A Depressing Week
Posted 08-06-2009 at 04:56 PM by Ljonesy
A month ago I got a puppy at a kennel and named the cute little guy Cosmo. He was automatically loved by my family (my parents and siblings, and even neighbors and friends). I chose him out of the three puppies that were at 15 weeks, because he was so passive I thought it was adorable. The kennel gave me antibiotics to give to him twice a day after eating which I found odd (and so did my vet), but they assured me he wasn't sick. the first two days all he did was sleep in his little bed and woke up for water and to pee, which was rather strange but I kept thinking he was stressed. By the end of the second night my mom was telling me that she thought he wasn't going to make the night (as she's had her share of dogs including our current 10 year old Bichon Frise). I looked online to quickly research what to do to get yorkies to eat and if it was common, where I read that your suppose to give them some honey so their sugar levels won't drop too low. I was up til 2 in the morning giving him water with some honey in it and having him drink it from a baby spoon. Out of nowhere he regained energy got up and went directly for the food bowl, it was a miracle. He ate one softened kibble at a time picking one up and putting it on the floor it was adorable and such an exciting moment. I noticed how funky his walk was as he walked diagonally and constantly fell down to the ground, but I thought he was just so little that he had trouble learning how to walk.
I took him to the vet two days later and explained the experience and she felt that he was probably indeed just stressed. As for the walking it was figured that he was also just little and adjusting to learning how to walk. She gave him the shots that were due and I went home relieved that everything was okay. I was (and still am), in love with Cosmo, as I took him everywhere with me and passed up going out where he couldn't go so I could stay home with him.
As the weeks went on he seemed to show no improvements. He continued to hardly eat (I had to leave the food out cause I wanted him to eat). I had even tried wet foods but he just vomited it out. During the daytime I would take him out to a nice empty field with my boyfriend so he could walk around on the nice cool grass but he would just lay on the grass occassionally getting up to follow us and then he'd plop back down. Even in my yard he would lay on the grass or in the flowers, trying to follow me if I walked back in forth like he wanted the energy so badly. Occasionally he would get these crazy bursts of energy like he should have been like normally but it would quickly die out. We also noticed that every night and he would pace the house against the walls to hold his body up almost and he would drool alot and not seem to know when he was tired. It was really upsetting to see as we were very attatched and didn't want to believe that he had a problem, we just thought it was the breed. He was also having a hard time breathing and seemed to have developed a really bad cough and snoring. It was really sad to see because he would try to be like our 10 year old dog by attempting to run around and join us in playing but he didn't understand the concept of the game and would just slowly walk to follow me. We ofcourse at that point took him to the Vets (and it was time for his second set of shots). Boy was I not expecting to hear the news that the vet told me.
First ofcourse I mentioned everything that had been going on and his sudden bursts of energy that seemed to quickly die out. We listed it all out, and then they weighed him and he was 2.4 pounds a month ago and only went up to 2.5 pounds at this appointment. The vet was checking the reflexes and noticed that his hind legs had no reflexes at all. She also noticed he was still lethargic and depressed. With all that she did and the information that was said she gave us the bad news that he seemed to have neurological problems and that they would only get worse as the months go on. Not only that but it was unhealthy that he hadn't gained any weight and he has no feeling in his hind legs (which explained the crooked walking and not being able to stand for long). She told us that the best thing to do was to bring him back to the kennel (cause the contract had a return policy for another puppy), because it would take alot of money to care for him, and it wouldn't have even really done anything for him, not to mention the pain he would have felt. It was a horrifying visit and all I could do was hold him and cry all day and all night. I called the kennel, and the next day I got the vet's letter and my mom and I drove back.
The ride was just so depressing we did stop at a field to play with him so he can eat pee and drink as well, but ofcourse he didn't eat alone drank and peed. He then rolled over on his back so I would rub his tummy. Then he did the usual and walked onto my lap where he layed there for me to pet him. Every that walked by had to pet him cause he was the cutest thing ever. I got plenty of compliments on how passive he was which I couldn't help but tear up and feel like a monster. When it was time to drive to the kennel I was crying the whole way and petted him giving him plenty of kisses.
