RileysLegacy
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He had a good night
We've been up since 4am, but we all fell asleep early. I got some good cuddles and kisses this morning 
He also finally pooped this morning after 2.5 days, so that is a relief. And he was waiting in the kitchen with his brothers for breakfast
I hate that I have to bring him back to the vet now, but it's for his own good. Hoping for some answers today...Thanks again everyone!!!
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Sorry guys. I meant to update. Legs is doing pretty well. The vetmedin has been upsetting his tummy a little but I added some probiotics that seem to be helping. He's still drinking a ton of water and has peed rivers inside a few times
Thankfully we've had nice cool breezy weather the last few weeks so he is able to go for some decent walks. We go to the empty dog park in the mornings sometimes too which is good b/c he can self-regulate his exercise. Some days he seems exhausted after 10 mins of just sniffing around, other days he lasts longer. It's strange how sometimes he is fine but other times not doing the exact same thing.I'm really dreading summer for him. I don't know what I'm going to do to keep him from going stir-crazy.
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He's home, ate dinner, and is completely passed out. He's a sick little guy
His bloodwork numbers are way off, but so far they can't figure out what's wrong. She mentioned autoimmune as a possibility. The weird thing is he had bloodwork 3 weeks ago and it was perfect. The lab in CA will be taking a look tomorrow so hopefully that will give some answers.I'm so glad he's home, but I'm really worried. At least his fever is down, and he ate, and he's here with us.
Puzzle is taking good care of him
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Thank you all so very much. A vet tech called & said he's doing better & they got his fever down. I will pick him up in about 2 hrs & bring him back at 7am tomorrow for the day. I can't wait to see him & give him zillions of kisses
His brothers will be happy to see him too Thanks again for all the good wishes. I will update when we get his test results back. Please please please let it be some kind of infection or random doggie flu...
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My vet called, his WBC is very low. She has him on 3 different abx & wanted to keep him until tomorrow evening. But I asked if he could come home tonight & she said its ok if I bring him back early tomorrow morning. Nobody is there overnight so I would much rather him come home.
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I feel better with him in my vets care. I know she will do everything she can to take good care of him. He's on IV fluids & they are giving him abx. Hopefully they'll call me in a couple of hrs with an update. Thanks for all the support it means a lot.
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Thanks so much everyone. He just had bloodwork & it was all normal so that's what made the ER vet think it's not kidney or liver or anything like that.
I am dropping him off at my reg vet for the day now. He's sooo lethargic & sick
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A few weeks ago he had a seizure, but has been doing pretty well since then. But yesterday in the morning he wasn't his usual self, nothing dramatic, but i could tell something was off. By the time I got home from work he was clearly sick. He had trouble walking when I took him out to pee, and was shaking and hunched over with his tail tucked. He did eat dinner, but I had to carry him to his bowl when he's usually inches away waiting for me to put it down. After dinner, he seemed really lethargic so I took his temp. It was 104 so I called the closest ER vet and they said to bring him in. On the way to the vet I got really scared b/c he was hardly moving and his nose felt ice cold while his body was burning up. But once we got inside the vet he perked up a bit. All his vitals were good and he just had bloodwork after the seizure that all came back normal. So he got some IV fluids and Rimadyl and she sent us home. He slept through the night but is still lethargic this morning, and did not want breakfast. His temp is 103.3. I'm going to call my reg vet and see if she thinks I should bring him in.
Any good thoughts for my little man are welcome. I am SO scared. He turns 14 in 2 months. Thankfully i have some wonderful friends who kept me from completely going off the deep end last night. But being a single dog mom is not fun in times of crisis.
My baby boy
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Healthy Paws has NEVER asked me for handwritten notes. The only thing my vet writes with a pen is filling out 2 words on the claim form stating the reason for the visit and her signature. It would make no sense to require written notes in this day and age, all vets use computers.
Before listening to random people on the internet, why not contact healthy paws yourself? That should clear this up. I agree that it makes total sense for them not to accept any vet records from the client themselves, if that was the issue.
I have no vested interest in Healthy Paws, but I think they are a good company and it's silly to be making up their rules that don't exist.
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Wow, I've had Healthy Paws for Legs for 2 1/2 years & it couldn't be any easier to submit a claim. In fact I got a check from them today for almost $400 to cover last Thursday's vet visit! I simply email them the claim form my vet has signed & invoice, they've never asked for more info except the very first time I sent all the records I had. Even when I took him to see specialists at different vet offices they never asked for anything more (though of course they don't cover office visits & consults).
However, if you are dealing w/ issues that may be pre-existing, that is different. Legs' previous owners had him on thyroid meds even though he does NOT have a thyroid issue. HP would not even cover any thyroid testing since they consider it pre-existing.
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Re: Water consumption. Is he on Lasix too?
No.
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I will say that some human pharmacies around here (Kroger is one) are carrying veterinary medicines. However so far I have found them to be more expensive than the mail order veterinary pharmacies. That being said, I have never asked them for something as specific as Vetmedin -- just Deramaxx, heartguard, etc.
