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Felicia Has Gone To the Bridge


Guest jade1046

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Guest jade1046

Please keep my Felicia in your thoughts today. A few weeks ago we had a problem with the big "D" but she seemed to be recovering very nicely from that. She was fine right up until her early morning pee break at 5:30 am Wednesday. Suddenly she vomited around 6:15 am and then refused to eat her breakfast – VERY unusual for this chow hound. I called the vet and decided to go home and check on her at lunchtime. Vet said if she had vomited again to bring her in. When I got home I saw that she had barfed all over her own bed and blankie. (She's a stinker though, because she was lying in Minnie's bed and poor Minnie was relegated to another big pillow). Anyway, I brought her to the vet and they gave her a shot of Reglan (anti-nausea medication) and Vitamin B. We went home with Reglan pills and were told if she continued to vomit and refuse food, to bring her back in the morning for blood work and an ultrasound. Well she still wouldn’t eat and just laid on her now clean bed looking miserable. At bedtime I tried to get her to take the medication wrapped in something edible, but no dice. So I did the "open mouth, stick it in the back of the throat" method. Bad idea. Within five minutes, Felicia was standing on Minnie's bed and began retching out coffee colored liquid that smelled like a sewer! Eeeewww! So we had to clean her up and change bedding again (Minnie decided to go sleep upstairs). Once that was out, Felicia seemed more comfortable and settled down for the night. I stayed on the couch in case she got up to go out or threw up again. She got a good night's sleep, I didn't.

 

Took her back to the vet in the morning for more testing. They did more blood work (after having done it two weeks ago for the diarrhea problem), an ultrasound and then X-rays. The doc said there was a very small amount of free floating fluid in her abdomen and they would like to keep her overnight and be conservative in treating her with IV fluid, more Reglan and see how she responds. By this morning she was still refusing to eat anything and had vomited a small amount of bile during the night. They wanted to see if she would have a bowel movement (hasn't had one since Wednesday morning), then try to get her to eat something a little later. They gave her Carafate which supposedly coats the stomach and she kept that down. But as of this afternoon she still hasn’t had a bowel movement and still refuses to eat.

 

I just spoke again to one of the doctors and they wanted my permission to do a needle aspiration of the fluid in Felicia's abdomen. They are really puzzled because all of the blood work is within normal limits for a greyhound. They said if the fluid is blood then the next step would be to do exploratory surgery to see what's causing it. Of course, if that's what needs to be done, it'll be done but I’M SO FRIGHTENED for my poor sweet girl. She's already lost about 7 pounds over the last few weeks between the diarrhea and now this.

 

I'm so sorry for the length of this, but just telling people who I know will understand helps. Please send healing thoughts for my baby. Thank you.

Edited by jade1046
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Sending many prayers. Poor little girl...she sounds as though she is miserable. Please keep us updated as you can and hug Felicia for me. :grouphug

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Flash Gordon 7-14-99 - 8-29-09... BrookLynne...Pavé Maria... and 18 Bridge Kids.

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Guest jade1046

It's Saturday around noon and I am numb as I post this update. Felicia crossed the bridge sometime during the night.

 

I went to see her around 5:00 pm yesterday thinking I might be able to take her home for the night to see if she would eat for me, as she wouldn't eat at the hospital. When I got there they said I couldn't take her home but they would bring her out so I could visit with her. Poor baby was so weak and emaciated looking - all I could think of was that she looked like all those furry animal carcasses at "Build a Bear" that needed to have some stuffing blown into them. The vet came in and said the the fluid in the abdomen was blood and that there was considerably more today than yesterday. Felicia's blood panels were still within normal limits except for the hematocrit which had dropped quite a bit. They said they had seen very similar symptoms in at least three other greyhounds - two were transfused up to four times and neither made it. On the third they removed the spleen and the grey survived and is doing well a year after. So it was decided to keep Felicia over the weekend and one of the docs was standing by to do an emergency splenectomy if necessary. They wanted to wait till Monday if possible to do any surgery since they would not get the results of the abdominal sample until then. It didn't sound good, and Felicia didn't look good so I got a little panicky and called my DH to come right over so he could see her. Right after that, someone came in and said the lab had made an error and had switched Felicia's samples with another greyhound's. Felicia's hematocrit was actually back up to the normal levels. So now they are really baffled and are reconsidering doing surgery at all until the other blood work results come in on Monday. So we gave her hugs and kisses and told her we love her and sent her back to lie down.

