My 14 year old doxie - probable Cushings - Visuddha has passed

[Joan2517]

It is hard, Shana, with a senior dog who is not well. Not knowing how much to do and if you're doing the right thing. Having been in this position many times now I can tell you that you will know when to stop and let go.

We had a Saluki back in the 90's who was only 6 years old when she was diagnosed with Canine Lymphoma...we were devastated and did chemo for six months. She went into remission, but it came back and we started again a couple of days after xmas. I will never forget the way she looked at me and my son when we did begin treatment again. The look said "please let me go...I don't want to feel this bad". She declined rapidly that day and we let her go that night, one week shy of her 7th birthday. I swore I would never do that to an animal I loved again.

Lena was different, she went so fast I didn't have time to think. When my vet said we'll give her a pill and she'll be fine, I believed him because I really wanted to. And I never considered her old even though she was almost 15.

They are our children and we want to keep them as long as we can and we do what we can. You love your boy, that is so apparent, Shana, and you'll know when it's time to stop. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks about how old he is, or how far you are going. He's your baby, not their's....

I think of you and Visuddha every day and pray that he recovers and starts to feel better.

[DoxieMama]

Thanks, Joan. You're right. I was whining in my last post, a little stressed by all of this and very, very tired. But last night was good, I got some much needed sleep. We were in bed before 9, up at 10, then 10:15 at which point I brought V into bed with me and we slept until 4! We're adjusting to the new normal, and change is always stressful. I'm hoping today's test results show improvement.

[lulusmom]

We'll be keeping fingers and paws crossed that test results are much improved today. Heaven knows you both could use some good news right now.

Hugs,
Glynda

[Harley PoMMom]

Oh Shana,

In no way would I call your post as whining, venting yes, but definitely not whining.

We all need to vent now and then so you just go ahead and vent, we certainly understand and that's what we are here for, to support each other.

Senior dogs can be more challenging when it comes to their health issues, and with that comes a lot of worrying and wondering when it comes to making decisions for them concerning their well-being. Only you know your boy best and I know you are making the right choices for him. And as for those who think that our furbabies are just "dogs" well, the heck with them, they have no idea the happiness that can comes with loving our furkids, but we do here and I feel sorry for those people that will never experience that loving bond.

I'll be keeping my fingers crossed, too, that Visuddha continues to improve every day.

Hugs, Lori

[judymaggie]

Shana-- all I see is a concerned Mom! You are doing a great job providing Vissudha supportive care. Is there anyone (neighbor, friend) who can come in to check on him mid morning and/or mid afternoon while you are at work? Do you know anyone who uses a pet sitter? After one of Abbie's early surgeries, I had one come in every day to check on her--she had instructions to call me if anything wasn't right. It was worth the cost. I know how hard it is to try and concentrate at work when you are worried about your baby.

Hugs to you and Vissudha!

[Whiskey's Mom]

Hoping your little guy is feeling better every day! And no way are you whining. It's great to post details so others can help you and also learn from them. You're pup is really lucky to have you for a Mom. And you are lucky to have so many friends on this forum who help and support you.
I wanted to add that it upsets us so much when people ask Whiskeys age after discussing his health issues. When I say 13 they kind of shrug. Also when they comment rudely on his white face (they're highlights!!)

[DoxieMama]

Thanks again. You all make me feel so much better. :)

We are still waiting for a call on his bloodwork from this morning. Happily though, he looked really good this morning... ears up, tail wagging - he even barked at a passing bicyclist as we walked into the office. All good signs, though I'll feel better when I know what those numbers are now.

I am home at the moment, having fed him, given his 8 hours meds and a trip outdoors, now I am feeding myself some leftovers. Then back to work I go!

Judy, my husband gets up mid-afternoon, some time between noon and 3pm usually. So we're covered there. It's just the morning stretch that isn't covered. He was sleeping in his crate when I came home today, and was a little wobbly at the bottom of the stairs. But he went down them himself! When he's not feeling well, he waits for me to carry him.

Both dogs munched on grass when we were out. Jackson has always done it - I swear he thinks he's a goat. When we go on walks, he steals any grasses/weeds he can get to along the way. What a goof. Sometimes I wonder if Visuddha is picking up this habit, so it's hard to say why he's doing it now.

[molly muffin]

We have all either been in this position ourselves or will be at some point. This is what is so great about the forum, you go on day in and day out, helping others because for right this moment our furbaby is okay but then the day comes that things aren't so great, there is a crisis or something and we need support. Every single one of us know and understand this.
We are here for you. It is exhausting and heart breaking and just having a place to come to say anything on your mind can be a great stress reliever when we need it the most.
So, vent on gf, we got your back!

[DoxieMama]

This is not the update I want to post.

First things first. Visuddha ate some of his "normal" food - kibble for sure, maybe a bit of canned. :eek::eek: I fed him first, across the kitchen from where I normally feed him. I then went to the garage and got Jackson's food (2C kibble with 1T canned), set that down and went into the other room to feed the cat and fish. V almost finished all his food, Jack did not... he was outside when I came back into the kitchen. I have no idea how much kibble V ate, on top of the 3T of rice/cottage cheese with his meds that he almost finished off. His belly doesn't appear to be super distended, though it's difficult to tell as it's been a bit anyway. He did vomit up 4 pieces of kibble which I was able to pick up. I'm hoping this doesn't cause an issue tonight. Oh, how I am hoping he doesn't have an issue tonight! I am home alone with him, as my hubby is at work and my son is away for the week.

Prior to this, I called the vet's office for an update just before leaving work at 5pm. Dr C (substitute vet while my normal vet is on vacation) came on the phone and gave me the numbers. They're worse. :(:(

AST is 311 (0-50). I don't know what it was before
ALT is 1904 (10-100). It was 2158 Monday, 1124 Tuesday, 880 yesterday.
GGT is 511 (0-7). This was 377, 320, 277.
Potassium remains at 2.9.

Dammit.

She recommended I increase his potassium supplement, which we just started yesterday from 1/4 tsp twice a day to 1/2 tsp. She suggested adding in meat baby food, as the rice is nothing but sugar and there's not much protein in the mix. My albeit limited research, and the concerns of my vet that too much protein is not good for him right now due to ammonia toxicity in his blood... yeah, I didn't do that yet. I'll research a little more about diets (and if anyone here knows about this, please let me know) ....but his liver is failing; I don't think it's deniable now. Or rather, it's not working at all, as my vet suggested on Monday. She also mentioned we could try this, that and the other thing. More fluids, more meds, more testing.

He looked so *&%*(&^ good this morning. And even tonight, if I didn't have those results I would say he is doing great! He LOOKS great, and obviously has spunk (the little shit... eating Jack's food....grrr...)

So our plan for right now is basically continue to watch and wait. Dr C recommended having his electrolytes tested tomorrow, maybe fluids "if it works into your schedule"... which really isn't as much of a concern as what's best for my baby right now. :p I'm thinking, sure, let's test electrolytes. But I am not leaving him there for a whole day. I'd rather he be home, sleeping next to my husband and other dog; even in his crate. He's comfortable and happy there, and surrounded by those who love him. I'll call tomorrow and see if we can't do that test near the end of the day, with sub-q fluids for maybe a better weekend.

It's a day at a time now.

Damn it all to hell.

[judymaggie]

Darn, darn, darn! :( I know you were so hoping for good numbers today. With regard to a liver diet, Dr. Jean Dodds has developed one. I first learned of it when my first Cush pup, Maggie, had liver disease. I am on my tablet so can't copy and paste; hopefully, this link works:

www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/liver_diet.htm

Just ignore the references to phenobarb/seizures--scroll down to the info about the diet. There is an interesting reference to staying away from cottage cheese ...

I am keeping fingers crossed for a quiet night!

[molly muffin]

Oh dang it shana. Not what we where hoping or expecting to see either. Wonder why they started to go back up. Argh.
So frustrating especially when he seems to act better.
Okay so tomorrow is another day and hopefully a better day

[DoxieMama]

Visuddha looked good this morning. Bright eyes, wagging tail. Maybe a slight wobble before eating, but otherwise good. After breakfast, I sat with my husband on the couch and he lay between us getting tummy scratches and love.

Barring a complication, we are not going to take him in for more testing today. We are going to continue on with the current plan and see how he looks and acts, as the numbers wouldn't change our approach for now.

[DoxieMama]

Today I get to talk about poop! Neither my husband nor I have seen Visuddha poop since Tuesday, when it was half normal, half soft. Tonight's sample was half brown and soft, half yellow or orange and soft. This is indicative of a liver problem, possibly a bile duct obstruction. :( Poop.

His abdomen looks swollen to me tonight, which I hadn't noticed previously. Another symptom.

TGIF.

[Joan2517]

So sorry, Shana...the poor guy just can't catch a break.

[DoxieMama]

Thanks. He pooped again this morning after breakfast, and it's a bit darker in color. More orange, maybe a hint of green (he has been eating grass). I've been suspecting that his tummy's upset, especially after eating. This morning I gave him 4 ounces of food with his meds and he left half an ounce in the bowl. He then went outside and is now resting in my lap... shivered for a few minutes but is relaxed now.

I think my husband is going through his own anticipatory grief; he has been a bit short with me when I talk about Visuddha. He doesn't want to hear the bad news, or have me "state the obvious". Like when V didn't eat all his breakfast I said "that's not good". I need to remember his feelings too, and I need to support him as much as I want him to support me.

Thanks for making this a safe place to share.

Shana

[judymaggie]

Shana-- do you think some pepcid would help? I realize you are dealing with a lot more than an upset stomach but just wonder if it might help with digestion.

Please know we are all sending you prayers along with healing thoughts. Feel free to share as much as you need to.

[DoxieMama]

Judy I wondered that myself. For now I think I'll just feed less than 4 ounces - 3 ounces seems to be a good amount that doesn't cause the shivering.

I offered him the rest of his breakfast about an hour ago; he ate a little but still refused most of it. I think he figured out how to eat around the rice, as that was mostly what was left. He may also be on to me, mixing his meds into his food. He acted hungry when I was preparing my breakfast, so I gave him an ounce of scrambled egg (no oils or anything else added) which he immediately ate and was looking for more.

Time to try another tactic for the liquid meds. He needs them - but he also needs to eat. I'm going to try giving it to him in a piece of bread.

[judymaggie]

Shana -- what about just squirting the liquid meds into Visuddha's mouth? I had to do that with Abbie for a while and the vet showed me how to lift up the side lip and squirt it in the space at the end of the teeth. Then I followed it up with a yummy treat. :D

Did you have a chance to look at the liver diet?

[DoxieMama]

Ah yeah we try that every time we get new liquid mets. Visuddha says, "NOPE!". :p:rolleyes:

I just bought some meat baby food, spread a thin layer of it on a spoon and mixed up his enulose in it. Licked it clean! I don't know if that'll work for the metronidazole but we'll give it a try tonight.

I did see your post about the liver diet, and I thought I replied to it! Must have been distracted by work or something. I know I typed up a reply. Anyway. After V's issues on Monday, Dr J wanted me to not give him any meat proteins for a while. Since he didn't have issues with the rice/broth diet on Sunday, but did after introducing the chicken, he was concerned about ammonia toxicity due to possible HE (hepatic encephalopathy). I've been doing a little research on that, and I can see the reasons for his concern.

I've found a couple sources of info on HE, with dietary recommendation and a good explanation for it.

http://dogcathomeprepareddiet.com/diet_and_hepatic_disease.html

UC Davis - Nutritional Management of Liver Failure and Hepatic Encephalopathy (http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vmth/small_animal/nutrition/client_info_sheets/encephalopathy.cfm)

I'm working toward the cottage cheese/rice diet suggested in that first link. We are using the Renaplus instead of potassium chloride, but I need to pick up some bone meal and infant multivitamin. Our cottage cheese is 4% so I'm not adding the chicken fat for now.

[Whiskey's Mom]

Since your pup likes and tolerates scrambled egg maybe you can try mashed hard boiled egg with the liquid meds. Just a thought because Whiskey loves them. Don't know if it's right for your little guy. Hope you have a restful and healing weekend!

[judymaggie]

Shana -- just one caution with the baby meat food -- read the ingredients carefully and make sure there is no onion powder in it. When I was on the hunt for food that Maggie would eat, I learned to read those labels!

[DoxieMama]

Oh thanks for the tip on the mashed hard boiled egg. I'm sure I'll give that a try. The meat baby food did the trick for both meds tonight. :)

Judy, yep - no onion powder. What I bought just has meat, water and cornstarch.

[Budsters Mom]

You could try adding a small amount of water to the meat baby food and meds and put it into a syringe. Warm to room temperature, then squirt it in. Down the side worked for us. I have had to syringe liquids many time.

[DoxieMama]

If he refuses to lick it off a spoon, I'll try that. I'm sure it's me, hesitant because he has such a sensitive mouth, so not fast enough to squirt it in before he tastes it and pulls away violently. Then we fight to get that one down and I find a different way from then on (usually hiding it in food works). I have never mixed it with food and tried to syringe it though. Thanks.

I'm not sure I've mentioned it yet this week, but V's PU/PD is on the rise. We've been up at least every couple of hours this week. Last night was every hour, except the last (2 hours). This morning he took all his meds on the spoon, except the Renaplus powder which is mixed into his food. He almost didn't eat his food, until I added about a teaspoon of the meat baby food to it. The little stinker! :p At least he ate it. He went outside to pee, then was shivering when he came back in. Still can't tell if it's because of cold (grass was wet as well, which never helps) or pain/nausea. I'll see how he is after his other meals today.

[DoxieMama]

Just took a couple pictures of Visuddha. Really like this one (http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/album.php?albumid=1089&pictureid=8349), peeking through the gate.

