Only you can make the call

We had a little scare yesterday with our pups.  We were making the most of a hot summer afternoon by swimming with our cousins at the neighborhood pool.  We had squirt guns and pizza.  We were having a ball.

Until we got home.  

After gathering all the pool stuff, dirty socks and even underwear (!) from the car, I was the last one in the house.  I knew instantly that something was very wrong, from the scared eyes on my babies.  They quickly told me the dogs had been on the porch the entire time we were gone.

Apparently in my rush to grab plates and napkins for the pool, I let the dogs out, on our hot, west-facing back porch and completely forgot to let them back in.

As a result, my little old man dog, (my very first-born son 😉 who is 13, overweight and has a bad heart murmur, was not doing well.  He’d been throwing up.  His tongue was as wide as Texas.  He could barely walk and was having a really tough time breathing.

My heart sunk and without thinking I sprung into action.

I took him straight to the bathtub, plugged the drain, and started the cold water.  I know you’re supposed to take their temps down slowly, but this was no time for slowly.  I put my son on post to pour water over his shoulders while I searched for a thermometer that would work.

His temperature, it was 107.4.

He was near death.  I called the emergency vet for advice, they said to make the 20 minute drive to bring him in, but I couldn’t.  I didn’t think he could make the drive before cooling down.  So we stayed in the bathtub, adding ice, slowly pouring water over his shoulders, telling him everything was going to be okay.

It only took about 20 minutes to get his temp down to 102.5.

He started acting more normal.  His eyes were able to focus again and he was able to draw normal breath.  When I first got him out of the tub, he sat there, stunned-looking.  But as soon as I dried him off, he started wagging that tail… and oh, was I grateful to see that.

He slept great and seems to be back to normal this morning.

I don’t want to think about what could have happened if I just did what I was told.  What if I didn’t trust my mama instinct and do what I thought was best?

Sure, it could have gone really poorly for me.  I could have been wrong.  But my 13 year history with my sweet Walter told me otherwise.

There are some decisions that are only yours to make.  

Other people can give you the facts.  They can share their experiences. They can, and they will, try to convince you to make the choice they think is right for you.  (In this age of the internet, they might even shame you for having to make the choice in the first place.) 

But at the end of the day, only you can make the choice that is best for you.

It’s your job to listen and discern.

Then you must decide, based on your faith, your wisdom, your history, your experience and your relationship.

It’s up to you.  Only you can make the call.

to more love,

Crystal