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NellasMom · 12-27-2012, 12:59 PM

I would like to share my experience with unknown, undiagnosed, and potentially deadly emergencies!!

Nella has been at a 24 hour Animal Emergency Treatment Center since Christmas Eve.

Nella is a spirited 1.5 yr, 5 lb, female Yorkshire Terrier, my baby and a little sister and best friend to Coco - our 5 yr Yorkie male. She is intelligent, spunky, independent, courageous, determined and full of joie de vivre!

She is fearless and always full of energy, so when she became sick this past week it really had me worried. I have always maintained good and quality care for my little girl; she is fed quality foods and has been vaccinated against all known diseases.

Last weekend I noticed her acting strange. She couldn't lay and get comfortable. She was restless from her discomfort. She drank quite a bit of water and ate some food throughout the day and then started throwing that up. I was worried but did not panic because both Nella and her big brother Coco have had "stomach bugs" in the past which cleared up within 1-2 days however this was different.

I took Nella in to see her vet. She was dehydrated and received fluids. I did not know if she ate something she shouldn't have - Nella has a curious and independent streak. She often goes on scavenger hunts around the house (I am a watchdog when it comes to things she should not have access to- yet she does outsmart me!) and quickly and artfully tracks down those things. I mentioned that to our vet and as a precaution he gave her antidote and penicillin injections and an antibiotic treatment to give her at home.

I brought Nella home and she ate small amounts of bland food and was drinking water. Later in the day Nella played with her older brother and her favorite yellow Wilson tennis ball.

The next day, she was resting most of the day - the vet said she may be a little sleepy due to the medicine she was given. She ate some but was not interested in play or any family member. Nella spent most of the day on the sofa looking out the window.

Throughout the night, she had a few accidents around the house. In the morning she was not interested in taking a morning walk and looked tired. I gave her antibiotics to fight whatever "bug" she had and left her peacefully on her bed. Mid day Nella looked really uncomfortable. Her eyes looked a little cloudy. She was sluggish and looked depressed. I became extremely worried by her labored breathing. I wondered "Was this an allergic reaction to the medication I was giving her?". Unbeknownst to me the next 24 hours was going to be the most challenging and testing time in my personal history of dealing with crises.

It was Christmas Eve. I immediately took her to a 24 hour Animal Emergency Treatment Center. Nella was diagnosed with hypothermia (abnormally low body temperature) and dehydration - particularly dangerous for these tinies who have little weight to lose before they are dehydrated and need IV rehydration. Nella's gums were pale pink and her pulse was alarming. She was immediately given IV fluids and was placed on a warming pad to raise her low body temperature. I was told she would have to stay overnight.

The ER vet took a variety of tests and the blood test came back fine with slightly abnormal sugar and red blood cell count levels - we speculated this was mostly was due to Nella's severe dehydration but we still would not know definitely.

Next, Nella began suffering from a severe bloody diarrhea and depression. It became more severe within hours. She got very sick, very fast. The IV fluid therapy kept her from getting a potentially fatal clotting disorder (this disease is often irreversible and may result in death).

She was also diagnosed with sepsis (illness in which the body has a severe response to bacteria where major organs and body systems [kidneys, liver, lungs, and central nervous system] stop working properly because of poor blood flow). She was given antibiotics to combat the suspected infection and a plasma transfusion (necessary to correct her rapid loss of protein). Nothing was guaranteed. The vet said that Nella was so sick that we did not know if her body would respond to the aggressive treatment she was receiving and there was a possibility that, my little Nella, would not make it through the transfusion.

Seconds seemed like hours and hours like days. It was now 2 am on Christmas Day. I was the only person in the ER waiting area. I waited and waited to hear the metal ER door open with news - any news. I had to brace myself for the anything. I was heart broken but had this amazing ability to sustain blissful ignorance that she was going to be okay. She had to be!

I waited longer. I was surrounded by used up tissues and empty Kleenex boxes and the single TV in the reception area switched to a station where all I heard was callers discussing death, dealing with grief and miracles.

My Christmas at the ER was turbulent, painful, lonely, reflective but hopeful. I wanted to see my little girl but was told by a nurse (with tears in his eyes) that the ICU where she was being treated was "chaotic". I could read between the lines; they were doing whatever it took to save my little girl! Finally, the door opened and my heart skipped. I was invited to go see her. She was laying in an incubator surrounded by IV cables, catheders, blood pressure monitoring machines - the total ICU toolkit. It was way too early to tell what would happen and if she would respond to the very aggressive care she was given. She was in the process of receiving her 1st plasma transfusion. She was in her warm incubator, weak, sluggish, surrounded by IV tubes but she was ALIVE!

