MerlinsMum

I was thinking the same thing earlier today.... :cry1 It's just so heartbreaking

I am so sorry Rest in peace sweetie I am so glad you found in each other before her time on this earth was up. Even though love brings with it the piercing pain of loss... as Tennyson so aptly put it, 'Tis better to have loved and lost than not to have loved at all. :grouphug

:cry1 My heart sank long and deep when I saw this thread. I thought she may have had a bit more time... She didn't. I am so terribly sorry, Jessica. I will never forget Gigi; she was such a character. I remember how your pretty girl made me laugh when she came to playgroup and did her twirls. I feel honored to have met her and to have even had the pleasure of dog-sitting her once. But no one knew her the way you knew her. You went through a lot together, and I know she has left an indelible mark on your heart. Be gentle and kind to yourself, and give yourself time to grieve her terrible loss. I hope that one day, in the not-too-distant future, thinking of her will bring more smiles than pain. But it is not today... Today, hold on tight to your Lizzie, and lean on us for support. Rest in peace, Gigi.

I am so, so sorry :cry1 :grouphug

I am so sorry. Clearly Scout was a very special girl. Her life was taken away far too soon, but it's very apparent that you gave her a very happy life. Rest in peace, sweet girl :grouphug

I am so, so sorry Spoil him rotten. Make some beautiful memories with him. You're in my thoughts. :grouphug

I am so terribly sorry, Xan :cry1 I saw your update on Facebook and couldn't believe it. :grouphug

I am so sorry to hear you lost Ruby. Ruby and Rascal always enchanted me. Rest in peace, beautiful girl :grouphug

I am so sorry or your loss of Stellaluna :grouphug

I am so sorry, you must be racked with worry I hope you make it home very soon. Waiting helplessly in a soulless airport knowing your pup is sick miles away must be agony, I'm sure. I hope it's not cancer and that Hewlett's health improves soon! :goodluck

Just seeing this! Poor Wabi and poor Xan! I am sending a ton of good thoughts your way. :goodluck :goodluck :goodluck Please keep us posted!

Oh no I am so terribly sorry, how shocking to lose a loved one so suddenly... May she rest in peace. :grouphug

:cry1 I am so very sorry :grouphug Rest in peace, sweet True.

I am so very sorry for your loss of Nikki :grouphug Rest in peace, pretty girl

Thanks for the link, Jey, and thank you to everyone who clarified that it's Slippery Elm Bark I should be looking for. Maybe I gave the vet the wrong information. Thanks. I mentioned this to my vet a few months ago, and she said that if she ever put him on Budesonide, it would only be after trying Prednisone, if the side effects of Pred were too much for him. Not having any experience of the drug, I have looked it up, and I have found several very positive reviews of the use of Budesonide over Prednisone in veterinary practice, so I am planning to bring it up again with my vet when I talk to her next week. We had discussed the possibility of giving me some pred to administer for a little while when I see Merlin start to go off his food again (the very first symptom that a flare-up is developing - it starts about 7-10 days before the full-blown flare-up). Now for the good news: Merlin is officially EATING!!! :yay And what's more, his stool this morning, while still diarrhea, DEFINITELY looks as if it's firming up!! :yay :yay But wait! There's more Yesterday afternoon something changed and he started to feel better. I know because his eyes had been lifeless, his demeanor was subdued, he hardly got up for anything, he just wanted to be left alone (it was breaking my heart ). But yesterday afternoon, after I played Stuffy Wars with Sagan, I left the stuffed toy on the carpet and went into the adjoining room to lie down on the futon for a few minutes, as I'd had an exhausting day at work. Then I heard a bounce and DH saying "What are you doing Mr. Merlin??" with amazement in his voice. I got up and Merlin was doing his goofy twirl in the living room with the stuffy in his mouth I was overjoyed, we both were. So I'm hoping hoping hoping we've turned a corner :goodluck He loves this A/D stuff. I am now feeding him some wet I/D, some I/D kibble, and then smearing the A/D all over it, so that he will eat the I/D too. And so far it's working! He even asked for more food after breakfast this morning, but I don't want to overload his stomach at this point, so I didn't give him extra. I might give him some more at lunchtime. I know that the A/D diet is only meant to be temporary, so I want to wean him off it and back onto the I/D as soon as possible, but I also don't want to rush his recovery. Thank you for your continued good thoughts!!

