Thanks and give them love for me

[rowan_mommy]

Just got back from the vet and I might come back later give a better explanation of the chain of events but right now its still too painful.

Rowan is gone. She had parvo and was put to sleep today.

I thank all of you for your great advice and support and for sharing all your wonderful stories about your beautiful and loving dogs with me

Give all your doggies lots of loves from me and Rowan 

[Studiogirl]

Oh my God . Did you know she was sick?. I'm so sorry for your loss.  :'(Unfortunately I have had way too many animal losses in my life and I know exactly what you are going through. My heart goes out to you at this tragic time. I hope you know how much we all will miss Rowan and you and if there's anything we can do, you just have to ask. Maybe when you feel stronger you can let us know what happened, I think it would be good for you to talk to people who understand and know how much Rowan meant to you. Again, I'm so sorry.

[kelmom]

I just wanted to say that I am very sorry for your loss. It's very hard to lose one of your family and it will take some time. Just know that my thoughts and prayers are with you. 

[stacy15]

Oh my gosh!!! I dunno what to say 

[Ann]

Oh no. I'm so so sorry. I feel for you very much I know what it's like to loose a loved one. My thoughts are with you. Take care.

[Mai Tai]

Dear Meredith,

I am in shock for you and pray for you to have a peace that passes understanding.  No words suffice.  Thinking of you and Rowan.

Sincerely,
Karen (Mai Tai)

[rowan_mommy]

Thank you all for your loving responses. I've tried several times to post exactly what happened cuz I think its really important that while everyone be careful with their Shorkie babies I don't want anyone to over react.

According to the vet he thinks Rowan prob had been sick since before I even got her but cuz she had some vaccination she was able to fight, and cuz she just really really wanted to be a good puppy. From the time I got Rowan she had the occassional vomitting but when I called the vet he said it was more than likely the fact that her largest meal was when she wanted to be most active and to change her schedule up and that would fix it. For a while it did. She had some diarrhea about 3 days after I got her and the vet, her previous owner, and I all chalked it up to a change in food. At this point the vet had not seen her but had only been called and I had her shot records showing she had been given all vaccinations but her rabies and as far as I knew the dates on them were correct.

Then last week on Monday or Tuesday Rowan started getting some monsterously bad gas and I couldn't figure out why since nothing in her diet had changed and nothing in her environment or activity level or anything had changed. So I just kinda figured its gas no biggy she didn't seem to be in any pain so I just put it on my list of things to talk to the vet about at her appointment on the 3rd.

Then Wednesday Rowan started regressing in her potty training. She had been spending pretty much all day out of the crate for almost 5 days at that point with no accidents at all but that day it was like she lost all control of herself completely. It wasn't even like she would do her lil squat thing to pee she would just go and I couldn't understand it. I thought maybe she was over excited cuz my mom was home and she loved her and was sooooo excited she was home. So I figured a little training reinforcement by keeping her in her crate for part of the day on Thursday couldn't hurt.

We got up on Thursday and she didn't really want to eat so I added some chicken broth to her dry food and she ate just fine. Then we went potty fine and played for a while. Then I put her and a toy in her crate, and she was fine with that, a lil whiney bout it but not too bad. When I let her out at about 1230p to go potty and have some water and a treat for being so good she wasn't into any of it. All she wanted to do was snuggle with me on the couch and sleep. I figured she did have kinda a restless night so she was just tired no biggy and the guy came and mowed the lawn n she kinda takes a few times going outside after he mows for her to be ok with going potty on the mowed lawn. So we just chilled on the couch.

Then came dinner time and I made her dinner and again put some chicken broth in her food and she ate some but not alot and then she went straight to her crate and laid down. I left the room after a lil while to do something and while I was gone she threw up her dinner and was sitting outside her crate looking at it like she was waiting for me to clean it up so she could go back in and lay down. So I cleaned up and she laid back down and I laid on the floor next to her and talked to her and really kinda started to worry. After a lil while she got up and drank some water and wanted to go outside so we did and everything seemed normal other than her wanting to be picked up like she was really tired. We came inside and even played for a few minutes but she got really tired. Then she started heaving like she was going to throw up and eventually did but it was all just water.

