"Logan", EagleRun The Messenger is a very special boy.
And the story continues to unfold.... Here are more updates to his continuing quest to return back to us completely. :-) He is so courageous.
7/16/01 9:37pm Subject: Logan This evening
Logan was at the clinic until after 3pm today. Bob and Jeff both had
surgeries and the lab work was done sometime in between them. I picked him
up at 3 or so and Bob called a bit after 5pm with the results.
He says, and I'm just paraphrasing here since I don't have a copy of the
numbers yet. In basic terminology, all the numbers that were off the chart
on Thursday *high or low* are now coming better into range...tho some are
still very high or very low, they are better than before. This is 5 days
off of the Cortisone.
He expects to see even more improvement in the blood work in a week. The
Liver and Kidney functions impressed him the most today. He says even tho
the numbers are still out of wack, it appears the Liver and Kidneys are
working to remove the toxins in the body and are functioning well, given
what he has been through. Some of the lab work shows that there seems to
be very little or no internal bleeding now. :-) He does NOT see any signs
of brain damage or blindness at all. He is just absolutely amazed as is
Jeff.
I took a nice shot of them with Logan this am when I dropped him off. I
hope to have one of the pages finished and uploaded tonight.
When I came to get him this afternoon, Jeff went to get him for me. He was
just a lovin on him. He kept saying this dog was dead....he should not be
alive Ginger, he was dead you realize that don't you.
Bob began telling me that they have been seeing at least 1 heat stroke
victim daily....there and at the ER clinic they have been seeing 2 a
night... Bob said that none over 106 have lived and most of the ones they
saw died anyway or were dead by the time the owners got to them..
This evening when Bob called to give me the lab report we were talking. He
asked me if I had fully understood the terminology he had been using since
Monday. I told him I could follow along and did grasp a good degree of it,
but no, not all of it. He said that he wanted to explain DIC to me. He
said, " Ginger, I didn't explain DIC until now because I didn't want you
any more upset than I knew in your heart, you already were". I said, OK,
so, can or will you tell me now? He said yes, he could tell me know
because of Logan's improvement.
On Monday when I carried my Logan's dripping wet body into the clinic he
was comatose. I feared the very worse, but deep in my heart I wanted more
than anything for him to live. I walked in to the clinic with this baby,
both of us dripping water all over the place...I was balling and trying to
hard to control myself so I could help. I kept hearing Becky, Jeff, Bob
and Norma saying, "he is in state of DIC".... Susan, you even asked if
they mentioned that...as did you, Laura. They continued to say this until
saturday during Bob's and my conversation. But, no one ever sat me down
and said anything about it. They were talking about it in the same
conversation as the blood blisters all over his body... and in his throat
and mouth...."pe tick e i"........
Bob told me tonight that DIC is " Death Is Coming". They did NOT expect
him to make it at all. Bob says in ALL his years as a student and
practicing Vet......NEVER has he seen a dog survive with a temp above
107. Jeff saved his own dog with a temp of 107. Bob said there may be one
somewhere in the US that has, but he has seen all the stats on Heat Stroke
and he has NEVER seen it happen....Those that survived at 107 had so many
things wrong with them.....so much damage. Jeff's dog is well enough to
still hunt in the cold months. But, NONE other than that.
I asked him what we should look for as long term recovery. A year, 6
months..... Bob said, " Ginger, I don't know we have never been here
before." Then we both said it at the same time. "This is unchartered
territory". This will be one for the journals and med class. It is just
unbelievable.
I told Bob and Jeff this am, *again*, that they are Logan's true
heroes. Bob says no, that I'm the one that saved him. That it was my
quick action and excellent first aid that saved him. And then he went on
to say that it was that strong deep love that he sees we have for our dogs
that has brought this about. I told him I'm just too soft for this, it
just hurts so hard when one dies or when this happened... and he says nope,
that is what Logan has been living on and for this past week. That was why
he wanted him to go home for the weekend. He knew Logan would be able to
draw from that deep love and devotion for his strength. He knew I'd nurse
him better than anyone else. He said that Logan NEEDED to be with us.
