Dog Dumped on Our Country Road

[Aletheia]

We had taken in a stray chihuahua about four days ago. Real cute, looked similar to the Taco Bell dog, but much more dainty and lighter in color. Ridiculously adorable, rambunctious, friendly, and just an all-round good dog who got along great with our two rat terriers. She had appeared to have been dumped in our neighborhood, as she didn't belong to any of the neighbors, didn't have a collar, and was happy-go-lucky but a little on the thin side. The neighbors may not be the wealthiest, but they took very good care of their animals. This dog didn't live on our road, as near as I could tell. 

Well, this perky little pooch bonded immediately to my boyfriend and waltzed right in the house like it was hers, and kept coming back whenever we let her out to go potty. So, in short, my boyfriend had himself a lovable, loyal, energetic, and assertive little lady which on day two he named "Sweetie."

Sweetie started to slow down day before yesterday, but we figured she may have gotten a tummy ache. Later that night, when she refused food or water, I knew something wasn't right. We had dogs in the past do this and figured she may have eaten something that didn't agree with her. Off to the store we went to get some pedialyte and chicken broth. Still, she wouldn't touch anything. We figured it was best to let her sleep it off.

The next day she was sluggish and still wouldn't eat or drink. She looked gaunt and unusually cold. So, every thirty minutes, I used an eye dropper to force her to swallow the pedialyte and a liquefied food mush. After a few hours, she seemed to be doing better. But, I knew all we were doing was buying time, and hopefully she could hold out until this Friday, when I got paid so I could take her to the vet.

Today, she looked horribly emaciated, as though she had been starving for months. I rushed to the pharmacy and the guy there was kind enough to sell an IV hookup with the needles and saline solution for $5. We put her on the drip ASAP, even though she was fading fast. For whatever reason, her body wasn't absorbing any nutrients at all. All the food and water was coming out either end and she was terribly cold to the touch. She smelled horrible enough to where I could detect the odor (my sense of smell is almost nonexistent), and my boyfriend vomited twice. There was blood in the liquefied stool and it smelled of gangrene. Whatever she was fighting off was necrotizing her intestines. By then, I had suspected she had parvo and knew it was a fight I couldn't win. Even with proper equipment, parvo still has a high mortality rate.

We bundled her in several old shirts and held her in our arms on the couch. By then, the paralysis started to set in and she was having difficulty breathing. There wasn't much time left. 30 minutes later, she sighed deeply and her heart stopped. I performed CPR, but was unable to resuscitate her (which was to be expected).

My boyfriend and I had done all we could, but it progressed so damn fast. I talked to one of the vets who said it sounded very much like parvo, and they said it was unlikely she could've been saved.

Our two other dogs have been vaccinated every year, either by us or their previous owners, but we still cleaned the house from top to bottom just to make sure.

Why do people do this to dogs? Every redneck within 500 miles knows parvo is prevalent here. Why wasn't she vaccinated? More importantly, why the hell was she dumped out here in the middle of winter? Yes, she was energetic and untrained, but that's not exactly unheard of for a dog.

At least she didn't die on the side of the road, alone, and unloved.

Really not liking people right now.

[aitm]

As a crazy dog lover, I feel for you and am glad you took the pain to give her all you could.  My first thought was glycol poisoning as it is common in more rural areas. People are why dogs are loved so much. People in general suck.

[Solitary]

I have I have five Chihuahuas, one a mixed with an Italian Greyhound. I have had one before these that would never leave my side I had to put asleep, another one that we found dead, and another one that was running around the yard as healthy as can be and we found dead the next day, and the mother of them that was dying from being old and was next to me when she let out a whimper and died, and another one that dies recently that was the father of all of them that appeared have a stroke, and let him die comfortably when he wouldn't eat. So I know how you feel. The dogs I have now are all from humane societies where people didn't want them anymore. My half Greyhound will not leave my side and sleeps under the covers with me. Dogs are always completely honest and never give false signals like humans. They love you they let you know, and if they don't they do. I love dogs more than most humans, because when they like you they are completely loyal and loving.   

[stromboli]

The house I owned prior to my current residence was out on a country road, so we got a lot of dumped dogs. Two of them were Pit Bulls.  We have a big Hispanic population and dog fighting is common among them. I picked up a couple of the losers that got dumped and took them into the pound. Very sad.

Ironically, one of the best dogs I ever owned, a Cairn Terrier, was dumped. Near as I could tell it was a purebred and a very smart dog. Loved that little guy. He fit in the first day we had him. I think they dumped him because he was old. He only lived three years after we got him. I hate people that don't take care of their animals.

[Aletheia]

He fit in the first day we had him.

