Jasper (12 yr old Mini Schnauzer) is now at peace

This deserves a separate post from all the update stuff - Today is Jasper's 11th Birthday!!!! I took the day off from work again to spend with him, and like last year, no cleaning, errands or internet. I feel this is the only way I can try to make it special for him since he can't have any special treats to eat.

We had a lovely day, he spent the day playing with his sister, snoozing, watching movies and of course snuggling on the couch. He had just turned 8 when we started this journey, hard to believe it has been almost 3 years. I am so proud of him with all he has been through and continues to endure, my strong little Bubba.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY PRECIOUS BOY!!! :D :) :D :)

Hugs,
Tina and Jasper xo

Hi Sharlene,

Darn that UPC! So sorry Molly is having this issue too. My vet has not mentioned an ARB yet, and honestly, I don't know if it would be an option for us due to the potential for the potassium increasing. I think I read that this is more of a possible issue with ARB's than ACEi's. For Jasper this would be a huge factor because of his Addison's. The Percorten injection that he gets monthly is to keep his electrolytes stable, including excretion of potassium.

Going to get caught up on Molly now.

Happy 11th Birthday Precious Jasper!!! I'm glad that Mommy got to stay home and smother you with love and attention today. Such a special treat for our special boy! :p:p:p:p:p

Happy Birthday sweet Jasper!!!!

PS, I took the liberty and changed his new birthday age on his thread, hope that was ok.

Happy Birthday Jasper!

Happy 11th Birthday, Jasper!

Oh HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY from me, too!!!! :) :D :) :D :)

It's so good to hear from you, Tina, and especially grand to get to help celebrate sweetie-pie's birthday! :p

Wish I could be more help re: the UPC, but I think you and Sharlene are really leading the way for the rest of us with everything that you are experiencing and learning (although I know you'd rather NOT need be an expert about this! :o).

Anyway, it sounds like you had a perfect "Jasper Day," and today is Friday, so the weekend is not far away.

Sending tons of warm wishes to all three of you,
Marianne

Happy Birthday Jasper

What a great boy he is.

Hugs

Happy Birthday Jasper!!!!

Sounds like a lovely relaxing love filled day Tina!! So happy you were able to spend the day at home, I bet he loved all that pampering!! xxxxxxxxxxxx

Hip, Hip, Hooray for Jasper!

Hi Tina

Sending you a big hug and a doggie safe Easter Egg :) Hope all well with you guys xxxxxxxx

HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HELLLLLLLLLO helllllllllllllllllllllllllllooooooooooooooooooooo o.... can hear the echo in here... Whats up Tina and Jasper?? Love to hear an update :) Miss you guys xxxxxx

Hey Tina! Especially thinking of you guys today, and like Trish, hoping for an update soon. We miss you!!!

Marianne

OK Tina, I admit it. I noticed that you lit a candle today for our Angel Dakota, asking him to watch out for our sweet Jasper.

I am worried about both you and our little man. To read that he was struggling made my heart hurt. Please post when you are able and know that my thoughts and prayers are with you.

PAWS UP JASPER!

Hugs,
Kathy

I saw the candle, too, and that got my imagination in pretty high gear.:o. So yep, please do check in with us.

Ditto Tina! Whats going on? Hoping you, Jasper and Shelby doing okay.

What???? Is Jasper ok?

Dearest Friends,
I apologize, I am so sorry to alarm you all by that darned candle, and have had the most noble intentions of getting back on here to post an update on Jasper even before this latest episode, but haven't gotten it done.

He has had a flare up of symptoms over the past two weeks, out of the blue. He had been really quite stable for the most part for some time now, and suddenly two weeks ago just didn't want to eat. We (the vet and I) have been struggling to figure out what exactly is going on with him and the cause for the inappetance. With all of his issues, it can be quite difficult to determine the cause, because any of his issues can cause him to stop eating. He has been quite lethargic and no energy, no interest in anything, weak, refusing food, even the canned, sometimes won't even eat the hamburger and rice, or take a treat! :eek: :(

He has had bloodwork, chest xray, abdominal xray, several vet exams. Nothing newly remarkable on the bloodwork thankfully, will post abnormals later. In the middle of the night on Tues 6/30, he broke with some bloody diarrhea, so that was quite scary. Really bad poo. Up all night with him. Terrifying memories of his bout with HGE immediately surfaced. He is on meds for that now also, it seems a little better but not as good as I would like going in to a holiday weekend that will be stressful anyway for him due to all the fireworks. Some other things going on also, I will post more later, but wanted to get this update in real quick so no further worry occurred.

