Hatfield
7/13/2007, 02:58 PM
The following is a message from a good friend of mine, who lost his dog this morning. The message he provides can never be said enough.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I appreciate all of the kind words and support in the Sam thread. I don't want to harp and I'm not digging for sympathy. I just want to make sure that all of you are duly informed of what happened.
Samson started acting a little funny on Monday. By Tuesday he was off his food and he walked/sat/laid down like it hurt. He was also shedding like mad. We already had an appointment to get his teeth cleaned, so I took him in Wednesday morning for that and told the vet what we had observed. It turned out that he had two strains of tick-borne illness, one being Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. The vet felt like we got it in time and put him on doxycycline and expected him to get better.
Last night, he was in horrible shape and I knew in my heart that he was dying and, worse, that there was nothing more we could do. I found him dead at 7:00 this morning.
I have treated Sam with Revolution that is meant to work for fleas, ticks, and heartworm. The vet told me that Revolution will get the ticks to drop off, but that they have time to transmit.
Please, please, please be vigilant. Our dog was bit by a tick and was dead within three days. I'd hate for this to happen to any of you.
Thanks again for your kind words and support. Please spread the word to everyone you know who owns dogs, particularly those who live in regions who have been getting as much rain as we have.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I appreciate all of the kind words and support in the Sam thread. I don't want to harp and I'm not digging for sympathy. I just want to make sure that all of you are duly informed of what happened.
Samson started acting a little funny on Monday. By Tuesday he was off his food and he walked/sat/laid down like it hurt. He was also shedding like mad. We already had an appointment to get his teeth cleaned, so I took him in Wednesday morning for that and told the vet what we had observed. It turned out that he had two strains of tick-borne illness, one being Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. The vet felt like we got it in time and put him on doxycycline and expected him to get better.
Last night, he was in horrible shape and I knew in my heart that he was dying and, worse, that there was nothing more we could do. I found him dead at 7:00 this morning.
I have treated Sam with Revolution that is meant to work for fleas, ticks, and heartworm. The vet told me that Revolution will get the ticks to drop off, but that they have time to transmit.
Please, please, please be vigilant. Our dog was bit by a tick and was dead within three days. I'd hate for this to happen to any of you.
Thanks again for your kind words and support. Please spread the word to everyone you know who owns dogs, particularly those who live in regions who have been getting as much rain as we have.