Posts Tagged ‘distemper’

Bucky

Saturday, February 26th, 2011

I remember the day I first heard about you, I was on the phone with Bobbi and she was worried about you and Ginger…how both of you were found by Michael (the same Mike who found Zeke who is now adopted) in the freezing cold through the winter blizzard. She was worried about how much space we have at the shelter since we were packed…luckily the very next day we got two free cages and Bill and Rose who was helping to take care of you in their home transported you to Vetport.

I remember the first time I saw you, you looked so sad and quiet in your cage…I asked Olua “is he friendly?” as I opened up your cage door and I leashed you and you jumped up to look at me. Boooyyy you loved to jump! lol I remember the first time I put you in the outside run and you jumped the 7 foot fence!! You had so much energy yet you never ever pulled not even if you were interested in playing with another dog. I would have so much slack on the leash, even if I dropped it you would walk right by my side. Sometimes you would look up to me with your “hug me” eyes and jump up on me, my god you were tall! I swear another inch and you would be 5’5 lol but of course I would push you off with a command and you respected it and kept walking but always looked up at me. You and Ginger were inseparable. You would stop dead in your tracks and start crying if you see her from a far. You guys wouldn’t eat if you didn’t eat together or at least see each other.

I remember the first time I noticed something wrong it was Friday morning (2/18/11), at first I thought it was nothing but Kennel Cough so I put you on meds like we normally do.

Saturday morning (2/19/11) the winds were 50mph and freezing, you could barely breathe. I thought it was from the cold wind but I had Christine take you to the vet just to make certain it wasn’t anything worse. You came back with some meds for upper respiratory infection, they did blood work and sent to the lab just in case.

Sunday morning (2/20/11) I was excited because you and Ginger were getting adopted. Michael (who found Bucky and Ginger) came by around 9am to walk you and Ginger (I told him to not walk him for too long because you were sick and on meds). Michael was concerned but I assured him you would be okay a lot of the dogs recover faster at home, so he took you on the walk and came back. You didn’t have the same energy as you did… when I went in your room to check up on you you were laying there in the corner of your cage covered in your own drool, shaking and heavily breathing…I immediately called one of our volunteers Melissa who was going to take Duke to the vet for a dip…But I had to give her Bucky instead.

While all this was going on I called the adopters who were supposed to pick them up today to tell them the bad news about Bucky and see if they would take Ginger until Bucky was feeling better =o( But they really wanted to take both of them at the same time so they said they would wait till Bucky got better. When Melissa came back to the shelter after taking Bucky to the vet her pants were covered in Bucky’s drool =o( The vet did xrays of the lungs and abdomens and a urine sample and kept him for observation. The lungs seemed to be cloudy but nothing that bad to cause such horrible symptoms. They said one side of his heart was slightly larger and one of the veins that pumps blood to the heart was pronounced but don’t know why.

Monday (2/21/11) was a stressful day transporting a kitten that was found on the expressway (whole other story) and dealing with how sick I was over Bucky, but they decided since he started eating a bit he could go back to the shelter so Jose (our night shift supervisor) came that night to pick him up…I was still worried. Couldn’t sleep.

Tuesday morning (2/22/11) I came in to the shelter and you were acting even worse…you didn’t even want to walk. So horribly lethargic. I called Laura (our shelter manager) and she came rushing to take you to the hospital. They put you on fluids because you were dehydrated and wouldn’t eat…They couldn’t figure out what was wrong with you. Dr. W and his team of vets met up was going to meet up Wednesday morning to talk about what they could do for you. Dr Rafael decided to perform a tracheal culture and send it to the lab, but results won’t come until Friday =o(

Wednesday (2/23/11) I get a call from Bobbi saying Bucky is not doing too good and it looks bad they think he has distemper. Me and Jackie (a volunteer) went to go visit him see how he was… Jackie , so sweet, had bought him some toys from Petco and some chicken hoping he might eat something.

When we got there I could not believe my eyes… The same dog who jumps fences as high as 7 feet was laying there with his eyes droopy, banging his head against the cage door and staring into space. I wanted to turn away, my eyes started tearing up…Jackie looking at me as she was leaning over trying to get him to stop shoving his muzzle into the cage door saying “OMG, Sonia why is he doing that, look at his nose it’s all bloody” we were both getting choked up with how horrible he looked. I opened the cage door and he got up one of the vet assistants said “OMG he is standing” like he hasn’t done that in awhile. He wouldn’t even look at us…I don’t even think he knew where he was…

Dr W came in and told us all the symptoms he is having looks like distemper and there seems to be brain damage showing neurological signs and there isn’t a cure. He told us it is 50/50 chance he can either take a turn for the worse or getter better. Before putting him back in his cage he threw up what seemed to be blood.

