I'm not sure what's going on to be honest....yesterday (Friday) I fed him breakfast at his usual 5:30 AM and then I just couldn't stay up so I went back to sleep. I woke up around 7:30 to find him sleeping soundly nearby but I then found 3 areas in the living room where he had apparently vomited (and then "cleaned up after himself). Somehow I slept through the how event but he seemed fine.
He ate a 1/2 can for lunch - we're trying to increase his caloric intake in the hope of putting some weight on him - and he did fine. Dinner: he seemed alright for the most part. A little restless but he climbed up on the couch, snuggled down next to me and went into a normal dog food coma for a couple hours.
Then this morning: at 3 AM he woke up and tried to vomit. After a couple of retches he attempted to eliminate but nothing came out. He only did it once and then went back to sleep. He seemed fine and in his normal "I'm starving" mode for breakfast at 6 AM so I fed him. And it was as if he never had surgery! He gassed up like a balloon but belched and de-gassed fairly quickly. Then the hypersalivation began, and the "hoovering" of anything and everything in order to try to make himself vomit. It took about an hour to get him to to through his process: gas up, slobber, fight me to hoover, belch, de-gas, repeat.
Finally he settled down and fell into a deep sleep around 7:30 AM. I'm exhausted. And of course, it's Saturday------and even if I had to take him back to the specialty/emergency clinic, his internist is at a conference and won't be back until TUESDAY!
I hope he has an easier day....I'm thinking of spreading his meals out thoroughout the day now--same amount but give in smaller portions over the course of the day. Fortunately I am home this time of year and can do this with little inconvenience. This poor dog--he just can't catch a break!
Saturday, June 06, 2009
Monday, June 01, 2009
3 Days Post-Op
Buford seems to be doing very well. The crying/moaning he was doing Saturday and Sunday have all but disappeared. He is walking well, even trying to trot a little which I work very hard to try and stop. Too much too soon and we'll be right back into surgery to fix whatever damage he's caused himself. His incision looks good. His appetite is terrific and his "business" is right on track. He has counter-cruised a few times, something I also I trying to discourage out of fear of him ripping stitches, etc.
Not all of his bloating symptoms have disappeared however. The surgeon did say that some dogs who have gastropexy still experience bloating but there is no longer a chance of a GVD since the stomach can no longer twist. Fortunately the symptoms are not very severe: he still licks the air on and off for about 30 minutes after meals--and it always subsides after each burp. Saturday and Sunday he experienced some hyper-salivation as well during the first hour after eating full meals but it also cleared up on its own. There has been no sign of physical bloating, nor has he vomited.
I have noticed that he is still pretty restless after meals--pacing, looking for more to eat, etc. And each time this has happened a very short and slow walk down the block and back again cured him.....well, the walk didn't but the fact that each time he we went he moved his bowels and THEN he settled down. So it appears that the dog who has never really liked walks now loves them and HAS to take them for more reasons than just exercise.
Hopefully he will continue to improve as each day goes by. He seems happy and still quite energetic--a very good thing.
Not all of his bloating symptoms have disappeared however. The surgeon did say that some dogs who have gastropexy still experience bloating but there is no longer a chance of a GVD since the stomach can no longer twist. Fortunately the symptoms are not very severe: he still licks the air on and off for about 30 minutes after meals--and it always subsides after each burp. Saturday and Sunday he experienced some hyper-salivation as well during the first hour after eating full meals but it also cleared up on its own. There has been no sign of physical bloating, nor has he vomited.
I have noticed that he is still pretty restless after meals--pacing, looking for more to eat, etc. And each time this has happened a very short and slow walk down the block and back again cured him.....well, the walk didn't but the fact that each time he we went he moved his bowels and THEN he settled down. So it appears that the dog who has never really liked walks now loves them and HAS to take them for more reasons than just exercise.
Hopefully he will continue to improve as each day goes by. He seems happy and still quite energetic--a very good thing.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Buford--post surgical update
The surgeon called a little bit ago and said that Buford did very well. Fortunately I have nothing new to report since the last update as nothing additional was found/done to him. He is going to be monitored very closely through the entire night as they need to make sure he does not have an abdominal bleed. He's on morphine (I could use some) and if he's stable enough he will come home tomorrow. I flat out told the surgeon that I'm in no rush to get him home if he's safer there. I'll pay the extra hospitalization charges to keep him there until Sunday just to make sure he's really ok the return home. He said he understood and that we would take it day by day.
