My Housemate And Her Dog

[joejoesmom]

I'm not really sure why I am posting this, because if the good doctors at OSU can't figure it out, I doubt anyone could on a message board. I guess I just need to vent some.

 

I have had a housemate since last June. She came with two greyhounds. Eleven year old Luke has been my companion and seems to sense when I am feeling down. He comes and checks on me at least every two hours, more if he senses I need it.

 

On Monday, he vomited his breakfast about 3 hours after he ate. He tends to eat very fast and sometimes vomits, but usually more quickly after a meal. Monday afternoon he went out and had liquid diarrhea. His abdomen was tender and somewhat distended. He was not pacing or trying to vomit. He was panting. I called my housemate who is a vet tech. I did my best to describe his condition. She felt it wasn't bloat and indeed it wasn't. She asked me to make some white rice and see if he would eat it. He gobbled what I offered down (about 1/2 cup), but still was uncomfortable. He just wanted to lie on his bed. When she got home from work, he got up to greet her but she recognized that his cognition was off. She immediately rushed him to OSU.

 

Dr. Kellogg came back in especially to see him. The ER vets were also working on him. While doing the initial exam, Luke had explosive diarrhea turning to blood. He had VPCs (a heart arrhythmia). It was also determined that he had aspiration pneumonia. They worked to stabilize him.

 

X-rays were done, nothing unusual. An ultrasound was done, nothing unusual. He has no bowel obstruction. No sign of cancer, although I guess it is hard to totally rule this out. Dr. Couto is traveling in Europe but he has reviewed all the labs and clinical reports. No one can figure out why Luke has what they are calling hemorrhagic gastroenteritis. He definitely didn't get into any plants (he wears a muzzle with stool guard outside), medicines or food. He has been in the ICU since Monday night.

 

Today he stopped eating. He will likely be euthanized tomorrow as they have exhausted all the possible treatments. I am devastated. I am blaming myself for not taking him in when I first noticed his distress. For some reason, it didn't even occur to me to take his temperature, pulse, respiration. It didn't occur to me to check his gums or look for dehydration. I don't know why my brain wasn't functioning. I don't know if any of this would have made any difference. My housemate has said that it isn't my fault. I am trying hard not to show her that I am blaming myself, but I have absolutely no poker face. The last thing she needs is to have to deal with supporting me when her dog is dying.

 

If you know her, please don't mention this to her. She is a member GreyTalk but is not active.

 

I am going to go in and see him tomorrow to say goodbye. I have come to love him like my own.

 

I know this is probably horribly disjointed. I am just hurt and feeling very guilty.

 

Jane

[Jenbo]

Oh no, I'm so sorry. I am absolutely sure this isn't your fault, but it's so sad and distressing nonetheless.

[greysmom]

I'm so sorry Jane.

 

Sometimes vomiting is just vomiting, and sometimes it's not. The problem is, you don't always know right away. Fasting and "watchful waiting" often do the trick and you save your dog the stress of an ER visit. With no other issues than vomiting and diarrhea, I can't say I would have done anything differently than you and your housemate did.

 

I'm sorry your losing another friend.................

[Houndtime]

How sad for all involved. I am sorry.

[tbhounds]

Jane-why are you taking this personally?? You know these guys get some pretty weird stuff right? Nothing, nothing you did or didn't do will make a difference in the outcome here.

Can I throw this out to you???----I can share a similar case. My boy Poots was ADR, no appetite, cramping, explosive diarrhea, panting, pacing and vpc's. This was the beginning of a long battle of IBD. Was this suggested?? Have they thought about starting him on corticosteroid steroids?? I know he's receiving the ultimate care and its a longshot here but, I thought I would throw this out here.

Poots lived for another 3 years until the IBD morphed into adenocarcinoma. Those 3 yrs were a struggle to me but, not to him-it was a greyt 3yrs for him.

Hugs to all 3 of you.

 

T

[fliggie]

Be easy on yourself. I'm sorry for everyone.

[BatterseaBrindl]

for you and Luke's Mom

[Guest june]

So sorry you are going through this. As everyone else has said; you did the best you could. I am so sorry you are losing your friend. I'll be keeping all of you in my thoughts and prayers.

[Guest bayhorse]

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

[joejoesmom]

Jane-why are you taking this personally?? You know these guys get some pretty weird stuff right? Nothing, nothing you did or didn't do will make a difference in the outcome here.

Can I throw this out to you???----I can share a similar case. My boy Poots was ADR, no appetite, cramping, explosive diarrhea, panting, pacing and vpc's. This was the beginning of a long battle of IBD. Was this suggested?? Have they thought about starting him on corticosteroid steroids?? I know he's receiving the ultimate care and its a longshot here but, I thought I would throw this out here.

Poots lived for another 3 years until the IBD morphed into adenocarcinoma. Those 3 yrs were a struggle to me but, not to him-it was a greyt 3yrs for him.

Hugs to all 3 of you.

 

T

Tracy, thanks for the response. I would assume that the vets have thought of this, but since she hasn't mentioned IBD to me, I will double check with my housemate.

 

As to why I am taking it personally, I tend to take EVERYTHING personally. It is something I have battled my whole life. I know it doesn't always make sense to others, but somehow in my mixed up brain I feel that I am at fault for many things. This is something I continue to work on.