 

Around 8:15 this morning, the vet called me and was in tears. She said Felicia had passed away sometime during the night. She was so shocked because she really thought we had a little time. I had brought two of Felicia's babies (her favorite hedgie and a teddy bear) when we visited Friday afternoon and the vet said she was found with her head resting on her babies. We went over around 10:00 am and brought our other grey Minnie to say good-bye. We requested a necropsy. We were told because it was a weekend, it probably wouldn't be done until Monday. Well the vet who had been taking care of Felicia came back in the room and said she would stay and do it right away - she felt so bad about what had happened.

 

It's now about 1:00 pm and we just received a call from the vet. She found in Felicia's small intestine what looked like a tumor or large blood clot which had ruptured and bled out. She feels this was ultimately the cause of death. She also mentioned thickened "angry" tissue around the area and in the pancreas. She said this may have been brewing for quite some time, but there was no way to know. So it makes me feel a little better to know that it wasn't something obvious that was missed and even if they had done exploratory surgery it may have been too late. We're still going to see what the lab has to say about the blood sample - whether there were any cancerous cells - but I declined to have the tissue sample analyzed. I know all I need to know for now.

 

So when I can think clearly I will try to post something in the Remembrance forum. Felicia was only 5 years old and we've only had her for about 9 months. A piece of my heart is missing now but I feel confident we gave her everything we could in the short time she was with us. Run free Sweet Felicia - we love you!

Edited by jade1046
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I am so very sorry . what a sad day for you both. No more pain sweetie. :grouphug

:gh_run Run free and healthy little one.

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Susan, Jessie and Jordy NORTHERN SKY GREYHOUND ADOPTION ASSOCIATION

Jack, in my heart forever March 1999-Nov 21, 2008 My Dancing Queen Jilly with me always and forever Aug 12, 2003-Oct 15, 2010

Joshy I will love you always Aug 1, 2004-Feb 22,2013 Jonah my sweetheart May 2000 - Jan 2015

" You will never need to be alone again. I promise this. As your dog, I will sing this promise to you, and whisper it to you at night, every night, with my breath." Stanley Coren

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Guest PhillyPups

OMG I am so sorry :bighug to you all, and she knew she was loved. Felicia is now with some of the best watching over us and waiting for us to join them.

 

Tears streaming for and I am sure with you. :bighug

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I'm so sorry :grouphug:f_pink

 

Godspeed Felicia you were loved. :gh_run

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Janet & the hounds Maggie and Allen Missing my baby girl Peanut, old soul Jake, quirky Jet, Mama Grandy and my old Diva Miz Foxy; my angel, my inspiration. You all brought so much into my light, and taught me so much about the power of love, you are with me always.
If you get the chance to sit it out or dance.......... I hope you dance! Missing our littlest girl.

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Guest meakah

OMG! :cry1 I am soo sorry for your loss. I am stunned reading this. How very sad...she was so young. And I am sorry you weren't with her when she passed. :( Maybe she was just waiting for a good time to let go and was ready once she had that last visit with you and was comfy with her stuffies. Run free sweet girl. :grouphug :grouphug

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I'm so very sorry your baby girl didn't make it. Was hoping she'd pull through. My deepest condolences to you. :grouphug Godspeed, sweet Felicia... fly like the wind on your new wings. :heart

Jeanne with Remington & Scooter the cat
....and Beloved Bridge Angels Sandee, Shari, Wells, Derby, Phoenix, Jerry Lee and Finnian.....
If tears could build a stairway, and memories a lane, I'd walk right up to heaven
and bring you home again.

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