What a week for little Abby. She romped into the vet clinic Monday morning, as boisterous as a pup could be. Many hours later she was still struggling to fully come out of anesthesia. Our vet used the same combination of drugs that are used for thousands of spays across the country every day without a problem (my husband is in the veterinary pharmaceutical business, so he knows.) But just like people who have general anesthesia, there’s always that rare chance of an unexpected result.

Such a roller coaster. She looked awful Monday night, with labored breathing and a look in her glazed eyes that said she wasn’t long for this world. The vet gently said that the outcome probably wouldn’t be good. He stayed up all night with her, adjusting her IV’s and careful doses of Lasix, monitoring her labwork.

On Tuesday morning, she tried to lift her head to look at us, but could barely move…she looked almost comatose, and she still hadn’t been able to urinate. Her labwork was worse, showing worsening acute kidney failure. Then at noon, the Lasix finally worked–and I’ve never been to happy to see an animal pee!!! At least her kidneys were finally letting the fluids go through–even if they weren’t really functioning correctly.

Her labwork was still critically high on Wednesday morning, indicating kidney damage that could still take her life…and then, a miracle: her creatinine improved Wednesday night, and really improved Thursday morning. A stunning, fast change that means she’s now on the road to recovery!

Our whole family is so happy for Brian and his puppy. If she needs special food and special care the rest of her life, she’ll always get it. It’s just so wonderful to know that her huge spirit of energy and excitement and enthusiasm for life hasn’t been lost. My mom and I prayed so hard for her, and I know some of the readers here did too, because they let me know. Thanks so much!

I know that there are people suffering terrible tragedies in their lives–heaven knows that I have, too, including the devastating loss of a precious child– so a little lab puppy might seem insignificant in the whole scheme of things in this world. But she is part of our family, and I’m just so happy that we’ll get to enjoy the gift of her life for (hopefully) a long time to come.

And to me, our vet is such a hero, for not giving up on her, even when he thought she had very little chance of surviving…and for staying at her side throughout that first, awful night!

Roxanne