Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Westie Wednesday



I know most of you are aware of what Louis has been contending with, but for those who aren't...

1.  He was bitten on the tail at day care last week
2.  He has had an upset stomach for a week, non-stop

Here is a picture of Louis' tail after the vet shaved it:


Louis continued to irritate the bite, and by removing the hair we have been able to keep the area clean.  He has to take a steroid for 3 weeks, and an antibiotic for a month.  Since it became infected (and skin infections are nasty business), the vet wants to be sure it is all cleared up. 

The vet also suggested "the cone".  I told him that was not a possibility.  And although the steroids will help with swelling and itching, he also gave me a topical spray to further deter Louis from biting, licking or scratching his tail.

The good news is...Louis' tail is looking much better! 




The bad news is that his tummy is still upset.  And not only is his tummy upset, he is exhausted and grumpy.  TEN calls it "roid rage", but from what I've seen on the TV...he's not got enough "rage" to make it legit.  BUT THEN....he has peeped on the rug and the couch.  And I KNOW he is sick.  But...that is no excuse to let all of your good breeding go out the window, now is it?  Yesterday morning I had to put his nose into the rug in the peep to tell him how NOT okay it was :(   Could this be his version of "roid rage"?

Does your pup forget his manners when he/she is sick?  It isn't like when he had an upset stomach all over the place.  That I understand.  He couldn't help that.  But peeping on the couch?  And on the bathroom rug?  Why not on the kitchen linoleum?  Is he simply acting out?

I'm worried that he's eaten a tomato plant.  Which is toxic to a pup.  I'm worried that he has eaten some of the English Ivy that we've dug up in the front beds.  I'm worried that he as had some antifreeze from the driveway when the cab dripped some two weekends ago.  And then it rained.  And perhaps Louis drank it somehow?  I'm worried that my precious little pup has an intestinal parasite.  So, I'm taking one of his poo's to the vet.  In a bag. 

I'm just worried. 

In general. 

Louis is my baby.  The only one I have.  And when he is ill I am worried.  Especially when we don't know what is causing it.  He was ill prior to the antibiotics, so it isn't that.  The vet doesn't want me to give him anything to "stop him up", because if there is an infection or internal problem that will not allow him to get the "sickness" out of his body. 


To top it off, Louis' vet since birth has moved to Colorado.  He loved her.  Dearly.  He would run to her, and jump into her lap.  He would let her do anything to him.  She would drop to her hands and knees to tell Louis that he was the most handsome westie she had ever known.  And now she is gone. 

And Doogie Howser is confusing me with all of these options and medicines.  Completely.  And so I'm taking him a bag of poo.  And I'm hoping for the best.  And I'm pretending like he didn't tell me that Louis needs to be put to sleep to have his teeth cleaned.  Because he isn't even 2 years old yet.  And that is just unacceptable. 

Westie Poops,

T & Louis

14 comments:

Dee Stephens said...

WOW! I hate when the poochies are sick. Stresses me out!
Maybe he has a bladder infection? I don't know.
Buddy has done the tinkle thing quite a bit in the past few months.
The first time is when my Dad came and stayed with us and my Grandmother died. I swear he could sense what was going on. He tinkled all the way down the stairs to the door. It was like he was trying to get out.
He did the same thing at Easter when our niece and nephew were there. I think they make him nervous.
Just remember that dogs sense stress and other things their owners are experiencing.
Hopefully all this will pass.

Annie said...

I hope he feels better soon!

Leslie said...

Oh poor Louis! And poor T! If you aren't confident about your vet, ask around and find a new one. This is an important relationship for you both, and if you can't trust the advice...

Hope the bag of poop gives some clues so you can DO something. I know you feel helpless, and I'm sorry!

Feel better, Louis!!!

jillian :: cornflake dreams. said...

aww your poor pup! i hope he feels better soon! xoxo jillian:: cornflake dreams

Life Through Preppy Glasses said...

aw poor Louis :(. I've missed my dog dearly. Woke up this morning to find her taking up my parents entire bed! haha

Twenty Something Blonde said...

westie poops..hahahaha I'm giggling over here. Which I feel bad about because I feel so awful that Louis isn't feeling well. Poor guy. One day my pup was poo'ing a little blood and I broke down in tears. Uncontrollably. Turns out it was nothing crazy, but I was still inconsolable.