[judymaggie]

Love the pics -- he is so adorable! :D

[DoxieMama]

Thanks Judy. I added a couple more with his buddy, Jackson. Jack went out to sun on the deck and Visuddha just cuddled up to him. It was so sweet! I'm glad they stayed there long enough for me to snap some pictures. They posed wonderfully, even though they hate to look at the camera. :p

Visuddha did well the rest of weekend, though he spent most of it sleeping in my lap. It is his favorite spot.

He was up an hour after going to bed last night (typical lately) but then I pulled him into bed with me and he slept until the alarm went off this morning. We went to bed a little later than usual but it's weird - I actually like to wake up to the alarm now. On a Monday! Anyway, he started down the stairs and just crashed on the landing, back legs out from under him. :eek: He scrambled to get up and go the rest of the way but I scooped him up and carried him down. I didn't see any wobbliness in his walking, though. Maybe he just slipped on the tile.

[Whiskey's Mom]

Love the pictures! They look so cute together!

[DoxieMama]

Thanks. :) They were so adorable there, I was thrilled to get those pics.

My vet gave me Denamarin last week, but I'm pretty sure he said not to give it to Visuddha "yet". I don't know why... and now I'm starting to wonder if maybe I misunderstood. I really should have asked him when to start that, but I didn't. He only gave me 7 of them. I'd call and ask him but he is on vacation until some time next week.

I'm thinking about having another blood test just to see how his numbers look, maybe Wed afternoon. Then maybe start the Denamarin.

What do you guys think? (And do I need a prescription for the Denamarin? It's cheaper online than from my vet.)

[Harley PoMMom]

Denamarin's ingredients are S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe) and silybin, and it is expensive. An alternative is to buy these two ingredients separately, silybin is found in milk thistle and the SAMe in itself, I've found both of these online and in a vitamin/supplement shop they probably are sold at Wal-mart too.

I've found this dogaware site helpful with my boy's liver disease: http://dogaware.com/health/liver.html

Hugs, Lori

[DoxieMama]

Thanks Lori. My vet charged me almost as much for 7 tablets of Denamarin as is available on Amazon. I just bought Denosyl chewable and this milk thistle (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00M26PEYM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) product. Should be here Wednesday.

Do you think I should have his liver enzymes checked before I start these? I'll probably take him in Wed afternoon for electrolyte test regardless, to see if his potassium is coming back up on the Renaplus, but I don't want to pay for testing that's unnecessary.

[labblab]

Oh Shana, I just looked at your new photos and they absolutely melt my heart. They are SOOOOO sweet! I'm afraid I haven't had much helpful feedback to offer, but I follow every one of your posts and I continue to hold you all in my heart. I am hoping for many more loving days with your sweet boy.

Sending big hugs to the whole family!
Marianne

[molly muffin]

Awww, do love the pictures. No you don't need a prescription for the denamarin. I order from amazon usually. Maybe your vet left a note in the file as to when to start the denamarin? You could call and ask one of the desk clerks and just say you don't remember what he said.

Or if he didn't want to start him yet, perhaps he just wants to see how he is doing before starting, with the fluid therapy.

I agree those pictures are just adorable!!!!

[DoxieMama]

BAHAHA! Call the vet and ask? What a concept. Apparently there WAS a note in the file that I should start it on the 23rd, but that wasn't in the paperwork I got. :p Thanks for the suggestion! I'll be starting that tomorrow morning. Breakfast shall be late, so I can give it to him on an empty stomach an hour beforehand.

Small amount of orangish green poop tonight. For the record.

[judymaggie]

Shana--with everything going on, do you think it might be better to give Vissudha the Denamarin two hours after breakfast? That way you wouldn't have to delay breakfast.

Also, fyi, I switched from Denamarin to S-Adenosyl (also from Amazon) as the latter was much less expensive.

[DoxieMama]

Judy, I could do that as long as I don't sleep in. I would prefer it, I think, as he is already going 8 hours without food at night. It's the longest stretch.

[Joan2517]

Shana,

The pictures are adorable...he is the cutest little boy. It is so sweet to see them cuddled up like that...I am in love with V!

[DoxieMama]

Judy - thank you for reminding me that I could give him the Denamarin after breakfast. He hadn't eaten for 12 hours tonight, as he fell asleep while I was watching TV and was just so sleepy when I woke him for his last meal we just went straight to bed. I figured he would be up early but nope... slept right through until 5 minutes before my alarm went off.

Thanks, Joan. Me too!!! <3

[molly muffin]

Okay, nightly update. How is he doing today?

I'm wondering if he is going to have to pass whatever is in his colon now (?) before his liver and pancrease will have a chance to really recover. That is what is going through my brain anyway.

[DoxieMama]

Hi Sharlene. He's doing well, thanks for asking. Finished up the Clavamox and almost done with the Metronidazole. Started the Denamarin between dinners last night (4:30pm meal, 7pm med, 8:30pm meal). I decided that was the best time of day where I could be the most consistent. Even if I'm late getting home, I'm almost always here by 5pm.

[Aunt Jana]

Hi, I'm not good at sharing links , however, if you Google "Pumpkin puree and canine liver health" you will find lots of info about pumpkin puree. I know it is helping Bubbles. I also give her SaMe too, drugstore.com has the best prices and fast delivery.
Sending healthy wishes your way!

P.S. I give a lot of her pills hidden in the pumpkin spread on the piece of waffle.

[Harley PoMMom]

How's Visuddha doing today? Is there still an orangey-green color to his poops?

Hugs to you both, Lori

[DoxieMama]

Hi Lori, the last poop I saw was darker... but it's been a couple days. He either hasn't gone or is doing so when I'm at work. Otherwise, no changes that I've noticed.

[DoxieMama]

Visuddha is still doing okay. He seems to look forward to all the extra meals, though I've noticed that sometimes he eats with a bit less gusto than usual for him. In fact, he's left his bowl in the middle of a meal to go outside on more than one occasion. He usually comes back and finishes it right away, unless his meals were more than 3 ounces... then I think he's just full (which is weird - that's never stopped him before).

His stool is most definitely orange. There was some green to it as well, but that was obviously grass. He has been a little goat the past couple days. :rolleyes:

I've been bringing him into bed with me again like I used to when he was younger. I stopped because he would wake before me and jump down, which is not good for his back. He still occasionally does, but most days I am up before that and can set him down. We've been in bed for 6.5 to 7 hours the past few nights, with no middle of the night trips outside. If he sleeps in his crate, we're up every couple hours. You know.... I think he's got me figured out! ;)

We haven't been out for a walk in a while but I intend to do so this weekend, early enough in the day before too many others are out walking their dogs. We don't need any more stress in his or my life. :) I've been debating whether a walk would be stressful or fun. We'll see how it goes...

[molly muffin]

His liver enzymes are likely still up causing the orange poop. Hopefully as he recovers from this then they will be more regular color.

Oh I do hope you can get a walk in and that he enjoys it.

yep, he has you figured out. :) :)

[Whiskey's Mom]

I think your little guy definitely has you figured out! It's so sweet.
I really hope he's feeling better. Whisk had finished his third round of metronidazole last week. He had very soft or runny orange poop too. And was munching on more grass than usual. Now we're back to normal. One or 2 of His liver enzymes tend to run high.
I debate about walks too. We always went on long ones until the ACL tear last fall. Now it's very short if at all. He has the desire to go but his leg is a bit wobbly at times.
Hope you have a great weekend. give your pups a hug from us!

[Budsters Mom]

Just a thought..... Have you tried bed rails, like the ones on children's beds??? I barricade my bed with rails. That way Rosie is not able to jump up or crawl up. Yes, she can climb like a cat! :eek: I wouldn't care if she slept with me, but I don't want her to jump down during the night and possibly get hurt. Rails can be put on all sides including the bottom. That could allow Vis to sleep with you without worrying about her jumping off. I bought mine at a thrift store. The double set, for both sides only cost me five bucks. The single one for the bottom, was only to two dollars. Being railed in, does take some getting used to, but is workable. ;)


I've been bringing him into bed with me again like I used to when he was younger. I stopped because he would wake before me and jump down, which is not good for his back. He still occasionally does, but most days I am up before that and can set him down. We've been in bed for 6.5 to 7 hours the past few nights, with no middle of the night trips outside. If he sleeps in his crate, we're up every couple hours. You know.... I think he's got me figured out! ;)

[DoxieMama]

We are having a relaxing day so far.

I've read more on liver diets and am going to start transitioning to Dr Dodd's diet, though I'm still very hesitant to add meat protein yet. I cooked potato, sweet potato, zucchini and green beans this morning, as I had them available. I need to make some eggs so I can grind up the shells for calcium, and go out for some vitamin/mineral supplements. I'll also buy some whitefish (cod, haddock, pollock... whichever is available) and add just a teeny amount of that along with the cottage cheese and see how Visuddha does.

I found a really neat website for homemade diet analysis. BalanceIT.com (https://secure.balanceit.com/). They have an interactive tool to create a diet for healthy dogs, and one for various illnesses. The latter requires vet approval, but if your dog doesn't have an illness that has specific dietary requirements, the other is free. I've been playing around with it for a while, just looking at the analysis of various combinations. Each homemade diet is low in something, so they also include their own supplement as part of the diet... and you can see the analysis both with and without it.

What I've been feeding Visuddha is low in choline, various B vitamins, vitamin A, D and E, calcium and numerous minerals. Dr. Dodd's diet is also low in most of the same, though not quite as many... :) I knew I needed to add calcium, B and E vitamins, but it's rather eye-opening when everything is listed out in front of me. I can see myself spending a lot of time evaluating supplements.

I'm actually spending more time researching and coming up with the best diet for Visuddha... than I do for myself!! I just take a multivitamin, when I remember :o and call it good. :rolleyes:

[DoxieMama]

Just a thought..... Have you tried bed rails, like the ones on children's beds??? I barricade my bed with rails. That way Rosie is not able to jump up or crawl up. Yes, she can climb like a cat! :eek: I wouldn't care if she slept with me, but I don't want her to jump down during the night and possibly get hurt. Rails can be put on all sides including the bottom. That could allow Vis to sleep with you without worrying about her jumping off. I bought mine at a thrift store. The double set, for both sides only cost me five bucks. The single one for the bottom, was only to two dollars. Being railed in, does take some getting used to, but is workable. ;)

No, I never even thought of that. You're a genius!!!

[judymaggie]

Hi! I second Kathy's suggestion re bed rails! I found the one I used with Maggie at a children's thrift store -- really cheap and in perfect condition. I have it in the garage ready to use with Abbie if necessary. For the time being, I have that gap filled with a very large pillow. Abbie's favorite spot to chill out is the space next to the bed behind my chair and ottoman. She would jump onto the ottoman and then down onto the floor -- it's that last jump that she is no longer allowed to do. It has taken her a while to adapt to going the other way around but she has learned she can still get to her spot!

I hope Visuddha likes the new food. I guess I don't think of fish protein in the same way as meat protein -- certainly much easier to digest.

[Trish]

I used to give Flynny white fish for the probably 9 months of his life, used to poach it and add to grain free 6 fish Orijen biscuits, he loved it and his tummy was great most of that time, his itching disappeared too. He was an IBD dog and that mixture suited him so I hope it does V.

Gawd rails on the bed, I would injure myself for sure stumbling out to loo in middle if the night. Flynn always liked his own space, his bed on floor right next to me, if I. Roughy him up on the bed he would jump down, he loved his bed and I have kept it for the kittens but they prefer mine, so his is in front of the fire now and they love snuggling down in front of the flames, hope you find something that suits.

It would be nice to know what caused this sudden liver issue, have to wonder what was seen in tummy like the kibble and hope it has passed through eh, bit of a mystery and hope whatever it was has passed but you would think you would have spotted it on poop patrol, are they going to do further imaging to see if whatever it was has passed?

[Harley PoMMom]

Egg shells are a great source for calcium, I have read that they should be baked before grinding to make sure they are free from bacteria, I believe 10 minutes in a 150 degree oven should do it. ;)

[AHall123112]

We've gone through so many of the same things with our doxie. We were 3:30am breakfast people too because of Stanley needing to drink and pee at 2:00am and then waking an hour later. 3:30 was a stretch because (as you said) dachshunds are always starved! I understand your concern with the expense, but I can honestly say that even with the rollercoaster we have been on the expense hasn't been near what I thought it would be. We did the ACTH Stim test for diagnosis and he has a resting cortisol done 4.5 hours after his medication on average once a month. Especially when you factor in the cost of pee pads, paper towels, your dogs quality of life, and your sanity.

To give you an idea of life now with Stanley on medication- we now sleep until 5:30 and eat at 6:00am and 6:00pm. His hair has grown back wonderfully, he's much more pleasant, and he doesn't drink an entire bowl of water in an hour anymore!

I went through all the same things with my husband asking how much everything would cost and why should we do it on a 12+ year old dog. Personally, we have had ups and downs, but overall the medication has been a miracle for us. I wish you luck with whichever route you decide!

[DoxieMama]

Ashley, hi. :) Thanks for sharing your experiences. At the moment, my little guy is not taking his Trilostane, as we're dealing with liver problems for the past few weeks. I'm really glad things are looking up for Stanley on the medication. :)

So, a little update. I had been a little concerned because Visuddha wasn't eating his meals with his usual gusto. Apparently, that was just him being picky/bored/sick of rice. He absolutely LOVES his meals since adding in the veggies. Of course, as soon as I started adding in fish he just went nuts. I couldn't put that bowl down fast enough for him. :)

I might have to make more though; it doesn't seem fair to give Jackson dry kibble when Visuddha has such smelly and tasty food. :p Jack is fed twice a day, so I have been giving him a piece of the fish or a biscuit as a treat during V's other mealtimes and I'm certain he wouldn't object to a diet change. I used to feed them both raw when we first got Jackson, but returned to commercial food primarily because I was having issues sourcing and was worried I wasn't providing all their nutritional needs. Also because of cost as our income reduced for a time. I'll have to think on that. Wonder how expensive it would be...hmmm.