Iam happy to say that little Nella made it through her most difficult night and has showed signs that she is responsive to treatment. However she is not out of the woods yet! The bacteria is still in her body and is not allowing her little body to fully absorb proteins, she still has bloody diiarrhea and is not interested in food. She continues to be under 24 hour care however thankfully she has been removed from ICU. She is certainly fighting this thing! Her vitals are slowly normalizing and diarrhea has been slowing down (her pad is now changed every hour versus every 15 minutes at her most severe) and I have been able to leave the ER for a bit and care and give support to Nella's brother - Coco - who has been under the care of a family member (thankfully he has not any symptoms of an infection).

The human-pet bond is so precious and unmistakable! My way of I honoring that bond is to agree to every aggressive and costly treatment to save my little girl.

Nella needs to continue with the supportive care to recover. The most frustrating part is that there is no cause to what is going on with her. The ER vets speculated that it could be the HGE (Hemorrhagic gastroenteritis). But that term is just too broad and there is no real cause for HGE either! We tested her for
infectious diseases such as parvovirus and coronavirus; parasites, gastrointestinal all came back negative. TODAY the clinic took blood and gave her the ACTH stimulation test to see if it could be Addison’s disease. We now wait!

Currently (day 3) She is under IV and is receiving food through a nasal feeding tube because she is not interested in the food offered by the vet. Her diarrhea has slowed. Today I tried feeding her when I visited her at the hospital; she was a little curious of the scent, stuck her tongue out and licked her whiskers but wasn't interested in licking the food off my finger, spoon, or the Elizabethan collar she is wearing. She always has been a finicky eater and unless she is relaxed and at home she wouldn't eat.

It's all very frustrating because the doctors have no real, significant answers.
I figured if I write a post maybe someone had a similar crisis with their beloved Yorkie and can give some suggestions, advice, encouragement. At the very least if anyone ever experiences something similar, know you are not alone. This has been a trying week but we are very optimistic and hopeful. Yes, the medical bills are spiraling out of control (we are now at approximately $4000 and no answers) but we have to keep our spirits up!

Thanks all for reading.

