I lost him: remembering Johnny rotten and warning there's parvo

I didn't get enough time with him, not just me, but all the people who had come to know him in the short two months I've had him. We will all miss out on one of the smartest and funniest dogs I've ever had in my life. He was something really special there was no doubt.

But he put up a hell of a fight and succumbed in a way that had dignity.

I was getting ready to update the blog while Johnson lay quiet, finally comforted that the nausea and vomiting that had gripped him, was over.

He was alert and I sang to him while he rested.

As I started write about how he would be going to the vet in the morning, Johnson suddenly looked up at me. I reached down to pet him, and his neck became rigid, and his arms outstretched.

Then, no crying, no nothing, he took his leave, a last breath, and sighed as he let it out for the last time. I watched him relax, suddenly everything.

I told him "thank you" for the short time we had. And the fact that he was so unique and special to all his Friends.


The boys

It wasn't just Johnson, in fact, Johnson was owned by my Boxer, Walter as they were inseparable the moment they met, which was only a couple months ago if that.
Walter doesn't know he's a big dog, all his friends are small, so when Johnson showed up, it was a dream come true.

Parvo is serious and it is out there right now:

I won't be getting another dog for Walter as this parvo is all over our home now, and would not be good to go through this again.

Walter has been vaccinated, but aside from depression over today's trauma, he seems lethargic and warm. He's going to get another booster for the heck of it.

My sister's dog was here and is now showing signs. She's been vaccinated too.

So, make sure your dogs are updated right now, and KV Veterinary here in South Lake has a low cost shots program the first Thursday of each month.

I haven't even decided what to do with Johnson's body, and I will be writing a memorial for him too.

Thanks everyone for your prayers and your concerns.

Bye Johnny "rotten" I loved you a lifetime's worth. And that was the best fight I've ever seen. And the most dignified death I've ever witnessed. Amazing strength in this dog.

He just showed me an example of true strength, now I'll make him proud. Johnny, there's still fight left in this dog, watch what I do in your honor.

Johnny died with great dignity after a struggle which impressed us all.

There are people I know who won't just "die" or step away from their positions who should take a lesson from Johnny rotten.

But, die you will, a different kind of death, but one you will never forget.

Time's running out for Johnson: the holiday ordeal

When I woke up after a nap early this morning, Johnson had started down the road of Parvo: bloody stools.

He is still hydrated from the fluids given under the skin, but he's fought a tough fight, and now it's time to ask the question: is it enough?





Walter, my Boxer, and Johnson's whole reason for being here, is depressed and worried.

In this picture, he's watching his friend and companion go through hell, as I could not stop the vomitting either.


The house is a wreck, the laundry is going cleaning all of the bedding I'm using to make Johnson comfortable.

I've seen Parvo before, so this is not something new, but even if you've seen it, it's still the most terrible thing to have to witness. And especially the fight my little guy is putting up, hurting, and miserable.

But it's a question of how long to let this go on. Animals have a different nature, they will fight to live. They are here because they love us, their owners, and their pals, like Walter.

I don't know, and I won't make a decision yet. We have a Monday appointment with the vet, and hopefully, we can make that appointment.

Without the fluids Johnson would already be gone. I'm not sure though that prolonging is necesarilly the answer, but this thing can be beat if caught in time. And it depends on the dog.

My Johnny "rotten" wants to live it seems, so I'll keep trying. It will be another long day, but I'll do all I can to make it easy on him.

Poor thing took a drink of Pedialyte on his own earlier, but it came up ten minutes later. He can have absolutely nothing on his stomach. And the standard, other horrible feature of Parvo is the bloody stools. It's hard to take, but that's the only way out of this thing is through it: it has to run it's course.

All the Parvo symptoms are here, none of this is questionable or surprising. It's all about hydration and giving him the will to live.

I told him his mama has been fighting health problems for years, and if he wants to stay with us, he's going to have to make it out of this, somehow, some way.

I love that dog so much. I didn't cry much at first, as I'm trying to be strong, but this morning, seeing him so uncomfortable, I broke down several times.

It's been 20 years since I've seen an outbreak of Parvo like this, but this valley has some unique characteristics regarding pet diseases.

I've tried the Benadryl to stop the vomiting but it didn't do anything. I just want him to relax and sleep, as that is the best thing for him.

But he's so uncomfortable he can't stay still. I just noticed when I sang to him his "Johnny rotten" song, he layed his head back down. Maybe I'll just sing to him. Noboby else finds my singing voice that comforting, so Johnson is certainly a special friend.

Hopefully....more later

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.