Vinny Update...

Vinny had a rough day yesterday. I started crying when we went to visit him last night. He had loose bowels and was throwing up yesterday, which is not a good sign, so they gave him medicine to calm his stomach. They have also put a medication in his IV to increase the blood flow to his kidneys.

Late last night we called the ASPCA Animal Poison Control (we had to call there before he went to the vet to get a case number, because he had been poisoned) and they said that the treatment he is receiving is right on and as long as he continues to urinate, there is hope. So we felt a bit better after hearing this.

Bob went down to walk him this morning, while he didn't look great, he seemed a bit better. He had stopped throwing up and they actually had a bit of turkey for him to eat in his cage. He did urinate. They were doing his blood work again today. We will get the results late this afternoon and we will go visit him again tonight.

Raisins...

It seems as if life is one big shitstorm sometimes. I know that I have so much to be thankful for, but is is very hard to remain positive while being tested time and time again. As you know I had been sick, so had the kids, my in-laws and my husband. Sophia and Bob are still coughing, but at least Pink Eye has left the house.

Friday Bob took off work so that we could take the kids to a Fairie Festival. We all had a great time. Saturday, my mother-in-law and I took Sophia to her first tea. I promise to post pictures of both events in due time. The kids look so adorable in the photos.

Sunday morning we woke up to the dog throwing up all over the place. Apparently, he had gotten into a bag of gourmet raisins that had been left unattended. I told my neighbor that the dog had been sick and what he was throwing up when she mentioned to me that she had read that raisins could be toxic for dogs. I immediately got on-line and found some information and it was not good. Apparently, even a small serving of raisins can be very bad for a dog. So we called the local emergency vets and were told to call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control number. We were given a case number and told to see a vet right away.

Dogs that ingest raisins can experience kidney failure. As of last night his levels are still increasing which means that his kidneys could be going further into failure. The vet was very concerned. She said that the increased levels could be a difference in the amount of fluid that he was taking in or a difference in the machine that took the earlier numbers. Whatever the case may be, we can only wait and hope that things will turn around. We did go to visit him last night and he was being his usual obstinate self and not cooperating with the staff, so we had to walk him. Bob was going to try to walk him on his way to work this morning.

The sad thing is that Vinny is a young dog. He is only two. The vet said that if his levels continued to rise today that we would need to make some decisions and I know what this means and I hate it. My dog is my family and as I write this the tears are welling up in my eyes. I have prayed and hoped, but I am worried that it might not be enough.

Please keep Vinny in your thoughts and prayers. He could use all of the help that he can get!

Also, please pass this info about raisins on to anybody you know who has a dog. Please let them learn from our mistake.