Hi all, I just had to write....if for no other reason than to help myself calm my frazzled nerves. We just took my girl Jude (2yo) to a park with trails to visit the breeder we got her from and her litter mate Abbey. We got to the end of the boardwalk, about a 20 minute walk. Up to that point, Jude was having a great time. Not really running, just strolling. Panting but not looking overheated. We'd been giving her water, etc. All of a sudden she started to wheeze and pant terribly. We tried to get her cooled down enough to get back to the car which is air conditioned but finally had to send someone to get the car and beg a town worker to unlock the gate so they could drive out and get her. We then, with the help of these great folks working on the landscaping at the park, hosed her down and raced off to the closest vet. By that point she was sooooo weak Unable to walk on her own. We are so fortunate to have had a vet so closeby, less than 5 minutes. The girl working at the park called ahead for us to give them the information and the breeder drove ahead of us as well. We got to the vets and I jumped out of the car. They ran her into the room, carrying her because she wasn't able to get there on her own. There must have been 5-6 vets and vet assistants working on her. Her temperature was through the roof. They couldn't even get a reading at first! But they were slowly getting it back to normal with the help of ice packs, some medications to slow her breathing a smidge and some cool fluids by IV. They think she'll be just fine, but my god, I'm shaking. I can't believe how quickly she got ill! They say we did all the right things for her, but I can't help thinking that if we had to go further to make it to the vets, we'd have lost her just like that.
She's staying with the vet until later this afternoon just to get her cooled off and under their careful watch. I hate leaving her there.....wish I could hold her. I just pray that she really is better. I'm just not going to feel a bit better until I can see her myself. Melissa
