I have always wanted a dog.  My dad did not allow a dog.  My husband did not want a dog.  My 12 year old who celebrated his birthday today wants a dog.  What's a girl to do??? I put my foot down at age 48 and 3/4 and said Jack... We've been married for 23 years, my first son is going off to college, my baby wants a dog and you are just going to have to get over it.  So yesterday, on Max's 12th birthday, we went to a backyard breeder and bought our very first dog. 

Max and I have a very sad story to tell you.  Sometime over the day that we had her, the vet thinks she started having seizures.  She didn't wake up at all last night to go potty and I woke her at 5:30 to see if she needed to go.  She started flopping around and walking into things.  She was extremely lethargic.  We had an appointment with my vet this morning to have her checked out.  When we got there she was almost non-responsive.  Her pupils were completely dilated and her heart rate was extremely low.  He suggested an emergency clinic.  The breeder met us over there.  The vets think that at some point in the last few days she either ate something poisonous to dogs, had a series of strokes, had a parasite work it's way to her brain or had a hematoma on the brain.  They are not sure if she will recover her health or her eyesight. 

Needless to say, Max's wonderful birthday gift has turned very sad and we are both heartbroken about it.  This was the puppy of our dreams.  The breeder has agreed to get her treated but in Max's best interest, I decided that we need to find another puppy.  The conditions of the breeders home were deplorable and it was my gut feeling that we should not get a dog from her, but we fell in love with Maggie and couldn't bear to leave her there.  The vet asked her if she had horses and she said yes.  He asked her if she recently gave them worm medicine and she said two days ago.  We don't know for sure and may never, but the vet thinks it's possible that she ate some horse manure with the medicine in it.