Rocky Mountain Great Dane Rescue, Inc.

King is a very special boy who was dropped off in the night box at a shelter in Colorado Springs. He was very thin and the tips of his ears had frostbite due to being locked outside or wandering the streets for too long. He was immediately taken to a foster home where he met his foster siblings and did well with everyone. After only being there for a couple of days, he suddenly started acting very lethargic and lost his appetite. He wouldn't even eat boiled hamburger, so we knew he wasn't feeling well.

December 31, 2006

King went to see Dr. Bechtold at Belcaro Animal Hospital last Monday and he took chest x-rays which revealed a case of Pneumonia. He was hospitalized and put on IV fluids and antibiotics and appeared to be doing better. His fever broke and they attempted to move him over to oral antibiotics, but he took a turn for the worse today and had to be transported to a 24 hour emergency hospital where he could receive around the clock care.

King was clearly very sick and he has a runny nose and was drooling quite a bit. He was so weak that he could barely lift his head or keep his body standing upright. Alameda East Veterinary Hospital took additional x-rays and admitted him to ICU where he was placed in isolation since we aren't sure what caused the Pneumonia and are concerned about influenza. They put him back on IV antibiotics and fluids and estimated that he would probably need to stay in ICU for at least 2-4 days.

This morning we got a call from Dr. Hillis and she was very concerned about King because he was really sad and wasn't eating at all for them. She asked if we would come by and bring him something to try to entice his appetite. She also decided to put him on some oxygen because he isn't breathing well.

Lindsay & Bree went to visit him this evening and when they arrived the doctor was actually feeding him and they were extremely excited to see him actually eating! She had just finished doing cupage to break up the junk in his lungs and he was perking up a little bit. They left him a treat of ground turkey for later and his ears perked up when he saw them through the window. Lindsay & Bree weren't able to go into the isolation area, unfortunately, but he is in good hands and we are hopeful that he is responding to treatment and on the road to recovery!

January 3, 2007

Morning report:

I am discouraged to report that King is not doing any better today. Dr. Hillis took another set of chest x-rays yesterday to monitor his progress and his lungs are much worse than when he came in.

He is breathing a little better on oxygen, but his pulse ox rate is all over the place. It was at 99 yesterday...then dropped to 91...then went up to 100...then dropped again. This has been a roller coaster of a ride for King so far.

His white blood cell count is going up a little, so he is responding ever so slightly.

He continues to refuse to eat, however, and is losing weight and is already too weak and thin. He refused the ground turkey 2 nights ago so I took him Rotisserie chicken last night, but nothing seems to help.

Today his breathing is still very labored. There has been no drop in his effort, but it is still difficult for him.

The plan is to put him on an even broader spectrum IV antibiotics which has an anti-inflammatory, but it is very expensive and costs around $180 per dose. Our bill is currently at $2300 and Dr. Hillis does not see him going anywhere anytime soon. She estimates we will be looking at around $800-$900 per day. The doctors all spoke about him during rounds this morning and everyone is very worried that he isn't making any progress. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers! Donations would also be very much appreciated to help the rescue with the tremendous cost of his care.

Afternoon Report:

King is doing a tiny bit better. His breathing effort has improved. He still has a high respiratory rate, but overall it seems to be going down. His temperature is still normal and they have been trying to force feed him. This afternoon he actually sniffed the food they offered him, which was encouraging considering prior to that he was just turning his head. They ran some more bloodwork and everything is within normal range, although low normal. His white blood cell count did go down a little, but overall they think he is on the right track and showing signs of improvement.

January 4, 2007

AM Update

King ate 3 times last night! He is also drinking and looking much brighter this morning, although he did refuse his breakfast. The new antibiotic, Doxycycline, seems to be doing the trick! They will be giving him another dose today and then hopefully switching to oral antibiotics as soon as he goes back to eating again. He is a long ways from being released from the hospital, but we are encouraged for the first time since he was admitted.

PM Update

King accidentally pulled out his nasal O2 and the doctor was excited to see that he was breathing at 95% without the oxygen, so they decided to keep him off of it. His effort has improved and he is eating like a champ! They switched him to oral Doxycycline today and plan to switch the rest of his antibiotics to oral meds tomorrow if all goes well. Dr. Hillis is hopeful that he will get to go home on Saturday the way things are looking now!

January 5, 2007

Dr. Miller has taken over King's case and called with a fairly positive report this morning. He is definitely still weak and has a ridiculous amount of nasal discharge, but he is continuing to eat well and his spirits are much brighter. He is also still breathing well off of the oxygen. She agrees that he should be ready to be released from the hospital by tomorrow.

January 7, 2007

King is back in a home environment and taking full advantage of being sick. He took a nice long snooze on the couch with his foster family last night and he even tried to steal some pizza. His appetite has been wonderful and he has been very eager to please. He has had some accidents in the house, but part of that may be due to all his recent stresses, so we will be working with him on potty training now that he is feeling better. He will need to be isolated from the other dogs for a week or two, just as a precautionary measure during his recovery. He is on so many antibiotics that they don't think he is contagious, but he is still weak and will need to regain his strength before he can start playing with the other dogs.

January 10, 2007

King is doing great! He is eating about 12 to 15 cups of food spread out over the course of the day, so he is finally putting on some much needed weight. He is taking his meds like a champ, but his foster sisters seem to think they are missing out on a special treat so they get a bit of peanut butter too. King has not had a runny nose since right after he came back home. He gets his cupage treatment twice a day and is not coughing at all, so his progress is remarkable. King is still having an occasional accident in the house, but his foster family is working on that. His favorite place to lay is on the futon and he is basically a very happy boy!

Wednesday, January 17

King was finally neutered today. Surgery went very well and no one could believe how much his condition had improved since the last time they saw him! He is officially ready to go to his new home once he has recovered for a few days

Sunday, January 21

King went to his forever home with Cathy & Mike in Montrose. He has a Dane sister named Shadow and a cat to keep him company. They have lots of Danes experience, so he is in wonderful hands! His new parents were all smiles when they saw King. They had a new collar and leash for King and a big comfy bed in the back of their Tahoe for the snowy trip home. Someone is home during the day and King has his own spot on their couch. He will get lots of love and attention and will hopefully have a long, healthy life from now on!