Matilda is alive and safely sleeping and being treated at Blue Pearl Veterinary Partners, the Emergency and Specialty Hospital in our area. This is the top place in NYC, in my opinion.  The dog in this picture is Coco, a Great Dane who was waiting to see if her Bull Dog friend was going to be OK. She wasn’t that happy about having her picture taken, and gave me a little growl.

What is speculated regarding Matilda is that a cut on her paw, which just showed itself this morning is infected in a major way. This can happen when one’s immune system is compromised from chemo. So this cut has become an abscess, but in a somewhat complicated way. She had a cut  several weeks ago that was treated, and thought to be healed. Apparently when one is undergoing chemo, something like that can continue to be a problem, even when it seems to have healed. So they have worked on the paw, and she is getting intravenous antibiotic, blood work has been done, and her high temperature has been brought down. (She was so stressed having to walk out to the taxi to get to the vet, that she began panting at a level I’ve rarely seen). She is staying overnight, and I will pick her up tomorrow night. They think that this infection could be responsible for all the symptoms she was having.

 I’m hoping for good results, and that I will be able to take care of the wound properly. The vet assured me that this infection could have happened in a matter of hours. It seems daunting, since it is between her toes. Greyhounds have these very long toes with webbing in between. Matilda’s toes are very close together, and the little toes are turned in and encroaching on the other toes. It isn’t uncommon for greyhounds to have problems with their toes.

 Matilda thanks everyone for the good wishes and prayers.