She was fine when I picked her up yesterday, but started coughing a bit by nightfall, and when I got home from work today, she was spitting up cupfuls of mucus. Rushed her to the vet, where they diagnosed pneumonia, gave her a huge subcutaneous fluid injection that left a big temporary hump on her back, and dosed her on antibiotics. Got a prescription for two more weeks' worth of the stuff, too. She seems better already, napping with her new friend "Pengy", my trusty cool-vapor humidifier, helping her breathe better.
As long as she doesn't take a turn for the worse this weekend, she should be OK, but it's too early to tell for sure. The visit and meds cost over $500, and if she gets worse and I have to take her in for oxygen therapy, I don't even want to consider how much that will cost... but seeing how she's never gotten sick before in over ten years, I think I'm ahead of the game.
I know the Pegster has a few friends here; thought you should know. It really is astonishing because she's never been sick since I got her, but I guess her age and the stress of being separated again (although she seems to enjoy her stays there) made her susceptible. Can't really blame the kennel; the dog that gave it to her may not have been showing overt symptoms. But I intend to mention it to them...
I'll keep everybody posted on her progress, and I feel pretty confident that she will pull through.