Gosh, I was just thinking about Kathy and sweet Buddy and went in to light a candle for him and just decided to light one for Dakota. I'm sincerely sorry for causing alarm, but I should have thought about that knowing how caring you all are. :o I appreciate the concern more than I can say. You guys understand so much better than my own friends or family.

I've got rice and hamburger cooking on the stove, better get his breakfast ready. I will be back to post more later. Again, thanks so much for the concern. Love you guys.

Hugs from me and Jasper xo

Yes Tina, we are a bunch of worrywarts here!:o

Thank you so much for for the update on our sweet Jasper. It is always so scary when they don't eat.:)

Surrounding you both both with tons of love, healing thoughts and wellness energy.

Hang in there little man!
Hugs,
Kathy

Tina, thanks so much for the update. I am so sorry, though, that our boy is doing poorly and to me, loss of appetite is just always especially worrying. When Peg goes through episodes like that, it's always so hard for me not to totally stress-out. Even as I write this, I've got several jars of baby food in the pantry left over from her last upset when I was trying anything to tempt her. :o

ANYWAY, I surely hope by the time you read this, Jasper is feeling better and has perked up a bit. Sending tons of healing well wishes your way.

Marianne

Adding my prayers and healing energies to Marianne's wishes for a swift return to normalcy for our sweet Jasper. And yes, we are a bunch of worry worts, mother hens, and at times just plain ole nosy folk but it's only because we care. So thank you for caving in to our pleas for info. :D

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

Oh dear. Glad you posted Tina. Hoping that jasper is improving. You know we always keep you and jasper in our hearts.

Hugs

Oh gosh, that's not the kind of update I like to read about Jasper :( Hope his little tummy has settled back down, gawd I know the stress of being on poop patrol and hoping the next one will be good! Hope the next bit of news is better, gosh these girls were onto you huh!! can't be sneaking about lighting candles without popping in with an update!! Love these girls xx

Hi Everyone,

Thanks so much for thinking of us. I really need to update on Jasper but have to get to work now. Just wanted to check in real quick. We have been having some ups and downs and I am hoping to be able to come back after work tonight to let you all know what has been going on with him and hopefully get some feedback. I have been sick with a respiratory bug that I can't seem to kick, so have been kind of wiped out. I know I haven't been around much with everything going on, but I think about you all every day. Hope to be able to check back in later.

Hugs to all from me and Jasper xo

Hoping you both are feeling better very soon! I'm fighting a respiratory infection myself and understand how draining it can be! Have as good a day as you can and come back to chat when you feel better.

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

Ugh respiratory infections are awful!

Looking forward to your update on you and Jasper and Shelby. It's been too long!!! Sorry to hear there have been some downs with those ups, so hope they aren't too many or too serious!

huggers

Hey Tina,
I have not been around much but saw your post tonight. Hope you are all ok.

Thinking of you

Hi Tina,

So glad to see you post, but sorry to hear that you are unwell. Those nasty infection can really knock us for a loop.

Sending healing energy to you and the pups. Please come back and update on our sweet boy Jasper when you're feeling up to it. I am relieved to hear that he's hanging in there. What a trooper!

Hugs,
Kathy

Thanks everyone. Still battling the crud, feeling a little better I think, but still so exhausted, especially from all the coughing, I need to go back and get Jasper's last set of labwork posted, along with some other things. You know me, I like to have everything posted here in chronological order so that I have an accurate record of everything, but since I have gotten so behind on all that, I'm going to need to try to get caught up on the weekend. But I want to tell you what has been going on most recently.

When I last posted in July, we were dealing with him not eating and a bout of colitis. For whatever reason, it took us over a month to get this last episode of colitis under control. After that he had finally been doing pretty well for several weeks. Fast forward to last Friday 9/11. He stepped on a bee in the yard and was stung on the pad of his left front paw. :eek: :mad: I was right with him and got the bee off, carried him in the house and got the stinger out of his paw. I called the vet, and the tech said I could bring him in or could just watch him. Um, this is Jasper we're talking about. With all of his issues, I went with my gut and rushed him to the vet. Thank goodness I did, I got him there within a hour after the sting. He had what the vet called a severe reaction and thankfully we were at the vets office when it happened. Although we had to see another vet, not our own. More on that later.