Yes, of course I just cried and cried.....:-) He said that Logan's will to
live stemmed from that. He says there is no other way a dog with that
amount of damage to his little body could have survived. Can you imagine
the love..........?
Logan has touched so many lives since last Monday. Bob looks for a full
recovery, but isn't sure how long that will take. We are still trying to
get him to eat and he says right now the physical problems he sees are:
Lack of smell
Lack of taste
TMJ
Weakness in his rear more than in his front....still very unsteady after a
couple of minutes.
Sneezing alot due to the inflamation in the sinus cavities
Later we will ck his sperm to see what damage might have been done
there. At this point, that is the least of my worries....
We don't know if he will ever be able to handle the stress of competition
in any arena, but we are not only thrilled, but so very thankful and
humbled by this miracle. He has the heart of a gladiator and the soul of
an angel.
During all of this I've clinged to several things:
my faith in the Good Lord......all good things come from the Lord
above.....those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength
my favorite music.......John Starnes, Sandi Patty, Barbara Striestand
classical gospel
my favorite people..........all of you
How on earth can we say thank you for a gift so wonderful.......All of you
gave us our strength. When we were so very needful, you came to us with
your words of strength, faith, prayers and love. We will always be grateful.
At last count this am, I've received 3,400 emails concerning our Logan. He
truly belongs to everyone. My vets are astounded by this outpouring of love.
g
7/17/01 12:10am Logan and Potatoes
Thanks so much guys......Tonight I ground up 2 1/2 cups of Logan's dry
kibble. I mixed this very well with 2 or so lbs of ground beef, a small
peeled, boiled potato, 2 eggs, a dash of salt, several teaspoons of white
Karo and a dash of salt. I formed 5 hamburger patties and on the George
Foreman Grill they went. LOL
He just sniffed it and let it pass. Awhile ago I took him out to potty for
the last time before going to bed. He came back in and went directly into
his crate and ate the big patty I had broken up in a bowl. Bob figures he
will need 5cups of gr meat daily for his size to sustain him. He says if
he will eat this, he can stay off the AD for now. So, hopefully no more
forced liquid meals.
We still have to keep it very bland. His GI track is very delicate. I'm
waiting for that all important day when he gives us that famous Aussie
wiggle....:-)
g
7/17/01 11:09am Logan
Again, someone asks how it happened....this gives some detail not given in other posts...
It is so strange. This summer has not been as hot as most in the past, *so far*. But, I heard it mentioned Tuesday that we aren't having the breeze we normally have.. I now know that can be a deadly factor I had not encountered before. I remember them mentioning at the clinic that they are seeing at least 1 Heat Stroke daily.....the ER clinic told me last night that they are seeing at least 2 a night...most all at the ER were dead when they arrived, or died shortly after that... NONE over 106 have survived...
I put him in his shaded kennel at about 12:40pm just as I did Judy in the kennel next to him. I look at my guys and pet them before going into or out of their kennels....He was just fine, as was Judy. I needed to let Sophie out to potty. She was/is in heat. Sophie had come in season only 2 days before. I went to take him out at 1:20.....I had looked at the clock on the wall in the den when I was walking to the patio doors.. I was at the clinic with him by 1:45pm......it is a 12 minute drive from our home if we hit all the lights.....I did not get them green....it was a horrid, congested road all the way there....I finally took the last light red and went down the oncoming traffic side....I just didn't have another second to give...
So, he was in the kennel under a shade barrier with cool underground water for 40 minutes tops...I had seen him up and walking around sometime during this time... but, did not have a reason to look at the clock then....We figure he was down for less than 10 minutes when I
came out.. This makes it extremely dangerous and imperative that action is swift and accurate...
