Dakota

Back in October, October 5th to be exact, last year, Me, Bo and the kids were spending a weekend in Austin, helping his sister and her family move. My mom was doing us an awesome favor by dog-sitting two of our three dogs, Dude and Dakota. We brought Sunshine with us, but didn't have room in the car for all three, more room in Bo's Mom's house to keep all three while we were staying with her.

On that beautiful, hot, Saturday afternoon, my mom called to tell me that Dakota, my sweet, beautiful Vizla (who looks like a Pitbull :P ) was bit in the face by a snake (turned out to be a nest of snakes t give her more than 7 snake bites). She said she is ok, but her face is swollen and it's obvious she is in pain. Mom took her to a vet and they gave her some antibiotics and sent them home. Sometime late that night, my mom noticed that both of her eyes had red liquid coming out them, she couldn't open her eyes, and her face and neck had swollen much much more.

Mom made the decision to take the dog to a neighboring town where they had a 24 hr pet hospital. They immediately admitted her in, and gave her several doses of antivenom. not konwing what kind of snake, they couldn't be 100% sure which antivenom to give her, but did their best. That Sunday evening when I got home, I went to visit her and that Monday morning I moved her from the hospital to a local vet for care and treatment.

Throughout that week of her staying in their care, frequent calls checking on her, visits every morning and evening with her, their lovely assistant staff, were quick to jump to conclusions about Dakota's fate and pass those conclusions on to me. I was first told she wouldn't make it through Monday. Then I was told on Tuesday that she will probably lose one or both eyes due to the liquid coming out. Then I was told she will need blood/platelet transfusion (for only many thousands of $$$), among other things I'm sure. I was a nervous wreck that week!!! Friday I was able to bring her home, thank goodness.

That night, she had scratched the top of her head and it peeled off a healing scab from one of the TEN (yes, you read that right) TEN SNAKE BITES on her face. Her head was filled with lots of fluid/puss which began pouring out of her head from that scab wound. The following Monday, I had to admit her back to the vet clinic for her to have surgery so they could insert a tube in her face to drain the liquids. She had to wear a cone for a week. Friday, they removed the tube and she was slowly getting back to her self.

Several months later, Dakota was still lazy and not moving as much. This is due to her white blood cells count dropping so low and her turning anemic. 

Today, she is a great, healthy baby again. She is more loving than she was before the snake bites, and just wants to sit and cuddle any chance she can get.