By 3:30 am and still no pup, I packed her into the car to take her in. She kept trying all the way there! Each time she would look at me with the sweetest eyes - as if she knew I could make things ok - I just kept saying, "Just a little bit longer Margels - A little bit longer!"
They rushed her in for an emergency c-section and by 5:00 am both of her little boys were finally in the world. I sat in the waiting room holding her boys while we waited for her to come to from the anesthesia.
By 6:00 am Margie had finally come to and her temp was rising. I couldn't take her home until it was at 101. By 6:30 they had me come back to get her and take her home. But when we pulled her from the kennel the worse was now evident. She was having a very hard time breathing and her oxygen levels were low. By 10:00 am there wasn't that much improvement. After viewing x-rays of her chest - the vet had alarms go off and was worried there was some bacterial infection in her lungs. Since the after-hours ER technically closed at 7:00 am we had to take her to our regular vet to be monitored and for further testing.
I was able to get her to the vet by 10:30 am and they placed her and the boys into an oxygen room. I must tell you that it was the most bitter sweet thing I have ever seen! Margie was still a tad bit groggy as her babies fed off of her. She seemed to have known they were there but at the same time - in a daze.
I needed to get the rest of the dogs to have them tested for a potential infection. Back to the house I went to get the dogs for a slew of x-rays. As we were getting the results that things looked clear - Margie crashed - BAD. They did a lung wash on her and were able to get 20 CCs of what appeared to be bile from her lungs. It looked as though the combination of ice cream and vomit made its way into her lungs while she was under for her surgery. It didn't look good at all but they said not to give up hope.
After dropping the dogs off after their tests, I drove back to get Margie and the boys. The vet was closing at 7:00 pm and the ER vet would then be opening then as well. She would have to spend the weekend in IUC at the ER vet. There was still a 50/50 chance she could pull through.
By the time I got there at 6:30 pm, she had crashed 2 more times. They placed her in the car with a tank of oxygen and was ventilated. The 15 minute drive to the ER seemed to last an hour. I pulled over twice to revive her - pumping her the entire way. She just didn't have the strength. My sweet princesses passed away at 7:45 this evening on the table at the ER.
Both of the vets said this was just a combination of some very bizarre events and that there was nothing I could have done differently to save her. The x-rays didn't show the issue of a large pup - she didn't have anything wrong with her lungs - she just was too strong for her own good - she never wanted to stop trying. Of course I still cannot help but ask what more I could do - I hurt more then anything right now!
She gave her amazing life for her precious babies. Before her first crash she actually nuzzled her babies as they fed. She was able to love on them and give them the nutrience they needed to start their first hours of life with. I have been crying all day and it doesn't seem to stop. I am devastated.
We buried her beside her favorite oak tree in the back yard. The entire family is crushed and there hasn't been a dry eye in the house for hours. The kids literally bawled themselves to sleep.
As devastated as we are, we also have her precious boys to take care of. We have been feeding them every two hours - while bawling on the couch. Our hearts hurt as we smile down on the boys - Margie's gift for us.
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