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

Sorry to hear about your Dad, Trish. I hope this visit will solve the issue and get that infection cleared out.
Glad Flynn poops are getting back to normal and that he's happily running on the beach.
Trixie was a little off in the poop dept. this morning. I did give her some small tastes of completely lean and freshly made raw chopped sirloin yesterday. Guess I just can't give her beef. :confused: It was really very little, she loves it so much. I had just gotten it from the butcher and she was standing there looking at me...I couldn't resist giving her some little bites. Then this morning things were a little on the softy side. :rolleyes: Nothing too bad...her appetite and everything else just fine.
Those Butterfingers will bring back sweet memories for your niece and nephew!! :p

Barbara

Your poor dad! I am so sorry.:o Thoughts, prayers and healing energy headed your way. Those nasty infections!!!:o xxxxxx

Hi Trish,
Just checking in to see how your Dad is doing. So sorry to hear the infection is flaring again, and I hope the surgery went well. He must be so worn out by all of this.

Glad to hear Flynn's tummy is settling and hope that continues. Then Jasper can follow! :) Still waiting with you for more information on his scan.

Let us know how things are going when you get a chance. Sending positive thoughts for your Dad.

Big hugs,
Tina and Jasper xo

Awww Trish,
I hope that they can clear the infection for your father once and for all this time. That poor man!

hmmm, about Friday in your area of the world. So, how is dad doing? Do they think they got all the infection?
Did you have a chance to catch up with local Mike this week and do a run down of whats going on with the Flynn-man?
And yes, how is Flynn? Poops staying good, metamucil kicking in? :)
Hope it's not still cold there? What the heck is that about?!! I mean fall sure, but already? :(

huggers
Sharlene and molly muffin

Hi everyone

Sorry I have not been on much, blardy awful week here but still its the weekend now so hopefully it is going to get better, if not at least I will get a lie in. :)

Flynn has only been so so.... he is nauseous in the mornings. He has always taken his Samilyn which he has to have an hour before eating with no trouble, but starting Monday he was not so keen. He has been on it about 5 months. I sort of had to insist he ate it, which he did because he is a good boy but very little reluctantly. Then for breakfast an hour later he was leaving half on the plate. Then this morning I gave his samilyn at 6, then he went for a run around outside and I thought he was looking perkier than the other mornings. Back to bed while I have a cup of tea. He was snuggled in his bed with his blankies, then he started retching and puked it all up, pill included :eek::eek: He didn't even sit up but puked lying down :eek:

I did not give him any brekky after that, dropped him to Mum's and asked her to make him some scrambled egg a bit later in the morning, which he devoured. I have spoken to Mike tonight, he said it might be the samilyn so stop it for a few days and see how he goes.

His tummy has been ok poop wise, but he is itching up a storm again so Mike thinks the culprit might be his allergies/IBD flaring again. He has been on the lamb diet a few months and it might be time to change his novel protein again. So tonight I mixed in a little venison with the lamb as Mike does not want it changed too fast.

I do not like him vomiting at all!!! :mad: He has not done that for a long time. I am still not convinced his mouth is OK so we are going to have another good look in there.

Mike is off this weekend, but wants me to text him Sat/Sun with progress reports.

I heard from IMS also, he had spoken to radiologist who said that target lesions can be hypoechoic centre and hyperechoic like Flynn's is, despite what the literature I have read said. Mike said we are not to worry about it until the next scan, he said Flynn has had a few of lumps and bumps in his liver and none have been raging fast ones so if we need to do anything we still have time.

He wants to recheck BP in next week or so but leave UPC until we get nausea sorted. Next scan to be booked in two months time.

I took him for a run up the beach just now, he romped with a Labrador and a wee dog that looked a lot like Rosie :), wish I had my phone on me to take a pic of them, man it was a livewire! So he is not too bad, so I hope stopping the samilyn a few days does the trick. If he improves after stopping it, I am to leave it a few days. Then try it again so we then know if it was the culprit or not. Have any other dogs had trouble with nausea on liver supplements??

On to Dad, he had his hip washout yesterday. The infection was very superficial and the hip joint was clean which is good news. But he has a large incision again. He looked a lot better today. I hope he heals up fine this time. We are awaiting culture of samples they took to see if we need to add to the antibiotic mix. So he is still in hospital for now.

Work has been busy as too.... so all in all it has been a week to forget :( Will try and catch up soon, maybe tonight after I get back from getting my takeout curry dinner!! xxxx

