Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Abe- 0, The Poisonous Spider- 1


Abe is our Irish Wolfhound.  He is the most gentle soul you will ever meet, except for when you very first walk in my door because, then, he's a freight train who thinks he's 25 lbs like the Jack Russell and Pug that lives in his house, and wants to pummel you with kisses and all of his love and excitement that has ever lived in any life form. 
On Friday (1/20/12), I came home from work and my husband pointed out to me that Abe had what appeared to be some kind of allergic reaction on his snout.  It was located on that really soft part of skin just before his nose.  There were welts and bumps and some of them looked pretty severe.
I immediately put him in the tub for a bath and rinsed him really good with luke-warm water and an oatmeal shampoo and especially made sure his nose was very well washed.  He got out of the tub, went straight outside and began to attack his face with all 16 1/2 acres we live on- rubbing and rolling and just going berserk!  I felt like I chased him all over the yard, yelling at him and trying with everything I had to get him to stop! 
Sometimes I wonder what our neighbors think.  We live in the country but we have a couple of the coolest neighbors that live right across the road (I’ll also go ahead and give mad props to our awesome “neighbors that live down the road as well.).  Bill is a retired farmer and Sharron is his awesome wife.  They like to drink wine and they are huge Illini fans.  Sometimes, I picture them sitting and relaxing in their sunroom watching TV and all of a sudden they look across the way and see me, with a towel on my head, 1/2 dressed, with Uggs on, in the middle of winter, chasing my giant dog around, and screaming at him while he rubs his face off..........
Anyway, so Abe managed to break open every one of those bumps and they ended up bleeding and a mess- which totally undid any of the bath that I JUST gave him.  I wasn't a happy camper but I kept trying to remind myself that he is a 2 year old in a 125 lb body and when his face itches, he just can't help it.  Just like when there is food on the counter and he's got a sense of smell 100 times mine and he's a 2 year old in a 125 lb body, he just can't help but to help himself. 
We had to get going to dinner- we found out that night that we are adding a niece to our collection of nieces and nephews!  So far we have 8 nieces and nephews and there are only 2 nieces....so this was a pretty fun surprise.  I'm a total sucker for girlie clothes at Baby Gap.  I tell my husband all the time he better pray we never have a girl (we have a 20 month old boy- Auggie- I'll talk about him a lot, don't worry) for all the reasons that a father is afraid to have a girl but mostly because he should worry his wife will put his family in the poor house buying girlie clothes from Baby Gap. 
When we came back from dinner, Abe’s condition had not gotten any better.  Now the wounds were seeping a clear and sticky mess and he was still bleeding a little.  My first instinct was to rush him to the emergency vet but my better judgment took over and we got out the peroxide and antibiotic ointment and went to work.  He was also given a dose of Benadryl- which we continued for the entire weekend.
The next day it seemed to look a little better but I noticed that some of the welts had spread a little up his snout towards his eyes and there were even a couple new ones down on the sides.  Ugh.  This was starting to look like it wasn't just your normal allergic reaction to something that the big dummy just stuck his nose into.  I began to worry that it was something worse...bacterial?  Internal infection?  Worse...cancer?  (I HATE THE C-WORD- more than ham loaf and more than spiders.)
Sunday brought a bad smell and more oozing so the decision was made that first thing in the morning the vet’s office was going to get a call.  Doctor Pierce, DVM, is probably the best vet who ever walked on the planet.  He truly is doing what he was born to do.  He has a passion for animals but a wisdom that cannot be argued.  He was introduced to me and my family because Jack and Kathy always took their Dobies to him.  Jessie (the Yorkie from the story of how I met Kathy, The Shop, and Big Paws) was actually very sick.  She managed to live with a liver shunt for 5 years off a special diet and medicines.  Dr. Piece literally saved her life one Sunday night.  It's been history since then with him and my family and all our dogs. 
