Flynn 11 y/o Foxie Cross - Right adrenalectomy- Good Bye Flynny We will miss you

happy to read flynn is doing well and enjoyed his time with his grandparents :)... hope you are having a quiet nights sleep !!! patty(milo)meka xoxox

OMG! As is my habbit with longer threads I haven't looked at before, I tend to read the last couple of pages to catch up with what is going on. There was mention of multiple surgeries and swab? I've now just finished reading the last 25 pages and OMG! WTH?? What you and poor Flynn have gone through! But I am very glad to hear that things are now going well and the metaphorical sun is now shining!

As for the real sun, I get that! Heat and more heat is what we seem to have here, with a predicted 39.5C again by the end of the week (that's 103F to most of you). And strange as it may seem to many, I've never even seen snow!

I went to NZ a couple of years ago, North island from Bay of Islands only down as far as Taupo, but what beautiful country! Very green and so different to the bushland here (though I hear Tasmania is similar) Anyone planning a visit, I highly recommend it! Yummy Ice-cream too! (Just watch out for the smell of Rotorua! You get used to it after a couple of days though :p)

Your all welcome, come on down... I will put up a tent in the back yard and take you on a tour to the lotr places Leslie! Not that there are any near me :D:D

Thx for your post Soggydoggy and your crikey your temps would kill me. We get Australia temps regularly on our news and of course updates on the awful bush fires. Just so horrible for those that happen to be in their path. Yuck. I am coming over to Melbourne in April so looking forward to that. Yes we do have good ice cream, I would like one right now but noooo back on healthy eating, so maybe a yoghurt haha. Yes, poor Flynn has been through it, but fingers crossed he is starting to come right :)

Flynn is pretty good, still hard to get him settled on a diet. He had another episode of loose poop tonight, associated with the smelly toots, I think it is the mince he has had recently. I will swap him to chicken again for a while, I mix it with the GI food that he really does not like. But other than that, pretty good! But he is due a vet visit so I must book him in... he is so enjoying the break from visiting them that I hesitate to rock the boat :rolleyes:

Love to all
Trish xx

Haha my new avatar a bit small on it! But it is a pic of Flynn walking up the beach the night before we went down for adrenalectomy, I was taking photos of him and bawling that they may be his last. But nope... he still here YAY!!

Flynn said "no way am I giving up my walks on the beach".

Trish, you have done an amazing job and I know Flynn is taking his cues from you, so keep that positive half full glasss attitude you have going, it truly helps Flynnie. My IMS said Zoe "feeds" off me which is why she waited until after the Zoe's stim was complete to discuss her vulva owie. Her statement hit home like no other. We have to utilize every tool we can:D:D:D:D:D:D

You go girl:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

yay Flynn... Of course he is still here. What a tough cookie he has proven to be.

you know Shysie had issues as well with diet. Would go angry potties to puke alternating. I gave up on ALL processed foods. Soft, kibble, all of it. and cookies too. I home cook her meals, make 2-4 weeks at a time and then add supplements to each serving. We consulted with Nutritionist during all this, and I am thrilled with all results with home cook meals. She does so much better (knock on wood) and has for a good year now.
I am glad he is getting back more and more to perfect health. sweet sweet little guy. :)

Flynn is the little that just keeps on going. I can't imagine anything else for him. You are the brave soul who always is looking at the positive with a heart of gold. That's how I always think of you two. :)
arggh, maybe he was having sympathy poops with molly the other day, cause she started to get loose and I gave her some carrot, that seemed to do the trick. I never know what is going on with those poops.

hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Hi Trish,

Just checking in on you and Flynn. I hope he is continuing to do well and is getting stronger every day. I love the new avatar, brave little Flynny! Thanks so much for your encouraging words about Jasper. I tend to get really down on myself, your post really helped cheer me up a bit. :)

Love and hugs from me and Jasper

Hi everyone, thanks for all your lovely messages! Flynn stayed at Mum and Dad's last night as I went out to a party for my friends birthday and was home late. I think he is doing good, but it is definitely time for a trip to vet. I rang to make appt yesterday but he needs BP done and he wants him to stay for a while to calm down, but only my vet was in yesterday and he was booked solid so it will have to be later this week now.

