Hershey almost gave me a heart attack this morning. I fed her like on any other day and she ate her food with gusto because I added in some boiled carrots which she loves. After that I noticed her rather odd behaviour. She was sticking very close to me and kept looking up at me. When I was washing her bowl, she laid down on the mat that I placed under the sink and refused to budge even when I went into the room (she'd usually follow me). I felt something was amiss and offered her some of her favourite treats but she merely sniffed at them and continued to mope.
Less than 10 minutes after finishing her breakfast, she walked a few steps to the yard and threw it all back up. She was so weak that she just laid down next to her vomit. I checked her gums and they were deathly pale. That's when I knew something was seriously wrong with her. I even had to carry her into the bathroom with me as I took a quick shower before taking her to the vet because she refused to budge from the yard.
When we arrived at the vet, some of her color seem to have returned and she was somewhat back to her usual prissy self. For the first time ever, I was happy when she growled at another dog (a cute, large English Bulldog was trying to sniff her). The vet checked Hershey's gums and while they were still slightly pale, it was a big improvement from earlier. We spent some anxious moments waiting for the blood test results to be out.. I have read enough stories about dogs who have gone to the Rainbow Bridge after problems with their blood (tick fever, infections, etc) to know that it can go downhill pretty quickly. So much so that I managed to work myself into a state of panic.
Today I learnt one valuable lesson. I learnt that I love Hershey much more than I care to let on... I used to complain that she drives me up the wall and have even made remarks like I want to send her away. More than once (maybe more like on a weekly basis) Mark and I even joked that we wouldn't mind finding her a new home. However when I saw her lying listlessly next to her vomit, that familiar feeling of fear of losing someone/ something you love gripped my heart. The last time I had this feeling was when I held Chloe in my arms when she was breathing her last. That was a feeling of love, helplessness, fear and heartache all rolled into one. This was also when I knew the 'She-Devil on Four Paws' has managed to dig herself a place deep in my heart.
Oh and another clear indication of my love for her... I was so worried about her that I didn't even notice that I went out of the house without any make-up (very rare!!). When we were talking to the vet, Mark discreetly pointed to my face with a somewhat grossed out and stunned look. Apparently the weather plus all the running around made me break out in sweat, which resulted in my 'sweat rash' (yup, my own sweat causes an itchy, red rash) to break out in angry red blotches all over my face. There was nothing I could do except to fan myself to cool myself down. Thinking of it now, I think I looked like a Chinese opera singer gone wrong. Seriously.
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I love you Hershey-girl... Yes, yes, including your 'psycho-ness', 10.5 gigawatts of energy, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD, diagnosed by yours truly), Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS, also diagnosed by yours truly), TV jumping, body slamming my bed when I am sleeping, resting your bum/nether region on my head/face when I am sleeping, barking for no reason in the middle of the night, fighting with me for more bed space, farting in my face, etc....
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