He was treated and did fairly ok over last weekend, but has been not feeling well again since the beginning of the week. He has sounded congested, mainly through his nose, no energy, and of course, not wanting to eat. I took him in to the vet urgently on Wednesday 9/16 and we saw our own vet. He has a respiratory and sinus infection. :( Not sure it is entirely related to the bee sting, but I really feel like it is. He has never had anything like this before. He was started on Clavamox. He also has an eye infection in his right eye and we have neomycin drops for that. Struggling with getting him to eat again and am mixing half and half canned and dry versions of his prescription low fat diet. I'm not sure he is a lot better yet, but he seems to be hanging in.

I meant to ask my vet if it is possible that he caught his respiratory infection from me, but I forgot. I will ask when I talk to her next. What do you guys think? I don't think I have ever had a dog catch anything from me before, but again, this is Jasper. It just seems so coincidental that it has happened in conjunction with the bee sting.

So please keep him in your thoughts. I would feel better if he was showing a bit more improvement today. I am really looking forward to the weekend so I can be home with him, and also hopefully get some rest myself. Will try to get his labwork, meds, etc more up to date then.

Hugs,
Tina and Jasper xo

Gosh Tina, I'm so sorry to hear that Jasper is feeling poorly! :(

The vet will know for sure, but I think it's unlikely that he would have gotten a respiratory infection from you. With a few exceptions, apparently most viruses are species-specific. Here's an article I found that talks about this:

http://pets.thenest.com/can-dogs-cat...uses-5645.html

But I hate it that the poor little guy has both the infection and also got stung by that bee. Last fall, our Luna had a horrible experience with a leg and paw that ballooned up and got infected and even though we didn't see what had happened, we assume it was a sting or a bite of some kind. We could tell it really hurt!

Anyway, I'll watch for your further updates and I'll definitely be sending positive, healing thoughts your way -- for both you and Jasper.

Hugs, Marianne

Paws up Jasper Boy! You can do it!!!!:p

So sorry you've both been under the weather. :o

Buddy stepped on a bee at the park several years ago. Major allergic reaction!!! Huge swollen paw! You did the right thing by taking Jasper in right away. Way to go mom!

Sending much love and healing energy your way,


Big hugs,
Kathy

Oh I hope you both get a break soon. That bee sting is scary! Bless his heart - I bet it hurt like the dickens, too.

That colitis can be a booger! Knock on wood, Trink hasn't had a major issue in a while. I think all the changes she went thru there at first really threw her for a loop - put in a nasty shelter blind and in horrible pain, both eyes removed, almost dying after the second, the long trip from AZ to AR with a strange dog and very weird strange lady, a new home with lots of dogs, a brand new environment all around, new foods, new water - it was just too much for her and colitis is how she reacted. Now she is settled and she doesn't face many changes in her routine at all so her little system is happier, thankfully. I know how awful that can be for both of you. I'm glad he is over this bout and pray it is a long time before he has another.

I worry so about this dog flu - but I am a major worrier. :rolleyes::o I took Trink to see her lung doc and a dog in the waiting room was coughing - it FREAKED me out! If that pup had the flu and Trink got it, oh my that would be bad bad news. It was too hot to wait outside with no air so I told them to call me when they were ready, Trink and I would be driving around the block in the truck. I just couldn't risk it. Is this flu in your area yet? That is something to consider with the cough still going on. Yes! Allow me to share my paranoia with you! :p

Being Sunday, I hope you have both been able to rest and gather your strength back a bit. Take it easy next week so you can recoup. Let us hear from you when you can.
Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

I hope that Jasper is doing better. Those bee stings can be awful and that sounds very scary.

It sure is the year for respiratory issue, humans for sure. I don't think that it would transfer from humans to dogs though. Just you two are a pair. :) Even sharing illnesses. Now that's Love!

Hope you are both feeling better.

Hi Everyone,
Well, it has been a tough couple of months for my boy, but I think we are back on track again finally. I thought we had broken the September curse, but with the bee sting on 9/11 I guess all bets were off. It took him an entire month to recover from the effects of that. He struggled with colitis, no energy, and generally being unwell for quite a while after the sting. The respiratory/nasal congestion that started around that time continued and actually got worse for a while. Thankfully, his lungs remained clear, it was in his sinuses and nasal passages only, but still caused a lot of difficulty breathing. He was started on Clavamox as both my vet and I felt it was related to an infection rather than allergies since it was so severe. He had never had any type of respiratory or allergy issues before. The Clavamox didn't seem to help at all, and of course, he stopped eating and went off his food, so it was discontinued after 4-5 days. It seemed like we were on a downward spiral and it was scary. It took a month to get him back on his food, and get the colitis consistently under control.

