Beating The Odds: A Story About My Miniature Schnauzer, Milo Pt 1 of 2
Taking a slight detour from photography and music-themed blogs to tell a story about my amazing miniature Schnauzer, Milo, and his bout with a life-threatening condition called HGE (Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis) or AHDS (Acute Hemorrhagic Diarrhea Syndrome). It’s a life-threatening intestinal condition that can affect all healthy dogs. Still, it is common in smaller breeds, such as the Miniature Schnauzer and the Yorkshire Terrier.
Milo and his sister (Esme) don’t like thunderstorms.
On July 30th, the day before Milo was affected by HGE/AHDS, he was active like any other dog—playing and eating—showing no signs of distress. The following day began normally. I let Milo out to do his business, and when he came back inside, I offered him his morning Greenie dental treat; however, this time, he refused it. I then prepared his food as usual, but he merely sniffed it and walked away; he also didn’t drink any water, which was unusual for him. Initially, I thought the thunderstorms approaching our area that day might have triggered his reaction, as Milo was terrified of storms and often stayed close to us when one was nearby. I decided to stay home with him that day, and I noticed he was more clingy than usual, following me from room to room. I also observed that his stool was slightly runny. Again, I attributed his behavior to the impending thunderstorms.
As morning turned into afternoon, Milo still had not eaten or drunk any water. He even refused a treat I offered him. I thought he was just scared. By the late afternoon, I noticed Milo began to vomit. The vomit was foamy and contained thick, clear mucus. I saw something that looked like blood in it. I called Fairlea Animal Hospital immediately and made an appointment for him. They scheduled him for 10 a.m. the next day.
By 5 pm, Milo began to become lethargic, as if he were somewhere else. He clearly showed signs of something much more than a fear of storms or an upset stomach. His fur started to feel like straw. His vomit became denser with mucus and clingy to his mouth. By 6:09 pm, Milo wasn’t answering to his name at all, his vomiting was more frequent, and much more foam and mucus in texture. Then by 7:39 pm, His stool was pure blood. It started with him releasing small amounts of this, and within minutes, it was a puddle. Milo got to the point where he could barely make it outside before each episode.
All I could do was assure him that I was not leaving his side, make him as comfortable as possible, and let him know he was loved and cared for. Deep inside, I believe he has always known this. By 11:37 pm, the bloody diarrhea was still nothing but blood; it had a raspberry look about it with pieces of clotted blood, and it was getting worse. By now I was already awake over 24 hours with him, never leaving his side, if he breathed differently than usual I was there, if he got up from his bed I kept mt my eye on him; by 3:47 am Milo was straining, his poor gut to pass a stool, his stomach was tight and pushed in, with every strain, he groaned and grunted. This part of his life was breaking my heart. Milo did try to drink some water, and he lapped up as much as he could. Maybe he was out of the darkness; no sooner than Milo drank the water, he vomited every bit of it along with a precise, slimy mixture, with bits of white looking particles I believed were food he had eaten the day before. The darkness was only beginning.