TravelMarx for Hire, Well, Maybe...

I've been meaning to post some awesome photos that the TravelMarx took while they were dog-sitting the terrible twosome. But before I do, here's an update on Juno's health.

"Whatever." ~ by the TravelMarx.

We think she'll be coming home tomorrow. It depends on if she's able to keep her temperature normal, which it has been since Saturday, while on oral(not IV) antibiotics. We still don't have answers to what this is. We're narrowing in on either septic arthritis or autoimmune arthritis (polyarthritis). Both treated very differently and if treating for one, when it's the other, it could be fatal.  Early on her CBC's were normal, slightly high white blood count, but we couldn't find the infection.  No tick infections. Her organs all showed beautiful. He body is responding to antibiotics, which indicates an infection. We had her joints and spine tapped late last week and nothing showed spectacular. After her temperature came down, she showed a huge limp in her back right leg yesterday. Since being sick, she's had trouble walking, but this was back leg now at its worst. So they tapped that joint. It came up with a lot of puss and young white blood cells indicating infection (still not ruling out autoimmune arthritis which would also show this).  Today she showed limping in left back leg too and they re-tapped it with same result as the right but less severe.  The infection showing up in her joints means it is probably systemic or septic, which is dangerous for her joints if not treated rather soon. It's odd that it didn't show up until now, several days after her fever broke from antibiotics, even though she showed signs of difficulty in walking. We're waiting for joint and blood cultures to come back to see if anything grows so we can identify the bacteria and treat with the proper antibiotic. Or if not bacterial, then we can treat with steroids since we can then safely say it is an autoimmune response and the immune system would need to be shut down with steroids to stop the inflammation. For now, she can only take a narcotic for pain meds because we don't want to risk steroid if it is a bacterial infection, she needs her immune system in working order.

If this is septic bacterial infection, the million dollar question would be: how in the world did she get it? We never saw any deep open wounds (a few skin scrapes here and there from wrestling) but nothing outragous. I'm festidious about where they go, who they play with and what they eat. Its something I may never know.

So that's where we are. Retardo and I visited her tonight and went on a small walk. She jumped all over him (doped up on narcotics and feeling no pain) and practically ran down the street. Later in the quiet room, Retardo embarrassed me when he barked at the doctor. Juno and he shared a Kongs full of lamb treats and cream cheese. I fed her boiled chicken and beef baby food which Loki cried for like a sissy. She ate practically in her slumber from the narcotics kicking in.  I'm happy to bring her home tomorrow but I'm anxious for test results, which we won't get until Sunday. She continues to be the love of the entire hospital staff who can't believe a Siberian husky can be this sweet. She never needs any sedatives to do any procedures and never peeps the entire time there. Sigh. She makes me proud. While I'm thrilled to have her home tomorrow, I'm frightened she may get feverish again.

Now onto TravelMarx Photo Story

"Oh Uncle Marc, please don't stop. Please continue your adoration for my princessness."

"Hey Cupcake, did you hear the TravelMarx call us for dinner?"
"Big-boy, your ears are on overdrive. That was the neighbor!"

"Hey there Mr. Uncle Mark, here's this really cool thing I have.  Why don't you try and take it from my large and scary jaws?"

"Hey, you do know that they call me 'alligator' at school, right? Can you guess why?"

It looks like the alligator may have bit off the back of Uncle Mark's head. Or maybe that's just some special lighting effects. I'm betting it was the alligator though.

Zoommies! "Hey princess, I fly like a butterfly and sting like a bee! Lets see you try and get me!"
"Game on Retardo! Remember, I am a husky.  We're not known to be slow."

"Gotchya! Who's your momma?"

"Oh my dogs, I'm dying!  You're killing me Husky!"

 "Oh Cheeses. You're such a sissy. I didn't even break the skin."

"Woof! Woof! Woof! There's ghosts in the woods! What in tarnation just happened?"

"Chriminey! It's just a fallin' tree. Shush your yapper. It looks like this tree was reading my mind! Escape route! woo hoo!"

"The TravelMarx sure are cool dudes. They make us look good in photos and only report on one or two missing shoes."

All good things must come to an end and the TravelMarx must go home.
"Oh we're gonna miss you so much TravelMarx!"

For two people who don't have dogs nor do they want one, the TravelMarx were kick-ass dog-sitters. They played games with them, walked them and even published a few posts on them. When I got home, my house was cleaner than what I left it. There was a meatloaf in the fridge and the guest bed sheets were even washed and folded. Even the pesky rounded corner sheet! And Loki and Juno gave them a 5-star review and request frequent visits from them.

If you want to hire them, you can contact me, their dog-sitting agent. But don't be surprised if they are booked!