Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Afterward (Roxie's Condition)

Roxie wasn’t released until one o’clock the next day. She was in the animal hospital over 24 hours and came home after she was deemed healthy and out of medical danger. She began eating solid food and drinking water on her own sometime in the middle of the night during her hospital stay. We will never know what caused her condition. The veterinarian release papers maintain the Hemorrahagic Gastroenteritis diagnosis, after ruling out any other major illness including blockages in her digestive tract and poisoning.

My instructions were to continue giving her small amounts of a bland diet several times a day. Since her hospitalization, I have restricted her exercise and access to doggie “junk” food. When she first got home her diet consisted of one part boiled burger, chicken, or cottage cheese mixed with two parts rice. I was additionally instructed to slowly introduce kibble into her diet. I decided to give her a low fat kibble that is for sale only at our local high end pet food store.

Two weeks have passed since Roxie’s illness, and she is thriving. She has lost about two pounds, and I am working to help her regain her weight. She and I are back to taking our daily walk, but I’m not taking either of my dogs to the dog park anymore. I can’t get over the idea that the use of reclaimed drinking and irrigation water may have caused this problem. Many thanks to the veterinarians and nurses at SAGE Emergency Veterinary Clinic. I truly believe they saved her life. 

No comments: