Have I finally found my friends? (Palmer has crossed over the Bridge)

Hi Susan,
My thoughts and prayers are with you and Palmer.

I saw that Debbie suggested trying Pred earlier. Just wondering if you did try any pred.?

Hi Susan,

I'm so sorry to hear about Palmer.

When Corky had to be rehydrated, it was done 2 days in a row at the vet's, but he was also, at the recommendation of his vet, being given Pedialite at home. He didn't have to stay. This might be an option that might help Palmer over the weekend.

Terri

Subcu fluids can be done at home and by the furbabies parent...Steph was doing this for sweet angel Pallie.

Keeping you and Palmer in my thoughts and prayers.

Love and hugs,
Lori

Susan the pred I would try - it sure helped Casey last night and it can't hurt. I would also try pedialite - and Lori's suggestion of the sub cutaneous fluids - once the vet shows you you can do it yourself.

Prayers and tight hugs,

Susan, You know Annie and I are sending positive thoughts and warm hugs your way. Kim

Hi-

What a day!! Palmer is now resting (hopefully) in the Emergency vet's.

It's almost midnight and we just got back. They took xrays and said other than slight enlargement in his heart, everything looks great. They did a "mini" sonogram and didn't see anything that concerned them. They will retake the blood test to check his Kidney levels once or twice over the weekend. He is on IV fluids until Mon AM. He will then be seen by one of their Internists. They are going to call us twice a day over the weekend. We will get a call Monday AM to discuss what they found, didn't find, and what's next. He has a heart murmur which concerned the doc we saw, but we've known about it-he's had it "forever" and we were told not worry.

He was a real sweetheart for the two hour trip there. He was pretty calm when we got there. He's tired of being poked, but he tolerated the temp taking fairly well-other than wanting to sit down!:)

So-we can call anytime we want and get a status report. We could visit him, if we wanted. I feel good about our decision to take him there instead of the local Emergency vet or our vet, whose office will not be staffed now until Monday.

We did not get to try the predn. Nor did we get to try the Pedialite. He's just still not drinking a lot, is dehydrated, and is back to not eating.

Our son met us there and we took fifteen minutes or so to go to a nearby park, take some pictures, and let Ryan and Palmer visit. Palmer was so surprised to see Ryan when we met up. Palmer was very happy, somewhat excited and I think it did him a lot of good. Ryan takes wonderful pictures, so I'm anxious to look at them tomorrow. We took family pictures and Palmer pictures (Palmer being part of the family pictures, of course!!)

That's all for now. If I have any news over the weekend, I'll post it. Otherwise, I'll update on Monday evening.

As always-thank you all for all of your suggestions and support.

The vet's office got a nice picture....I'll try to add it to Palmer's gallery.

-Susan

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Palmer's Mom

Hi-

What a day!! Palmer is now resting (hopefully) in the Emergency vet's.

It's almost midnight and we just got back. They took xrays and said other than slight enlargement in his heart, everything looks great. They did a "mini" sonogram and didn't see anything that concerned them. They will retake the blood test to check his Kidney levels once or twice over the weekend. He is on IV fluids until Mon AM. He will then be seen by one of their Internists. They are going to call us twice a day over the weekend. We will get a call Monday AM to discuss what they found, didn't find, and what's next. He has a heart murmur which concerned the doc we saw, but we've known about it-he's had it "forever" and we were told not worry.

He was a real sweetheart for the two hour trip there. He was pretty calm when we got there. He's tired of being poked, but he tolerated the temp taking fairly well-other than wanting to sit down!:)

So-we can call anytime we want and get a status report. We could visit him, if we wanted. I feel good about our decision to take him there instead of the local Emergency vet or our vet, whose office will not be staffed now until Monday.

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For what it's worth, I think you made the absolute right decision to bring Palmer there, where he'll get whatever care he needs and be under veterinary supervision 24/7 until the Internist can see him.

Sending (((hugs)))

Susan,

I agree with Cushy....I believe you made the right decision too. I'm sure sorry that Palmer is having such a terrible time right now and I'm praying for the little guy and sending positive thoughts your way. I'll be watching for your updates.

(((Big Hugs)))
Glynda

Hi Susan,

Sending thoughts and prayers yours and Palmer's way for a full and speedy recovery.
Jane, Franklin and Bailey xxx

Hey Susan,

As hard as I know it is, you absolutely made the right decision to take Palmer on in to the ER. He will have someone close by at all times this way and they will be able to start trying to find out what is wrong with him.

I hope they can get him back on his feet and that he is back home with you very, very soon.

Keeping you all in our prayers!
Hugs,
Leslie and the girls - always

Hi-

Some hopeful news, at last! Our vet consulted with the ER vet. They concur that they think Palmer has pancreatitis. The think Palmer got into something which has caused this damage. If that is the case, I think the felon is the grass treatment. Palmer either ate some of the treated grass, before I got it washed in, or by walking on it, he then licked his paws and ingested that way.

Thanks to all of your for saying I did the right thing. I had a bit of a struggle with my husband, but I could not have sat here all weekend knowing it was possible for Palmer to die.....as they told me. We have had 2 calls from the ER updating us. I called them first, at 5AM, and the DR came to the phone to tell me how Palmer was doing. She called back around 9 and gave us the AM report. She summed up what she was saying with "He looks very happy and he is very comfortable." I told her THAT was what I wanted to hear!!!

Later the vet called, while I was out, and spoke to Bob. That was when we got the pancreatitis news. Our vet had gone by her office to get the results of the B12 test. After telling Bob that she had talked with the ER doc and what they thought, at this point, she said to email her if we had any questions............she would check her email throughout the weekend. My only question now is how do you treat this? The vet also reinforced that Palmer was exactly where he should be and getting just the treatment he needed. She was glad he was where he would have 24hr supervision. Palmer has even eaten a little bit, they say.

So-so far no BAD news. He will still have the sonogram on Monday and I am hoping we will be able to pick him up in the afternoon. Our vet said she felt, if follow up treatment was needed, that they could accommodate that at their office.....thus making it less stressful on Palmer-he would be near home and I guess go back and forth as needed....and way less stressful on me!!!!!!!!!

We will get another ER doc report later today. The doc I spoke with @5AM will be on again tonight. I'll call her before I go to bed, probably, and get her "read" on the situation.

Two summers ago, Ryan got pancreatitis. It took FOREVER to get a diagnosis. The first we were told was that a mass the size of a deck of cards had been found. The surgeon wanted to run a gazillion tests in order to avoid opening "my beautiful boy" up. I kept wondering why they could not just take a biopsy. It felt like we were losing a lot of time and not treating this thing, the way we were going. In my mind, the deck of cards had gone from one deck to 15 decks! :eek::eek: Well, his pancreatitis shrank pn its own and, over 4 months or so, all returned to normal. Yesterday he said he thought it would be funny if Palmer had pancreatitis, since that is what he had back then. (They're soooo competitive! Each so wanting attention!!)
When we got the news today I told him I could just have asked him for a diagnosis and saved myself a LOT of money! (just a joke.) :o

So-that's where we are now. I miss my little guy but am very hopeful he will be back home soon. :)

-Susan

I would ask them to run a specPL test to confirm the pancreatitis. The specPL will test for the lipase that is specific for the pancreas only.

Harley has pancreatitis also, his last specPL test results were 900! :eek: I think the lysodren had something to do with those high results because his results a couple months before that were 303 (0-200). Altho he is showing no symptoms I keep an eagle eye on him. Much is to do with diet, feeding a very low-fat diet is important and feeding several small meals through-out the day helps alot too.

We are here for you and Palmer and we all will help you.

Love and hugs,
Lori

Hi Susan,

A positive update, even if it is pancreatitis! That can be dealt with! ;)

Squirt has had one bout of acute pancreatitis brought on by the spleen surgery and it scared the crap out of me! On top of just being out of major surgery for 4 days, she starts showing odd signs and I go into full panic mode! Thank all the stars, she hasn't had any more problems with it!

That was when I learned that fat is the enemy when the pancreas is inflamed. Actually, any food or water by mouth is not recommended for 24-48 hours so the organ has time to calm down. So Palmer is exactly where he needs to be! :)

Several things can cause the pancreas to act up - handling in surgery as in Squirt's case, diet, age, other illnesses (Cushing's to name one - :rolleyes:, and the all time favorite - idiopathic, ie. no known reason. It is a highly sensitive and reactive organ and it doesn't take much to get it upset. The grass treatment may have been the cause but who knows? The key now is to prevent further flareups. I hope Palmer has the same experience Squirt has had and there are no further episodes!

Hugs,
Leslie and the girls - always

Lori-our vet ran the specPL test before Palmer went over to the hospital.

I just spoke with the night doc (same one as last night.)-they ran the blood test and find his Kidney #s are coming down. Bun is down 22 points to 41, Creatine is down from 4.4 to 3, Phos was at 6.9 and is now normal at 5. They are going to cut back on the fluids some, since the numbers are coming down and because of their concern about his heart murmur. He is still not eating :eek: and he is now sleeping. He will need a bland diet-more carbs, not too much protein or fat.

This has all made me respect our vet even more. She has been "spot on" about him since we started down the path with Cushings'. I really like the hospital he is in. They are very attentive to both the patients and the parents.

I didn't sleep much last night..so I'm off to bed. I really miss my little guy.

Thanks to all.

-Susan

Mornin' Susan,

Hope you got some rest last nite. I know how taxing all this can be.

Looking forward to another positive report this morning. Hope Palmer has eaten a bit; now that his numbers are coming back to normal, maybe he will start feeling better and get an appetite back.

Hugs,
Leslie and the girls - always

Hi-
The morning report offered no changes. He is getting a bit less in fluids. He still had not eaten.
The evening report, which I just got, has little change. He has eaten a bite or two. The day nurse will be the one to look to if Palmer is not there when we go to get him. She thinks he is so sweet and so cute. (Which OF COURSE he is:D:D:D)
We will get an early am report. He records will be transferred over to the Internist side. We should receive a consult around noon. He will probably have another blood test in the AM and then the ultrasound.
Sure is a big, quiet house without him..:(:(:(
-Susan

Susan, Thanks for keeping us updated. We have our fingers and toes crossed here for Palmer. He is in the best of hands right now. Take care of yourself as well! I know it is so hard. Hugs, Kim

Hi Susan,

Thanks for letting us know how Palmer is doing today. I hope tomorrow will be even better!

Hugs,
Leslie and the girls - always

Well, it's Monday. Palmer is still in the ER hospital. Basically there is no change in his situation. He did take "a couple of bites" last night. They were transferring his records to the Internist side of the place but neither of the two docs we wanted worked today. We opted to have him stay where he is today and then he will be seen by the doc we want tomorrow. I'm REALLY missing him now. It was okay-not preferable-but tolerable the first few days. I knew that was where he was getting the best treatment. They've asked us if we want to come see him, but I think that would just confuse him and its a 4 hour round trip. He is still on IV fluids. They've added back his Denamarin.
We should get an update later this afternoon. I don't expect to hear much different.

I tried to talk Bob into getting a puppy last year, so they would have each other to play with and so their lifetimes would overlap. He wouldn't have anything to do with it. That little puppy would be good company now.:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:mad:

-Susan

Susan I am holding on to good wishes and positive thoughts for you and Palmer right now.

Love and hugs,

Hi Susan,

Any word on Palmer yet this morning? Anxiously waiting and hoping for a really good report!

Palmer is such a precious boy and has taught me so very much since ya'll came here. It is my sincerest wish that he will be back home with you, in your arms again, following you around as usual very, very soon!

Hugs,
Leslie and the girls - always

Susan, I've been thinking about you, Bob and Palmer and I'm sending postitive thoughts your way.

Hi......

We are going to pick him up to bring him home this afternoon. We turned down doing a blood plasma transfusion. It would have meant another night's stay and another $1000.

Ryan, our son, is coming down for the weekend. We got Palmer the spring before Ryan left for college. Even so-Ryan not being around all the time-he still feels like Palmer is his dog, too.

