Don, Zelda, and Brutus

14 April 2020, 09:47 AM

Learned two days ago that Don was to start Keytruda again. Something about the virus has delayed that. He is in Colorado.
Zelda, the terrier I call Don's daughter is dying slowly. She meets all the conditions in a list of 10 indicators.
Don is in pain. Taking care of her gives him a distraction. He texted me that he was watching her sleep while he cried.
Yesterday, walking Brutus in Arizona, I notices he was making frequent, long stops to urinate. I checked. He was leaving no fluid.
Got him to a vet. He has bladder stones and requires surgery. Medication now enables him to urinate for the time being.
I lost a great dog to bladder stone surgery in 2996. The anesthesia destroyed his liver.
I am trying to get him into a vet hospital for the surgery.

Calling Don to tell him that his other "child" is in danger will be very hard to do.
I tried to justify not telling him. Believe I must tell him when I get surgery scheduled.

14 April 2020, 10:23 AM

Mary Anna

I'm so sorry, Chas.

14 April 2020, 11:27 AM

Steve Miller

Oh man.

I'm sorry.

14 April 2020, 11:40 AM

QuirtEvans

That's awful. Awful at any time, particularly awful right now. I'm so sorry.

14 April 2020, 11:44 AM

wtg

Sometimes when it rains, it pours.

Hugs.

14 April 2020, 11:52 AM

pianojuggler

I'm sorry. That stinks all the way around.

*hugs*

--------------------------------
pj, citizen-poster, unless specifically noted otherwise.

mod-in-training.

pj@ermosworld∙com

All types of erorrs fixed while you wait.

14 April 2020, 01:04 PM

AdagioM

I’m so sorry, Chas.

15 April 2020, 01:39 PM

CHAS

What is supposedly the #1 place in Tucson for animal surgery was like being in a Thomas Pynchon novel about a dystopian world.
A madhouse overstressed staff coming to the parking lot with questions and forms and to take dogs in.They could not receive the emails of the Xrays from my vet. My vet’s said that has happened before with them. Their phone system went down.
We drove to the vet's place, picked up a disk with the Xrays and delivered it.
Three and half hours after we arrived they came to the car and took the dog.
At four and a half hours I told them to give me my dog back.
Loaded the dog and left.

The dog is currently at the vet's where a surgeon has come in to do surgeries. The surgeon called me and calmed my anesthesia concerns.
The drugs and protocols used have changed. I like the man.
The surgeon's use of language was unusual. He pronounced English words much like a native of the USA, but his phrasing was Spanish.
The dog is probably in surgery by now.

15 April 2020, 02:05 PM

Mikhailoh

What a nightmare, Chas. I wish you two and the dogs did not have to go through this.

15 April 2020, 02:15 PM

piqué

How awful, Chas.

Having gone through bladder stone surgery with two different Mastiffs, I know what you are going through.

Have a bucket ready to slip under him every time he stands up during his recuperation. They have no bladder control for a while.

15 April 2020, 03:19 PM

CHAS

Thank you all.

pique, will look for a Min. Schnauzer size bucket.
He is larger than most of his breed.

15 April 2020, 05:54 PM

CHAS

The dog is out of surgery and doing well.
Now I know why the vet did not sound very Mexican.
"Dr. Tarassov graduated with honors from Ural State Institute of Veterinary Medicine in Russia in 1999."
His name never sounded like any Mexican name, but it was not clear.