Mulligan Update

Oh my, where to begin. We've all been consumed with our boy Mulligan for the better part of the last two weeks. Everything else it seems has gone by the wayside.

And really, I'm okay with that. Mulligan does mean that much to us, to me.

I learned long ago that there comes a point for every pet owner when you have to be able to set aside selfish reasoning and emotional attachment.

As I write this tonight, Mulligan is laying on the hearth in the living room with Netter and K, having just devoured, YES devoured his dinner. He has had two pretty good days in a row, and we are all happy, and cautiously optimistic that our boy is really starting to feel better.

I even had to stop him from rolling in the snow when I let him out after dinner. You may have heard how he loves rolling in the snow.





Just a few days ago, we didn't know that we might get here. In fact, both Netter and I were fairly certain we would not.

On Saturday Mulligan had a very bad day. The vet thinks he probably had a hemolytic episode, all part of the IMHA (Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia) freight train we've found ourselves on for the last two weeks. As we progressed through the evening Mulligan seemed to be getting sicker and sicker. At 2 a.m. Netter went to bed. At 4 a.m. I fell asleep on the couch.

To put it bluntly, the day was a nightmare as far as Mulligan's well being was concerned.

At some point during the evening though I reached that clarity I talked about above. I didn't know what was next, but I knew I would always be able to do what is best for my boy.

Then on Sunday, much to our (happy) surprise Mulligan seemed better. He ate a little bit. He seemed to be evening out. Netter and I talked about the day before, and our shared concern that Sunday might have turned out to be the day we dreaded.

Monday morning, Mulligan would not eat, and again seemed very sick to me, but later in the day he rebounded. Tuesday brought a similar series of ups and downs. The roller coaster that the vet had warned about was rearing it's head.

But yesterday, (Wednesday) Mulligan ate more than he had in quite some time, even licked the bowl clean. He had a little more energy and a little glimmer in his eye when I got home that told me he wasn't done just yet.

Today, he continues the fight, and seems to be doing even better. We went for some tests, the results that were once stable at best, are finally improving.

Netter has been amazing through all of this most especially by working with Mulligan to help him eat. I've never seen so much food prepared for a dog in my life. Netter has done all of this with a smile on her face. When I thanked her today for all her effort, she told me it isn't effort it is a labor of love.

The girls have pitched in when we needed them, working from sadness to a very serious discussion on where things might progress to happy optimism as we've watched our boy the last two days.

We're still taking one day at a time, still trying not to get too far ahead of ourselves, and still just hanging onto hope.

One final note. Posting updates on Twitter and Facebook we've been able to share this story of Mulligan and honestly been overwhelmed with all the good wishes, thoughts, and prayers of countless friends and family. I want to thank you all so much for allowing us to share our boy, for rooting for him, for supporting us, for being there when we needed you.