Jacey's At The Er

[Remolacha]

:candle

 

it's always encouraging when the vets don't expect them to make it through the night and they do! hoping the tests show the pred is helping

[MaryJane]

I'm not sure of the protocols but, have they considered giving platelets?

[Guest dobiegrey]

Kind of hoping for a Saturday afternoon update soon. Many prayers for your beautiful girlie!!

[Yamaha_gurl]

Sending more and more prayers

[Guest goofydog]

Kathy, checking in to see if todays bloodwork and xrays were helpful in figuring out what exactly is going on with Jacey. More healing thoughts and prayers for her and gentle hugs for you.

 

I know Sam must be lost without her at home so I'm sending extra special calming thoughts for him too. Oh yeah, and one of these

[KF_in_Georgia]

 

If a healthy greyhound will sleep 20 out of 24 hours in a day, imagine what a sick greyhound can do!

 

MaryJane, her immune system has been destroying platelets at a terrifying rate. Transfused platelets would likely meet the same fate. We really need for her body to tolerate her own platelets. The girl's immune system clearly has no brakes, and I'm not sure that rousing it with an infusion of "foreign" platelets is where we want to go, especially since there's no sign her system would welcome them.

 

Happily, her platelet count has gone up to a whopping 30,000. That's nowhere near a good number--it's still down 85% from where it should be--but it beats 18,000 from yesterday (a 91% drop from Tuesday).

 

Chest x-rays are clear; no signs of cancer.

 

And she ate a little for me tonight: not quite half of a very tiny jar of baby food, but it's a start.

 

At this point, we can look at what it'll take to get her home:

 

1. 
    
   
2. Platelet count of approximately 75,000.
   
3. Vastly improved clotting. Now that we've got some platelets, they need to start doing their job.
   
4. An ability to take food--and meds--by mouth and not vomit them back up. (It will be an hour or so before we know if tonight's mouthful of dinner will stay put.)
   

 

Of course, I asked the vet "when". I need to know what to tell my boss. Maybe Monday. I'm thinking I'll work Monday (my next regular shift), then take off the rest of the week to stay home with her. I can pick her up Monday night, if the vet approves, or I can break her out of jail --um, get her discharged from the hospital on Tuesday morning.

 

I'm a dog groomer, and under other circumstances I could take an under-the-weather dog to work with me. (Sam went with me when we had chiropractor visits scheduled for after my shift.) But there's no way I'm taking an immune-suppressed dog anywhere but home since I can't guarantee that all the grooming dogs are in good health. Jacey's entire life may have to change, depending on how her recovery progresses: no more vaccinations, very limited exposure to other dogs, and for sure no more Cephalexin. Perhaps forever. Not unless we're sure we know where the "off" switch is for her immune system.

 

She's not completely out of the woods, but she'd have to get much worse before she'd be in immediate danger, and I don't think the vets are fretting too much about her tonight. I'll go back to the ER later to say good-night to her and get in another cuddle.

 

[Guest dobiegrey]

Thank you for the update! Looks as if the prayers are moving things in the right direction. Keep it up big girl, we are all pulling for you!!

 

Lou

[kudzu]

Oh, yeah. Good updates. Keep it up Jacey. We're pulling for you.

[KF_in_Georgia]

She's feeling worse tonight. After I left this afternoon, she got another dose of doxycycline, and it is making her feel bad: she wouldn't settle down during my visit, and her stomach was gurgling and growling. She's had diarrhea quite often the last two days, although she hasn't eaten anything (beyond that little tablespoon of baby food hours ago), and has only had water to drink. Poor baby.

 

But they don't dare stop the doxycycline until they get the results of the various tick tests. One of the techs tonight said the test results tend to come in over a couple of days, one one day, another the next; so she's going to have to put up with the doxycycline until all the results are in. (She's also getting Reglan and Cerenia for nausea.)

 

Edited August 21, 2011 by KF_in_Georgia

[luvhounds2]

Oh, your poor, sweet girl. I'm sending many, many prayers & white light to her. Please feel better soon, Jacey.

[4greyhounds]

Sending Many Many Prayers and good thoughhts, poor baby!!!!! :hope

[Guest FullMetalFrank]

Sending prayers for your little girl; she's a fighter!

[greyhead]

Hope you and Jacey get some rest tonight and have a better tomorrow.

[robinw]

Wow, I just read this. The two of you have been through a lot these past couple of days. You're both in my thoughts. Hope Jacey feel better and comes home soon.

[EllenEveBaz]

Sending cybercuddles to Jacey.

[Charlies_Dad]

Continued good thoughts for Jacey. She's fighting it whatever it is. Keep it up girl!

[duncan41]

She is so beautiful and is obviously fighting so hard! Jacey, honey, you have the power of GT rooting for you, so just relax and let your body heal. Praying that today is the 1st day of small, continuous improvements.

