Marilyn Saves Buster

I credit my failed foster Marilyn with saving my Buster. We had just decided to keep her. After the nightly play session with each other I noticed Buster covered in tiny bruises called pettechiae, which usually indicate a blood clotting abnormality. Turns out Buster's platelets (blood component responsible for clotting) were critically low. The vet said that if I did not notice it I would likely have come home some day to find he had bled to death without any previous signs. If we didn't have Marilyn there to play rough with him there would never have been any signs until it was too late. There can be many causes of this disorder and often it is fatal or recurring. Busters was attributed to a bad reaction to his vaccinations (which he will never again receive). The vet also told me later that his platelets were the lowest he had ever seen in a dog that survived. He was only 4 1/2 at the time. I believe everyone needs at least 1 failed foster!

-- Jane Tirc