Maple and her unexpected crisis
(and an angel story)
We had a hard last 10 days with Maple and I want to share our story, in case it saves another dog! She got very sick from an infection called Blasto - she will be ok but she did lose partial vision in her right eye from it and was so sick we almost lost her. It was a horrible time!
Blasto is an airborne fungus found in the soil that they inhale when digging. It is VERY rare in Michigan! So the vet didn't even know what it was initially. Maple had an open wound appear on her back, was very lethargic for several days (I thought she was being moody over the puppy!) and her back leg swelled up - all of it - not just the ankle. The vet initially treated her for a likely venomous spider bite. But that night, several more spots appeared all over her body - sores all over!
In a few days, hoping to give the antibiotics for the spider bite a chance to heal her, the TC vet suggested we rush her to the ER to be seen by an infectious specialist in Grand Rapids. By that time, she was very ill and we were told we might lose her. It was astonishing and so out of nowhere!
By this time, we were in Gulf Shores, and Tim's father rushed her to GR (we told him to keep it under 100 mph, but he said no promises!). There, they thought it might be lymphoma (cancer) or Blasto, this rare infection. Neither were what we wanted to hear and he prepared us for the worst.
They did a biopsy and found the infection in her lymph nodes (and no cancer). The good news is that the Blasto test results takes days, which we didn't have - and the biopsy catching it in her lymph nodes bought time for her! (They usually have it in their lungs, which is how it kills them with respiratory issues.) The specialist at BluePearl started the treatment for Blasto immediately.
But Maple was quite ill at this point - and the thing is - the treatment kills the organisms in her but then her body has to flush them out - a dangerous balancing act. The vet said they had to go fast enough to save her but slow enough not to overwhelm her system.
The doc said the first 48 hours were critical and would make her extremely sick.
The doc called us every 12 hours and told us to stay by our phone in case we had to make a decision. You can imagine how heartbreaking it all was!!!
The good news - she did survive and the treatment continues at home for another 3-12 months (yes months!). She did suffer a torn retina from inflammation/infection causing partial blindness in her right eye, and we go back in a couple of weeks to see if they are going to have to remove her eye altogether.
She is home now and doing pretty good. Yesterday I threw a ball for Ellie and out of nowhere, Maple got up and loped after it!!! I was so happy to see my baby come to life! Then I told her to stop, that's against the rules!! (Secretly inside QUITE delighted to see her spark, so I covered her in reprimanding hugs until she got annoyed.)
We are so happy to have her still. What a scary thing!
Blasto is an environmental hazard - a fungus often found in swamps or rotting logs - and it is extremely rare in Michigan. The doc said they are starting to see more cases of it but it's virtually unheard of here. She is not contagious to other dogs or people. Although people can get it too from digging in the dirt! Scary!! It has a 5-12 week incubation period so there's no telling where she got it. The vet said it was unbelievable she got it at all, so don't overthink it. (Of course I am overthinking it haha!)
We would have lost Maple without Tim's parents taking such quick action. We were so far away, and thought of coming home - but she was in ICU for the week and there was nothing we could do - she would make it, right!!
It changed our trip, our schedule rotating around every ring of the phone. But the boys often sat in on the doc's phone calls and it was heartwarming to have them boost each other up and us too. We got through it together - talking to the vet on speaker phone and then, when needed, making jokes at Ron Jon's with a goofy hat - and other times simply telling each other how young and strong Maple was - that she was going to make it. I felt like my boys were there for me and vice versa. A new mom moment to treasure.
Oh - I am not a very fru-fru kind of person, but I have to add this. The first night when we knew this could be deadly, I prayed while I was falling asleep - and I had this vision - it was 3 angels around Maple. I wasn't sure if that was good or bad - lol - the first 2 angels had their backs to me - but then the third one looked up - and it was my MOM! I jolted fully awake with joy! I felt then, that we had a shot at saving her.
So, here's a thank you to my in-laws who got her where she needed to be, to the vets for making the best decisions, to my family for coming together and shoring each other up - and for my mom, who may have had the deciding pull in the final hour. ❤️
(P.S. She is home and recovering… she will be on meds for at least 3 months and we will know more in the next month at her check-ups. Right now I am keeping her on a strict regimen of meds… with the occasional Cheeto. Nurse Ellie has been asked to leave the room a few times.)