As you can see she is a Jack Russell Terrier. I love my Molly. She was the first dog I got when I started living on my own. She is loving, affectionate, hyper, spastic, smart and cute. I love Molly and at the same time I hate her. We have a funny kind of relationship like that.
I got her in 2001. Right before Halloween.
She has cost me thousands. You heard correct. THOUSANDS! She has a condition called HGE (Hemorrhagic gastroenteritis). This lovely little disease causes acute (sudden) onset of bloody diarrhea, usually explosive, accompanied by high packed cell volumes (red blood cells). Sounds fun doesn't it.
She got this the first time about three years ago. It was on a Sunday, when normal vets aren't open, of course. She was very withdrawn. I would try and get her to sit on my lap and she wouldn't. Totally uncharacteristic of Molly. Usually she is up in your face wanting all of your attention and then some. All she would do is lay in the back yard in a whole that she had dug several days earlier. So I watched her. She just laid there. Ten minutes went by and she finally got up. She walked about two feet from her whole and threw up. It was blood. I freaked out. I scooped her up in a towel and rushed her to a well known and advertised after hours emergency vet clinic. Costly mistake.
Once we got inside, the receptionist explained that she would take her back to the vet and see if she would need immediate attention or if I could sit and wait with her, in the waiting room, and then go back and see the vet. First come, first serve kind of thing. Needless to say they came back and said she was severely dehydrated and that they were hooking her up to an i.v. right away.
Okay, by this point I'm a little scared. Not only am I worried that my poor Molly is very sick. I am also starting to run numbers through my head. I.V. fluids $100.00. Vet looking at her $200.00 dollars. Weekend visit charge $150.00. At this rate I will have to sell one of my kidneys.
Half and hour later the vet comes in. She has to go through a long list of questions to try and figure out what is wrong with, sweet, starting to get very expensive, Molly.
Vet: Does she chew on toys?
Me: Dog toys?
Vet: Do you have kids?
Me: Yes.
Vet: Does she chew on your kids toys?
Me: No.
Vet: Did she get into anything that you know of?
Me: No. But she does love digging in the garbage.
Vet: Has she dug in the garbage lately?
Me: Sure. Everyday.
Vet: Was there anything in the garbage she could eat?
Me: Umm yes. Garbage.
This went on for a several more minutes. (agitation)
The vet then decides that she needs to run x-rays, to see if she swallowed anything and it got stuck. $. Plus it would be best to run some blood work. $$. I think you can see where this is going. I was then told that I could go home and that they would do what they needed to "fix" her. $$$. I left.
They called me later that day. She was getting better but would need to stay over night. At this point I begin to wonder when I should put my foot down and tell them no more treatment. It is too expensive. I love my Molly, but, she is a dog. I can't take out a 2nd mortgage on my home for a dog. Can I? After talking to babe that night we decided that we would pay this bill. Whatever it was. Babe insist that we will not pay anymore money out for her again. EVER!
So after a few more phone calls and 1 more day at the veterinarian, Molly comes home. The diagnosis is HGE. They don't know what causes it, but they do know that it is an overgrowth of bacteria. There is nothing to do to prevent it. Just keep her out of the garbage and feed her this really expensive food and she should be okay. She is weak. She is defeated. She is looking for more garbage to get into. I can not believe that she is still wanting garbage. She eats special food. Very expensive food, I might add, and she wants garbage. Time for the crate.
One months later.... SHE GETS IT AGAIN! Are you kidding me. This can't be happening. We can't afford to pay for her to be at the veterinarian again. I take her right away. This time I caught it early enough that she got medication and got to come home. $6oo dollars later. Babe really loves me. He wants to see me happy. God bless this man. Several times!
Okay, so she has had it twice in a 1 month period of time. No more. This is coming to an end. Babe has set his limit. "If she gets sick again, you have $100.00 to make her better, or the veterinarian can keep her!" Reasonable.
Three months later...SHE GETS IT AGAIN! Not surprising. Figures. I knew it was coming. This time I know that I can't help her. Babe has set a limit. $100.00. Where on earth can I take her to get fixed for $100.00. I start to cry. As much as this dog makes me crazy, I love her. She is my Molly. She makes me want to gouge my eyes out with a rusty spoon, but I can't live without my Molly.
I call the Feed Store. Maybe they have some over the counter thing that will make her better. Maybe they will know something. Anything. Please help me. The wonderful gentleman that answered the phone could hear the stress in my voice. He did not have a magic potion like I was hoping. He did have the name of a veterinarian that he used and trusted and most important of all was reasonably priced. I can see the light. It is dim but it is there.
Parkview Animal Hospital oh how I love thee. Polite, understanding, calming people you are. The tech that answered the phone listened to my long drawn out story of Molly and her HGE. I must have talked for a good ten minutes. He sat patiently. After I was done. He calmly said bring Molly in we will take care of her. Should be around $100.00, but I can't guarantee anything.
The light just got a little brighter.
I take her in. They look at her. The vet comes in. He looks at her.
Awesome Vet: "Sounds like HGE."
Me: "Okay?"
Awesome Vet: "We don't know what causes HGE, but we do know that it is an over growth of bacteria. So, let's give her something that will control the over growth of bacteria."
Me: "Huh."
Awesome Vet: "Control the bacteria. No more problems."
Me: "Can I kiss you?!"
Awesome Vet: "Just give this to her the first signs of trouble and she should be fine."
Me: "Seriously. Can I kiss you."
So leaving the most awesome Vets office in the whole wide world that day was, well, AWESOME.
My total bill, $93.00, including medications.
I have my Molly back. And it has been 3 years since having to take her back for anything HGE related. We will talk about her dew claws later.
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