Hang In There, Darla!

Today has been a long, tough day. Darla started vomiting blood this morning. Duff and Christine ran her to the vet. He gave a preliminary diagnosis of some pancreatitis and wanted to keep her for a few hours for observation and some blood tests, etc. Two hours later he called me and said he didn't like the results he was getting and told me to come and get her right away and take her to the Advanced Critical Care and Internal Medicine Hospital for animals in Irvine. So Natalie went with me and they had her file and exrays ready and handed them to me with her and off we went!

So she is hooked up to an IV, which she promptly chewed off and out. They had to put a 'collar' on her and hook her up again. They couldn't get her stomach to empty, so they were going to empty it for her, and then do another ultra-sound. That was the latest we heard from the Dr. at 5pm. We can call again tomorrow at 10:30am and they will have more results. Something is definitely wrong with her belly.

Natalie and I finally got home and I was wiped out, so we ordered dinner in. Josh and Meredith came over to eat with us and then Mere and Christine and I went to Old Navy to exchange a pair of jeans Christine got for Christmas that were the wrong size. Darla has not been far from out thoughts and prayers. It's funny how different things are without her here. She is truly part of our family fabric.

It was fascinating to watch the sick and injured animals coming in to the hospital, and hear their stories. A beautiful bull dog had chased a rabbit under some bleachers and completely peeled his skin back from the middle of her back to her back end. I was almost sick. A sweet Boston Terrier encountered a opposum in her yard and the opposum clamped on her neck and swung her from side to side banging her on the concrete patio until she was having seizures. They found a fractured skull. Both dogs will be okay, thankfully. I had no idea there was such a facility! The doctors and staff were amazing. I feel Darla is getting great care, but it's been a hard day for the whole family. We love her sooooo much which is easy because she gives so much love to us as well.

I'll update tomorrow. (She loves to lay on the Christmas lights while we are testing them before we put them on the tree. She's done this since she was a puppy!)