breoaigit | Apr. 9th, 2006

It's 5am, and I woke up a half hour ago hearing this horrible, deep, dry coughing sound. I dismissed it at first as one of the dogs coughing up a hairball, but it happened again. And again. I got up to check, and sure enough, my malamute Mayme is in the living room coughing every few minutes. So being the twitterhead I am, I panic quietly, get her to lay down on my lap (this is approximate, since she's nearly as big as me), and start checking her belly for gastric bloat. Meanwhile, she's coughing every few minutes and sounds stuffed up. I give her some water, then go brush my teeth and hair to get ready to haul her to the emergency vet. First, must wake up Mom, though, who is very good with doggy illnesses. She listens, then informs me Mayme was doing this at bedtime. Okaaaay, not gastric bloat then. We listen some more, loving on my poor baby profusely, and figure out she's got a nasty cold. She's positively chipper aside from coughing and sneezing, which are happening far less frequently now that she's had a bit of water. So now I've got Mayme in my bedroom with me, and she's happy as a clam if still stuffy.

Of course, I am having the guilts -bad-. I gave her a bath outside today using the cold hose water. I figured it was warm enough and sunny enough to be okay, but now she has a cold, even if she smells really good. I am a baaaaad Mommy.