Alivia was recently diagnosed with Cushing's - Alivia has passed

I don't think you'd be able to explain that one! :rolleyes:

Today I had a very stressful conversation with the office manager of the hospital that completely missed the pancreatitis dx, and instead said it was arthritic changes in Alivia's back. I paid almost $700 that day and they basically did nothing for Alivia. After her being there all day, they didn't do an u/s like they told me they were going to and when they released her she was in so much pain she could barely walk. The vet wouldn't even come out to the front to answer my questions! She was too busy and said she would call me the next day with the radiograph final report. I NEVER heard from her. Alivia's fever was 104.9 and her amylase that day was more than two times as high as it was one month before. They tried to tell me her lipase level was normal that day, but obviously she didn't know I had copies of everything and they did not even check the lipase level in a dog at risk for pancreatitis and having severe abdominal pain!!! I withheld payment on a $500+ bill for the following day until there is a resolution. They offered to reduce that bill by $50 "as a courtesy"! Their lack of treatment could have killed Alivia and probably resulted in her being hospitalized longer. It's all too long of a story to tell here but one of the two vets that day is lying - one says she consulted Ali's specialist, Ali's specialist says she was not asked to consult. I had to pay another $1000 the following day to her regular vet because of them and that doesn't include the 5 days in the hospital! I have paid thousands upon thousands of dollars for medical care for Alivia without a complaint and would gladly do so again. However, the suffering they put Ali through that day is inexcusable. :mad: And to charge $700 when they did absolutely nothing right?! After I went through my whole list of things that they did wrong or not at all that day, the woman said she will check into it further and get back to me. I then sent a 4-page letter documenting it all. It just never ends. Stay tuned...

Who owns the clinic? If the office manager comes back with nada, ask who owns the clinic and how to reach that person and then only deal with the owner, whether it be a vet or whomever. The office manager has to have a boss.

Go to the top, be calm, be polite, be persistent and don't give up. Document everything.

Love,
Addy

There is also the Better Business Bureau. ;) Document everything, including conversations about this with the vets, like yesterday. There is probably a veterinary governing board you could report to as well. Find out what actions are available to you and let them know you know what steps to take. ;)

Addy and Leslie,

Those are great suggestions!! I may have to use them because I am not backing down on this. Thanks. Yesterday, I told the woman that I work with attorneys (I am a Registered Paralegal) and that I was hoping we could resolve this without their involvement. She quickly changed her tune and said she was going to talk to the vets involved again. I truly hope it doesn't come down to that, but I just cannot justify paying them $700 when they were so blatantly negligent. I KNEW what she had and I basically told them, yet they did not even fully persue that possibility?! They didn't check her lipase or do an ultrasound when I specifically left Alivia there for that reason?? They could have killed Ali and I really want them to be more careful in the future. If I can do something that at least makes them think twice about this, I'm going to. I sent them a 4 page letter (with attachments), detailing all the errors that were made and what THREE other vets told me the next day. I will give them a chance to respond to that and then determine my next step. I'll keep you updated.

Just got a sweet as pie call from the Office Manager I fought with by phone yesterday. What an about face! She received my letter today and complimented me on putting everything so clearly in writing. She wanted to let me know that she will speak to both vets about the details outlined in my letter, but that one of them is on vacation this week. I thanked her for letting me know that and said I would wait to hear back from her. I think the point of her call was to keep me from suing them because their negligence cost me a lot of extra money. I am not settling for anything less than them refunding the entire amount.

Go Mary Beth, GO
:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

You are absolutely right!!!!!!!!

Love ya,
Addy

Thanks, Addy -

She REALLY must have been worried because she called my cell phone and I talked to her from work. Then we I got home, she had left a similar sweet message earlier about how "helpful" my letter was on my answering machine. Funny how when they are calling with test results or returning my calls, they NEVER try more than one number - something that always annoys me. Her last sentence on the message was that she was going to discuss everything with the vets next week and she would get back to me ASAP and she hoped I'd "wait". I think she meant wait and not sue them yet, because I am pretty sure I would not have to pay that bill and I think they would probably end up paying some of my costs in addition to dropping the bill.

Nothing is ever easy, is it? It is bad enough worrying about Alivia's health, without this additional stress! It truly breaks my heart all the additional suffering they caused Ali that day and I am not paying them for doing it!

Off to relax with my babies (and maybe a bit of ChocoVine).

Love to you and Zoe,

Mary Beth, Alivia and the hunter (aka Maxwell)

Small victory!

I just received a call from the office manager at the hospital. She said she spoke to the director of the hospital and they are refunding the full amount of the emergency room charges for the day they blew it - nearly $700.

I am not happy about any of this; it doesn't fix what happened, but at least I am not paying anything for the day they misdiagnosed Alivia and put her through so much additional pain.

Hi Mary Beth,

I can understand how you feel. I'm glad that they at least are refunding your money for that day. I know it doesn't make up for the pain and suffering that Alivia and you went through. This definitely shows that they were totally in the wrong.

Good job, Mary Beth! We have had members who refused to question their vet about what appeared to be blatant ineptitude for fear they would offend him/her. Nothing, and especially not a vet's ego, is more important than our dogs' well being so I admire you a great deal for not only being an excellent advocate for Alivia but for caring enough to teach this facility a lesson in the hopes that they won't repeat such an awful mistake. Considering the gut wrenching experience you went through and worst yet, you almost lost Alivia, $700 may fall way short of being punitive for this clinic but the results of your actions could save lives. How do you put a price tag on that?

Glynda

Thanks, Terri. I know the delay in treatment caused Alivia to get worse and I really believe it resulted in a longer recovery for her. I also learned that I will trust my instincts the next time (except I hope there is never a next time for this!!).

Glynda,
That truly is my hope - that the next time an animal is taken there in pain, they make certain that they do everything possible to figure out the cause. Being busy is no excuse to cut corners when it could mean life or death or even just unnecessary suffering. Quality care should always be the first priority. The thought of Alivia lying in that crate in the hospital all day, scared, in agony and suffering, while they did NOTHING, still breaks my heart.

Thanks for listening.

Love,

Mary Beth and Alivia

Happy weekend everyone!

A couple of small victories to post today.

1) Alivia went in the car last night and we took a ride. Although she was a bit nervous at first, she seemed to relax and actually enjoyed it after awhile! I am making a point to take her out for more trips that do not involve vets.
2) Alivia wanted to play ball. I just threw it a few feet so she could catch it and only a couple times because it was tiring her out. But, she WANTED to play. ;)
3) This morning I was playing tug with Maxwell and Alivia brought a toy to join in!! She still tires very quickly, so I go easy with her, but at least she seems to be getting her interest in playing back. :D

Weird thing. Alivia's belly was shaved a couple MONTHS ago for an ultrasound. The fur never grew back so they didn't even have to reshave it when she had pancreatitis. An almost perfect circle of fur has finally grown back!! It is about 2 inches in diameter. I call it her crop circle. ;) I tried to take a picture of it, but she was very suspicious and thought I was going to do something awful to her. Anyway, I posted the picture so if anyone wants they can see what a canine crop circle looks like. Oh, and if anyone can think of an explanation for this, let me know! I'd love to do it to the rest of her belly and the three legs that were shaved for IVs!!!

Mary Beth, this is good news. I am so happy Alivia wanted to play ball. I think we feel better when we see them playful, even for a few minutes. And the fact her hair is growing back in is very positive. Zoe's never grew back from her ultra sound, it has been a year.

I am so glad you got resolution from the emergency vet. I hope they think twice now and pay more attention to sick dogs coming their way. I am so proud of you.;)

Have a wonderful weekend enjoying your puppies and I hope your days are filled with many ball tosses:D:D

Love,
Addy

[

Thanks, Addy.

But does a crop circle count as fur growing back? :p

Yesterday, I ordered Alivia a cooling bed. It's a mat you fill with water and it is supposed to be cool to lay on. Remember how you could never sleep on an unheated water bed? Same principle. She was panting last night in bed and I couldn't tell whether she was just hot, it was cushing's related or she was in pain from pancreatitis. :confused::( Hopefully she'll use the bed and I will be able to differentiate when she pants in the future!

I also ordered both her and Maxwell cooling bandanas, too. Pink for Ali and Blue for Max! :cool: Hopefully they help.

Hi Mary Beth,

Saw your post on Addy's thread about vaccinations and grooming salons. Try contacting a Mobile Groomer in your area and explain the situation.

I am a mobile groomer and make many exceptions. The grooming salons do have liability issues to be concerned with because of other dogs that may come into contact. As a Mobile groomer, I / we do one dog at a time, no assembly line, cages or cage drying.

Note it will probably cost more that taking Alivia to a grooming salon... But the one on one experience for your pup is worth it ;););) LOL

Mary Beth, I will vouch for John 100%, too bad he's not in your area. I switched to a mobile groomer after Harley's eye was hurt by the groomer at my vet's. She denied it, of course. By that time, Harley had become a real terror when it came to grooming as I think he was mortally afraid because he could no longer see well. I had one lady coming initially who seemed to be doing a good job, but in hindsight I really wonder. I can't remember exactly what happened but on her last visit she made the comment about Harley, "perhaps you should consider euthanasia". I was astounded, & thought, "lady, this is the last time you will be touching my dogs". I turned to John. John has loads of experience with what I like to call special needs & senior pups. If you want to try to switch to a mobile, I would explain the situation to them, & tell them you are looking for someone with plenty of experience. I basically interviewed several mobile services before I found the first lady, & when I told them that Harley was difficult, & might bite, they turned me down flat. Harley was even getting 1/2 tab of valium prior to grooming which helped slightly. When John took over, he didn't want him sedated, really didn't have a problem with him, & I threw the valium away. I offer the above so you know what to look for if you want to switch.

Debbie

Sorry, Mary Beth, didn't mean to threadjack Ali's thread.

Thanks for the info, John. What an awesome job you have! :)

Don't apologize, Debbie. I like hearing everyone's stories. Wow!!! I can't believe a groomer would say that! I'd never use her again either. Glad you found John.

Actually, since Alivia is a Jack Russell, she really doesn't require any special grooming. I used to take her once or twice during warm weather for a summer trim to a groomer who has been taking care of her and Max since they were puppies. She knows Alivia's health issues and she hasn't required me to bring a rabies certificate. She also will get her in and out so that Ali is as least stressed as possible. I only tried going to a pet store once when she wasn't available. Now, though, Alivia's fur grows so slow than I don't take her anywhere. :( I just bathe her myself.

Oh John, this is good to know. If Zoe's groomer keeps giving me grief, I could try a mobile groomer. I didn't think about that. And she would not have to be there for four hours. Her groomer works well with Zoe but the office manager of the salon is forever pestering me about her rabies shot. Koko's place never asks for anything but I don't think it is a good fit for Zoe. She has her kids there.

Sorry, Mary Beth, don't mean to barge in and take over.;);););)

How are Alivia and Maxwell today? I think of your two often. Was Ali first to come to your family? Zoe was, then came Koko. Is Ali the boss of Maxwell? Zoe bosses Koko but when they are both waiting to go out the door, he squeezes right past her and always goes first.

Hugs,
Addy

Hi, Addy ! No need to apologize! I like hearing from everyone and I have no problem sharing!!

Alivia actually has had a bit more pep in her step lately! :D I am so hoping this continues! Alivia came first and she was so perfect that I got another JRT two years later. :p (Ali is 13; Max will be 11) Ali spoiled Max rotten. She cleaned his ears everyday and always let him take things off of her when he was a baby. To see them, you would guess that Maxwell is the boss. Alivia is just very patient with him, but if he really annoys her, she'll put him in his place. Funny you mentioned KoKo being first out the door - that is ALWAYS Maxwell's goal. He pushes in front of Ali all the time! I love the differences in their personalities. Max is definitely a boy! He can be an annoying little pain in the butt and tries to act tough. But, he is actually a little sweetheart and afraid of a lot of things.

Hi Mary Beth,

So glad Alivia is feeling better. Good idea with the groomer info. Maddie didn't do well at the groomers so I found a place I could bath her myself--good bonding time even though it wasn't her favorite thing to do, but she felt better afterwards.

You asked about the desert tortoises--we have two that are 26 yrs old.--same age as our daughter. We got them when they were 3 yrs old. Both turned out to be males and they fight all the time. Maddie use to separate them and come get us to tell us they were fighting. We will see what Ella does--so far she likes to give them kisses and look for their poop--not sure what could taste so good about it, but Maddie like it too. :eek: They do not bite so that is good. They are very social and like to be petted. Ella started barking at them a little yesterday--just play barking like to get their attention--what a herding dog would do...:p

Have a great day!!!

Hi, Marie! Interesting about the tortoises...so Ella will be herding tortoises?! I have a feeling they will not move fast enough to suit her. :)

Looking at the picture I posted on 6/18, I realized that Alivia has a bare belly from being shaved for an ultrasound, but Maxwell has a bare neck for some unknown reason! Initially, I thought his collar was rubbing the fur off because he jumps up a tree in my yard trying to catch squirrels. So I have been taking his collar off in the house for months and even most of the time when he is in my yard because it is very securely fenced. The fur still has not grown back! :eek: I also use harnesses instead of regular collars when I walk them. Maxwell has only been sick enough to go to the vet's twice in his entire life (He'll be 11 in August). He is extremely active and has no other symptoms other than the fur loss under his neck. Any ideas?

Hi Mary Beth,

Does he scratch at his neck, does the skin look normal or is it red or flaky? Could be a flea bite, skin infection, allergic reaction to his collar, the start of hypothyroidism, a million things. Maybe his hair was getting caught in the collar?:confused::confused:

Probably best to see a vet about it if it is not growing back and you stopped using the collar, though hair follicles do have a cycle they have to go through.

Sorry to hear about Maxwell. Always something.

hugs,
Addy

Hi, Addy. No he does not scratch at his neck and the skin looks perfectly fine, not at all red or flaky. I don't think it's an allergy or an infection. The fur is only missing under his neck. It's a nylon collar, so pretty smooth and soft. I'll give it some more time and if the fur doesn't grow back, I'll ask the vet. I should have asked when he was there because he was sick a couple weeks ago, but forgot.

You're right! It's always something!!

Have a good weekend!!!

Hi Mary Beth,

Just stopping by to say hello and see how Alivia and Maxwell are doing. You too;);)

I hope you had a restful weekend!!!!!

Have a great Sunday. The sun is actually out here. At least I think it is the sun. I seem to remember that is how it looked:p:p:p

Love,
Addy

Hi, Addy and all. Just checking in. Shhhhh...I don't want to say this too loudly...Alivia is doing good. ;) Not really any significant cushing's symptoms at the moment - appetite is normal, thirst normal, no panting. There's even been a visible improvement in the cushing's pot belly! Her fur is still not growing much, though. I bought her a cooling bed, which is actually a waterbed mattress! She seems to like laying on it when it's hot. I even put it on my bed and she has a cool spot to lay on during the night when she wants to. I ordered her and Maxwell cute cooling bandanas, too. Thought those would be nice when we are outside.

At Rene's suggestion and after researching it, I started Alivia on L-Glutamine, 500 mg per day, about a week ago. Everything I've read says it is helpful for colitis, too - Addy, have you tried it for Zoe? You probably have, but thought I'd ask anyway!

Hoping everyone is doing well (and hoping I haven't jinxed myself! :o).

