Watching Attentively
The moment she woke up she was greeted by an awful sight. Her poor George's belly swelled to triple the size. He looked like he was about to explode.
Julie knew she needed to act fast so she put George in his carrier and drove to the vet. She was ignorantly unaware that somebody was watching as she raced away. The same person who despised George.
Lonely Accountant
Julie Hayes, an accountant who lived in a beautiful house in Austin, Texas, was lucky enough to to have a job that permitted her to work from home
She enjoyed her job thoroughly, however she was frequently consumed by feelings of loneliness. In an attempt to counteract this, she decided to get herself a furry companion.
Meet George
She visited various shelters, hopeful to find a puppy she could call her own. She was spoilt for choice, but the moment she spotted George she knew he was the one.
He was the youngest and the smallest of the group, and he shyly sat in the corner. She instantly fell in love with him, however George did not share the same sentiments.
Becoming His True Self
George was an easily startled pup. He kept to himself and Julie felt like her very being frightened him. However, after a few days she noticed he trusted her more.
After a few weeks, George got more personality! He was a playful pup who enjoyed running around in her garden. Julie felt happy with her choice. Unfortunately, not everyone was as excited as Julie was about her new pup.
Perfect Neighborhood
The neighborhood was small but peaceful. Each home was lucky enough to have a beautiful back and front garden, however not all of them were separated by fences. This was the case with Julie and Matt, her neighbor.
From the beginning, Matt had a sour taste in his mouth because of George, and he was not shy to let her know about it.
Taking Matters Into His Own Hands
Julie had never seen Matt in his backyard, and he never used it. However, she was rudely informed that he didn't like anyone else being in his backyard either. George roamed around his yard, claiming his turf and disrupting his peace, according to Matt.
Julie could not afford to put up a fence, so her hands were tied. However, she was unaware that Matt would take control of the situation.
Big Belly
A few days later, something horrible happened. Her poor pup's stomach was incredibly swollen. She initially thought he just desperately needed the bathroom, so she took him to the garden.
Something was not right...
Acting Fast
It appeared to Julie that he did not need the bathroom. However, she noticed that his stomach was just swelling up more and more. It appeared as if it would explode at any moment.
She knew that she needed to act fast, so she drove George to the vet. Little did she know, that she was being watched by someone...
Nervously Waiting
As soon as she arrived at the vet's office, Matt called her. She let the call go to voicemail, as she did not have time for his nagging. She had something more important to deal with.
The vet immediately helped George. Julie felt her heart pounding in her chest as she nervously waited for George. However, she was once again interrupted with a message from Matt, but this time it was urgent...
Baffling Message
“If you’re at the vet with that dog, I’d tell the doc to do a scan ASAP.” The message said. Julie was confused by the message, but she knew she didn't have time to ponder it.
The doctor scanned George's stomach as asked. As he examined the graph, his eyes widened.
Urgent Care
“We need to operate immediately!”, he ordered. He asked Julie to leave the room, telling her that George was fine but they needed to remove what was inside his stomach immediately.
Speechless, Julie nodded. She was overwhelmed with emotion. Did he eat something he wasn’t supposed to? Did someone feed him something? But what the doctor removed was far from her wildest imagination.
Ascites
A couple of hours later, the doctor returned with a smile on his face. The operation was successful. He told Julie that George had a severe case of Ascites. It’s a rare condition that he hadn’t seen in any of his furry patients until now.
“Ascites?”, Julie asked. “What is that?”
Speculations
Also known as abdominal effusion, Ascites is the medical term that refers to the buildup of fluid in the dog’s abdomen. It usually causes symptoms like vomiting, abdominal discomfort, and loss of appetite. But for George, he had none of these.
‘What causes it?”, Julie asked. Suddenly, Matt popped into her mind. Did he have something to do with this?
Cause Unknown
The doctor told Julie that there’s a wide variety of potential causes to Ascites and it’s really difficult to understand what triggered it in George’s case. He told her that he would keep George overnight to make sure he was okay. Julie thanked him and picked up her phone to call Matt.
Why did he ask her to get a scan done?
Explanations
Matt was quick to give his explanation. He told her that he saw her drive off this morning with George and saw his huge belly. He had a dog when he was younger who had Ascites. Immediately, he knew what it was.
“Look”, he said. “I’ve made it pretty obvious that I don’t particularly like your dog but I wouldn’t ever wish him harm. In fact, if I’m being completely honest, that trouble maker is growing on me”. A smile formed on the corner of Julie’s lips.