After an antihistamine didn't seem to help with the congestion and made his diarrhea worse, on 9/21 he was started on daily nebulizer breathing treatments with dexamethasone. I was running him in to the vet every night after work for the treatments. Those continued for about 10 days, and seemed to help quite a bit but the congestion didn't completely resolve. My vet felt pretty certain that it was allergies at this point, even though he had never had them before. (She said she has been seeing lots of dogs with allergy symptoms the same as Jasper's that also had never had them before). We tried him off the nebulizer treatments for a couple of days and since things didn't get significantly worse again, my vet decided to send him home with some nose drops that she mixed in the office - saline, an antibiotic and steroid combination.

He also developed an eye infection in his right eye during this time, and was getting drops for that too. I wonder if this was related to the bee sting also. On this same eye, he has had a small growth on the upper eyelid at the lash line for quite a while that we have been watching. Of course it decided to grow and get much larger during this time. For a while, my vet was saying that she felt he was probably going to need surgery to remove it once his breathing was more under control, but with the drops (neomycin with dexamethasone), the growth has shrunk again, so now my vet said we can hold off on the surgery. Thank goodness for that, I am terrified of any surgery due to his Addison's and kidney issues. And now with the breathing issue, I was really scared. I am hoping that we can put that off indefinitely.

Through all of this my job has been horrible, daily overtime and we are in a vacation freeze currently, so I haven't been able to take any time off. :( :mad:

We are way behind with all of his routine bloodwork, chest xray and especially behind with checking his UPC. :eek: It was last checked in March, and was due in June or July. Since then we have had a hard time keeping him well for a 4-6 week period in order to get a valid UPC run. :( I had planned to take a urine sample in the 2nd week of September because he had finally been well for a good period but I was sick myself so delayed bringing it in. Then the bee sting so I didn't get it done. So mad about that. He has been doing better since about the middle of October, so I am hoping he can continue for another week or two and we can get a UPC and chemistry profile done, along with distemper and parvo titers.

We are continuing the eye drops in the hopes that the growth on his eyelid will remain stable or even shrink more. And the nose drops are continuing in the hopes that we will get our first hard freeze soon and will be able to see if that significantly resolves the congestion. It is much better, but not completely gone.

I have been meaning to post so much sooner but have been so down in the dumps with everything, I just didn't. One of my good friends said that she doesn't know how I can even enjoy Jasper because he always has so many things wrong with him. I was so upset with her comment that all I could say is "well, there are lots of things to enjoy about Jasper", and quietly walked away. Later after I thought about it, I realized that it really hurt my feelings and I cried and cried. Now I kind of don't feel the same about her. I later told her that I thought her comment was insensitive and it hurt my feelings. I really have only a few very close friends, and more and more I feel like everyone here on the forum understands things so much better than most of them. Sometimes I feel very alone. I know you all can relate and understand.

So that is where we are at with my boy. He has once again been a trooper and forged through another rough time. I'm so grateful, and so proud of him. :) ;) Thanks for reading everyone. I hope you and your pups are all doing well.

Big hugs,
Tina, Jasper and Shelby xo

Oh, we understand all so well Tina. I would still be fighting for a few more precious moments with Buddy, if only I could have kept him comfortable. :o

It seems, most don't truly understand the depth of feeling we have for our precious babies. I don't think they're trying to be insensitive. It's probably more cluelessness. ;) I feel sorry for those who have not been loved or loved to that degree.

Yes, I often felt/feel alone when it comes to dog issues or my daily responsibilities. We muddle through the best we can, but it does take a toll on us.

You are a wonderful mom To Jasper and Shelby. I am so glad to hear that Jasper is fighting hard and getting stronger. He's not giving up!!

PAWS UP JASPER BOY!!!!

Big hugs,
Kathy

Oh my gosh Tina what an awful lot Jasper has had going on.
Of course we understand. Been there, done that, continue on. :)

Jasper is not always like this, this is a bad episode and I'm with you, it seems like that bee sting did trigger a very severe allergic reaction which might still be affecting him and in turn triggered other things to occur. I'm thinking of the histamine that was produced at the time of the bee sting. Having a sever reaction would have increased that and could definitely, I would think, be causing the other issues. It rather makes sense to me.