Hi MB...Just making sure no news is good news....shhhhhh......;)

Hi Mary Beth,

Maddie took quite a few months to start growing back her fur once she got on a good maintenance program. It was different than her regular fur in color and texture, but I didn't care it was fur. She had evenly lost on her belly, under her front legs, the feathers on the back legs, and of course her under fur. It came back it just takes time. ;)

You are going a great job!!! :):)

Hi, everyone! I am still around....just have taken a break from things for awhile. Alivia continues to confuse me. She has some symptoms of cushing's - her fur does not grow and she has a pot belly. She sometimes has rear leg weakness, but she can go up and down steps pretty easily. She is panting MUCH less and her appetite and thirst seem normal. She defintely doesn't have the stamina she used to have and seems to tire easily. She occasionally has a day (or just a few hours) that she doesn't want to eat anything. I still worry about pancreatitis or maybe the possibility that she has chronic pancreatitis. A month or so ago, I switched her canned food to Holistic Select. She seems to really like it and doesn't seem to be as finiky about eating it as she had been with some others. I still have doubts that she has just an adrenal tumor. When she had the LDDST she suppressed at 4 hours and 8 hours and according to Dr. Peterson, that is not possible for a dog with an adrenal tumor. :confused: I have been reading Kim's post about "pheochromocytoma" and I wonder... Anyway, I have been trying unsuccessfully to forget all this stuff. There is never a day that I don't worry and wonder what is going on with Alivia. Fortunately, she has not been bothered by anything enough that she's had to go to the vet's since her hospitalization in May - KNOCK ON WOOD. In fact, her regular vet called yesterday and left a message. He was wondering how she was doing, since it's been awhile since he's seen her and he thinks that we probably should consider running an ACTH test again to see where things stand. We are fortunate to have such a caring vet. The fact that he is one block from my house is an added bonus! So, I guess the ACTH will be soon - maybe next week.

So, not much has changed...I am as confused as ever! :eek:

I just read your entire thread and there are some similarities to our stories though not identical.

Things they have in common: HBP, appetite changes, elevated sex hormones, rear leg weakness (intermittent), panting, shaking, spine pain, fever, licking of paws/butt, a HIGH baseline number on the ldds test

I have some questions -

1. Does or did Alivia drink abnormal amounts of water and pee alot? I mean buckets not 'alot' of water. IF she weighs 18 lbs then normal would be 18 oz of water a day

2. You mentioned cush appetite - did she breath between bites? Did she headbutt the trashcan or walk around looking for food like she was starved? What % of the time has her appetite been normal vs abnormal?

3. Is her hair thinning or just slow to grow back?

4. Did you ever have an acth test done? I never saw results for one, only the LDDS test. I would LOVE to know what her results were for it if you did have one (or more) done.

5. Have you ever noticed that her skin turns pink when she is feverish? Have you seen a correlation between fever and the panting and shakes? Have you seen a correlation between these episodes and appetite?

6. Can you feel her tummy gurgling? Annie's is coming from the lower stomach where her leg meets it.

I was so focused on cushings that it took me a long time to realize that Annie has cushings like symptoms because her body is producing cortisol to fight other issues. Her sex hormones are elevated I am sure (I never did the UTK panel and glad i didn't because it would have just been more confusing and irrelevant). I give her melatonin.

Annie's tumor is not always 'active' but when it is I know it. She shivers, sometimes is sweaty, her skin is red/bright pink. Right before the episode she stops eating. She sleeps alot/lays around because the episodes are exhausting. Her body emits adrenaline.

One night her breathing was so heavy I thought she was in cardiac arrest. She was panting and breathing faster than I thought possible and her whole chest was going in and out with each breath. The episode lasted about 5 mins.

Oh - Tell Dr Pedersen that a dog CAN have an LDDS test with suppression! I had TWO of them. Both times Annie's came back with a perfect curve diagnosing her with pituitary cushings. We did a catscan to verify - no pituitary tumor. Bottom line is that if a dog has other illnesses the tests for cushings can result in false positives. It happened to me SEVEN times.

