A sick little puppy

Knuckles heading to his new home

On September 17th, Knuckles was at death’s door. The road over the past month was rocky and long but this precious little puppy fought a good fight and today, the Greyhound Rescue & Rehab stork delivered him to his new family in CT. Knuckles is so special and has a little piece of LOTS of hearts across the country.

I firmly believe the prayers, love & white healing light that came his way made a difference. Knuckles is alive, happy & in a home where he will be cherished. The pictures in his gallery tell the story. He’s had a 2nd chance to run.

Business practically came to a stand still at Katonah Bedford Vet Center when we arrived with Knuckles today. Our appointment was right at a shift change so there were SO many of the surgical, internal medicine & ER techs that just came swarming out to see "THE MAN" and boy did he put on a show. He launched himself at some of his favorites but each and every person was given warm wet Knuckles kisses & hugs. One big guy got right down on his tummy so Knuckles would remember to tug on his beard. I'm such a nerd. It made me cry!!

GREYT news! The boyo is up to almost 23 lbs and his blood values ARE rebounding. Albumin is up to low normal 2 (from .6 when he was first hospitalized) and the hematocrit is up to 37 which is normal for other breeds but still low for a greyhound. The hematocrit was only 26 last week so Knuckles is making great strides.

He still has lumbar back pain and his hind end is still pretty weak where the back leg kinda "dips" when he walks but when he runs, he looks fantastic. His big ears & feet flop and he's so freakin' cute I can't stop squishing him.

He still has some antibiotics to finish off and another 2 weeks of Tramadol before his next, and hopefully last, vet visit at KBVC but (drum roll please) he's off to his forever home on Sunday. He'll be sporting a big red ribbon around his neck!

I can't believe it was one month ago today on September 17, that we made the LONG ride to pick up a terribly painful, sick puppy. It has been a roller coaster ride but worth every grey hair.

Little trouble maker

Knuckles has continued to thrive. He's growing unbelievably, getting stronger and has definitely turned into a happy little terrorist! He torments the resident Scottie, running up & down the hall, barking at him trying to engage him in play. One of the resident greyhounds, Song, has become a nurturing mother and she has proven to be most tolerant when Knuckles chews on her tail or ears. On Sunday October 5th, Knuckles developed a swollen lymph node in his neck so we took him back to Katonah-Bedford Veterinary Clinic on the 8th for a blood work up and to have the gland aspirated. The cytology report showed the gland to be "reactive" but more puzzling was that the report also indicated there was inflammation around the gland. His blood work proved to be a disappointment too. Some of the values that we were sure would be much improved now that he's eating good food were still coming in way below normal. What's up little man? Except for the continued weakness in his hind end, there have been no more fevers and little to no cries of pain. Clinically, he's presenting as a normal puppy. The Dr is thinking that with his difficult "formative" weeks, his immune system may just need a boost. More blood work is planned for our next appointment on Oct. 17th and we'll possibly be starting him on some oral iron supplements. He's still on pain medicine, anti-inflammatory medicine & 2 antibiotics. Let's hope he can be weaned off some of those soon!

Knuckles makes a friend

The first night in foster care was a tough one for Knuckles. He cried on and off and spiked a fever shortly before he got his nightly Rimadyl. He was up at 4:15 the next morning and was obviously stressed with his new environment. The resident hounds, Puff & Song, weren’t sure what to make of this howling little thing and his odd movements yet their curiosity got the better of them. When they finally realized he was just a miniature version of them they became more accepting and allowed him “in” (see photos in the gallery). He’s eating, drinking, snuggling, growing & today, he’s RUNNING! Ok, so it’s more of a lope, but he’s picking up speed, is so alert & he’s definitely a happy puppy. He’s filling out and his ribs are starting to disappear. His hind end still needs to gain strength and his legs have quite a ways to go before they catch up to his feet but for the first time, Knuckles knows a full belly and for the most part, is pain & fever free. Stay strong little puppy and continue to thrive.

