Help Moose Recover from Severe Pneumonia

Moose is recovering from pneumonia! I rescued Moose from the Castaic Animal Shelter. She was a sweet, quiet girl up for euthanasia soon. There, they mentioned in passing that some of their dogs had a respiratory illness, but I didn’t think much of it. I brought her home. Within a day, she didn’t seem alright, so I took her to the vet (who would close permanently the next day), where they directed me to the ER. She had kennel cough and was suffering from a post-pregnancy spay. They told me I could wait on X-rays and sent me home with antibiotics. That night, she seemed really messed up, but I assumed it was the sedatives they gave her. The next two days, she seemed to really have trouble breathing, but I assumed it was just the kennel cough. It got really bad and also just really gross; there were boogers everywhere! She started refusing food and then eventually water. I went to another vet, and they immediately suspected pneumonia. She spent the day there on IVs; over half her lungs were compromised. They said she needed overnight hospitalization, possibly for multiple days since she was in critical condition. Overnights in LA ranged anywhere from 4-10k a night. They recommended me Marqueen in Upland. That place rules. She came in looking like a dead dog. On the drive, she ripped out her catheter, and I didn’t have her harness, so I just carried her in covered in her blood. The vet there mentioned distemper, which scared the shit out of me. Then this poor dog gets put in a tiny room for the night because she’s contagious. I get a call that she’s doing good, and the next night the vet says she’s banging on doors and eating a ton. She hadn’t eaten in multiple days. He says I might as well pick her up; if it’s distemper, it’s distemper. She’s psyched to see me, I’m so relieved, I really think she’s gonna make it. We drive home, and she pisses in the car, but who cares. The next morning, she can’t get up, won’t eat, won’t drink. I’m back at square one. I really think I’m going to have to put her down. She didn’t get up until Johann came over and acted real happy to meet him, no idea why. Then I get a call from the vet. She’s been on the wrong antibiotics the whole time: she should have been on doxycycline, the same antibiotic that the first ER visit nearly prescribed but changed their minds last second. She has some rare stubborn bacterial infection, but treatable. The next day, I get like 1000 different meds for her. I’m trying to shove them down her mouth because she still won’t eat. Finally, baby food does the trick.

She’s getting her energy back every day, starting to act like a normal dog. I think we’re both a little nervous, confused, manic, a little elated. We’re due for a couple more vet visits and X-rays, which will for sure put me over this mark on here. Meanwhile, she can’t be around other dogs, super contagious. I don’t want to say she’s completely in the clear, but she seems to think so! This girl racked up quite the tab within a week of knowing her, but I really think she did choose me, and maybe she thought it would be kind of funny to bankrupt me in the process. All proceeds and love go to Moose. Any little bit helps really don’t expect much!

Just some transparency about vet bills

First er visit: 867 dollars

Vet visit: 1710 dollars

Next er visit: 2566 dollars

Meds: 254 dollars

Next two vet visits (X-rays) guessing around: 400 each