For anyone interested in links between adrenal hyperactivity and liver masses, the IMS sent me this abstract. Probably does not apply to Flynn as his cortisol has been fine.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma/Adenoma in 94 Dogs: Association with Vacuolar Hepatopathy and Adrenal Hyperactivity
ACVIM 2013
P.A.L. Bento; S.A. Center; J.F. Randolph; C.C. Cortright; S.P. McDonough
College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
24828913
In dogs, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCCA)/adenoma (HCA) are slowly progressive, locally invasive, and rarely metastasize. Androgen exposure affiliates with HCCA in humans, as suspected in Scottish Terriers. This retrospective study investigated relationship of HCCA/HCA with vacuolar hepatopathy (VH), adrenomegaly, and adrenal hyperactivity in diverse dog breeds (excluding Scottish Terriers).
Cornell's electronic databases (1992–2012) identified 94 dogs with HCCA/HCA. Signalment, clinical signs, clinicopathologic features, hepatic and adrenal ultrasonographic images, histologic findings, and adrenal function tests were recorded. Of 33 breeds (4% were small [< 10 kg], 53% medium [10–20 kg], 43% large [> 20 kg] dogs), 38 were males (2 intact) and 56 females (1 intact). Mixed breeds (29/94) and Golden Retrievers (11/94) were most common. Median age was 12 (2–23) yrs and weight 23.9 (6.8–42.0) kg. Clinical features included: lethargy (28%), inappetence (28%), hepatomegaly (27%), abdominal mass (19%), PU/PD (18%), weight loss (17%), restlessness (15%), vomiting (13%), diarrhea (9%), fever (7%), and distended abdomen (5%). Median hematologic parameters were within reference intervals. Median liver enzymes exceeded reference intervals, notably ALP (9x); 76%, 51%, 95%, and 67% had increased ALT, AST, ALP, and GGT, respectively. Hepatic imaging disclosed hyperechoic parenchyma with variably-sized masses (0.5–30 cm; 73% > 5 cm). Lesions were more common in left (39.5%) and right (25.9%) than central (11.1%) lobes; 23.5% were multifocal. Cytology confirmed HCCA/HCA in 27% of aspirates. VH occurred in 83% and adrenomegaly (> 0.6 cm dogs ≤ 10 kg; > 0.7 cm dogs > 10 kg) in 29/43 (67%). Adrenal hyperactivity (cortisol > 22 µg/dL 1-hr after 5 µg/kg ACTH IV, cortisol > 1.4 µg/dL 8-hrs after 0.015 mg/kg dexamethasone IV, and/or > 2-fold increased baseline or ACTH-stimulated androstenedione, progesterone or 17-OH progesterone) was confirmed in 15/22 (75%) dogs; 9/11 dogs (82%) had increased androstenedione.
Paraneoplastic enzyme activities, tumor affiliation with diffuse VH, adrenomegaly, and adrenal hyperactivity (including sex hormones) suggest possible association with steroidogenic hormones. This phenomenon warrants further investigation.

Speaker Information
(click the speaker's name to view other papers and abstracts submitted by this speaker)
Pedro A.L. Bento
College of Veterinary Medicine
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY, USA

Well fooey. I don't like the vomiting either. That isn't a Flynn thing. Maybe it is the Samilyn so withholding and then restarting should tell you that. Still with Flynn, anything off, is a worry. He is pretty good at behavior that lets you know something is up. It's good that he is still romping and playing though, so culprit is more likely to be an outside influence, rather than internal. (at least that is my hope)

Good news for your dad that the joint was clean! That is positive at least and hope no further bacteria is present.

Fudge on a bad week over all though. Those can really do a number on you. Rest, relaxation, girlie drinks and a hair cut or manicure/pedicure are good remedy for getting over a crap week. Works for me anyhow. LOL (off to hair salon tomorrow to take my own advice - gad, the roots are not showing well right now...blech)

Hope you are having a good start to the weekend

hugs,
Sharlene and molly muffin

Sorry to hear our boy is off and hope it rights itself after the weekend. No more vomiting Flynny, so mama can stop worrying. Geez, I hate it too when Koko throws up. I give him a snack before bed now and that has helped him a lot. Zoe seldom if ever did which was always weird to me with all her IBD and helicobacter problems. Does Flynn get a bedtime snack? Maybe it would help settle his tummy in the am if it is not so empty. Just throwing thoughts out there, you may already do that.

Try to enjoy your weekend, glad to hear dad is improving, sorry your week was crud. Hope the weekend gets better.

Hi Trish,
Two times since we started on Denamarin (liver supplements) a year ago Trixie had a vomit epsiode. It was just a one time vomit and funny when it happened the pill came right up, even though she had taken it about 10-12 hours prior. It's a bright blue pill, and fairly large so there was no mistaking it. In fact the first time that happened two of them came up! Of course she takes it every night and this only happened twice so I have no idea if it means anything at all. It does look like these pills take awhile to break down, at least the Denamarin does.
Maybe sometimes something that they ate and the liver supp just don't work together and up it all comes?? That's pretty unscientific isn't it!!? He was hungry afterward and kept the egg down, so that's all good!
I just hate the vomits and even more the vomit/diarrhea combo! Though I like to hear Flynn is running and whooping it up on the beach with a Lab and another pal. If he was really miserable he probably wouldn't have been so active.
I also give Trixie a snack at night so her tummy is not ever all the way empty. A vet who we saw a long time ago recommended this for Trixie.
Happy that your dad is doing well, and hope for continual good news on the hip.
It's Friday at least, the weekend is here and you can put this crappy week behind you!! Hope Flynn is okay and that you both have a great weekend!! :D

Barbara

Hi Sharlene and Addy

He is good this morning :) hopped out of bed, run around outside, waited for me to make his breakfast and gave me a little woof to hurry the heck up then proceeded to gobble it down and polished his bowl! :D:D He is now sitting down playing with his toys which he has not been keen on lately. The only other pill he gets in the morning is his amlodipine and couple of supplements of fish oil and probiotic. I really, really want him on the Samilyn though as his liver is our biggest problem. Will see how he goes for a few days off it, then reintroduce and see what happens. This could be tummy upset with his immune system setting off allergies/IBD. Funny thing is his poops have been pretty good. Time will tell of course.

His routine has been up the creek the last month or two, I have had three short trips away in the last month alone, Dad in and out of hospital and when he is out he cannot walk him. So that may well be playing a factor too.

I am going to shower him in his sebazole anti itch shampoo today, slather him in the neotopic cream and see if that helps the itches. Mike was talking the Prednisone again last night and we would both prefer not to go there but will if we have too.

It's a cool day, so I will take him with Mum and me when we go visit Dad later on and stop off at this awesome little dog park that goes through the bush alongside a river, he loves it there but we don't go that often as it is bit of a drive. I am just so pleased to see him eat his breakfast with gusto that it has started the weekend off really well for us :D thanks for checking in! xxxx