24 Hour Animal Medical care

Sorry to report a sudden (4 day) decline in Winston's health. Tuesday he started wimpering and squeaking when he was touched on his back and ribs . By Thusday he was whimpering when we touched him and he spent the entire day on the floor of the RV wrapped in a blanket. Friday morning we took him to the medical clinic in Hattiesburg. Jannich had noticed a weakness in his back legs when going up stairs while Ruth thought that he had food poisening. We did not get good news. Between 2 disks in his back there is a swelling which is pressing on his spinal cord. This could become worse as it could rupture. He is in the Animal hospital overnight and when we pick him up tomorrow he is not allowed to jump up or down but to have 2 weeks "crate-rest". Also from now on he has to be on a leash with no running, jumping or climbing up or down stairs.

His back legs do not respond as they should and if the bulge ruptures he will not be able to walk and will need an operation. The vet said this problem would have appeared regardles of where he lived so it had nothing to do with the truck or the RV. He has seen this sudden problem occur in many Cocker Spaniels and Daschunds. From now on we will be going for slow walks with no jumping and playing We miss our little companion tonight but we will have him home for Christmas.

Talking about Christmas, this evening the 22nd of December Jannich went to the largest joint forces army camp in the south. We are in a State park just 15 minutes away and some evenings and nights we can hear heavy artillery fire from their ranges.
Camp Shelby is the camp where all military train before going for training in Texas and then from there go overseas. Tonight the 155th infantry returned from Iraq having been there for 1 year. What a wonderful experience to see the families welcome these brave sons and daughters home.