Trish I think I would injure myself on the rails, too. It is a concern. I've been wanting to find a headboard for our bed; I'm thinking maybe a footboard now too. When Visuddha jumps off, it's almost always at the bottom where I can't get to him fast enough. If I have a footboard then he wouldn't be able to do that. If I get a headboard/footboard and then push the bed against the wall sideways, I could just block him in with my body. Of course, that would mean I'd have to sleep the "right" way on the bed. lol

It sure would be nice to know what caused this. He is starting to dig in the yard again... with his nose... trying to eat dirt. He's done this occasionally in the past. I'm hoping it's from a dietary deficiency, because I've now changed his diet only in the past few days, including adding a multivitamin yesterday. His diet now should be complete, right? It is now 1/4 fish, 1/4 cottage cheese and the rest a mixture of potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, zucchini (and the last of the rice). To that I add 1/4 tsp RenaPlus for potassium 3-4 times per day, 1/8 tsp ground eggshells per day (from ducks, which took baking at 300 for almost 15 minutes to get them dry) and half of a GNC Ultra Mega Multivitamin Plus Senior Dog Chewable Tablet. He is also still getting enulose 3x per day, and the Denamarin which will be gone today... we'll start on the separate SAMe and milk thistle tomorrow night.

So far it has been a supremely lazy weekend. :D

Happy Independence Day, fellow Americans.

[Whiskey's Mom]

Whiskey was a dirt eater for awhile too. He would go to a certain spot in our yard and snuffle and rip out chunks of grass & dirt & munch away. Crazy. I'd find it all floating in his water dish. Not sure what was growing there but it was the only spot he went to. We don't have a fancy green lawn so it could be anything. But for now he Stopped. That diet is interesting. Where did you find duck eggs?? Lol.
Enjoy the rest of your holiday. Whiskey hates fireworks so we'll be blasting music tonight!

[DoxieMama]

Grass I can handle. I don't like it, and I do keep an eye out for it in case something is up... but my other dog thinks he's a goat so I'm kind of used to it. :p But shoving his nose into the dirt and just eating that? Nope, not happening. At least not when I can help it. He could be after anything there (like Whiskey, it's almost always in the same spot... though there are one or two others he'll sneak off to occasionally). At first I thought he was after the peanuts that the squirrels bury, but I'm pretty sure those are all gone.

I started buying eggs from a coworker who has a bunch of chickens, two ducks and a turkey! Ever had turkey eggs? They are HUGE! The duck eggs are in between chicken and turkey sizes, and absolutely yummy. At least I think so. The dogs seem to like both duck and chicken eggs when I offer them. I haven't asked if they have a preference yet. ;)

Edited to add, we went for a walk this morning. It's about half a mile to the school, where I let the dogs off leash so they can run. Visuddha was a bit slow on the walk, and didn't run much but he did run a little bit. We met a couple out on a walk with their two dogs through the fence, and my guys wanted to play. Even Visuddha was wagging his tail, the most anti-social little monster ever was wagging his tail!! And then, on the way home, he pooped. Dark. Brown. Some other weird colors mixed in (green, orange) but mostly nice, dark brown, normal looking poop.

Is it weird to be happy to see a dog poop? :D

[Harley PoMMom]

Is it weird to be happy to see a dog poop? :D

Nope, not here! :eek::D Pee and poop are of special interest to all of us!!!!

So glad to hear that Visuddha is feeling better!!! Great job, Mom!!!

[judymaggie]

Shana -- I am so happy to read that Visuddha is continuing to improve. You have both really been through a rough patch and come out the other side!


Pee and poop are of special interest to all of us!!!!

Lori has it exactly right -- poop patrol is a part of my daily routine! :D

[Whiskey's Mom]

Oh yes! We've been on major poop patrol here recently. My husband started texting me pics while I'm at work because he was tired of describing the details to me. How romantic huh?

[DoxieMama]

Oh yes! We've been on major poop patrol here recently. My husband started texting me pics while I'm at work because he was tired of describing the details to me. How romantic huh?

ROFL!! Oh that truly is romantic. :D:p:eek:;) I asked my husband if he would go on poop patrol during the day while I'm at work and he... well, let's just say he refused. :rolleyes: I can't say I blame him though. It's the middle of the night for him; just getting up to feed the dog, and let him out as needed, is more than I do in the middle of MY night.

After dinner tonight, Visuddha went outside but I did not follow. After a few minutes, I heard an odd sound. When I turned around, I found him in the kitchen chewing on something. It was a small bone... like the middle section of a T-bone steak... only smaller. I was able to snag it from him (and gave him a piece of fish to replace it) but I do not know where it came from, other than outside. ACK! :eek::eek: So far, he's been sleeping most of the time since then. Hopefully nothing comes of this... other than my spending more time searching the yard for the source. :confused:

I wonder if this might the cause of the issues lately....... now I just need to FIND It!

[Whiskey's Mom]

Whiskey & Visuddha sound like brothers! Always finding the yuckiest things to chew on.:D and in the split second you're not looking too. Hope you got it away from him in time and he's feeling ok.

[DoxieMama]

Right?! Crazy animals.

I was (am?) concerned he may have found more than what I got from him. He has been fine though, so maybe that was all there was. It was truly just like a piece of a small T-bone. I wish I knew where he found it.

[DoxieMama]

Visuddha is still doing well, truly enjoying every mealtime now just as he used to, gobbling it all up nearly without taking a breath. Jackson is also enjoying the new meals, as I've decided to mix some of the fresh food with his normal kibble.

Breakfast is typically at 4:30am, so I give him a small meal before I leave at 6:30. Lunch is "supposed" to be around noon, but the past couple days my husband hasn't woken up in time so they've been closer to 3pm. He's still hungry for dinner when I get home a couple hours later. Some days he gets another meal right before bed; just depends how late I stay up and if he seems intent on food or sleep.

I find it a little odd that his drinking/peeing haven't increased, now 19 days without Trilostane. I'm not complaining though! :) It means we are still sleeping through the night, and I have certainly enjoyed that! :)

Edit - however, his poo is orange again. :/

[judymaggie]

Shana -- so glad that Visuddha is enjoying his new food mixture! Bah humbug for that darned orange poop -- maybe he is sneaking carrots when you are not looking! :rolleyes: Have you had labs run recently?

[DoxieMama]

No carrots, but he does enjoy the sweet potatoes! ;) We have not had any more tests done... I'm thinking about doing that in the next week or two (depends on my work schedule). He looks and acts well otherwise; the only other symptom lately is that he tires a bit more easily on walks. He is willing to jog a little on the way out but not so much on the way back.

[judymaggie]

Sweet potatoes = orange??? Wonder if it is worth eliminating them from his food for a few days and see if that has any effect --

[DoxieMama]

That couldn't hurt. All the veggies are mixed up already but we're almost out of the batch I made last weekend. He'll get them again tonight for his first meal as I give him that almost as soon as I get home, but I'll make up a fresh veggie mix tonight with just white potatoes and see how that goes.

Jackson can have the rest of the current batch so they won't go to waste. :) He can have orange poop if that does it to him and I won't worry. :D

[DoxieMama]

We went for a short walk this morning; helps me with poop patrol. :) Unfortunately, it was RAINING and Visuddha hates getting his feet wet.... because he remembers what I forgot. When he gets his feet wet, it means he gets his belly wet too. His entire underside was muddy and wet when we got home, after just 15 minutes. Poor baby. He had to take a hot shower to warm up and get clean. Then I did too. :D

Only half of his poop was orange this morning.... the last half. :confused: We'll see what tomorrow brings.

[Help4Bailey]

Hi,

My dog, Bailey, who has kidney disease and Cushing's eats a fresh diet that contains carrots as well as sweet potatoes and her poop does turn an orange color. Depending on the mixture of vegetables or fruits that are with her cooked chicken and/or turkey, her poop changes colors. I was really concerned when she had blueberries and her poop turned black, but when she didn't have them her poop returned back to normal. I was initially concerned when Bailey's poop was an orange color and on Trilostane as I believe I read that orange poop was not a good sign.

However, as you mentioned with your dog that half of the poop is now a different color, so I would believe that it's due to the sweet potato.

Lynette

[DoxieMama]

I took Visuddha to the vet this afternoon for a recheck. Bottom line - liver enzymes trending downward but still elevated; potassium is normal. Continue liver supplement and diet. Check again in another month or so.

Sodium 156 normal
Potassium 4.3 normal
Na/K Ratio 36.3 NORMAL!

ALP >2000 (23-212) was off the chart 6/23
GGT 154 (0-7) was 511
ALT 237 (10-100) was 1194

He also agreed that we would not restart Trilostane yet. We don't know exactly what caused this near death experience (his exact words to me today), so we don't want to rock the boat. We don't know if he's got liver disease, if his adrenals were affected due to whatever it was, etc. As far as I'm concerned, since Visuddha is not exhibiting PU/PD, I'm perfectly okay with continuing as is for now. More than that. I'm happy my boy is doing OK and we're no longer in extreme crisis mode.

By the way, I discontinued orange veggies. His poop turned green. I discontinued green veggies and now it's back to orange. :p Vet said "we didn't check bilirubin" so I'm thinking maybe I'll ask them to do that next time (is that just another blood test then can run?).

[judymaggie]

Shana--hooray for improving numbers! The decision to wait to restart trilostane makes perfect sense to me.

VCA Animal Hospitals has excellent information on a variety of topics. Here is a link to their info on liver disease which contains quite a bit of info about bilirubin:

www.vcahospitals.com/main/pet-health-information/article/animal-health/liver-disease/359

Visuddha is going to keep you guessing with his rainbow of poop colors!

[kanga]

Hello welcome to the forum. Sorry for what brings you here hope you find some good advice and good information that will helped you. You and your dog are always in my thoughts and I pray for you guys.

[Harley PoMMom]

That's awesome that his ALT and GGT have significantly decreased and that the potassium and sodium are within normal limits!!! Great job, Mom!!!!

Oh those poops of many colors :eek: our babies sure do keep us on our toes, don't they ;)

Sending positive thoughts for brown poops :eek::D

Hugs, Lori

[Whiskey's Mom]

Glad your little guy is doing better! Very scary words from your vet too. :(. Whiskey's poops had been orangish for the longest time too. Now since the last round of antibiotics they are brown with a yellow tint. The poop patrol is definitely on high alert here too. Hoping for Visuddhas continued improvement!

[DoxieMama]

Sending positive thoughts for brown poops :eek::D

This made me laugh right out loud... truly LOL!! :p:D Poop patrol is certainly kept busy around here!

Thanks for the link, Judy. I've bookmarked to read later when I have more time.

[molly muffin]

yea I wouldn't start back either until things are settled down and stable for awhile and then see if he even needs trilostane. You never know, maybe he won't.
As long as he is doing good and making steady progress forward, then it's all good.

[Whiskey's Mom]

How's your little guy doing? Just wondering if he's still off his Vetoryl and if so have you seen any symptoms? :)

[DoxieMama]

Hey thanks for asking! He's doing well, I'd say, though poop patrol stays on high alert (they're still not 'normal' ranging from yellowish to greenish to "is that brown?" and then back). Certainly keeps me guessing.

He has not had any Trilostane since June 18th - whoa it's been a month!! There have not been a return of his symptoms, though.

[Whiskey's Mom]

Glad to hear things are good
"Is that brown?" Is the big question here too. LoL! :D we need the crayola box for our descriptions.

[DoxieMama]

Visuddha has been doing well lately. He gave me a bit of a scare this morning, waking me at about 3:30 retching. We went to bed early last night so he didn't get his regular bedtime "snack" (last 3-4oz meal of the day) so it had been 11 hours since he ate. Hopefully it was just due to not having eaten for so long. I suspect that's all it was, as he was more than willing to eat breakfast at 3:30, and then second breakfast at 6am. I'm just about to leave for work and he's been fine since that initial wakeup call.

Still no return of PU/PD. Poop patrol is used to yellowish, greenish, "is that brown?" on a daily basis. :D

[judymaggie]

Shana -- Visuddha needs to stop scaring you! It sounds like it was, indeed, a one-time thing. Interesting that his symptoms have not returned --

[Harley PoMMom]

I bet, too, that it was the missed bedtime snack that upset his tummy, it is always scary when they heave like that :eek: so glad that your sweet boy is doing so well. YAAA!!!!!!



Poop patrol is used to yellowish, greenish, "is that brown?" on a daily basis. :D

LOL!!!!

[molly muffin]

Well, we all can get a bit of upset tummy if we don't get our bedtime snack. :) :) :) :)

[DoxieMama]

He certainly keeps me guessing. He's missed that last meal of the day before and not had an issue. Maybe he just didn't have "enough" before that yesterday, whereas on other days he has. Who knows? :confused:

Judy - it is really curious, isn't it? I just don't get it, but I'm still not complaining! I sure don't want to start back up on Trilostane until he is back to "normal" (as much as he ever was anyway), especially with those liver enzymes, so no symptoms is GREAT right now.

[Whiskey's Mom]

Glad your little guy is doing ok after that scary night! :eek: I'm posting a new pic of Whiskey, We went to McDonalds & I got him a happy meal just for the heck of it (Dont worry-he only gets the burger!). But I took a pic of him with it because the toy was from the Secret Life of Pets & it's the Doxie!(gotta see that movie!) I immediately thought of Visuddha! LOL :p I always crack up when I read your posts because he and Whiskey are so much alike. Sorry my pics always post sideways, I guess because I take them on my phone. Hope you have a restful night!

[Joan2517]

LOL! One of my grandsons just came home with one of those today...Lena did love her cheeseburgers!

