Marco has been adopted by the perfect family. Pics and story to follow.
Well, Bulldog people, here I am, again sitting in a chair in the lobby at a veterinarian’s clinic and this time I am going to stay right here until I find out what is wrong with me! I have felt bad for a lot of my life. Well, I am only 4 months old, so that’s not a lot of life, but today starts the first day of the rest of my life and I want to feel good!
I have had palate surgery and had that thing trimmed. Now, I have a cherry eye, a rattle in my chest and a cough. Do I have pneumonia or do I have a bad cold? Maybe my trachea is narrow and I can’t get enough air? I really don’t know, but answers are what I am needing! I am 100% confident I found the right place to find out what is wrong with me. So, if you need me, you will find me sitting at the vet’s, having some tests done, eating some treats and licking an ice cream cone because all babies that are sick love ice cream. My name is Marco, I am 4 months old and I am one cute fella!
5/5/18 Update: Hi everyone, this is Marco…and I can hear you say “Polo”! I wonder, is that my middle name? Well I finally got sprung from Bright Star Veterinary Clinic, and moved in with my foster family. I was so excited because I get to hang out with Dusty! I currently require breathing treatments and foster mom is already trained as she had to give Dusty some too. I got to go to my first bullie event in Waco this past weekend. I was a little scared when I saw all the dogs, especially because they were bigger than me. I am a little guy, but I had fun meeting lots of people and I really liked all the kids! I get along great with all the other bullies & Scottie in my foster home. I like to run around and play with them, especially “keep away”! My favorite toy is a squeaky tennis ball! Hope to meet my furever family soon. Marco
5/28/18 Update: Please keep little foster boy Marco in your thoughts. He’s had to stay in the oxygen booth at the emergency clinic all weekend long. 😔 His X-rays show severe aspiration pneumonia in the right lung and mild in the left. He struggled to breathe when the vet staff did the X-rays. They had to do two scans, then return him to the oxygen booth. He had to regroup before the last scan. He’s on two antibiotics and is much weaker than normal. It breaks our hearts to see him this way.
6/1/18 Update: Foster boy Marco is home! From his foster momma: Ed and I picked him up yesterday afternoon, and he was ready to leave the Animal Diagnostic/Emergency Vet Clinic. Marco still has some congestion, but the antibiotics and acetylcysteine will help clear it up. He will also continue his regular breathing treatments twice a day. He has a follow-up appointment next week.
The past 4 days have been long and full of worry for Little Marco. From the moment I took him to the emergency vet clinic on Sunday, I have been praying. When he was in the oxygen chamber, he was breathing better. He was on antibiotics via IV and receiving breathing treatments every 6 hours. I thought he was improving. When the Animal Diagnostic Clinic staff took over his care on Tuesday morning and new X-rays were taken, Dr. Bronstad told me his lungs looked worse. His aspiration pneumonia was severe in the right lung and mid-level on the left. But he was hopeful that Marco would improve and they would be able to wean him off of the oxygen, although it may take a few days. I went to visit Marco everyday after work and even at lunchtime. They were short visits, but I needed to see him. He would give me a few kisses and I would tell him he was going to get better!
When Dr. Bronstad called me Wednesday afternoon at work, he told me Marco was breathing without oxygen and he could possibly be discharged on Thursday. I had tears of joy! Dusty really missed Marco as they are inseparable, so he has been sulking! Dusty is also disappointed that Marco has to limit his playtime.
Thank you to everyone for your support, words of encouragement and donations for Marco. Special Thanks to Dr. Larsen for texting and calling me with advice on a holiday weekend. And Dianne and Ronnie for always supporting me. Marco sends hugs!
7/11/18 Update: I want to first say thank you to everyone that donated for my care while I was at the emergency clinic and with the specialist. My pneumonia is almost all cleared up, but I had to go back on some of my medication last Friday because I was not feeling very good. Foster Mom (and Dusty) make sure I take all my medication and breathing treatments.
They must LOVE me at the doctor’s office because when Foster Mom picked up my medicine, the bag had “little hearts” around my name….The doctor did tell Foster Mom that I will be very susceptible to respiratory problems due to my “very narrow trachea” and recommended I not be taken to pet stores, dog parks or any other events with other dogs. That does not sound like any fun! I am a social pup, a chick magnet, an awesome Bulldog! And I am a perfect passenger in the car. I really wanted to go to Merlin’s birthday party, but I will have to pass.
I like to go outside with all the boy dogs in the house: Dusty, Eddie Grant and Brock all watch over me. It is always for short periods and Foster Mom will move us back into the house. Hope everyBully is doing good, and hopefully I will see my Bulldog friends soon.
8/12/18 Update: Marco checking in from the top bunk! I have been doing good and thought my pneumonia had completely cleared up after I finished my last antibiotics. I was to have a follow-up exam with Dr. B, but I started to feel bad again and foster mom called to get me in earlier. Well, Dr. B said my X-rays showed some pneumonia still present and that my white blood count was 32,000! Normal range is 6-17,000.
I am back on another antibiotic and take this one with my nebulizer. I will have another checkup this week, so paws crossed🐾. So I also got another new funny-shaped ball thing, and I love it 💚. I like to throw it around and keep it on the “top bunk” so Dusty and Scottie can’t get it. Foster sis likes to try to take it from me and I just lick her in the face 👅. I will check in after my next checkup. Marco-co