In October of 2022, I saw a ten year old Pug who had not been eating well. Turns out she was also extremely lethargic and dehydrated and in the midst of an Addisonian-like crisis. (No I did not pick up on that at the time - I didn’t even know that was a thing! It is. In human medicine too I hear.) All I knew at the time was I was 100% invested in this new little patient, and she was circling the drain fast.
We did blood work and started intensive in-hospital therapy, the crux of which was keeping her from passing out face down in her water bowl. Also IV fluids and meds.
We later learned that Periwinkle faceplants on her best days! To drink or eat or sleep, she will put her entire face flush with the surface of her dish or bed. Maybe the only upside to not having a muzzle!
Blood work showed very elevated kidney values and abnormal electrolyte values that strongly suggested Addison’s disease - hypoadrenocortisism. Her adrenal glands seemed to have just up and quit.
Day 3 of our work up and treatment was her test to confirm or rule out this condition. Periwinkle’s person and I went over next steps and costs and prognosis - open but likely poor. She was still struggling to live, and her person - one of the strongest and most badass clients I have met - just looked defeated.
I slid down the wall next to her and sat on the floor and waited.
After a bit, I asked, “Is it time to be done?”
“What if she could do well, but I give up on her?” she asked. “She’s normally such a happy thing.”
“It wouldn’t be wrong. I will support whatever you decide.”
“What if someone else adopted her?” she asked.
“If that is what you want, I will help make that happen.”
I don’t know if we both realized it would be a very unusual situation in which someone would adopt a dying older brachycephalic dog with several other health concerns, or that I am a huge sucker for a cute face, or both, but she asked, “If someone adopted her…would it be you?”
I sighed. “Yeah it’d be me. Lemme get paper work. We’ll keep going with diagnostics. Head home and regroup. Call me at noon and tell me whether to bill you or me, and if you tell me to, I will rip up the adoption papers.”
For the first time all week, we both felt a little hope and smiled just a tiny bit.
At exactly noon, while Jordan and I were still in surgery and Periwinkle Pug was still on fluids and meds with a pending ACTH stimulation test, Morgan came back and said, “Periwinkle’s person called and wants you to adopt her.” Without breaking sterility, I set my instruments down and raised my hands and whispered “woo.” I was so happy, but we were not yet out of the woods.
A much more logical person grounded in The Real World (yes, our office manager Kristie) asked, “Have you even run this by Russ?” Um…
So, with a Pug wrapped in blankets and still on IV fluids in one hand, and my phone in the other, the whole team and I called Russ on speaker phone. I asked if it was ok if I had a surprise waiting when he came home. “Sure!” he said, and told me about the deck they were building and said good bye.
Taking our new dog home!
“All set!” I said and headed out with my new beautiful little burrito-wrapped train wreck.
I got home and handed the bundle to Amanda. “Did you get me a puppy??” she asked.
“Yeah, but check what I got you before you get too excited.”
Amanda, her cousin Windy and Periwinkle on Day 1.
Since that moment, Periwinkle and Amanda have been inseparable, and that might be the happiest thing I have experienced all year.
Same hoodies!
Peri partying on Amanda’s birthday.
Amanda and Periwinkle on our first road trip to Kearney!
Amanda and I taped the adoption papers to the front door and went out back to the deck with Periwinkle.
Russ got home and dropped to the deck and hugged Periwinkle and whispered some things to her. Only then did he look up and ask, “Did you get us a dog?”
Russ meets Periwinkle.
Abby did the same. I remember thinking that Kristie would be so excited for me that I still had a home! I had never made a decision to adopt a pet without Russ. This time, it all happened so fast. It may be the best accidental decision I have ever made.
Abby and Periwinkle.
Peri and Doug and Peri and Joy are friends! Peri would wait till one of them was asleep, then snuggle up to their buns. When they woke up, they must have thought they were already friends and had forgotten. Too silly to work but it did!
Periwinkle and Joy on a road trip together!
ACTH stimulation tests are used to diagnose Cushing’s disease (overactive adrenal glands) and Addison’s disease (under-active or non-working adrenal glands.) The answer is almost always definitive. Periwinkle’s test came back equivocal. It wouldn’t be dangerous to treat either way, but Addison’s disease is a very hands on and costly lifelong condition. I did not want to mess up next steps, but I had no idea what they were.
Dr. Neubert recommended I call the lab that ran the test for help. Thank you Friend! I went over everything with two different endocrinologists who suspected an “Addisonian-like crisis.”
“Now what?” I asked the second doc.
“How is she?” he asked.
Oh! I didn’t know what an Addisonian-like crisis was, but I DID know to always treat the patient, not just the numbers. I forgot for a sec. “Well, she’s been rehomed…um…to my home…and honestly she is acting like a puppy!”
He laughed and recommended rechecking blood work in a bit.
So here we are. Blood work has been rechecked and is pending. We have the cutest, sweetest little football bouncing around our house, and an endless number of photos. Here are a few…
Princess Periwinkle’s Christmas Bed
Santa Pug!
Thank you team. Thank you client. Thank you specialists. And thank you family for taking in One More Finch. That has never ever ended poorly for us. Still.
So VetCor had a Facebook contest, and I won! They put Periwinkle’s beautiful face on these Divvy socks. As you can see, Peri approves!
Good night Peri! We love you so much!