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Friday, May 16, 2008
Praying my dog is OK
What was assumed to be a routine check up with my dog, Buddy, has twisted into one hell of a nightmare for me.
I took Buddy in Thursday for his annual shots and explained to his veterinarian about Buddy’s recent anxiety issues. Part lab, Buddy has a tendency to sometimes be nervous in his surrounding. The veterinarian told me this was common for dogs of Buddy’s breed. However, he did suggest blood tests to check his thyroid level or for hypothyroidism, which is a disorder in which the thyroid gland (two small lobes located in the neck ) secretes insufficient thyroid hormone.
I noticed Buddy’s anxiety issues a couple of weeks ago when he wouldn’t eat his food in front of Kelley or me. It was almost as if he was worried or felt as if he was being punished. The main alarm I had was his demeanor. He almost seemed depressed at times or inactive. Buddy gets tons of exercise. But even on our walks and runs he seemed lethargic, or just not interested.
So aside from his annual shots and tests, Buddy’s veterinarian told me he was pretty sure from what I was telling him about Buddy’s anxiety it was a thyroid issue. I started to get emotional, but then the doctor explained it to me and assured me if it indeed was he thought it was it was very treatable.
I left feeling better about the situation while the tests were being completed. An hour or so later, Buddy’s veterinarian called me with the news. The thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) response test, which measures thyroid-hormone levels in the dog’s blood came back low. In addition, Buddy showed signs of having a low blood calcium level.
The veterinarian explained to me he wanted to take X-rays of Buddy’s chest and check for any tumors, which is often a concern with such test reults. At this point, I heard nothing else and my heart dropped. Although he told me he thought the possibility of tumors were slim, he couldn’t assure me until we saw the negatives. Regarding the low blood calcium level, he told me that could be a sign of troubled kidneys. A simple urine test will tell me more, but again, he didn’t think this was a sign of kidney problems, just something that needs to addressed now.
Although Buddy’s veterinarian told me he thought things were going to be OK, I have been a ball of stress sense and my mind can only process “what if my dog is sick?” I’ve done a lot of research since talking to the veterinarian just so I could understand what I’m dealing with. It would be easy for me to say to myself and everyone around me that Buddy is going to be OK, but in reality, as well as I know my dog, I’m not an expert and won’t know for sure until I hear all the test results. I need to be prepared for the best or the worst - I need to be honest with myself that there’s a possibility my dog may be sick.
I’m scared, nervous and incredibly sad. Buddy is my buddy and has been by my side through some rough times. He knows when I am down and often walks up to and sits next to me as if to say, “Daddy, it’s going to be OK.”
I wish to God I could give Buddy the same reassurance right now, but I can’t. I can only hope and pray he is going to be OK.