Jane
Allivet seems to have one of the best prices. If I order a month at a time (100 pills), the shipping is free & saves about $40 per month from what my vet charges. Also Healthy Paws said they will cover it, so that is a huge relief! I will only have to pay about $10 per month for his meds
(of course i pay Healthy Paws $50 per month, but I think it has paid off this year!).I will email my vet to ask about those supplements and to make sure she has consulted the cardiologist. I am very hopeful that Legs has a slow progessing case since I've been noticing symptoms for years. But he is definitely getting worse, and he is drinking so much water! His heart is still within normal size range for a greyhound, it's just not contracting properly, and some blood is leaking back into the chambers when it pumps
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Thank you so much Jane. I paid $87 for 50 5mg tablets. i didnt even really know what compounding meant
But you are right, it is available in the appropriate size. Right now Legs is taking 7.5 mg (1.5 pills) 2x/day, & the pills are already scored to easily split them in half so that is no problem. I emailed his insurance to ask them if his meds will be covered & how it works. I will figure something out...Thanks again for looking into it for me, that was so nice of you!
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Lucy, our Jack passed away due DCM (or complications of it) back in June last year. He was on Vetmedin, Fortekor and Furosemide initiially and then added Amiodarone after his irregular heartbeat started. We had him diagnosed in Nov. 2011 and similar to you, kick ourselves as there were signs sooner but we just did not see them. Now Jack's heart had gotten quite large very quickly and looking back we now realize it materialized and progressed very quickly with him. His 6+mths after his diagnosis was all good, with the exception of one episode, outside laying on the deck and we heard a noise and saw him get up and stagger. He didn't seem to walk right after initially so we called our local vet at home and rushed him in. After a discussion of about 30 minutes, it was decided there was not a lot more we could do for Jack other than possibly an aspirin dosage.
Why am I writing all this? I guess what I'm saying is Jack's condition was quite bad and yet it did not affect his life and yes we have regrets that we did not notice it sooner and get him on meds quicker as that may have gave him more time with us. I hope Legs has many, many more months/years with you as unfortunately one never knows the future.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience w/ Jack
You are right, any one of us can go at any time, so I am going to have to try to contain my anxiety. For now, Legs is certainly not suffering or in any kind of distress when hanging out at home. I am pretty sure the radiologist said his heart is w/in a normal size range for greyhounds, so that is promising. I have never heard him cough other than when he hacks up some food every once in awhile. So that is all good signs. His water drinking is a bit concerning but I don't even know for sure it's related. Anyway, thank you again for your post, it is very helpful to hear of another greyhound with the same condition and that he was happy up until the end. That is my biggest concern, as I cannot stand the thought of letting my pets suffer even for a day.I dreamed about Riley last night, the first time in a very long time. I was initially sad when I woke up, but it seems like it was a good dream. He was swimming in the ocean and having so much fun. I am not very spiritual at all, but it feels like he was reminding me to cherish every moment.
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If you haven't already check with SBH Medical Compounding pharmacy in Worthington, OH. I've gotten the best prices from them for both Bruiser's and Beanie's chemo drugs.
Thank you so much. My vet is also checking into getting it compounded.
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Are you not seeing the cardiologist to manage his DCM?
there is no cardiologist in hawaii. My vet has been consulting with one though, he is the one who suspected DCM after he didn't improve on the beta blocker.
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I wouldn't necessarily put much stock in that, unless your vet specifically told you Legs in in the later stages of DCM. Not sure what literature your vet gave you, but when Vetmedin first came out, it was mostly added in as a later medication when heart disease became more advanced. But more and more, cardiologists are starting to use it earlier in the course of disease and for other symptoms.
Did the cardiologist give you any assessment of how severe/advanced Legs' DCM is at this point? They should be able to tell how well his heart is functioning based on the ultrasound.
ok, good to know ,thank you. This wasn't a cardiologist, it was a radiologist. He didn't really answer that question, just said we will re-check and see how he is in 4 months.
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I was just reading over some info my vet gave me & it says vetmedin is prescribed for dogs in the later stage of dcm
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I've been catching up on this topic all day today and am just in time for your final diagnosis. I feel so bad since I've been wallowing in self pity because I have to pay for osteosarcoma care for our newly adopted 10.5 yr old and it looks like everybody here has health issues that take up a good chunk of money. I don't mean to be heartless but money getting thrown around for a consult, a diagnosis, a hopefully effective treatment.....gets me angry when I have debt already up the wazoo. And look at you, Lucy, plodding along for months and months, probably spending a lot of your savings. Sometimes I just want to ask for the cheapest way to get quality care. But we live and learn.
I don't know anything about heart problems in dogs. I hope DVM is manageable with the right meds. I hope they haven't given you an expectancy of life. I hope things actually get better. You are very strong...I admire all your decision making and your willingness to persevere. I will wait to see how others react but my husband and I might do an online fundraiser for Jimmy if we can find one that has acceptable terms. I will forward info to you because there are many websites that are useful for veterinary assistance financially.
