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Ullaluv

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Posts posted by Ullaluv

    Princess, My Soulmate

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    I have no experience with this only hugs and good thoughts sent your way.

     

    I agree with TBHounds - gall bladder removal? It happens all the time in humans and from what I understand, can be quite painful (the possible reason for not eating?)

     

    Luck and light sent!

     

    I don't know if it's as simple as removing the gall bladder. Not something I know much about. If there's cancer there, I don't think it would make any difference. There's also the question if she would survive major surgery, weak as she is.

     

    And I'm not sure that she's in pain. The Tramadol made no difference, and I wouldn't consider NSAID's in a dog that's not eating. Also, she's still roaching, both while lying on a dog bed, and in bed with me! And NO sign of belly tenderness on physical exam. Still, I could be wrong.

    Princess, My Soulmate

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    Thanks, Jey. I've thought about repeating it. I don't know if my vet would be able to do it tomorrow. We could go back to the emergency clinic this weekend. I know they could do it, and their price was reasonable. Also wondering about repeating the blood chemistry to see what's going on with the liver values. We've sure been working hard with the fluids to keep flushing the bilirubin out.

    Princess, My Soulmate

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted · Edited by Ullaluv

    This will be long, so bear with me. I haven't posted much on GreyTalk for quite a while. Last year was not easy, and so far this one is not any better.

     

    Princess and I need your prayers and your knowledge and wisdom.

     

    Eight year old Princess is my soul mate, and has been since she first came to me as a foster with an eye injury that was being treated (unsuccessfully) for pannus. She is a small white girl with a huge personality and a very strong will.

     

    The Sunday before Christmas, December 19, Princess stopped eating. This worried me because I had lost another girl to an illness which no one could ever figure out, even on necropsy. On Tuesday I decided that she needed to go to the vet. Because of another dog's illness, we didn't get there until Thursday, Dec 23. She had dropped 4 pounds from her normal weight to 48.8 pounds. Her physical exam was entirely normal except for a low grade fever. CBC was normal. Blood chemistry was normal. Specifically, total bilirubin was 0.2 (0.1 - 0.3), ALT 38 (12 - 118), and ALKP 70 (5 - 131.) Urinalysis was normal except for 2+ protein. Full tick panel, done by Protatek was normal. The vet continued her on Clavamox and gave her Tramadol as needed for any possible pain, and I continued to try everything I could think of to get her to eat.

     

    We went back to the vet the following Thursday, Dec 30. Again, exam was normal, fever resolved and no more protien in the urine. We switched her from Clavamox to Cephalexin, hoping it would be easier on her stomach, stopped the Tramadol (which had had no effect) and added Pepcid, hoping we could get her back to eating. Her weight had dropped to 46.4. The plan was to do x-rays and ultrasound the next Monday if she didn't improve.

     

    I didn't wait until Monday. Sunday I decided she was so dehydrated that I had to find a way to at least give her fluids, so we headed off to the emergency clinic across town. On the way there, I decided that we might as well go ahead and do the xrays and ultrasound, so my vet would have that info on Monday morning. They did stat CBC and chemistry. The CBC was normal(0.0 - 0.9), ALT 3009 (10 - 100, had to be diluted to be read), and ALKP more than 2000 (23 - 212 - wouldn't read even with 2 dilutions.) Her chest x-ray was normal, and abdominal x-ray didn't show anything. The abdominal ultrasound was what gave some indication of what was going on: Liver: Abnormal. The liver was of normal size and echotexture. The portal highlights were adequate however they wewe markedly distended with anechoic bile. Gall Bladder: Abnormal. The gall bladder was very large and filled with completely anechoic bile. The bile duct was markely distended. Spleen, kidneys, bladder, adrenal glands, GI tract, pancreas and lymph nodes were either normal or not well visualized. They gave her 700 cc of sub-Q fluids (sub-Q because I wasn't willing to leave her over night,) and released her to my vet, with the suggestion that exploratory laparotomy might ultimately be required to obtain a diagnosis. Again, her physical exam was entirely normal. Her weight had dropped to 44.8. I started her that night on SAM-e, milk thistle, Vit-B complex and Vit B12.

     

    I had her at my vet at 8:00 Monday morning to start IV fluids, and my vet saw her a little later that day. Switched her from Cephalexin to Amoxicillin and started Ursodiol 250 mg twice a day. They also fed her Hills I/D hepatic health and gave me the rest of the can to bring home. She actually ate it that night.

     

    I thought I was loosing her that night. She lay almost without moving on a dog bed, with her head hanging off. Wouldn't even lift her head. I spent most of the night lying on the floor next to her, often with my hand on her chest to feel her heart beat. Her only movement during that night was to repeatedly reach her paw out to me.