I am trying to get him off the Previcox, especially with his high ALP. So he has not had it since yesterday will see how he goes till we see vet later this week. Not sure what else to give him, he is not in real bad pain with his arthritis but he has been better taking it, hope there is something else not to strong he can have. Panting still, trembling still.. those symptoms have not gone with the surgery unfortunately.

Bowels still tricky. But our problems seem pretty minor to others on here, I feel silly reporting them :rolleyes: I am not calm Tina, I worry just as much as you and just hoping to have a calm patch for a while as we all are but I get down when I see some of the things in Flynn I thought would have disappeared by now and my mind keeps thinking there is still something else wrong with him that we have not managed to discover yet :( But we do have more good days now and we all keep trucking along hoping for the best :o

We have just been for a lovely walk up the beach this evening, just a beautiful night, blue skies, warm but not too hot :D

Have a good week everyone... xx

Hi Trish,

Just wondering if you have considered Cartophen (not carprophen) for Jasper's arthritis at all instead of the previcox? I know it is available in NZ as it is for us in Aus, but only in Canada, not US so it's not mentioned on here much. (though it is in the UK and most of Europe too, so don't know what's up with the US)

From the Cartrophen website: (cartrophen.com)

Quote:

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For Dogs

Cartrophen Vet (100mg sodium pentosan polysulfate / mL) is a leading treatment for arthritis (also known as degenerative joint disease or DJD) and related musculoskeletal disorders which acts on the underlying disease processes that result in pain and lameness.

Cartrophen Vet is a disease modifying osteoarthritis drug (DMOAD) and importantly, it helps maintain joint health, including preserving joint cartilage that is damaged by the arthritic process.

With 20% of dogs over one year of age suffering from arthritis (specifically osteoarthritis or OA) this is a common cause of pain and lameness (Hegemann et al., 2002).

With Cartrophen Vet showing effective treatment in over 80% of cases (Francis and Read, 1993; Cullis-Hill and Ghosh, 1994; Bouck et al, 1995; Read et al, 1996; Smith et al 2001) by way of disease modification, Cartrophen Vet represents the logical approach to the treatment of arthritis.

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I honestly don't know how it goes with Cushing's meds, but I have seen people talking on the DogzOnline forum about Trilo and Cartrophen without issue. I do have an appointment to see my vet tomorrow if you would like me to ask about it - Will probably do this anyway as Oscar is due for his update cartrophen jab and it will be good to find out for future reference for Fraser. The good thing is, it is not another pill, but a jab. The way we usually have it is an initial dose regime of 3 jabs 2 weeks apart, then one every 4 months or so. Oscar got it with his ACL surgery a few months back and we are due for our first update dose. It's actually overdue, but he got flu so we didn't give it. When he does get it, his joints get a little sore and he gets sleepy for the afternoon, but the next day is like nothing ever happened. I think because it increases blood flow to the joints or something, they just feel it a little more for a short while. Every old dog in our family over the past 8 or so years has had it with no adverse problems, so it is something to investigate if you wish.

Anyway, a thought for you to consider. Will let you know what my vet thinks and then you can speak to your vet later in the week when you have the appt.

That's interesting, I will ask my vet about it too when I see him later this week. I would really like him off the nsaid (previcox in his case) with the high liver tests. He has had arthritis for a while, especially in his hips which was diagnosed on xray. He has been on a supplement called Mobilize which is shark cartilage, green mussel and deer velvet for years. He also injured his back (probably from jumping) too, that was years ago though. He has been taking the previcox a few months now.

As a foxy he was always been a dog that loves to jump! He used to greet me at the door and would boing boing for ages. He still does it now, just not so energetically and if I get the leash out he boings all the way out the gate, I try stop him but he is pretty determined :D:D plus I do love to see the joy he has in life, we should all jump for joy a little more often :D:D

Thanks for that info, I will follow it up and would love to hear what your vet has to say. I think you know in his case he is not on any cushings drugs.

