The Charlie Chronicles (Part 1)

Something is Wrong

Last week was a tough week with Charlie, our Cairn Terrier.

Tuesday morning (Sept 1), I woke up to Charlie whining at the foot of the bed, wanting to come up. I got up and put him to bed.

A little later, I found 2 piles of dog poop. One in the hallway and one in the living room. This was unfortunately not an unusual situation. Charlie often goes potty in the house.

I also found 3 puddles of urine, one against the wall (also not unusual) and 2 other separate puddles nearby (that was a bit unusual).

I went back to bed to cuddle with Charlie and noticed he was acting really lethargic and shivering.

I snuggled him for a while, but I noticed he wasn’t acting like himself when I got up and left the room. He just stayed in bed, under the covers. He usually follows Jeff or me when we leave the room. 

I knew something wasn’t right. I called our vet clinic and let know what was going on and got an appointment for that afternoon.

While I waited to take him to the vet I set up a doggy bed on the dining room table where I work so that I could keep an eye on him.

The Vet

At the vet (not our usual veterinarian) examined him a bit and based on the details I have him, he figured it was a bladder infection. I left with some antibiotics and a somewhat more energized Charlie.

I gave him his first dose when we got home and let him rest on the couch.

A few hours later, I noticed he was trying to roll over and he just couldn’t do it. I tried setting him on the floor.

He couldn’t stand up.

I tried to get him by his water, thinking he was dehydrated. He couldn’t drink.

I set him back on the couch and he looked terrified. His eyes were wide and I could tell he just couldn’t control his body.

I called the Green Bay Animal Referral Center (GBARC) and told them what was happening. They told me to bring him in. I messaged Jeff to tell him and said I would pick him up on the way.

Green Bay Animal Referral Center

The staff at GBARC took him in and (due to COVID) we waited outside in the parking lot. They let us know they had him stable and were going to do some tests and x-rays to see what was happening. We were advised to head home because this would take hours, as there were some critical patients ahead of him

Later that night, they contacted us and let us know he was suffering from Anemia, which was causing his weakness and lethargy.

They recommended we get Charlie and take him to the 24 hour Animal ER Fox Valley Animal Referral Center (FVARC), in Appleton so they could keep him under observation and give him an ultrasound to see if they could find the cause of the Anemia.

Fox Valley Animal Referral Center

Close to 1 AM, we picked up Charlie and transferred him to FVARC and waited in the parking lot while they examined him. They called to let us know that they had found something that looked like he may have eaten a pebble. They mentioned it could be a tumor and we would cross that bridge when we got to it.

My first response was to ask if he was going to make it and get better. They said they couldn’t guarantee anything based on the information they had so far.

I cried.

All the way home, I imagined Charlie not being able to even come home and I bawled my eyes out.

My heart broke when we walked in the door and Charlie wasn’t there to greet us.

I cried again when I went to the bathroom and Charlie didn’t come in and put his paws on my knee like he often does.

I cried more when I got in bed and Charlie didn’t make his way under the covers to cuddle up at my side with his butt in my armpit. That’s how we usually sleep.

I cried because I felt like it was my fault.

My Fault

I had thought in the recent past about what kind of dog we might get when Charlie was gone. A small one that behaves better.

Charlie can be very grouchy and sometimes bite people. I wish he didn’t do that and that what had likely led to my thoughts on a future dog.

So, my anxiety was telling me that this was all obviously my fault for not appreciating Charlie enough. This was my punishment.

Click HERE to continue reading The Charlie Chronicles (Part 2)