Hello everyone. Well, the results came back. It's definitely NOT pancreatitis, the GI panel ruled it out. His folate and cobalamine levels are within normal range too. My vet is still sure it's IBD and since Merlin has not eaten any solid food other than a couple of cookies since Saturday night, she suggested upping the Flagyl from 500mg daily to 1000mg daily. She also gave me a different food to try - a high calorie food "recuperation" food - that's given to dogs and cats to get them to eat - A/D. Apparently it's not quite as easily digetible as I/D but it's still gentle on the stomach. We'll see. all I kmow is that my wizard who has not eaten for three whole days DEVOURED it. Let's just hope that he keeps it down and that it doesn't make his bloody, liquid diarrhea even worse (is that possible?) If increasing the Metronidazole dosage doesn't help to get him through this tough spot and doesn't result in firmer stools, the next step is starting him on prednisone I'm VERY apprehensive about that. I always knew it was a possibility that we would have to put him on it, Dr. Katie and I discussed it months ago. But I have heard about the side effects of pred and about how hard it is on the system, and it scares me quite frankly. I am also about to hit one of the busiest times of the year at work and I'm in a new job with a new boss who is understanding but nowhere near as laid back and understanding as my previous boss when it comes to animal companions. She also doesn't know me as well as my previous boss, so I don't think she understands quite how important Merlin is to me. Very nervous about that. Anyhow, I thought I'd update. Thanks for you continued good thoughts. To those who asked about slippery elm bark - I have to admit that I am not a supporter of homeopathy (in fact I spend a fair amount of time online criticising it, to be honest), and although I have not had time to read up about slippery elm extensively, what I have read appears to show that it has not been subjected to any scientific studies, or shown to produce verifiable results. However, since several people brought it up and cited good results with their pups, I asked my vet about it. She consulted an ex-colleague who told her that she has a very hard time finding slippery elm in the United States. She suggested an alternative - marshmallow root powder I know nothing about it. Anyone?

Yes, I would definitely try adding some water to the meal. My boy Sagan does the same thing, and Merlin does too sometimes. When I wet his kibble he stops. They both use Brake-Fast bowls. Merlin doesn't need it anymore, but he is scared of thr shiny metal ones so I keep using it. Sagan eats every meal as if he hasn't been fed in a month and something tells me that's not going to change.

Rest in peace, Bernie I am so happy you felt the warmth of love before your time came.

Jessica, I have been thinking of you and the girls daily since I heard about Gigi. I am absolutely gutted for you and I am still finding it hard to believe. I can't even begin to imagine the anguish you must be experiencing. I am glad you got in touch with OSU... I hope they can help. I agree that the panting may be a side effect of being on prednisone. Is she drinking a lot more too? My thoughts are with you and the girls. Please lean on us for support, we're here for you :grouphug

Thank you for asking I would have updated sooner but today was my first day back at work after taking two weeks off, so I was snowed under, and then we took him to the vet. On the advice of the other vet - our vet wasn't in today - we decided to take him in and have blood drawn for more tests that they sent to the lab tonight. I think it's called a Toc panel or something like that - they're going to test his cobalamin and folate levels and check for pancreatic reduction (is that right?) so we can rule some more things out. I gave Merlin his Flagyl last night even though he didn't eat. To my surprise, he accepted some kibble around 9.30pm. This morning he had liquid diarrhea again and refused breakfast. At lunchtime I tried again - no way. He even refused a (prescription) cookie. He was so very quiet and devoid of energy and it made me very upset to see him like that. (Sagan decided that face kisses might make me feel better ) We went to the vet and he had blood drawn. We will know more in a few days. In the meantime the vet also suggested we try a grain-free food - fish and potato. I bought a few cans. I am willing to give anything a try. I just want my wizard to feel better

I'm so very sorry. I hope you still have a lot of time together :grouphug

Thank you so much!! I really appreciate your suggestions. It's such a relief to know that I can give it to him on an empty stomach. I'd really rather not skip a dose. All I have it 500mg pills, I don't think I can cut it in half. I can't give Merlin anything other than his prescription food, and in any event dairy gives him diarrhea. But thanks for the advice nonetheless

Merlin had another flare-up today. There's been no blood in his (liquid) diarrhea so far, but I'm expecting to see some soon. He refused his meal this morning - he usually does at first, when he has a flareup, until I can get a couple of doses of Sucralfate into him and his stomach begins to feel better. Thing is - he's on 500mg of Metronidazole (Flagyl) per day, which I give him after his evening meal. If he refuses his meal again tonight, can I give him the Flagyl on an empty stomach, or should I skip today's dose? I hesitate to skip a day, but I've never given it on an empty stomach, so I'm not sure if it's going to make matters worse. The only thing he can eat is I/D, dry or wet. I'll try the dry first, and if he refuses it I'll offer his some wet food, but if he refuses that I'm pretty much out of options.

Oh my goodness, she is just beautiful!!

Oh gosh, I am only seeing this now. I am in such shock. I just know everyone here on GT absolutely adores Brandee and Charley and is as shocked as I am. I am just gutted for you, Craig. I will miss seeing Brandee's beautiful face but clearly that is nothing compared to the hole I'm sure she has left in your hearts. Many hugs to you and the family. No more pain now . Rest well, sweet girl...