Sorry about today’s, it isn’t all bad but it has to be said because it made a difference in my life and the direction it took. ENTER THE GRIM REAPER. Life had things more cruel in store for me than straying ponies, gallivanting goats and recalcitrant hounds, however, for the shadow of death was soon to overwhelm our erstwhile happy little community. Parvo virus, the canine equivalent of the Black Death, suddenly struck, threatening to scythe through the ranks of our beloved hounds with pitiless intensity. The virus came seemingly from nowhere, its initial symptoms being those of ailments we already knew about. So mum and I weren’t unduly alarmed when Sultan, one of mum’s dogs, a son of Blue suddenly developed diarrhoea. He wasn’t particularly poorly at first and so we gave him the appropriate remedial tablets. Not for a moment did we think that it would be anything more sinister than just a bout of the runs, because since we stopped showing, the dogs didn’t leave our three and a half acres of grounds, so it was impossible for them to pick up anything infectious from outside – or so we thought! At eleven thirty that very evening, as I was preparing to go to bed, I received a frantic call from mum. She said that Blue had just had the most appalling diarrhoea and that it was full of blood. I immediately raced up the garden and once inside mums home I could see for myself that Blue was desperately ill. I called the vet immediately, and was relieved to find that it was Mr Jenkins on duty that night. He said he would call in and see Blue right away, but I could tell that he didn’t like the sound of her symptoms. Whilst we waited for the vet panic began to take over because both mum and I knew it was possible that we had somehow managed to contract a comparatively new disease, parvo virus, and if we had, then at worst we stood to lose every single one of our cherished hounds and at best, that at least some of them would die. Mr Jenkins arrived and confirmed our worst fears. He treated Blue but at the same time we all knew it would be little short of a miracle if she survived. Our growing concern for the other dogs heightened now because although their other inoculations were always kept up to date, they were completely unprotected against parvo virus, it being prior to the mass inoculation which later did so much to control the dreaded scourge. Fortunately a vaccine was available and so our vet immediately drove to his surgery and returned with the potentially lifesaving remedy. By then it was midnight, but nevertheless the peacefully slumbering hounds had to be disturbed in order that Mr Jenkins could administer the injections. As I watched I dared to hope that this might be sufficient to save them – the next couple of weeks would be crucial, each day seemingly a lifetime of worry and uncertainty, anxiously watching each hound for any signs of the ominous symptoms. By lunchtime the following day Blue had died, Angel, Emma’s sister lay helpless, having also contracted the disease and Sultan was still desperately fighting for his life. Numbed with shock, we set about the agonising task of burying Blue, who twenty four hours earlier had been full of vitality and fun. Unfortunately we were not given the time we needed to come to terms with her death because of the overwhelming worry over the other dogs, and the extra work load engendered by the need to eradicate every trace of diarrhoea in order to halt the further spread of the disease. Every inch of infected area had to be thoroughly scrubbed over and over again with a specially strong disinfectant and all soiled bedding had to be burnt. We also had to endure the revolting and unforgettable stench from the diarrhoea, a sickly and nauseating smell of decay which clung to the insides of our nostrils, lingering there long after the floors had been completely sterilized – a constant reminder that death was not far away. From then on the vet called on a daily basis, sometimes twice a day if necessary. Angel was put on a drip but despite that, it still didn’t look like she would pull through. By now Sultan, drained of all stamina, had no fight left in him at all, and finally succumbed two days after Blue’s demise. So another heartbreaking burial took place and the endless scouring continued. A further ten days passed; Angel was still desperately clinging on to dear life, but thankfully then rest of the hounds were showing no signs at all of contracting the disease. With each passing day the immunity afforded by the inoculations became more effective, giving each afghan a better chance of survival had they contracted it. Both mum and I were totally exhausted. There had been so much to deal with, both physically and mentally within such a short space of time, and yet the end was still not in sight. Until now my dogs had been lucky to escape the symptoms, but my precious blue afghan Squeaky, as I had nicknamed him when he was born, suddenly appeared decidedly off colour and in fact later that day started with the dreaded diarrhoea. The thoughts of losing my own hounds in addition to everything else was almost too much to bear, but at times like these, when all my resources were needed I somehow managed to find an inner strength which enabled me to carry on, even though I knew in the long run it would take its toll of me. With time and treatment, both Angel and Squeaky made a full recovery; my good fortune must have been due to the fact that speed was of the essence in getting the dogs inoculated and, thanks to the vet, not a single second had been wasted in the crucial race against time. None of the other dogs were affected, so thankfully there would be no more burials – at least not caused by parvo. After several weeks had passed, a normal routine was resumed, although things would never be quite the same again. But life had to go on, as they say. The gloomy atmosphere which engulfed our homes for so many weeks, was automatically pushed to one side as my dogs became playful and mischievous once more. Trying to keep one step ahead of them unconsciously channelled my mind away from the past horrors and I too began the slow recovery back to normality...............................to be continued
Posted on: Sun, 03 Nov 2013 08:04:05 +0000
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