Yes, his immune system is very compromised. We are not showing anything at the show, nor are we bringing anyone to the show. And
we always use very "clean technique" going to and coming home from shows....*just a habit from having pups at home when showing*.....So, we are always very careful.....Clothes are ditched at the door as well as shoes. Face and arms are washed well with antibacterial and fresh washed clothes put on before coming into his room. Bleach water will be used as always, where ever we might have walked and he might walk as well. He has not been isolated completely from germs or bacteria by Bob and Jeff or us....I think think they did this intentionally to allow him to build up on his own a bit quicker if that is possible...:-) They had to know fairly soon if he was going to have any immune system left at all.... He was in the isolation ICU area for 2 or 3 days, then they moved him into the back where they have surgery convalescents and boarders.....Sick ones on one side and boarders on the other... They never touched, but they were in the same room... Those that might be contagious are put in the isolation room where only the doctors and tech have access... We have no fence on the front of our property. And that is where he has been going to potty. There is no leash law here in the county, so every Tom, Dick and Harry lets their dogs run free. They assume our property is the county toilet....so, he has not been isolated in that respect.
We have not allowed any contact with any other animals whatsoever..... Grandpa George and Great Aunt Judy did sneak in a smooch Friday when they passed his crate after he first got home. It will be several weeks before he can openly smoochy pie with the rest of our guys.... I've discussed it with Bob & Jeff and have the OK. I'd not dream of doing it if I thought he were in danger. I do understand your concern and believe me I feel it as well. It is not just a pleasure trip. We have 2 girls we need to get home. They were to come home 3 weeks ago when so much began happening here... Mike's Aunt dying by flash fire, another immediate family member being rushed by paramedic to ER... a love of a dog, we co own with a lovely young Down Syndrome now Leukemia stricken child, died by snake bite.....This wonderful dog, Jodi, was evidently trying to keep the snake away from Becca.....she was Becca's therapy, protector and soul mate... Our girls will be brought to the Houston show this weekend, so we are going to get them. We will only be there for a short part of one day..looks like Saturday, unless Mike does not make it back from PA...then it will be Sunday.
g
7/17/01 10:36pm Subject: Can you see my smile and hear my screams
My last post of the night.....but, I just had to tell someone.. Afterall,
Mike is in Georgia heading to PA and it is just me and all the furkids here.
I took Logan out back in the yard to potty.........YES, STEVE, He did POTTY
a nice firm poopie.....LOL
But, more.......he PLAYED.........he jumped up on me and WANTED the
cookie.....he tried to run this way and that way following my hand for
about 2 minutes on his own....he finally got the cookie AND my finger... I
was never so happy to be nipped by big strong teeth.....LOL.... He was
wiggle butting all over by the girls kennel. He ate ALL of my
concoction.....I boiled down some ground meat, rice, an egg and a dash of
salt.....he loved it.....
ahhhhhhhhh, I do feel better. Just 3 more days of the Baytril and he will
be off the antibiotics as well....There really is a bright sky at the end
of this tunnel we have been in....:-)
He is making strides daily.
Thanks for yet another indulgence......
g
7/18/01 10:37am Where was Logan that day.....my reply
A few people asked where was Logan that day... So I decided to repeat the story....
Anyway,
I am so sorry it seems vague. I guess knowing all of it in my head, I just
assumed I was clear.....:-) *not good to assume, right*.....:-)
Logan, Sophie, Ronni, Randi, ReVa and Dodi are predominately outside
dogs. They wander in from time to time to visit, but love the great
outdoors, so they are outside most all the time.
We live in SE Texas, Nederland-Beaumont area. This is east of Houston on I
H 10 by 1 1/2 hr. We do have high humidity....usually 85% to 100%. We
have a 10 X 10 kennel on the patio and I use that one for the girls when
they are in heat. This way the boys are not running past other boys and
getting agitated.
I keep the adult males inside most all the time. *NO
fussing this way over the girls*. Logan preferring outside, and still
being a baby..... was brought to his kennel run on the slab which is on the
side of the barn.
We have 6 kennel runs there. His has shade cloth on top, as do several of them,
and their water is fed from underground, so it is always cool. His kennel
is the second one and has more shade than the first one.
Judy, my dominant bitch was brought to her kennel run, *the first one*, just
because she is a 'B' to the other girls when they are in heat.
Logan had been playing with all the girls but Sophie who was in her kennel on the patio.
I needed to let her out to potty. I put Logan and Judy in their kennel runs so
Sophie could potty. He and Judy had been up......*in their kennels--10 X 8* for
less than 40 minutes.
