My Mom's Abigail

[Tambrey]

Abigail was not seen from Tuesday morning until lastnight....Abigail is a "farm dog" but has never left the yard before, except to play on the back hill, which is still Mom's property and within sight...

Abigail is quite old, I believe 12 or so...and has been blind in one eye since she was a pup and ran into a stick while playing in the field off of the main yard with her siblings...

When she returned lastnight, she has visibly lost weight and was stumbling...Mom took her to the shed...she went willingly and walked okay, except with that slight stumble...she ate well...some canned food as well as all of the kibble, drank well and laid down in the straw bedding and blankets....
Mom left her for the night, sure that she was just needing rest and food and water...

This morning Mom was going to take her to the vet for a thorough checkup and find out if anything has happened to her...and Abigail had managed to get out of the shed and was gone...
Mom went out off and on all day, venturing as far onto the hill as she felt she could...but she is 69 and has bad knees and hips...

At one point during the day, she did notice that the food and water she put out...right by the front stairs...was gone...so she figured Abigail snuck in, ate and drank, and left again...

When hubby and I returned home from our shopping, we spent well over an hour, until dark was falling...walking the hill...the timbers....the fields on the other side....We found fresh urine and poo...
we found fresh tracks and he followed those until they went into a place where snow had melted and he lost the tracks...
We finally determined we had to stop....it was just too dark.....
We just prayed that she found a warm place to bed down...and started to drive home....

I said lets go drive on the dirt road on the other side of the hill and fields...she goes to visit the people there on occassion....as we headed towards that road, I happened to take one last glance up the hill and I saw her!!....Thankfully she is black and there is still LOTS of snow about, even with 40F temps the last couple of days...

Hubby went back to Mom's house, and RAN up the hill, over the fence and field, into another field, and called to Abby...she tried to hide in the grass like she did not want to be found, but he went and picked her up...she did not argue...
He carried her most of the way back...at one point she struggled and tried to run off, and he said she ran very well, with no staggering...but he went after her and she just stopped and looked at him....she wanted to walk, so he made her walk in front of him down to the main yard...she kept turning to see if he was still there and watching and he told her to just get on home...
When she saw Mom, she was excited and went to her...

In the meantime, we tried to call the vet...no answer, no answer at the ER number either....so we got another blanket and made an enclosure for her in the shed, with straw and 2 blankets...again....but hubby made sure she cannot get out this time...lastnight Mom left the bay door up a bit too far and Abigail wiggled under...

Tomorrow Mom is going to call the vet and try to get her in, if there is an answer...since Abby IS eating...IS eliminating and walking, wagging her tail and bright eyed still...seeing and hearing...etc...if she did have a stroke, there is not much to be done except rest and care...Or it could be that she was off somewhere and was unable to get home...and is just weak from lack of food...

I cannot get Mom to take her anywhere else...she will not go...I tried...believe me...I tried....
But Mom has decided that if Abby is not doing measurably better by Monday morning, she will ask the vet to help Abby go play across the Bridge
With Abigail being used to totally running free, Mom cannot see that it would be fair to bring her inside, where she has never been...

Soooo...after this LONG story....please say a prayer that Abigail will recover during the next couple days of R&R...that Mom will definitely get her in by Monday...or SOONER....and on meds if needed....
and that Abigail is not suffering....

But I do have a feeling that since she was trying to run off....that she feels it is her time to go and was doing what most wild animals will do and going off alone....
We will not let her go alone...

[Traci]

The emergency vet didn't return the call?? Are you sure she left her number for them to call her back? That's what most ER services do, they listen to the messages and return the call as soon as they can. Tell her to try again, and again....

It could be nearly anything, from toxin, to wound, to a health condition like renal failure, tumor, heart problem, etc. Only an exam can determine, and please tell mom not to wrongly assume this can't be determined or even treated. She shouldn't be left to suffer, and it very well could be that it is treatable.

My prayers for Abigail, and that mom gets her to a vet!

[Tambrey]

I am hoping it is something treatable as well...but unfortunately, Mom is nearer to the farmer mentality when it comes to the outside animals...she feeds and cares for them...but feels that "when their time has come" to just let them be....

I keep trying to make her see differently...

[Traci]

It is really very rare for a pet to go off on their own to die. This is largely a myth....if it happens, usually it is because the pet is debilitated, disoriented, trying to find a place to rest, shade or warmth, or because something is really wrong (pain, discomfort, and they pace, or keep walking or rest because they don't know what else to do).

