Sick for the Holidays?
This year it happened to me on Christmas Eve. My dog was with me and my family at a lovely cabin in the mountains when she suddenly developed a fever and severe lethargy. Because we were in the middle of nowhere, I decided to make the two hour trip back to the city to bring her to my place of employment (which happens to be a 24-hour emergency clinic and specialty hospital – lucky for me). My dog developed some unusual signs while hospitalized for five days, and they ran pretty much every test possible. Oddly, we never did figure out the cause of her sudden and strange illness. Fortunately, she pulled through and is making a pretty smooth recovery.
There were other dogs in the hospital over the holiday with similarly unexplainable ailments. This makes me wonder why it happens so commonly during holidays. Perhaps, the owners are home from work and seeing symptoms that previously went unnoticed. Or, the stress of the season could prompt an illness that was lying “dormant.” We may never know. However, it reminds me of how essential it is to watch our dogs closely for even the mildest signs of illness, then act accordingly. I feel lucky that I was with my dog so I could get her help in time, and that I saw the signs.
Have you had any unexplained illnesses or close calls with your dog this holiday season? I hope not - but if you have, please share with us by leaving a comment. You can also visit the Dogs Forum and Veterinary Medicine Forum to read more and share stories with other dog owners.
Comments
Thanks for your article on strange dog illnesses and paying attention to your pets. Recently, our lab/collie mix turned two and was rather lethargic. No running, no jumping, etc. Many people told us this was natural as labs tended to settle down when they turned two. But this did not seem like her. We kept watching her and she had a few accidents in the house. We took her to the vet, who informed us she (having been fixed) was one of the few female dogs who needed a low dose of estrogen. We put her on the pills and she is back in rare form again:) Much running, much jumping and trying to steal treats.:)
Yes this was a ruff holiday. Our pack of 8 came down with kennel cough. I have no clue where they were exsposed to it. The weather has had us stuck home and they have not even been on there walks because it has been so icey and cold they have only been on our fenced property. It was scarcy and they are still not them selfs. I cant wait until they are all happy again