Hell and Back

August to September:

I hesitate posting this even now because it’s personal, complicated, and we may not be completely ‘out of the woods’ but here we are with public social media accounts and a website advocating for dogs and their wellbeing; so here it goes!

We recently had a health scare with Emma that led to episodes of uncharacteristic and unfamiliar behaviors. Physically, she remained active and otherwise unchanged. But after observing her for several days, it was time to see the vet. I just knew something was off – call it ‘mother’s intuition’.

It all started with a stormy day so Emma’s anxiety was already elevated. She does not enjoy thunder, lighting, or heavy rains and is not good at self soothing – I accept full responsibility since she mimics me in that sense. Perhaps, my PTSD from a couple of really bad hurricane seasons affecting us both. So, we did what we always do and treated her with calming supplements ahead of the bad overnight storms predicted. A shaking bed woke us up shortly after midnight to find Emma trembling uncontrollably – with tremors? Or maybe seizures? To be honest, the increasing and decreasing intensity between spells made it difficult to distinguish. She was also warm to the touch and in hind sight, we should’ve taken her body temperature to rule out a fever but at the time appeasing her was my priority. Needless to say, it was a worrisome sleepless night. The kind of night that keeps you up for hours wondering if you’ll end up taking a trip to the emergency veterinary clinic. Eventually, she calmed and drifted into a deep sleep. We started the next morning with her normal routine but there was nothing usual about that next morning. Emma (who hardly ever drinks) was abnormally thirsty asking for serving after serving of water and would not even go near her food. *** Ring the alarms *** for this labby girl has never missed a meal!

Fast forward to Monday, August 19th, we arrived at the veterinary clinic as their first appointment that morning. By this point, Emma was back to eating regularly again but still could not get enough water. She would literally stand in front of her water bowl and beg for more. The vet came into the room and I went over the incident experienced (and in great detail, IYKYK me by now) that brought us in that day. She gave Emma a full physical exam and nothing stood out of the ordinary so the next step in the process was to run bloodwork and send it off with a urinalysis. The results came back the following day – a period of 24 + hours that felt like an eternity. The anticipation was killing me (and for good reason) since I felt deep down something was terribly wrong and I wanted it addressed immediately. If you know anything about overthinkers then you know I was also riddled with anxiety so I had gone to barre class that day to quiet my mind and calm my nerves. The call from the vet finally came in shortly after 12 noon on Tuesday while I was in the class. But, I kept my phone right by my side – God forbid had I missed it only to receive the news in a voicemail instead. I could tell by the tone of Dr. R’s voice, Emma’s veterinarian who never gets excited over anything I raise to her attention, she was highly concerned. Alarming elevated kidney and liver function levels amongst other out of range values. My heart sunk! She continued talking on the line going into what it could and could not be but I did not hear much other than the sound of my world crashing down. That may seem dramatic to most people but let me first explain to you that Emma had just been in for her senior check up (which is done twice a year, every 6-months to be exact) two months prior and walked away with a superstar sticker – not really, but you get my drift. Passed her bloodwork, urinalysis, and physical exam with flying colors. The same as months and years prior! So, hearing that suddenly critical organs were threatened was cause for drama. Getting back to the phone call, Dr. R had her suspicions and was already consulting with an internal veterinary specialist to confirm but requested Emma back for another blood draw to start the elimination process. She was put on antibiotics on suspicion of a serious infection and the samples were sent to MSU for further testing (not once but twice) and here is where I speed through the weeks that followed to get to the point of this write-up. Though before I go on, I must preface the rest of this story by assuring you that Emma and I have a trusting relationship with her vet. The woman is brilliant, collected in every sense, and exhibits a sense of energy that just seems to ‘fit’ our ‘pack’.

After two weeks on antibiotics, they confirmed it was not an infection and took Emma off the prescription. Here is where things get blurry because if it wasn’t an infection, what was it then? For a couple of weeks thereafter we returned to retest her blood and urine. Speculation of early kidney and/or liver failure with a suggested ultrasound appointment to confirm was put on the table. That changed the scenario from bad to worse for me. The vet further explained that the chances of reversing chronic organ failure once onset is triggered, was near impossible. Ugh! I wanted to remain optimistic but since my anxiety had the best of me, I spent every minute I could researching options and overthinking every possible scenario in my head. By the start of week 3, her bloodwork had improved dramatically with kidney and liver values back into normal range but still not concentrating her urine. MIND-BLOWING! These results potentially ruled out chronic organ failure and we quickly went from blurry to blind because if it wasn’t the onset of organ failure, then what on earth was it? Dr. R was taking a week off to vacation with family and felt confident in giving Emma’s body another week to recover with the time passing and asked us to bring in a final urine sample upon her return the following Monday. By then, I had already proactively worked out the logistics for scheduling the ultrasound in case it was needed as next step in the process. I’m happy to let you know we never got to it. Into the Monday morning of week 5, Emma’s urine sample finally gave us the number Dr. R needed to say “Emma was back to good” – after ‘hell and back’ for nearly six weeks since her episode.

I sped through the story a bit in the end because the important thing I want to share and the point of this write up as mentioned above is that soon as we received the first round of results with elevated out of range critical organ values, I started researching ‘how to fix kidney and liver issues”. Lots of literature came up with “suggested foods” and I remembered my copies of The Forever Dog and The Forever Dog Life books I keep on hand where I found ‘how to fix kidney and liver issues through diet’ and immediately ‘stepped up’ Emma’s bowl. By the time of her second bloodwork panel, her values were just barely back into normal range. By the third re-test, all back to good. Once again, the focus became feeding her body with the nutrients necessary to heal itself. I’ve said it before and I will continue to say it over and over again so take it as you may, but I strongly believe FOOD IS MEDICINE!

Though we were left with an undetermined clear diagnosis, we have our suspicions of what may have caused the incident and we are taking precautions to make sure it never happens again. Perhaps, an acute injury to her organs caused by a toxin consumed. I am still concerned with potential organ damage and know an ultrasound can give us additional information but we put it on hold to enjoy fall break together last week – SO GLAD WE DID! I rationalize it by telling myself “Emma is back to normal so why do I want to go searching for something that may consume me with worry and anxiety rather than allow me to be fully and positively available to her”.

I am writing about this for the very reason I started this blog site – to share our experiences and advice in hopes that maybe it helps you manage your dog(s) in similar situations. If you take anything away in particular from this post, I leave you to consider these thoughts:

• You know your pets best so watch for signs and expressions when they are trying to communicate; especially, when they are not well.
• Do not wait or hesitate to get them veterinary attention when needed in uncertain situations. Better to be safe than sorry!
• Always consult with your veterinarian and never be afraid to ask questions when advocating for your furry loves.
• And last but not least since I trust in the powerful foods that helped Emma recover, invest in organic locally sourced and sustainably farmed produce and meats for your entire family including your four-legged companions when possible.

As for Emma, she is doing well! In fact, bossy, sassy, and back as we know her demeanor and habits. We are scheduled for a follow up visit to run laboratory assessments again before the end of this year with her senior check up and planning her birthday party in the interim. Our beastie girl is turning 11 soon and we absolutely cannot wait to celebrate her tenacity and zest for life ❣️🐶🙏🏽