Tanya's Ordeal

I decided to write a note about it for those of you who've been keeping up with her! =]

March 4: At breakfast and started leaking fluid. Did this occasionally throughout the day.

March 5: Doesn't want to eat, so we know she's in labor. Continues to leak fluid, but more often.

March 6: We came home that night to find her leaning forward and hardly able to walk. She started to throw up every 5 minutes until she was dry-heaving. At this time I called the vet. Then I noticed a greenish fluid leaking from her. The vet said that was an infection and that if the pups weren't dead yet, they would be and so would Tanya. I rushed her to the vet at midnight. They immediately took her in and did blood work and an x-ray. Then they came in and said she was doing really bad and needed a c-section as soon as they got her re-hydrated. They told me they may need help with the pups if they were living, I agreed to help since there were only 2 vets on duty. 30 minutes later, they started the surgery. I sat there for what seemed like forever, but it was only 15 minutes. One vet came to get me and asked if I would be "okay" to see Tanya on the OR table with her uterus out. I was. So, next thing I know, pups are coming out one at a time, lifeless. We tried everything, massaging them, suctioning their nose and mouth, nothing worked. Oh, the first pup was the main cause of all the infection- it had gotten stuck up high in the birth canal and died. It was already disintegrating. The last pup to come out was lifeless, but warmer than the others. I started massaging him and suctioning him. After two suctions, he started hiccuping! We wrapped him in a towel and continued rubbing him for about 30 minutes. Then we fed him and he made his first sound shortly after! Meanwhile, Tanya was still in trouble. Her heart-rate was really slow and the infection was all in her uterus and insides. They flushed her out and completely removed her uterus, etc. It took about 30 minutes just to close her up. The vet told me they originally didn't think she would survive surgery so that was a miracle in itself. They didn't think she'd make it to the morning. I took the pup home and began the surrogate-mommy-up-every-hour feedings.

March 7: We went to visit Tanya and she was still in really bad shape. The vet said that we should prepare for the worst. She was in renal failure/kidney failure and her blood pressure wasn't good. That afternoon I went to visit her and she was still the same. I told her we loved her and that if she could fight, we wanted her to fight. If she couldn't, we understood.

March 8: Tanya was doing better! They did a blood pressure check and it had improved. Not normal, but improved. She was lifting her head and acknowledging the staff!

March 9: They did blood work and her kidney levels were normal, her blood pressure was good and she was standing up and perky!The only thing they were worried about was her potassium level being low. So they needed to watch her a bit longer.

March 10: They called to tell me that she could come home that afternoon! It was a miracle! Everything was improving and looking good! They sent her home with pain medication and an antibiotic. She has to go back in 2 weeks to check her kidney levels. Not sure if she has permanent kidney damage. Hopefully not, but if so, there's medicine for that.

So all in all, it was a very near-death experience for Tanya and her miracle pup. The pup is getting bigger, eating more and sleeping longer (just like a newborn)! Tanya is improving everyday and we thank God for answering our prayers. Now I'm just praying that her two week check-up goes well! Thank y'all so much for the prayers, I know without a doubt that she wouldn't have made it without them!

**On a side note- The pup (Little Dude) died this past Sunday at one week old. R.I.P. sweet pup, have fun playing with your siblings in Heaven!