Goodbye, Abby

We had to say goodbye to Abby today. We found her at the pound 12 1/2 years ago. She was a faithful member of our family to the very end. I always try to update this group when our pups struggle with sickness for any of you fighting the same battle. 

Abby was diagnosed with arthritis at around 8 years old. We've had her on glucosamine, chondroitin, and fish oil her entire life in an effort to prevent this but there is only so much prevention can do. 

Since we had luck with Meloxicam (NSAID) in the past with another dog, we put her on that daily until she turned 11 years old. This drug served us well. 

At 11, Abby began to struggle getting up and was just "slowing down". We swapped her Meloxicam for low-dose prednisone (5mg) and this pepped her up for about 6 months. Then we upped it to 10mg, then 20mg. By this point, the vet began trying different add-ons. Gabapentin did nothing except make her more wobbly. Tramadol had a minimal effect and codeine made her even more wobbly. 

By this past May, Abby could not get up without assistance. By June, she began defecating while she slept or attempted to stand. She also began peeing and pooping while she walked. Speaking of walking, all summer we have had to gradually reduce her nightly walk until last week when she could no longer walk without falling. She was now falling and "knuckling" every few steps. We had changed drugs again to Amantadine for a few weeks in hopes that something would improve but yesterday we came home to her yelping and not being able to support her own weight (and she had lost 20 pounds since May). It was time. We kissed her between the eyes this morning and said goodbye. 

You know the day you get them that one day, if you're lucky and bond to them, they will break your heart. My only solace is knowing that somewhere right now in a pound or rescue, there is another one waiting for me to find them.

Abby update

Recent news on Abby (July 15, 2021):

• Over the course of a few months, Abby began eating less. It started as a refusal to chew her bones and developed into eating less food.
• After a vet visit, we discovered Abby had dropped from 109 pounds to 90 pounds. The vet also noticed some swelling in her upper jaw/lip area.
• Abby was began a two week treatment of Clavamox for a suspected bad tooth. After two days, swelling was down and Abby began eating a little boiled chicken.
• Three days later, Abby was put under for a teeth cleaning and had two teeth extracted. The suspected bad teeth did not present any pus but the vet thought they were bad. Abby continued the Clavamox for another week and a half.
• During the week and a half, Abby ate very little and developed severe diarrhea. Even after her jaw had fully healed, Abby still was not eating.
• We stopped Clavamox and began prednisone to help with the diarrhea and appetite. Abby slowly began eating again and the diarrhea stopped. She also developed an increased thirst and regular incontinence.
• After three weeks of prednisone, we stopped treatment and the incontinence seems to have stopped as well. Abby is now eating again regularly and we are hoping she will gain some of her weight back.

Update (August 23, 2021):

• Incontinence continued so we but Abby on Proin XR every other day. She seems to be responding well to the drugs and not peeing in the house.
• Three months later, diarrhea returned. Immediately gave Abby 5mg of Prednisone. 36 hours later, Abby had a solid stool. Not sure if that is a coincidence or if the prednisone relieved an inflamed GI tract. We suspect IBS.

Late Night Disturbances

Last night around 3am Samson woke us up head-butting the door and wanting out of the bedroom. It was at this time when Abby happened to barf twice on the floor in the bedroom (totally unrelated to Sam — he just wanted to lay in the hallway). That's the 2nd time she's done that within the last 3 or 4 months, and she's also had diarrhea on one occasion during that time.

Last night we ate bacon and pancakes for supper, and Travis gave her and Samson both a little bit of each, so maybe that had something to do with it. Another possible factor is that we changed to a new dog food (from Old Roy Large Breed to Iams Large Breed) within the last 6 months.

Anyway, just wanted to document.

Howloween 2012

We had our 2nd annual halloween party yesterday. It was a blast. :)

Not so much for the dogs, though. We had to keep them pinned up in our bedroom. They behave pretty well, though. We gave them some chew treats, and pet on them whenever we walked by the door (we just had a tall baby gate blocking them in so they could still see all the goings-on).

Anyways, the dogs have been well. Samson has good days and bad days with his knee. Mostly good, I think, but he'll go through an especially "limpy" handful of days every now and then.

Abby threw up yesterday. She ate her supper then yacked it right back up. She later went on to eat a rawhide treat and had no trouble keeping it down, so I think it was probably nothing.

Other than that, Abby's been fine. Very happy and affectionate as always.

Upset Tummy

Not the most savory of topics, but this blog is for documenting our dogs' quirky and funny behaviors as much as it is for documenting their illnesses and problems (if not more so for the latter). So here goes.

We came home to a mess in the living room this afternoon where Samson had gotten sick with diarrhea. It's probably nothing (after all, the same thing happens with people from time to time) and is likely due to the prednisone that he's taking. They say that prednisone can cause all kinds of little problems with the digestive system, so we're not going to worry until there's a need. And he's acting normal, so I don't think he necessarily feels sick. We've given him an imodium to help with the loose stool. Hopefully it will just pass and he'll be back to normal tomorrow.