On Monday I went straight to the internet because I can't concentrate at work anyway in anticipation that I'm leaving on Friday and I'm never coming back.  I found a couple blogs that shared stories that paralleled each other as far as what seemed as the exact same condition that Abe was suffering from.  Both cases, it was determined the dog was bitten by either a Brown Recluse or a Hobo Spider.  I don't have any pictures to post yet of Abe and what his war wound(s) looks like but both of these stories and pictures looked exactly like what Abe is going through right now.  
Ryan, of SCI-Unison Fitness, decided to do more of a holistic approach to helping his pup get though it.  It's pretty much been determined that when something like this happens all you can do is let the venom run its course and hope for the best.  I had originally planned to do a mix between whatever Dr. Piece prescribed and then some immune-boosting vitamins and foods to just give Abe any advantage I could.  As my husband talked with Dr. Pierce about this, he was ok with it but just concerned of any allergic reactions the food may cause since his immune system was on over-drive as it was.  If he had any further reactions he wanted to only have to rule out 2 things rather than rule out the 2 things he'd prescribed plus the hodgepodge of vitamins, pastes and foods that I have thrown into the mix.  He recommended just sticking with heavy anti-biotics (like, 1250 mgs, 2 times a day) and a spray to directly apply to his nose- which completely grosses me out because I have to spray it on his nose and then touch it so I can rub it in a little....GROSS!  
The poor guy is just a big mess right now and I hate it so much.  I hate it when anyone in our family is sick or not feeling good.  I feel like I've just lost all control of life when something like this happens.  He can't feel great because the venom of a freaking poisonous spider is eating away at his skin causing infection and bleeding.  He's so confused because he can't understand why none of us want him sticking his face in our face and looking us in the eye while he wags his tale just BEGGING for a pat on the head like he always does and he has absolutely lost all privileges to the couch.  He has to sleep on a sheet spread out on our bedroom floor because 1.  I don't want his ooze and blood all over our bedroom but  2.  I don't have the heart to lock him in the basement all night while the rest of us (Jack and Lucy included) sleep, nice and warm and comfy, upstairs in bed.
I swear, Abe has been our problem-child when it comes to stuff like this!  If Jack or Lucy were bit by a Brown Recluse, they would probably get a small pimple, take some Benadryl and go on with life.  Ohhhhh nooooo....not Abe!
A couple years ago, Abe had what was considered a blood tumor on the tip of his tail (pretty common on larger dogs).  He's definitely a tail-wagger and he had the most beautiful, long tail you'd ever seen.  Yes...I said "had".  We had to have the tumor removed because he would walk around the house and wag his tail and bust open thetumor and it would literally drip blood.  As he wagged his crazy, long and beautiful tail, it would happily fling the red stuff all over the house...and yes, we found it on the ceiling.  So no big deal.  The tumor was successfully removed off the tip of his tail and Dr. Pierce only had to remove just one of the end vertebras with the tumor.  Stitches and a bandage and WAL-LAH!  He was all fixed up....until infection set in...I'm not going to make the story any longer than it has to be but he ended up getting a terrible infection in his tail- which spread 1/2 way up his tail- and he had to be at the vet’s office on an IV to push fluids, reduce the infection and get his temp down to normal.  Then, he had to have 1/2 his long and beautiful tail amputated.  Now, he looks like a big dork.  But we love him anyway.  Had that been Jack or Lucy…we probably would have never had to go to the vet for it and it would have just gone away or something like that but Ohhhhh noooooo….not Abe!
