Gibson Update

Please send up little puppy prayers, as Gibson is not doing too well. I took him to the vet Thursday for a check up (since we had just gotten him) and I suspected he had Kennel Cough. He got antibiotics, and some dewormer, apparently he has "every worm known to man"...YUCK! Well, Friday I noticed he was still acting kind of droopy, very lethargic; I had to make him get up to go out. I took him back to the vet, and she diagnosed Distemper. I was heartbroken. There is no test for Distemper, and treatment is VERY expensive. Their estimate was around $2000. I just wanted to bring him home and spend one more night with our little guy, give him lots of love since he had a rough start in life. I had gone onto our local message board/chat room, Kingwood Underground, to ask questions about kennel cough the night before the diagnosis, so I went back to give an update, and had an outpouring of support from many of the other KU'ers. One lady brought me a bag of IV fluids and taught me how to administer it (scary, I know!) along with a probiotic for his belly and some extra vitamin supplement, and another sweet lady I know from work who is also a KU'er brought me a vitamin and mineral supplement for Gibson. I had another lady call me to tell me how to contact yet another lady about getting Gibson to a vet free of charge. And I have received many private messages from a lady that works in/for one of the local shelters trying to help me out with Gibson. This all may sound rather confusing, but just know that many people have reached out to help our little guy. The lady who brought me the IV liquids was once a cop, and has worked with a lady from a rescue group. Neither one thought Gibson had Distemper. He just isn't showing all the symptoms. Sure, he is showing some, like the fever and lethargy, but that could be the nasty worms he's fighting off, or the kennel cough he's dealing with. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
I went back to the shelter today to get some more meds for Gibson. We are still in our 10 day window of fostering to adopt, so they will help with meds, and even pay vet costs if you use their vets (I knew this beforehand, but all their vets are an hour or more away from us...hindsight is 20/20). They didn't seem to think it is Distemper either. They told me to keep Gibson on his original antibiotic, that it was better than the one they were going to give me, and they also gave me some more needles for the IV line, and to keep him hydrated, and to keep him fed, even if I have to do it myslef.
After all this, Gibson is still hanging in there. We have to force feed him by watering his wet food way down and use a syringe to squirt it in his mouth because he is not eating. We do this with his water, too. We are giving him his medicines twice a day, as well as doing one unit of IV fluid twice a day. He is about the same as he was yesterday, but this morning he got up a few times and actually followed me around wagging his tail for a few minutes. He has been peeing when he goes out, so I guess that's good. No poo in two days though.
Even though we are still in our 10 day window with the shelter, I refuse to take him back there. So many people would though, and it breaks my heart to even think about it. He is a part of our little family now, and Raia loves him so much! She doesn't understand why she can't play with him yet, I tell her she can only pet and be very gentle, because he doesn't feel good. She just wants to bear hug him, though, poor dog.
Anyway, sorry this post was so long. The other night when I was posting the 'Introducing GIBSON' thread, I even thought to myself "I better hold off...what if something happens?" Ugh! Just keep Gibson in your prayers if you think about it.
On top of all this madness, Raia spiked a fever of 103 today, and I have had a sore throat all day. I was a little dizzy this morning, but that has passed, so who knows what's going around our house right now.


Now...

Glad Game:
1.) I am glad we have Gibson here, and he has gotten to know that feeling of family and love.
2.) I am glad so many people have reached out to help Gibson, and have given me hope.
3.) I am glad Nathan is going out of town for a week - we need a break.
4.) I am glad I have such wonderful friends in my life.
5.) I am glad it is bedtime...I am tired.

Thanks for checking in. Hopefully I will have better news next time I post. <3
xoxox~