Sorry for the long post but I had alot of questions. :p Give Alivia a big hug for me. She truly is a miracle dog. Kim

Kim, thanks so much for taking the time to read all about Alivia. In answer to your questions:

1. Years ago when Alivia had IMHA and was on megadoses of Prednisone she drank and peed like a fiend - just as you describe. So, I do know what that is like. I would leave at least 8 puppy pads out for her when I went to work and come home to ALL of them being used multiple times. Now Alivia drinks a lot more than my other JRT but no where near what she did then. She (usually) gets up once during the night to use a pee pad. Most days when I am at work, although I leave one out for her, she does not need to use it. Initially, I attributed the night time pee to the fact that she is 13 years old.

2. I'd say her appetite has increased for Alivia, but not to the extent where she would get into the garbage or anything like that. She would eat her canned food faster than her normal. But, I always leave dry kibble out and she never finishes that, so obviously she doesn't think she is starving! Normal appetite - 60%, Increased - 30%, Decreased 10%

3. Her fur is extremely slow to grow back, but not thinned all over. Her belly was shaved for an ultrasound in March and is still bare. This happened before - her fur did not grow for a long time after having her groomed shorter for the summer last year. Then it suddenly started to grow and was just about back to normal. Now this. So, this too, seems to fluctuate.

4. She had an ACTH done with a full UTK panel in April. Everything was elevated before and after, except for Estradiol, which was always in the normal range. Cortisol was baseline 115.8 (2.1-58.8) and post ACTH was 249.0 (65.0-174.6); Androstenedione 3.90 (0.05-0.57) and post 7.85 (0.27-3.97); Estradiol 68.8 (30.8-69.9) and post 65.4 (27.9-69.2); Progesterone 1.09 (0.03-0.49) and post 2.55 (0.10-1.50); 17 OH Progesterone 0.91 (0.08-0.77) and post 3.25 (0.40-1.62); Aldosterone 222.1 (11-139.9) and post 414.5 (72.9-398.5). Her regular vet wants to do an ACTH now so she will probably have it done in the next week or so.

5. The only time I knew of her being feverish was during her pancreatitis. She stopped eating entirely (on her own) when that began. Her belly, since it is shaved, sometimes seems more pink to me than other times.

6. Yes, at times! When she loses her appetitie, I can HEAR it gurgling from 6 feet away.

The only time she has had scary panting breathing, as you describe, was during her acute pancreatitis and that was obviously from severe pain. Her symptoms have never been consistent. That was my biggest concern about putting her on Lysodren - I have no idea how or if I could know when she was loaded.

Alivia really is my miracle dog. When she had IMHA and I was taking her to Ohio State, they said she did things they could not explain and that they had actually thought were impossible. All of Ali's vets will say she does not have typical reactions/symptoms to anything. Even her pancreatitis results were not completely "typical".

Any thoughts? Anyone?

Hi Mary Beth,I can only go back to what Dr. Allen at Dechra told me when I voiced concern about starting treatment for Zoe. "Cushings progresses slowly. The symptoms Zoe has will worsen and she will develop new ones."

Zoe never panted unless her colitis was bothering her, Zoe never drank buckets, she never asked to go out in the middle of the night. Her main symtpoms were hair/skin issues, the colitis (which always tested normal everything so IMS thought could be repeat bacterial infections and stress from Cushings) hind leg weakness and huge appetite. Even the appetite was not as bad as some.

I waited a year to treat her, trying to improve the colitis and watching for stronger symptoms.

Alivia has been through a lot. Could it be her pancreatitis was starting to act up when you tested her and skewed the tests? What are all her health issues then and now other than Cushings?

Can you afford more tests, other opinions? Can you afford another ultra sound? What will it take to convince you she needs to be treated so you are comfortable with your decision?

These are questions I asked myself and you may need to ask yourself.