I think when others haven't gone through something with a beloved pet and family member that is so life threatening, have never had to hold that life in their hands with ever decision on their behalf being a life affecting one, they just don't understand. I don't think they Can understand. Empathy is fine, but they just don't Really get that done deep emotion that we live with every day.

I don't know that it is their fault really and perhaps it is just a link that is missing in their lives to have that sort of bond. Think what they are missing out on, all the joys that we and you know so well. Doesn't make it easier of course and I wouldn't want to hear something like that either. It too would hurt my feelings.

I didn't even like it when the ophthalmologist, being very frank and practical said I wouldn't probably have to worry about molly having a glaucoma side effect from her eyes as her other problems would probably make the issue moot. I was like, hello, say what. pfftt

You hang in there girl and when you are down, when you are worried, you know you have a bunch of people right here to lean on!

hugs

Oh Tina, what a spiral of issues from that bee sting. I am sorry you and Jasper have had so much to deal with. I will say many prayers that the worst is over now and the allergies will be behind Jasper.

My neighbor made a cruel remark about Zoe once, it hurt me so. Hubby said she probably didn't mean it the way I took it:( I think people don't realize just how cruel statements can be sometimes. So I totally get your feelings. It took me a long time to forgive my neighbor but I never forgot it nor felt the same toward her.

I wish so much for you to have a few days off for a snuggle with Jasper. I know you would both feel better.

I think you have done and continue to do a remarkable job of managing everything with work, coordinating care for Jasper, I think you deserve a huge hug.

We love you both

Oh Tina, I am so sorry for all the troubles you guys have had! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and talk to us, though, because you are both so loved here and we are always so anxious to know what is happening. For me, myself, I know I only seem to post on my own girls' threads when something bad is happening. When I go back later on and read what I've written, I think "Gosh, I sounded so needy when I wrote that"...:o :o :o But the truth is, I really AM totally needy when I'm upset and worried about my dogs!! That's the way I am. So thank goodness for all our family members here who understand and support us when we're going through hard times. Now I've just re-read what I wrote here, and I don't in any way mean that YOU sound needy at all -- I just want you to know that no matter how much time passes or what is going on with you and Jasper and Shelby, we want to know exactly what you're dealing with! ;)

ANYWAY, I'm so glad the worst of this episode seems to be behind you. And I have to agree with the others that I'm betting your friend has never had a deep relationship with a pet. For folks who don't know what that feels like, I think they're looking at a pet more as a toy or entertainment or something. If you're not having "fun" with it, then what good is it? They would probably never be so thoughtless as to say something remotely similar about an ailing spouse or parent or child ("How can you enjoy your mom when she is so old and sick?" :rolleyes:). So I am very proud of you for telling your friend how hurtful her comment felt to you. None of us are perfect, that's for sure, and we all say things that we'd give anything to take back. So I do hope your friendship will not be permanently damaged, and that this may have ended up being a teachable moment for this woman. If she is a true friend, she will learn from what has happened and she'll be a better person for it.

OK, love you guys and hope that you can enjoy some smooth sailing now!
Marianne

I pray the worst is behind you both and the road to recovery and strength is smooth ahead. That friend and those like her are missing something that we here have - I am sure someone could work on it and determine what we have in common like perhaps some personality trait or belief structure but I don't think that's it at all. I think we have something extra, some added gift from the gods, that allows us to love so deeply, that allows us to see the Souls of these small creatures and understand that they are just like us in the ways that matter. Something extra that gives us the gift of a true unconditional love. I can't help but pity those who will never know what you and I know, who will never understand a love so pure and so true. We truly are the blessed ones, Tina.

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

Dear God, September curse strikes again!! Just like you to methodically tackle it all though... so pleased we get the end of the story when everything has nearly come right. Sorry I hadn't seen this earlier... like you have not been in here nearly so much anymore... then look what I miss!! We are way way way overdue for a catchup, so hopefully we manage to be on here at the same time soon. Big hugs for you and pretty pleased it is winter coming on there for you all now, SO NO MORE BEES!! I had a cat once that got stung on his eyelid, man it swelled but luckily trip to the vet for antihistamine had him right pretty fast... Flynn snaps at them sometimes especially if it is a big fat low flying bumble bee!

Now Jasper you behave yourself... you should be right now for another 10 months Tina!! xxxxx