[DoxieMama]

My husband asked me last night if I noticed Visuddha's eye was watery. I had but it seemed fine when I checked. This morning when we got up, I noticed he has dried discharge from that eye. Not sure whether to take him in or wait and see...

[Whiskey's Mom]

Was it clear or yellow like pus? It happens to Whiskey sometimes. It's just clear & only lasts a day then stops. I just use wet cotton to clean it & leave it alone. Maybe he scratched it? Always something.

[Harley PoMMom]

Hoping by the time you read this that Visuddha's eye is all better.

Hugs, Lori

[DoxieMama]

I wiped it with the corner of a paper towel before I left for work this morning. It appears clear to me, not thick at all. More like the consistency of tears. He was rubbing it a bit last night and again this morning. I'm hoping it is all cleared up by the time I get home from work.

[judymaggie]

Shana -- if clear liquid, I would just continue to wipe clean and make note of it. I am assuming the eye itself is not bloodshot or you would have mentioned that. I have to wipe Abbie's eyes daily -- looking over at her now, realized I forgot to do that this morning and they are looking grungy. I am pretty sure Abbie's discharge is related to allergies. She has had eye infections in the past -- you would definitely know if Visuddha had one -- discharge is usually yellow or can even be greenish and eyes are bloodshot.

[Budsters Mom]

Rosie has allergies. He eyes need to be washed each each morning. I use a little fine spray water bottle, which I spray a few pumps into each eye. Then, I gently wipe them out with a cotton ball. That is much more gentle than TP or a paper towel. I use purified water in the bottle. Tap water can cause problems with allergy dogs. I then comb out the crud around her eyes using a flea comb. It works very well!!;)

Vis's eye discharge should remain clear and her eyes should appear bright. If they become cloudy, or the discharge changes color or gets thicker, there could be an infection. In that case, a trip to the vet is warranted and antibiotics would be needed.

[DoxieMama]

No, I haven't noticed it being bloodshot. Still white. The eye itself has been developing a little cloudiness for a while now... I haven't noticed that being more cloudy than "normal" for him lately, but I'll keep an eye on it.
Thanks.

[judymaggie]

Shana -- cloudiness could be the beginnings of cataracts as well so this should be checked by vet. Don't tell Visuddha but he is getting to be that age ... sh-h-h!

[DoxieMama]

I'll mention it when we go in next time.

The vet's office called today because they had ordered Denosyl for someone but couldn't remember who... thought it was me. Nope. I mentioned the discharge and she agreed that I should just keep an eye on it so long as it remains clear. :)

[DoxieMama]

His eye is still bothering him, but it is still clear (whites are still white).

This morning, he woke me sneezing... and the bed was soaked. After breakfast he sits in my lap and he was shivering; just as before, hoping it is due to being chilled rather than pain. He seemed fine after a short time and I didn't notice any shivering later. He did seem interested in going for a walk but I ran out of time. :( I'll take him tonight if it's not too hot.

Not concerned yet, just keeping things updated here. :)

[judymaggie]

Shana -- was the bed soaked from urine or from Visuddha sweating (am thinking from a fever)? Hope all is well when you get home tonight!

[DoxieMama]

Judy, my bed. :( Definitely urine...

[DoxieMama]

Another wet bed this morning. Guess I need to start taking him out in the middle of the night.

We just got home from the vet. His eye discharge went from clear to colorful last night. Poor pup now has to wear a cone to keep from further scratching his eye... along with eye drops 2-3 times per day and an antibiotic twice a day. As I said to the vet, it's just more to add to the daily routine. He also may have a tooth that's bothering him, slight bit of swelling underneath the same eye. So I have to keep close watch of that eye and the surrounding area.

We didn't get out for a walk this morning before we left, but the vet visit wore him out. We've been home less than 10 minutes and he's already snoring in my lap.

I took the day off to do house and yard work. So far I've managed to wash my sheets and mattress cover, walk one dog, cook food for V and take him to the vet. So much for my plans. lol I just might have to take a nap now, too.

[Budsters Mom]

Do you think a doggy diaper might help during the night??:confused:

[Harley PoMMom]

The eye drops may contain a steroid so if drinking and urinating pick up it's probably from that.

An UTI can cause incontinence in dogs, does V act like he may have one? It seems like it's always something going on with our furbabies. :(

[Whiskey's Mom]

Sorry to read your little guy hasn't been feeling so well & wearing a cone too! :(. Hoping he feels better soon!

[DoxieMama]

A doggy diaper might help, but it seems he only does that when I let him in bed with me. :confused: He always goes to bed in his crate, but then he woke after a couple hours and I'd put him on my bed. Then I'd wake to a wet bed.

The last couple of nights, when he wakes, I've been making him go outside. I'm not sure he needs to pee, as often he walks outside then turns around to come right back in. I don't let him in until he's urinated, though... or at least gone out of my sight for long enough that I believe that's what he did. ;) Then it's back to his own bed. If he wakes after 2am then he can come in my bed. Of course he does.... :p

I have never had a dog with a UTI but from what I've read, I don't think he has one. Other than those middle of the night trips, his habits seem normal. He's not drinking more, either. In fact, I've been monitoring for dehydration and adding more water to his food to make sure he gets enough.

Thanks for all your thoughts.

[DoxieMama]

Adventures in dog ownership #354:

Visuddha's left ear has had a little... oh I don't know... bump of some sort for quite some time. I don't know how long. Years maybe. Anyway, the other day he shook his head with his cone on, as dogs do, partially detaching that bump (like a scab that's come partway off). His ear had already scabbed over when I saw it, and his cone had a little dried blood on it ... just enough for me to recognize what it was and identify the source. The tabs on the cone were very sharp so I figured that's what caused the injury it and filed them into rounded corners to prevent further issues.

Tonight/this morning, he woke me to go potty outside as he has been doing lately (yawn). He stumbled down the last couple steps on the first flight of stairs :(, so I picked him up and carried him the rest of the way. He wriggled to be put down and headed outside. After he came back inside, I picked him up to take him back upstairs. I'm not sure when I first noticed the blood, but there was quite a bit all over the inside of his cone. That little bump was completely torn off.

I got him into our bathroom and shut the door, grabbed the roll of paper towels, removed his cone and proceeded to try to clean him up.

If you have never had a dog injure their ear, it's almost like when a human gets a cut on their head. Do you know how much that bleeds? A dog's ear bleeds like that. Oh, and the dog is probably wiggling like crazy trying to get away from you. Maybe shaking their head a time or two. His head, neck and ear... my bathroom floor... my hands and arms... what a mess! :eek: It wasn't THAT much blood, but it was more than I was prepared for at 1AM. :p

Pressure on the wound almost got it to stop, and maybe if I had been more patient it would have eventually. Styptic powder worked though. Then he shook his head and opened it right back up. More styptic powder and now he has half a sock on his head to hold his ears in place. He really likes that... not. Then I put the cone on again. Oh yes, he's ecstatic. :mad: Okay, so I'll take off the cone for the time being. If he scratches at his head, it's gotta go right back on. He's going to love me. :rolleyes:

Now I'm wide awake at 2AM, trying to decide if I should go back to bed or not. My husband will be home from work before too long, and I can always take a nap during my lunch hour.

Visuddha? He is snoring in my lap. :rolleyes:

[Whiskey's Mom]

I'm so sorry about your poor little guy's boo boo ear :( What a night! I literally laughed out loud when I got to the part about the half a sock on his head! I can just picture the whole scenario which really isn't a laughing matter, but sometimes you gotta laugh or you'll cry. I'm guessing V is feeling ok since he's sound asleep, sock and all, so that's a good sign. Hope you catch some zzz's soon! Note to self: buy styptic powder! :rolleyes:

[Harley PoMMom]

Oh Shana, poor you and poor Visuddha, what a night, huh?!!! The sock episode made me chuckle too.

Some cats and dogs can get what's called a hematoma, which usually affects the ears and can be caused by them shaking their head and/or scratching the ears aggressively, they are a fluid-filled swelling (blood) "bump." Does this sound like what V has?

[DoxieMama]

I had to make the sock shorter so it didn't cover his eyes. Homemade snood works in a pinch. I'm glad he's small. :)

A hematoma? I don't know. It was like a scab. The first time he hit it on the cone, it didn't look like there was any blood on it... there was a fresh scab on his ear underneath it. The bump itself was black, hard and crusty, didn't ooze or anything.

[judymaggie]

Oh, wow! :( Just what neither of you needed ... Hopefully, all is under control!

[DoxieMama]

The snood turned into a scarf yesterday while I was at work so my husband just removed it. There was a slight trail of blood from the spot to the edge of his ear but it was dried. I put his cone on after dinner but noticed that it had some spots on it, so called the vet to see if they had any suggestions: duct tape on the edges. Now he's very stylish! :p He certainly isn't happy about the cone (none of us are) but I know it is for the best so he just has to deal with it until that eye heals. It appears better for a day or two, then gunks up again - yellowish/green again today. :( It's been a week!

I went through his photos and posted a timeline of that ear. Apparently that bump started 3 years ago and has been gradually getting larger. I didn't even realize until going through the pics! This is what was sheared off by the cone. Does that look like a hematoma? As I mentioned before, it felt hard like a scab.

I also posted two photos of the top of his head where he has a much larger bump. This was about half the size it is now, then shrunk almost completely away and is now back bigger than ever. It's very soft and movable, but since it's bigger than it has been, it concerns me a bit. Anyone have ideas on that? He will have completed his course of Clavamox this week and it has been a month since the last blood work so I think I'll make an appointment for the end of next week, and will certainly ask the vet about it then.

[Harley PoMMom]

Neither look like a hematoma, the one on his head resembles a sebaceous cyst, which are benign and it is common for them to go away and resurface later on. The one on his ear kinda looks like a wart. Ah, duct tape, it has so many uses!!! I know it has come in handy for me!

Give sweet V some belly scritches from me.

[Joan2517]

Shana,

Have you tried those soft "cones"? They are inflatable and look like donuts, kind of like the ones people use for tush problems. Sibbie cried like anything when I tried using the cone when she was spayed a few weeks ago, so I found the donut thing at PetSmart and she was much more comfortable with it.

[molly muffin]

Oh my goodness Shana, you have been on a roller coaster of issues lately. The soft cone might be worth a try.
Sorry to hear your boy is having these issues. Sure hope the eye thing clears up soon and the ear problem bump.

Molly has a sort of wart thing by her eye that they don't want to remove due to how close it is to the eyelid. So, i come home from work one day and she has blood all down her face. On a white dog it looked terrifying! But I cleaned it up and yep, that dang wart thing she had scratched open. I definitely understand how much those things on the head/ear can bleed. It's crazy!!

[judymaggie]

Shana -- I would agree with Lori's "diagnosis" of a wart on the ear and cyst on the head. Abbie has an increasingly large wart on the top of her head. Thankfully, she has not found a way to scratch it. Unless she has to have anesthesia for something else, we are just watching it. She also has a cyst behind her ear. When it gets large enough to press on her ear, the vet drains it. Typically, it takes about a month to start growing again.

Check out this alternative to an e-collar:

http://necksbestthing.com/

I have used it on Abbie and it works really good -- no problem with eating or drinking when it is on.

[DoxieMama]

A wart makes sense for his ear, and I was thinking the same type of cyst on his head. Glad to know others agree. Of course I'll ask the vet his opinion when we see him next but I'm less concerned now. :)

As for the e-collar, the duct tape did the trick. While V doesn't like the collar (who would?) it is a smaller/shorter size so he doesn't have any issues drinking with it on. He could probably figure out how to eat with it on too but it's just easier to take it off for meals. Now if I can convince my husband to put it back on after he feeds him lunch during the day we would be golden! ;)

A soft collar would probably work, too. I'm not sure about that "necks best thing"... though it looks like a great option! Can Abbie reach her ears with it on?

[judymaggie]

Shana -- honestly didn't think about the ears! I used it so Abbie wouldn't reach her mastectomy stitches on her belly. Glad the duct tape is working --

[DoxieMama]

Gotta keep V from being able to scratch his eye, or rub it on furniture. I figure if he couldn't reach his ears then his eyes would be safe, and it would be good for just about anything! Bummer.

[Budsters Mom]

Duct Tape fixes EVERYTHING!!! :D:D:D


Glad the duct tape is working --

[DoxieMama]

I took Visuddha in for a follow-up appointment yesterday. His eye is better, though not cleared up yet the vet instructed me to stop the current med. He ordered an ointment to put in both eyes as they are not generating sufficient tears (dry eye). I've got drops from the store to use in the meantime. Should get the ointment tomorrow.

As for his bloodwork, that continues to improve. Out of range results are below (previous results from July 14 except AST which was last tested June 23). He had a little snack before we went in to explain the increased BUN. Everything else dropped. Woot!

BUN 36, was 27 (range 7-27)
ALP 914, was >2000 (range 23-212)
GGT 44, was 154 (range 0-10)
AST 64, was 311 (range 0-50)
ALT 164, was 237 (range 10-100)

They also did a urinalysis to check for a UTI which was negative. It is very dilute (as I expected) but otherwise normal.

It has now been over 2 months without Trilostane. He seems weak and wobbly legged in the morning - he even waits for me to pick him up to carry him down the stairs. After breakfast, if he's awake enough and seems interested, we go for a short walk (1/4 to a full mile long depending on my available time). He's slower than he used to be, but still enjoys those. Once home, he's generally happy to navigate the stairs himself.

We've had a few nighttime accidents, especially if I let him in my bed :o:p ... I think he sleeps much more soundly so doesn't even realize he needs to pee. If I wake him once or twice during the night there's no issues. I think it was Lori who suggested his drinking might increase due to the steroid eye drops so we'll see if this issue resolves since we've now stopped those.

[judymaggie]

Shana -- so glad that everything is still improving! Both of you really deserve some stable times. Abbie says "aro-o-o"!

