Tara's illness
Tara gets sick
Tara got really ill the other day. She got so sick that we thought for a moment that we would loose here. I do not know when she got sick, maybe in Finca Ixobel lik us, maybe sooner. Dogs ar really good at hiding their illness and we where so tired after ours that we did not notice what was happening with here.
In the shaking and on all those speed bumps the gasoline tank hase moved so it is in the way of the knob to put down the last step (some things that needs to be fixed) It is there fore a bit high entrance to the truck. Up till now she has just enter by coming on the fly and jump in like a High jumper in senior league. In the later week of our illness she took the jump but did not make it and fell down. From there on we noticed that she was not as strong on here legs as before. It took here longer time to get up and she did not tiptoe behind us like she usually did when we where walking around. We thought she had strained here self and where going to take here to the vet in Antigua which is a rich town on Guatemalan scale and there fore there should be a good vet there.
After getting over our sickness we went toRio Dulce to sail the kayak down the river towards the town of Livingston. On the way we stoped two nights at a jungel finca and rented a cabin there. Tara had difficulties going up to the steps of the Cabana, but even more so going down. She also lost here appetite which is HIGHLY unlikely to happen and VERY unusual. It only has happen once in here life time and that was a bag of food we bought here in San Pedro wich she refused to eat and at that time she was not sick. Her nose was by now getting clogged and she started breathing faster and did not want to move much
We whent on in the Kayak to Livingstone and stayed there one night but had then to return to the finca as we had forgotten the bag for the Kayak. By then it was clear to us that she was sick but not just had strained here legs.
We intended to leave for Antigua the day after but when we woke up she was terribly sick and the illness had increased dramatically the last 24 hours. She barly could get on here legs and walked about like a drunkard. She was now coughing and her breathing was shirt and difficult.We had to carry here out of the truck so she could do here things. I took here temperature but she had not high fever. The owners of the hotel told us there was a vet in the next town but he was mostly used to cows and other farm animals. They knew a doctor in Guatemala city which is supposed to be good and speak english and they tried to call him. He on the other hand was in surgery and could not be reached. We left a message for him to call back. When I came back it looked like the dog was at here last breath. Here face was liming down and she looked at us with broken eyes and the color of here mouth was not good as it pointed towards a shock state.She looked like she had aged about 5 to 10 years.
I had found a Tick on here (nasty little creatures that drill their head in the skin and suck the blood) even though I had covered here in oil to prevent it. These bugs c an carry Lime disease and all here symptoms pointed towards it. We found a webside on the net that reccomended Tetracyclin, whish is an old fashion wide working antibiotica, as the cure. While I ran to the Drugstore Kristjan wrote home to Helga Taras vet in Iceland, in case she could help out. She wrote back but could little do through the internet as there could be all kinds of illnesses that we do not have at home.
The drugstore had only 500 mg capsules of Tetracyclini which is to much for small dogs but I decided to give it to here any ways until we could get here to the vet( this proofed to be a vise decision). The we bought luxurious ham to be able to get the pills into here stomack as she refused to eat any thing and did drink only litlle.
We did not know weather to wait for the doctors call or just drive strait away to Antigua. We decided to wait as there could be the possibility of the doctor coming our way.The doctor never called despite many messages. We do not know if the receptionist for got to tell him or what.
Tara on the other hand, to our relief got a lot better after getting the antibiotica.
The day after Kristjan Met a woman that knew an american Vet in Antigua. She had here address and the telephone number. As the Tetracyclin seemd to be working, we decided to go there as it is not far from Guatemala city and lot easier to find the vet there.
On the way Benzi had a flat tire and we ended up in a big traffic jam (they are always woriking on the roads here) so we did not make it to Antigua until the next day. Tara was by now better but was walking slowly and acted bit like she was drunk.
We met Cinthya an American vet that has lived for 20 years in Antigua. She started by shocking us terribly as she found some things in Taras belly that was not supposed to be there. It turned on the other hand out to be no cancer but a spline that had moved in connection to here sickness.
The blood samples showed that she had been fighting with infection for some time. We the stupid us had not figured any thing out and blamed every thing on the heat while she was so weak from lack of blood as the infection had eaten up all the red blood cells.
We probably just about saved here by drugging here so much Cinthya told us.
Cinthya thought it was highly unlikely that it was Lime decease. In this part of the world the tick carries all kind of parasites that can start infections. She was there for kept on antibiotic and also got Iron and supplementary
Now this dear is again tiptoing around and has started sniffing up the garbage. She again complains and growls when Kristjan presses his nose up tho heres. The other day she forgot about how sick she was and jumped into the truck. Now she runs towards the truck and at the moment she is about to jump she breaks and looks at me with this face :"How is it am I not to be lifted into this truck or what" Just like a little princess.
We found a better oil to use that is supposed to chase away all those bugs and she is again getting the heart guard pills so parasites and worms will stay away.
She is now again those 5 - 10 years young in-spite of the heat in El Salvador and we will hopefully be able to have here with us somewhat longer. She is a good companion and where ever she goes people notice here beauty, even here in central america, and people are constantly asking us if we do have any puppies from here. Even ask if we want to sell here. We have not seen any dogs of here type but there are some cocker spaniels but they are not as sweet as Tara.
