Smooth sailing
We’ve had a good stretch of health from little Jonty for a while now. He is coming to the end of his doses of antibiotics and steroids, and will soon be back to the vet for another check.
He is gaining some weight and growing a little bit too- and is enjoying being a puppy with his fur siblings. If his health holds, we might soon be able to get that leg off- it seems to be getting more and more useless. Not that you could tell in this picture!
Update
After a week or so at home being an energetic whirlwind of puppy, Mr Jonty had a relapse of his symptoms- extreme lethargy, temp over 40C, disoriented and staggering. We rushed him to the vet right away, and he stayed another three days.
Home again last night with a diagnosis of meningitis. Of course i have googled, and this is a pretty serious condition- potentially fatal, and potentially causing permanent damage to his brain if he survives. They aren’t sure what is causing it, so he is on a cocktail of medications- I have a spreadsheet on my fridge setting out the dosing times and amounts so I don’t get mixed up! Shoving multiple pills down his little throat is not a fun pass-time for any of us!
We have no way of being sure he won’t relapse again, and he is having visits to vet every few days for the near future.
This little guy is such a fighter. And all through this I know that once he is well and strong and has conquered whatever is so viciously attacking his tiny little body now, the operation to take his leg is looming not too far after.
This morning Jonty is wagging his tail and playing with his fur siblings. He is also getting more and more confident in his pursuit of our cat’s bottoms! He enjoys his food, and loves his puppy milk. He might even be making some toilet training progress, even though he hasn’t exactly had the routine to support it! He is a clever, playful, energetic bundle of love <3
Home again
A surprise on Friday when the vet told us Jonty was well enough to come home! They are still unsure what was wrong, and are waiting on the outcome of blood tests- he is on a broad spectrum antibiotic at the moment.
He is running, playing, piddling on my floor and generally striking fear into the hearts of my pussy-cats, just like any 6 month old pup should be! Another vet check up today, and hopefully we’ll have a better a idea of what might be going on with this little man.
As you can see, the crew are happy to be back together! Bozzio (lyong on the paving, like a grown up) is a 5 year old standard poodle, and Alby (snuggled in my lap like a baby) is an 18 month old pound special – I think there’s some poodle in there! I am just one relieved mumma x
Update
Jonty has been admitted to hospital today – his symptoms have worsened again. Swelling, salivating and extreme lethargy. He declined pretty steeply while we were in the vet’s office – his balance was off and he seemed quite distressed.
The vet suspects there may be a neurological condition at play, but she has taken blood and sent it off to the lab. They hope to have news for us tomorrow afternoon. I am heartbroken for this little guy – he has had such a rough start to life.
On the up and up
Jonty is feeling a little better this evening, and is feeling a more normal temperature. He has chased the cats a little (which always seems to lift his spirits), wiggled his little tail wag and had some dinner.
Jonty has a habit of scarfing down his food and getting a terrible case of the hiccups. He even gives you a wounded look if you giggle at his digestive plight! A little belly rub tends to help them pass. Such a cutie x
Surgery rescheduled for Thursday, all being well.
Another bump in the road
Jonty is not a well little fellow today. Last night he developed a very swollen jaw, and was incredibly lethargic and hot. Off to the vet this morning as he wasn’t looking much better, and his eyes were gunky too.
The vet thought the swelling may be from a bite or sting, but when she checked his temperature it was more than 40 degrees Celsius. She decided to treat with antibiotic and antihistamine injections. The injection caused the little lad a lot of pain, and afterwards we could see his fur was wet. A quick squeeze by the vet revealed that the injection had hit an abscess of the little guy’s shoulder. Not sure what’s caused it, just have to bide our time and hope he comes right. And still not a hundred percent sure of what the jaw swelling is either.
So we have had to reschedule the surgery for later in the week, and we have our fingers crossed that he will be feeling better in the next few days. He is still eating, but he is so off colour. I am worried for this poor little mite – he just can’t seem to catch a break.
Surgery is booked…
Jonty’s surgery has now been booked for Monday September 2nd, and I had a lump in my throat when I got off of the phone to the vet.
I was worrying yesterday about whether this is the right thing – he can run and play on his leg, and he seems to use it quite well. How could we be sure? But then we took the tribe for a long off-lead walk at the salt lakes near our home. Jonty started out skittering around the other dogs, putting on little bouts of speed and generally doing the puppy thing. After a short distance, though, he lost his sense of puppy fun and we could see he was having trouble keeping up. His ears were laid flat back while he concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, but he was determined to walk. He made one half of the journey on his own feet. On the way back, we carried him, and he fretted and wriggled and jealously watched the others running and playing.
So now I believe we are doing the right thing – I am sure once he is back on his own three feet he will find it easier to keep up and to run and play when he isn’t dealing with a twisted leg with no proper elbow joint.
I’m pretty sure I might still have to shed some tears for this little one when I get home tonight, now it’s all final. That’s okay – I know some good times are headed our way too.
Jonty’s journey begins
On his second night with us, Jonty loves his new squirrel!
I would like to introduce little Jonty. He is 6 months old, and his breed is…anyone’s guess!
Jonty is a rescue dog, saved from a pound in Kalgoorlie by Desperate for Love Dog Pound Rescue. He made his journey to Perth by car on Friday the 23d of August, and spent his first night with a temporary carer before coming home with us on Saturday August 24th.
My husband, Adam, and I were immediately in love with this little mite. He is the ninth dog we have fostered – but the first puppy! We also immediately noticed that something was not quite right with little Jonty’s front leg.
Jonty spent his first day with us playing with our two dogs – he keeps up well, despite his leg (aside from the odd stumble and fall). Alby (18 months) is the ‘baby’ of our forever family, and having a puppy around is very new to him indeed! They have hit it off (most of the time) although Alby is slightly jealous when little Jonty gets mummy cuddles! The evening came, and this saw Jonty traveling once again, this time to the vet for a health check. The vet immediately noticed Jonty’s paw, and recommended x-rays.
X-rays were taken on Sunday, and Adam and I were ushered into the vet’s little back office. “It’s not good news,” she told us, and proceeded to show us a picture of the bones in Jonty’s healthy left leg in comparison to his right. It seems that little Jonty had suffered an accident of some sort early in his life, and his bones have fused and grown in such a way that he has no elbow joint at all. “We can’t save the leg – there is just nothing there to work with,” the vet tells us. They are going to have to amputate Jonty’s leg – it will cause him more pain and trouble as he grows.
And so now I am waiting to hear back from Desperate for Love and the vet, so I can book the little fellow in for his surgery – and I thought the toilet training would be tricky! It is the first time I will have seen a dog through major surgery, and I am a little apprehensive. But I know that the rescue community will support me, my husband will be amazing (even though he calls me a crazy-dog-lady) and Jonty will be a joy to have in my life.
Goals for Jonty
- I want for Jonty to have a puppy-hood.
- I want him to get back to running and nipping and scary-growling at my other dogs as soon as he can.
- I want him to feel safe and stable in our home for as long as he needs.
- And I want him to find the perfect forever home when he is ready.
So the journey begins…