Oh and lets talk, just quick, about this summer when I decided to take Abe, Jack, Lucy and Auggie (15 months and just walking) all outside so I could give Abe a summer hair cut.  Relax!  I didn't shave him down---that's against the rules----but I just wanted to trim a bunch of hair off him.  Success!  I managed not to butcher Abe, Auggie only fell down the stairs once and Jack and Lucy did their regular run-around-like-idiots routine so all was great with life.  Auggie and I gave Abe a bath and he was feeling really great so he decided to join Jack and Lucy with the run-around-like-idiots routine.  Whilst running around like an idiot, Jack decided to jump up and snap at Abe in his I’m playing-but-don’t-forget-I'm still-boss way that he likes to do.  Abe made a little yelping noise but nothing big so they both got a talking to and we went on with life......until about 2 minutes later when I see blood....on Jack.  Someone was bleeding....About 2 more minutes later, Abe turns and looks at me and, in slow motion like in the movies, I see his entire right side covered in blood.  The cuss words that went through my head as well as the overwhelming feelings of wanting to attack Jack because I knew this was going to suck were indescribable.  But for the sake of my 15 month old, I tried to keep calm.  I grabbed the kid and went running inside and got a bucket of freezing cold water with a tray of ice cubes and a towel.  By the time I made it back outside, Abe was standing with his front feet on the bottom step and it was covered in blood.  There he stood, juuuussst wagging his ½ a tail…all happy guy…bleeding EVERYWHERE!  It looked like there was a massacre outside!  I found the wound- a perfect slit in the tip of his ear- and the blood was leaking out of it like a faucet.  I did everything- applied pressure, used the freezing water and an ice cube and I even found some liquid band-aid in the cabinet and tried to fuse the wound shut after I got it to stop bleeding a little.  It never failed, though, Abe would shake his head the minute he stood up and we would start all over again.......To the vet, a day stay, had to be put under and 4 stitches= $450.  Ugh.  Jack and Lucy run around like idiots and bite and play at each other all the time…do you think they ever end up with a notch in their ear???  Do they bleed ½ to death over the run-around-like-idiots routine….OHHHHH NOOOO….but Abe does!
So....here we are back with the spider bite.  While I'm worried about Abe, I believe he's in good hands and that he'll be fine.  We just need to help him get through it.  He's eating and drinking very well and seems to be acting like he's feeling ok- so far.  We just need to buy a little more time and hope that the venom will stop spreading so we don't need to worry about it reaching his eyes or the inside of his mouth.  I'm also just praying that these strong anti-biotics are what he needs to stay as healthy as possible through all this. 
I think I'm more worried and, well, FREAKED OUT of the thought that there is a freaking poisonous killer spider on the loose and it could be anywhere!  I swear, if I feel the smallest tingle or tickle I freak out, become a ninja warrior, and run around thinking that I'm going to be bit by this sucker.  I woke up a couple times in the middle of the night last night and pulled back the sheets just to make sure it wasn't crawling in our bed!  I hate spiders more than I hate ham loaf and I'm not quite sure where to go from here because I am absolutely convinced it's living in our house because there's no way in hell anything with any sense at all is living out in the frozen tundra right now.  I want to pack up everything living in our house (except for the spider) and do one of those chemical bombs on our house because this just can't be good.  What if that thing would have bit my kid?  Worse yet...what if it DOES bite my kid???  Or us???  Or one of the other dogs???  Or Abe, again??!!!??  Oh the anxiety! 
I'll try to get some pictures of Abe and get them posted, but be warned, they will not be pictures for the faint of heart.  I'm in hopes that maybe someone else will be searching for what happened to their dog and find the two stories (I've given links for them below) and my story so they will be given real-life stories as far as options on what treatments to consider as well as the uncanny similarities in the photos of how a venomous bite like this from a spider will affect a dog.  I will continue to run an update over the next couple weeks on his progression as well.  
OH, ABE!
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Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Who Can Live without Facebook???