     

    However, about 9:00, after I had gotten up and opened the door to let the other dogs out, I looked at her bed and she wasn't there. She had gotten up and gone outside to Potty, then came back and jumped up on my bed. So back to the vet's office we went for another day of IV fluids. While she was there, she did eat a whole can of the prescription food, but that's the last thing she has eaten (on Tuesday.)

     

    My vet is off on Tuesdays, so we saw her again yesterday morning. We drew blood for lepto and fungal titers since that's the only kind of infection we hadn't addressed. Kept her on the SAM-e, milk thistle, Amoxicillin and Ursodiol, added Vitamin E, stopped the Vitamins B and C (she had an injection on Monday), and started her on a 3 day trial of Cerenia 48 mg. Physical exam normal, weight down to 42.8. We decided it would be better to do the fluids her, so I've been giving her 1100 to 1200 cc's IV in 100 cc boluses every one to two hours. She's slept with me in my bed the past 2 nights, so I've been able to get some sleep, knowing that I would know if she stopped breathing and that if she left, she would die in my arms.

     

    This morning her weight is down to 42.2. That's more than 20% of her body weight since this started a week before Christmas.

     

    I love every one of my dogs, but this girl is my heart and my soul. She won't eat and is losing about half a pound a day. She is weak, but shows no sign of giving up, and has never in any way told me she might be ready to leave. Today, when I put my coat on to leave for an hour, she jumped down off the bed, ears up, ready to go with me, and when we go to the vet she's eager to go in to see all her friends there and check everything out. The things that come to mind that would account for the bilirubin, liver enzymes, and dilated bile ducts are infection, obstruction and cancer. Don't know if I'm missing anything. I'm not about to have anyone open her up without there being a reasonable chance of finding something that can be fixed. (My vet certainly agrees with this.) As of now, I have no reason to think there is.

     

    I'm still having no luck getting her to eat even a bite of anything. I've thought of pureeing some food and trying to force feed her with a big syringe, but I'm not sure if this is a good idea.

     

    I'm asking for your prayers or my Princess, and hoping someone here might have some ideas that neither my vet nor I have thought of.

     

    Princess and I thank you.

    Reko Sirocco

    in Remembrance

    Posted

    Carol, all I can do is send big hugs. Sirocco was/is one of the most special boys ever. I hope they know on the other side that's no use to put the bread on top of the fridge.

    What Do You Do With A Senior

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    I would immediately begin brushing daily with Petzlife Oral Care Gel. I babysat 12 & 11 year old greys for a friend. Both had advanced dental problems and incredible tartar buildup. Neither were physically able to have dentals and anesthesia. Within 10 days the improvement was incredible. Now, months later, she continued their care after being convinced the product worked and their mouths are incredible. They were out early this morning for a play date and if I hadn't seen it myself, I'd never believe the difference.

     

    We use this product daily. I have no interest in the company or anything. I just know the product works ... just follow directions. We order the 12 oz. refill for best value.

     

    Good Luck!

     

    I second the Petzlife. I'd also do a course of antibiotics. preferably Clindamycin, for the infection that she certainly has. That will help her mouth and safeguard her overall health. If her mouth is too sore to brush with the gel, you could start with the Petzlife spray and switch to the gel when her mouth doesn't hurt so much.

    Loca, Aka Reko Swahili

    in Remembrance

    Posted

    I'm so sorry I never got to meet Loca. From your stories, I'm sure the Rainbow Bridge is not the same place since she's there. There are some losses that we never quite get over, and I know that Loca's loss is one of those for you.

    My Red Is Not Good (Long)

    in Health and Medical discussion

    Posted

    I am typing this through my tears. Tonya just called me. Her daughter has been with Red all day, and called Tonya to ask her to come home right away. Red is bloated to the point where Tonya can't feel his ribs and has been unable to lie down all day. He's just been crying in pain all day. Red wanted to go for a walk, so they went for a walk, and he wants to go for a car ride, so they are leaving to go for Red's last car ride and his last trip to the vet. Tonya is devastated and I am devastated right along with her. Please keep them all in your thoughts and prayers.

    Grain Free

    in Food and dietary discussion

    Posted

    They just started carrying here a few weeks ago. Kayla loves it (as does everyone else) and is doing great on it. Soft fur, good poops and everything else. Hopefully, if it sells well in their test markets, they'll expand the areas where they sell it. I should be helping in that area, as I buy 3 or 4 bags at a time, and talk it up to any customer in Costco that gives me a chance.

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