This was a very happy day for us. It started out with our specialist in Missoula, Dr. Dave Bostwick, calling first thing this morning to say Wobbles had made a dramatic turn-around overnight and could come home. Wow. Even Dave was amazed at the change. The emergency vet said that about 3 a.m. last night, Wobs coughed up some "green goo" ... and almost immediately his fever subsided, his breathing returned to normal, and he perked up. Alayne took this photo of me holding Wobbles this evening.
We don't know what the "green goo" was -- Dave suspects it was related to aspiratory pneumonia from ingesting food into his lungs -- but whatever it was, getting rid of it made an enormous difference. By the time Dave arrived at the clinic this morning, Wobbles was back to his old self.
In the meantime, we had heard from our vets in Helena, Drs. Britt and Brenda Culver, that diabetic Sammy could finally come home. Britt, who is also an internal medicine specialist like Dave, had been working on finding the right insulin protocol for Sammy. This little dog was all over the map, with wild and inexplicable insulin swings. He would respond at first to one type of insulin, then stop responding; for a while one particular dosage would work, then it wouldn't.
For a full month -- with only one weekend spent at the ranch -- Sammy has been at Britt and Brenda's clinic while they tried to get him stabilized. Sammy has now been stable for a solid week on a protocol that requires two different types of insulin, two different dosages, two different syringes (U-40 and U-100), given twice a day. Whew.
So I drove to Missoula this morning to pick up Wobbles, and found a completely different cat than the one I left at the clinic last night. He was snuggling, purring, and rubbing his head on my beard. I got back to the ranch around noon, ate a quick lunch, then changed trucks and drove to the clinic in Helena. It was 120 miles round-trip to Missoula, 140 miles round-trip to Helena.
When the vet tech brought Sammy out to me in the waiting room, he was so excited he jumped up and down on me, his little tail bobbing back and forth, a big smile on his face. He was one happy boy. We finally got home around 5:30 p.m. I took the photo of Alayne with Sammy this evening, right after Alayne took the photo of me with Wobs.
We're glad to have these two home again -- and so are they!
(Click on photos for larger image.)
Double good news; I'm so happy Wobbles and Sammy are back home!
It's been a long, patient wait for Sammy and a scary situation with Wobbles. You all look happy, healthy and at home. :-)
Posted by: Leilani | July 05, 2006 at 07:48 AM
Great news to hear that Wobbles and Sammy are finally home....hopefully to stay home! Keep well, furry critters!!!
Posted by: Nina | July 04, 2006 at 07:25 PM
Oh what good news!
I am so glad to read this update. Best wishes to all at rdr.
Posted by: Mandy, Laramie, WY | July 03, 2006 at 11:42 AM
Those are great photos and you can so easily see the love you two have for the animals you're holding. I'm so glad Wobbles and Sammy and home again.
Posted by: Roz | July 01, 2006 at 10:40 AM
Hi,
Really glad to see Wobbles and especially Sammy are back in the fold. Sammy must be so relieved to be home again...enough of hospitals for him eh?
Posted by: Cathy | July 01, 2006 at 08:41 AM
I'm so glad that Sammy finally got his meds regulated & got to come home. I can only imagine how excited he was! It's great that you noticed that Wobbles was sick & got her right into the vet, & now she's already back home as well.
Fantastic work, as always! You are doing wonderful work.
Hugs & appluase,
ginger & Tobias
Posted by: ginger & Tobias (the greythound) | July 01, 2006 at 01:43 AM