[Harley PoMMom]

Wow!! those numbers are significantly lower!!! Judy's right, you both deserve a break!

Hugs, Lori

[Squirt's Mom]

I am so happy to hear there is some improvement in his quality of life....and yours. ;) Those numbers look much better and I know that is a huge relief! Keep up the good work, Mom!

[dsbailey]

Molly Muffin,



Molly has a sort of wart thing by her eye that they don't want to remove due to how close it is to the eyelid. So, i come home from work one day and she has blood all down her face. On a white dog it looked terrifying! But I cleaned it up and yep, that dang wart thing she had scratched open. I definitely understand how much those things on the head/ear can bleed. It's crazy!!

I just had one removed from my dogs upper distal eyelid. It was a little cyst adenoma about the size of a BB that had a root reaching down under the eyelid.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp_ghHU7ZCQ

This is the procedure done and he is good as gold nowm he had his stitches out today. No more weeping or irritation. My regular vet did the surgery and said he's done many of these with no complications, the one caveat is that he will only do them on the distal side (not near the inside tear duct).

Darrell and Lo

[DoxieMama]

We got the ointment on the 30th and started that immediately. The past few days I've been a little concerned for him, as he was breathing a little hard and had a runny nose, which I noticed mostly after our morning walk. In retrospect, yesterday morning when he got up he had a runny nose... I thought maybe it was just drool. This morning at about 2am it was obviously his nose. He sounded stuffy which woke me up. I wiped his nose, checked his eyes (no notable discharge), let him outside and sat up with him a while.

Now I realize he has a lump under his left eye... right about where the vet pointed out that he "may have a problem with the tooth right here soon". So I'm waiting for them to return my call about that. Antibiotics? Pain meds? Or are they going to say he needs that tooth removed NOW?

I'm getting so weary. Teary and weary.

Today is the first day of our vacation. We're supposed to be leaving town. Murphy's law sucks.

[Joan2517]

Aww, Shana...poor Visuddha, poor you. You just don't seem to get a break. I hope that sweet little guy is okay and you get to go away, you need to be able to relax a little bit.

[Squirt's Mom]

Bless your heart and Visuddha's too. :( I hope the vet gets back to you soon and has some meds that will get him feeling better soon so you can get on the road and relax just a bit. That Murphy needs his butt kicked!

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

[DoxieMama]

Thank you. Vet confirmed abscess of the left 4th upper premolar and prescribed Zydaclin which we've used before, along with instructions should his symptoms persist or worsen. I'll leave those for my son and head out of town later today.

Keep the little guy in good thoughts for a healthy week!!

[judymaggie]

Poor baby and poor you! I am glad that the vet could determine the issue and prescribe meds so Visuddha will be more comfortable while you are away. Please try to relax on your trip!

[Harley PoMMom]

Oh Shana, I am sorry and will definitely be keeping you both in my thoughts and prayers.

Now, try not to worry so much, I know that will be difficult, and have a wonderful time on your vacation that you so deserve.

Hugs, Lori

[Squirt's Mom]

I'm sure your son will take good care of this sweet boy and he will be feeling much better when you get home. Try to relax and enjoy your time away!

[molly muffin]

Oh sure do hope he has a good week and that you can enjoy your vacation!

[DoxieMama]

Thanks, friends. We are at our destination and so far, so good. I'll post a picture of the view from the condo when I get one (too late and dark here now!). I've been told there is a pod of whales that stay in the bay right outside our room so.... here's hoping for some good sightings!! Pictures will be from my 5 year old iPhone, but it's better than nothing. :)

[DoxieMama]

Yesterday we spent most of the day in the condo. It was a beautiful day, sun shining. But we could not tear ourselves away from the view. I took a few videos and wanted to share one with you.

The seagulls are very loud and constant presence, but that does not detract too many much from the other visitors who I hope you can see.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FN3TFhPTZXY

Edit: I just uploaded a picture from yesterday morning and today to a vacation album. I can't seem to figure out how to get the link on my phone so hope you can find it!!

[judymaggie]

Shana -- it sounds like you are enjoying your vacation! I see some spurts of water -- are those the "visitors"? Are you, by any chance, on the Oregon coast? My sister lives outside of Portland and takes an annual trip to the coast and just loves it.

[DoxieMama]

Yep we are on the Oregon coast for the next week. Resident whales come right into the cove outside the condo. I can't believe how close they are!! Wish I would have brought my nice camera; would have gotten some amazing pictures yesterday!

[Squirt's Mom]

How nice! I gasped when I saw the first spout of water...how exciting! The sound of the water seems very calming. I hope you are enjoying yourself to the max!

[Joan2517]

Great video, Shana! Listening to the waves and the seagulls, I could almost smell the salt water...it is too bad you didn't bring your good camera. My sister and I had to make an emergency trip to Nantucket from Long Island about 10 years ago, and even though I brought my good camera, I had forgotten to put the battery in after charging. After 10 years I am still kicking myself! Had to buy one of those disposable ones and they just did not capture the beauty!

Have a great time!

[judymaggie]

Hey, Shana -- are you, by any chance, staying at Depoe Bay? Was talking with my sister last night and that is where she has stayed for whale watching.

[molly muffin]

That sounds just lovely Shana. It looks just beautiful.

[DoxieMama]

Judy, yes we were at Depoe Bay. We saw so many whales from the condo window, it was incredible just how close they get to land! I added a sunset photo to the vacation album here http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/album.php?albumid=1128&pictureid=8530. In the reflection of the sun you may see a dark spot/line between the waves... that was a whale! There were two of them spouting but I didn't get the timing of the picture right to show that with the sunset. Still, it was amazing.

Visuddha is doing well. The swelling under his eye has gone down, though I think it's still there a little bit. My son did a great job taking care of him, giving him multiple antibiotics and supplements, along with so many feedings per day. Usually when we get home from any time away, the dogs have gained a couple pounds from all the extra food. This time, they're perfect - if not a little underweight! Jackson still needs to lose a few pounds so that's okay. I'll get Visuddha's 'official' weight after second breakfast in a bit though he feels awfully light and looks skinny to me. He has been eating well and is happy that we're home. He followed me up and downstairs yesterday as I was unpacking and getting settled in, though the second time he didn't make it all the way up. I found him in the middle of the first set of stairs as I came down; he looked up and me and slid, step by step, backwards to the floor. It would have been cute if he did it on purpose, but I think he was trying to go up. He's walking relatively okay this morning though we haven't navigated stairs yet (I carried him down). We'll try to take a short walk this morning too, which will give me the best gauge of his strength.

While it may seem a little odd, I was really happy to find poo on my bedroom floor when we came home last night. Looks like Visuddha didn't bother to try to go downstairs and just used my bedroom a few times! We'll have to clean the carpet as I'm sure he probably peed on it, too. But the happiness isn't because he pooped on it.... it's because it was normal shape, density and color! Normal poop!!! Yay!

I know. I'm weird. :D

[Harley PoMMom]

While it may seem a little odd, I was really happy to find poo on my bedroom floor when we came home last night. Looks like Visuddha didn't bother to go downstairs and just used my bedroom a few times! We'll have to clean the carpet as I'm sure he probably peed on it, too. But the happiness isn't because he pooped on it.... it's because it was normal shape, density and color! Normal poop!!! Yay!

I know. I'm weird. :D

Nope, nope, not weird at all, we certainly understand how normal poops are worth celebrating!!! :eek::D

Sounds like you had a wonderful time!! Although we are sorry your vacation is over we sure are glad to have ya back, we missed you and I know Visuddha did too!

Hugs, Lori

[Squirt's Mom]

Nope, perfectly understandable in this little family! :p This is one of two groups I belong to where poop is a hot topic and cause for celebrations! :D:p:D:p

I am so glad you had a good time....something you certainly deserved! It sounds like an exciting yet soothing time. And it is especially good to hear you came home to happy pups who had done so well while mom was away!

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

[DoxieMama]

Thanks Lori and Leslie. It's good to be home and have my boys close. I'm sure they were confused last night as I gave them extra cuddles and cried all over them.

The vet's office called three times last week to check on Visuddha, yet I didn't really have an update for them until we got home. And then of course I forgot to return their call. They called again yesterday and said they will check in again tomorrow.

As I mentioned before, the swelling from his tooth is still there. It has diminished a bit but is still there. I'm sure it has to hurt him. His left eye still has green discharge, also diminished but still there. He also seems to huff frequently, as if he's trying to blow his nose, and I wipe his nose/eyes at least twice in the few hours I am home after work.

He is sleeping almost all the time and usually looks really weak and unsteady when he is walking around the house. I took him out for a walk by himself this weekend and wished I had brought my phone so I could get a video of his shadow just trotting along behind me. He's got his Cushing's belly but otherwise his shadow was a healthy happy little guy. He's a lot slower than he used to be but that shadow just looked so beautiful to me. Yesterday morning was a little chilly and he was very sleepy so I let him rest rather than go for a walk. This morning was even colder but he was interested so we put on his coat and out we went, taking Jackson along because I didn't want to go twice. Visuddha was sloooow and I was cold; we didn't go far. Poor Jackson was bored until he saw a cat in our neighbor's yard. That was exciting. ;)

My baby dog has come to know when his mealtimes are --- all 5 of them, never failing to remind me when it's time to eat! For now, I am grateful and relishing every minute with him.

[DoxieMama]

I'm using this thread as a diary of sorts, a log for Visuddha. If you happen to see something I've mentioned that you think I should take action on, or stop an action I'm doing, please let me know. Otherwise, I'm not going to expect responses here for now. This is just a handy way for me to keep track of things, to refer back to for a timeline. :)

I woke up early this morning and had a few things running through my head from work, etc. I lay there for a few minutes until I realized I was not going back to sleep so might as well get up. I turned on a nearby light and checked on Visuddha, who was sleeping soundly, but didn't realize until I picked him up that he had peed in his sleep. Even so, he rushed outside as if he needed to pee badly. I did not follow so I'm not sure if he did or not...

After a bath for him, shower for me, breakfast for him and some cuddle time in a blanket to dry and warm him up, he's snoring in my lap with his head hanging off the edge of the chair.

More green discharge from his left eye this morning. He seemed strong while walking, though waited for me to carry him down the stairs (which he only seems to do when he is either not yet awake or feeling weak).

[judymaggie]

Shana -- I don't want you to think no one is reading your posts. As you are, I am dealing with the loss of Molly and find it hard to focus elsewhere.

Is the plan to remove the offending tooth? I know the thought of anesthesia is a scary one but the vet should be able to keep it pretty light.

[Harley PoMMom]

I took him out for a walk by himself this weekend and wished I had brought my phone so I could get a video of his shadow just trotting along behind me. He's got his Cushing's belly but otherwise his shadow was a healthy happy little guy. He's a lot slower than he used to be but that shadow just looked so beautiful to me.

Awww! I'm reading your post too. ;) Visuddha is such a handsome boy and he sure is blessed to have such a loving Mom like you. ;)

Hugs, Lori

[DoxieMama]

Shana -- I don't want you to think no one is reading your posts. As you are, I am dealing with the loss of Molly and find it hard to focus elsewhere.


Awww! I'm reading your post too. ;)

No no no... I totally get that and understand! I appreciate your responses, each and every one. I was just trying to say that I am going to use this thread for my own personal diary of sorts, so I can refer back to when things happen if the need should arise, and I don't expect responses to those. I hope that makes sense. :o


Is the plan to remove the offending tooth? I know the thought of anesthesia is a scary one but the vet should be able to keep it pretty light.

We haven't discussed it yet, though I'm thinking that will probably be best. It does worry me but I'm also considering that if we DO go that route, maybe we can just take out the rest and give him dentures. :rolleyes: He's had bad teeth for a while and maybe we can head off future problems if he doesn't have any left (except the ones in the front that haven't been an issue maybe...). I dunno.


Visuddha is such a handsome boy and he sure is blessed to have such a loving Mom like you. ;

He's got a face only a mommy can love. ;) I'm lucky to have him.

[judymaggie]

Shana -- I totally understand about keeping track of Visuddha's journey in your thread. I have, on several occasions, gone back and pulled info from Abbie's thread. When I had my Maggie, this forum was with a different server/host. When switched over to the current host, I was able to get a full copy of Maggie's thread which was probably over 50 pages. Not sure if that is an option now but I have gone back and read Maggie's history a few times as well as pull info to pass on to others. I made a memory box of items related to Maggie and her print-out is right in there.

Your comment about dentures reminded me of that ad on TV showing "doggy dentures"! :D Abbie has no molars left and really only a few teeth. She no longer can eat anything really hard but has adapted quite well over the years. These days I just wish she would eat something ... but that is for another day.

[Whiskey's Mom]

I think it's a great idea to use your thread as a diary. Ive referred back to mine several times. I cringe when I read my early posts, I was such a dummy about everything. Still am pretty much but what I've learned here has been so helpful and I'll be forever greatful. Love the story about the shadow. Totes adorbs!

[molly muffin]

I used mollys thread to track her test results, to remember behavior things, to share hysterically funny moments. Everything really. It's a great place to be able to read back and find what was going on during a specific time period.

[DoxieMama]

Whiskey's Mom... you were not a dummy, you were just uneducated. Look how far WE have come! :)

Judy, it appears it is possible to print the thread - up to 40 posts at a time it looks like. That's cool. Doggy dentures indeed... Visuddha only has 6 or 8 teeth now, can't remember exactly. He's got less left now than he had pulled the last time! :eek:

Sharlene, that's exactly what I was thinking. Just keeping a log so I have to refer back to stuff; I'm hoping it is easier than my current method (in a spreadsheet which is getting unruly). Plus as you said, sharing funny/special moments with all of you. :):cool:

[DoxieMama]

Yesterday was pretty uneventful for Visuddha. I was running late so he didn't get out for a walk between breakfasts, then he mostly just slept next to me all evening. Before bed, I held him while I chatted with my son who is headed to college today, and he was so tired he couldn't hold his head up... just lay there with his head hanging down. I changed his position to support his head and he hung it forward, like he was trying to curl up into a ball, but vertically. I thought it was cute; my son just called him weird. :) They don't like each other very much. hehe

This morning started off with a wet bed - two, actually - as Visuddha had partially moved off his bed which is on mine. He's had a quick "sponge" bath and is dry, sheets are in the wash, breakfast is done and he's now quivering in my lap. It's only about 45 degrees outside so he could be cold, as he went out right after his bath. Or maybe he's hurting.