Recap:
Gastropexy (stomach tacking)
Removal of spleen due to multiple nodules
Partial liver lobectomy due to the finding of a nodule
Tissue samples being sent for biopsy of stomach lining, intestines and the spleen/liver to UPENN
Clear evidence of esophagus damage from acid reflux (to be treated most likely with Prilosec)
Thank you all for being there for him (and me too).
Recap:
Gastropexy (stomach tacking)
Removal of spleen due to multiple nodules
Partial liver lobectomy due to the finding of a nodule
Tissue samples being sent for biopsy of stomach lining, intestines and the spleen/liver to UPENN
Clear evidence of esophagus damage from acid reflux (to be treated most likely with Prilosec)
Thank you all for being there for him (and me too).
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Buford--surgery tomorrow
Things are not getting better and we may be facing the last option in assisting my boy in having a sense of a normal life. Tomorrow morning I take my baby to the Veterinary Specialty Center in Delaware where he will undergo some pretty invasive surgery. They are going to tack his stomach down (gastropexy), do a surgical exploratory, do an endoscopy and scope his esophagus as well as taking biopsies of his intestines. Here's why:
While the bloat symptom of filling with gas has remained under control he is still clearly experiencing bloating on a regular basis, meaning, after each meal. He paces, he licks the air, he hypersalivates, and he is very uncomfortable for 3-4 hours after breakfast and dinner. The suspicion is that his stomach has been doing a 90 degree twist most, if not all, of his life. And he is now at the point where it has become more and more difficult for his body to unflip his stomach back into a normal position.
**IF** this is indeed the problem (for there is no real way to prove the suspicion unless the internist was to catch an actual twist/flip on an xray) then tacking his stomach may just solve his digestive problems.
If this is not the answer to the problem....we may be out of options and I may have to face making that decision every pet owner prays will never have to be made.
What makes things harder is that he is active, alert, hungry, playful and energetic. He trots the entire way during his 30-40 minute morning and evening walks; he greats me happily at the door when I come home; he plays with Della....and the list goes on. How do you make a decision to end the life of a dog whose very soul has touched your own when he simply does not appear to be clinically ill, but clearly is medically?
I do hope that is not the road we will travel....I suppose I will just have to wait and pray he 1) survives the surgery and 2) the gastropexy works.
While the bloat symptom of filling with gas has remained under control he is still clearly experiencing bloating on a regular basis, meaning, after each meal. He paces, he licks the air, he hypersalivates, and he is very uncomfortable for 3-4 hours after breakfast and dinner. The suspicion is that his stomach has been doing a 90 degree twist most, if not all, of his life. And he is now at the point where it has become more and more difficult for his body to unflip his stomach back into a normal position.
**IF** this is indeed the problem (for there is no real way to prove the suspicion unless the internist was to catch an actual twist/flip on an xray) then tacking his stomach may just solve his digestive problems.
If this is not the answer to the problem....we may be out of options and I may have to face making that decision every pet owner prays will never have to be made.
What makes things harder is that he is active, alert, hungry, playful and energetic. He trots the entire way during his 30-40 minute morning and evening walks; he greats me happily at the door when I come home; he plays with Della....and the list goes on. How do you make a decision to end the life of a dog whose very soul has touched your own when he simply does not appear to be clinically ill, but clearly is medically?
I do hope that is not the road we will travel....I suppose I will just have to wait and pray he 1) survives the surgery and 2) the gastropexy works.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Buford: Two Week Update
Buford has had a very good couple of days, almost a full week of "good." Eating well, everything moving through his system properly, etc. I cut out the Carafate after the 2 weeks as instructed he seems to be doing well.
