Doze Has a Nap

Doze was picked up by a Good Samaritan who saw him being thrown off the back of a quad in the desert of Arizona. She turned him over to a Boston Terrier rescuer, who spent a good bit of money getting him tuned up before she turned him over to FBRN. Sadly for Doze, he was diagnosed with Valley Fever, a very common condition involving fungal spores and the lungs. Lots of people who live in or near the southwest get it and never know it. But some people (and other animals) get it and must undergo treatment. Doze is on an antifungal medicine for the next while. His foster mom wrote to us a couple weeks ago to tell us how Doze is doing on the medication:

"I would love to give everyone a great update about our sweet Doze, but unfortunately his recovery this week has been slow. His little spirit is down, and he sleeps all day long. (He only gets up to go outside and bask in the Arizona sun or to get a quick drink.) He no longer has any interest in toys or playing with the other dogs. Although he still wants to cuddle with us, and we are more then happy to offer our laps, and love to this boy. On the bright side he still loves to eat and is always up for a treat. He now knows that the word cookie always leads to tasty goodies. Doze has a vet appointment tomorrow morning. In addition to his sleepiness he now has a yellow milky discharge from his penis. This poor boy cannot catch a break. I will let everyone know what the results are tomorrow when we get back. Also here are some new pictures of our sleepy boy Doze."

And here's a report one day later, after a trip to the vet:

"Well, Doze had his vet visit today, and right away the vet staff noticed how different this boy's mood was. It is believed that the large amount of antifungal medication was making him feel bad. We have now reduced the amount of Fluconazole that Doze gets. In addition he will be getting a pain medication for the next week. The vet said that we should see results in the next few days, and if not it is back to the vet! Also he was not overly concerned about the discharge from his penis. It was just a topical infection, and with a simple solution he flushed it out.
I gave Doze his first dose of pain meds an hour ago, and already he is acting better. He came over to be loved on, and then he wanted to finish his breakfast! I will keep you posted on his improvements!"

Dogs can't talk, so they can't tell people when they are feeling low. It's up to dogs' people to pay attention and notice when they are behaving differently. Keep your eyes open and if your dog is crankier, sleepier, thinner, zippier, or drinking more fluids than usual, a trip to the vee ee tee might be in order.

Lucky Doze! It pays to have an observant person in the house, observes

The Frog Princess