It's not looking good right now: Johnson's ordeal, everyone talking about Parvo

Well, I woke up after being up and down most of the night and headed to Sierra Gateway market, or as we know it, James Station.

While I was up there I saw a woman who's dog just had Parvo. She told me what she did under the instruction of her vet, and we collected up the Kaopectate and some baby food.

Unfortunately, the feed store didn't have the nutri paste used to keep up the energy of sick animals.

But we have what we need. I came back and Johnson was still sitting in the same spot.

He woke up at 4 and 9 throwing up this morning, not a whole lot, but enough that it concerns me. And he's had some diarrhea, but no bloody stools as people are warning me to look for.

I just gave the medicine and he threw it up all over the place. Crap.

Back to the Pedialyte for a while, then I'll give him some more of the Kaopectate, a very small amount, and see what happens. Because he still has the runs too, it means I really need to watch his hydration.

While at the store at least four people told me about recent experiences with Parvo, so it must be really rampant here. One woman said it attacked her litter of pups and she was able to save half of them.

Now for Walter too. I had to get the hydrogen peroxide to clean the broken nail, but things didn't go well, as he knew it was coming, and fought while I was doing it.

However, after I cleaned it, I found the nail completely severed, which means there's little I can do and my plan to use the liquid bandaid is out.

I'll have to cut the split, or actually, I think we need to try and contact a different vet right now.

I'm not going to be able to fix his nail, and it will catch or it could get infected...This is all too much.

I'm going to make a call and see what we can do. I can't travel to Bakersfield to see the best vet around, Dr. Lohr, of Nile Point Veterinary, he's top of the line. But I think Johnson needs more fluids than I can get down him.

I'll update the next part of this holiday pet nightmare. Johnson is a really good dog, and even though it's only been six weeks with him, I would be grateful just for that time, however, I'd prefer more.

But I"m not ready to give up, so I'll update later...And watch your dogs right now with this parvo out there. Don't just think he or she might have eaten something bad and overlook the early signs of the virus.

Trust me, it's better to be cautious right now, than to see your pet go through this nightmare.

Johnson's sick and Walter bloodied the kitchen at Thanksgiving: it's a pet owner Thanksgiving weekend nightmare

Well, my little fella, Johnson, AKA, "Johnny Rotten," has my time right now, no matter what else needs to be done, he's very ill, and I'm going to be right here with him.

I spoke to the vet this morning, and I was told that there's an outbreak of Parvo right now and there's a chance Johnny may have it, as he only had his first round of shots, is due right now.

She told me, though I already know, that it's serious but he still has a chance to make it through

It's the holiday weekend, and mine started out well, and took a turn for the pet nightmare situation.

Just as I was scooping out a couple slices of cheesecake after dinner, my Boxer, Walter comes hobbling in bleeding all over the floor of the kitchen.

He broke one of his nails, right thru the top, and we all know what happens when you trim those nails too far: lot's of blood. So, breaking the nail was a mess.

My night ended as I was not going to let my dog suffer because I wanted pie, and my brother carried him out to the car. When we arrived at my friend's house, Walter, the amazing knucklehead jumped right out as if nothing had happened.

Nice, but the nail is fractured, so therefore it will come open. And it did an hour or so ago.

With the veteranarians on their holiday, I've got my hands full here.

Walter, he will take some peroxide and then I'm going to use the liquid bandaid to try and hold the nail together, as there is no way to bandage it really, we tried last night.

But Walter's situation pales in comparison to his buddy, Johnson, who is quite ill.

After I got home last night, Johnson had been active and happy all day, but then he started throwing up. He even went behind the television area to hide. So, it was serious.

The vet said that hydration and the next 24 hours will tell the tale of what is happening, so every 15 minutes, Johnson, is getting Pedialyte or water or a homemade mixture with some vitamins. And now I've added gravy from a can of food to keep his strength up.

I've given him some gravy , he licked at a little bit of it without being forced. But he didn't take much. I'll offer again after he's a had a little more sleep.

The problem is always diagnostics. I don't know if he has parvo or has eaten something bad, or something "big" or what.

Right now, we have no real choice, as we have to try and make it thru the night as the vet recommended. I wouldn't take Johnny to a strange place, cold, and antiseptic, to stay over night in a cage, my animals usually stay at home with me, and their familiar surroundings if at all possible.

I hope that by tomorrow he is at least improved, and from there we may have to try and find a vet to do some diagnositics.

Since this is the toughest part of owning pets, I thought I would "cover it" while I tend to my dogs and wait out the situation.

Johnny, has peed, so his kidneys are functioning, and I will continue to use these things until we get a response.

This is tough for me, but I have done it a million times before, and I know that it is up to my Johnny whether he makes it through this. And if the vet is right, I'll know what Johnny wants to do by tomorrow.

I'll update as we go along.