I was speechless in how fast he got this horrible. As we got back in the car Jackie started crying and all I could think is how the hell could this happen to such an amazing dog. We were all praying through the night that he makes it. I could not sleep nor eat, I stood up all night long to research more about distemper.  Jackie came across a website for this new treatment that is being practiced in the South West called NDV Newcastle Disease Vaccine. I planned on bringing this up to the vet the very next day.

Thursday morning (2/24/11) Bucky has taken the turn for the worse. Tracy (one of our staff/volunteers) visited him at the hospital and called me up crying. I called Dr. Rafael around 4:30pm to talk to him about the NDV, he said he will do some research and to call him back at 6:30pm. When I called him he said he looked over some stuff and said that there are different reviews about the treatment but want’s to learn more and do some more research tonight and give me feedback tomorrow morning… but in Bucky’s case he said it looks like he is not responding to any of the treatments so far and his case is really severe and is suffering. Dr Rafael gave me two options… either we put him in induced coma which will put him in a relaxed sleep so he wont feel any pain and can rest, but it won’t make him heal up any better or faster it will just put him in a numb state temporarily…second option… euthanize him.

I went silent. I took a breath and told him I have to talk to Laura and Bobbi and will call him back. As we made this decision I had to stop and cry and collect myself before I called Dr Rafael back. I told him if it’s possible to put him in coma for tonight so he can rest and we come tomorrow in the morning to say our good byes. He said of course and he would make a comfortable bed for him to rest in tonight so he’ll be extra comfy as he sleeps in peace.

I had to call everyone that knew Bucky to let them know what was happening and if they could make it in the morning to see Bucky for the last time. It was so hard to break this horrible news to everyone but they all knew we did all we can do and it is time for Bucky to finally rest. I called Kristie to call Dan who was supposed to adopt Bucky and Ginger to break the news to him…since I was such a mess as it was I don’t think I could of handled that phone call.

Friday (2/25/11) I knew waking up in the morning from the lack of sleep I had with the major headache from crying all night and the horrible weather, today was going to be an ugly day. I was on the train and out of no where I started crying and everyone staring at me as I tried to hide my face and tears from falling. Laura came to pick me and Olua up from the shelter to go to the vet. There we met up with Bill and Michael who was utterly upset and I felt his pain, he like everyone else was dumbfounded by what happened and how bad it got so fast and there wasn’t anything anybody can do to help him. When they called us in for Bucky we walked silently into the room where he was lying in his cage…everyone automatically broke down crying.

You were lying there sleeping… you looked more relaxed in your coma from when I saw you on Wednesday night. You were still breathing hard and the Dr explained that it’s because of the neurological symptoms, your nerves were damaged and the breathing tube was swollen so it was a struggle for you to take in any breaths. You lost all your weight I can’t believe how much, I just saw skin and bones =o( . Everyone put some gloves on and came to you and gave you some love, an extra belly rub and ear scratchies…Michael was crying saying “You are such a good boy…so good” as he kept petting you, Olua right next to him caressing your belly…saying “everything will be okay now…you’ll meet a lot of nice doggies and people will take care of you up there”

At first I couldn’t go near him I was so traumatized but I ended up putting on some gloves and got the strength to come say bye to you…I put my hand right above your head and started petting you…crying. “I promise we will take such good care of Ginger…I know how much you protected her and loved her…” I whispered softly to you. Everyone still crying trying to stop and pull themselves together as we talked to Dr Rafael. He started explaining distemper and how the symptoms just creep up so fast and sometimes it is too late and there is no real cure for it…especially when they start showing neurological damage it’s basically a death sentence. The NDV treatments haven’t been proven to really work and some vets think its a fluke.

Distemper is so rare in the NYC because usually everyone does the responsible thing and vaccinate their puppies but in Bucky’s case who knows his history and where he has been before us. We had vaccinated him when we got him but he must have been carrying the virus before that.

Everyone prepared themselves as Dr Rafael started to put you into your final sleep where you’ll be over the rainbow bridge and peaceful…where you can jump high fences that you loved so much and there you will have your very own owners who will take care of you and wait for Ginger and finally have a family. Everyone said “I love you Bucky” as he put you to sleep, I also whispered “Ginger loves you” Because she does.

I know you are up there watching over her, as you were her guardian on earth, you are now her angel.

Rest in Peace Bucky

We all love you

Sonia Saakian

Bucky

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Posted in Shelter Stories, Volunteer Vittles | 2 Comments »

In Memory of Sammy

Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

Even though its been over five years, I remember very clearly the day Sammy came into our shelter. A little boy walked in holding this 20 lb white fluffball in his arms. He was followed by his brother and his mom.

“They just left him out in the yard all day,” the mother said with tears in his eyes. “This dog is the sweetest thing. Only a year old and he is out in the elements 24 hours a day with no companionship, no shelter.” She was talking about Sammy’s previous owners who no longer wanted Sammy because he wasn’t a “tea-cup” size.

