starhound

Thank you for the kind replies.. they mean more than I can describe. Brandy is an outstanding therapy dog. I suffer from panic disorder and all-round anxieties and she knows how I am, how to comfort me, and I swear we share the same sense of humour. She is so dear to me and I am so utterly afraid of losing her.

I have a 9 year old hound who took a turn for the worse tonight. She's usually so outgoing, happy and joyeous, but today when I woke up she was stumbling a little and kept staring at the walls, into space, etc. She is just not herself at all. After an hour she got a bit slower, but still ate her food, willingly took a chicken strip and drank some water. My husband called the vet and they said she'd likely suffered a mild seizure or had low blood sugar, and recommended the Emergency vet if her state got worse. An hour later she was so slow and disorientated I tried to move her downstairs and it was very difficult to keep her on her feet. She layed down at every given oppertunity... like standing was an effort. She started to cry, and the whining noises sounded so laboured, it was clear we had to take her in. I was already in tears at this stage.. Brandy is a therapy dog, she has been with me since 2005... I am actually closer to this hound than I am to my own parents or family, so I feel utterly, completely devastated. The E-vet was so nice.. she ran bloodwork on Brandy and while all of her numbers seemed okay, she is severely dehydrated.. I'm not sure how this happened.. water is always within reach and I always assumed she drank enough. The vet kept her there overnight so she could get IV fluids in her, and some added painkillers... the vet thought she seemed to be in pain. I just hope that dehydration is the only thing causing her such disorientation and spaced-out-ness... I just pray that it's not a sign of something way worse... it happened so quickly. Yesterday she was her bubbly, playful, happy self.. and in a flash she's gone compeltely downhill. Sorry if this post is overly emotional but I just cannot stand to see my girl in pain.. we have immigrated to the US together, we've been everywhere together, I saved her myself from a neglectful situation... I just love this hound and seeing her like this is so crushing. If you believe in praying... please, I would be so grateful if you'd send one her way for a complete recovery... she looked so awful and the waiting is unbearable.