She just got worse from there and fast. After a few hours I took Rowan to potty and she had diarrhea but it was just water, not watery just water and it came out of the blue with no diarrhea before it since she had solid stools other than 1 day about 3 days after I got her. She continued to beg to be in her crate and would just lay there with no energy at all. I could get her to drink water but most of it would get thrown up. That went on all night.

At 7am on Friday when the vet opened I called them and they got her in at 9am and I got her there at 835am. By 930am they had already taken her history given her fluids and meds to stop her vomiting and as a precaution since it was Friday and she was already so sick they tested her for Parvo. I think in my gut I knew something serious was wrong the first time Rowan walked up to my bedside table where her crate goes when we go to bed and begged to go up and her crate wasn't even up there and it wasn't even close to bed time. Then I really knew something was wrong when the vet techs and the vet would walk in the room and Rowan who loved new people would try her hardest to get up but could only lift her head. The vet came in with this thing that looked like a kinda pregnancy test thing and said the test was positive.

The vet said that Rowan had prob been sick for a long time but was able to fight for this long cuz she did have some vaccination but it looked like all she had was her initial shots and 1 booster and that her shots were prob given too soon and too close together. But overall there was no way for me to know that she was sick or was going to get sick. The vet gave me afew options I could take Rowan home and nurse her and hope that she got better but her chances that way were almost none, I could put her in the hospital there for about a week on constant fluids and antibiotics and she could prob be in constant pain and still prob not live, or I could put her to sleep and save her the pain of all of it since she was getting worse even in the time we were in the vet's office.

I really really really wanted to put her on the fluids and antibiotics but when I looked at her face and I saw her keep yawning trying to stay awake and stay that bouncy lil Rowan she was just for me I knew I couldn't be selfish and force Rowan to live in pain for the short amount of time she had left. So I signed the paper they gave me and talked to Rowan.

I told her that I loved her and I didn't want her to hurt anymore and that they were going to come and give her some medicine to make her go to sleep. I told her that since she was gonna go to sleep she could come and see me in her dreams and she could check on me and make sure I was ok anytime she wanted and that when I was sleeping we could play and I would bring her pink pig and we could play anytime she wanted when I was sleeping.

This has been really hard for me and I really appreciate all the support from you guys. I saw the Vaccination Info thread and all I can say is if you get your Shorkie as an older puppy make the vet your first stop and get them check and if you get a baby puppy please keep their vaccination up to date.

Thank you guys more than I can say.

[Ann]

Thank you for sharing what happened. You did the right thing for Rowan. I beleive we are more humain with our animals than we are with humans.
I would like you to stay intouch, maybe you might get another puppy and then you can tell us about it.
I hope I'm not speaking out of turn I sincerely don't mean any harm. Sometimes when you loose your pet it helps if you get another, not to replace them but to fill the void.

My heart goes out to you, please take care.

[Mai Tai]

Dear Meredith,

Thank you so much for sharing your story with us as it may help us with our puppies.  I know it must have been almost impossible for you to write all of that down, but you did it anyway, and I for one, appreciate it so much.  Now I know what to look for and maybe we can avoid such a tragedy.  My heart goes out to you.  What a heartbreak.  I hope you can stay in touch once time has taken some of the edge off of your grief.  I wish you all the best and thank you so much for your generous spirit.

Sincerely,
Karen

[stacy15]

I thank you too for sharing your story with us   

I can't imagine the pain you are in and all i can say is that my heart goes out to you and I admire your strength to do the right thing.  Continue to be strong....   

[Ladywrite]

It was so sad to hear about your puppy.  We recently had our 15 year old lab die on the operating table and our 18 year old cat had to be put down about a month later.  I know what you're going through and my heart goes out to you.  Much love!

[eepuni]

i am so sorry.  i cannot begin to even try and understand what you must be going through.  thank you for your story, it must have been hard to type and i got choked up reading it.  i will pray for your heart to heal, and for rowan to find peace.  despite it all you will always be rowan's mommy and she loved you very much.  i hope that she comes to visit you at night while you are dreaming.  again, i am so sorry.