Sometimes there is not a clear cut answer when you have other health problems going on with the pup. If we all had a pup drinking buckets of water and peeing all night it would be an easier decision:):)

Hugs,
Addy

Addy, I wish I had answers to your questions. The problem is nothing has given us a straightforward diagnosis. And, Alivia has other symptoms/problems that are defintitrely not cushing's. She is not well again. She had no appetite last night and was in obvious discomfort - panting and trembling. I gave her Dramadol and it seemed to help some, for awhile. She had diarhea during the night and again this morning and was still in pain. It seems like it may be the beginning of another bout of pancreatitis. She has an appointment with her regular vet tomorrow (he wasn't in today). I really don't want her to end up back in the hospital because all they will do is restrict her food, give her pain medication and fluids. I think with her regular vet's help (he is one block from my house) I can do that at home, with less stress on her, as long as she isn't too bad. I would happily treat her for cushing's at this point, IF I knew that was what she had and if anyone could tell me it would help the possible adrenal tumor/hyperplasia/who-knows-what. And, if someone could explain why her symptoms are so intermittent. So far no one has any answers. :confused: I am really worried about her. :(

DRAT Mary Beth,

I sure hope it is not her pancreatitis again. It seems like Cushings is going to take a back burner again. Maybe that is the way it is supposed to be.

Sending healing prayers for little Alivia.

Love,
Addy

Did you mean Tramadol vs Dramadol? If so I can explain the diarrhea!!!! My worst nightmare was the night my Haley was given her first dose of tramadol... vet went with the normal dosage recommended and that drug will kick your butt... opiate... my dog was walking around all night into walls and standing and staring at walls, couldn't quit walking... i went to bed and just let her walk and woke up at 2 am to a house full of diarrhea.

Long story but we compared notes here and learned that every one of us that had used it had a nightmare story and had to cut the recommended dosage in half... so you might try that.

Kim

Yes, I meant Tramadol. She's taken it before and never had a problem. We are at the emergency hospital now. Alivia is back getting blood work and xrays. May be pancreatitis again. :(

Sending love and hugs Alivia will be okay, Mary Beth,

Lots of love and hugs.

Addy, Zoe and Koko

Thanks, Addy. They just said they think it is early pancreatitis. Amylase is 2200 and WBC are elevated. They wanted to admit her, but I don't want to put her through that again since there is nothing they can do for her that I can't do at home. They are currently giving her an IV with pain meds and antibiotic. Then I will take her home with sub q fluids as needed and she will have nothing by mouth for 24 hours. She has an appointment with her regular vet tomorrow evening anyway. I don't think they are happy with my decision. She is really aging me!

Home with Alivia...already second guessing my decision of not letting them admit her. She gets so stressed at the vet's that I know she can't rest and I worry that additional stress is too hard on her. I had never seen this ER vet before and she was really nice ...up until I said I didn't want to admit her. Then she became a bit abrupt. I don't think she was happy about that. Except, if I would have let them admit her they could have done an ultrasound tomorrow because she would have been "transferred" to internal medicine. Now I have to schedule it and it will take about a week. I didn't know that part until I checked her out. But, I am looking at her now sleeping soundly and peacefully and I know she would not be getting that rest in the hospital. On the plus side of this, all of her blood work looks good except for Amylase 2235 (200-1200) and WBC 23.1 (6.0-17.0). She also will see her regular vet tomorrow evening.

Addy - You're right. It does seem that cushing's is again on the backburner.

I'm tired.....good night all.

Hi Mary Beth,

You are much braver than I! No way I would have taken Squirt home with pancreatitis! :eek: When she had her acute attack, the things I read about the enzymes and the damage they can do to surrounding organs, etc. scared the crap out of me! I wanted her in the hospital so if anything else started going bad, they would be right there! I missed her terribly and was afraid the whole time but knew she was in the best place. You are brave!

How is Ali this morning? It's too bad the U/S has to wait. I guess I don't understand the delay when they could have done it sooner if she was there...if they could work her in then, why not now? :confused:

Continue to withhold all food and water by mouth - taking things by mouth triggers the pancreas to go to work and right now it needs to rest. That's why meds and fluids are given via IV...to help keep the pancreas from releasing those enzymes. ;)

Let us know how things are going, 'k?

Stay strong!

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang