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On Monday March 23rd, a very special dog, a Malinois named, Savage started to get very sick. He was rushed into the vet hospital where they diagnosed him with Pneumonia. He was discharged and sent home with antibiotics.

The next morning he collapsed and was unresponsive, Connie immediately rushed him back to the hospital where they noted he was very lethargic and was having problems breathing.

They did blood work and tests to find out the reason for his deteriorating health, he had a high fever and his white blood cells and platelets were dangerously low, his blood pressure was high and he was getting weaker.

This lead the Drs to start an aggressive path of treatments to help Savage fight whatever was happening to cause this.

Savage remains very lethargic and his breathing is laboured,

snd is still requiring support from the high-flow oxygen machine. He continues to have a fever.

Drs noted a few new changes on serial exam and bloodwork. His platelet count has dropped significantly since yesterday, and platelets are important for blood clotting.

When they checked his feeding tube, they found evidence of digested and fresh blood in his stomach fluid, and he has also started coughing up mucus that contains some blood.

Based on this rapid progression and the specific signs of bleeding in his lungs and gastrointestinal tract, the primary concern is for a severe bacterial infection called Streptococcus equi. subsp. zooepidemicus. This is a bacterium that can be carried by horses and can be seen in dogs who are in a shelter environment.

It causes a very aggressive, fast-moving hemorrhagic (bloody) pneumonia in dogs, often leading to the symptoms we are seeing in Savage.

With this condition, there is a high fatality rate associated with this infection, even with aggressive treatment, Savage’s prognosis is guarded.

However, they believe there is still interventions they can try to give him the best chance to fight.

The plan for Savage is to start a plasma transfusion. This will provide him with essential proteins to help support his blood vessels and boost his ability to fight the infection.

The Drs will also continue with aggressive supportive care, including IV fluids, antibiotics, and a continuous IV antacid to help protect his stomach lining.

They will be monitoring him very closely over the next 24 hours, looking for positive signs such as his fever breaking, his breathing becoming easier, and his overall energy improving.

Even if they see improvement, he will likely require hospitalization for at least another 3 to 4 days.

In just 24 hrs the vet bill is close to $13,000

and will continue to climb each day

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Thank you to each and every one of you, please keep those strong, positive vibes and prayers coming his way.

Love Tam and on behalf of a dog who is loved more than words can say