rascalsmom

I'm so sorry for your loss.

Judy, my sincere sympathy to you and you family.

I am so sorry, Nancy.

I am so very sorry for your loss.....

It breaks my heart to write this, but my beloved Jack is gone. Jack was our fourth greyhound. He came to us in November, 2009, about 7 months after my daughter was suddenly killed after being hit by a truck while running. We had lost our male greyhound, Buddy, just six weeks before Elizabeth died, and while I could do nothing to remedy the loss of my daughter, I felt I could 'fix' my dog situation--I had had three dogs for such a long time, that two (Rascal and Ruby) just didn't seem right. Jack was a foster dog (yeah, right) who stayed. We adopted him right before the new year of 2010. Jack was my first bit of happiness after losing Elizabeth. He was very silly, and he brought laughter back into my life. Over the past 14 months, we have lost Ruby (8/11), Rascal (12/11) and our cat, Daisy (8/12). I never dreamed Jack would be going so soon, too. I am not going to rehash all the medical stuff here--it's all in the H&M thread--but Jack developed complications this week, due to his disease, and we knew we couldn't ask him to undergo yet more medical intervention. He was truly my buddy, and his loss brings us to a 'petless' state. I never dreamed it would be so hard, losing my last pet....the house is so empty, yet there are reminders of him everywhere. And this tribute seems so inadequate, for all the comfort Jack brought me. Godspeed, my best boy. I will miss you forever.

My beloved boy, Jack. 9/28/05--11/2/12. Gone way too soon.

Jack is gone.

Seems like every day, lately, brings a new issue. This morning his front leg is swollen, around the 'wrist'. I guess that if something can go wrong, it will. And we are all getting very tired of it--especially Jack. He is just not himself at all the past two days.

The mass was "clogged lymphatics and necrotic tissue". Tonight Jack is bearing more weight on his leg but is still kind of loopy from the pain shot they gave him.

Another dip in the roller coaster ride that is Jack's condition. He was limping horribly this morning, so off to the vet we went. They xrayed his leg (rear) and found that the bone looks fine. Vet thinks it "could" be a blood clot, since pred can cause clots. If it is, his leg should swell, bruise, and be cold. If it's a clot, aspirin therapy 'could' help, but due to his disease, he's not really a candidate for aspirin therapy. Sometimes, she said, dogs have to be put down due to a clot. She has only seen a dog with a clot once before. She also says she doesn't think his weight loss is due to the pred, but due to his disease. Don't know if I agree with that. Since 9 days ago he has lost another four pounds--down to 68, keep in mind he was 85 when we got him less than three years ago. This whole thing really sucks.

I, too, feel your pain. We have spent right around $3000 in the past month, on Jack. But what can you do? When something is wrong, you have to figure it out. It's frustrating, surely, but just part of our commitment to our pets.

Thanks for asking. . He is doing OK... still eating quite a bit, but still might be losing weight. I don't know for sure if he is, or if I am just hypersensitive to it....we will know next Tuesday for sure. His poop is marginally better, but still very soft. He has been a bit less enthusiastic about eating, so maybe that means he is absorbing more....also not pooping as often and I guess that could also mean he is absorbing more nutrients. His incision is nicely healed, too. . Now if he could just get some meat back on his bones!

well, the vet hopes to change his meds at some point, and budesonide is one she is considering.

We have now reduced Jack's medication by 5 mg per day. , from 50 mg daily to 45. The vet and the specialist she consulted with are concerned about his poop being so soft/unformed, so I suggested adding the probiotic back into the mix, and she agreed. That was a couple of days ago (medication reduction/probiotic) and the poop is looking more like poop and less like pudding! Still very soft, but better. . She said it could take quite awhile for him to start gaining weight, especially since he is on ultra low fat food (and lots of it...over 6 cups daily!). But we will be happy if he stops LOSING weight at this point.

That is my hope. He is obviously not losing protein like before, and he is eating more than he ever has, so hopefully at his next checkup on Nov. 6 we will see a weight gain, rather than another loss.

New blood work numbers: Albumin is up to 3, from 2.3 last week. Total protein is 5.1, also up from last week. Both numbers are in the NORMAL range!! Now if Jack would just regain some weight....

This is fabulous news!! So happy to hear she is doing so well.

Isn't that the truth! I told my daughter today, while we were forcing the grape syrup into Jack, that it was too bad it wasn't apple flavored. Jack LOVES apples, and can't have them anymore. He used to share an apple with me every day.

He isn't allowed ANYTHING except the prescription food.

the chews are in! We will get them tomorrow, so only 2 more doses of nasty syrup. He is doing a little better today. Still not on his bed much, which is weird. And sutures come out tomorrow too!

Is sodium saccharin OK? I researched what is in this stuff a little bit online (label was covered with the pharmacy label, and they didn't give me an information leaflet) and it looks like it's got saccharine and sucrose in it. Jack seems different today. Won't lay in his bed, sort of "down". a bit restless. I am still up because he didn't seem settled.

Most pharmacies only carry human products, so that's probably all they had. Relatively speaking, there are very few drugs produced specifically for pets, and these are usually only sold through vet clinics. The majority of common medications and generics that we use are human products. And I second DaisyDoodle's comment about pharmacists not knowing about pets' needs. Pharmacists are only trained in human medicine and do not receive any education in veterinary medicine. In the vet profession, this is one of the biggest concerns about an increasing number of pharmacies starting to also carry veterinary drugs and advertising to pet owners. Oh, I realize I would be getting a "human" medicine from a pharmacy. What I found astounding is that they (vet + pharmacist) decided to dispense the syrup. The pharmacist contacted the vet to see what she wanted to do, since he didn't have the tablets. It seemed very strange to give a dog syrup....human TABLETS, sure, but syrup?? What else is in that, besides the medication; has to be something to make it syrupy.

I certainly hope not to use it again, hopefully he only has to take 3 more doses, and then maybe the compounded chews will be in. Or the vet will switch him to plain old prednisone, which is, with any luck, a whole lot easier to get. I have been amazed that they gave him the HUMAN syrup, as I wondered if that could be "right" for him. From the smell, it is definitely something a child would take--and that alone makes me wonder about sweeteners.

I would hope that the vet/pharmacist would know if this stuff is OK.... I don't need anything else going wrong with my dog! He most definitely does NOT like the syrup.

I believe she wants him on prednisolone just for awhile, because his liver enzymes were slightly elevated (2.3) before the surgery. Last week they had come down to 2. Her plan is to switch him to prednisone, and perhaps to budesonide at some point. Thanks for the info on why they can't get the tablets. Nobody at the vet clinic told me it was backordered. They are getting me some flavored chews from an out of state compounding pharmacy. Good thing, because he really hates the grape syrup. And who knows if he's getting the full dose, since some of it dribbles out.