[Jane K]

hahahahaaaa, I’m so,so behind in my own care.

[Jane K]

Sallie went to a new clinic last night. We used them many, many yrs ago. I contacted them after our vet pretty much said don’t treat her and let her go. Wow. So anyway, called these people. They were so nice. And cheaper. How did I miss this fact???? They also have evening hours. She sat on the floor with us to observe and exam and then did blood work and gave me 1.5 hours of her time to go over her entire history and what might be wrong and on and on. I was impressed. She’s calling OSU director of the small animal center (where we were) to go over all the things that wouldn’t show up in the paperwork I had. I told her I was horribly blunt about this whole thing so I can’t imagine what they had to hide. She went to OSU vet school and keeps up with seminars and workshops so she knows everyone involved in Sallie’s care. She said she can get a better feel for what they think may be causing this. Works for me!

For now, Sallie is stable, eating well, playful and showing no other signs of evil other than the fluid that is still there. Her protein level was better. She went to the bathroom last night and it was near perfect. A first in many weeks. I had to email that info to them this morning as it’s a huge sign of success. Hahahahaa.

She might have lymphoma, might not. They are treating her for it on a temp basis along with several other things. We’ll know more tomorrow.

I was wondering how much this was going to cost. $53 What????? For all that time, consultation, all the time she read up on the condition before I got there, going through her files, blood test, exam. I was astonished.

They also have wondering pets in the waiting area. Sallie loved that! Got her snoot tapped by the piggy senior cat on board. Sniffed butts with the dog who comes in and out of treatment rooms. What a fun place. How did I not remember all this?

Before I left the front desk lady wanted to go over my old list of animals to see if any were alive. It was really long. The couple behind me muttered something about animal hoarding that had us all hooting. We used to have a small farm in Hocking Hills National Park (Ohio) so had many strays dumped on us. It was a funny trip down memory lane.

I think I found the perfect vet to see Sallie and us through whatever is ahead. We still hope for success but no matter what we have a good support system in place.

And……….she plowed through a whole bowl of cardboard kibble this morning! Yay.

[Jane K]

Thanks! Everyone called. OSU called for an update b/c no one read the email update or listened to the voicemail. Wanted me to come in this week before their rotation was up. I already have my new appointment tonight with our old clinic. If nothing else I want to establish a plan of comfort or long term. She was doing really well until yesterday.

[Jane K]

My vet turned me down. He thinks it’s just prolonging the end and we would be better off spoiling her and keeping her comfortable. Ummm, draining the fluid does make her comfortable. Whatever. Called OSU twice now with no response. Wow. Called vet we used to have. Original doc from the 80’s owns the place now and has experience draining. I asked them twice this morning to contact her and ask if she would do. I mean really, I’d hate to drive all the way over and get turned down. That didn’t happen so I made the appointment anyway and we shall see. Thanks for kindness.

[Jane K]

Made it through a week but already putting on fluid. Hoping our vet can drain her to provide a little more time with us. I keep hoping diet and meds will make a long term difference.

[Jane K]

More snickering. Each pill had it’s own chicken piece this morning. She glared at me but took them anyway. She wouldn’t even get out of the bedroom so we were working in the dark as my husband was going into to work late today. We kind of woke him up…..Sallie thought it was pretty funny. He just called with his feeding update. Everyone got chicken. Hahaha. Old dog Bing. Sallie. Cats. I’m good with that. Tonight I’ll try the blended with broth variety.

[Jane K]

She picks the chicken out of her kibble. Hahahaaaa. I love this nutty dog. I’m thinking of putting it in the blender and mixing it with the kibble. We’re going to have a little chat abou this tonight when I get home. 🙂

[Jane K]

Talked to my vet last night and he approves the chicken. My fridge and freezer will be filled with chicken. (He also said if she gets bad to fix her one hell of a good steak dinner. Love this guy) As the fluid drops away you can see how malnorished she is. I’m measuring her girth by day to see if that goes away. I can still feel fluid in there so not sure how many days on these meds it would take to absorb if it’s going to. My main goal for this week is no increase. Her funny self is back. And the annoying Sallie. She is so mad about this food issue that she’s starting to hide anytime I show up with food unless it’s her beloved chicken. Never underestimate a smart dog. She probably smells that script food 10 minutes before I fix it. Hahaha. Keeping my fingers crossed that she will continue to improve. I would love to prove them wrong and have many more years with our little cow dog.

[Jane K]

Hahahaa, true!! Siamese #1 snuck up and snatched a piece. His sister stared and yelled until she got one. Old dog begged and then turned around and ate Sallie’s nasty canned food. And…….younger daughter helped herself to some. I will be defrosting and purchasing soon.

[Jane K]

Thanks for the info. I’ll be there this evening with my Siamese for his summer wheezing condition and will make sure I ask about this. So, so glad to ‘meet’ you guys. Sallie had a great night and had some breakfast before I left. She seems almost normal – I was not expecting this after her guarded prognosis and comments about her making it through the next 2 weeks.

