Re: Rudy: New diagnosis, on Trilostane/Vetoryl, lethargic
Hi Donna,
Has Rudy had an ACTH since Aug.? Trilo often needs tweaking before the optimal dose is reached so it's possible Rudy may need an adjustment and that is why you are seeing these signs in him such as a loss of appetite.
Another thought...as dogs age they start to lose their sense of taste and smell so may lose interest in feed they have always liked. So you might try to "spice" up the smell and taste of Rudy's meals with something like green tripe. Dogs usually love it and it is good for them! Fair warning...it stinks to most of us lowly humans!
As Addy said, we tend to react much more negatively and helplessly to a loss of one of our senses like hearing or sight. However, when this happens, other senses step up and become more sensitive. This is especially true in animals, who already have heightened senses compared to us. I have been owned by deaf and blind animals, both cats and dogs, including a Great Dane who was both. Not a one of them approached, or is approaching , their life with fear, frustration, anger, depression, or confusion. Nor did/do any of them act as if their lives had/have no value. Rather they all enjoyed, and are enjoying, their lives to the fullest - loving, playing, and living happily. I have a friend who has a horse who went blind due to an infection but he tears around his pasture at full gallop, never hitting a fence or tree! When Trinket's new vet saw her for the first time Mon., he thought she could see even tho her eyeballs have been recently removed - she was handling herself so well in the waiting room roaming around he forgot I had told him that. So while Rudy's deafness is understandably upsetting to you, it doesn't bother him nearly as much. Most dogs adjust quickly.
Keep your chin up, honey. Have a vet check Rudy out to be sure there is nothing going on, try to entice him to eat with some new stinky things, and remember he is letting you carry the grief over his hearing loss. We are here anytime you need to talk; sometimes just talking about our fears helps a great deal and trust me we all understand yours.
Hugs,
Leslie and the girls - always
"May you know that absence is full of tender presence and that nothing is ever lost or forgotten." John O'Donahue, "Eternal Echoes"
Death is not a changing of worlds as most imagine, as much as the walls of this world infinitely expanding.