They were fine when I put them up....I always ck my
guys when putting them in or taking them out of crates, doors, kennels, you
name it...
I don't even remember what the temp was that day. I know it
was hot, but it didn't seem any hotter than any other day this year. As
well as the humidity...I don't remember. I do know my husband and another
trucker from the terminal was taken pretty hard that day as well. It was
not the conditions just at 3106 Price Street, Nederland, TX....it appeared
to be the entire area, from what we found out the next day.
We have lived in this home for over 10 yrs now, but this town for 25. Logan, like all
our dogs was born in our home and at about 7 weeks was brought outside. He
was a year in May. He is very well conditioned to being outside. It was a
most unfortunate thing and I've beaten myself up a million times since it
happened.
My only solace is that there have been a rash of dogs brought in
since last monday with the same problem......mine is the ONLY one to
survive with a temp above 106......All others at 106 or above were either
dead when they came in, or died very shortly thereafter.
You just don't know how thankful I am. We have had dogs all our lives and have been in
Aussies for 20 yrs, we have never had a brush with heat stroke. All dogs
have been inside/outside and inside only or outside only dogs... Yes,
I've been devastated.
g
7/18/01 3:36pm Logan Update
I just fixed him something new to eat. I boiled down some ground meat with rice, an egg, some of his dry kibble, and a dash of salt.. He looked at it for about 30 minutes and then cleaned it up over the next 2 hrs...
His eating is very slow, but we are getting there. He much prefers this new dish to the hamburger patties I made for him yesterday. Today he walked all the way to the mailbox with me. This is about 1/2 acre from the door of the garage where we come out of to potty. He was fine the whole time... You could barely tell he was getting a bit tuckered when we got back to the house. We only do what he is extremely comfortable doing. And then we HOLD him back. He desperately wants to play with his buddies out back. THAT will not be happening for a while. I'd have to catch him to make him slow down... I don't think he realizes how sick he has been....So, we have to do that for him as well.
g
7/19/01 12:58pm Our Logan
Just a really quick update on our boy Logan....:-)
He ran just now.....I mean he RAN. I had him up front under the big Pecan tree to potty and walk around. He heard the girls in the back yard and took off like a shot in the dark. So, immediately back in the house to his crate he went......he needed a nap.....he is already asleep...:-) We go back in for a ck up when the Baytril is finished.....I think that is Monday...
g
7/21/01
Today Logan is still eating his cooked rice/ground meat/ground kibble mixture. He is eating it with more eagerness now than before. He still MUCH prefers the Nutri Cal. LOL He finished the Antibiotics today and will be going in on Monday for another ck up. Oh, his great Aunt Gracie and cousin BeBe came home today. They both have been on the road. He felt well enough to try mounting great Aunt Gracie.. She quickly, but nicely put the boy in his place....LOLOL I'm having to CALL him back to me when we go out to potty. He is venturing out past the barn now. He is flexing his muscles and trying his limits. I have to say he is looking much better.
7/22/01
Today he began eating boiled rice mixed in with his dry regular kibble. He kinda turned his nose up at it, but after several hours he decided mom might not be giving in, and finally ate it. He is eating the dry kibble and boiled rice well now. He is moving much better now, and his beautiful free stack, movement, and "freeze" pose is beginning to emerge again. He is very alert. I'm beginning to wonder if he is having "selective" hearing at this point. LOL I see the child in him emerging again. :-) This is good to see. Grandpa George has been so very tolerant of him since this happened...tonight Grandpa put him in his place.....ON THE GROUND BENEATH his feet.....LOL.... Mouthing him, never hurting him. He was letting grandson Logan know that the girls BELONG to grandpa, not grandson........phtttttttttttt LOL I think life is going to be back to normal soon.
