It struck so suddenly, I didn't have a chance to think. When a perfectly healthy animal suddenly becomes deathly ill, one becomes stunned.

Kelly has always been a healthy dog. Since the day she was born, she's always been a bundle of "yellow" joy. She was the brat of the litter. First to climb out of the whelping box at three weeks; and at six weeks climbed out of the four-foot high wire puppy pen. She kinda picked us as well as our picking her. At nine weeks she went to her first fun match and promptly won Best of Breed puppy over much older dogs. From that time on, up until the time she became ill around her fifth birthday, she gained eight titles. These titles were in all fields of competition. She had done so much in such a short period of time. I simply steered her in the direction to take and she took it from there. For example, she finished her Canadian Championship in seven shows - all before the age of two. She picked up twelve U.S. points before running into an incredible streak of nineteen Reserves. She's earned obedience and field titles too. She was trained for Utility and we hoped to start in trials in the fall.

In January 1990, I decided to breed her again. She had given me a beautiful litter of six previously. After getting textbook perfect breedings on her, we crossed our fingers. She then developed a proteus bacterial vaginal infection and after consulting with a reproductive specialist, my vet put her on ampicillin.

At five weeks she started acting a little "dumpy" and there was an enlargement of her abdomen. At eight and a half weeks she still at times acted "off" and her abdomen was still enlarged and now somewhat tender to the touch. However, her nipples and breasts remained unchanged from their normal state. After examination from my vet, it was determined she was not pregnant. After consulting the reproductive specialist again, it was decided to put her on Trimeth-sulfa drugs for two weeks to try to totally clear up the bacteria.

After being on the sulfa a week, on St. Patricks Day she then started scratching at her ears. Upon inspection I discovered dried blood in the ear. I cleaned them out and the next day discovered what looked to be little bites on the inside ear flaps of both ears. Never having them, I thought ear mites. That night (it was Sunday) she became uncomfortable and wouldn't lay in her bed. Her abdomen was still slightly swollen and tender and I started to become alarmed. Oh Lord, pyometra, I thought. I took her to the vet early Monday morning thinking the worst. The vet felt her abdomen and recommended blood work to determine if her white cell count was up. If it was then he could assume it was pyometra. I had him check the "bites" on her ears and that's when he became alarmed. He also then checked her gums and noticed "spots" that looked like bruising on her gums and tongue. Drawing more blood it was determined that her blood wasn't clotting properly. She was given a couple of shots of Vitamin K and steroids to help promote clotting and we were told the blood results would be ready the next day.

Later that evening I noticed Kelly's neck really looked swollen. I called the vet and he told me to bring her right in. Upon examination he determined that her lymph nodes were swollen. By this time, her whole face was swollen; she looked like a Bull Terrier. My poor baby Kell. Upon checking her gum color he felt she was quickly becoming anemic and was close to going into shock. Kelly was given electrolytes, more Vitamin K and steroid intravenously. Her gum color immediately improved and she went home.

Back at the vet's the next morning it was discovered that her platelet count was very, very low. However, her white count was normal, indicating she did not have pyometra. Both my vet and his partner then began to bounce reasons off each other while they consulted medical books. They were convinced it was either a reaction to the sulfa drugs or an autoimmune problem. (or both) According to their books, the necessary treatment was oral steroids. Upon seeing the results of her blood check on Wednesday, it was decided to send Kelly to someone who had better testing facilities and were capable of performing a blood transfusion if necessary. I was warned that a blood transfusion could be fatal to Kelly. The reasoning was that if Kelly's body was fighting her own system, her system could destroy itself fighting someone else's blood.

I left my vets office in a daze and an hour later found myself at the specialist. I still can't remember my trip there. After being examined, Kelly was left for additional tests. She would have various blood tests, x-rays, lymph node aspiration and a possible bone marrow aspiration. Kelly stayed for two days. She came home shaved to the skin in six different places. The only thing we knew for sure was that she did not have cancer. However, all the tests were not in and the cause of her problems had to wait on the return of the bone marrow tests. It was felt that the bone marrow could tell us the cause of this sudden platelet drop and whether she could be cured. Though out all these tests, this poor dog was such a good patient. She never growled, snapped or otherwise complained while they poked and prodded her. She also continued to eat. However, the day after she got home, she quit eating. I tried everything. She was only interested in drinking water. My vet recommended taking a 60 cc syringe and squirting watered-down baby food down her throat. The next day (Sunday) she started vomiting. Her vomit had traces of blood in it.

Monday morning, only a week since her illness started, we were back at the vet's and he gave us some medicine to stop the vomiting. She promptly threw that up. He then gave her a shot of something to control the vomiting and I was told to try the anti-vomiting medicine three hours later, once her stomach settled down. Well three hours later, she once again vomited the anti-vomit medicine. Every time she vomited, there was blood present.

Back to the vet we went where they gave her the anti-vomiting medicine intravenously. I was told she would be able to hold food down later that evening. Well, she refused to eat (back to the baby food), and she threw up three times that night.

