Vigil

Kate became ill around 3a.m. and at 6:30 a.m. we piled into the car and headed to the Lorain AnimaHospital-, about 40 minutes away-the same place we took Kate on Thanksgiving Day.She was vomiting foam and excreting pure blood even as we drove there. Acute pancreatitus is the problem but the underlying cause is not yet determined. It was 7:45 am by the time we were settled in, and we were surprised to learn that the emergency clinic closes at 8:00 am. Dr. Talbot gave her some injections to calm the episodes down enough for our 30 minute drive back to Huron to home base, the Firelands Animal Clinic which opened at 8:30 am. Mary Ann Socha, our vet, met us at the door.

Kate is being carefully monitored and is hooked up for pain meds and antibiotics and they are giving her fluids.  She'll be there for several days. Apparently, Miniature Schnauzers are known for a problem of high cholestrol and a low fat diet and other medications can help ward off these bouts of pancreatitus, which if severe enough, can be  deadly. Our Alex did not suffer from this at all, so we are surprised about this inherent problem. It is too, too quiet in the house. The boys, Jack and Louie, seem overly mature without the antics of Kate in their midst. I know she'll be in good hands with Mary Ann, Cindy and Lisa, three awesome vets, and, I'm confident that Kate will survive this bout. Prayers to St. Francis are in order, however, and that's that.