7/23/01
Today I brought Logan in to the Clinic and left him for several hours. All 3 vets, Jeff, Bob and Norma were in surgeries. We weighed him last Monday and he weighed 43LBS....this is was 1 week AFTER the ordeal. We assume he was probably 35 lbs during the first week...:-( We weighed him today and he weighed 53LBS.........YIPPEE....he is almost back to his normal weight of 58LBS.... :-)
Bob called me about 2:30pm. He said Logan was full of himself. He was so interested in all the noises, smells, and sights that he could hardly do an exam on the testicles....LOL He says he feels his hearing is fine. He feels his sight is fine also. He says if he continues to have a bit of trouble with his balance, there could be a little trouble in his equilibirum. This should/could improve with time. He is still having TMJ, again, he feels this will improve with time. He is however concerned with his testicles right now. One is smaller than normal and very firm. The other is larger and a different feel than it should be.
He has us on Vit. E 500 to 600 IU units daily as an antioxidant. He has also put him on Dismutase (S.O.D.) for the same reason. We have to bring Logan back to the clinic on Thursday for a collection and sperm evualation. There could definitely be damage here. This is something that will only need to be tested a few times to see if he will have viable sperm, or need to be neutered.
Anyone having expertise in Homeopathics, please contact us by email or by phone. Bob is willing to look into and try things within reason. :-)
Email is eaglerun@eaglerun1.com, or use the link below.....phone is (409) 722-8045
7/23/01
I just don't have the words to tell all of you the way I feel in my heart. We have received many cards and phone calls concerning Logan's recovery, here at home as well as up at the Clinic. This has touched not only Mike and myself, but the Clinic as well. I've always known that Dog people are wonderful people. We are so touched by your gifts, those for him to play with and those sent to put against his bill. I was amazed this am, when I brought Logan in to stay a few hours to get another ck up, they told me more had come in to go against Mister Logan, "Everyone's" boy.... I just don't know what to say... Thank you just doesn't seem to be enough.
Please know that your thoughts, prayers, and gifts mean the world to me, and Logan truly is Everyone's boy now.....:-)
ginger
7/24/01
Logan is improving with each passing day. His cheerful nature and clown like attitude is back. :-) He is full of energy and wanting to play with his friends outside.. This is a big No-No, and he is having trouble grasping my answer of "NO".......LOL We have his regime down to a science now. Dr Bob decided to have us collect him here at home since we are familiar with the procedure and can handle it easily.....*no pun intended* LOL.... We collected him this evening and are happy to say that, tho we only collected 5cc, it was "rice water" in color.
I should have a picture of Dr Bob's boy, that so graciously gave of his blood to help save our Logan's life, to put on our site soon.
ginger
7/25/01
Yesterday morning I asked Dr Bob if he had any objections to my looking at some "alternative" procedures to help Logan even more. He said he didn't have a problem as long as I passed it by him before giving him anything. I posted a couple of email lists that I'm on and the information started coming in. I called my local Health food store and the young man was very helpful.
Mike and I have used homeopathic products and Herbal products for years on ourselves, our children and our dogs. But, Logan's problem had never come up before, so we were not sure what to use. It was suggested that we put him on Testosterone Factor. So, I went to the Health Food store and got the paperwork on this product and brought it to Dr Bob at the ER clinic...*it was his night to work*... He looked it over and gave his approval. So, we began it that night. I had received an email stating that there was a Homeopathic Vet in our area. I told Bob about this and he said he would call him himself. Late this evening he called us to say he had spoken to the Dr and it was set....I was to go in the morning to pick up a new med for Logan. Both Drs feel there is some old blood, *clotting* in the testicles and this new med should get rid of it quickly....within 7 days or less. We are hopeful that this will clear up any problems with the testicles period.....
ginger
7/25/01
Here is a picture taken this morning of Logan in the back yard. I caught his attention by saying that magic word......"Cookie"......LOL He froze for a minute and looked up... This would have been a very nice stack pic if he had been looking forward instead...Oh well, it does show he is gaining his weight back and still has his coat, tho you can tell I clipped his britches, belly and bib. I hope you can see the improvement that we are seeing daily....:-)
ginger
PLEASE vote for my pages using my dad's picture below. The Vote for me link will take you to a page to vote. It takes only a couple of seconds, and you can vote once each day. The numbers are reset each Sunday and then you start over again :-). We are wanting to cause a tremendous amount of awareness about Heat and what it causes...some other fur ball might not be as lucky as I was...:-)
Thanks so much,
Logan :-)
7/27/01
If you remember me saying on Tuesday that we collected Logan and only got 5 cc's but it was the color of rice water. Well, on Thursday I did it again and got the same..... 5cc's and the color of rice water. Now, I was not going for quanity, therefore I did not retain him on the table for more than about 3 minutes at most. I was going for concentration. Today, Friday, I brought Logan up to the clinic to again collect him and Dr Bob wanted to have a look under the scope. Well, we got to the clinic and the girls behind the counter handed me a sandwich baggie....LOL.... I told them I needed something bigger than that and also something stronger....He'd go right through the baggie...... :-) One of them blushed and Dr Bob said he had a zip lock bag in the back...
