Brindi has pancreatitis and is/was in the hospital?

After ringing my lawyer at 3:25 pm, I learn that he heard from HRM's Kishan Persaud, that Brindi has been in the hospital since Friday with pancreatitis. 

And rather than give more information about Brindi and what they are doing, Persaud says to tell me I cannot give her treats and that the SPCA wants to search me before each visit. My lawyer of course said they cannot do that, it is illegal. Persaud replied that he knew that. So why even pass it along??  He also passed along the threat that if I continued to give her treats that my visits would be cut off. 

In addition, Persaud said that they won't be asking me to pay for this treatment "at this time". !!! As if!! The cost of this treatment must be covered by the authorities responsible for her care, and that would be Animal Services.  Me giving her a few healthy treats once a week for the short time I've been allowed visits is NOT why she has this condition; according to my vet it has more to do with a serious lack of proper exercise and too many rich foods - like the chewy treats, "Beggin' Strips", that she is given at the shelter. In order words, this condition is directly attributable to poor care: keeping her in a temporary facility that is known to be inadequate for long-term care, let alone short term care; and Animal Services' total refusal to allow Brindi to be walked regularly. 

Not to mention that my requests to move her to a better facility have been met with a response telling me to go get a court order first, and that the court itself tells me that it doesn't know if it has the "authority" to order a transfer. 

For the SPCA and HRM to be going on the offensive as a defensive action at a time when my dog is ill is not a very honorable position to take (not to say shameless). From what my vet tells me, pancreatitis is a condition that will bring recurring episodes for the rest of her life and will require IV fluids and antibiotic treatment and withdrawal of foods for several days, each time. This adds to the permanent damage to her teeth and chronic gum disease as a result of the SPCA's refusal to allow her bones - or to give her something else as a substitute - or to give her a teethcleaning at the proper times. 

So it's bad enough hearing this news, but to cloak it in blame and a threat is just too damn much.  Never mind that my dog is in ill the hospital or telling us how they are treating her - whether she is getting fluids and anti-biotics. Never mind passing on the blood test results!

And never mind the main question: HOW DID SHE GET PANCREATITIS?? 

Now I am waiting for my lawyer to contact the SPCA directly and get some questions answered. 

Health worries

Well, for the second time in what - a month? - I arrive to visit Brindi on a beautiful sunny afternoon, and am confronted with the news that she has been throwing up. 

Weeks ago, I was told she threw up every day for a week. 

Today, I hear she was throwing up for the last two days. 

They did bloodwork last time, and again now; last time, apparently, she was throwing up longer because of anti-nausea medication they gave her. And the vet report that came days after my visit was too much for me to even read. I had a friend read it and give me the gist. It was no comfort - talk of pancreatitis. Evidently something that doesn't go away; it's there for life. 

I have not received the latest blood test results. I appreciate that this time I was not made to phone up Kishan Persaud, the HRM prosecutor, to learn the bad news; the shelter manager was nice enough to tell me herself. 

But I don't get this. Brindi was in absolutely perfect health when she was taken. In January, when they finally let me see her after six months, she had gained at least 10 to 15 pounds and was in terrible condition. She lost a few pounds but is overweight still. And her teeth - well, I've mentioned this before and it's no better now. But what is happening??Why is she throwing up? I tried to get my vet to discuss this with me and was shut down - literally.  

Brindi seemed tired today. They had her out most of the morning, it seems. She was thirsty, and I asked for a dish of water. She gets winded easily - so do I. Neither one of us is getting enough exercise. We need each other for that. 

In the meantime, I haven't had the strength to look up pancreatitis or even vomiting in dogs. My cat Rudy has a heart murmur and renal failure; that's already been a big concern and he's on a medication. But if something happens to Brindi...