The fires raging in California have thrown ash and particulates into the air. The heat wave hit - and we didn't have the worst of it. While other places in Southern California went up to 112 - 115- 120, we were at about 93. I took my dog outside for about five minutes. It was "you can fry an egg on the hood of your car" time. I regretted it. My dog did not look good. She looked disoriented. The prior week she had thrown up. The first time a tinge of blood. A few hours later a profuse amount of clear what looked like saliva with a few streaks of white. It occurred to me that she had never thrown up like this before. It occurred to me I had done the same during a bout with food poisoning. It was clear to me that she had probably eaten something outside. I try to keep the floors clean. Unlike some other dogs, she is not adventurous about fruit. However, she has been known to be attracted to another dog's poop. Then, the next morning, to my complete upset, she tried to waken me by dancing all over my body, and when I didn't wake in time, she had diarrhea. It was stinky and all over some paperwork I had left on my bed. I cleaned it up. I had to throw away some applications I hadn't finished. I took her outside. Many times. When I got home she had made a big poop on the living room floor.
My dog has only been sick 1 -2 - maybe 3 times in all the years I've had her. She almost never poops in the house. I knew that she had just not made it outside in time. I cleaned it up.
The heat wave hit and she was panting. She was panting and her tongue did not look right. I looked a little purple and curled. She seemed disoriented. I got on the computer and researched. She had all 10 signs of heat exhaustion. The warning was it could cause internal organ damage and kill a dog quick. She was in trouble. Quickly I got her in the tub and proceeded to shampoo her with mildly warm - luke- warm water. (You can also wrap a dog in wet towels - do not use ice.) She slept. Finally her breathing seemed deep instead of shallow. The instructions said not to force a dog to drink water. For the first time I took spoons full of water and dropped in on her lips and into her mouth and she lapped it.
Thoughts were going through my head - she's going to die. She is dying. This is it.
I'm glad to report we are almost back to normal and maybe it's because the sky is so dense with smoke that the sun has been blocked and the temperature is way down. She is eating slowly. She is pooping normally. She is drinking lots of water. She is barking at the cat she puts up with and the dog who is always after her food. She is walking - slower than ever - a little limpy - but still interested in life. Other people are noticing she is old. I can't deny it. A friend called her "A FRAGILE LITTLE OLD LADY." I had to agree.
I LOVE her so much!
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