The Last Dog Days of Summer

Our dog is sick. Most of you know this. Some of you don't, so I'll just tell you about it. One day, our Maisy just wasn't herself. Overnight, she went from hyper, happy, white, playful, bark-at-pedestrians sweetness...to...lethargic, drooling, not eating, dull-colored (in fact, yellow), despondant, quiet nothingness. We tried not to panic. We tried the normal stuff. On day three of same symptoms, we took her to the vet. We're thinking a bad virus, bug bite, snake bite...oh, no. Not something normal for our dog. She has Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia. This is a disorder that only 10% of dogs get. Of course. Her red blood cell count went from the normal range of 35-50 to 18. Then 15 the next day. We knew it was over. So few dogs survive from this. But the next day, the count went back up to 18. Wha..? So, now I'm force-feeding chicken broth to her through a dropper and Mark's sleeping on a pallet in the floor beside her at night and we're just countingher breaths.

Here's the good part. I haven't thought of myself once during the past few days. Service, even to a DOG, will get your head back in the game. It never fails. Thank you, God, for Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia. It reminded me there are things bigger than me. My dog is fighting for her life and she may pull through. I am fighting daily against the evil one and I already know I'll pull through.