Knuckles checking things out

It’s been a LONG couple of days! During the night on Sept 29th and early morning Sept 30th, Knuckles temp continued to fluctuate from normal up to 104 and then back down but by midday, it seemed to be hovering around normal. His spirits were good, he was eating and drinking well, so he was taken off fluids to see how he managed. KBVC was so busy with emergencies that I never got to visit with him on the 29th and that was a FIRST since I got him on Sept 17th. I was going through withdrawal and was a wreck. I knew he was being loved & really well taken care of, but I still couldn’t help missing him. When I did finally get to see him on Sept 30th, I couldn’t get over the difference. He seemed so strong, both emotionally & physically. He was more curious than I’d ever seen him and even managed to check out the garbage when we were visiting in Dr. Hart’s office. He walked about 20 feet along a hallway and I must say, he’s excellent on the leash! The plan was for me to call in the next morning and if his temp had stayed down, he could go home. I was afraid to hope.
Well, tonight at 6pm, Knuckles was once again sprung from the hospital. His staples came out today and the amputation site is healing really well. He was so alert and took lots of time sniffing the grass and all the “hound” smells in my car. When we got home, he hopped all around my kitchen, checking things out and even had a little tug of war with the blanket. Dinner was served promptly at 7 (see pics in the photo gallery) and he took all his meds in little balls of canned food. His appetite is excellent. He’s a lazy little thing though. He prefers to have water syringed into his mouth where he laps at it as if he were taking a bottle.
Knuckles was only with me about an hour before his new foster parents came to take him. It’s a wonderful, nurturing environment and his foster mom, Donna, is home much of the time. She’ll spoil him rotten. Temps need to be monitored regularly and his activity is to be very restricted. He’s still experiencing back pain and yelps sometimes when he’s picked up. He’s a precious little boy with a long way to go before I’ll swear he’s out of the woods.

Knuckles is still in the hospital on IV fluids and antibiotics. Throughout the day yesterday his temp stayed constant at 104 and he’s having increased pain in his lower back. Is it gait related…learning to walk on 3 legs with very wobbly joints or is it an infection settling into his spine? He had refused food until they offered him puppy food which he’s now eating very well.
Yesterday evening, the attending added in Rimadyl and his temp dropped to normal. Within 4 hours it was back up to 104. It continued to fluctuate through the night and this morning. Down to normal when he got the Rimadyl and up as the Rimadyl wore off. The blood work from last night is unremarkable and the albumin has gone up again. That’s a GOOD thing! With the rise in Albumin, they were able to remove the feeding tube. The opening looked a little irritated but not infected yet maybe that is the cause of the fever. We’ll see what the next 24 hours bring. Dr Stephens said he certainly isn’t acting like a sick puppy. He hopped around her carpeted office and christened her rug!!

Knuckles settling in

Knuckles slept like a log over night. He had his late night meal at 11pm and then went for a hop around the front yard. That little tyke didn’t make a peep until 7:30 this morning. Good little puppy. He met a couple of our resident hounds and he was really cute with our brindle boy Tiger (see the photo gallery). We’re hand feeding him so he’ll learn to enjoy his food. He’s been so ravenous that he’s eating in big gulps.
He had a good lunch and took a stroll around our living room. He’s so curious about all the new things. He’s so cute with those oversize feet that practically flop when he walks. By 2pm, Knuckles had a fever of 104.7 so we rushed him back to KBVC. His regular Drs aren’t on for the weekend but the attending decided to do a battery of x-rays which in a puppy aren’t always easy to read but look basically normal. There must be an infection brewing in that little body somewhere. He’s already on all the antibiotics (3 in total) that are OK to give puppies his age. He’s back on IV fluids and will be given his antibiotics through the IV. I already miss him so much. He loves to be snuggled. Please keep him in your thoughts & prayers.

Knuckles goes home!

Knuckles with his Godparents;
Dr. Stephens & Dr. Hart

Knuckles gave us a big scare this morning. He was running a fever of 103.7 and so our plans to bring him home were put on hold. Dr. Hart checked his incision and didn't see any evidence of infection so they removed his IV catheter and within 4 hours, the temp was back down to normal. Yay!! We prepped quickly, setting up a comfy crate in the living room and running to the store for puppy food and pee pee pads. I hadn't done any advance planning. I was afraid to jinx his possible home coming.

Well, the munchkin is HERE!!! He ate a good dinner, taking all 3 of his antibiotics and pain meds in little puppy food meatballs and is really happy to be served water every hour. Yesterday he started doing his poopies standing up which was a real landmark. He really doesn't like his e-collar but as soon as it comes off he starts chewing his sutures. =[ He hopped out of Katonah-Bedford Veterinary Center wearing a brand new harness. He isn't thrilled that it's shocking pink but it was the only one available in tiny size on short notice. He got such an amazing send off from KBVC. The techs, docs & reception staff were all there to cheer him on.

We have to take his temp every 4 hours and be sure the feeding tube doesn't get pulled out. Scarey! He'll have plenty of quiet time with lots of love & attention over the weekend. Our resident greyhounds are really curious about this tiny little creature.

He's so incredibly cute. He's chewing up his pee pee pads now so will update more tomorrow.

Knuckles and his Godfather, surgeon Dr. Rob Hart.

Knuckles continues to make progress and is hopping around pretty well. Once he gets going, it's amazing how he motors! Understandably, his amputation site isn't healing as quickly as it should and is still draining. His albumin went up a little more today which is great news but tonight, there was some fluid collecting under his cute little chin. BUMMER! There's a good possibility that he might be able to come home tomorrow. It would be a trial period... just for the weekend and if he so much as hiccups, back to KBVC he'll go.

