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Terrifying Day with the Quadpawd

Posted by: | August 9, 2014 | 11 Comments |

First, thanks to everyone who took the time to share their thoughts on my last post. I just needed some reassurance that I was doing the right thing for Smore and wasn’t just being selfish and therefore blinded by the love I have for her. It’s good to know that it doesnt seem to be the case.

So, as you all know, I was first owned by a Siberian husky named Pebbles. Today this post is about her and our terrifying experience today.

husky curled up in ball asleepI have a large dog run outside for Pebbles because we have 40 acres and not a bit of it is fenced. She enjoys having the freedom to chose where she’s going to go potty, but no fence +husky = bad idea. So we used the old extension panels (originally the panels made 3 kennels for each member of the rock pack) that were being used to make our normal fence taller because Pebbles and the pack were known for escaping. So now she has a nice area outside to go walk around in and explore while she does her business.

Today as she sniffed around the ground she came across a nest of ground nesting bees. I didn’t realize there was a nest inside her pen. She backed away quickly and began shaking her head. Then she started sneezing and pawing at her face. I realized then she had been stung.

She made her way to the gate, then went back towards the nest, and then started screaming. I’ve never heard her make that sound.I ran to her and she was halfway down. By the time I got to her she was all the way down. Her breathing started to slow and I swear it stopped altogether at one point. her eyes remained opened and I lifted her head and brought her face to me. She was completely limp and unresponsive though. I was certain the life had left her completely. I was certain she had just died.

I started screaming her name.

Finally her head moved to the side. She looked like a dog waking up from anesthesia – or at least how I imagine it.Her movements were awkward and slow. She looked at me; Ive never been so relieved to see those baby blue eyes. it was like she had decided it wasn’t time to go or she heard me and came back. I don’t know.

She lied there for a while. I let her, too shocked to see her awake and responsive again and also wanting her to make the call as to when she felt comfortable getting up. The bee nest was about a foot maybe a foot and half away from where we were but thankfully none were interested in us. Some flies landed on her, so I moved her tail to see if she had pooped. I know it’s common for people right after they die to release their bowels, and I know it’s also common after seizures. She hadn’t pooped, but she had peed. She doesn’t like her tail (or any other part of her body) messed with, so of course she ended up standing up halfway. I put her leash on her just in case she decided to stumble towards the beesin her disoriented state.

She got up and went to the gate though. We came back inside with no problems. I immediately called my dad and started crying as I told him what happened. I’m in an incredibly rural area and had no idea where the emergency vet was or if they could do anything. I called my mom, but she didn’t answer too and I called my previous vet because I know they have emergency hours. They told me there wasn’t anything they could do over the phone though but to look for hives.

She has none; she doesn’t appear to have a stinger in her either. The nearest ER vet according to my google skills is 1-2 hours away. My mom called me back, and by this time, Pebbles was acting relatively normal. She was breathing hard, but it’s hot out. She was obsessively licking her butt too, but I know she had pee on her fur.

My mom didn’t hear the part about being stung at first, so she assumed Pebbles had witness another seizure.

She had one long ago one day wheni was home alone with her. She started walking funny and her eyes were darting back and forth in her head. She ended up lying down and convulsing. When I took her to the vet, the doctor said it may have been due to vertigo. She hasn’t had one since.

The two experiences were very different. In the first, she convulsed and her eyes darted back and forth. This time, she was in the process of lying down and was howling/screaming. I don’t know if that was the actual convulsion because she was kind of going back and forth like she couldn’t decide if she should lie down or get up. Or if that was just what she did to make that sound?i don’t know. I also don’t remember her stop breathing the first time.

Of course, when Pebbles goes into a deep sleep, she looks like she isn’t breathing because her breaths are deep and far between. Perhaps that’s what this was and I was too panicked to notice she was breathing?

At any rate, I know her breathing slowed down. I also know it did not take long because she was only unconcious for a few seconds. The whole ordeal probably took less than a minute from the screaming to looking at me with that disoriented, slow movement.

I ended up not taking her to the ER because she has trouble getting in and out of cars, and the last car ride we took she was stressed out and ended up pooping in the car. I was afraid I’d cause more harm than good. I’m definitely taking her to our vet on Monday though. I  just hope I didn’t make a mistake in waiting.

I don’t know if she had a seizure or if she had an allergic reaction. I would think an allergic reaction would not have fixed itself like this though. But I don’t know if a seizure can be brought out by a bee sting.

I don’t know what happened, but I’m worried about my girl. I thought I saw her take her last breaths today! I really, truly did. She wouldn’t move. She seemed dead to me. She’s been my best friend for 14 years, which is apparently surprising for a husky since everyone always comments about how they’re shocked she’s so old.

I just took her out and she peed. She came in and was interested in getting her treat, though she wasn’t as energetic about it until I walked out of the kitchen with it so she wouldn’t fall on the hardwood floor. She’s drinking water now. She’s pretty much slept the rest of the evening, which isn’t unusual for her at all. She was alert when I checked on her everytime but once. She was in a deep sleep, the kind where she usually dreams.

She’s alert and keeps giving me this look like “what do you want now, Mom?” whenever I look over at her. She’s been drinking water and eating her treats. She’s able to walk around as well. I swear this has been the longest weekend. I’m waiting for test results to see if I get certified in Spanish and therefore keep my job, and now this.

