On Thursday Feb18, around 630pm he began breathing difficultly. His respiration rate increased, was doing abdominal (labored) breathing, lost his suckle reflex, and stretched his neck out.
He was taken into MSU Small Animal ER where we were told they believed it was pneumonia. Placed him in an oxygen incubator and his breathing began to improve. We decided to leave him there, start him on IV fluids with antibiotics and all were hopeful he would be alright.
About 1030pm MSU called to say they thought he was still doing better, he had begun to relax, regained a suckle reflex, and seemed to have pepped-up. Great we all thought!
330am Fri 2/19 MSU called again to say he had taken a turn for the worse. His breathing was much more erratic, they were concerned he had entered heart failure. We made plans for him to see a cardiologist in the morning and hoped there was something we could do. In the mean time, supportive care was still being administered.
7am, I got another phone call. He really was not doing well. They believed he was entering soon into cardiac arrest, and would not even make it to the cardiologist appointment.
I, then, drove back to MSU to see him myself. His breathing was the worst I had seen it. I placed my hand in the incubator, by his nose, his eyes semi-opened, and he started to move and then began vocalizing. I knew then and there the right thing to do was to end his suffering, as he was in pain. This was no longer a 'simple' pneumonia case :(
The thing that really confused everyone at MSU was that he never, even at the end, had a heart murmur, but the other symptoms were there. Therefore, we authorized a necropsy to be performed. Preliminary results should be back next week.
The little guy was 2.5 weeks old and a sweetheart already. It just does not seem fair that the first ever Sympa Sheltie to pass was one that barely started his life.
In Memorium -- "Little Boo" (2/1, 8am - 2/19, 730am)
Welcome to the world!
5 days old
1.5 weeks old
2 weeks old
2 weeks old
Aww... how sad, Kelly. Poor Boo... xoxoxo
ReplyDeleteCrissy
Kelly I feel your pain as our losses are still too fresh. there just doesn't seem to be a reason and they are so small that a turn for the worst is upon us before we know it. We will never forget ad I know you won't. Someone wrote me that you will see them in another litter healthy and strong I hope that is true.tears help us heal.
ReplyDeleteKelly, I am SO, so sorry :(. You have been an amazing "parent" to these precious babies. It was not meant to be, and my heart breaks for you. Doesnt seem fair. (((hugs))) Di
ReplyDeleteKelly, So sorry that Little Boo didn't make it. I feel you loss. What a darling - he was so precocious. I've grown to love those little guys in just the two weeks I've been following them.
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