Hugs for Legs and all of you! Get some sleep, you've been living this nightmare of not knowing, now you know. It might not be wine and roses but you may be able to make changes to keep him around a few more years! <3
I haven't done anything that anyone here wouldn't do. And when I look back, I made a lot of mistakes
I accepted that he was just sensitive to heat, when I should have known it was more than that. I feel SO LUCKY that he didn't drop dead because I've taken him on long hikes, running with me, let him chase a lure, play fetch, etc. Most of the time he was fine but occasionally he would have an episode. But I know hindsight is 20/20 and if all those vets couldn't diagnose him, then how could i have.I thankfully decided to get pet insurance for him, so that has helped quite a bit. I'm so sorry that you are facing another pup w/ osteo, that is just so unfair. I will keep you guys & Jimmy in my thoughts
Lucy, I'm so sorry for Legs' diagnosis. I don't know much about CHF, except from what I've read here. It seems like some cases progress more quickly than others so there's no way to really know what will happen. Hopefully at least now that you have a diagnosis you can focus on making as many good memories as you can with Legs and hopefully you're doing that for years to come.I think it sucks that it took so long for you to, in the end, get a crappy diagnosis. Wish there were something more I could do.
Just sending some virtual hugs your way. Thanks so much Jen. I am hopeful that he has a lot of quality time left. We will def be cherishing every moment and maybe I'll finally give in to his pleas to sleep in bed with me
I believe this is a drug that Mary Pat (MP_the4pack) gave her Pearl. If she doesn't see this to tell you where she got hers, you might want to message her.My thoughts are prayers are with you and Legs.
Jane
Great, thanks so much. I will definitely message her.
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Vetmedin 2x a day, no running or strenuous exercise, recheck in 3-4 months. Instructions on where to bring him if he collapses when my vet is closedTreatment plan? unfortunately both my vet & the emergency center are 30 mins away. this med is $87 for 16 days which is insane. I need to find a cheaper place to get it. I am glad to finally have a dx, but kind of in shock. I didn't really get a clear answer from the vets today what his prognosis is & reading online it doesn't sound good at all. The vet tech gave me a hug which scared me since the last time she did that was when Riley was dxed with osteo...
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It's DCM. I'm heartbroken. He's not even 8 years old.
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Thank you all SO MUCH. I don't know what I'd do without you!!! I will update later today. Happy valentines day to you all
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Don't get the cart before the horse--wait and see what the echo shows. If it is DCM there are medications that can help. Dr google can be a scary guy--wait and see what they find --I know it's hard but, you're going to make yourself ill with worry.
thank you. It's just so hard when you don't know what is wrong!
I just realized Legs is having his heart ultrasound on Valentine's Day
That has to be good luck, right? -
I have a friend who had a Boxer live to age 12 with DCM! A 12 year old boxer I think is fairly rare AND it wasn't the DCM that killed her, she had Boxer tumors and one ruptured and she started to bleed out. Oh, and an unsolicited plug....OSU treated her DCM.
thank you for posting that. def makes me feel better! I have to assume since I've been seeing sxs of whatever is wrong for over 2 years, that is a good sign. though doing more reading last night, it sounds like many greyhounds w/ DCM just drop dead one day. i didn't sleep much last night
We've been up since 4am, but we all fell asleep early. I got some good cuddles and kisses this morning 
I hate that I have to bring him back to the vet now, but it's for his own good. Hoping for some answers today...
Thankfully we've had nice cool breezy weather the last few weeks so he is able to go for some decent walks. We go to the empty dog park in the mornings sometimes too which is good b/c he can self-regulate his exercise. Some days he seems exhausted after 10 mins of just sniffing around, other days he lasts longer. It's strange how sometimes he is fine but other times not doing the exact same thing.
His brothers will be happy to see him too 
(of course i pay Healthy Paws $50 per month, but I think it has paid off this year!).
But you are right, it is available in the appropriate size. Right now Legs is taking 7.5 mg (1.5 pills) 2x/day, & the pills are already scored to easily split them in half so that is no problem. I emailed his insurance to ask them if his meds will be covered & how it works. I will figure something out...
:weep
Jabari Is Sick- He's Gone
in Health and Medical discussion
Posted
He's home!! I unexpectedly got the afternoon off so I was able to pick him up early. Yay!
He seems to be doing better but he has thrombocytopenia - NO platelets in his blood. The vet has no idea why & was consulting with some other vets if somehow his seizure could be related or what, but none of them could come up with anything.
I am taking him back on Sat for another blood test, assuming he's ok at home until then. If his platelets are still low, she recommends xrays to look for cancer
Not sure if I will do that, as I can't imagine a situation where I'd feel it was appropriate to do anything invasive, but I guess I will just try to take one day at a time for now. There is still a chance it could have been a weird infection, and he will just get better.
Thanks again everyone so much for caring about my little guy!