gloomyMark & I took Sydney in to the vet first thing this morning and the whole time Sydney was NOT acting like herself at all. She was VERY disinterested in everything around her - she's usually VERY excited to see other dogs, but this morning, she barely turned her head to look at them. :( In the examining room, she lay down on the examining table and didn't even try to get up...
The vet took some x-rays and some blood and we waited around for the results. Apparently, her white blood cell count is extremely high - which is a sure sign of an infection, but her liver levels didn't seem extremely elevated from the previous blood work. Her sodium levels were elevated, but the vet said it was probably due to dehydration... And she couldn't tell us why Sydney seemed so out of it and why she was so disoriented. :(
They advised us to keep her there so they could administer fluids and anti-biotics and so they could keep an eye on her overnight. They said that the most they'd probably want to keep her is three nights - to flush out her system of possible toxins - but they weren't sure.
So tonight is literally THE FIRST night that Mark & I will spend in our house without Sydney. It seems so strange not to always have her underfoot or looking at us longing as we eat dinner. :( We're hoping that she's able to come home soon, but we worry too... The vet doesn't know if the disorientation is permanent (she said it could've been a stroke or even a brain tumor...) but we'll just have to see...
Like I've said so many times, Sydney is really our baby and I don't know what I'd do if anything bad ever happened to her. We've been extremely fortunate up until now and Sydney has been such a trooper through everything - even through the awful illness she had when she was six... But somehow this seems different. If the Sydney I know (personality wise) is gone, I don't know what I'd do...
Thanks so much again for all of your good thoughts and prayers - really, they mean so much to us!! Big HUGS to everyone!