I still wish he could just tell me how he feels.

Both beds also had what I believe to be nasal discharge (looks like snot which was also still coming out of his nose). He sneezes rather frequently lately. He doesn't seem to appreciate when I try to wipe his nose with a tissue, or when I do the same for his eyes.

[DoxieMama]

My husband just left with our oldest son for college. I was supposed to work but when I got there, I realized I needed to be home so put a time off request form on my boss' desk. He didn't acknowledge it... so hopefully I won't hear from him later wondering why I'm not there. LOL :eek:

Visuddha is happy to have me home for the afternoon. He was almost asleep in "his spot" on the love seat but had one eye partially open. When he saw me, his head popped up and he looked at me as if to say, "Is that really you or am I dreaming?" Ahhh... my boy. <3

[molly muffin]

Ahhh they do love to have us around for them. It's such a heart warming feeling.

[DoxieMama]

Visuddha spent most of the weekend sleeping. He walks circles around me while I get his food ready (currently either fish/potato/zucchini that I've been cooking for him, this time with carrots added, or 50:50 with TOTW canned food as I've been working on bringing his weight back up). After he eats, he goes outside then comes in and lays down to sleep.

Sometimes when he lays down after his meals he has a few seconds of ... struggling for air? He's done this on and off for years, though I haven't been able get a video for the vet or have it happen so he can see it for himself. I've thought it might be reverse sneezing but I'm not sure. Now I'm more inclined to say that he's fighting a runny/stuffy nose... gasping or reverse sneezing a few times, hacks... may repeat two or three times then he's fine.

When I'm busy doing things, housework etc, he follows me around and licks the floor. He has done that for years. Our youngest son says he leaves snail trails on the floor. This weekend I noticed he had his tail tucked while he was licking... in fact, most of the time when I would put him down, it was tucked. :(

[Whiskey's Mom]

Hmmm not sure about the sneezing(do you think maybe he eats too fast & hasn't fully swallowed before laying down?) :oor floor licking but... I've noticed since our saga began that Whiskey tucks his tail quite a bit too. Definitely while eating. I can't be sure if he did it prior to not feeling well but I don't think so. I tried looking it up but none of the explanations I saw really fit our situation. Even so, there's still lots of tail wagging going on so I've just let it be at the bottom of my Whiskey Worry List!

[DoxieMama]

I don't think so because he finishes his food, licks his bowl (and Jackson's) and then goes outside to potty. Then he's back inside for oh, maybe a minute, maybe 10 before that sneezing or whatever it is. He sounds congested. As for the floor licking, that's just what he does. If he's not licking the floor, he's probably sleeping. :p

Usually when I reach down and pet him, floor licking or not, tail tucked or not, he wags his tail for me. I pet him a few times this morning while I was getting ready for work and only once did he wag his tail. The rest of the time it stayed tucked. Otherwise I may not have mentioned it.

I just don't think he's feeling well. :(

[judymaggie]

Shana -- Abbie tucks her tail when she is not feeling well or is stressed. The chiropractor noticed she had her tail down quite a bit at our last visit and she said that it could be due to the pain she has in the lumbosacral area of her spine (near her tail).

One thought about the "reverse sneezing" noise -- wondering if maybe Visuddha's soft palate is slightly collapsed when he is laying down. Does he snore?

[Whiskey's Mom]

Shana you know him best. Sorry he's not feeling well.

[DoxieMama]

Shana -- Abbie tucks her tail when she is not feeling well or is stressed. The chiropractor noticed she had her tail down quite a bit at our last visit and she said that it could be due to the pain she has in the lumbosacral area of her spine (near her tail).

One thought about the "reverse sneezing" noise -- wondering if maybe Visuddha's soft palate is slightly collapsed when he is laying down. Does he snore?

I know the tail tucking isn't good. :(

Yes, he snores! Sometimes worse/louder than others, and sometimes not at all. The times I've noticed this "episode" he has been either in my lap or next to me, usually resting on his right side which is also one of his typical sleeping positions. When this happens, he gets up and stretches out his neck and it's like he's taking deep breaths but they're loud snorting sounds... then he coughs or hacks (like cats do with a hairball).

[DoxieMama]

I just looked up reverse sneezing, and I think that's what it is. It's probably worse now because of the tooth infection and associated sinus issues.

[judymaggie]

Shana -- hounds are notorious for reverse sneezing. The first time I heard Maggie do this was at the vet's office -- thankfully, they quickly reassured me that she wasn't dying! Abbie usually does this more during our bad allergy seasons (almost year round here in Florida, unfortunately) so I would think that sinus issues would definitely make this worse.

The reason I mentioned the soft palate is that Abbie makes a choking noise every time after drinking water (even though her water bowl is elevated). The vet mentioned last week that this might be due to soft palate issues which are more common with older dogs. I didn't tell Abbie -- I know how I feel when a doctor tells me my issues are due to my age! :p

[DoxieMama]

Well that's a new one to me. I promise I won't tell Abbie. :)

Visuddha woke me up with his stuffy nose a few minutes before my alarm was set. Thankfully I now turn on the light before grabbing him... another wet bed. He had moved partially off his pad again so I have to wash the bottom sheet, too, though luckily the mattress cover was spared.

I noticed his tail tucked again, though could be because he was cold and mad at me for the bath. :p He did wag it a couple times while I was getting his food ready, then followed me around until I picked him up, wrapped him in a blanket to make sure he was warm. He's had his morning eye ointment (left eye now has clear, watery discharge only - yay) and is now snuggled in my lap with the blanket. No reverse sneeze yet this morning.

[DoxieMama]

Yesterday morning the bed was dry when we woke up. Small victories! When he went outside after dinner last night, I found him eating dirt. Really digging into it. I'll keep an eye out for that again.

This morning the bed was wet again, though more like a puddle than a lake. His left eye is still very watery and his left nostril is runny. He woke me this morning with a wet sneeze, splattering my cheek. Yuck! :eek: He was much more alert this morning than he has been lately, though still wasn't interested in going out for a walk.

Edited to add: Vet's office just called to check on him. I spoke with the receptionist only. She said the vet will be out of the office next week, though they will have someone there to cover in case Visuddha's eye/nose/sneezing symptoms get worse. But if they persist, she and I both think it would be good to bring him in for a check when the vet is back the first week of October.

[DoxieMama]

I caught some sort of cold which knocked me down Sunday, so Visuddha, his brother Jackson and sister Leeloo (the kitty) spent the last couple days on the couch with me. Visuddha is still snoring, maybe he's congested, too.

The past few nights he was dry in the morning; today his bed was wet again - at 1:30 in the morning. Maybe it was the time, maybe he finally understands what I'm doing, but he was much more relaxed about his bath. He wouldn't settle down to go back to sleep until I fed him - an ounce of food and we were back to bed an hour or so later, then up at our normal time of 4:30.

After breakfast, he went outside. I didn't see him come back in. I kept checking and checking until finally I threw on a sweatshirt, grabbed a flashlight and went out in shorts and bare feet. The ground was cold, though the temperature at 50F with barely a breeze wasn't too uncomfortable. We have a large yard with many small shrubs and bushes, lots of places for a mini doxie to hide, and I became increasingly panicked as I couldn't find him. :eek: I came back in the house to put my shoes on, continuing to use the flashlight to guide my way. Sometimes my shoes are under my computer desk so I checked there before heading upstairs. Good thing I did, as that's where he was, patiently waiting for me to sit down with him and my coffee. :p

Now I'm wide awake, the coffee is simply settling my nerves and soothing my throat, while he snores blissfully in my lap.

[judymaggie]

Shana -- sorry you have not been feeling well! :( Does Visuddha get up during the night to drink water? The reason I am asking is that Abbie now gets up a couple of times during the night for water. I am a light sleeper and wake up when she gets off the bed. After she gets her drink I take her out to pee. This has forestalled accidents in the house. Additionally, I wake her up right before I am going to go to sleep and take her out to pee then. She isn't "asking" to go out at any of these trips but she has a long pee every time.

Glad you were able to find Visuddha! :D

[DoxieMama]

Thanks Judy. No, he's not been waking up during the night for quite a while now. We go to bed at the same time and I do make sure he goes out before that, and if I wake during the night, I wake him as well. If I do not wake, then neither does he, usually.

As I posted earlier, Monday night I woke at 1:30 which was already too late, though last night 2AM was not.. no laundry for me this morning. Yay!

[Squirt's Mom]

I hope your cold is better today, Shana!

[molly muffin]

ugh, hate colds. At least you have good company while recovering :)

[DoxieMama]

Thanks! I am feeling better, though still miserable with a cough and congestion. I certainly do have good company when I'm home. But I couldn't stay there forever... gotta be able to pay for their care! ;)

[molly muffin]

I always said I worked for Molly. :)

[DoxieMama]

I'm pretty sure I work for Visuddha lately. Just checked my year-to-date on my credit card... eek. I shouldn't look at that. lol

The last couple nights I've woke during the night. Rather than turn over and go back to sleep, I've gotten up and woke him to go out. That works to keep him dry in the am. Last night we went to bed really early at 7:30-ish, up at 9 and then again at 2. I didn't get back to sleep after that so we were up and had breakfast done by 3:30.

The vet's office called to check on Visuddha again yesterday. I am pleased to report that he seems to be doing ok. While his left eye and nostril both still have a little discharge, and he still sneezes a bit more often than "normal", he is better. The reverse sneezing episodes have ceased. :) I still plan to take him in for bloodwork soon.

He has been on 5x a day feedings of 3.5-4 ounces of food per meal, which has been either the "liver diet" or half and half of that with his TOTW canned food. Occasionally his full meal has been the canned food, only because someone didn't have the rest of his meal cooked. :o The only supplements he's getting now are the denosyl, milk thistle and multivitamin.

[molly muffin]

Never, Ever look at the year to date. No need to give yourself a heart attack. :)

So as long as he gets to go out during the night at some point, then he makes it okay. I hope that eye and nostril get cleared up soon. Is he still taking antibiotics? What about that tooth?

[DoxieMama]

Haha no kidding.

Yep, seems to be okay if I wake him to go out. He doesn't wake on his own. I guess my cough is a blessing in disguise.

His eye and nose continue to get better, the swelling from his tooth is gone. He hasn't been on antibiotics for quite some time now.

[DoxieMama]

Visuddha went to the vet yesterday afternoon for a recheck. When I made the appointment, I had intended to ask about possibly restarting Trilostane (last dose was June 18) but his nasal discharge has returned, thick, green and sometimes pink. :( The vet agrees that it's more than likely that darn tooth and prescribed Zydaclin, which seemed to help before. Barring an extraction, we'll continue that monthly. I didn't ask his opinion about doing an extraction.

As for the recheck...

BUN 32 (7-27)
ALP 891 (23-212)
GGT 25 (0-10)
AST 45 (0-50)
ALT 67 (10-100)

Everything's lower... and Normal AST and ALT!!! Woo hoo!!! :D

Previous numbers from August:



BUN 36, was 27 (range 7-27)
ALP 914, was >2000 (range 23-212)
GGT 44, was 154 (range 0-10)
AST 64, was 311 (range 0-50)
ALT 164, was 237 (range 10-100)


In fact, these numbers are almost all better than when he was diagnosed with Cushing's in February! ALP was 1051, GGT 32 and ALT 106. (AST not tested) His only supplements now are a multivitamin, denosyl and milk thistle.

As for Cushing's symptoms, he is drinking and peeing quite a bit, often getting up once a night though not always. He sleeps better next to me than alone so... guess where he sleeps! :p He is still able to go up and down the stairs on his own, though most of the time he waits for me to carry him. Once we get to the bottom, he wiggles for me to put him down and usually stands okay (sometimes his legs don't hold him up well at first). Walks are slow and relatively uneventful unless he sees another dog, then you might think he had all his teeth and was half his age! He's so ferocious. ;)

All in all, a good report for a little guy who is almost 14 years old. :):)

[Whiskey's Mom]

Woo Hoo is right, always a relief when numbers improve! Great job Mom! :DWhen is his bday?

[Joan2517]

That does sound good, Shana! I hope the meds work again on his tooth, the poor little guy~

[DoxieMama]

Long story short, we are going to celebrate October 30th as his birthday.

[Whiskey's Mom]

We'll celebrate on Oct 30 for V & Dec 7 for W!:D
Hope his tooth gets better...Mister Ferocious, too funny

[judymaggie]

Shana -- so sorry that Visuddha is again having issues with a discharge but super good lab results! :D

You may have mentioned this already but am curious what your hesitation is with having his tooth extracted. Maybe because of necessity for anesthesia? I would think a light anesthesia could be used for a tooth extraction. Abbie had no issues with the anesthesia for her disc surgery although I was anxious about it.

How exciting that Visuddha's 14th birthday is just around the corner!

[DoxieMama]

Judy - the vet hasn't suggested it and each time we've been in there lately, he's had an infection and I honestly just forget to ask him. Since this is now an obvious reoccurring issue, I plan to call before we're through the antibiotics and see what he thinks.

[DoxieMama]

My poor boy. I caught his tail in the sliding glass door tonight... am typing one handed spattered in his blood while holding a paper towel tightly on it. It is bleeding less but OMG I thought his ear was bad.... !!! :eek: Of course I don't really have anything like neosporin or anything else that might help. Should be a fun night.

