It had all started last year. Bella was having some issues in a rather unfriendly area on her body. Jumping up frightfully from rested sleep, irritable and lethargic. I couldn't quite grasp what was causing this rather odd display of reactions. Then it started. The crying at night, whimpering during the day, scooting, and trying to knick her backside over and over again. After a few weeks of this, I realized something was going wrong, really wrong.
I took her to the vet and had her checked out. The vet couldn't find any severe concerns other than an impacted anal gland, so after a cleansing, a shaving around her bum side, some vetoprofen (ib profen for dogs), and a few wet nose kisses of reassurance later, we were on our way home.
Bella seemed okay for a few days but a second trip to the vet was in order. This time I asked to see a different doc as I wanted a second opinion. Well, Miss Bella was still having the same issues, a little impaction and a lot of pain. "Hmm.." the doctor seemed baffled as to what was causing such irritants. To rule out any other concerns, we did a full body x-ray, blood test and fecal test to make sure there were no abscess internally or bacterial infections. Everything came back negative for anything further concerning. Ugh. What was happening to my Angel?
As a concerning Mother, yes, Mother, I was very worried about the health of my baby girl. She stared at me with weary eyes and cooing for me to pick her up from the cold exam table. If all I could offer was a hug for her to feel at ease, I would give her a thousand. No Mom, of any breed, human or dog, ever wants her child in pain. It's the worst feeling in the world.
What were we to do now? Some more meds, a shot in her bum to help ease the pain and off we went.
A couple months later Bella was still in a concerning state. I shopped around for a new vet, and asked my close friends who they go to near the city I lived.
I didn't just want any old vet, I wanted a proper recommendation from those who treat their four-legged furbaby as their own blood, not just an accessory.
Ah, finally, someone came to my rescue. A decent vet who runs his own practice, closes his office in the middle of the day for surgeries, doesn't charge an arm and leg for office visits and gives you his most honest opinion after only doing a thorough nose to tail exam.
However, to my surprise, this third vet was also in disbelief. Bella was otherwise very healthy aside from her bum issues. Nothing was impacted, no sign of abscess, so he checked her out and gave us more antibiotics, but also some non-steroid anti-inflammatory for her arthritis. Sigh. My baby has arthritis. However, that's not the major cause of what was causing Bella pain, scooting, jumping and lethargy.
I knew it was some more. It was deeper, both metaphorically and physically. Something was causing my little girl to be in such discomfort in her ripe age of 9-years-old, that I knew I needed to research more about all of this. And from what I discovered, she was in between stages of an anal gland infection and full on abscess.
She wasn't having impaction and there was no sign of abscess, so from what I've read over and over on a dozen websites, Bella needed to have her anal glands cleansed out by a vet and have those same glands injected with antibiotics to kill the root of the infection internally.
My poor baby, my only child was going to be put under local anesthesia for this procedure that would keep her settled at the vet a full day until pick up time at 5:30 PST. Mother-trauma kicks in and I am a mess all day wondering, waiting, calling the vet and waiting to hear if Bella was okay.
Finally. Bella was out of the procedure room and doing well. The moment my office bell rang I was off like a racehorse to pick up E, Bella's Daddy and the two of us bolted straight down to the vet. The moment Bella saw me and heard my voice she tried to walk to me just as I swooped her up and she plopped her tired, noodle-like body into my arms.
The next few hours were a little wobbly as Bella tried to walk unbeknownst to her little body. She rested for hours and by the next morning was up and moving. She's still under Mama's, Grandparent's, Daddy's and little sister's supervision, and let's just say this little girl has been getting the proper loving treatment she deserves.
Thank you to all my readers, friends and family who have been asking about Bell and praying for her. BIG HUGS!
Xo and a couple of paw prints,
Lisa & Bella
