Blaze the Wonder Dog got into a little Kryptonite. We almost lost her.
So here is what happened. Her last hunt before becoming sick was on October
31st hunting Wood Ducks on a Creek at our lease in North West Texas. Everything
went well. For the next week she was at home and her happy self. Poor girl had a
duck hunt planned for November 13th, Goose hunting planned for the 14th and
15th, then two days duck hunting again after that. She never got to make those hunts.

November 8 we noticed she was not feeling well. She was running a high
fever. As well drinking and peeing more than would be normal for her. But
she was eating fine, no diarrhea, no vomiting and pooping normal. She was
taken to the local Vet. Nothing unusual noted other than stated, but
concerns about those symptoms and lack of other symptoms we had a blood test
done not just to look for minor things, but to rule out things such as
Kidney problems and diabetes. As well as to rule out Pancreatitis which is
what took her Mother Penny. Believed to just be something Viral or Bacterial
and we were offered antibiotics, but I chose to wait until after the blood
test results.

November 9. Blaze was more sick now. Her last regular meal was the night
before. Another visit to the vet. All blood work came back to the Vet and
reported to be normal. Vet was stumped and wanted to test for tick related
diseases. Talking to the blood lab they suggested testing for Addisons, and
I insisted on blood coagulation screening. So more blood work sent off
yet again. Still we had no diagnosis, nothing to treat.
Through the day her drinking slowed to none. She refused to eat and drink
and would only eat ice chips. Her temperature did return to normal. Gums
during the day looked pink and cap refill normal. No hardness to belly when
checked. Again no diarrhea or vomiting. Breath sounds clear with normal
breathing rate. But she was suffering from depression with no energy. I
spent the early evening searching for a new Vet for a second opinion if this
one was still stumped in the morning.

November 10. This had been the second night we stayed up with Blaze. During
the night things became much worse. Peeing had reduced to very little even
though she tried several times. Then she was only eating ice chips.
Breathing became labored, but still a normal rate. By sunup we noticed her
gums becoming pale, but there was no external bleeding. It was clear she was
becoming anemic. She almost fell over twice going out to try and pee. At
that point my wife and I felt we were watching her die before our eyes and
helpless as to why or what to do. A call to the Vet that morning, though
reluctant on their part, we got a rush on the blood work results. An excited
Vet on the return call, you could hear the urgency in her voice. It was
believed to be related to an exposure to a rat poison.

As you can probably guess by now, things looked grave. We rushed her to this
Vet for max dose injections of Vitamin K. Her paperwork and blood work was
faxed to a VCA Pet Hospital and we hit the road cringing with every bump.
Then we hit a dead stop traffic jam. I remember telling my wife. "We are in
Hell". I made the call to go back and take a different longer route which
was the right move as there had been a bad accident on the previous route we
were not aware of. Blaze at this time, could no longer stand and not
breathing well. She was in her Golden Hour.

What wonderful Vets we experienced this time. Everything was professional
and fast. Blood testing on sight. Blazes PCV had gone below 20 (percent of
red blood cells). Around 45 would be normal. Using ultrasound and X-ray they
could not locate the location of her blood loss. They did not poke around on
her much so as to not cause further damage. Blaze was immediately given a
transfusion of Blood Plasma with a large dose of Benadryl to lessen chances
of a bad reaction. This was followed by a blood transfusion. All donors are
universal blood types, so there was no delays in doing so. Blaze was in
"critical" condition, but stabilized.

It was not 100% rat poison diagnosis at this time. We do have rat poison at
our hunting lease that is kept put up out of reach. Comparing blood work
over the timeline did not add up with an exposure on the 31st. If exposure
had been at the hunting lease, she should not have survived with the number
of days between exposure and treatment. Poison Control, the manufacture of
the poison located at the lease, and other Veterinarians were called. All
felt it could not have been on the 31st and we have no rat poisons at home.
But with what we had, felt it best to continue to treat it as a rat anticoag
poisoning.

The night shift emergency vet had been one of the vets called for input. We
found she had been doing some research for us on her own time. There were
concerns that this could be a hemophilia related problem just surfacing if
not a poisoning. She was aware of a non standard blood test to identify if
in fact this was a rodenticide that could be done at a university in
Wisconsin where she had done her internship. She offered to do this for us.
Though it had some cost, it was minimal compared to having something like
this done locally. Results would not be very fast, but it was not related to
her care at that moment. We were breaking the $3000 mark already, so balls
to the wall on Blaze'a care, we said do it so we could rule that out and
Bless her for taking such a personal intrest in my dog. I have always
wondered if I would have a limit and tried not to think about it. But you
might say I found out that day my love for Blaze is as unconditional as
Blaze's love for me.