12-27-2012, 12:59 PM	#1
NellasMom Yorkie Talker Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Chicago Posts: 13	Mysterious severe GI infection I would like to share my experience with unknown, undiagnosed, and potentially deadly emergencies!! Nella has been at a 24 hour Animal Emergency Treatment Center since Christmas Eve. Nella is a spirited 1.5 yr, 5 lb, female Yorkshire Terrier, my baby and a little sister and best friend to Coco - our 5 yr Yorkie male. She is intelligent, spunky, independent, courageous, determined and full of joie de vivre! She is fearless and always full of energy, so when she became sick this past week it really had me worried. I have always maintained good and quality care for my little girl; she is fed quality foods and has been vaccinated against all known diseases. Last weekend I noticed her acting strange. She couldn't lay and get comfortable. She was restless from her discomfort. She drank quite a bit of water and ate some food throughout the day and then started throwing that up. I was worried but did not panic because both Nella and her big brother Coco have had "stomach bugs" in the past which cleared up within 1-2 days however this was different. I took Nella in to see her vet. She was dehydrated and received fluids. I did not know if she ate something she shouldn't have - Nella has a curious and independent streak. She often goes on scavenger hunts around the house (I am a watchdog when it comes to things she should not have access to- yet she does outsmart me!) and quickly and artfully tracks down those things. I mentioned that to our vet and as a precaution he gave her antidote and penicillin injections and an antibiotic treatment to give her at home. I brought Nella home and she ate small amounts of bland food and was drinking water. Later in the day Nella played with her older brother and her favorite yellow Wilson tennis ball. The next day, she was resting most of the day - the vet said she may be a little sleepy due to the medicine she was given. She ate some but was not interested in play or any family member. Nella spent most of the day on the sofa looking out the window. Throughout the night, she had a few accidents around the house. In the morning she was not interested in taking a morning walk and looked tired. I gave her antibiotics to fight whatever "bug" she had and left her peacefully on her bed. Mid day Nella looked really uncomfortable. Her eyes looked a little cloudy. She was sluggish and looked depressed. I became extremely worried by her labored breathing. I wondered "Was this an allergic reaction to the medication I was giving her?". Unbeknownst to me the next 24 hours was going to be the most challenging and testing time in my personal history of dealing with crises. It was Christmas Eve. I immediately took her to a 24 hour Animal Emergency Treatment Center. Nella was diagnosed with hypothermia (abnormally low body temperature) and dehydration - particularly dangerous for these tinies who have little weight to lose before they are dehydrated and need IV rehydration. Nella's gums were pale pink and her pulse was alarming. She was immediately given IV fluids and was placed on a warming pad to raise her low body temperature. I was told she would have to stay overnight. The ER vet took a variety of tests and the blood test came back fine with slightly abnormal sugar and red blood cell count levels - we speculated this was mostly was due to Nella's severe dehydration but we still would not know definitely. Next, Nella began suffering from a severe bloody diarrhea and depression. It became more severe within hours. She got very sick, very fast. The IV fluid therapy kept her from getting a potentially fatal clotting disorder (this disease is often irreversible and may result in death). She was also diagnosed with sepsis (illness in which the body has a severe response to bacteria where major organs and body systems [kidneys, liver, lungs, and central nervous system] stop working properly because of poor blood flow). She was given antibiotics to combat the suspected infection and a plasma transfusion (necessary to correct her rapid loss of protein). Nothing was guaranteed. The vet said that Nella was so sick that we did not know if her body would respond to the aggressive treatment she was receiving and there was a possibility that, my little Nella, would not make it through the transfusion. Seconds seemed like hours and hours like days. It was now 2 am on Christmas Day. I was the only person in the ER waiting area. I waited and waited to hear the metal ER door open with news - any news. I had to brace myself for the anything. I was heart broken but had this amazing ability to sustain blissful ignorance that she was going to be okay. She had to be! I waited longer. I was surrounded by used up tissues and empty Kleenex boxes and the single TV in the reception area switched to a station where all I heard was callers discussing death, dealing with grief and miracles. My Christmas at the ER was turbulent, painful, lonely, reflective but hopeful. I wanted to see my little girl but was told by a nurse (with tears in his eyes) that the ICU where she was being treated was "chaotic". I could read between the lines; they were doing whatever it took to save my little girl! Finally, the door opened and my heart skipped. I was invited to go see her. She was laying in an incubator surrounded by IV cables, catheders, blood pressure monitoring machines - the total ICU toolkit. It was way too early to tell what would happen and if she would respond to the very aggressive care she was given. She was in the process of receiving her 1st plasma transfusion. She was in her warm incubator, weak, sluggish, surrounded by IV tubes but she was ALIVE! Iam happy to say that little Nella made it through her most difficult night and has showed signs that she is responsive to treatment. However she is not out of the woods yet! The bacteria is still in her body and is not allowing her little body to fully absorb proteins, she still has bloody diiarrhea and is not interested in food. She continues to be under 24 hour care however thankfully she has been removed from ICU. She is certainly fighting this thing! Her vitals are slowly normalizing and diarrhea has been slowing down (her pad is now changed every hour versus every 15 minutes at her most severe) and I have been able to leave the ER for a bit and care and give support to Nella's brother - Coco - who has been under the care of a family member (thankfully he has not any symptoms of an infection). The human-pet bond is so precious and unmistakable! My way of I honoring that bond is to agree to every aggressive and costly treatment to save my little girl. Nella needs to continue with the supportive care to recover. The most frustrating part is that there is no cause to what is going on with her. The ER vets speculated that it could be the HGE (Hemorrhagic gastroenteritis). But that term is just too broad and there is no real cause for HGE either! We tested her for infectious diseases such as parvovirus and coronavirus; parasites, gastrointestinal all came back negative. TODAY the clinic took blood and gave her the ACTH stimulation test to see if it could be Addison’s disease. We now wait! Currently (day 3) She is under IV and is receiving food through a nasal feeding tube because she is not interested in the food offered by the vet. Her diarrhea has slowed. Today I tried feeding her when I visited her at the hospital; she was a little curious of the scent, stuck her tongue out and licked her whiskers but wasn't interested in licking the food off my finger, spoon, or the Elizabethan collar she is wearing. She always has been a finicky eater and unless she is relaxed and at home she wouldn't eat. It's all very frustrating because the doctors have no real, significant answers. I figured if I write a post maybe someone had a similar crisis with their beloved Yorkie and can give some suggestions, advice, encouragement. At the very least if anyone ever experiences something similar, know you are not alone. This has been a trying week but we are very optimistic and hopeful. Yes, the medical bills are spiraling out of control (we are now at approximately $4000 and no answers) but we have to keep our spirits up! Thanks all for reading.