As the title suggests, I've been thru a horrible heartbreak about 3 wks ago, and not only w/ a single dog but she had a 1 wk old litter. Anaphylactic shock took her within 2hrs of whatever got her.
The scenario was this. She was her normal wiggly self at 430pm when we went out to get the mail. Had a business visit a few minutes later (checked on Roxy's babies while visitors were here too) but I crated her and the other pup while they were here. Fed all, then Roxy nursed her 1 wk old puppies. Then went out for 10-15 min to potty. I suspect she crawled under the low platform deck (hot tub deck) to nest a bit. Came in, threw up her dinner in her whelping box and I gave her a hard time thinking she was regurging already for the pups. A few minutes later, I noticed her gums were pale, and I felt them. They were COLD. I took her temp... normal, so that threw me off. I brought her in to get my bearings, call the vet, and in the meantime started to warm the puppy box as I felt an emergency visit was going to happen. My vet clinic responded w/ a call back to go to Emergency as she may need blood (on my mind too though thought the rectal temp of normal was odd for a bleed out). When we got to emergency, she was already pretty far gone... they tried epinephrine, oxygen, etc. Could not save her.
4 yrs old... dead on the table. Threw up in her whelping box, had explosive watery diarrhea on the table at the ER vet. Anaphylactic shock was the dx there, and necropsy supported it. They felt it was likely a black widow or scorpion, due to the unseasonably warm temps we had that day (~60F in the otherwise cold desert).
What should I have known? At this point, the only thing I can share w/ you all is that she enjoyed some alone time under my platform deck for nesting. That day happened to be the first warm day of the spring... 60F=== an all time record high. It was ~6pm, so dusk. The ER vet felt (in the absence of a drug or vaccine reaction, which neither were a possiblity) she had likely been bit by an insect, spider or scorpion.
Now that I've had time to reflect, her feet were cold too (in addition to her gums). That is another sign of anaphylactic shock. I only share all this w/ you so you will know. I wasn't lucky. I did respond quickly but obviously not quickly enough to save Roxy.
Her pups are now 4 wks old, I bottle fed them them until all were lapping well and could sustain on gruel. I'm exhausted and obviously heartbroken but if anyone else can benefit from this, it's worth it. I don't wish this on anyone. Anne
The scenario was this. She was her normal wiggly self at 430pm when we went out to get the mail. Had a business visit a few minutes later (checked on Roxy's babies while visitors were here too) but I crated her and the other pup while they were here. Fed all, then Roxy nursed her 1 wk old puppies. Then went out for 10-15 min to potty. I suspect she crawled under the low platform deck (hot tub deck) to nest a bit. Came in, threw up her dinner in her whelping box and I gave her a hard time thinking she was regurging already for the pups. A few minutes later, I noticed her gums were pale, and I felt them. They were COLD. I took her temp... normal, so that threw me off. I brought her in to get my bearings, call the vet, and in the meantime started to warm the puppy box as I felt an emergency visit was going to happen. My vet clinic responded w/ a call back to go to Emergency as she may need blood (on my mind too though thought the rectal temp of normal was odd for a bleed out). When we got to emergency, she was already pretty far gone... they tried epinephrine, oxygen, etc. Could not save her.
4 yrs old... dead on the table. Threw up in her whelping box, had explosive watery diarrhea on the table at the ER vet. Anaphylactic shock was the dx there, and necropsy supported it. They felt it was likely a black widow or scorpion, due to the unseasonably warm temps we had that day (~60F in the otherwise cold desert).
What should I have known? At this point, the only thing I can share w/ you all is that she enjoyed some alone time under my platform deck for nesting. That day happened to be the first warm day of the spring... 60F=== an all time record high. It was ~6pm, so dusk. The ER vet felt (in the absence of a drug or vaccine reaction, which neither were a possiblity) she had likely been bit by an insect, spider or scorpion.
Now that I've had time to reflect, her feet were cold too (in addition to her gums). That is another sign of anaphylactic shock. I only share all this w/ you so you will know. I wasn't lucky. I did respond quickly but obviously not quickly enough to save Roxy.
Her pups are now 4 wks old, I bottle fed them them until all were lapping well and could sustain on gruel. I'm exhausted and obviously heartbroken but if anyone else can benefit from this, it's worth it. I don't wish this on anyone. Anne