By late morning I was getting concerned. Hansi crawled under a sheet of plywood leaning up against the north side of the house, a popular place for the dogs to lay when they need to cool down. I called the Sierra Animal Hospital (SAH) to make an appointment. The earliest I could get was Thursday, but I couldn't wait that long. I was on the phone with a Vet Tech, Christian, who encouraged me to make Hansi some chicken and rice and then bring him in at 3pm. That is what I did.
Dr George was my DVM again and she went down the list of options. Bloodwork, X-ray, digital imagery. "I suggest we start with a parvo test." I agreed, and ten minutes later the results came back "Definitely positive." I was shocked. He had had two booster shots for parvo and yet he still came down with it?
So now my options were either have Hansi hospitalized or give him home treatment, with all the medications provided. I opted for home treatment, since the Sierra Animal Hospital is not really a hospital because there is no overnight staff watching over the animals. I did not want want Hansi dying overnight without me being there. Christian showed me how administer the antibiotic and antiemeric subcutaneously and I went home with $684 worth of drugs and supplies.
The clinic staff encouraged me to apply for Care Credit. I had heard of CareCredit but never though I'd need it. CareCredit is a credit card that can be used for medical, dental, optomical and pet-related medical needs, and payments can be spread out over 18 months. Which means my vet bill will be $38 for 18 months, interest free, as long as I pay off the balance in time. What a relief!
Dr. George told me that Gretel is most likely already exposed to the parvo virus and would likely come down with the dreaded disease as well. But she didn't. She continued to mingle with the big dogs, but was missing her brother whom we had separated in different crates. Her longing for him got worse with each day. She was crying for him and tried to get to him and couldn't understand why we kept them apart. Puppy love is some powerful emotion.
Hansi stayed strong. He never ate, but I was always by his side. At times I swear he looked right at me thanking me for being there. "I got you, buddy!" I reassured him. I stayed by his side for the duration, noting whenever he got up to drink. By Thursday, Day 3, he was repeatedly raising his head and leaving his crate to pee. My hope rose, and I even let my guard down and joined Susan for a quick walk with the dogs down the river later that day I even fell asleep and missed his 6pm medications and IVs. Two days of little sleep before hand had exhausted me. I'd been reading all I could about the virus. All the online literature mentioned Day 4 being the worst. If a sick dog can survive Day 4 of parvo, it stands a very good chance of surviving.
Friday morning, though, he made a turn for the worst, and this is coming with parvovirus. He lay listless in his crate, his body stiff and barely moving. His breathing was elevated. I feared for the worst and considered calling the SAH to get him hospitalized.
But then he started showing improvement again. He appreciated belly rubs and let me know I needed to continue rubbing his belly. He showed life first by raising his head, then getting up, and finally, late in the afternoon, showing an interest in food again. Susan suggested beef cat food heavy in gravy, which we had some of, and he ate it. YES! Two hours later he ate more puppy food, and even trotted outside with Zeke (who surely was not happy about that). I was so relieved now, I told Susan that I needed to get out of the house and get a good hike in. That hike quickly morphed into four people at the San Pedro River for Saturday morning.
I got emotional watching the two pups run and play with each other Sunday late morning. They were both so full of energy, they didn't look like they were ever going to slow down. They ran laps in the yard, jumped into the water trough a few times, pummeled over each other. They were back at biting each other's ears and necks and this time it looks like Gretel has the upper hand now that she's heavier than Hansi. They are resting together in the north-facing bathroom where it's cool, but now I'm going to be watching Gretel intently. She could still come down with the virus.
On Wednesday both pups go back to the SAH for round two of their boosters. Neither dog will be fully vaccinated until round three in July. That's when they also get their rabies shot
***
Sometime early Wednesday I also learned that my second cousin on my dad's side, Cheryl Gumulauski, died of a massive heart attack after being on life support for a week. Someone had posted that on her Facebook page. She was 56 years old. She had served 20 years in the USNavy and retired at age 48 fully disabled and unable to work. She lived in a small cottage in Coupeville, WA. She never married nor had children. We were never close, and her rabid fascination for Donald Trump made us keep our distance these last few years. I was hoping we could resume our interest in getting together and traveling to Lithuania some day once Trump was out of office.
Cheryl was the only relative on my dad's side who showed any interest in my side of the family. She was very interested in her ancestors and family tree. That will now never happen. Cheryl's sudden death had been on my mind as well as Hansi's health. It was some of the worst stress I've had recently.
Covid19 cases continue to rise in the US, and Arizona is one of 21 states where the numbers are spiking again. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/06/13/coronavirus-live-updates-us/
Global cases: 7951,888
Global death: 435,350
US cases: 2,160,574
US deaths: 117,839
AZ cases: 35,691 (+1233)
AZ deaths: 1,186 (+3)
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