That's the way it was with this little chihuahua. She was accepted by my rat terriers almost immediately and her personality fit so well with them. Apollo, was more submissive and had been greatly annoyed by Abby who is more boisterous due to high energy and less training. Sweetie didn't force Apollo from his food and toys like Abby does and when Abby tried to push her out of the way (Abby is the biggest dog at a whopping 12 lbs), Sweetie would stand her ground. The dogs bunked together with no problems since Abby would simmer down with Sweetie there, you know, not taking her shit.

Hell, I even liked the way she looked. She was a deer head chihuahua, which gave her more of the "terrier look" which for the life of me I don't know why I like so much.

I was looking forward to her pulling through. 

This was my first experience with parvo-like symptoms, and I hope to never experience it again. For my sake and the dog's.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

[speculation] I'm willing to bet that the dumping happened after the original owner died. Some little old lady, alone but for the dog, asked a child or grandchild to take care of it if "anything happens to me." They did, but not in accordance with her wishes. [/speculation]

[Mermaid]

People dump pets because they're assholes. The people, not the pets. They apparently do not see animals as sentient, living creatures. The dog doesn't match the furniture, costs too much or becomes too much work, or they are going on vacation, and they take it to the pound or toss it from the car. The older I get, the more angry I get about it. Chihuahuas are overbred and are super common at shelters.

Sorry for the trauma. I thought of parvo right away when you said she started to back off of food and felt cold. It's so common. Poor little thing probably didn't have a chance. The vaccines are effective, but not 100%, (more like 90% when given within a couple years of the viral challenge) so I hope your dogs continue to do well. Give them extra hugs today.

[Mermaid]

This was my first experience with parvo-like symptoms, and I hope to never experience it again. For my sake and the dog's.

I worked at an e-clinic way back in the 80s when parvo first broke on the East coast. Nobody knew what the hell it was, and there was nothing we could do about it but watch dogs die from it. Some recovered with supportive therapy, but most didn't. You cannot ever get that smell out of your memory banks. It's distinctive, that blood and vomit smell they have. There is no mistaking parvo once you've smelled it.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

I've had several dogs that came my way who had parvo. Some lived, some didn't, but I'll never have another without shots.
As much as I like dogs I doubt I'll get another just because I just hate getting close to them and then for whatever reasons I can't keep them or they just die of old age on me or other problems I'm unable to deal with.
I suspect some other culprit only because you didn't mention a high fever. Parvo victims almost always experience high fever..
I'm sorry you had to go through this..

[stromboli]

I currently have a Rat Terrier- Decker variant- that is a great dog. My wife's caregiver as much as I am. She used to walk him, but that has become more difficult now. Pretty much my 5th (soon to be 6th) grandchild. Definitely part of the family.

[Jason78]

Why do people do this to dogs?

I really don't know.  I have two dogs myself.

[aitm]

kick my wife right in the ass,
smack my kid square in the head,
but touch my dog mother fucker
you'll soon end up dead.

[Aletheia]

I suspect some other culprit only because you didn't mention a high fever. Parvo victims almost always experience high fever..

I didn't have a way of checking her temperature since we didn't have a rectal thermometer. If she did have a fever, then I could've easily mistaken it for her being warm due to being close to the heater and bundled up. The day and a half before she died, I noticed her being cold because she shivered a lot (when before she went outside seemingly oblivious to the cold) and towards the end her core body temperature dropped so low that I could tell by touch alone.

Towards the end she had the familiarity of the animals I had slaughtered when raising livestock - her body was limp, lukewarm, and with the paralysis setting in, it might as well have been rigor mortis for all the similarity. I knew death - I grew up with it as a fact of life - and I've watched it drain the life out of the animals I was preparing for food. I've watched the life drain out of people and other dearly beloved pets, but never quite like this. Yes, a chicken will flap about when decapitated, but mercifully the brain is already in shock when it happens. Sweetie may have skimmed the surface of shock, but she never lost awareness. She tried to fight every step of the way, and god knows I was fighting along with her.

How can you allow an animal bred specifically to be a pet - a companion - die like that? She was hemorrhaging terribly and I knew she was in excruciating pain. If I had been 100% sure at the time that she didn't have a chance, I would've given her medication intended for humans and overdosed her. There were a few times when I looked at that pitiful little IV bag and thought about letting air in the line if it meant this horror show would stop.

I can't stand the thought of something innocent dying, especially for no fucking reason. She had found her home, and still the previous owners managed to fuck her out of that too by not vaccinating her.

[aitm]

How can you allow an animal bred specifically to be a pet - a companion - die like that?

In my younger days, I still had the courage to put a bullet in their head, but this was mostly because a vet was an hour drive. Now days I wonder if I am crueler by taking them to a vet, waiting 45 minutes for them to put them down while they are in pain and then paying 400 bucks.

[Solitary]

My son still hates me for having him shoot a pet lizard he accidently stepped on and squashed it, and it was still alive.