Adopting Dori

UPDATE: She is much improved. She still has diarhea but is eating and is perky and active. Things are looking much, much better and we're hoping for a discharge tonight. (7/13 10 a.m.)

"If it's a congenital heart defect, there is no prognosis. We would have to put her down."

You don't expect to hear those words less than 24 hours after adopting an eight-week-old puppy. Only a few short hours ago we were wrestling with what name to give her and where to put her crate. We didn't expect to be at the Vet with our new puppy, let alone being confronted with this dire possibility.

Of course, things haven't gone exactly as expected for us, dog-wise. Two weeks ago today while hiking in the Shenandoah National Park, Dave and I spoke about the waning days of our 12 year old dog Buster while one-year-old Dixie darted back and forth on the trail beneath our feet.

And then she vanished into the underbrush -- the scent of a deer luring away our expected 12-15 years with this sweet dog.

I wasn't sure I was ready to adopt another dog so soon after Dixie's disappearance but when Dave started e-mailing me links to adoptable puppies, I knew I wouldn't have a choice. And when I came home last Wednesday and found the profiles of three puppies printed out and sitting on the dining room table, I gave in.

We settled on the puppy named "Mallory." She was a lab/retriever mix from South Carolina, being rescued by Lucky Dog Animal Rescue. LDAR is an amazing organization. They rescue dogs from "high-kill" shelters in the South, bring them to the DC area and place them in foster homes until they can be adopted. A transport of dogs from South Carolina was scheduled for Saturday at 4:30 and Mallory -- and her 5 siblings -- were heading North.

Because we had successfully adopted from LDAR before Dave was able to arrange for Mallory to skip the foster step and go right into adoption with us.

Saturday we began getting ready for having a puppy in the house -- our first in 12 years. A neighbor gave us a crate. We secured the back yard. In keeping with the times we went to Green Pets on 14th Street to get supplies. Nothing but organic, non-pesticided foods for this pooch. We were determined she have small carbon pawprint.

At 4 pm, we nervously made the trip to a parking lot in NW DC (yes, there are parking lots in NW, who knew?) where the transports were arriving.

This sounds simple but it's actually a complex, hectic task. There are 40-50 dogs in crates in a large cargo van arriving. Meanwhile a crowd about twice that size of humans is standing around, waiting for their foster dog. The dogs arrive and we crowd around the van. The LDAR volunteers somehow sort the dogs out, calling the name of the dog so their temporary humans can claim them. While the humans take the dogs for a much needed walk, the LDAR folks sort out the dogs medical records which have also arrived in the van. Only then can the dogs go to their temporary homes.

They gave us special instructions because we were dealing with a pup who hadn't had all her shots yet. Parvo is a nasty dog tummy disease that is hard and costly to treat and it's very contagious. No touching other dogs. Don't put her on the ground where other dogs have been. She'll need a drink of water but only let her drink out of her own bowl.

We teamed up with Susan, a saint who is fostering Mallory's five siblings (How many people do you know would open up their home to five un-housebroken puppies covered in dog-yuck? But because of her these animals will not die and will go to good homes, probably with kids who will have happy, lifelong memories of their childhood dogs. Because of this woman -- and all the volunteers at LDAR) We got the dogs sorted out and I picked Mallory up.

She was tiny, clearly the runt of the litter. I could see fleas crawling through her thin mat of fur. She smelled of urine and feces and vomit and had puppy breath.

And I thought she was the cutest thing I'd ever seen.

She has a white face with beautiful olive eyes. And she lifted her face to my chin and licked my beard.

We got the paperwork done, gave her a drink and finally we were off taking her to her "forever home."

We let her walk around the back yard a bit and then gave her a much needed bath. Actually, by this time we all needed a bath and so the humans showered and all flea-contaminated clothes were quickly washed.

She ate.

And then puked. And pooped. Pooped nasty watery foul smelling slime.

But she seemed fine enough before bed time and again in the middle of the night when we checked on her.

But this morning her crate floor blanket was covered in puke and diarrhea. I cleaned her and fed her. And the whole process started again. I thought she seemed lethargic and less lively than she had been the night before. And then we saw blood in the stool.

That's when the fear hit: Parvo.

Parvo is a virus that attacks the cells of the digestive system and can invade the heart, causing sudden death. It is difficult and expensive to treat. And it's common in dogs from the South.

At 10 AM this morning we were on the front stairs of our Vet's office waiting for them to open. We had no appointment, but they were able to take us in. By this time it was clear that "Mallory" was literally one sick puppy.

They first tested for Parvo. While we were waiting for the results, she got a thorough exam.

She was pale. I didn't know dogs could be pale, but they can be. You look at the gums. The Doc thought this meant she was anemic. She had a heart murmur. Could be because of the anemia, the Doctor guessed. She's dehydrated from the vomiting and pooping. And she's malnourished.

The Parvo text came back. Negative. That was a relief - - but we knew at this point Mallory was going to need more intensive care than we could give her. An hour later, when the blood work came back, the doctor's guess of anemia was confirmed.

This is where the Doctor starts speculating. The anemia was likely due to blood loss from intestinal worms and fleas feeding off her. Fleas can literally kill a dog or cat through blood loss. Fleas can bleed a dog to death. I did not know that.

Or...it could be a congenital heart defect causing her to bleed into her intestines.

I know which theory I'm going with.

So, we took her to the Friendship Heights Animal Hospital where she is getting IV fluids and nutrition as well as meds to get her digestive system in order. We're hoping this will correct the anemia which could also end the heart murmur.

Her little crate is here, empty. Her blanket -- which she spent just a few short hours on -- is clean, soft and waiting. While we wait for the hospital to call with an update.

As we were about to walk into the hospital earlier today, Dave stopped and turned to me and, with tears in his eyes said, "We have to name her. We can't leave her here without a name."

I looked at her and knew. "Her name is Dori," I said.

Get well, little Dori.