Edit...
Couldn't get it to stop bleeding so asked my husband to hold him while I got ready to go to the pet emergency. The pressure he applied slowed the bleeding enough that more time got it to stop. Adventures in pet ownership....☺

[molly muffin]

Oh no. Just keep pressure on it? Maybe some cold water to try to get the bleeding to slow?
Definitely a long night ahead.
Is it slowing down at all? Just a cut?

[DoxieMama]

It's stopped now. More pressure was needed though he wasn't happy about it. Until it was over. Hes good now. I need a drink lol. Pizza is on its way.....

[Whiskey's Mom]

Oh no! That poor little tail! Glad you got the bleeding stopped. Never a dull moment

[Joan2517]

Poor V! I hope he is okay today....

We've done that so many times with each of them! When Doree was just a puppy, my husband closed the door on her leg, called me at work screaming that he thought he broke her leg (this was before cell phones).

I left work, sped the whole way, passed the vet's, didn't see his car there and went home. There they were just sitting on the deck. Seemed it just scared her....I could've killed him then and there! I never react anymore when he does that.

[Squirt's Mom]

How is our sweet boy this morning?

[DoxieMama]

He's doing well I think. Wags his tail for food and is willing to cuddle, so I think he has forgiven me. His poor tail was cut in a couple spots and looks like it may be broken... It's not straight. :(

[Budsters Mom]

Are you going to take him to the vet tomorrow to have it checked out? It will need to be cleaned and possibly antibiotics to ward off infection. Since it's "not straight", I would definitely get it looked at. ;)

[DoxieMama]

It's at the end of his tail, not the base, and the kink is only slight.... It bothers him when I touch it, but moves ok and feels normal temp .

I will be giving them a call tomorrow for sure. He just started oral antibiotics so that's a plus. I plan to give him a bath later when he is awake and will see what I can do to clean the area better.

Bath done and it started bleeding a little again. Not for long, he is resting now. Poor baby.

[judymaggie]

Poor Visuddha! :( I did a bit of reading and this seems to be widely held advice:


Trauma is almost always the cause of a fracture in a dog’s or cat’s tail. Examples include being hit by a car, getting the tail caught in a closing door, or getting it stepped on, or even when a pet falls off a bed or a couch or hits the floor wrong when he jumps down.

The good news is that a simple fracture at the end of your pet’s tail often heals well on its own, without the need for a cast or surgery. On very rare occasions, a severely damaged tail with crushed or separated tailbones may need to be amputated.

After the tail heals, there might be a kink or bump at the location where the fracture occurred. Frequently, the area will remain sensitive, which you’ll notice if you try to stroke your pet’s tail. If there’s residual pain, your dog or cat will guard the area, which is your cue to leave that part of the tail alone.

Almost all the websites said to apply antibiotic ointment after gentle cleansing if there is bleeding.

I hope you got your much needed pizza!

[DoxieMama]

Thank you, Judy.

[DoxieMama]

I am working from home today, so I could bring him in to the vet if he wants to see his tail. I called this morning at 8:15 and spoke with the receptionist, who said that the vet may suggest the use of triple antibiotic ointment... but she would talk to him. There has been no call back yet.

In the meantime, Visuddha is contentedly snoring in my lap. I'm glad to be home as I can clean his nasal discharge so he can breathe easier... it's pretty thick.

I posted a new picture of him in his album showing just how rough it is for him right now. ;)

[DoxieMama]

I washed his tail again and oh I feel so bad! It is most definitely broken, as I can bend it 90 degrees. :eek: I wish I had noticed that earlier. I was trying to be careful and gentle. :(

It's really hard to wash a wagging tail gently lol

I called the vet and let them know,and made an appointment for tomorrow at 4:30.

[judymaggie]

Shana -- don't beat yourself up -- accidents happen and you were definitely taking good care of Vissudha. Let us know what the vet says -- it may be he will decide to just let it heal on its own.

[Whiskey's Mom]

I would feel bad too, but at least he's wagging! Hope all is well!

[DoxieMama]

Vet said to use the triple antibiotic ointment multiple times a day, watch that the swelling goes down, and make sure he doesn't start to chew at it. Call if anything worsens, or that swelling doesn't start to go down in the next couple days. He is already on antibiotics so hopefully that will help quickly... For his tail and his eye\nose discharge which hasn't lessened yet. We still have the cone if he does start chewing.

I also asked about tooth extraction. Long story short, he does not advise it, mainly due to uncontrolled Cushings and age. The anesthesia could be too much, and it not, healing could take a long time...assuming he would heal at all. So regular antibiotics is his suggestion, and I can't say I disagree. I'll talk to my husband about it though and see what he thinks. At this point, I expect we want to see the antibiotics work first, regardless.

[molly muffin]

I hope the antibiotics work. I wonder if they could culture the discharge from his eye and find an antibiotic that would work on it specifically?
Poor little guy. Still wagging the tail, that is a good sign. I know I would just be mortified too. Hugs Shana! I'm sure you are feeling worse than he is about it.

[DoxieMama]

Thank you, Sharlene. His nasal discharge seems to be lessening, which is a good sign.

For the record... the receptionist at the vet's office confirmed V's birthday is October 31st. I must have told them when I first brought him in. :) A Halloween baby... just like his grandpa (my father in law - lol)!

[molly muffin]

Awww, a halloween baby. How adorable!

[DoxieMama]

The office called to check on him yesterday. His tail seems to be healing well... the swelling is definitely reduced. His eye/nose discharge has also lessened.

Last night he reopened the wound on his tail. I'm not sure how, as it happened when he was outside after I gave him his dinner. He came back in and walked through the house, then sat in my lap for maybe 10 minutes before I noticed it. No big deal, cleaned up quickly and no further issues last night. Neither my husband nor I have seen him chewing at it at all, so we're thinking he probably just hit it on something.

This morning we went for a little over 1/2 mile walk. Slow and steady, it took us almost half an hour just to go that far, with a few potty stops and sniffing stops along the way. Brrrr it's starting to get chilly. V was shivering by the time we got home and he had his jacket on!! I took that off and cuddled him in a warm blanket for a few minutes, fed him his second breakfast and then took Jackson out for a longer walk.

(Side note: Jackson and I stopped by the vet's office to borrow their scale. He's down 2.5 pounds since August, when the vet had suggested a goal of 50 pounds. That's another 6 which seems like an awful lot to me. We'll keep doing what we're doing for now, and check back in a few months.)

[rainiebo]

Slow and steady seems to be the way to go with our Cushpups. Glad his tail is coming along.

[judymaggie]

Shana -- good to hear that Visuddha's tail is on the mend. That is a tough place to heal and to avoid hitting accidentally.

[LeighHop]

Hey Shana

Just got caught up on your journey and wanted to send my love and support.

[DoxieMama]

We had a birthday/Halloween party for my husband last night. V didn't want his Denosyl until about an hour later than I offered it (which was much later than normal as it was), and had no interest in anything other than sleeping for another couple hours. He did eat all of his meal when he woke. His nose was very runny.

He slept fitfully, waking a few times during the short night. After breakfast, he went right back to sleep on my desk chair. I walked Jackson and when I came back, he was still sleeping. When he woke 10 or 15 minutes later, I found that his nose was still quite runny. Maybe more blood than before? Hard to say. I have to work shortly and he's sleeping next to me again. He's weary. My baby dog. <3

[DoxieMama]

My work chores this morning are brief. I put some changes in, now waiting for the system to start up so I can test. In the meantime, I thought I'd share a couple pictures I took of V a few minutes ago.

First, his very first Halloween costume ever! I was never interested in dressing up my dogs... but I bought this onesie for him when he had a lump removed on his shoulder. I couldn't resist putting it on him for the party last night. He's so cute!
http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=1089&pictureid=8586

Just look at that adorable face. Nevermind all the bald spots on his ears. They just add more character. ;)
http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=1089&pictureid=8585

[rainiebo]

He's got a pretty smile ! Happy birthday to him and his grandpa.

[Squirt's Mom]

awwwwww what cute pics! He looks distinguished in his sweater! :)

[Harley PoMMom]

Awwww, he is such a precious boy!!!!

[Squirt's Mom]

Happy 14th Birthday, Visuddha!

[Harley PoMMom]

Happy 14th Birthday, Visuddha!!!

[Whiskey's Mom]

HAPPY 14th BIRTHDAY V!!!

[DoxieMama]

Awwww, he is such a precious boy!!!!

Yep, like all the rest of them... especially when they are sleeping! ;)

Thank you all for the birthday wishes. I am counting down the minutes until I can go home and hang out with him.

Much love to my birthday boy. My baby dog. <3

[judymaggie]

HAPPY 14th BIRTHDAY, SWEET VISUDDHA!

[Joan2517]

Happy Birthday, Visuddha!

[DoxieMama]

Thanks for helping him celebrate. :)

We had maybe a couple dozen trick-or-treaters last night. Jackson is a great alarm, barking whenever they rang the bell or knocked. I took V with me to the front room and set him down while I handed out candy - he either tried to sneak out the door, or got stuck behind it in the corner. :p He did not wear his costume though, as he seemed quite warm already. I kept Jackson out of the room at first, then let him visit the kids if he wanted. He wasn't too sure of the first one... a 4 year old princess, and didn't get too close after that. :rolleyes:

V's antibiotics are almost gone, though he still has some eye/nasal discharge. His tail has a good sized scab on it but looks to be healing well.

He has been sleeping a lot more the last few days. Saturday we went for a walk and he slept so much the rest of the day, I chalked it up to wearing him out. Had I not stayed up late that night, he would have had one less meal for the day. Yesterday, I fed him his two breakfasts as usual, then went to work. Usually he is up in the middle of the day for a lunchtime meal; he slept right through until I got home and woke him. The blankets on the couch were wet.

He has been waking me least twice during the night to go out. He comes in, gets a quick drink of water and then right back to sleep. That seems to be all he wants to do lately... just sleep.

[labblab]

Aww darn, I'm late to the birthday party, but at least I could edit V's thread to acknowledge the big day!! :) :) :)

Happy Belated Birthday, V!!!

[DoxieMama]

Thanks, Marianne! :)

[judymaggie]

Shana -- I'm glad that Visuddha's tail is healing. I can relate to the extended periods of sleep -- some days Abbie spends 99% of the time sleeping. She doesn't even seem interested in food. Other days she will go on good walks, wants to play a little bit and seems generally more alert. I believe this is all due to the natural aging process of our pups so I try not to worry on those really quiet days. Abbie has started to balk at taking her pills (wrapped in cheese and chicken) --- if I try twice with no luck, I just give up. I figure nothing is worth stressing her out!

Give Visuddha a gentle hug from us!

[molly muffin]

I missed the birthday party too.

Happy Birthday V-Man!

Are they going to redo tests when the antibiotics are done to see how he is doing?

[DoxieMama]

Judy, I'm hoping you're right. Visuddha was a bit more alert yesterday - up at most mealtimes and ate everything, if it took him a bit longer than usual.

Sharlene, he finished up the abx this morning and the office called to check on him. I told the receptionist about the eye/nasal discharge, which still had some blood in it this past weekend. We're in a "wait and see" mode now. If it gets worse, they definitely want to see him.

[DoxieMama]

It is 2:30 in the morning, and V has woken no less than 3 times already. Each time, he drinks a bit of water and goes outside, then comes in. I try to get him to lay down but he is restless, doing so for only an hour, if that. The last time he went outside, he took longer than usual so I grabbed my coat and flashlight to look for him. Good thing I did... he was stuck in a window well. :( It doesn't appear as if he hurt himself in the fall, luckily.

I have given in to the morning and made coffee. Of course, he is now snoozing in my lap. :rolleyes:

[rainiebo]

Hi, my dog, Bobo, was up multiple times last night too. I'm whipped and did finally give up on sleeping and made the morning cup of coffee. Just some encouragement - from someone hoping your trips outside will slow down !

[DoxieMama]

Thanks Raina. Hope Bobo (and you!) have a more restful night tonight.

A little after 5am, I put V's jacket and harness on him to go for a walk. As before, I hold him while I put them on, then set him down. He often has a little trouble adjusting to the extra weight. This morning, as soon as I set him down, he just laid on his side and looked at me. Awww. I got Jackson ready to go and V got up so we went for a short walk around the block. He was exceptionally slow this morning, except when he saw another dog. I'm happy to say he still has spunk in him, barking at the neighbor dog as he passed by. :D

[DoxieMama]

Last night was not very good, and this morning was worse. I'm at work now and worrying even though I know it does no good to do so. I'll be leaving in a couple hours (or sooner if I can)... it's going to be a long two hours.

Please keep us in your thoughts.

[Joan2517]

You and V are...I hope the little guy is alright~

[judymaggie]

Sending prayers and healing thoughts your way -- if you get a chance when you get home, let us know how Visuddha is doing.

[Harley PoMMom]

You both are in my thoughts and prayers, too.

[DoxieMama]

I have been home for about half an hour and he is the same. Finally got him to eat by heating his food and hand feeding to start. Once he got some, he kept eating until it was gone.

His breathing is labored. He is drinking water on his own, but not much.

I am waiting for my husband to wake (he works nights).......

[judymaggie]

Shana -- I am glad that he showed some interest in food and at least drank a little bit. Hugs to you!

[rainiebo]

So glad he is eating. Prayers for you all !

[DoxieMama]

I took Visuddha to the vet at 4:30 this afternoon. He saw him, heard his breathing, listened to his heart and nodded. It was congestive heart failure.

Letting him go was the hardest and the best decision I ever made for him.

My heart is absolutely crushed.


Visuddha R.
October 31, 2002 - November 4, 2016
I love you, baby dog. Always and forever.