We received the bone marrow result back which showed her body was trying to rebuild its platelets and red cells. The news was encouraging. It was felt that provided we could control the vomiting, she was treatable. However, the bone marrow did not reveal why she became sick. The next morning found us at the vet again where she was fed intravenously and given another anti-vomit shot. We had a new platelet count which showed us a number of 15,000. The previous Friday, the count was 2000. (normal is 350,000 - 500,000) However small, it was an improvement. However, we had to take her off the steroids for a day to give her intestinal tract a rest. We fed her again intravenously the next day and again no steroids. When I consulted with my vet on Thursday, he felt we could not put her back on steroids for fear of killing her. He felt that even though the steroids were the treatment of choice, they had ulcerated her stomach therefore she was unable to hold down food. Her blood work was once again encouraging so I agreed to see how she did. We decided to give her to Monday. If she continued to show signs of improvement we would continue to treat her. If not, then I would have to make the toughest decision of my life. We did not feed her intravenous that day, instead I was to give her water laced with honey, vitamins and antibiotics throughout the day. She wouldn't touch any of this so I had to crush the vitamins and antibiotics, mix them with the water and honey, feeding her by syringe. Friday I was told to give her the baby food mixed with water throughout the weekend. (again by syringe) She seemed to perk up slightly, but she continued to vomit off and on, mostly during the night.

Monday came and she had blood drawn for her bloodwork. During Monday she seemed alert and happy. She continued on her baby food and munched a few plain crackers. However, she again vomited that night.

Tuesday we learned of her blood results. From a platelet count of 2000 ten days ago, Kelly's platelets have grown to 184,000. Almost perfect! The bruising and hematomas have almost completely disappeared. Now if we could just control the vomiting. She continued on her baby food and had some bread dipped in honey. However, she continued to vomit during the night. After further consulting with my vet, we decided that her stomach acids were irritating her stomach ulcer. To try to correct this, I fed her later in the evening so she would have food to digest during the night. She still was only eating baby food and various bread and crackers, but this seemed to do the trick. Her vomiting began to slack off.

For the next three to four weeks, my life revolved around Kelly's recovery. I continued to take her to the vet each day for monitoring. We rejoiced when she finally graduated from baby food and toast to dog food. Then the fun became convincing her that she should eat dog food since she was a dog. It had been a very long five weeks, but I began to think that she was going to be well again. Finally, one day her platelet count was up to 350,000 which was considered normal. It was safe to cut her nails again, there was no longer a risk of her bleeding to death. A month later we felt it safe enough to spay her. Four months later she received an ovation from her friends during the Parade of Champions at the H.R.L.R.C. specialty. She glided around the ring like her old self. I had tears in my eyes. We were very happy to be there.

Looking back a year later, I remember rejoicing at things which seem so basic. The first time she was able to keep dry toast down; doesn't seem like much but at the time it showed us that she might eventually be okay. I can't tell you how many times I lay awake at night, during the worst of her illness when her nasal passages were so swollen that she couldn't breathe through her nose. I'd just lay there listening to her having trouble breathing and wonder if she'd take her next breath. Sometimes I just sobbed all night as I stroked her head while she slept. I wept while I held her as she vomited, praying all the while that the Lord would heal her.

A year later, no one's sure what caused her immune system to go crazy. She had been vaccinated prior to her coming into season and being bred. Was it the sulfa-drugs, the stress of her infection, environment or the vaccines, no one really knows. Her thyroid tests have all come back normal. I have changed her vaccination schedule to one that will not over-stress her immune system. You can bet she'll never have sulfa-drugs again!

A year later, she's healthy and seems completely back to normal. She'll celebrate her sixth birthday next month. I've retired her from competition. If she continues to do well, maybe I'll bring her back for the Veterans classes when she's old enough. She spends her days playing ball, chewing bones, wrestling with her grand-daughter and napping in the sun. Her face is completely white - she went gray after being so sick. Kelly and I have always been close, but now after her illness we are even closer. If I must leave her behind, she whines the whole time I'm gone.

I can't possible relay the helplessness I felt during this nightmare. In order to understand, you'd had to have gone through something similar to this. That's something I wouldn't wish on anyone. I guess I've learned something from all this. I try not to take myself or the dog business too seriously. I'm very thankful for what I have and no longer get too upset if one of my dogs doesn't win at a show. I still like to compete, but its not life and death. If they do well, that's great. If not, well we tried and at least the dog had fun and we're healthy. I thank God every day that our family is intact. The only way I got through this ordeal was through the caring of my friends and family and especially my faith in God! The get well cards that Kelly received have all been saved. They helped me when things looked so bleak. You really find out who your friends are when you go through something like this. Kelly and I will never forget their kindness.

© 1991 - LRM

Post Script (2007):

It was determined a few years later that Kelly had developed Auto-Immune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA). She was the first Lab on record to have this disorder. (lucky us) It was thought that the infection, plus vaccines, plus the Tri-Meth Sulfa drugs combined to make her immune system start to destroy itself. It was an overload. Back then we didn't know what we know now about over-vaccinating and various medications.

We lost Kelly to kidney failure in 1995.  A scant five years after her surviving AIHA.  She fought so hard through the AIHA only to ultimately lose the battle.  The vets we consulted all thought the kidney failure was due to the AIHA and the toll it had taken on her body.

I wrote this story to remember what Kelly and I had been through. I have found out through letters and email that what Kelly and I went through has helped others be aware of this disorder and to give others hope that their stricken dogs might pull through.

Kelly's death was not in vain.

I still miss her terribly every day of my life.  I have not been the same since losing her.  She was a great dog and most importantly, my friend.