Other than that, Samson seems to be slowly on the mend with his bum knee. We had a brief setback where he was completely tri-podding, but after about a week or two, he was back to his regular limping. This was about 5 or 6 weeks ago (April 15th). He continues to limp now, but we think it might be getting a little better. He's good to walk on it now, though there's still an obvious limp, but he rarely puts much weight on it when he's just standing. We've been a lot more strict on his conservative management since the setback a few weeks ago, and I think it's paying off.

We continue to give him 4 pills per day of glucosamine and chondroitin, 4 pills per day of fish oil, and 1 pill per day of prednisone.

I think the fish oil pills are really making Sam's fur super healthy. lol It's so shiny and soft now!

Abby has been shedding a lot recently so we gave her a bath last week. I think it might have helped...

Two Weeks of Meds

So here's Sam's two-week update after starting his treatment for lyme disease. His behavior is 100% back to normal, though every now and then we still see him limp a little. We're just grateful that he feels better and is acting like himself. :)

In other news, we've rented out our house for the Ole Miss vs. GA game this weekend so we're going to visit Travis' dad for a couple days. While cleaning the house and getting things in order, Travis commented on how Samson kept following him around. I think Sam knows that we're going somewhere and he thinks we're gonna leave him like we usually do for vacations. lol That big teddy bear will just break your heart! He'll be so excited tomorrow when he realizes he's coming with us.

Update on Samson

So just a little update on how Samson is doing since we've been treating him for lyme disease for a little over a week now. We could tell he was feeling much better after just 24 hours of treatment, but he still seemed to have a fever, so the vet said to give him a daily dose of prednisone for four days. After that, we really started to see improvement.

In addition to the temporary prednisone, he also gets a dose of an antibiotic twice a day via a pill cleverly concealed within peanut butter-covered treats. Needless to say he loooooooooves to get his medicine, and he probably thinks peanut butter is a cure-all now. He even hurries to get back in after going out just so he can get a treat.

He's definitely spoiled now, and his appetite is obviously back in full force. :)

All in all, he seems to be back to his normal self, and we'll be able to stop his medicine next Wednesday. So thankful for this being an easily treatable illness!

Sick Sam

We took Samson back to the vet yesterday after he refused to take a treat. A treat! He never turns down treats! Anyways, he had been acting pretty lethargic for about a month now, especially over the past week, so his not wanting a treat was a red flag that there was definitely something wrong with him. We loaded him up and left him at the vet's for the afternoon so they could do some blood work.

Turns out he has a low platelet count. Other tests didn't turn anything up, but the vet says that every time they see symptoms like this (low platelets, lethargy, fever, and limping) it's a form of lyme disease. Go figure! I'm glad that it's something minor that is easily treated with antibiotics. Sam was already acting more like himself by bedtime last night, so we're happy about that. Hopefully he'll be better before we know it!

Eweeeee

Came home from work today and found yellow vomit on the livingroom carpet. Ugh. I don't think I'll ever not have a moment of terror as a knee-jerk reaction to what happened with Ellie. I'm pretty sure it's nothing but maybe hunger or your everyday run-of-the-mill upset stomach or something. Both of Abby and Samson acted totally normal when I let them out - the usual barking, running, and rolling in the grass.

About to Molt...

Abby Stats: 14 months old, 105 lbs.

• Abby vomited tonight. But seems otherwise fine.
• She’s very fluffy; will probably molt soon.
• Still digging a lot. Not destructive inside.

Ellie's Gone

Ellie Stats: Deceased, not yet 1 year and 6 months old

• The vet called Travis and told him that Ellie passed away last night at around 8 o’clock. He said that after surgery she continued to vomit, and nothing they gave her would stop it. We are devastated not only because we've lost Ellie, but also because there is still no apparent cause for her illness and eventual death. It is very frustrating and difficult to deal with.
• We both left work for the day to mourn the death of our beloved Ellie.
• We decide to let the vet perform an autopsy in the hopes of finding something on the cellular level that could be the cause of all of this. I’m not sure when we’ll hear back about it.
• We decided to bury Ellie at my parents’ house.

Surgery

Ellie Stats: 1 year and 5 months old

• 7:48 am ~ We took Ellie back to the vet this morning. No improvement over the night and she continued to have nausea and vomiting. I just hope they find whatever is making her sick when they cut her open, and she can start getting back to her usual plucky self! :(
• 9:51 am ~ The vet called and said Ellie's bloodwork work was good and that her kidneys have completely recovered since last week. They're going to move ahead with surgery, and the vet said he'd call to update us as soon as he "popped his gloves off".
• 11:18 am ~ So the vet just popped off his gloves and called Travis. He. Found. Nothing. Ellie has a healthy gut, and yet she's vomiting "digestive blood" - whatever that is. So he sewed her up and is going to keep her there for 7 days or so while she recovers and they try to get her stomach chemistry back to normal. He'll keep her hydrated and on pain meds as well. Freaking 18" incision for naught...
• Vet said she made it through surgery without missing a beat, though – strong and regular heart rate, good oxygen levels the whole time. That’s good at least.