The fact she came back, ate/drank, seemed happy to see her mistress, and then left again, then came back with coaxing, might be indicative she is disoriented, frightened, etc...this could be caused by any health condition if it's serious enough. But, it's worth every bit to get her examined and hopefully treated easily.

Also, if this is true rural country, make darn sure there weren't wild animals about that could have scared her (racoons, coyotes, etc)...maybe there's something near her "territory" that is scaring her. The weight loss is concerning though.

She remains in my prayers, Tambrey, keep talking to mom!

[Tambrey]

Coyotes are about....we hear them way in the distance, but have never even seen them close to the farm....
raccoons...possums...deer....pheasant...all are abundant....and Abigail has been known to eat when one is hit by a car...but there is also no known diseases of any of those animals in our area...

A feral cat recently moved into the shed....from where, we have no idea...but then again, it has been there for about 2 months now and even though Mom puts food out for it, she has seen Abigail laying there watching it eat and drink from her dishes as well...

While out searching, we saw no blood or signs of struggle, if she did get into a tiff with another critter...and while DH was carrying her, and when she got into the shed, I ran my hands over her, looked at her...and found no obvious wounds...

We will be going there tomorrow morning and first thing we will do is check on Abigail and see how she is doing...I know for sure, Mom cannot let her out of that shed....I do NOT want her running off again....

[Traci]

I hope it wasn't another animal, in the country, that's always a risk. I doubt the feral kitty had anything to do with, as you know, ferals usually avoid domesticated pets, unless they are protecting young or their territory, food, etc.

In any event, it does sound like she is hurting, and maybe scared or disoriented, but she was gone for a few days, lost weight in just a few days, so THAT is truly concerning. If it isn't like her to disappear for a day or so, then you know something is wrong, work on mom and see if she can't get her to a vet.

Prayers continuing!

[Tambrey]

Well, we went to feed and check on Abigail this morning and as soon as we opened the bay door, she came running out...not much stumbling and tail wagging....but...my son watched her and said, "She looks like she had a slight stroke, look how she holds her head now."

She ate well and did NOT want to stay in the shed, but we were NOT going to let her stay out...

Mom will get her into the vet Monday (hopefully...so she says) and she said she is going to get her a collar and leash as well, so she can take her for walks, but will keep her in the shed in a confined area elsewise...until she regains strength and is getting along...and this spring, when we can dig into the ground, we will probably put an enclosure up for her...

[Tambrey]

Well, Mom took Abigail in with every intention of having her put to rest, but the vet suggested bloodwork instead...
Abigail looked good....ALOT better than last weekend, but Mom said she is starving herself...she only eats the canned food...I said that maybe she has bad teeth...she is 12...but the vet said her teeth actually look very good for her age...but he wanted to check liver and kidney levels, so drew blood for that...we will hopefully have results Monday, since they have to send them to the lab...
Her temp is normal...but he gave her antibiotics in case something is going on, as well as a steroid shot...

We have her nested in the shed with the igloo, 2 bales of broken straw, 2 blankets and a heat lamp as well as her heated water dish and lots of dry food...plus Mom will feed her a can of AD in the AM and 1 in the PM...

We are going to get some kibble that makes gravy with warm water and see if she will eat that too...

We will know more Monday, but I know that when Mom went into the house to get a hammer and I stayed in the shed, Abigail sure ran and jumped all over the place, whining and trying to get out through any of the doors!!

[k9Karen]

Is there any way you can take in Abigail? I don't mean to say anything bad about your mom - I just don't think she understands. It almost seems like Abigail is trying to get away from her. I wish you and Abigail the best of luck.

BTW - could she have gotten into something toxic?

[Tambrey]

Abigail has been a farm dog and wanders the acreage for years now...there are other times in summer she would disappear for a few days, but she has places up in the timbers where she prefers to sleep, or will go down to the river....
She has never tried to get away before...and is always very happy to see Mom and when Mom is outside, Abigail follows her everywhere...

I am hoping that the bloodwork will show more when we get those results...and that it is treatable....

We cannot bring Abigail in....we have 5 big dogs and a little dog and 10 cats inside....
And Abigail would NOT be happy inside at all....she does sleep in the shed normally, so it is not unfamiliar territory for her by any means....that is where she has slept for years now...but she just does not like having to be forced to STAY in there right now...

We are going this evening and Mom is going to get a field leash for her so she can take her up to the hill and run but still be under control....