We got to the kennel and one of the workers watched him walk and saw how lethargic he was. I then had to sign a contract or two for taking back Cosmo and that I was going to pick up another puppy. I asked her what she was going to do with him and she told me in all honesty that they would take him to the vets and then if he was that badly sick they'd have to put him to sleep, because it was for the best. The worker took him (without me saying my full goodbyes), and put him in a cage. She then took a bunch of puppies and put them on the ground in front of Cosmo and was trying to get me to pick one out to take home. It was horrifying I was balling my eyes out looking at Cosmo as he was clawing at the cage door and trying to bite it open (as he has successfully taken off a door of his old Kennel, we found him running around the house). Looking at the other puppies you could see a huge difference, Cosmo had no muscle definition in his legs like they did and he just had a little tummy, it was clear that he was sickly. It was so traumatizing I obviously couldn't choose a puppy, and set up a date next week to look at them. It was just awful and I cried the whole ride home, hoping my mom would drive back to get him (as we were all very attatched).
When we got home all I could imagine was little Cosmo chewing at the cage trying to get back to me. I was having daydreams of driving back to get him and saving him from there but it was for the best. The reality was that the kennel had sold me a sick puppy to begin with, which my parents and the doctor was telling me it just wasn't right (as I felt so guilty for having to do this to him). I cried all night until I fell asleep. I woke up to see the Kennel's number on my cellphone and that I had a voicemail, so I listened to it. It was the most horrifying voicemail, the owner had called me and in a nasty accusing voice she told me there was an abscess on inbetween his eyes and that it was probably infected which probably caused his neurological problems and that he was at a healthy weight and that one of his canine teeth (a baby one) was broken and she was asking what trauma happened to the poor little guy (probably chewing on the bars of that cage of theirs). The woman hadn't even gone to her vet yet and she was making these accusations after such a traumatizing day. We realized it was because the contract said that you could exchange puppies if it was a congenital illness. It was just awful, my mom had to call them the next morning because I was just so upset, and the owner quickly apologized for sounding like that (I don't believe she was really that sorry).
She took him to the vet and their vet found out he had a respiratory infection and that the abscess on his head was infected (which my vet didn't even see and neither did we). It's just an awful feeling cause she's updating us and emailing us to let us know what's going on and it's truly raising my hopes that I can take him home. Unfortunately our vet said he had neurological problems that we couldn't solve so I know in the back of my mind I'm going to have to take home another puppy. I would just love it if he became healthy and energetic like a normal puppy, but he has been sick since day 1, and I can't go through this again. She still has to take blood tests to see if he has liver shunts and I'm going up next week for the puppy. I'm nervous she's trying get me to take him home with me rather than a new puppy so it'll save her money, and so that I get attatched again and will be unable to take him back. How do I know who I should trust? How should I handle this situation? I'm just really confused. The problem is I trust my vet (we've had her for 10 years for our Bichon Biscuit). This week was just terribly depressing.
I took him to the vet two days later and explained the experience and she felt that he was probably indeed just stressed. As for the walking it was figured that he was also just little and adjusting to learning how to walk. She gave him the shots that were due and I went home relieved that everything was okay. I was (and still am), in love with Cosmo, as I took him everywhere with me and passed up going out where he couldn't go so I could stay home with him.
As the weeks went on he seemed to show no improvements. He continued to hardly eat (I had to leave the food out cause I wanted him to eat). I had even tried wet foods but he just vomited it out. During the daytime I would take him out to a nice empty field with my boyfriend so he could walk around on the nice cool grass but he would just lay on the grass occassionally getting up to follow us and then he'd plop back down. Even in my yard he would lay on the grass or in the flowers, trying to follow me if I walked back in forth like he wanted the energy so badly. Occasionally he would get these crazy bursts of energy like he should have been like normally but it would quickly die out. We also noticed that every night and he would pace the house against the walls to hold his body up almost and he would drool alot and not seem to know when he was tired. It was really upsetting to see as we were very attatched and didn't want to believe that he had a problem, we just thought it was the breed. He was also having a hard time breathing and seemed to have developed a really bad cough and snoring. It was really sad to see because he would try to be like our 10 year old dog by attempting to run around and join us in playing but he didn't understand the concept of the game and would just slowly walk to follow me. We ofcourse at that point took him to the Vets (and it was time for his second set of shots). Boy was I not expecting to hear the news that the vet told me.