But just a little while ago he threw up for the first time in about 10 days. It was fortunately a pretty normal episode in that he got up off his chair, sat on the floor and threw up the biscuit he had just eaten along with just a some water/mucous. No bloating, nor trying to continue making himself vomit, no insanity like before---but:
This morning he had a problem eating breakfast. The food (canned Hills Prescription Z/D) was from a new case and was not the same rubbery consistency as previous cases. It was a little bit softer/mushier (it that makes sense) and it stuck to the fork more after putting it in his dish. The case was in the garage the last couple of days and it was warm in there but not hot. I put some cans in the fridge and we'll see what it's like at dinner. Perhaps the cold of the fridge will "stiffen" up the food a bit.
I mention this because as he was eating either the food got stuck going down or adhered itself to the inside of his palette. He kept working at it trying to swallow it, acting much when he used to get some peanut butter. Finally he stopped, drank some water and I fed the rest of breakfast to him using a spoon, trying to give him pieces he could just swallow without worrying about chewing, etc.
Following the little vomit episode he started coughing like he had been doing 2 weeks ago and did a short period of the gasping/gagging. I'm going to give him a dose of Carafate in a little while--he's sleeping at the moment, having finally calmed down. He wasn't frantic this time--but he did look extremely worn out. More worn out than he should after a quick vomiting moment like that.
I don't believe my baby will ever be "right" again, I do hope that we can continue to control these symptoms however--he has been so happy, playful and acting like he generally felt better this last week. It is very difficult to see him in distress--sigh.
But just a little while ago he threw up for the first time in about 10 days. It was fortunately a pretty normal episode in that he got up off his chair, sat on the floor and threw up the biscuit he had just eaten along with just a some water/mucous. No bloating, nor trying to continue making himself vomit, no insanity like before---but:
This morning he had a problem eating breakfast. The food (canned Hills Prescription Z/D) was from a new case and was not the same rubbery consistency as previous cases. It was a little bit softer/mushier (it that makes sense) and it stuck to the fork more after putting it in his dish. The case was in the garage the last couple of days and it was warm in there but not hot. I put some cans in the fridge and we'll see what it's like at dinner. Perhaps the cold of the fridge will "stiffen" up the food a bit.
I mention this because as he was eating either the food got stuck going down or adhered itself to the inside of his palette. He kept working at it trying to swallow it, acting much when he used to get some peanut butter. Finally he stopped, drank some water and I fed the rest of breakfast to him using a spoon, trying to give him pieces he could just swallow without worrying about chewing, etc.
Following the little vomit episode he started coughing like he had been doing 2 weeks ago and did a short period of the gasping/gagging. I'm going to give him a dose of Carafate in a little while--he's sleeping at the moment, having finally calmed down. He wasn't frantic this time--but he did look extremely worn out. More worn out than he should after a quick vomiting moment like that.
I don't believe my baby will ever be "right" again, I do hope that we can continue to control these symptoms however--he has been so happy, playful and acting like he generally felt better this last week. It is very difficult to see him in distress--sigh.
Monday, May 04, 2009
The Morning After
He had a GREAT night!! From 10 PM - 3 AM he slept like a log--I'm not even sure if he changed position. Granted he was exhausted but I think it was also because he had gotten some relief from his problems.
This morning began at 5 AM because I need to leave for NYUCI w/mom by 8 AM. The schedule of digestive "assistants" that he is taking requires somethings to be taken 30 minutes before eating, some during meals and still another 30 minutes after he took his last medication. If you think you're confused you should see the notes I needed to write for myself.
Breakfast seemed to go well--again, not sign of bloating. Some "normal" post-meal belly gurgles, a regular belch and then some "posterior eliminations" (someone light a Febreze candle please).
It's about an hour now since breakfast was eaten--half of his old food and half of the new Hills Prescription Z/D (looks like there's nothing flavorful about it at all--poor guy)--and he's zonked out on his favorite chair in the living room.
Time will tell if we're doing the right thing but if all continues as the last 9 hours have gone then I'm going to allow myself to believe we're on the right track.
This morning began at 5 AM because I need to leave for NYUCI w/mom by 8 AM. The schedule of digestive "assistants" that he is taking requires somethings to be taken 30 minutes before eating, some during meals and still another 30 minutes after he took his last medication. If you think you're confused you should see the notes I needed to write for myself.
Breakfast seemed to go well--again, not sign of bloating. Some "normal" post-meal belly gurgles, a regular belch and then some "posterior eliminations" (someone light a Febreze candle please).