[Harley PoMMom]

Oh Shana, I am so so sorry

[Whiskey's Mom]

Dear Shana, my heart is just breaking for you. Your sweet little guy will always have a special place in my heart. I will be thinking of you and wishing you peace and comfort. So sorry.
Annie

[judymaggie]

Oh, Shana--I saw the change in your thread and tears started falling. I will miss sweet Visuddha very much--I feel as though I have known him for a long time. You were such a wonderful pet parent--please be gentle with yourself during these tough days ahead.

[MyGirlSecret]

Shana, I am so sorry, very heartbreaking.

Lynn

[deedz]

Shana, I just recently joined the group but wanted to offer my condolences, and will say a prayer for you and yours.
Take care of yourself,

Debbie & Tobey

[labblab]

Oh Shana, I am awakening this morning to read this sad news about V and also little Margaret Bell. I cannot tell you how shocked and sorry I am! I know your heart is broken, and I can only imagine how hard it will be to awaken this first morning without your sweet baby boy beside you. I wish so much that there was more I could do or say. But please know I am thinking of you all, and sending so many hugs flying across the miles.

With my heartfelt sympathy on the loss of your precious little boy,
Marianne

[Joan2517]

Oh Shana...I just got on and saw the sad news about Vishudda. I am so, so sorry. I'm crying as I write this to you. He fought hard, the sweet little guy, and I know your heart is broken. Mine is breaking for you. You're a good mom and you did so much for him. I know that doesn't help right now...

We were all hoping he would be alright and now we are all feeling your pain. The hardest thing is letting them go, even when we know it is the best thing that we can do for them.

Love,
Joan

[rainiebo]

Shana - thank you for sharing V's life. Please know that I truly wish you a recovery that is filled with blessings and sweet remembrances.

[Squirt's Mom]

Dear Shana,

Not at all what I expected to see this morning, not at all. :( As shocked as I am, I know you are still reeling this morning. V had the best mom ever in you. You did all you could no matter what to makes his days the very best possible and he knows you did. Your precious boy flew from this life on the wings of your love and will carry that love with him til you are able to share it together once again.

Our deepest sympathies,
Leslie, Trinket, Sophie, Fox and all our Angels



FROM FRIEND TO FRIEND ♥

You're giving me a special gift,
So sorrowfully endowed,
And through these last few cherished days,
Your courage makes me proud.

But really, love is knowing
When your best friend is in pain,
And understanding earthly acts
Will only be in vain.

So looking deep into your eyes,
Beyond, into your soul,
I see in you the magic, that will
Once more make me whole.

The strength that you possess,
Is why I look to you today,
To do this thing that must be done,
For it's the only way.

That strength is why I've followed you,
And chose you as my friend,
And why I've loved you all these years...
My partner 'til the end.

Please, understand just what this gift,
You're giving, means to me,
It gives me back the strength I've lost,
And all my dignity.

You take a stand on my behalf,
For that is what friends do.
And know that what you do is right,
For I believe it too.

So one last time, I breathe your scent,
And through your hand I feel,
The courage that's within you,
To now grant me this appeal.

Cut the leash that holds me here,
Dear friend, and let me run,
Once more a strong and steady dog,
My pain and struggle done.

And don't despair my passing,
For I won't be far away,
Forever here, within your heart,
And memory I'll stay.

I'll be there watching over you,
Your ever faithful friend,
And in your memories I'll run,
...a young dog once again.

― In Memory of Asta, Feb. 1997 ♥
by Karen Clouston

[Harley PoMMom]

Dearest Shana,

I am truly sorry for the loss of your beloved Visuddha. He's such a special boy and your love for and devotion to him was obvious to us all. My heart goes out to you and your family at this most difficult time and I know there is nothing I could say or do to ease the pain you are feeling but I hope that knowing we are here for you and do understand will bring some comfort.

With Heartfelt Sympathy, Lori

Godspeed precious Visuddha

[DoxieMama]

Thank you, all. Leslie, the poem you chose is perfect.

It is ironic that when I spoke with my mom earlier this week and she asked about him, I told her he was doing well. Old, you know. But he was still eating and wagging his tail... more good days than bad. She said, "You're not ready" ... and I wasn't. Is anyone ever, truly, "ready"?

I do take comfort in the fact that his suffering was brief. In retrospect, perhaps we could have seen the signs earlier, as the moment the vet saw him he exclaimed, "Oh, his belly is really big, isn't it?" Why yes, it was. I had been blaming it on untreated Cushing's... when in fact, having done a brief bit of research this morning, it was likely ascites (fluid buildup).

Last weekend was when things started to go wrong. He was not interested in anything other than sleep and food... then it was just sleep. Saturday night he refused his last meal until much later than normal. Monday he slept the whole day through, which he has not done... in as long as I can remember. Wednesday night was really rough. I thought he was snoring, or his breathing sounds were because he still had a bit of nasal discharge. But as I already shared, he was restless and I don't think he really got much sleep.

Thursday night was even worse, and I wasn't sure he was going to make it. He was having so much trouble breathing, as tired as I was, I propped myself up in bed and let him rest on my chest. I was hoping a position change would help. Sometimes it did, but the respite was brief. I almost didn't want to sleep for fear that he would pass in the night, alone. But I knew I needed to, so I just kept a hand on him so whenever he stirred or things changed, I might recognize and wake. It was another restless night, but I wouldn't change a minute of it.

His Last Day

In the morning, he refused food again. And again. And again. He also refused water. He was so weak, and struggling to breathe.

I'm not sure I've ever shared it here, but one thing Visuddha has done for years is wait for me while I shower... then lick the water from the tops of my feet and lower legs. He was a licker, through and through. Yesterday, I set his bed on the carpet outside my master bath and while he watched me get ready, he didn't get up.

I carried him downstairs and took Jackson out for a short walk. When we came back, Visuddha was standing by the gate, waiting. He wagged his tail at me a couple times and I was cheered... but he still refused to eat, tucking his tail again.

I absolutely hated having to go to work, but I really didn't have a choice... I had to be there or our department would only have one (other) person to respond to issues. I spoke to my coworker in the morning, letting him know that if my husband called, I was going to have to go home. He told me to go, he would be fine, but I stayed as long as I could. I sent my husband a couple texts, asking if V had eaten or drank anything, and telling him I thought it might be time to let him go. He did not respond. I planned to work through lunch and leave an hour early. I left two hours early. I couldn't wait any longer.

Visuddha was not better. He hadn't eaten any of the food I had left for my husband to feed him, and both water dishes were full. He went outside to pee, came in and lapped a tiny amount of water, but that was all. I got myself a piece of zucchini bread, which Jackson was begging for... normally, I wouldn't give them any but I did. V perked up a bit so I offered him a piece. He ate that, and another. Then I heated his food in the microwave for a few minutes, grabbed a little spoonful and he ate it. I fed him almost the whole meal on a spoon.

But his breathing could not be ignored. I spoke with my husband and through tears, called to make the appointment for 4:30 that afternoon. Less than an hour to go.

I carried him outside and walked around the backyard, sat on the deck, letting him feel the sun, hear the sounds and smell the smells of the neighborhood he has known since he was 8 weeks old.

We went back inside, upstairs to my husband, who spent a few minutes alone with him while I got ready to go.

I almost canceled the appointment. Twice. Being Friday, I did not want to risk an emergency on the weekend... and I wanted them to see him one last time as well.

We got in the truck a minute or two after 4:30. I didn't think they would mind that we were late.

My baby dog... he was so brave and just so ... tired. We sat in the room for maybe 10 or 15 minutes before they came in. My mom sent me a text asking how he was and I told her we were there, saying goodbye. The vet came in, listened to his heart and agreed. It was his heart. It was time. After they sedated him, they let me hold him again while that took effect. Another 10 minutes or so ... maybe longer. I set him on the table and held his head in my left hand while I cuddled and pet him with my right, as his breathing slowed...stopped.... and his heart stopped.

The vet told me again it was the right decision. He was surprised at how quickly things progressed, yet grateful for it as well. He emphasized how well I'd done in caring for Visuddha... if he had been anyone else's dog, he would not have lived for so long. Then he left the room and the tech stayed with me and V, allowing me as long as I needed, and reminisce with her a bit. She said he was always a good patient and they would miss him terribly.

No one will miss my baby dog like I do. He was my shadow, attached at my hip, constantly underfoot. And I loved him SO much.

He will be coming home, for good, on Tuesday or Wednesday. I also requested a little keychain, which will go everywhere with me.

My sweet, ornery, obnoxious, vicious little beast. My baby dog.

Oh I miss him so, SO much.

[Renee]

I'm so sorry Shana. Sometimes I really dread checking threads here, knowing the passing is just part of it.

Please be kind to yourself right now. Grief is a process, not an event. Everyone handles it differently, in their own way and time.

Sail on fast and free Visuddha.

[puhmuckel]

Just read your journey. You have done so much and it is so hard.
I am so sorry.

[DoxieMama]

Thank you, both.

[DoxieMama]

Hi baby dog...

I posted about you on Facebook yesterday. So many of our friends replied. You are going to be missed by many, sweetie. You're also on the memorial thread here, with the picture I took of you in the backyard after playing ball. You had a piece of grass on your nose, remember? It makes me smile to remember. I added quite a few pictures of you on Facebook and set my profile picture to you... and cover photo to one of them I took of you with Jackson.

Speaking of Jack... We went for a nice, long walk yesterday morning - over an hour long in the neighborhood by the elementary school. Do you remember? We used to run over there with Jupiter, but we have to cross that busy street and it seemed so very far, I hadn't taken either of you there in quite a while. As we passed the park, I noticed the sunrise was really pretty so I stopped and snapped a photo of it. Then by the train tracks three doe ran right across the road! I was able to signal to a car as it came around the corner so they slowed in time, and then I let them know when it was clear. I tried to get a picture of them but I wasn't fast enough.

We went behind the church and Jackson saw another dog across the street. Just as he lunged for it, I saw movement in the yard next to us. I was concerned that it was another dog that might come out and cause mischief. It was right behind a huge evergreen tree, one that I bet will be decorated at Christmastime. But it wasn't a dog. It was another deer - a buck! Seven or eight points - it was huge, buddy! Both Jackson and the other dog forgot all about each other, watching that buck run off. There was also a doe behind the tree that came out and followed the buck, but it looked like one of her back legs was hurt. :(

We went a few more blocks and you won't believe it but there were three wild turkeys in someone's front yard! Jack didn't know what to think of them. Then another lady walking her dog came around the corner and followed us for a bit - but we were going a little slower so they caught up and passed us. Jackson was a good boy as they went by on the other side of the street. I was so proud of him.

Later on, another lady came out of her house with a little tan dog.. I think it was a min pin. He ran straight at us and all I could think of was to say, "Whoa whoa whoa". It probably thought I was crazy, giving it a horse command. ;) But it stopped just a few feet away. He stepped into the street towards us and the lady told him that he needed to stay in his yard, so he went back. She apologized, which was awfully nice of her. But everything was ok. Jackson was a really good boy, he didn't bark or lunge at it at all and I was SO surprised. I think he was as startled by that little dog as I was.

Then we went around the corner, down the hill towards the busy street. Do you remember that corner? After the excitement with the min pin, I forgot. But those big dogs are still there - in that lady's back yard. All 3 of them came running toward the fence. Jackson reacted by barking and lunging at the fence for a bit, but one of them must have said something to hurt his feelings. He came right next to my leg and was whining and crying as we continued down the hill. I held onto his collar and told him it was okay - they couldn't get out of that fence and we were going home. One of those dogs was really angry, he was digging at the big rocks they have next to the fence like he thought he could go under it. I'm glad they have those big rocks there. I think we might not go that way anymore.

You know what I realized today? I realized that I should have brought Jackson with me to say goodbye to you. I feel so bad that I didn't do that. I made sure that you got to say goodbye to Jupiter, so you would not worry and wonder. And you were always here for Jackson, ever since we brought him home. Remember that day? We went up to the shelter to meet him and you said he was okay - until he got in the truck. Then you weren't too happy about him. But once we got home, everything was just fine. He's always had you - and now you're gone and you guys didn't get to say goodbye to each other. I'm so sorry. I know you understand. He knows you aren't here but I'm not sure if he knows why. Maybe. He is such a smart boy, I'm sure he knew you weren't feeling well.

I hope you don't mind, I gave him some of the food I made for you. There was so much still in the fridge, and you know sometimes I give him a spoonful during your meals. But he got sick this morning so I think I'll throw the rest out. And though he might not like it, I should give his tummy a rest and skip dinner tonight. I'll make some rice and chicken for the morning, see how he does with that. Hopefully it was just a little upset tummy and he'll be okay tomorrow. We were going to go for another long walk today, but I think I'll just let him rest today.

I haven't slept very much since you left, buddy. I go to bed around 8 but am up in the middle of the night - by 1 or 1:30. Dad's up since he works nights so we have been playing games online until 5 or 6, then he goes to sleep. I tried to take a nap this morning but had to let Jackson outside when he got sick. So now I'm here. I do need to do the dishes though... they've just been stacking up and we don't have any more clean coffee cups.

There is still so much to tell you, but I should probably get going now.

I love you, buddy.

[apollo6]

Dear Shanna, I am so sorry for the lose of your sweet Visuddha. There is never enough time with theses little angels . May Vissuddha be at peace.
Sonja and Apollo
.

[LeighHop]

I'm so heartbroken for you. You gave him an amazing life and in return, his world revolved around you.

It is so hard to have them with us such a brief time, but they bring so much to our lives, which makes it more than worth it.

[judymaggie]

Shana -- your post to Visuddha was so heartwarming but it also made me cry. I have been giving Abbie some extra hugs these days, thinking of Molly and Visuddha and that all three of them are about the same age. It makes me value my time with Abbie even more. Hugs to you!

[Budsters Mom]

I am so very sorry for your loss.:o