Can't Keep Otto Down

(continuing story of Otto)
Otto moves back to Chicago and does well in the new doggy daycare. Maybe the extra socializing with Bo and Bandit taught him something. I will not forget all the little "fun" thing he did in Wisconsin. We had fense that slid down between two boards along the back hallway, so it couldn't be pushed down or jumped over, thus keeping all the dogs in the hallway and laundry area. One day I came home to find Otto on the other side. Fence down but Otto on the other side. Next day we put up a video camera to figure out how he did it..did he climb over it..did one dog boost the other over the wall to escape. No, though not perfect quality when viewing the video, it appears Otto used his nose and pushed it under the bottom on the fence, raising it..and then when he could fit under, scooted under it and he was free. Such determination.
Another time when I was gone, Otto pushed open the door leading to the garage. The garage door was down and the door he just opened closed. He was now trapped in the garage which wasn't what he was planning. He continued to scratch the door, the frame and the drywall to no avail..thank goodness. I came home opened the garage door to an elated Otto, free at last!
Otto does a little more hunting, and a trip to Traverse City and then he gets sick. He is tired and has no appetite. He walks like he is stepping on egg shells. Leah takes him to the Chicago Vet and runs some tests. Otto is diagnosed with Blastomycosis. This is a fungal disease that infects both dogs and people. Can be rapidly fatal if not treated properly. Even with proper treatment some dogs never recover. Fungal organisms live in sandy soil near water. Hunting dogs are at greater risks along with younger dogs. Otto is just over one year old and appears had inhaled these spores. The spores travel down the airways of the lungs and infection develops. Skin lesions or lymph nodes can appear. People can not contact Blasto (as it will be called from here on) from dogs only from the soil itself.
The Vet wants to keep Otto overnight for more procedures. Kyle and Leah are emotinally drained. They leave Otto there and go home to wait for the news. Even when he is sick, Otto is Otto, and he is not happy about being left in a crate. It doesn't seem to matter to him that he is very sick, he cries, whines, barks, and the Vet calls Kyle and suggests maybe its best if they take him home afterall.
Otto has lost weight, and is very tired but he gets what he wants, to be home. But now what? Leah gets a special dog food, with low fat, and orders the first bottle of medicine. This is people medicine and Otto needs to have it squirted into his mouth two times a day. BTW, This bottle is not cheap. There is also pills that will take care of any infection. They are told to boil ground beef and serve him that as well. Leah takes off a couple days but Otto needs daily care and can't be left alone because he will cry, whine, bark, and disturb the neighbors. He can't attend doggy daycare because he has this disease.
I offer to take him again, come back to Wisconsin, this time its more of a hospice setting. Otto can get all the TLC he needs here.

So they pack him up and bring him to Wisconsin again. Otto arrives and has no interest in Bo or Bandit. He just sleeps and sleeps. He is to be on this medicine for 8 weeks. And each week, he improves. In a couple weeks he starts to be himself again, running, playing, looking on the countertops for anything to eat. But there are some changes. He doesn't mind going into his new larger cage when I have to go out, he walks in and makes himself comfortable on the quilts. He seems calmer now but he still loves to lie against or on top of Bo whenever he can. Eight weeks pass and Otto has survived and heads back home to Chicago again.