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Surgery For Alex's Corn Cobs


Guest CyndiW

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Prayers from here, too.

Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in Illinois
We miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10.

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Guest CyndiW

Update: I just got back and now my husband is staying in Cinci with him. At several points I have just wanted to bring him home but he has become so critical at this point that I just don't think he would have a chance. Every 8 hours a different emergency vet comes on duty and it seems like every test and his overall condition keeps getting worse. He received a plasma transfusion last night. However, his protein level is so low that his veins are leaking and causing swelling in his legs. His entire abdomen/chest is a very deep red. It has become too painful for him to get up and down so in addition to the many drips going in him they added a urinary catheter so he doesn't have to get up. It was just too painful and stressful. He was moved from ICU to CCU this morning and when I got there at 12:30 he looked 200% more comfortable than last night. They have him in the middle of the floor on padding/blankets where 2 counters make a corner. He seems so much happier not being in one of those kennels. They came to a critical point today where they had to make a decision whether this had become something of an autoimmune nature such as Alabama rot (at least that is how they explained it to me) or whether it was just severe complications from the corn cobs and the exploratory surgery done by our vet. They called in a surgeon to evaluate his condition because if they treated him for Alabama rot it would be with steroids and if it wasn't that then his immune system would be suppressed and not able to fight if it was complication related. After her exam, she was convinced that his incision place had become infected and spread to his abdomen. He was on one antibiotic but it wasn't helping. She recommended that we let her go back in and clean up all the infection, cut out any dead tissue, and make sure nothing else was going on. She said we could just treat with Baytril but she has not seen much success with abdominal infections and antibiotic use alone. She wanted to remove all the infection to give him a fighting chance. Of course, we agreed. This took about 3 hours and his vitals remained very stable throughout the surgery despite his critical condition at this point. She said the surgery went picture perfect and she was glad she went in when she did because she said a few more hours and he probably would have become septic. Although she reminded me of the statistics that she had briefed us on prior to surgery; Only 50% of dogs with abdomen infections this severe pull through. Now it is a waiting game. She said we will know within 48 hours if the surgery and plasma will help. Her biggest fear is that he will still go septic. He is on 3 antibiotics and she also put in 2 drains.

 

My husband just called and said they removed the urinary catheter and are going to get him up in a few minutes. This really concerns me because I had visions of him just lying there peacefully trying to heal. However, I realize the urinary catheter itself probably poses an infection risk long term and his skin in places has already started to break down so I am sure they want to keep him as active as possible. They also just told my husband that movement helps to stimulate the lymph nodes. His was aware that we were there for a couple of hours prior to surgery and my husband said he knows he is there now despite the pain meds and sedatives. The another vet that assisted with his surgery today just told my husband that dogs that do well the 1st 48 hours almost never go downhill after that point. So..... if he can just start showing some signs of improvement between now and Tuesday night! Thank you so much for the continuing prayers. After all the bad news this morning, I finally just prayed that we one thing go in his favor. A few hours after that is when the surgeon came in and figured out exactly what was going on with him and why he was having such strange blood work. Not sure if I already mentioned this or not but he is currently receiving a 2nd plasma transfusion to help him fight even more. Everyone that came in the CCU (vets/techs) said that he is really fighting hard despite how grim the situation has become. I have to go into work tomorrow because it is the 1st day of school and I am a teacher (great timing on the corn cobs, huh?) but I am leaving as soon as I get off to go spend tomorrow evening/night with him. My husband and I are going to keep trading off so that someone is always with him and sometimes both of us. The vets have told us that he responds very well to us being there and it gives him the reassurance that if mommy and daddy say its OK to be here (at the hospital) then it is OK.

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Can't imagine what you and your husband are going through. Sending more hugs and prayers that your tough boy will pull through.

Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in Illinois
We miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10.

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Guest CyndiW

Just talked to my husband and he described how horrible it was when they tried to get him up. He screams and snaps the entire time not to mention he is just really too weak to stand so it takes 4 people to get him up to the standing position and walk him. He is on 3 pain meds. They finally did but then he couldn't/wouldn't urinate. They did get him lying down on his other side. I know how important it is for him to get up and change positions but I am really 2nd guessing our decision to put him through all of this. I just wish there was another way. I feel like he is in a no win situation - lay there, get bed sores, and not make it or get up, suffer tremendously, and then maybe still not make it. If he pulls through and is doing great in several months, I will know it was the right decision but if he suffers terribly from everything we are putting him through and still has to be put down in a few days or goes on his own - well, I just can't handle that thought right now. We are already the reason he is in this situation.

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I know it's an awful place to be. But I would try not to second-guess yourself. Listen to the vets. It sounds like he has a real chance of pulling through this. Not a huge certain chance, but a real one. In your position, I would be pursuing that too.

Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in Illinois
We miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10.

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Guest CyndiW

I spoke with a tech at 3:00 am and he had just went out to urinate. She said he peed for 3-4 minutes which is a small miracle that he could even stand that long. She said that he walked quickly back to his bed and laid down without help for the first time. He also licked some baby food off of a spoon for her. She said she doesn't want to give me false hope but I know these are 2 things he couldn't do before the surgeon went back in yesterday to clean up the infection. I just spoke with the tech that came on duty and she sounded more negative when she heard slight optimism in my voice. Normally, they put me directly through to the vet on duty but now that he is in CCU he has his own tech. The surgeon is calling today between 10 and noon after her first big post-op exam. Thanks again for all the prayers. He has made it 12 hours of the first 48 critical ones after this surgery! So far, all of his vitals are still within normal limits.

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sending many prayers ! :hope :hope :candle :candle

Kim and Bruce - with Rick (Rick Roufus 6/30/16) and missing my sweet greyhound Angels Rainey (LG's Rainey 10/4/2000 - 3/8/2011), Anubis (RJ's Saint Nick 12/25/2001 - 9/12/12) and Zeke (Hey Who Whiz It 4/6/2009 - 7/20/2020) and Larry (PTL Laroach 2/24/2007 - 8/2/2020) -- and Chester (Lab) (8/31/1990 - 5/3/2005), Captain (Schipperke) (10/12/1992 - 6/13/2005) and Remy (GSP) (?/?/1998 - 1/6/2005) at the bridge
"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut." -- Ernest Hemmingway

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