed.
Thanks for your prayers, everybody!
The vet came over soon and said that she’d just come on shift, but the other vet had reported Happy doing “much better.” The plan was to wean her off O2 gradually today, and possibly send her home tonight. It depends on how she does as the O2 is decreased to normal. Otherwise, tomorrow. I hope she’s doing well enough to come home tonight. But the vet lowered the O2 while I was there, and said Happy showed a little labor in breathing.
She looked pretty good to me, except for being upset at being jailed. So it’s wait and see this afternoon. I’ll be calling for an update in a little while, maybe going for another visit (it’s only 10 miles.) And hopefully, I’ll bring her home to sleep in her own bed.
Thanks for your prayers, everybody!
Metaphor 