Bobbi was at the shelter at the time and agreed to take Sammy in to find him a better home, a home that he deserved.  I remember the little boy put Sammy down in the runs and Sammy ran around in happiness, tail wagging.  I remember thinking, this dog shouldn’t be hard to find a home for. He was adorable, very friendly and young.

Sadly a couple days later, Sammy fell sick and had to be taken to the vet.  He was kept there for five days on IV fluids. After the five days, he was well enough to leave the vet, but shouldn’t go back to the shelter where recovery is difficult for sick animals. Plus there is a risk of spreading the disease.

Bobbi called me and asked me if I would be able to foster Sammy. I didn’t have any other animals at the time. I had recently lost my beloved pit mix Sox a couple of months before.

When I brought Sammy home, he was coughing a lot. He didn’t have much energy and just wanted to rest. Bobbi gave me a little blue sweater for him to wear to keep him warm when I had to take him out.  He had a bit of an appetite and ate the chicken that we made for him. I made a bed for him in each room so he would have some place to rest and would never have to be alone. When I worked on the computer, he rested under the desk surrounded by pillows and blankets.

Sammy had to be nebulized three times a day to help break up the phlegm so he could cough it up and get it out of his system.  I had to mix the medicine with sterile water and place is in a humidifier like machine that would turn it into a mist for Sammy to breathe in. He gave me no problem with it. He was so good.

At night Sammy would sleep in his own bed next to mine.  My heart would ache as I listened to him cough all night. He would get up and turn circles, trying to get comfortable. I usually spent the night on the floor next to him, petting him, trying to help him relax so he could get some rest. Nights seemed to be particularly difficult for him.

There were times when Sammy seemed to be doing better and he would walk around a bit. But after a couple of days he took a turn for the worse. He stopped eating all together and wouldn’t take his pills even in the chicken. We brought him to Dr Baum in Lynbrook where he had to be hospitalized.

This is when we learned that Sammy had distemper. There was a 50% chance that he would make it. There was no cure for distemper. It’s a disease that affects the nervous system. We could treat the symptoms and pray. Even with this devastating news, I still had hope. I believed that Sammy would make it.

Every morning I would call Dr Baum and he woud get on the phone with me and tell me about Sammy’s progress, whether Sammy got up today, whether he was eating, if the temperature went up or down. Then around noon I would drive to the hospital for visiting hour. I would always bring Sammy some chicken to eat. When they carried Sammy out to see me, Sammy’s tail would wag in happiness. “Its good for you to come and visit everyday,” Dr Baum said. “It helps keep his spirits up.” Dr Baum said that Sammy was a fighter and that Sammy wanted to live. This was a good sign. I held him in my arms everyday for an hour, feeding him chicken and petting him till it was time for me to go. When they took Sammy back I kissed him and told him I would see him tomorrow. It broke my heart to leave him everyday but I knew it was for the best.

After about a week in the hospital, the Dr said Sammy could come home.  His fever was down and he was eating. I was delighted.  Dr Baum said to call him everyday to tell him how Sammy was doing.

I remember carrying Sammy from the hospital to the car and I drove with him curled up in the front seat wrapped in a fuzzy leopard print blanket.  I was so sure that Sammy would get better soon.

I don’t remember how many days Sammy was home before he started to twitch. It wasn’t long though, maybe only 24 hours. His head started to twitch and he made a clicking sound. I called Dr Baum and he was silent for a moment. “This is not good news. It means it has started to affect the brain.” It was then that Sammy stopped eating again and didn’t want to do much but lie on my lap and try to sleep.

We took him to a specialist in the city. I remember holding Sammy on my lap in the waiting room and tears were streaming down my face.  It was then the reality began to settle in. Sammy may not make it.

We had to leave him there. They were going to keep him in quarantine since he was contagious to other animals. I remember going home with such an empty feeling.

The next evening, they called to tell me Sammy had passed. I was at work at the time. When I came home, I just went to his bed- one of the many we had made from him around the house and cried.  I was sad but I was also angry.  It wasn’t fair. Sammy was only a year and a half.  He had been in a loving home for only a short time and in that short time he was too sick to enjoy it.

We had a service for Sammy the next day at Bide-a-Wee in Wantaugh. We buried him next to my pit bull Sox.  Many volunteers came to the service for Sammy. Its amazing how many lives he touched. How many people came to love him in the short time he was with us.

I have a couple of photographs of Sammy. My favorite is this one of him lying on our couch in his blue sweater. This was the first day we fostered him. We had just come in from outside.  He just was so easy going, always happy to be with us no matter how bad he felt. He was loving, appreciative, happy even in his sickest days.

I still think about Sammy often and am getting teary eyed as I write this. I know he is at the rainbow bridge, perhaps with Sox waiting. He is healthy and happy as he was always happy, running and playing, enjoying all the things he was deprived of on Earth. 

I love you, Sammy. Till we meet again…

Sammy

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Posted in Rescue Stories | 6 Comments »