WHY  CAN’T IT BE MONDAY ALREADY?!

So yeah. That was our day. I called my dad the instant we came in at 5:06. So I’m guessing it happened sometime before 5. I really don’t think it all took long even though it felt like forever. It’s now 11:15 and aside from my own memory, there’s no evidence that anything happened.

Hopefully, she’ll be okay and we can see the vet first thing Monday morning. Until then, I’ll be keeping her out of the pen until I can get rid of those bees. And I’ll continue to keep a watchful eye on her.

under: Uncategorized

11 Comments

  1. By: Michelle on August 9, 2014 at 11:43 pm      Reply

    You can give her a benadryl. If she is having any kind of reaction that will help. I always keep that stuff on hand. My guess from the reaction that you said is that she did get stung and had a reaction to that. Keep a close eye on her

    Hugs
    Michelle & Angel Sassy

    • By: tinav323 on August 9, 2014 at 11:48 pm      Reply

      Like normal people benadryl? How would I know the dosage? That scares me a little. I’d be afraid of overdosing her or having a reaction with her deramaxx.

  2. By: Karma on August 9, 2014 at 11:52 pm      Reply

    Oh wow. That was so scary. Poor you and pebbles. I agree with Michelle about the bendadryl. Hope she doesn’t scare you again any time soon.

    Karma, Adelaide and the crew, and our angel Brendol

    • By: tinav323 on August 9, 2014 at 11:56 pm      Reply

      It was very scary! I don’t have any here. Im worried about if it’ll react badly with her deramaxx and a dosage amount.

      she did scratch at her face a couple times earlier but she hasn’t done that in the last 4 hours.

      I hope we never experience that again either. I should have just made the drive to the er I guess. I’d have peace of mind at least.

    • By: tinav323 on August 10, 2014 at 12:00 am      Reply

      Plus wouldn’t an allergic reaction not reverse itself like that without meds? She’s been stung before, but i don’t think she’s been stung by this species. I’ve never encountered ground nesting bees.

  3. By: kazann on August 10, 2014 at 12:17 am      Reply

    Stings are scary. I suspect they are wasps that nest in the ground. They are psycho. When walking down a sidewalk yesterday I just stung on my toe between my foot and sandal. I found a stinger still in (removed with tweezers), iced it and applied tea tree oil (something like polysporin is also good). I iced and used the tea tree oil every hour. It was bad for 4 hours and 8 hours later the pain was totally gone.

    As for dealing with the nest – I’m not into killing but I would spray the suckers (at night) and make sure they are good and dead. Dig a hole, water it down, bury it, make sure there is no trace. If they are wasps they just get nastier into the fall when they get drunk on fermenting fruit. I guess I’m still grouchy from the sting.

    I’m sure you know that you’ll need to keep your Husky away from any of the pesticide.

    Hug your pup and go play with Smore. Pebbles is gorgeous!

    • By: tinav323 on August 10, 2014 at 5:26 am      Reply

      They didn’t look like traditional wasps. I think they might be burrower bees. Not sure though. They didn’t seem to swarm her or anything?

      I’m not ome for killing either but you best believe I will be killimg them. No one messes with my baby.

      I plan on drowning them first by putting the hose at the opening. I’ve never been stung but my siblings and my cousins are allergic. My dad also gets itchy. I’m afraid of having my own severe allergic reaction so I don’t want to get too close even at night. Then I’ll look into spraying it in case anyone survives i guess.i don’t know I hate bees and am terrified of them.

    • By: tinav323 on August 10, 2014 at 5:27 am      Reply

      Oh and thank you by the way. I don’t remember when I took that photo, but it’s one of my favorites. I’ve always loved it when she curls in a ball to sleep.

  4. By: jerry on August 10, 2014 at 10:00 pm      Reply

    OH mY DOG Tina I just saw this! i’m so sorry, I would have asked you when you were in the chat, how is she today?

    I’m soo sorry I know how scary this was, our Jerry got attacked once too, but it wasn’t nearly this bad. I hope Pebbles is doing well, please let us know OK?

    Many hugs to you both!

    • By: tinav323 on August 11, 2014 at 11:43 pm      Reply

      Thank you, Rene. 🙂 We see the vet tomorrow so we might have more answers tomorrow evening. Hope you had a good Monday.

  5. By: Codie Rae on August 21, 2014 at 10:01 pm      Reply

    Yikes! That exact same thing happened to me a few years back. I ate a yellow jacket (they nest in the ground so might be what got Pebbles) and my pawrents think it stung me all they way down. In just seconds I was feeling mighty weird and keeled over. I don’t remember anything else until I woke up in the car going about 100 miles an hour! Mom says my dad scooped me up and ran for the car as I hung totally limp in his arms. She says I pooped too as we were heading toward the car. When I came to in the truck Mom says my pupils were big as dinner plates. By the time we got to the vet I was feeling waaaaay better and walked in on my own. The vet said I had anaphylactic shock, whatever that is. They gave me a shot of something and gave my pawrents an EpiPen, whatever that is, to use if I decide to eat another one of those nasty critters. Yellow jackets don’t lose their stinger and they can sting lots of times (=more venom) AND they can bite too! So glad Pebbles is OK! We can be the Stingin’ Sisters!
    xoxox,
    Codie Rae

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  1. Smore the Kitten - Pebbles Visits the Vet

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