My big boy Gable - sweet Gabe is now at peace

[Joan2517]

Took Gabe for a pre-pill test this morning. I lowered his vetoryl from 40mg to 30mg a couple of weeks ago. My vet had wanted to lower it at the last test, but he was still drinking a lot so I left it. But I wanted to see what his cortisol level would be at the 30mg and decided to try. I have noticed an increase in his drinking and he put on a few pounds (70.7lbs today) so it will be interesting to see. I'm not sure how accurate this test will be as he was extremely stressed this morning. Instead of one of the girls taking him back, there was some guy I never saw before and he didn't know what an escape artist Gable is. He escaped from them twice and came running to the waiting room nearly knocking me over both times. Thank God no one was coming in or out at the time or he would have run for the hills! Then they had to drag him back there with me right beside him.

I will probably put him back on the extra 10 no matter what the test shows unless it's way low...which I doubt it will be.

[Harley PoMMom]

Awww, poor Gabe, sure wish there was a way that is less stressful for our precious pups. Are his hot spots still cleared up? And how is Doree doing?

[Joan2517]

Yes, hot spots are gone, Lori.

I had to take Doree to the ER this evening. All of a sudden she came to us with her left front leg up in the air. She had just eaten and I was sitting on the deck with my husband. No idea what happened; she wasn't crying and we weren't even sure where she came from...in the house? from the garden?

After three hours there, they think she might have IVDD. They gave us Tramadol 50mg, 1/4 2-3 times daily and Gabapentin 50mg, 0.6ml 3 times daily. Why two different painkillers?

Of course by the time we left she was putting her foot down. They recommended no jumping, climbing, running, no stairs...we got home and I put her on her chair and the next thing I knew she had gone down the pet stairs I had been using for her for years (I originally bought them for Lena, but she would never use them). There's no way we can keep her from all of that unless we crate her and she will hate that, especially since we are both gone all day. She wanted to eat when we got home and is now sleeping it all off. They also said she should get an MRI (only $2500!). I'm pretty sure something like this has happened before. I will probably take her to our vet tomorrow or Tuesday and see what Plunkett says.

The last time I was at that ER was with Lena...that was the last time I saw her alive and where I picked up her sweet little body. I have not stopped crying...

[Harley PoMMom]

Oh Joan,

I am so sorry, it must of been so hard to have to of walked through those ER doors Sending huge comforting and loving hugs.

Tramadol is an opiate style medication and is used to treat a wide variety of pain since it's binds to the mu-opioid receptor that controls the perception of pain in general. Gabapentin is usually prescribed for nerve pain, so I figure they are having Doree take both as to try to cover all bases for pain. Hoping Doree feels better soon.

Sending more (((hugs)))

[Joan2517]

Oh, thanks Lori. It was awful. When they asked if I'd ever been there before, I could barely get a "yes" out. After they took her in the back, I had to go sit outside to try to get my emotions under control. I have a splitting headache today from crying myself to sleep.

Oh yes, he did say that the disc problem might be affecting the nerve that runs down her leg. I forgot about that. Today she seems fine, no limping, no leg up. Dr. Plunkett hasn't seen the fax they sent yet (he's in surgery), but I am pretty sure she has had this problem with her neck before and the tramadol helps. She's so small, but continues to jump even though she has a knee problem and something in her spine. I have the pet steps every place where she can jump off, so she'll use those now. Hopefully, she just hurt it jumping and it's not cancer, or IVDD. My youngest grandson was over and he has a terrible habit of grabbing the little dogs around the neck, no matter how many times I've told him not to do it. So I hope he didn't do it...my husband would kill him! Doree is his even though I am the one who feeds, cleans up after, takes to the vet, etc. She was so good. Just sat quietly in my lap watching everything.

[Joan2517]

Gable's resting cortisol is 2.2 / ref range: 1.0 - 5.0

Not sure now if I should go back to the extra 10mg or leave him at 30mg. I'll have to monitor the water intake better, I think.

[labblab]

Awwww Joan, I’m so sorry about your scare with Doree, and the pain of returning to the ER. A really rough evening, all the way around :-((((((. But you did what you needed to in order to keep Doree safe, and I’m sending you big hugs for pushing through the sorrow in order to tend to her. Good job, mom!

As far as Gable, yes, I think you’ll want to try to assess his symptom profile as accurately as possible. If you revisit Dechra’s pre-pill monitoring chart, you’ll see that a cortisol level between 1.5 and 5.0 is either OK or not OK, depending upon symptom resolution. At 2.2, a dosing increase could be considered if symptoms are not adequately controlled.

However, having said that, it looks as though his pre-pill level has gone down from the last monitoring test (I think it was over 4?), and that’s even while presumably more stressed than before. So if it was me, I think I’d leave it at the 30 mg. for now, and try to check his actual water consumption more closely, if possible. And, of course, watch for any other symptom rebound.

Marianne

[Joan2517]

Thanks, Marianne, that's what I think I will do. Leave it for now and watch.

[Harley PoMMom]

I agree with leaving it at 30 mg, and if it looks like he may be drinking/urinating more than I would recommend having an urine culture done to rule out an UTI before increasing the total Vetoryl dose.

Sending more hugs, Lori

[Joan2517]

Thanks, Lori....leaving at 30 will also be less expensive.