I've have a horrible 24 hours.  Got home from work yesterday, checked the
PC, answered a couple of e-mail and went to check on my kids that I had left
out for the day (got so many I have to let some out when I'm sleeping or not
at home right now).  Anyway, noticed my Rikki wasn't quite up to par.  Then
she tried to vomit.  so I called my vet, you know the God, Gandolfi, told
them "Don't lock the doors I'm on my way", it's 5:40pm at this time.  Get
there just after six.  Gandolfi looks at her, lethargic, dehydrated, glassy
eyed, tender tummy and obviously nauseated.  Does x-rays but doesn't see
much.  Didn't like the intenstinal gas patterns so he did an exploratory.
NOTHING!  Stomach obviously inflamed but no blockage, no adrenal, no
insolinoma, nothing.  9pm last night, he sends her off to the emegency
clinic, because he wants to keep her on fluids for the dehydration.  We're
both still just baffled as to what is up.  I almost brought her home the
surgery went so well, but after talking about it and losing Tavvi, decided
if she had a post op problem I wasn't confident I could make it to emergency
in time.  Vet in Emergency calls me at midnight, Rikki is vomitting blood
and having severe bloody stools, she may not make it through the night.
Well that was the last sleep I got last night.  Picked her up at 8am to take
back to Dr. Gandolfi's...... limp rag, covered in bloody shit (I'm sorry if
that offends, but that is literally the case), and definately worse than
when I left her the night before.  Call one of the local rescuers around
here, and tell her to meet me at Gandolfi's that Rikki is going to need a
transfusion and get some donors over there.  By 2pm she had had 2
transfusions.  Touch and go all day..... Thank God she is such a little
fighter.  more blood but only in the stools.  WHAT is causing this.  It's
like a Distemper vaccination reaction..... we are absolutely baffled.
Around 4pm her blood work shows the transfusions are helping a little, so we
start with some foods.  1.5cc of nutrical over the next hour and it stays
down.  I got kisses from her at this point.... so I was really beginning to
believe in miracles here.  So we go to the AD...... 2cc..... touchy but it
stayed.  2more cc in a hour..... almost didn't stay so we backed off on the
feeding.  Now I have NOT left the vets all day and am personally checking on
her every 15-20 minutes, but can't hold her because she is in an O2
tent..... and needs to be in her cage.  I've come apart at least 3 times so
far and look like I've been to Hell and back and have as far as I'm
concerned.  I pray and I pray.  I told Tavvi (waiting for me at the Bridge
just over a month now) if she saw Rikki heading that way to send her back.
Guess she did......She's going back to Emergency for the night with a back
up donor on stand by.  Just before I take her over they do the blood test
again...... It's more than 2x the level it had been...... I honestly think
she may pull through.  After talking with Dr. Gandolfi, who consulted with
Dr. Kawasaki, they decided it was anaphalyx shock.  (sometimes called
"strawberry ferret") WHAT caused it...... we may never know, although I now
suspect a bee got into my room while I was at work and Rikki either ate it
or got stung by it.  I've had them get in while I was home above the AC but
they always went right back out the same way so I didn't even really think
about it.  Bees don't bother me (didn't bother me).  Anyway, I'm exhausted
and going to crash again.  Could also have been a spider bite reaction.
Called emegency just a few minutes ago, and she is still holding her own and
no additional transfusion so far tonight.  Dr. Harrity, the vet on call
tonight, is the BEST one there is at emergency ..... I also mentioned the
condition I picked Rikki up in this AM to the head vet tech, she'll see that
is taken care of.  A post operative animal literally covered in bloody
feces..... come on.... BAD hygene there..... Will keep you posted as things
develop....... Riiki and Tavvi's mommy
[Posted in FML issue 1594]