July 10, 2020

White Dog was “kind of off” according to Steve this morning. “She didn’t eat breakfast and she is shaking. I am going to bring her in for you to look.”

He carried in the Little White Dog of My Heat and she melted deep into my embrace. She was shaking, not quite shivering, but it was uncontrolled. Her panting calmed as I spoke calmly and caressed her but I notice her head was doing an intermittent jerking every few minutes.

I reached for the phone and kept getting the voicemail all lines in use message for Dr. Julia’s office. My Girl seemed warm as I tried again.

Jackie sounded frazzled. “Hi there is something wrong with Siku,” I started and gave her a summary. “I know you are probably swamped but maybe you could run your notes by Dr. Julia or Cindy and we can do a work around her coming in.” Jackie said, “We are double booked all afternoon but let me see what we can do.” She came back to tell me to have White Dog at the office around 2:15 and warned me we might need to leave her so they could squeeze her in as they could. We had a plan.

I put White Dog next to on the bed and curled around her like I used to do when she was a pup. She rested her head on my outstretched arm and I stroked her belly. “Geez, Little One, you are VERY warm. Steve, can you pull the dog thermometer from the First Aid Kit?”

She registered just short of 105 degrees F. I called the clinic back. “I just took her temp and she is at 105,” I told Jackie. “Can you add that to your notes?” “I will but bring her in now. The doctor is not in yet but the staff is here and we can get started on an IV to bring temperature, draw blood, and do all the prep work. Cindy has already called her and let her know White Dog will be in.”

We tried to be patient and calm in the skill our healer has. White Dog was in wonderful care. But she was not HERE and the pack was n the dark. Finally at 4pm I called hoping to just ask Jackie for an update.

Dr. Julia clicked in on the phone. “OK before you bombard me with questions let me go over what we’ve done,” she teased but it was based in knowing this momma too well. “Temperature went up another degree before we knocked it down. It is normal now. We did an ultrasound to check on her pancreatic cyst. It is fine…it did not rupture…it has not abscessed. Her pancreatic enzymes are all fine. In fact, all of the blood panel looks good. No high white count, liver values actually improved, she is not anemic. Minerals all good. We went over her body intensely looking for spider or centipede or bug bites…nada. We did find a small skin tag under her front left arm that was a bit weepy but not infected. In other words, all I can say is she must have had a reaction to something. “

“I would have gone to the pancreas, too,” I agreed. “There is nothing new she is eating. No new bed or blankets or soaps. She finished the last of the antibiotic from the cyst drainage last night. No household chemicals, we are VERY careful about that. I cannot imagine what would trigger a reaction.”

“Think about it and if something comes to mind, let me know. Could be something in the air quality but her lungs are not congested. I am at a loss, except all the symptoms point to reaction, especially since she seems fine now. Steve can get her at the end of the day; I want to watch her a bit more and give her an antibiotic injection. And before she goes I want to get her temp again. But…”

Steve picked up White Dog and rushed home. The pack leader was overwhelmed with sniffs and nuzzles and licks. I picked her up from the crowd. “We must monitor temperature and use children’s Tylenol if it rises again. I am going to go now and do a thorough vacuuming of everything in the office just as a precaution. I promised White Dog that we could order Middle Eastern for dinner. She is starving and she can share your lamb shwarma and rice. I order something all of the others can share. Today wiped me out.”