Trish xx

Oops, yes, that part slipped my mind! :o

The other thing that just jumped into my head as I've just fed the boys is a supplement called Sachas Blend. Just checked online and it is also available to you in NZ:
http://www.sashas.co.nz/cb_pages/sashas_blend.php

I have had my boys on it for a couple of years now, and it can still be taken with the cartrophen as well. It is just a powder you sprinkle on their food, they seem to love it. (stinks like mussels) It gets rave reviews over here, seems to be a lot better than most glucosamine supplements people say. I buy it online from a vet supply place - $45 a 500g tub, in shops here it retails at $98 a tub, same size :eek: but one tub lasts both my boys 3-4 months as they only have 1/2 a teaspoon on their dinner.

I must say, though Fraser did limp with arthritis a few years ago, I haven't seen any sign of it since starting this. Now I realise that could have had something to do with the previously unknown rising cortisol, but even with that now under control, there has been no sign of arthritis. The ultimate test will be when the weather cools down obviously, but that's some months off yet.

Anyway, another option to explore, and can be taken in conjunction - even with nsaids.

Popping in with a good morning, happy Sunday:D:D:D:D

I sure got a lot of chores done yesterday including cleaning the carpet in our den. I forgot what color it was:eek::eek::eek:

Have a wonderful day.

Glad you are having some fun again Trish!

I wonder if these symptoms you are seeing will eventually go away. Interested to see what the vet says about that.

Have a good week,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Hi Trish,

Just back from seeing my vet and asked about the Cartrophen with cushings dogs, she said it is a very safe medication with very few interactions, so it would be worth asking your vet about it from the point of the adrenalectomy. Usually a 3 dose course to start, followed by maintenance doses. Apparently they can be 3, 6 or 12 monthly as needed, which is even better than I thought!

Hope that helps you some.

Hi Naomi, Addy and Sharlene! Nice to hear from you all

I did some googling about the Cartophen Naomi, the only thing that worried me was the warning below:

"This medication is not recommended for use in dogs that have clotting defects, traumatic hemorrhage, thrombocytopenia, infection or abdominal cancer"

With Flynn having had liver cancer and now the pheo (hopefully not malignant but we don't know and it was in abdomen) i think it might be best for him not to have it. It is very similar to Adequan which I have seen used by some of the US members.

Thanks for the tip! Nearly time for the spring cleaning for you Addy, carpet done so thats a start! I bought a carpet shampooer last year, used it once and in the garage it sits! Luckily for me, Flynn does not have the peeing problem so many of our pups have and I spill more things on the carpet than he does :D. I noticed tonight his fur is nearly fully regrown from his two surgeries... just a wee line to show where they shaved still to grow out, he is so gorgeous! Hope he does not need to be shaved again for a long long time :)

xx

AAhhhh, missed that bit. Oh well it was worth the try. In that case, I'm fresh out of ideas. Sorry.:o

Hi Trish, just popping in to see how Flynn is doing. I bet he is so handsome with his newly grown coat!! It is so nice once that fur grows back in. It seemed like it took forever for Jasper's two front legs to grow back in after being shaved for the IV's when he was in the hospital. But the fur on his legs is long, so that is why it took so long to catch up.

I saw where you posted on Fraser's thread about liver support. Denamarin is one that I see a lot of pups here get. I just talked to my vet about it on Friday. She thought it might be a good idea, so we are going to talk about it once we figure out the kidney stuff. I found a lot of good information when I googled. Hope it is available in NZ.

I hope you are enjoying your warm weather, it is 5 degrees F here today with wind chills in the negative teens. Jasper and Shelby are curled up in a blanket on the couch and I think I will join them. I am off work for MLK day, and they are happy campers!! :D

Hugs,
Tina and Jasper

Some members here use Adequan for their dog's arthritis.

