Please Keep Jonah in Your Thoughts

Jonah has turned into a lovely tempered, amusing dog. He has brought Susan (and me, too) much joy. We discovered this week that he has a congenital health issue. He'll be a year old October 1.

He was born with an umbilical hernia that they repaired when he was first born. The fix didn't take so the breeder's vet had to redo it. The breeder offered her another puppy, but Jonah was "her" puppy, already. Susan was assured that he was fine, and in her mind he really was already hers. He was cut from stem to stern, but it hasn't seemed to affect him in any way. He's been energetic, strong...well, if you read my blog you've seen him. I don't have to say any more.

The other day Susan called from work when I was getting ready to go over to take care of him and said he didn't eat (very unusual for Jonah). For most of the morning he seemed to be okay-just a little lethargic. In the afternoon, he became very sick, very fast. I rushed him to the vet. After tests, x-rays, etc., and to make a long story short, it turns out that he has a diaphragmatic hernia. He has what shows as a small opening (according to the ultra sound) that shows that his liver and intestines are in his chest.

He was hospitalized for the night to stabilize him. Susan and I are meeting with a surgeon on October 2. Fortunately, the Internist is the same wonderful person
(Dr. Nicholas Berryessa) who helped me find the surgeon who saved Jack's life when he had open heart surgery. Jonah's surgery will be more straight forward if things are what they seem from the tests, and hopefully after a few weeks recovery, he'll be fine to run and play.

I just feel so badly that the monon vet who operated on him as a puppy (before Susan got him) wasn't competent or interested enough to notice that his liver wasn't where it was supposed to be OR according to some articles I've read, actually caused the hernia. At any rate, it's Jonah who suffers for his or her incompetency. The breeder has already given Susan back the money she paid for him. The vet is in Louisiana so we have no idea who he is.

So, please keep your healing thoughts coming his way. I'm sure he'll be fine, but it's nerve wracking for poor Susan (and me). That's one very great thing in a dog's favor--they don't worry.

Jonah is an avid TV watcher. This day he was Rhino hunting, but I put animal documentaries on all day for him, and he reacts. Once a blue ball went bouncing across the screen from one side to the other and he ran and looked behind the TV to see where it had gone.