He will need subcutaneous fluids. He is still not eating. My hope, our hope, is to get him home and smother him with love. We are hoping to make it to Monday. Any time after Monday will be a bonus. No more testing, prodding or poking. No more cages.

This has just been such a whirlwind and such a shock-coming from out of nowhere. I know I'll be worthless for much else for the next # whatever days. Postings may become somewhat sparse. All my time is for Palmer now.

-S

Hi Susan,

My heart is breaking for you. Smother Palmer with your love, hold him close to your heart, and remember the best of times with him.

Know we are all with you, Palmer, and your family.

Hugs, prayers and white light,
Leslie and the girls - always

Susan - Please know that we will ALL be sending tons of love and warm thoughts to you, your family and most of all Palmer. Glad to know he will be home and surrounded by those who adore him. We are here if you need us and when you want to update us. Meanwhile know you are all loved. Kim

Hi Susan,

I know this is very dfficult for you and your family, but I am glad that Palmer is home with you. Enjoy the precious moments with him. Give him all of his favorite foods, and he might eat for you. I know you will give him lots of love.

My thoughts and prayers are with you, Palmer, and your family.

Hi Susan,

I really feel for you right now and know how heartbreaking it is for all of the family to see Palmer like this. Thinking of you all.

Linda

Dear Susan,

Beaming you strength and comfort during these coming days. It was six years ago this very weekend that we were supporting our beloved Cushpup Barkis under very similar circumstances. It is so very hard. But during these hours, you will be able to tell Palmer how much he means to you, and what a good boy he is. You will be preparing him for his passage -- whenever he is ready to make the journey -- with grace and love. And perhaps once he is home again and surrounded by his family, he may start to eat again and that journey will be postponed until another day and another time.

Whatever the future may hold, we are here for you and for Palmer and for your family.

With warmest thoughts and healing wishes,
Marianne

Palmer has crossed over the bridge.

Susan,

I'm so very sorry for your loss of sweet Palmer.
Warm wishes to you,
Gina

Susan,

I'm so very sorry. I hoped that Palmer would hold on til Monday and that your son could say his good-bye.

It's so very hard to lose our beloved furry friends.

Hugs,
Bonnie and Angel Crissy

Dear Susan,

I, too, am so very sorry. Thank you so much for telling us what has happened. We are here for you, and we will remain by your side. And we will always remember and honor Palmer here. He shall never be forgotten.

In loving memory of your precious boy,
Marianne

Dear Susan,

My heart is breaking for you. It's so very hard and painful, I know, but please know our thoughts, love and prayers embrace you during this sad time.

My deepest sympathy to you and your family.

R.I.P. Sweet Palmer. We will remember you forever.

((((HUGS))))

Shelba and Suni~~

Dear Susan

I am so sorry for your loss. My thoughts are with you.

Take care
Angela and Flynn

Dear Susan,

I am so sorry Palmer crossed the bridge. Over the last few days your posts have been putting little cracks in my heart and today when I get this sad news it has just shattered. I know you must be feeling it so much more and all I can do is let you know how sad I am.

Jenny

Thank you all for your kind words. I will post more when I can.

Bonnie-our son came down last night. He is here until Saturday and Sunday. He got a few more pictures of Palmer before we left here. He went with us and the three of us, with our wonderful vet, set Palmer free.

The pain is absolutely incredible.

-Susan

Dear Susan,

I, too, am so very sorry for your loss of sweet Palmer. My heart goes out to you and your family at this most painful time. Please know that we will always be here for you.

Peace sweet Palmer

With Heartfelt Sympathy,
Lori

I am so very sorry for your loss, Susan. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family at this difficult time. Palmer is now free from pain and suffering. Godspeed Palmer.

Hugs,

Terri and Corky

Susan - My heart goes out to you and your family. As hard as it was, I think you made the right choice. And I understand how important it was to have had your son there. Palmer was able to cross the bridge, surrounded by those who loved him most. ((((Hugs)))) Sue

Susan -- I am so very sorry to read that you had to let Palmer go. I am glad that your son was able to be there with you as you said farewell. Take care!