Thanks everyone for the tips on the drugs. Flynn is going in for his BP check tomorrow morning. The vet insists of having him there a while to 'calm' down before testing him so I will drop him on way to work and then Mum can pick him up when he is ready. Trouble is I won't get to see the vet to discuss my list and the receptionist said he is away again after tomorrow until next Tuesday! Will see if I can at least speak to him on phone later tomorrow. Fingers crossed for good result!

xx

Our fingers and paws are totally crossed, even some legs are crossed:D:D:D

Everything crossed here! Go Flynn!

hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Good luck, hope it goes well.

Looking forward to a good BP reading;)

Our fingers and toes are crossed too! :)

Julie & Hannah

Hi all - thanks for your good luck wishes!

BP 160-170 so still up a bit higher than where I would like it to be. I asked them to check his proteinuria as well but no result from that. I have no plan of action as apparently vet was too busy to talk to me today even though I had asked for appointment. I dropped Flynn off at 8.30 and told them to ring me when he was ready so I could go in, pick him up and speak to vet. I had not heard anything by 11.15 so I rang them and was told he was ready to go home, receptionist told me BP result but that vet not able to see me.

The receptionist told me he is writing me a long email that should answer all my questions I said that was not good enough when I had been trying to see him since the weekend and I need to talk to him. I am cranky :mad: and now I think they are too, as there is no email for me. He is away now until next week. If I hear nothing from him by tomorrow I will write to the IMS at the pet hospital and hopefully I can take him down there and actually get to speak to someone. Even though I hate the thought of taking poor Flynny back to that place again. I am going to look into the cost of buying a BP machine so I can do it myself, this is so frustrating.

My fuse is short these days and I don't want to expode but I was close today :(

Understandably so! Geez, if he cant make an appointment then at least give you a call, surely it is faster the writing a "big email". Especially for a patient with valid issues, not just needing vaccinations or having anal glands cleared! Hmmmppff, now I'm annoyed for you! :mad:

Oh Trish, ((((hugs))). I so understand how you feel. Had to work late but was thinking about Flynn all day. I agree, that is so frustrating, especially since your vet will now be gone for a bit. Were there any recommendations at all regarding his BP? I can't remember, was it quite a bit higher than this before the surgery?

I can't imagine your vet not letting you know what the plan was moving forward, especially since he is going to be gone. Maybe there is a communication mix up in his office? Regarding the protein in Flynn's urine, was that checked by a dipstick, or another more accurate test? I know that with Jasper, my vet mentioned that increased BP can contribute to protein in the urine, but I am not sure that Flynn's BP would be considered high enough to actually cause that. I hope you hear something by tomorrow. So sorry you have to worry about all of this. :( Hang in there Trish....

Hugs,
Tina and Jasper

Hi Naomi and Tina - isn't it past your bedtime Tina or are you up for a toilet run?!

No miscommunication, she went and spoke to him while I was on phone. She said there was no guarantee he could speak to me when I came to get Flynn, I said well I will have to leave work and drive there (1hr round trip incl. dropping off Flynny which I would have taken as my lunch break) so I need to be sure he can talk to me or else I will just ask my parents to go collect him... she goes asks him again and the answer was no :mad::mad: So Dad went in the end.

Tina, his BP was up to 220 before his surgery. So it has improved. But he has had the protein for a year, he has had dipstick and the formal ones done in the past but not sure what they did today. The IMS did think the protein was due to his BP, so I want to make sure it is really under good control to limit any further damage to his kidneys and also his eyes as they saw changes in them too most likely from BP.

Naomi - I wrote him an email on the weekend after I couldn't get in to see him then, but I have more questions now ie the arthritis drug one and also the liver support! So I guess he is replying to that email, but I have not received anything tonight.

God knows how people get on that are not a persistant as me or with the knowledge I get from you guys... I wonder if they just give up??? Not that I will ever to that... :D:D

Yep, up for a potty break. :rolleyes: He didn't stay out long, it is so darn cold! Flynn's BP has improved quite a bit since the surgery, glad to see that. But I don't blame you for wanting it under better control, for sure. And I know what you mean, I often wonder how the "average" pet owner gets along. I am very detail oriented and persistent also, and a lot of times I feel this is the only way I get answers. Although overall I can't complain, but there have been a couple of times I was about ready to lose it. My vet now only works Mon, Wed, Fri, and an occasional Sat morning, down from full time. With all that has been going on with Jasper over the past 8 or 9 months, it has been difficult to coordinate things at times with her schedule. I am not good at waiting.