It's about an hour now since breakfast was eaten--half of his old food and half of the new Hills Prescription Z/D (looks like there's nothing flavorful about it at all--poor guy)--and he's zonked out on his favorite chair in the living room.
Time will tell if we're doing the right thing but if all continues as the last 9 hours have gone then I'm going to allow myself to believe we're on the right track.
Return Visit to ER Clinic--Potential Relief
I know---it's getting old, but this evening I took the advice of Mary Tipping and took Buford back to the emergency clinic because things were "just not right" and I was a wreck. I called first, explained the situation--filling with gas/air to the point of bloat each time he ate ANYTHING--and they said to immediately bring him back for re-evaluation. I'm thinking "running out of money but what can I do? I don't want him to die because I was stupid."
We met with yet another doctor (4th one so far) who re-examined him, and reviewed his entire file from soup to nuts. It was perhaps the most exhaustive session I have yet to have with a vet. When all was said and done it was agreed that we're all just grasping at straws and guessing what could be wrong. Granted, he has early heart disease and I never would have known that if it were not for all the tests done these last couple days--but that did not explain all the gas he was getting. This doctor agreed.
So, we're treating him for three things: a possible gastrointestinal motility problem, a possible inflammatory condition of his gastrointestinal tract, and a possible reaction to his food and/or gastroesophageal reflux. Also knowing that something else could be in play, he will be seeing an internal medicine specialist as soon as I set up the appointment tomorrow morning.
We came home with Reglan, Carafate, Zantac and Hills Prescription Z/D food to go along with his Trilostane for Cushings and Enalapril for his heart. The way everything has to be given with regard to how often, how much, how soon before meals, how soon after meals, how soon after all oral medication....my head is still spinning! I had to write everything down twice to get it organized correctly and I'm still scared that I'll screw it up. Tomorrow I will pick up one of those pill boxes that spreads things out for a week, etc. YIKES!
**BUT** here's the GOOD news: we survived dinner tonight with ZERO bloat!!! Heck, the boy is so jazzed up with anti-this and anti-that it's a wonder his body even knows it ate food! But he's sleeping soundly on the couch right now and that's the best sound I've heard from him all day.
I hope we get through the night with ease as well as tomorrow morning's meal. I'll be a wreck all day because I have to take my mother to NY for her oncologist appointment, but he will be at his regular vet's for boarding and I'll make sure they know EVERYTHING that's been going on--I'll pay extra for someone to check on him every 30 minutes if I have to!
We met with yet another doctor (4th one so far) who re-examined him, and reviewed his entire file from soup to nuts. It was perhaps the most exhaustive session I have yet to have with a vet. When all was said and done it was agreed that we're all just grasping at straws and guessing what could be wrong. Granted, he has early heart disease and I never would have known that if it were not for all the tests done these last couple days--but that did not explain all the gas he was getting. This doctor agreed.
So, we're treating him for three things: a possible gastrointestinal motility problem, a possible inflammatory condition of his gastrointestinal tract, and a possible reaction to his food and/or gastroesophageal reflux. Also knowing that something else could be in play, he will be seeing an internal medicine specialist as soon as I set up the appointment tomorrow morning.
We came home with Reglan, Carafate, Zantac and Hills Prescription Z/D food to go along with his Trilostane for Cushings and Enalapril for his heart. The way everything has to be given with regard to how often, how much, how soon before meals, how soon after meals, how soon after all oral medication....my head is still spinning! I had to write everything down twice to get it organized correctly and I'm still scared that I'll screw it up. Tomorrow I will pick up one of those pill boxes that spreads things out for a week, etc. YIKES!
**BUT** here's the GOOD news: we survived dinner tonight with ZERO bloat!!! Heck, the boy is so jazzed up with anti-this and anti-that it's a wonder his body even knows it ate food! But he's sleeping soundly on the couch right now and that's the best sound I've heard from him all day.
I hope we get through the night with ease as well as tomorrow morning's meal. I'll be a wreck all day because I have to take my mother to NY for her oncologist appointment, but he will be at his regular vet's for boarding and I'll make sure they know EVERYTHING that's been going on--I'll pay extra for someone to check on him every 30 minutes if I have to!
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