[Jane K]

Bought some chicken breasts on the way home………..and she ate a small bowl of script kibble and canned with chick broth, chicken and a little rice. Stood there trying to pick out tiny pieces of chicken. I’m so glad she came home to be with us and feels good enough to relax and eat. I put the whole mess in the blender to see if she’ll eat more of what she’s supposed to have. She was watching me the whole time. Hahha. I hope this is the first of many good moments. Thanks so much to each of you for encouraging me to reach out to her doc and go with real food.

[Jane K]

Yes. And vasculitis. They could spend a whole week doing tests and still not have a complete why so I asked for aggressive treatment for the PLE immediately. They were going to wait Fri – Tues and keep her stable if possible since it was a holiday wkend and not all the tests were available. She is 90% better in looks. Imagine a balloon with a teeny dog head. Now she looks like a real dog. Her legs are almost normal dog size. She’s kind of lumpy in the body but they said she had not been retaining more fluid after IV treatment and draining on Friday. I’ve been going with massive allergy problem but they said no. She has outdoor allergies. My husband likes to buy all those treats for her and her step-sib Border. Out of no where this blew up over the summer. I think it had been coming on but once summer hit we attributed some symptoms to her nutty behavior with allergy. She gets food funny, won’t step off the sidewalk, stays inside, and pretty much eats her feet without a shot and benedryl through the summer. Early Aug our vet told me she was fat and blamed us for over feeding. I kept arguing that a dog does not gain 9 pounds in 5 weeks. And I told them I thought she was breathing in a different pattern. I lost. We were sent home with a diet and exercise plan that masked even more symptoms. I still think I was stupid to not notice this.
I don’t think they checked for all types of cancers? No mention of kidney or liver problems. Her heart checked out fine. Her worm check in July was good. Clueless. She is probably one of the most annoying dogs I’ve ever in my life had which means we love her to the moon and back. As a cowdog she likes to herd squirrels. She chews on the sliding door on the way out and if your leg is in the way….well, too bad. She talks and sings and shrieks from her squirrel perch bench in the back of the house at the several dozen or so squirrels in our lot. They come up to the window and mock her. She helps with trash by attacking the bag all the way down the hall, out the door and to the can. She chews on the cat and then humps her. The cat allows this. We try not to watch. She doesn’t know a stranger. We got her to keep the old dog young so this is so, so sad. Old dog will be 14 in October. We shall see. She gets chicken tonight. I’m expecting a miracle. She deserves it!

[Jane K]

Confirmation from doc to add boiled chicken or lean gr beef and juices. I asked (again) about why she isn’t eating. They said the actual cause of her condition could be causing this. With all the tests she had to rule out the usual issues, including cancer I’m a little puzzled by that. I only declined the lymph node sample so I’m not sure what that are thinking. If it was lymphoma she was going home with the same treatment plan to start. Her ultrasound was negative. Sallie is also a little quirky. If she feels shamed you can forget about whatever is you want her to do. Constantly shoving food in her face may not be a good idea. I’m hoping her chicken dinner tonight will make the difference. It’s hard for me to wrap my emotions around the thought that she might not make it. I know she was bad. Full fluid involvement in upper and lower cavities, and her body down to her paws and eyes. Got her in just in time. Keep your paws crossed! And thank you so much for this chat. I’ve never joined before. Here is a wealth of info right under my nose.

[Jane K]

Thanks!!!

[Jane K]

She’ll be 5 in January. She’s a cowgirl/springer mix and who knows what else. Rescue. Loves squirrels and her family. She’s been at THE Ohio State University pet hospital in ICU since last Friday. Released last night b/c I had to put a stop to the many tests they kept coming up with. Great service. Excellent care. Loved on her every day and night. I trust their treatment plan and hope that Sallie continues to respond well and move forward. The not eating is my main goal for now. I’m waiting to hear back from them to approve broth or eggies or purchasing a specialized food OTC to mix a little in her bland script. Never heard of this in 35 yrs of dog ownership. Wish I didn’t know.

[Jane K]

I feel as if they sent her home to die. They talked about weeks and if she responds etc. It would be from the fluid over wheming again and all the system issues that go with it. I’ll check about the nausea. No one has mentioned that. I like the chicken broth idea. They approved peanut butter for her pills if necessary but I put them in her cardboard food and rubbed it on the back of her teeth. I see the cooler sections at the grocery for dog food and wondered if I could buy something to mix with her prescription kibble. I was going to stop after work and look this afternoon. Our vet should be getting her report from the hospital this morning. I’ll check in with them also.

[Jane K]

Metronidazole, Doxycycline, Prednisone, Pentoxyfylline, Fenbendazole Granules, Baby Aspirin. I’ll ask them about your suggestion. I know they sent her home to die but we’re not ready for that. As long as that tail wags…………

[Author]

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