First ofcourse I mentioned everything that had been going on and his sudden bursts of energy that seemed to quickly die out. We listed it all out, and then they weighed him and he was 2.4 pounds a month ago and only went up to 2.5 pounds at this appointment. The vet was checking the reflexes and noticed that his hind legs had no reflexes at all. She also noticed he was still lethargic and depressed. With all that she did and the information that was said she gave us the bad news that he seemed to have neurological problems and that they would only get worse as the months go on. Not only that but it was unhealthy that he hadn't gained any weight and he has no feeling in his hind legs (which explained the crooked walking and not being able to stand for long). She told us that the best thing to do was to bring him back to the kennel (cause the contract had a return policy for another puppy), because it would take alot of money to care for him, and it wouldn't have even really done anything for him, not to mention the pain he would have felt. It was a horrifying visit and all I could do was hold him and cry all day and all night. I called the kennel, and the next day I got the vet's letter and my mom and I drove back.
The ride was just so depressing we did stop at a field to play with him so he can eat pee and drink as well, but ofcourse he didn't eat alone drank and peed. He then rolled over on his back so I would rub his tummy. Then he did the usual and walked onto my lap where he layed there for me to pet him. Every that walked by had to pet him cause he was the cutest thing ever. I got plenty of compliments on how passive he was which I couldn't help but tear up and feel like a monster. When it was time to drive to the kennel I was crying the whole way and petted him giving him plenty of kisses.
We got to the kennel and one of the workers watched him walk and saw how lethargic he was. I then had to sign a contract or two for taking back Cosmo and that I was going to pick up another puppy. I asked her what she was going to do with him and she told me in all honesty that they would take him to the vets and then if he was that badly sick they'd have to put him to sleep, because it was for the best. The worker took him (without me saying my full goodbyes), and put him in a cage. She then took a bunch of puppies and put them on the ground in front of Cosmo and was trying to get me to pick one out to take home. It was horrifying I was balling my eyes out looking at Cosmo as he was clawing at the cage door and trying to bite it open (as he has successfully taken off a door of his old Kennel, we found him running around the house). Looking at the other puppies you could see a huge difference, Cosmo had no muscle definition in his legs like they did and he just had a little tummy, it was clear that he was sickly. It was so traumatizing I obviously couldn't choose a puppy, and set up a date next week to look at them. It was just awful and I cried the whole ride home, hoping my mom would drive back to get him (as we were all very attatched).
When we got home all I could imagine was little Cosmo chewing at the cage trying to get back to me. I was having daydreams of driving back to get him and saving him from there but it was for the best. The reality was that the kennel had sold me a sick puppy to begin with, which my parents and the doctor was telling me it just wasn't right (as I felt so guilty for having to do this to him). I cried all night until I fell asleep. I woke up to see the Kennel's number on my cellphone and that I had a voicemail, so I listened to it. It was the most horrifying voicemail, the owner had called me and in a nasty accusing voice she told me there was an abscess on inbetween his eyes and that it was probably infected which probably caused his neurological problems and that he was at a healthy weight and that one of his canine teeth (a baby one) was broken and she was asking what trauma happened to the poor little guy (probably chewing on the bars of that cage of theirs). The woman hadn't even gone to her vet yet and she was making these accusations after such a traumatizing day. We realized it was because the contract said that you could exchange puppies if it was a congenital illness. It was just awful, my mom had to call them the next morning because I was just so upset, and the owner quickly apologized for sounding like that (I don't believe she was really that sorry).
She took him to the vet and their vet found out he had a respiratory infection and that the abscess on his head was infected (which my vet didn't even see and neither did we). It's just an awful feeling cause she's updating us and emailing us to let us know what's going on and it's truly raising my hopes that I can take him home. Unfortunately our vet said he had neurological problems that we couldn't solve so I know in the back of my mind I'm going to have to take home another puppy. I would just love it if he became healthy and energetic like a normal puppy, but he has been sick since day 1, and I can't go through this again. She still has to take blood tests to see if he has liver shunts and I'm going up next week for the puppy. I'm nervous she's trying get me to take him home with me rather than a new puppy so it'll save her money, and so that I get attatched again and will be unable to take him back. How do I know who I should trust? How should I handle this situation? I'm just really confused. The problem is I trust my vet (we've had her for 10 years for our Bichon Biscuit). This week was just terribly depressing.
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