Rescue is a roller coaster, and this past week it was a doozy.
On Monday morning, Lima Bean would not move or eat. Her belly seemed enlarged and she’d peed all over her bedding (something she had never done before). Her allergies, which had been getting steadily better with a change of diet, were raging and she had scratched her ears bloody overnight. Otherwise, her temp was normal, and her gums looked normal. I was flummoxed but knew something wasn’t right.
I contacted a vet/friend who lives nearby to ask if she might come take a look. She agreed that something was seriously not right and tried to palpate her belly, only to find it taut and unmovable.
I took LB to Anicira Veterinary Hospital, and they took her immediately in case it was bloat. On the drive down to Harrisonburg, LB let out a lot of fluid—I won’t say it was urine because it didn’t smell like it. (Thankfully, I drive a Honda Element, so later I could just hose out the back.)
Initial blood work was inconclusive, so they put her on IV fluids for dehydration and cleaned up her ears. Radiographs revealed that her heart was enlarged, and the vet was fairly sure she could see worm activity inside her heart. She was still lethargic and seemed to be in a bit of pain. The only logical conclusion was that she was in Caval Syndrome, meaning the end stages of heartworm disease.
Late in the afternoon, the rescue, after conferring with the vets and with me, made the call to euthanize Lima Bean. It seemed like the most humane thing to do. I got in the car and started driving down to Harrisonburg in tears so that I could be there with her.
About halfway to Harrisonburg, Liz, from X-Port Paws called to say she’d heard from the vet at Anicira that LB had perked up and even barked at another dog who was passing through the treatment area. She said, “There’s still life left here. Let’s give her another 48 hours and see what happens.”
By the time I got there, Lima Bean was up and hopped right to me. They sent us home with trazodone for her pain, prednisone for her allergies, and doxycycline to get her started on the preparation for heartworm treatment.
By the next day, she was running at about 50% Lima Bean normal behavior, but she was better. At one point in the afternoon, I heard her whimpering, so I took my laptop and sat with her in her dog bed as I worked, and she settled and slept by my side.
At 48 hours, she was the Lima Bean I have come to love and trip over. She is always underfoot, following me everywhere, stealing the puppy’s toys to hoard in her crate, and begging for food and treats. She was going outside to potty and holding vigil near the door to my office whenever I left her alone.
The question now is—where do we go from here?
The original plan to wean the puppies, have the leg amputated, and have her spayed, followed by heartworm treatment, is out the window. Heartworm treatment takes priority.
But there are so many questions. Will she survive the treatment with her heart compromised as it is? Do we stick to the protocol of 30 days of doxycycline, followed by 30 days of rest, and then treatment? Can we treat sooner? I’m not sure she can survive 60 days of those worms growing larger.
Here is what I cling to – she has never coughed. The normal progression of heartworm disease is for them to develop a soft cough due to compromised lungs. I’ve had several HW positive dogs who arrived with that cough and were successfully treated (Edith Wharton was one of them, and she nursed 12 puppies and had spay surgery before HW treatment).
I wanna believe that it was the allergies out of control that triggered her immune system to go haywire. Of course, I’m no vet. Just an eternal optimist who loves this dog.
So, I’m cautiously hopeful that we will find a path that ends with LB finding a loving forever home – whether that will be four months or six months or even a year from now, we shall see.
And if this becomes a hospice foster situation, I’m willing to do that. All I want is for whatever time Lima Bean has left to be full of safety and love and comfort. She’s had too much abuse, neglect, and pain in her short life.
And more than that – I think she is a walking (well technically hopping) miracle. She survived a brutal time on the streets, delivered puppies alone in a shelter, barely escaped euthanasia, and learned to live and care for puppies on three legs.
When the decision was made to euthanize her, she spoke up. I laughed when Liz told me she had barked at the vet office. In all her time here, I’ve never heard her bark.
We don’t yet have a plan, but I’m pretty sure Lima Bean does.
Thanks to everyone who shopped our Another Good Dog wishlist! We have plenty of food now (which is good since the puppies still have no adopters and none of my adult dogs are going anywhere anytime soon except maybe Wishbone).
I so appreciate all of you and the support you give me. It’s been a doozy of a week, and I have no idea what next week will bring, but I’ll be sure to keep you posted on the Another Good Dog Facebook Group, TikTok, and right here on the blog.
If you’d like to donate to X-Port Paws for Lima Bean’s treatment, you can do it here. (be sure to mention it’s for her)
Until Each One Has a Home,
Cara
For information on my writing and books, visit CaraWrites.com.
My newest book, Who Will Let the Dogs Out: Stories and Solutions for Shelters and Rescues is a primer for those new to the cause, an invitation to get involved, and a source of inspiration for those already working tirelessly to save lives. With stories of successful shelters, innovative strategies, and the key ingredients for success—strong leadership, veterinary access, and community engagement—it’s a celebration of what’s working and a call to scale those solutions nationwide. Learn more and get your copy and/or send one to a shelter or rescue on our website. Also available in paperback and e-book on Amazon.
If you’d like regular updates of all our foster dogs past and present, plus occasional dog care/training tips, and occasional foster cat updates (!) be sure to join the Facebook group, Another Good Dog.
And if you’d like to know where all these dogs come from and how you can help solve the crisis of too many unwanted dogs in our shelters, visit WhoWillLetTheDogsOut.org and subscribe to our blog where we share stories of our travels to shelters, rescues, and dog pounds.
If you can’t get enough foster dog stories, check out my book: Another Good Dog: One Family and Fifty Foster Dogs. Or it’s a follow-up that takes you to the shelters in the south, One Hundred Dogs & Counting: One Woman, Ten Thousand Miles, and a Journey Into the Heart of Shelters and Rescues.
I love to hear from readers and dog-hearted people! Email me at carasueachterberg@gmail.com.
If you’d like to support the work we do (and save the rescue and me some money), shop our Amazon wishlist. We are currently in need of probiotics, high-quality treats, bully sticks, pill pockets.
If you’d like to take a vacation with your whole pack, consider visiting one of our two dog-WELCOMING vacation rentals. Visit BringDogs.com to learn more.
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