Molly, 13 yr, shih tzu - lhasa aspo - Molly has passed

Hey Sharlene, I have to head out for the evening but I just now read your post and I can't leave without sending some big hugs your way. You are such a great, loving mom. I know there is a lot for us to chew over here, but when all is said and done, I think this is the most important part of your whole reply.

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Then we went for a walk and molly had a great time even in the cold and snow.

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You're stuck with having to decipher the test results, but thank goodness Molly gets to just be Molly! Our Diva! ;)

We'll figure this out together,
Marianne

Sharlene -- big hugs from me, too! I know all the results are not what you were hoping for but Molly doesn't pay any attention to them -- she just keeps being Miss Diva Molly! :D Enjoy your chill out and give Molly hugs from me.

(((Huge loving hugs from me as well)))

Well now, Molly is here now so just love her and hold her and enjoy her and worry about all of that tomorrow.

Big hugs, sweetie. Deep breaths and lots of love. That darn cortisol, you just never know what the h is going on, dang it.

Give our diva kisses on the head from me, ok?

Big hugs, Sharlene.

Positive thoughts Sharlene. Thinking of you and sweet Molly. Hugs to both. Brianna

Aw Sharlene, you are suffering from information overload. I know it all too well!:o

Our sweet little diva is happy. That's the bottom line. She is happily doing her Molly thing oblivious to anything else. Snacks with Daddy, window seat supervision and tons of love and attention. All is right in her world, as it should be.

Now that you've had your good cry, try to remember what your focus has been from the very beginning. Quality of life. That's all that really matters.

Enjoy our little muffin and soak up every single minute you have together. None of this is easy. Frankly, it sucks, but each day together is truly a blessing nevertheless.

Big hugs my dear,
Kathy

Sharlene, you have been such a great help and support for so many on here, especially me, know that I am thinking about you and sweet Molly. These test results when they come back certainly can rock your world and upset you. The good thing is that Molly is acting fairly normal which is good to hear. They are oblivious to how we are taking things at times, and that is a good thing. I don't need to tell you, to take each day at a time and each challenge one at a time. We know she is getting the best care that is humanly possible and that goes without saying. You know we are here for you too...... I'll be thinking about you especially today.

Oh Sharlene,

I'm sorry...everything can change so fast, it's overwhelming!

Joan

Hi Sharlene, how are you and sweet Molly doing today. . Thinking about both of you. Brianna

hugs from us too, but as long as molly is happy, we are happy. she is a medical wondergirl.

hey Sharlene - just caught up on the past few pages on Molly's thread. I am sorry this seem to be progressing. If she's happy and hanging on, then things are still good. Try and shake off the negatives. I feel like I get so wrapped up in the technical, and it all seems so grim, it's easy to lose sight of how happy these babies can be, no matter how their bodies may be betraying them.

Hugs!

I'm feeling better. I just don't want her to feel bad.
After some reading it seems the lack of appetite is related to the kidney issue. We know it isn't cortisol. Based on that her appetite really took a dive in the last couple weeks and tonight I can't get her to eat any of her food. Got the bp and benazepril into her with salmon cream cheese but she walked away from her chicken and veggies that she loves. Even treats she was crazy for last week she won't eat this week. I mean literally just walks away from after a sniff. Last week she was begging for them. She has to eat. She is already losing weight too fast.
I know Molly doesn't know but I am very concerned. She had those tests 2 weeks ago when she still loved her food. So my worry is that her kidneys are deteriorating faster than I can keep up. She just started the new dose of trilostane today. She wouldn't have come down 300 Nmol in a few hours so that leaves only the kidneys. Poops are fine except she doesn't go much. Smaller ones due to her not eating I think. How do I get things back into sync?
Aggressively trying to get the cortisol back down. She is already on kidney food. Won't eat it. Trying tripe. I just am at wits end. I don't know if she will be happy diva Molly if this goes on much longer.
Arggghhhh

Is it possible she needs some fluid therapy to jump start the kidneys a bit?

How about an appetite stimulant?

And got her to eat some of her soft omega 3 treats. They do smell. Blech. Still refused her food. But she took off running with her dental bone. Go figure. Maybe if I can get that appetite triggered she will eat her dinner. She has always been a bad eater but some things you could count on even when she wouldn't eat her food. You would think if it was smell she would want the tripe. Normally she does. Sigh.

She is drinking and peeing. Sodium and potassium are okay. So I don't think it is fluids she needs but I might be wrong. She ate this morning with her trilostane at least.
I might try taking her for a walk again. See if she has a poop if that is the issue. This snow is not helping things T all. She can't go unless she finds the perfect spot. I have knocked snow off her favorite areas to encourage her. But it is hit and miss sometimes.
Cross fingers that the bone gets her hunger going.

I don't like the sound of any of this. It is worrisome when they turn down meals. Even with Rosie, she'll often skip a meal or two. It makes it hard to give meds when they need to be given with food and they won't eat. Poor Molly.:o She's on heavy duty meds and MUST eat! Do you have any special games that you play using food? Rosie can often be urged to start eating if we play a chasing and poncing game with her kibble. Once started, she'll often finish it on her own. Other times, she'll sniff her dinner and walk away disgusted, as if it's not worth her time. LOL

hugs,
Kathy

The bone did it!!!!!
She just went over. Ate her chicken and now is munching a little bit on the kidney food. Whew. I hope every day isn't going to be this hard to get her to eat.
Now how do we get creatinine down. Phosphate looked okay on the labs so don't think she needs a binder. I will need to read up on that unless someone knows. Oka she left the bowl only a little of the kidney food is gone. But she ate the chicken and veggies. That is something at least

We use to play chase the kibble. She can't do that any more really as she can't see well enough. Sometimes if she is feeling particularly perky she will try to do it and I tap where the food lands then she sniffs it out. She wasn't interested in doing that tonight. Maybe tomorrow. I always try everything to keep her engaged and feisty.