Our page on Facebook is up and running!  We just logged our 31st "Like" and this has all happened in just a couple of days!  Even though Big Paws has been in business for 16 years, it's always fun to try new things, get new advertisements out, and meet new customers!  I'm thinking this new adventure is going to be fun, more than I bargained for, exciting, hard, easy, ridiculous, sunny, stormy, crazy, and cool!  http://www.facebook.com/BigPawsK9Grooming

Monday, January 16, 2012

Where It All Started......Starts......

I gave my two week notice to work on Friday, January 13th (lucky, huh?)...  It was one of the hardest and most liberating things I have ever done in my life.  My first day as a business owner and partner of Big Paws K-9 Grooming is February 2nd and I just feel like today would be a great day to "tell the story"...

            It all started back in 2000.  My parents purchased a little Yorkie named, Jessie.  She quickly (like in the same day) became a member of our family…and she also became very furry and was in major, horrible need of a haircut.  I’m not quite sure how my mom found out about Kathy and Big Paws K-9 Grooming but I’m sure happy she did!  
            Sure enough, I graduated from Hartsburg-Emden High School in May of 2000 and went off to play softball and get an education from Eureka College…and I found myself a poor college student, just like that.  One day, I just so happened to be home from school when my mom had to go in and pick up Jessie from the groomer.  So I took a ride along with her. 
            I’ll never forget walking down into “The Shop” for the first time.  It wasn’t at all what I expected.  In the basement of someone’s home was this cute little shop, a tub and all the fixings to groom up a pup to perfection.  I remember I was so excited to see all the “customers”.  Especially, a Golden Retriever, named Romeo, drying in one of the crates and crying for my attention.  Not only did I fall in love with Romeo’s sweet face but I instantly fell in love with the simple space that I will forever know as “The Shop”.  
            I didn’t know Kathy at all, but she had hair down to the bottom of her waist all pinned up in a clip.  She was very nice and she welcomed the both of us the minute we walked in the door.  She was cool with me walking all over The Shop and talking with Romeo and just visiting with the other pups.  Little did I know life would change for me after that day.  I left The Shop with my mom and Jessie, still a poor college student.  
            The months went on and summer break was quickly approaching.  I needed a job to make myself useful while I was at home.  I was talking with my mom about different possibilities for a job.  She mentioned that she would just ask Kathy if she would maybe want some help down in The Shop- it was worth asking, at least.  Turns out, Kathy remembered me and liked how I came in and made myself at home and instantly built a rapport with the dogs.  So, she decided she would try me out.  I gave baths and dried dogs, helped clean up and schedule appointments.
            The summer of 2001 would change all of our lives- Jack (Kathy’s husband), Kathy, and me (Angie Ballance, at that time).  I grew to be instant friends with both Jack and Kath and they took me in like I was one of their own.  Our friendship continued to stay strong through the years as I worked my Christmas breaks and Summer Breaks all through college with Kathy in The Shop.  They saw me through several events of my life like running for Fair Queen at the Logan County Fair, graduating college, Jack helped me get a job selling motorcycles at Chuck’s Harley-Davidson in Bloomington, marriage, a couple more jobs and having a baby.  I saw Kathy through several hair cuts until she no longer had to wear it all up in that big clip.  I saw Jack slowly come to the realization, year after year, that he was NOT the “Shop Manager”.  As all those years went by, I would still find myself in The Shop from time to time on a Friday afternoon or Saturday helping out- not so much for the extra cash, but because I missed it and it was a welcoming break from my everyday, “professional” life.    
           Here I sit today, 30 years old, and almost 12 years later, turning more than just the chapter of my life of leaving my 20’s…I’m going to go into business with Kathy at Big Paws K-9 Grooming.  She offered me a partnership in her business and I know I have some very big shoes (figuratively speaking, she really only wears a size 6) to compete with and possibly someday fill.  I have done a lot of training to take on this new venture and I have no doubts that I will continue to learn from the best groomer in town.  I guess I went out into the “real world” and realized that sitting in a cubicle, day in and day out, was not going to make me happy in life.  I have always had a passion for animals and working with them.  Nearly 8 years ago when I left Big Paws to pursue other things I didn’t know if I wanted to scrub dog butts my entire life.  I guess I just had to explore the world a little to learn that, for me, scrubbing dog butts isn’t so bad and it turns out, it’s exactly what I want to do my entire life.  I can’t describe how excited I am to be able to do, what I feel in a way, I was born to do.
        Furthermore, I can’t express how honored I am that Kathy has entrusted me to come in and share her business with me. That house on 1918 N. Ottawa St. has been a second home to me for over a decade and now I get to not only build the rest of my life there but I have been given the opportunity to have the freedoms of a self-employed individual doing something I love so much.  If this is the American Dream, then I’m living it, baby, and I’m never looking back!

-Angie (Ballance) Wulf