(no subject)

Mickey has a vet app't for later this morning.

Here's hoping for nothing serious.

(no subject)

Mickey has a vet app't for later this morning.

Here's hoping for nothing serious.

The morning, it continues

Went out to pull the truck out of the garage and get it ready for puppy transport.

It won't start. Makes the initial "rrrr", but won't fire. Starter? Alternator? Vapor lock? Garage gnomes?

So, taking Kuro, which is doable but makes for a tight fit.

The morning, it continues

Went out to pull the truck out of the garage and get it ready for puppy transport.

It won't start. Makes the initial "rrrr", but won't fire. Starter? Alternator? Vapor lock? Garage gnomes?

So, taking Kuro, which is doable but makes for a tight fit.

(no subject)

And the verdict is...not great.

Pancreatitis.

Not sure how he developed it. Could've been something that he ate (that I didn't know about). A GI irritation that spread. Vet said that sometimes, many times, they never figure it out.

Mickey had lost a few pounds. Vet exam revealed that he was guarding his upper abdomen and was nauseated and a little dehydrated. Blood tests revealed a lot--liver enzymes high, inflammation of the bile duct, and the two markers for pancreatitis. It's moderate so far. Hopefully, I can treat it at home.

Unfortunately, the drug used to treat is metronidazole, which tastes foul. I tried to give it to Mickey in a piece of cheese, then in a little dog food. No go either time--either he detected the bitterness or was still too nauseated, or both. The mistake I did make was to let him drink water freely. Thanks to a combo of thirst, nerves, and dodgy tum, he horked it back up all over the living room rug, which is now out on the deck drying. Lucky that we have a couple of hot, sunny days coming up.

Returned to vet's office for sucralfate (to coat his tum) and syringe barrels in which to dissolve tablets. The new regimen is pepcid, wait, sucralfate, wait, a little rice, wait, then the metro. If he horks it back up, wait and try again tomorrow morning. If he still horks it up, I'll have to take him to the emergency clinic so they can give him IVs.

So far, Mick has had the pepcid and the sucralfate. He's keeping down small amounts of water. Ten minutes and we'll try the rice and take it from there. I will feel much better if I get the metro into him and he keeps it down.

The problem with pancreatitis is that it can turn very bad, with one possible outcome being diabetes. Here's hoping it doesn't happen. All good thoughts appreciated.

Update: Fingers crossed. I administered the metro wrapped in tissue-thin bits of chicken--I was going to dissolve the tabs in a syringe barrel and shoot the suspension into Mickey's mouth, but he had so far managed to keep the pepcid, sucralfate, some water, and a quarter-cup of cooked rice down, and I didn't have the heart to dose him with a mouthful of bitter stuff.

Anyway, it's been about ten minutes, and the patient is still resting comfortably. He snapped up the chicken with *eagerness*, which was really good to see.

(no subject)

And the verdict is...not great.

Pancreatitis.

Not sure how he developed it. Could've been something that he ate (that I didn't know about). A GI irritation that spread. Vet said that sometimes, many times, they never figure it out.

Mickey had lost a few pounds. Vet exam revealed that he was guarding his upper abdomen and was nauseated and a little dehydrated. Blood tests revealed a lot--liver enzymes high, inflammation of the bile duct, and the two markers for pancreatitis. It's moderate so far. Hopefully, I can treat it at home.

Unfortunately, the drug used to treat is metronidazole, which tastes foul. I tried to give it to Mickey in a piece of cheese, then in a little dog food. No go either time--either he detected the bitterness or was still too nauseated, or both. The mistake I did make was to let him drink water freely. Thanks to a combo of thirst, nerves, and dodgy tum, he horked it back up all over the living room rug, which is now out on the deck drying. Lucky that we have a couple of hot, sunny days coming up.

Returned to vet's office for sucralfate (to coat his tum) and syringe barrels in which to dissolve tablets. The new regimen is pepcid, wait, sucralfate, wait, a little rice, wait, then the metro. If he horks it back up, wait and try again tomorrow morning. If he still horks it up, I'll have to take him to the emergency clinic so they can give him IVs.

So far, Mick has had the pepcid and the sucralfate. He's keeping down small amounts of water. Ten minutes and we'll try the rice and take it from there. I will feel much better if I get the metro into him and he keeps it down.

The problem with pancreatitis is that it can turn very bad, with one possible outcome being diabetes. Here's hoping it doesn't happen. All good thoughts appreciated.

Update: Fingers crossed. I administered the metro wrapped in tissue-thin bits of chicken--I was going to dissolve the tabs in a syringe barrel and shoot the suspension into Mickey's mouth, but he had so far managed to keep the pepcid, sucralfate, some water, and a quarter-cup of cooked rice down, and I didn't have the heart to dose him with a mouthful of bitter stuff.

Anyway, it's been about ten minutes, and the patient is still resting comfortably. He snapped up the chicken with *eagerness*, which was really good to see.

And that wasn't all

Mickey's developing cataracts. This is in addition to some apparent hearing loss.

I know he's likely older than I was led to believe at the shelter, but I'm not quite ready for this.

And that wasn't all

Mickey's developing cataracts. This is in addition to some apparent hearing loss.

I know he's likely older than I was led to believe at the shelter, but I'm not quite ready for this.