Diamond is feeling better though not completely herself yet. I hadn't posted about her illness because I was so busy with everything. Two weeks ago Diamond had a bout of the big "D" and some vomiting over the weekend...no big deal...a touch of the doggie flue. She bounced back on that Sunday so I thought everything was fine. On Monday morning I didn't walk her with the boys because I felt the distance would be too much for her and I figured she was tired from it all anyway so I left her home to rest. Of course that didn't make her happy at all and when I got home she wasn't waiting for us downstairs like she usually is but was upstairs in the bedroom sleeping. So I figured...OK, I'm getting the cold shoulder because she's upset with me so I let her be to snooze. Around noon that day I realized she hadn't gotten up yet from her nap and thought enough is enough time to go out. Well, when I went in she was awake but just lying there looking at me so I said Ok little lady up and at em let's go out to pee. Then I realized as she went to get up....she couldn't! She was struggling to get up but couldn't raise her hind end off the floor. I helped her up and she got very shakily to her feet and started to walk slowly. As she got going she seemed to gain strength so I helped her down the stairs and out to pee. She was having trouble keeping her balance when she tried to squat to pee and almost fell over again. I rushed her into the vet and they did tests and blood work. She wasn't dehydrated like they though she might be from the "bug" but I had been forcing fluids on her the whole time but they did get her sub Q fluids anyway. There was blood in her stool, she had no temp and all her reflexes were fine, no knuckling under when her feet were pressed etc. So they were figuring either HGE or tick disease. Her blood work came back fine...no tick diseases showing at this time anyway, but her red cells were low. Now they were figuring it was Immune Mediated Thrombocytopenia which means the immune system is destroying the red cells and they attributed her lameness to the fact that blood was seeping into her joints causing the pain and stiffness. They put her on amoxicillin and pred took her back in on Tues. for the day to evaluate her and give her IV fluids....which by the way she ripped out the second no one was looking! Three days later her red cells were back to normal, no more blood in the stool and she was getting herself up and walking much better. But now they say if it was IMT then it wouldn't be possible that her red cells would come back to normal so quickly...so now we really don't know what the problem was or is. She's off the pred and amocy now and seems to be doing well but as I said she really isn't 100% yet. She is playing and enjoying her short walks, lays in the pool in the afternoons . eating well and gaining back some of the weight she lost. We are hoping that whatever it was doesn't happen again. It may have been just that the bout of doggie flu wiped her out.....I'm watching her like a hawk as you can imagine. I spent all week on the couch downstairs with her so she wouldn't have to try going up and down the stairs since she needed to get up every few hours through the night to pee with the pred and forced fluids. We are both happy to be back in our own beds now! Anyone else ever have anything like this happen? We ruled out ever possible cause........no toxins...my house is fully doggie proof, no drinking out of ponds or streams, no mushrooms, I watch them carefully when we walk...and it was only Diamond...JJ & Toby are fine.


Sheila JJ & Diamond with foster Toby

Glad Diamond is feeling better.

Sorry you had to go throught this. I'm happy that she is feeling better and I hope it never happens to her again.

I know you were scared and glad she is back to her old self