Spike is a 10 1/2 year old intact male Labrador retriever. Spike's owners, Mike and Pam, are married to each other. Through the years, the three of them have shown, sacrificed and shared that there is a close bond between all three. Many a night, they curl up tightly so that all three can fit onto the same bed and sleep. One Wednesday night, Mike and Pam were sleeping with Spike, comforting him because he had an infected and swollen prostate, that restricted his colon, bladder and hips, causing much pain. At 3AM they were woken from their fitful sleep by Spike, howling in pain. Calming words and stroking did nothing to help, so they decided to move Spike. In his pain, Spike bit down on the closest object, Mike's finger. Blood dripped, Spike was moved, and a bandage was quickly improvised. An enema gave small relief to Spike, when small relief was the only size available. Eventually everyone's pain subsided enough for brief sleep before going to Spike's vet at opening time. There they separated. Mike went to work while Pam stayed with Spike to supervise his care. During the morning Pam attended to moving Spike to the local animal hospital while Mike worked. At 11, Mike noticed that his finger and hand were grossly swollen and, without bothering Pam, he took himself to urgent care, where they told Mike "You're being admitted to the hospital, now." Twelve hours after being woken by a howling dog, just as Pam had settled her dog into one hospital, she received the surprising news that her husband was in another. Three hours later, after the VMTH chased her away at the end of visiting hours, Pam left Spike and then visited with Mike for an hour before Woodland Memorial's visiting hours ended. Mike and Spike were alike in many ways, so it wasn't too unusual that they both had the same course of treatment; pain management and IV antibiotics. Their IV ports were in the same place, the left fore limb. Mike and Spike missed each other and wanted to be together. For four days, Pam shuttled between two hospitals until Monday morning, when Mike was released. That evening, Spike was released from the hospital. Spike and Mike finally got to see each other and both feel much better. Mike is taking oral antibiotics and the swelling in his hand is going down. Spike is taking oral antibiotics and pain meds. In about a week, when he is healthy enough, Spike will be neutered, quickly shrinking the swollen prostate. Continued antibiotics will easily defeat the remaining infection. Both are expected to recover fully. I told you that story so I could tell you this one. When everyone got home, Pam and Mike discussed sleeping arrangements. Because of their maladies, Mike and Spike need room to sprawl out. They can't curl up and sleep close. The three of them don't fit in one bed. Pam and Mike decided that Spike needs closeness and comforting and should not sleep alone. So Pam and Mike can't sleep together. Reflecting on the poignancies; A woman with both a husband and a dog in the hospital decides to visit the dog. A man and his dog both go into the hospital on the same day, get the same treatment, are released on the same day and get the same after care. A man who, when given the option of sleeping with his wife or with his dog, sleeps with the dog. A woman who, when given the option of sleeping with her husband or her dog, sleeps with the dog. A man and woman who agree with their spouse's decision to sleep with the dog. There's a darn good Country song somewhere in there.
Yeah, that is definitely song material. Glad to hear you and Spike are healing and out of the hospital.
Thanks for all the good thoughts and wishes. Both Spike and Mike are improving. They are peeing regularly. Both want to do and Go! more than is prudent for their bodies. But only Spike listens when someone says "no".
