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Penny Update - Going Out Swingin'


Guest Tuxsmom

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should have tick panel results back tomorrow or the next day. Penny had a tick panel just in February (my vet does it automatically with annual - i didnt know that ). Everything was fine then. She also did a specific one for babesia, just in case.

 

Will start steroids tonight. If we need to , we can take her off of them tomorrow. she'll just have 2 pills by then.

 

Talked to DVM at OSU. aghh..he had so much good information, but I was having a very hard time understanding his accent :( :( :( :( I didn't want to keep asking him to repeat himself, so I'm going to email him to clear up some points.

 

I did catch that he does not see too many cases of TBD in greyhounds with Penny's clinical signs. So it is truly a longshot, but what the hey...

 

He wants us to pull spinal fluid (i think?) CSF? Says we can get some answers without expense of MRI. But the specialist i went to said SHE wouldn't feel comfortable doing it, and I haven't asked my primary vet yet. Must be a delicate thing to do.

 

thanks everyone!

 

 

The spinal fluid retrieval is not a trivial procedure. The vet uses a needle to go into the spinal cord and draw the fluid from there. Since they are going into the spinal column, they have to be very careful because it is so near all the nerve bundles. This is not a procedure most vets do routinely, so you may want to go to a "larger animal hospital" to get this done. Wherever you do decide to have this done, you probably want to find out how many of these procedures the vet has done and whether there were any complications.

 

 

 

 

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How's Penny doing? She's on my mind a lot these days.

Judy, mom to Darth Vader, Bandita, And Angel

Forever in our hearts, DeeYoGee, Dani, Emmy, Andy, Heart, Saint, Valentino, Arrow, Gee, Bebe, Jilly Bean, Bullitt, Pistol, Junior, Sammie, Joey, Gizmo, Do Bee

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Guest Vinnie

Adding our thoughts and prayers for your sweet Penny as well. Hoping that she is having a favorable reaction to the meds. Hugs and scritches.

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Guest Tuxsmom

:cry1

 

TBD results were all negative, so that has been ruled out. vet was still hopeful about prednisone, since it can relieve swelling in the brain/spinal caused by anything, even cancer. not a treatment, but a management of symptoms...

 

she is having typical side effects of prednisone: excessive thirst, lots of urination, panting.

 

on behavior: she seemed to be doing BETTER ! playing, roaching.. a lot like her old self. is this a good sign that maybe prednisone was having a positive effect?

 

but today, things have taken a bad turn. she vomited twice around noon. then twice around midnight. both times 4 hours after eating / taking meds.

 

the vomit is mostly water with ground up food and partially digested pills :(

 

i am not going to give her prednisone tomorrow. she's just throwing it up anyway. i think its more important to try to keep phenobarbitol down her since its dangerous to just quit taking it. i'll call vet first thing monday morning. if the side effects are not worth the benefits, then i dont know what to do.

 

any help for vomiting? pedialyte? gatorade? certain foods?

 

thank you all so much for everything. i am just kind of disheartened right now :unsure

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Guest Tuxsmom

update: ok, after reading a bunch of stuff, i am going to feed her rice and boiled hamburger or chicken breast in the morning. I am going to let her drink all the water she wants, but in smaller quantities more frequently (she's been downing a whole bowl at one time). and i'm going to get her some unflavored pedialyte because she is dehydrated. her skin stays "tented" and takes a second or two to flatten. since she's not showing any signs of nausea now, and it seems to be over once she gets it out of her system, i'm assuming she'll get back on track ok tomorrow. i've been giving her the pills wrapped in velveeta cheese (a small amount) and i'm guessing it takes about 4 hours for the velveeta cheese to start letting the drugs seep through and thats when shes having her reaction to them?

 

and now i really really have to get some sleep :)

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There are a couple of things to ask the vet about for the stomach. There's the PPI category--like Prylosec to reduce the acid (don't know if this would counteract other meds/chemo). Then there's compazine, which settles an upset stomach.

 

It may seem a bit mean, but it might be better to put the pills directly down Penny throat and that way it would be absorbed more quickly, and the Velveeta wouldn't play a part, in case that doesn't agree with her. You can get a wand that grabs the pill to help insert them.

 

I hope you'll be able to find something to help Penny feel better soon,

 

DD

Donna
Molly the Border Collie & Poquita the American-born Podenga

Bridge Babies: Daisy (Positive Delta) 8/7/2000 - 4/6/2115, Agnes--angel Sage's baby (Regall Rosario) 11/12/01 - 12/18/13, Lucky the mix (Found, w 10 puppies 8/96-Bridge 7/28/11, app. age 16) & CoCo (Cosmo Comet) 12/28/89-5/4/04

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Guest Energy11

Hey June ... When Curfew was on Pred, ALL he wanted to do was EAT and DRINK! If we didn't push him away from the water, he'd drink the entire bowl, too. I gave him 10 mg of Pepcid AC both a.m. and p.m. to help with his upset stomach, which really helped.

 

Sounds like you are on the right track with Penny! DO let me know if there is anything I can do to help, and you are always welcome to call me, as well. Hugs! Dee

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I agree with giving her something for her stomach, a half hour before feeding her and giving her meds, that way her stomach will be settled and maybe she won't vomit them up, since she needs them to control her symptoms.

Judy, mom to Darth Vader, Bandita, And Angel

Forever in our hearts, DeeYoGee, Dani, Emmy, Andy, Heart, Saint, Valentino, Arrow, Gee, Bebe, Jilly Bean, Bullitt, Pistol, Junior, Sammie, Joey, Gizmo, Do Bee

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Guest Energy11
I agree with giving her something for her stomach, a half hour before feeding her and giving her meds, that way her stomach will be settled and maybe she won't vomit them up, since she needs them to control her symptoms.

\

 

Yes, I finally had to give Curfew the Pepcid AC 10 mg. a.m. and 10 mg. p.m. with the 20 mg of Pred he was on. Worked GREAT! I am soo happy to have him off that crap, though! So is he! :-))

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Guest Tuxsmom

she vomited up her breakfast of chicken & rice. soooo should i withhold food until tomorrow morning when i can call the vet?

 

i got pepcid ac - 20 mg. should i give her that before dinner and try to get dinner down her? she has an appetite and is begging for something to eat right now. nosing around the counter tops and whining.

 

maybe just fluids tonight? is chicken broth ok or too rich?

 

thanks for any input. i'm gonna hide the calendar on the wall so penny doesn't know when the weekend is. there seems to be a new turn every weekend, on saturday! :unsure

 

 

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Guest Tuxsmom

ive been reading that fasting is the most important thing to do to keep a dog from vomiting again. last nights episode was at midnight, i made her wait 12 hours and fed her "breakfast" at noon. hmm..

 

at this point, i think i'm just trying to keep water down her. she seems to only vomit after food, not after water. i dont want a trip to the evet tonight over severe dehydration.

 

i gave her the phenobarb at noon with no velveeta. i'm hoping it got mostly absorbed.

 

i think i'll give her pepcid ac before dinner time, then give her phenobarb 30 mins later a very very small amount of plain white rice. sound ok?

 

 

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