[lovinggreysslp]

Sending prayers for Jacey.

[kudzu]

Sorry the doxy is making her feel puny. That isn't surprising really but it sure isn't what the poor girl needed. Sending more well wishes to Jacey.

 

It is just my personal opinion but going on anecdotal evidence only, it seems like metoclopramide works better than Cerenia for getting dogs to eat. Cerenia probably has advantages in other ways which win out in Jacey's case. Just mentioning this as an FYI for anyone whose dog goes off food because of doxy. Low doses of metoclopramide can really help with the quesies & inappetance.

[Guest greytbookert]

Checking on you and Jacey this morning...

[DesiRayMom]

Hoping Jacey has a better day today.

[Guest roselle]

E-Vet says her RBC and WBC is fine. Another count--platelets, plasma?--has dropped from 200,000 on Tuesday's bloodwork to 18,000 today. She has blood in her eyes, bleeding from her nose and mouth, bruising everywhere. They're starting her on prednisone.

 

So--can they stop the bleeding and fix her platelets? And was this triggered by something else ("primary" ITP vs "secondary" ITP)? She was on antibiotics; that could have done it. Or she could have an underlying cancer, so we're trying to schedule an ultrasound. (Vet says her spleen feels okay. One of the benefits of having a skinny dog is that the vet can feel things well.)

 

But is she bleeding into her brain? Or suffering irreversible damage somewhere?

 

 

That's her on the way to the e-vets this morning. We were stopped at a traffic signal. I snapped the picture to keep from crying...which I'm doing a lot of here at home.

 

I lost my first girl at the age of 8 years and 4 months. Jacey was 8 in May.

 

And she appeared perfectly fine yesterday morning.

 

 

Your girl is beautiful.

======================

 

Sorry, I'm fine at thinking clearly and not panicking when there's something to do: I can apply pressure to wounds, cope with seizures, immobilize broken bones. (And I was smart enough to transfer money from savings to checking before we went to the vet's this morning.) But then I go "brain-stupid": vet talk is in one ear and out the other. Numbers have more digits than I can comprehend. And when I called a manager to say I wasn't coming to work today, he said, "Are you the only one closing tonight?" Do I know everyone's schedule? And do I care, right now?

 

An article about ITP has this statement:

 

"Unfortunately, mortality rates of patients with IMT approach 50 percent: death is caused by severe blood loss, especially bleeding into the gastrointestinal tract, or bleeding into the brain..."

 

I could have gone all day without reading that.

[KF_in_Georgia]

She was a bit more alert on this morning's visit, and I got to walk her outside for her to pee (normal) and poop (not so much--mucus and blood, but very little of both). She's not eating for them and this morning wouldn't eat even a little for me, although she attacks the water bowl with enthusiasm (go, pred!). Her bruises are not much larger and are quite a bit lighter.

 

 

They gave her morning meds in a food ball they shoved down her throat, and so far that's stayed down. This bodes well for the possibility of bringing her home tomorrow. (It also helps reduce the vet bill if they don't have to give injections. Today's estimated bill is three digits instead of four, but this has now officially cost me more than the vinyl flooring in three rooms that I had to replace two weeks ago. I have VPI, but I have a realistic view of how much they will pay. I knew there was a reason I'd been working 70+ hours a week lately.)

 

I've been to the grocery store and stocked up on temptations for her: vanilla Ensure, chicken, potatoes (instead of rice--I have rice, too, but she's not so great with it), unsweetened applesauce (she adores apples), baby food in a couple of fruit flavors (banana and a mixed fruit) as well as three meats. Oh, and vanilla Yogurt. And a bunch of little containers I can use to take stuff to the hospital this afternoon and again this evening.

 

And I may swing by McDonald's and pick up a filet-o-fish: I know of long-escaped dogs that were enticed into a trap by the smell of a McDonald's FoF. (Mind you, the vet said Jacey may be pulling a "pitiful me" act in hopes of hitting a food jackpot, but we figure she's entitled.)

 

I went by work and told them I wanted to take all next week as vacation. Despite the short notice, I got no grief from them. So I can stay home with her, and just hope I get lots of freelance work while I'm here. And hope my ability to concentrate improves. Right now, I'm fidgety, a bit hyper (too much Diet Coke), exhausted (not much sleep, and not good sleep). And I'm looking at the clock because I told the doctor I'd be back about 4pm (they'll have the latest lab work by then), and I don't want to bug the doctor or interfere with their schedules, but I'd love to go back earlier. Maybe I'll just go cook her something to eat.

Edited August 21, 2011 by KF_in_Georgia

[HopeForHounds]

That is such encouraging news. Continuing prayers and healing thoughts Go Jaycey!

[Batmom]

Keeping all fingers and toes crossed for your girl.

 

Glad you got the week off -- one less thing to worry about.