Well, back to bed we go for a bit, it is 3:30 am here, oy!! I am going to have to post on Jasper's thread before I go to work, if I have time. Keep your chin up Trish, I know it is not easy. Hugs....

Hope you get that email today Trish. Especially since he didn't talk to you in person. You have to just dig your heels in with these vets sometimes. I know you are dug in and holding on tight!!

That is good that the bp has come down some. Just want it down more. I wonder if the vet hosptial where the surgery was done can tell you if that is a progressive downward trend that should continue now the surgery has been done. hmmm..

hang in there!
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Geez, Trish. So sorry you are yet going through more stuff. You have had enough!!!

Hugs,

Ro

Nothing from local vet, I have just emailed the surgeon and IMS for advice. Will let you know if I hear anything. Otherwise I might have to fly Flynny to Australia :D:D:D we could do with a holiday :D:D:D

STINK!!! Got auto replies, they are both out of the office, surgeon till tomorrow and IMS till Feb 4th :( So will wait and see if I hear from surgeon. Bet they would all be happy if I just went away!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Trish

Bet they would all be happy if I just went away!!

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Trust me, no they don't! I had a great vet once (unfortunately now retired) who actually told us that when vets see people like us coming they rub their hands in glee. Long term clients willing to spend lots. He was great though, only charged us one out of every 3-4 consults, was always on the lookout to save us money etc. Damn shame he hurt his back and had to retire, he was also a full bottle on cushing's! (mentioned it about Fraser a good 5 years ago - said to watch for it - and he was right!)

So basically, feel free to kick up a stink. :p He's only going to kick himself in the guts if you give up and go elsewhere. :D:D

Naomi, I love your answer and you are right, they dont want to lose their guaranteed income with us:rolleyes::rolleyes:

I sure hope you get some answers for Flynn, sweetie. Just remember the squeaky wheel gets the oil;)

checking for squeaky wheels!

Naomi that may just be the best answer EVER!!

Give'em _____ , you know. :)

Sharlene and Molly Muffin

Squeaky reporting in haha....

I had a call from the vet nurse at local practice this afternoon requesting another urine sample from Flynn. Dipstick showed 3+ protein and they want to repeat protein:creatinine ratio. This has been high for last year. Vet emailed me tonight, he said probably nothing to worry about at this stage but we need to check. He had been waiting to email me when he got that result but just found out today they had chucked out the rest of the sample and had not done the ratio test.

Also said how pleased he was to see Flynn looking so much better since he last saw him. Recommendations for diet include giving him venison mince and rabbit mince or cooked chicken and hills i/d diet. Avoid red meat. Bowels still occasionally loose but today really formed :D:D Plus he wants me to do a spreadsheet on food he eats and bowel motions.

So I will get that underway and send him my new questions. Flynn seems good today, but tonight I have noticed him drawing his back leg up a little when he is lying on his side. I think his hips are hurting him, probably because I have stopped the previcox... last time I saw that behaviour is when he had the swab problem. Nothing from pet hospital, but then they are away for now.

OK I am going to stop whining about his seemingly minor problems when the last two posts I have opened had one dog in emergency surgery and the other going to ICU for the night :eek::eek: Jeepers my thoughts are with those doggies and their anxious families, so hoping everything goes well for Bug and Frida tonight

Trish xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It's a worry isn't it? I think I just opened those same two posts myself! I feel really stupid obsessing over a liver supplement with my marathon post you saw earlier, but the point is, they are still our babies and we love them, so on that note "Flynn! Put your leg down! Stop freaking your mother out!"

But do keep on at the vet, make them earn that money we shovel their way!

Night Squeaky :D:D