 

Jane

[galgrey]

I'm so sorry to hear this.

[tbhounds]

Jane-please mention that all of those symptoms happened to my Poots acutely--he was ok the day before everything hit. He found himself hospitalized the next day.

Please give yourself permission to understand that this is completely out if your control. You know what Dr Couto always says--if he hadn't gotten involved with ghs he would have a lot more time on the golf course. As much as we love our hounds they will give us gray hair.

Hugs to you and "A"

[MP_the4pack]

Jane, when did you get your VMD?!

 

Stop beating yourself up.

 

to you and Luke.

[joejoesmom]

I talked to my housemate last night. She said that it is not IBS. The symptoms are too severe. She mentioned that he has a foley catheter in his rectum, to try to stem the pure blood flowing out. He apparently has had transfusions (I don't know with what type of product or how many). The docs are confident that it is not IBS. He refused food yesterday. They placed an NG tube last night. I made some liver for him. They will try that along with some cheese and cream cheese. Hopefully the nutrition through the tube will spark his appetite enough to want to eat the liver, cheese or cream cheese. If none of this sparks his interest, I believe she will let him go.

 

Jane

Edited February 14, 2013 by joejoesmom

[carronstar]

As everyone has said, please don't beat up on yourself. Holding Luke and those who love him in my thoughts and prayers.

[tbhounds]

Fingers crossed- sending healing thoughts at this time.

[Guest SoulsMom]

I'm confused, why haven't they tried Flagyl and I/D diet? That's a standard protocol for these types of symptoms

[joejoesmom]

I talked to my housemate last night. She said that it is not IBS. The symptoms are too severe. She mentioned that he has a foley catheter in his rectum, to try to stem the pure blood flowing out.

 

Jane

Stupid me, again not thinking. I don't know but my guess is the rectal foley is to direct the blood, etc. away from him and his bedding along with allowing them to monitor blood outflow. In hindsight, I don't see how this would stop the bleeding. My housemate told me about the foley and the docs not thinking it was IBS, I just assumed that the foley was to stem the blood flow.

 

I have been reluctant to quiz her on the details. She comes home exhausted and barely able to talk. I'm sure I don't have the whole picture.

 

Jane

 

I'm confused, why haven't they tried Flagyl and I/D diet? That's a standard protocol for these types of symptoms

Yes they have. At least I assume so when she said that he was on a diet that would be as easy as possible on his stomach and also receiving antibiotics. The problem is that he started refusing to eat anything on Tuesday and now his digestive system has "shut down".

 

Dr. Couto says IBD is 3rd or 4th on the list of possibilites. I didn't hear what 1 through 3 were.

[greyhead]

Just sending you hugs, Jane.

[Guest PhillyPups]

Jane, to you, your housemate and Luke

 

I will keep the three of you in my prayers.

 

Please do not think you created any of this. I know the guilt of always thinking it is my fault, kind of comes from hearing a bit too many "now you eat that, there are children starving in (fill in what ever country you choose here) that would love to have that" I thought anyone that starved to death did so because I ate.

[DesiRayMom]

Many hugs to you, Jane. You recognized my guilty feelings & told me not to be, that I was an awesome mom.

And so are you...........my best wishes for Luke.

[GreyPoopon]

I'm sorry.

 

FWIW, Minnie's IBD presented this way, except that she continued to eat. And she was not yet 3, so (presumably) stronger.

[TheFullHouse]

I think probably all of us have beat ourselves up when our dogs become gravely ill. I know I have. Try not to be so hard on yourself. My thoughts are with you, Lukes mom and Luke.

[TwiggysMom]

Jane, I am so sorry to hear about Luke.

 

All three of you have my warmest thoughts and best wishes coming to you.

[joejoesmom]

Luke died early this morning (about 12:30am). He went into respiratory arrest. We got the call that he was failing. On the way in another call came saying he had stopped breathing, should they insert a breathing tube to keep him alive until we got there? My housemate said no (and BTW I agree) so by the time we got there he was gone.

 

His ICU doctor made a special trip in (he wasn't there overnight last night). I spoke with him some when my housemate was saying her goodbyes to Luke. He said they still didn't know what the problem was. In addition to the aspiration pneumonia, severe bloody diarrhea, fluid filled engorged areas of his intestine, and VPCs that he presented with, he also had non-normal blood values (I don't remember exactly what, maybe low protein?)

 

He feels that Luke either had cancer in his intestine that didn't show up on ultrasound; he was throwing blood clots, thereby affecting his intestines and other areas; had a perforated bowel (although the fluid in his abdomen looked okay); or (sorry that I don't know the proper words) the inner layer of his intestines sloughed off, leaving an inability to function. They really don't think it was IBD.

 

Luke was a silly boy. He came into my office, or wherever I was, at least every 2 hours -- more often if he thought I had a bad day. He made me take a break so I could rub his ears, thereby groaning in a full out eargasm. If I scratched just the right spot he would shake his back leg and I would laugh. He liked it when I laughed, so he did his best to shake his leg and have eargasms.

Luke's ears were of the rare pointy-up variety. Like a horse, he would swivel them all over the place. He had a very expressive face with a white streak down the middle, perfect for kissing. I am going to miss him.

 

Jane