Good does make her feel better as she went over and attacked my shoe. Another favorite thing. Obviously she needs to eat to feel at her best. And now barking at me. It's like she did a 180 in like the last 5 minutes after she finally ate something.

It took one hour to get her to eat anything. I know I was panicing.

Now that's our feisty girl! :p Attacking shoes like they were alien invaders. Go Molly!!!

Kathy

I just took a picture of her laying in the kitchen after the shoe attack. She Looks perfectly fine to me. Engaged and interested. I gave her bangs a trim and put detangler on her ears with a good brushing. Seriously wish I'd taken a before picture when she was being mopey and refusing any food even treats earlier. You wouldn't know inward the same dog. Bizarre. She drags her whole face through her food when she does want to eat picking out what she wants vs what she doesn't. She now spits anything she doesn't want out on the ground beside her bowl so food time has become a real mess. I will deal with that as long as she eats though.

So this morning was touch and go on if she would eat anything before I had to leave for work, finally she did.
Tonight she was ready to eat with only a bit of temptation thrown in. So that is good.
I guess we will just take it day by day.
I sure hope my IMS gets back to working soon. I'm hoping she'll be back in March as I'd really like to discuss all of this with her.

It's so hard to leave them and go to work...I know I couldn't concentrate on anything but how slow the clock was ticking.

I do hate to leave her. I'd work from home every day if I could. Luckily I did have that option when she hurt her back a couple years ago.

I'm really going to not get as down as I was the other day or as panicing as I was yesterday and try to get the creatinine lower.
My plan is to get that cortisol lower darn it and see if that helps anything else.

Thanks for popping in Joan on what I know is a tough time for you and many others. You are all just wonderful

Just catching up on Molly's thread. I'm glad that she's eaten something but it must be hard wondering if she'll eat the next meal so BIG HUGS from Henry and me.
I've never had a dog who refused food, but wondered if it was possible to get the equivalent of those special meal replacements you can get for humans? but then I'm not sure how that would work with her kidneys?

They do have nutrient supplement meals for dogs. I don't know how it would be for kidney problems though.
Thanks for checking on us. Belly rubs to Henry and hugs to you!

Kathy. LOL You know molly never could resist a smelly shoe. Best loved if you have worn them all day. LOL

Over at the K9kidney forum they claim that CoQ10 may help lower creatinine, just something to keep in mind. ;)

Sending huge hugs to you and Molly.

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Originally Posted by molly muffin

I do hate to leave her. I'd work from home every day if I could. Luckily I did have that option when she hurt her back a couple years ago.

I'm really going to not get as down as I was the other day or as panicing as I was yesterday and try to get the creatinine lower.
My plan is to get that cortisol lower darn it and see if that helps anything else.

Thanks for popping in Joan on what I know is a tough time for you and many others. You are all just wonderful

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You're always there for us, Sharlene.

I think I am going to look into that Lori. CoQ10. I'm trying to find out the correct dosage and how often to give. And then to source it in a way that she will take. Gel caps are out. She won't take those any longer.

How is she doing today, Sharlene?

Appetite was better this morning. Was perky on her walkies so that good.
We shall see how tonight goes. Over all I think she was doing better today than she has for the last week or 2. Just hoping it holds for the good. Maybe the increased dose of trilostane making a difference. Crossing fingers.

A good day for Molly is a good day for all of us.
Love Sonja, Apollo, Karma and Ariel and Kristin.

Is her appetite better in the mornings generally? Could you give her more food then?
Also have you tried different bowls, or putting the food on the floor? Just wondering if it might seem more appetising if it was somewhere different to normal? What about a piece of carpet / a rug? Both Hamish and Henry have preferred to eat treats on carpet.

Mine are crossed as well!

No her appetite is usually worse in the mornings, but she would always take her pills wrapped in her wet food. Now she seldom will take it from my hand. 50/50 if she will take it flat from her the floor. I just have to keep trying. Them give her something to get her appetite going. Once you get her started she will usually eat. It's getting her started.

Tonight was the same, didn't want anything at first. Wouldn't take from my hand. Wouldn't on the floor finally got her to take her meds in some beef in her bowl. It's just a crap shoot. This morning it was egg whites that got her going.
Still this is considered a success. A couple days I had to leave for work and came home and the wet and dry food was all still in her bowl and she hadn't eaten all day. I know the trilostane wasn't absorbed well on those days. I'd dump it and start over for the evening meal so this is good today.

I've got some treats that she will eat now that have the omega3 and the vitamin e oil that the IMS wanted her to have in it. They think the vitamin e Might help with the liver. We shall see. I hope so as those too have increased.

Just now I tried giving her a treat she really likes normally and she just sniffed it and walked away. I just never know with her.

Have you checked her mouth? Is it possible that she has a sore tooth or something which is making her reluctant to eat, but once she has eaten something she realises it's not a problem?

I did think of her mouth because we know she has some dental issues, but the one thing that she has always wanted and never turned down is her dental bone treats. She wants those every night and never cringes at biting down on them and chewing away and I watched closely tonight after reading your post and see her doing it on both sides of her mouth. That makes me think that isn't the issue or shouldn't be? but I will when I take her in next time ask them to take a good look in there. Thanks for that thought, it's a good one and it might still be true.