Down But Not Out

I'm hoping Bug has nine lives like a cat. He's used up two of them, in my opinion. The first was the diabetes diagnosis about a year and a half ago. The second was last Wednesday.

We picked up Bug from the vet ten days ago after spending several days in Florida. They told us he did great all week and he seemed fine when we got him home. Then he developed a cough over the weekend. A few days later, he started trembling like he didn't feel well. All symptoms we'd see before, after he'd been boarded for a long period of time. Doc had said, then, that he could have caught something at the kennel and to just wait it out. So I didn't think much of it. He was getting back to normal when Perry texted me Wednesday morning and said Bug wasn't walking and his eyes were bouncing back and forth.

We took him to the vet and the doctor said Bug had suffered something like a stroke. A circulatory accident to be exact. The vet said he didn't see any red flags, yet, and wanted to give him a shot to see if his head could be straightened out. We took him home and made him as comfortable as possible, both of us thinking the worst. I had to feed him by hand, he couldn't stand over the bowl. He could hardly stand to do his business outside. We had to carry him in and out of the house all day. And he still had accidents in the house despite our efforts. We called our parents and told them what was going on. It was so hard for me to go to sleep that afternoon. But it was an emotionally exhausting day and I had to work that night. So I eventually drifted off, teary eyed.

We took Bug back to the vet Thursday morning. His eyes were still dancing, like he had no control over them, but he was actually trying to walk this time. His head was pulling to the left, so when he did try to walk, he'd fall down or go in circles. But he was trying. The doctor decided to give him another shot and we left with a pack of pills to give him over the next four days and plans to check back on Monday. And gradually, each day, he got better.

I took him back to the vet today and got a new pill to add to his routine. Plus a temporary one for an ear infection. So far, it looks like he's pulled through it. His head is still pulling to the left and I don't expect that to go away. We will still have to carry him in and out (and more times a day apparently) because he can't navigate the steps. He's also become more picky about food, which I'm still hand feeding him. He won't eat his dry or canned diabetic food. I've learned he likes turkey. And will tolerate some "moist and meaty" packs. But at least he is eating, he is walking (or wobbling), and he's still fussy and loud.

So this 84 year old dog now has arthritis, diabetes, cataracts (he's pretty much blind), peridontal disease and blood pressure issues. And the ear infection. He's snoring right now and that's comforting because it's normal. It's actually quite soothing. I don't think he'll ever fully rebound, but he's not giving up. And neither are we.