Hope Louis feels better soon! and that you can stop worrying soon too! xoxo

Love Cocktails and puppydog tails! said...

Oh poor Louis!!! I have been MIA for a while and come back to find Louis sick... NO BUENO :( its horrible when your little guy is sick isn't it!!!!! I feel so bad for the little guy! Not only did some other rude pup bite his tail but he is sick too! oh poor sweetie! I as I was reading what is going on with him I thought, You might have his liver and kidney function checked, I had a Scottie growing up that had horrible allergies and was put on steroids and got very lethargic and tired and would just pee where he was standing(or sitting) like he didn't have energy to tell you that he needed to go out(sounds like maybe this might be going on with Louis???). We took him to the vet and it turned out his liver and kidney function were decreased greatly from the steroids. The good thing was that they switched his meds and he was better almost instantly. I hate saying this and sounding ominous but from what you have said is going on with Louis that might be a factor at least in his poor manners where peeing in the house is concerned... I hope he gets better soon, Duncan sends his westie bro support! GET BETTER SOON LOUIS!

Jess said...

So sad!! I hope you manage to figure out what's wrong with him and hope he's feeling better very soon!! As if you need an excuse, but what a perfect reason to shower him with LOTS of love and attention!

Ann said...

Oh poor little Louis. Duke has a certain spot that he keeps doing his business even though he has NO business going there. When i try and scold him for it he's been growling at me. Luckily he doesn't do it often. I think it may be when he's mad at me or something.
Putting a dog to sleep to have his teeth cleaned? Sounds to me like that vet is just out to make a buck.

Anonymous said...

oh Louis - I hope he starts feeling better soon :( Nova sends her love!

Jenny DB said...

OK MANY COMMENTS. DO NOT have your dog put under to have his teeth cleaned. I did that for Bondi last year and it was an AWFUL decision. So traumatic for him that they had to SEDATE him when he awoke in his kennel thrashing about. And then he was drunk for 6 hrs - talk about overkill. ALl while crying AND CRYING from what I can only imagine is pain from them not being gentle. Well Bondi really NEEDS his teeth cleaned regularly (and I don't brush them, I know i'm awful) because of his home cooked diet.. he doesn't get hard food so tartar and plaque builds up. Well funny you bring this up know, guess what I did today? I had Bondi's teeth PROFESSIONALLY cleaned at ALL THE BEST PET CARE - do you have them? It is like a pet store with high end toys but once a month they bring a vet in to do special *anesthesia free* teeth cleanings and it was less than half as much (I paid $150) and only took 15 minutes!! ANd his teeth are just as clean as they got them last year when he was put under. It's a stinking miracle! The vet was soooo good with him too. Bondi really trusted him :-) So I suggest finding an ATB Pet Care of similar option for Little Louis and telling your Dougie Houser vet to go pound sound.

ALSO in regards to the upset tummy - and I consider myself somewhat of an expert in this domain. They are going to have you do every possible option to "rule out" causes ... mostly because this equals $$$ for them. YES he could have eaten something toxic or bad (hopefully not) but none of the tests they're doing would tell you that... the tests are for parasites/worms which he most likely DOES NOT have. TYpically when pups have parasites you can actually SEE them in their stool. And it sounds like Louis is just NOT FEELING good... diarrheah? lethargic? he probably did get into something and he needs time to let his system clear out and the best thing you can do for him is lots of water and a very mild diet until his stomach improves. Like 2/3 rice 1/3 chicken breast for 5 days and then slowly add in his hard food again (if he improves). Of course IF he gets worse then Yes take him to the vet and maybe they'd do IV fluids or whatever, but with generic symptoms vets typically never "determine" the cause, they'll just take your money while they pretend to try... meanwhile HOORAY your pup eventually gets better. (OR he doesn't, like in Bondi's case, and then you really fret and worry and start elimination diets etc. but now I'm getting ahead of myself...)

Diana Chiew said...

Oh dear, it must have been a bad time to see what Louis is going through. Hope he feels better soon.

Mrs. Kindergarten...aka...Madame Spoiled said...

Poor Louis! I am so sad for him! Daisy sends loads of Westie love his way!

Love,
Mrs. Kindergarten and Daisy

Tote said...

I hope Louis feels better soon! It is very upsetting to see them like that. Jake sends Westie love to Louis!

Susan