November 10 evening visit. Clotting levels were almost back to normal.
Another blood transfusion was not needed. Her demeanor much better. She was
trying to eat on her own when we arrived. With all that time of not eating
she was hungry and guarding that bowl from even me. Comments were made by
staff about how sweet, friendly, and well behaved she was with everyone
unlike every Vizsla they have had in there. Still did not know where she had
been losing blood. Full recovery looked very good. We got the feeling when
we brought her in that most did not think she would survive. In fact I
learned a story of when the blood coagulation screening was given to the lab
when we brought her in, they responded back a question of "are you sure you
want this" related to the time line and her condition. The vet had responded
"JUST DO IT!".

November 11. PCV was still low at around 20 but her oxygen sp02 was good.
They felt the expense of giving another blood transfusion would not be
necessary. Rather she stayed in the hospital another night to let her build
that back up on her own. If her PCV had been just a little bit higher she
would have come home with us on the 11th. Her blood loss was showing now.
It had been between her skin and the front of her chest. There was a large
lump of pooled blood there. Also she had lost blood under her skin on her
belly. Blaze was happy, eating, drinking normal, if not eating too much. We
got to take her for a walk. As well she got to stalk some blackbirds in the
parking lot. Other than looking a little sore and tired, she was her normal
self. Sad looking, but trust me his was a great day.



November 12. Blaze got to come home around noon. She was to be on vitamin K
orally for 4 weeks. After the last dose of vitamin K she was to get a blood
test three days later to make sure her clotting levels are good and no other
problems. Some dogs have been known to have to stay on the vitamin K longer.

November 20. Everything had been going great. Blaze not getting to go on her
regular hunts this time of year has been restless and a handful. She has
been spoiled and only outside with supervision. Doctors orders to take it
easy until the last blood test. But early on this morning areas of what I would
call bruising was showing on her side, under one arm pit and in areas of her
belly. As well her belly button was very dark indicating she had in fact had
some internal bleeding at some point. Blaze had been crying a lot during the
night for no reason. Discussion with the Vet indicated the bruising was not
normal at this stage. We were also concerned she might be drinking more
water than would be normal for her. So back we went.

Blood work came back normal. Clotting normal. PCV normal.
Concerns over when this roller coaster started on November 8th also
presented normal blood work. But what was seen on that second set of blood
work was a change related to the amount of protein in her blood.
Why nothing was seen on that Monday is because her pancreas/liver may have been
compensating. But by the second day there had been a change in the ratio of
protein to red blood cells. So Blaze will go back tomorrow for another blood
test to see if that is happening again. Another CBC blood test has been sent
out today also to look at her blood platelets, but will not get those
results until Monday. What we want to see tomorrow is another normal result
and then all normal results on the CBC. If not, we will be looking at a
problem with her blood platelets which would be a bad thing. We are hoping
for and expecting the best. It is possible that the bruising is just
residual from the earlier internal bleeding though it really should be
looking better at this time rather than worse.

The results did come back from Wisconsin. It did test positive for a
rodenticide. This was not a witnessed poisoning. It was again discussed that
the hunting cabin on the 31st does not fit the time line for the exposure.
There are a couple possibilities brought up in discussion with my wife such
as someone witnessed in our alley that Blaze was barking at through the
fence that week and a Cat seen leaving our back yard with Blaze seen
investigating something left by the cat that possibly could have been a
poisoned rat. Asking neighbors we learned of a house two doors down that
found two dead Squirrels in their backyard with no obvious reason for it.
We may never know how, where, or when she got her kryptonite.
Blaze is home tonight and we will take her back in the morning. We felt we
would rather watch her rather than leave her for the night. The facility we
are using has a Vet on site 24 hours and we are not far away if anything
changes.

November 21. The CBC blood test results today came back with no change
in Blood Protein level. Her PCV test actually a little better than yesterday
and is at a normal level. Could not be be better news. The other blood test
results looking at her blood platelet production will not come back until
tomorrow, but with today's news it is expected to come back normal. One of
the bruises actually looks a little lighter now, and no new ones are showing.
We think what we are seeing is the pooled blood from before just now showing
up as bruising. Daily Vitamin K will continue till the middle of December,
then another blood test three days later. If there is any hint of a problem
with her blood clotting levels, she will go back on Vitamin K for another two
weeks. If everything is normal, she will be through this and no further care
needed. I asked about any long term damage to her vessels, organs, etc.
There will be no long term damage whatsover. If she gets through the next
month with the Vitamin K antedote, and her clotting enzyme levels show to be
normal following that, she will be 100%.

November 27. I was at my hunting lease ealier in the week and all poison we
had on site is accounted for. Both trays are on top of a bunk bed where I
moved them to before Dove season and they still have the rat poison in them.
That was the only rat poison I was aware of that she has been near. Still
dumbfounded as to where, when, how she injested any. Not knowing is scary.

December 18. Blaze had done great. Just had to deal with the usual
complications of a bored vizsla. Stayed on the Vitamin K and this last
blood test 3 days later. Last blood came back good. Blaze is cleared for
hunting again. Not related to the poisoning, but found because of it was a
lump on the side of her chest. A needle draw was done on it and sent off
for testing. Results indicated it ws just a fatty mass and nothing to worry
about. Final total paid for everything was right at around $4000.
Blaze the $4000 Wonder Dog is back in action.