Squirt - my Queen has crossed The Bridge

[Trish]

Even if she is not eating though that is still very low, I wondering if it is an error as that low would make her pretty spacey. Could the vet do a simple glucose test to just confirm it has come up. Also potassium a worry so high, is she getting anything to put that up?

[Squirt's Mom]

No meds that would raise the potassium or PHOS...but she had just started taking the Proin again when this test was done. And I suppose it's possible the sample is off because this is the one that was frozen to separate the lipids and it took some time to get enough serum. I hope she is eating better by the time I get paid again so we can run another lab to see how things are then. I want the Proin out of her system 30 days then do the labs again; it'll be 2 weeks Mon. since she's had any Proin.

[Trish]

Hmmm this might explain things!

7.3 Specimen storage
Serum or plasma should be physically separated from the red blood cells as soon as possible. A maximum of 2 hours from the time of collection to separation of serum/plasma from cells by centrifugation is recommended. After 2 hours, certain test analytes will not be accurately represented in the specimen – the most susceptible analytes are potassium, glucose, and ionized calcium. Glucose levels are significantly decreased, while potassium is significantly increased due to cellular metabolism. By eight hours, tests such as iron are also significantly decreased. Some other analytes are more stable and are not affected as readily.
Although refrigeration helps inhibit or slow blood cell metabolism thereby stabilizing analytes that may be affected by changes in temperature, it is recommended that serum or plasma be removed from the red cells before samples are refrigerated. However, this is not always possible. General lab practice involves refrigeration of whole blood samples as well as separated serum and plasma samples until such time as they are further processed.
Potassium levels will be further falsely elevated in refrigerated specimens due to inhibition of the sodium-potassium-ATPase pump causing cells to
leak potassium into the plasma or serum that will be used for testing. Cells contain 25 times the level of potassium as serum/plasma. Refrigeration can lead to falsely elevated potassium levels in serum/plasma in a relatively short time period.

[Squirt's Mom]

Ah...certainly sounds plausible!

[molly muffin]

That makes complete sense Trish. I wouldn't worry too much until you can have another lab test done. Make sure they draw enough that they can spin it down. Strange, you'd think they would be able to ge enough, after all we do with baby's blood all the time. You just usually end up moving it from the small tube to the big tube and then spin it.
Anyway, the point was (boy I digress) is that I agree with Trish and wouldn't worry too much about those specific results right now and wait till the next one. In Fact I'd print out what Trish wrote, take it to your vet and maybe he wont charge you for the redo.
I like to live optimistically. LOL
So what does those treats Squirt really like have in them that makes her like them?
hugs,
Sharlene and Molly Muffin

[Squirt's Mom]

I can't remember what's in those treats, Sharlene. They are joint support treats shaped like hearts from their bulk treats. I want to say peanut butter but I'm not sure and they don't list this particular treat on their site that I found. I'll have to write it down next trip there. For a while she like the little ginger cookies from the bulk treats but now it's the hearts. Both are quite crunchy and she needs them broken into pieces first.

She seems to have found a solution to the incontinence issue on her own. Not that she's found a way to stop it but she's found a way to make things easier. The diaper changed her conformity, spreading out her back legs; her back feet have been very close together her whole life. She got a handle on walking in it and had stopped the high stepping and side kicks but still had trouble walking and displayed more pain when she did walk. Once I realized what it was doing to her back legs, I took the diaper off. She was still in some discomfort for a bit afterwards. Last night and the night before, she got up in the bed for a little while then wanted back down. She went into the bathroom and went to sleep. I left a light on so I could see her if I had to come in there during the night and closed the door to remind me she was there. I checked on her several times both nights and she was sound asleep. She's had a few instances of leaking but none of the flooding like she did the first time we stopped the Proin.

She still sleeps a lot and is still in pain, sometimes quite badly, but she is improved. Her tail is help up more often, her eyes are brighter, and she's more interactive. And Mom is doing her best to stay focused on this minute and no other.

Hugs,
Leslie and Squirty

[lulusmom]

Les, what did the vet have to say about the results of Squirt's bloodwork? Did the vet do an xray or manipulate Squirt to determine if her leg problems are due to arthritis/joint pain, neuro issue or muscle weakness? When is the last time Squirt had an abdominal ultrasound to check her internal organs?

[Squirt's Mom]

I haven't gotten to talk to doc yet about the labs, just the tech who didn't know. She hasn't had an ultrasound in a few years and that isn't in the budget now. Her last xrays were those following the knee surgery 2 years ago. There is no question she has arthritis - she was diagnosed with that in her knees when she was young. Doc has manipulated her but not sure if he has done so the last few visits - I have to leave the room now when they work on Squirt or she fights the whole time worse than usual. If he has, he hasn't mentioned anything. I know he checked her shoulder when Tank landed on her that time and again when she started limping recently so I would assume the answer is yes.

[Squirt's Mom]

After nearly a month of fretting over finding something Squirt will eat, tonite she decides she wants Trinket's home cooked. So I got 2 packages of Trink's food out, warmed it up, gave it to Squirt and she ate it all with obvious pleasure! She ate two meals of the baked FreshPet so I stunk up the house this afternoon baking a bunch more and she turned her nose up at it. I think I'll double Trink's recipe this week and see if Squirt will keep eating that. If she does, I can maybe tweak it enough to bring it in line with her recipe - they are similar. I tried the Bison - a disaster! We all had a bite, we all had diarrhea.

Unless the desire to eat Trink's food was a sign, she has shown none and has had only 62.5mg of Lyso on Mon of this week. No lignans, no melatonin. I forced one of the Get Up and Gos down her throat and I won't do that again for anything other than the Lyso. I've been looking at the pill guns / shooters and am not sure I could use that with her any easier - all the reviews say it works well with TWO people. If I can't dissolve it, I don't know that she will get it. I'm looking into a liquid Lyso, too. She is moving a bit better and for that I am grateful! And, oddly, she has had very little leaking this week - once or twice she was a tad wet on her teetee but no where else. She pees fine outside - I've been getting the stink eye for squatting to watch lately!

Last nite, she wanted in the bed for a while then asked to get down and away she went to the bathroom again. The mattress may be too soft for her to move comfortably on now and she moves around during the nite. The floor gives her more support.

Squirt is slowly improving. Her eyes are brighter and she is more content. Once this Proin is out of her system for 30 days, I will breath a bit easier. I haven't fallen to my knees by her thinking she'd stopped breathing this week but I have stood over her watching intently several times. Compared to four weeks ago, we are both better, tho. Thanks in large part to our family here.

Hugs,
Leslie and Squirt

[Harley PoMMom]

I've been looking at the pill guns / shooters and am not sure I could use that with her any easier - all the reviews say it works well with TWO people.

Squirt is slowly improving. Her eyes are brighter and she is more content.

I am so glad that our sweet Squirt is feeling better! Oh, I did try those pill gun/shooter thingys and boy was that a waste of money. It could very well be that I am just not coordinated enough to use them but I really do think that 2 people are needed, and may be they should have 4 sets of hands!

Sending big hugs to you both, Lori