March 29, 2024

It’s important to know when to act

Jovie laid lethargic on the exam room table. Her face is always so expressive. Wednesday her face was filled with doubt, skepticism of what’s to come, questioning why she can’t gallop and grin like every other day and wonder about the lady in the white coat and her plans for that metal stick (thermometer) near her butt.

The veterinarian told us last week our dog was either suffering from severe bronchitis or fungal pneumonia. The doctor said, through the stethoscope Jovie’s lungs sounded “a little busy,” and a chest X-ray revealed her lungs were full of either infection or fungus. The bronchitis is bad, but the fungal pneumonia could be fatal.

This was a huge blow. Betsy and I do not have children, but we are parents — dog parents. In the last year, Jovie has become one of the most important parts of our lives. When she first came into our home Jovie was not ready to roam around the apartment unsupervised. Any piece of wood, plant or gym sock would surly be a target for her puppy pallet. Jovie was gated into the kitchen. We would spend hours with her on the kitchen floor playing and napping. We trained her to sit, stay, shake and roll over — that was a tough one. This helped fight her anxiety of the world and created our strong bond.

It took three days before it dawned on us, Jovie’s illness could be serious. By day one, when she laid sadly in her kennel after we opened the door, we knew something was wrong. By day three, Jovie refused to move. I had to lift her off the bed to get her ready for the vet. Our little “Scoots,” usually inches her way from the foot of the bed to her nook between us, finally, resting her little head on the pillows right between ours. But this time she laid motionless.

The vet told me Jovie wasn’t even close to the worst condition she’s seen. The doc said many pet owners become paralyzed, either financially or emotionally, and do not seek treatment until their animal is skin and bones and nearly lifeless.

We knew the vet bill was going to hurt, but when we adopted Jovie we knew we were also adopting a responsibility for her health and well-being.

After five days of antibiotics and anti-inflammatories, I’m happy to report our little Jovie Beans is back to her energetic self, although still a little cautious of her surroundings. It’s important to recognize the signs and catch your pet’s illness early. If your four-legged friend is not acting like his/herself, appears to lack energy, or is vomiting and has liquid stool, the wait and see approach is not the answer.

A pet is a member of the family, in sickness and in health.

Contact Mike Mendenhall at mmendenhall@ jaspercountytribune.com