Our Wheaten Terrier Almost Died

Sorry to have been gone so long.  It has been a crazy week.  A week ago last Saturday, our Wheaten Terrier became sick, and was worse on Sunday.  He was vomiting and wouldn't touch his food.  It took him to the Vet on Monday.  He was concerned, as his temp was 105.2, and they kept him to run tests.  After many tests, the only thing we knew for sure was that he tested positive for pancreatitis.  He was getting worse by the hour, and was obviously in a lot of pain.  He would not even lift his head off the blanket when we came in.  He was on IV's for nourishment, and they began him on antibiotics, and pain meds.  But still, he was in bad shape, and we really didn't know why.  By Wednesday, his condition was so poor, that we had to consider the option of having to put him down.  He had developed explosive diarrhea by this time, in addition to still vomiting, and was just in a pitiful state.  It was so hard to see him, and not have any answers.  We felt like we were in an episode of House.  Did you ever watch that show on TV?  There was always some bizarre case that no one could quite figure out, and in the end, House always did.  But so far, our Vet had not figured it out.  They did a Parvo test, just to ease their own minds, but it was negative.  Then sent out a fecal sample.  And we had given our okay for them to do an ultra sound to rule out cancer of the stomach.  These were the only tests left to do.  And if nothing were found, we knew what had to be done.  We went home that night with heavy hearts.  Ducey is Greg's dog, and the rest of us tolerate him, as he can be a bit overwhelming.  Very high strung, and since we got our lab Dusty, he has been very jeoulous.  Anyway, seeing him so sick was just awful, and all of us so badly wanted him to pull through.  That next morning, the Dr. called with an answer.  Ducey had a parasite.  A parasite that can only be contracted by eating raw fish.   The vet said that once the fish is ingested, there is an incubation period of 7-10 days before the animal shows signs of illness. The only fish that carry it are trout and salmon.  AND they are primarily are found in the Pacific Northwest.  Ducey got sick exactly one week after Greg brought home his prize trout from Big Bear.  We had our answer, and we knew exactly how he got sick!  Greg cleaned the fish in the kitchen, and was tossing the guts into the trash that he would later take outside.  He turned his back for a moment, and Ducey had his face buried in the can, eating fish guts. 
And now it all came together and made sense.  Many local lakes are often stocked with fish from hatcheries out of the Pacific Northwest.  Big Bear Lake had just held a trout fest fishing derby, and the lake had been additionally stocked.  Greg caught Walter.  And he must have been a transplant from a hatchery up north.  This disease was discovered in the late 1800's and dogs would die 10-14 days after the onset of symptoms.  It is fatal in canines.  Bears and raccoons have a tolerance.  We caught it, but it may have been too late.  They cultured it, and zeroed in on the exact antibiotic to best treat it, and kept him on IV, and pain meds, and  powerful antibiotics.  He was dewormed, and treated with all of the best care and medication.  But, how much damage was already done, we just couldn't be sure.  By Saturday night, one week after getting sick, he was stable enough to come home.  So we got all of our instructions for treatment, medications, prescription food for critical care, and we loaded our poor pitiful pup into the car, and took him home.  Mind you, he still had not had any food or water by mouth for 8 days.  And he HAD to have food with this medicine.  That first night, we got the meds down him, but he would not touch the food.  He did want water, and we gave him a little bit at a time.

 We made a bed for him in the kitchen, and gated him off from Dusty.  We both took turns laying on the floor with him that night, we were so worried. 
The next morning, I rolled his pill into the canned food, like a little meatball.  I had to force it down his throat.  And then I rolled 4 more tiny meatballs, and opened his mouth, and coaxed them down, one at a time.  I offered rice and chicken broth, but he still wasn't interested.  By that evening when it was time for meds, I did it the same way, but this time he seemed interested in the meatballs.  So I made his dish again, and finally, he ate.  Thank goodness.  That is when we knew he would make it.  He has shown tremendous improvement each day. 

Today the gate is down, and he is bouncing back rapidly.  He is still weak, and slower than usual.  But he is becoming more like the Ducey we loved, and sometimes didn't, every day.  Thank God!!!  Poor Greg felt just terrible about him getting into the fish guts.  What a freakish thing to happen.  So, if you fish, and you have dogs, and/or cats.....don't EVER clean them in the same area as your pets.  It could kill them.  I don't think Ducey would have made it one more day, had we not discovered the problem and got him on the right meds.  We are so thankful!!

His two front paws were shaved for IV lines, and his bottom was shaved due to the severe burning rash he had from the diarrhea.  I think it will be a while yet, but he is going to be A-Okay. 
So, that's what I have been up to this past week.  What about you?
XO  Kris