I followed him to one of the exam rooms and he brought me a zippy bag...but, again it was a small one.....Oh well, we'll make do....LOL I was going to put Logan on the exam table, but then decided I needed him on sure footing because I was going to be doing this by myself and there was no restraint for him.... I leashed him to the door knob and stooped down on the floor next to him.....BIG mistake....LOL I postioned myself and just as I begin what I need to do, this boy grabs my arm.....LOLOL.... Dr Bob walks in right about this time and just cocks his eyes and uh umm.......chuckles....I could not move.. And in a matter of 1 minute we had about 5cc's and Bob says that's enough for what he needs to see.... Now comes the job of peeling Logan OFF of my arm...What a riot....
I left him leashed to the door knob and followed Bob to the microscope. He prepares the slide and begins focusing. He kinda shakes his head and says he doesn't see much.... I'm becoming increasingly more disappointed by the minute. He walks down to the other end of the hall by the room where Logan is. He comes back with the syringe and a new slide. He prepares the new slide... He just shakes his head and then smiles....This time he moves out of the way and lets me look. He says he sees sperm, mobility and strength of sperm. There are not TONS of them, BUT, they are there and they are ALIVE and active. He believes he will only improve with time.. He is just completely amazed.......
Bob says he will only continue to improve as time goes by and we should repeat in 2 to 3 months.... He can't believe he has, NOT only lived through this ordeal, but has recovered so quickly and HAS sperm. Yes, there are a few more hurdles we still are dealing with, but it appears that he IS in fact coming back to us, and is almost as good as new.
We look forward to the coming months as his progress continues. We are hoping to have him in the ring sometime after the first of the year. If that is not feaseable, he will still be an integrall part of our program. Dr Bob sees no reason why we should pull him from our program. He says Logan can compete as his strength dictates...... He is as interested in his place in our breeding program next spring as we are. Bob prelimed him for us this past March and sent the X rays off to a Radiologist in Houston. Logan came back good to excellent at 10 months. We are hoping for the same results from OFA next June.
In the mean time, I think I will work with him on regular obedience. He is a very UP boy and it will do him good to have a job that he can work on inside the house.
I can't thank all of you enough for your thoughts and prayers.... Your toys and gifts that went against his bill at the clinic. We are not through with this yet, we are still working on the TMJ and the balance problem. These problems seem to be better with each week. I hope to see many of you IN the ring WITH Logan in the upcoming months and years.
We will be looking for suggestions for names to give to his first born pups next summer. *Hoping all will be well and that will transpire*. Considering his strength and what he has gone through, as well as his name, we will want something extra special for his pups..... Your help will be greatly appreciated.. Please send your thoughts on this subject to our attention at: eaglerun@eaglerun1.com YES we are beginning our list of names now.....:-) Who knows, the name you suggest might be that very special name...... So, I'd love to have help from all of you.
ginger
Using this link will bring you to the next page where More precise and technical information about blood work results and actual first aid measures saved our Logan's life and should be of use to anyone faced with the same horror we were on Monday, July 9th, 2001. I hope to take some pictures of Logan this weekend to show how he is coming along in his recovery. This page should be complete by weeks end. Dr Bob is still gathering some particular information for me to put on the page....:-), so please be patient, we really want it to be complete when I put it up. This way you will have all of the pertinent information at hand at one time. First Aid for Heat Stroke.
To have this banner on your site to futher the awareness of Heat Stroke, please contact me. :-)
Email Mike & Ginger, Sheriffs of EagleRun® Aussie Posse!
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