Poor Pitiful Pia - Pia has gone to heaven

[molly muffin]

Pia sounds adorable. I love her pictures. Awww, and a Maggie dog too. There is no need at this time to encourage activity especially if there is a possibility of pancreatis. She might just want to lay around until she feels better. She'll let you know when she feels like being playful again. No worries there. They may not talk but they have their ways of getting the message to us when needed.

hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[knitbunnie]

It is the lipase and T4 (thyroid) that need further investigation. I wouldn't be happy with a thyroid level below 1 and would want a full thyroid panel run.

Thank you! I talked with the vet and she said that it could be because of the stress, but I'm going to request more complete thyroid testing once this crisis is over. It has me worried, too.

[knitbunnie]

There is no need at this time to encourage activity especially if there is a possibility of pancreatis. She might just want to lay around until she feels better. She'll let you know when she feels like being playful again. No worries there. They may not talk but they have their ways of getting the message to us when needed.

hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Pia brought me a toy tonight and wanted to play tug. I was so excited that she initiated some play. She was so darned weak, and she only wanted to play for a minute or two, but it was really encouraging that she wanted some fun. I was very gentle and let her think she was her usual strong self. For a few minutes, she had a little of the sparkle back in her eyes.

[Squirt's Mom]

aahhhh....that little sparkle in their eyes is what we live for, huh? Nothing makes a day bright like that little sparkle, especially when it has been missing for a bit. I hope you start to see that sparkle more and more as the days go by.

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

[molly muffin]

That is a really good sign of Pia wanting to play a bit and you letting her think she was the big strong dog still. Nothing like a little reassurance play.
Nothing wrong with having the thyroid checked out to see if it is still low or not.
You're doing great.

hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[knitbunnie]

Pia had a very quiet day today, too quiet, so I called the vet, who was not in. The office said she'll call me tomorrow.

Pia's supposed to eat 3 times a day, and I had to hand feed her the first two times. She's decided she's tired of the Royal Canin low fat GI foood. She's still drinking a lot, and every time she eats anything she blows up like a balloon, despite taking Reglan. It's not like she's getting a lot of food - 1/3 of a can or 4 1/2 ounces with each meal, and she weighs 30 pounds.

Tonight, I was making something with leftover baked chicken, and she showed some real interest, so I tossed her a piece which she caught and looked for more. It was skinless chicken breast, so I tossed her a couple more pieces. and then she nearly scoured the kitchen floor looking for more. I saved out about an ounce of chicken from the food I was preparing and chopped it finely and added it to her last food of the day. I don't know if it was the chicken or a return of appetite, but she ate like a champ.

Because she has such terrible gas and bloating, I decided to put some probiotics in her food. I hope it helps. I had some from the health food store (I got Montezuma's revenge a while back from a trip to Mexico) and it helped me, so I opened a capsule and sprinkled about 1/4 of it onto her food.

I got the name of someone today who may be able to do acupuncture for Pia. She had it when she had her stroke and it helped immensely. If anyone has had experience with acupuncture for anything similar to Pia's issues, I am all ears. I'm trying to make up my mind on doing an ultrasound and a low dose dex snap test.

If anyone has any thoughts on other things to discuss with the vet, I am open to suggestions. I will ask her about the spec cPL test, too, and remind her of the low thyroid test, and further discuss the Cushings tests.

It's a comfort to know that all of you are here. I am so worried.

[molly muffin]

How is Pia this evening? I'd discuss the things you have already mentioned. Thyroid and cPL. Not sure if I'd pursue cushings till other things like pancreatic issues have been ruled out. Otherwise you could be throwing away money, since those can cause false readings on the cushings test. First things first. The not eating is Not cushings normal symptom. Cushings dogs can't get enough of anything usually.

Hang in there. I know you are worried sick. If anything appears to be too off, then head for the ER. You know Pia best.

hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[knitbunnie]

I had a long conversation with the vet this afternoon and she said that they did the spec cPL test, so that was one thing off the list. I discussed Pia's constant bloating and she (the vet) said it would be ok to withhold water for one hour after each feeding, as this seems to contribute to it.

Last night at bedtime, I put Pia on our bed and massaged her belly. She's not usually a snuggle bunny, but she fell asleep, belly up, in the crook of my arm, and snored softly. When I massaged her, she had just the most foul-smelling gas from both ends. It was pretty disgusting.

This morning, Pia woke up with an appetite, and she looked a little more lively. I sprinkled some probiotics on her food and she happily ate. She had more awful gas, so I turned to the internet and, in desperation, gave her half a Tums. She seemed more comfortable after that, and didn't get so bloated. She and I took a little walk and she found sticks and chased lizards. It was a wonderful morning.

Lunch was a different story - we were back to hand feeding balls of sticky food, but she did eat. I gave her Reglan half an hour before lunch, put probiotics on her food, and gave her another half a Tums with her food. I also put her water up for an hour after she ate because it seems that as soon as she eats she heads for the water bowl and just guzzles water. I wonder if she has reflux.

Back to the vet. In addition to the water, I discussed with her the probiotics and the Tums. She was fine with all of it, as long as Pia has fresh water available the rest of the day.

Since Pia is making slow steps in the right direction, we're going to hold off on any further testing for another week. At that time, we'll reevaluate and decide what to do next. She also said we should wait on the T4 for now, but I'd like to get it rechecked as Pia improves. The vet thinks that's a good idea because Pia has shown some improvement. I sure hope it keeps going in the right direction.

[molly muffin]

It sounds like a fine day indeed with Pia. The walk and a bit of play is a good thing.
I'm glad you had a nice chat with your vet and that you two are on the same page.
Is she going to do any testing for any gastrointestinal issues? That gas sounds like it is very uncomfortable, so I wonder what is causing it.
I think it's good that you have a plan. A plan is a much admired thing around here as everyone always feels better once they have one.

hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[Harley PoMMom]

What about GAS-X (Simethicone)? Here's a link with info about OTC meds and dosages:http://www.walkervalleyvet.com/otc-meds.htm