Back at Home

Ellie Stats: 1 year and 5 months old

We brought Ellie home today at noon, but she's been nauseous ever since. I was hoping she would get her appetite back after she got home to a familiar setting, but no luck. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that it was just the movement of the ride home that has upset her stomach. I'm happy to have her home, but worried that we're headed right back to where we started. If she's no better in the morning, then back she goes to the vet....

Coming Home Soon

Ellie Stats: 1 year and 5 months old

• Ellie seemed even better today. Nothing turned up on the barium test so that's great. She still won't really eat though (other than a little kibble yesterday) so she's probably going to be there at least until Monday. I wish she would just get her appetite back so she could come home!
• Vet called and said that Ellie ate today and would've finished all of it if she hadn't found the pills that the vet tried to hide in there. lol I think she's coming home tomorrow! :D

Hopeful

Ellie Stats: 1 year and 5 months old

Yesterday's Ellie update was a bit scary, but God heard our prayers and today held better news. Ellie was in much better spirits today and started eating some food. She didn't really know what to think of the soft canned food, so she would kinda gum it then spit it out. Was kind of funny actually. When Travis visited this afternoon, he thought it'd be a good idea to give her something more familiar to eat and requested some kibble that she could try. She ate it. Go figure. Lol

Though she's still very weak, Ellie was able to walk around on her own today and was very happy to see all her visitors today. My dad went to visit her, and he said she tried to leave with him instead of following the vet. Sweet, but a little sad too. I know she's ready to come home and be away from all those other strange dogs that are back there in the other kennels.

Anyways, the vet was pleased with her progress and started her on a barium test earlier today. As of later this afternoon nothing was really showing up, so he said they would do another check on the progress of the test in the morning and a little more blood work. If they don't see anything, and if she will poop, then she's good to go! If they do see something with the test, then they'll go ahead with the surgery (but at least they'll kinda know where it is and it won't just be "exploratory").

The vet was much more hopeful today (though to temper expectations, he reminded us that nothing is for sure and that things could turn around at any time - especially if it's a blockage), and was pleased with her progress.

Keeping our fingers crossed!

A Little Better Today

Ellie Stats: 1 year and 5 months old

Ellie is doing much better today so no surgery yet (yay!). They're doing a barium test instead, but she's started taking food and water, so the surgery may not even be necessary now. (double yay!) We'll see what is the barium test turns up, and the vet will be in touch with us tomorrow. Those prayers ...are workin'! :D

Not Much Improvement

Ellie Stats: 1 year and 5 months old

So...unfortunately the news for today isn't good. Ellie's kidneys are better, but we can't say the same for the rest of her. She has still refused any food given to her, and as of later this afternoon, she has started throwing up again...this time with blood in it.

The vet seems convinced that it must be some kind of blockage in her digestive system that is causing all of this; the kidney issue was just a byproduct of the dehydration. Long story short, and after much talking, we've decided that the best thing to do for Ellie is to put her under the knife and do exploratory surgery.

If she's no better tomorrow, they'll do the surgery. Hopefully they'll find what's causing the problem, and she can get on the road to recovery. If they don't find anything...well then we're just s.o.l. and out of ideas. But we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

Visited Ellie at the Vet

Ellie Stats: 1 year and 5 months old

• Travis went to see Ellie before work and said she wagged her tail a little, but that was about it. The vet wasn't there yet. He called the vet later at 10AM, but they were still running some tests to see if it's some kind of kidney disease. So still no word.........
• So we heard from the vet at around noon, and all they could say is it's not Addison's Disease. Which is good, but they still don't know what's causing the acute renal failure and they've run out of tests. Vet said Ellie will probably be there a few days. Her kidneys are improving but not as quickly as they should. Still a waiting game…
• The vet keeps asking if she has ingested anything poisonous (like antifreeze) that could be causing this. I just can't think of how she could've gotten ahold of anything that would do this!!! So frustrating.
• Lauren went to see Ellie after work. She's definitely better than yesterday but still very sluggish and weak. She was laying down when I came in but her head was up. She didn't react to me much so I was a little disappointed, but at least she's improving. She'll probably be there until Friday as they continue to pump fluids into her.... Vet seems to think it might have been severe dehydration that caused the kidney problems.

Ellie is Very Sick

Ellie Stats: 1 year and 5 months old

• Ellie continues to have upset stomach.
• After work today, Travis came home to find Ellie listless and unmoving. She had had diarrhea but hadn’t moved at all. We took her to the vet ASAP.
• Vet tells us that Ellie was on the verge of death. It was kidney failure and her potassium levels were fatal. But they pumped her full of fluids and she somehow pulled through.
• I posted on facebook, “The vet called earlier this evening and told us that she was severely dehydrated and had nearly complete kidney failure. Still don't know what caused it (though a blockage has been ruled out), but we'll know by tomorrow morning whether her kidneys will be able to recover. They have her on IVs and said that she was acting better than when we first brought her in. Not out of the woods yet though, and only time will tell how things turn out...”

Ellie's Sick

Ellie Stats: 1 year and 5 months old

• Ellie is vomiting up yellow bile for most of the night. She doesn’t feel well at all.