Knuckles gettin' some luvin'

Knuckles is making great strides. His spirit is terrific and he took a couple of steps on his own today. Dr Stephens is gradually starting him on oral antibiotics instead of IV and she's very pleased with his progress. Dr Hart reported that Knuckles is walking flat footed because of the nutritional deficiency but that with a balanced diet the ligaments and cartilage will get stronger. He may never have a perfect gait but who cares as long as he's alive! The feeding tube has to stay in even though Knuckles is eating and drinking on his own. Until his protein levels are up, it's risky to remove it. He's a fighter that little man and there's definitely a new spark in his eyes.

Knuckles getting some fresh air

The surgeon took the vac off Knuckles amputation site today. It was pumping all the fluids out to help with the swelling he was getting all over his body. Knuckles was quieter tonight when we went to visit so I'm hoping that with some of those tubes removed he's a little more comfortable. I took a little chew stick that he gnawed on for a while and then we got to go outside for a little air. His little legs are really weak but with the help of the surgery tech supporting his back end, he did take a couple of steps using his front legs. Dr Stephens says that the cartilage and ligaments were badly affected by the nutritional deficiency. I do think he's growing though. Both Dr Hart & Dr Stephens are still saying we're just taking it one day at a time.

Knuckles learning to walk on 3 legs

Dr Stephens reports that Knuckles blood work is starting to improve, he's eating & drinking on his own and that we can be cautiously optimistic. During a visit, I noticed a definite change in his attitude. He's getting BRATTY!! He's now wearing an e-collar because he chewed his IV line. He's tired of lying around, he wants to stand up to do his pee pee and he really prefers being outside in the grass and fresh air. Eating & drinking on his own? He's ravenous.

We weren't prepared for the phone call from Dr Hart on September 18th, letting us know that the leg was septic and in an attempt to save Knuckles life, his leg would need to be amputated immediately and a feeding tube put in. After surgery, Knuckles care would be overseen by Dr Julie Stephens, Internal Medicine.

The next 3 days were touch and go for Knuckles. Once he started re-hydrating, his blood values were all out of wack with protein levels dangerously low and the possibility of a systemic infection. Dr Stephens & Dr Hart agreed that a transfusion was needed. The poor little guy was confused and scared but the staff at KBVC has been very attentive and caring and volunteers from GRR have visited to let him know he was very much loved. He needed the will to live.

Sept 17th - Knuckles waits for his ride to NY

Knuckles is 14 weeks old and we first heard about him on September 11th. He and other puppies had been removed from a farm where they were being seriously neglected. The manager of the new farm reported that they were dehydrated, infested with worms, mal-nourished and some of them, injured. They had not had any vet care.

We agreed to take 4 of the puppies ranging in age from 14 weeks to 9 months but needed a little time to find appropriate foster homes. Knuckles was the youngest of the 4 and it was believed he had a fractured leg. We kept in touch with the farm managers daily offering whatever help they needed and they kept us informed about the progress of the pups.

Sept 17th - Knuckles on his way

By September 13th, Knuckles had stopped eating. We agreed to pay for vet services to have his leg looked at. The orthopedic surgeon was on vacation until Sept 23rd but a general vet in the same practice saw Knuckles on Monday, September 15th giving a preliminary diagnosis of a fractured leg and ruptured knee ligaments. Knuckles was put on anti-inflammatory and pain medication, but by the following day, Knuckles was in pretty bad shape. The farm manager didn’t think he was going to make it even though she was syringe feeding him.

Sept 17th - Knuckles hanging out in the car

One day later, Knuckles was on a 15 hour road trip to NY. It was worked out that he came by GUR with only 3 legs to reduce the jostling around and pain it would cause him.

We were covering the 3rd and final leg of the GUR involving a 10 hour round trip drive and when we saw his precious little face and BIG swollen, painful hind leg, we knew we’d made the right decision to act quickly. This poor little baby was so incredibly thin with rheumy eyes and he was obviously running a fever. He was very vocal on the ride and his cry was more like the bleating of a goat than anything we’d ever heard coming from a greyhound youngster.

Sept 18th - Knuckles at KBVC after surgery

On arriving at Katonah-Bedford Veterinary Center in Bedford, NY at 11pm, we were told Knuckles was in critical condition. The x-rays taken at KBVC showed no fractures or breaks in the leg, his blood work was relatively normal but he was so de-hydrated that they were sure the blood work was skewed. He was immediately put on IV fluids and would be seen by the surgeon, Dr. Robert Hart, first thing the following morning. KBVC is a 24/7 full service veterinary facility, that we have worked with on many occasions and Dr Hart has operated to repair many greyhounds we have taken into our program with broken legs. We knew we were leaving Knuckles in the best care possible.